PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 1 PC-File User Guide Copyright Copyright 1982-1993 by Jim Button. Copyright 1984-1993 by ButtonWare, Inc. All rights reserved. The software described in this manual is protected by copyright laws. This manual is protected by copyright laws. No part of this manual may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language, natural or computer, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of ButtonWare, Inc. Information in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of ButtonWare, Inc. ButtonWare may make improvements and/or changes in this manual or in the product(s) and/or program(s) described in this manual at any time. This product could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made to the information herein; these changes may be incorporated in new editions of this product. Trademarks ButtonWare and PC-File are registered trademarks of ButtonWare, Inc. Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their holders. Credits The ButtonWare team: Mary Ayres, Nancy Bedell, Jim Button, Christiane Carder, Jim Coleman, Lynne Cooley, Chuck Cooper, Vivanne Cornelius, Suzanne Eyring, Suzanne Faith, Steve Hansen, David Husch, Steve Klem, Dave Knopf, Helen Knopf, John Knopf, Stephen Knopf, Francis Langlois, Craig McDonald, Gary Peaslee, Sue Pennock, John Reiher, Mark Roberts, David Ruf, Kevin Smith, Steve Wilson. TABLE OF CONTENTS NOTES ON THE ON-DISK MANUAL ......................... 2 GETTING STARTED WITH PC-FILE ........................ 3 CHAPTER 1 NAVIGATING IN PC-FILE .................... 12 Starting, Exiting, Video modes, the Mouse, the Keyboard, the Screen, Menus, Using Help, Backing up the database CHAPTER 2 CREATING A DATABASE STRUCTURE ............ 31 CHAPTER 3 MODIFYING A DATABASE STRUCTURE ........... 48 CHAPTER 4 FIELD ATTRIBUTES ......................... 64 What they are, Types (Automatic data, Validation, Formatting, Data restriction) CHAPTER 5 VIEWS .................................... 79 General, the Record View Designer, the Table View Designer CHAPTER 6 ADDING DATA .............................. 101 CHAPTER 7 FINDING AND MODIFYING DATA ............... 107 CHAPTER 8 SORTING AND INDEXING DATA ................ 131 CHAPTER 9 CREATING REPORTS ......................... 149 Page reports, Mail Label reports, Free Form, Language, Bar Codes CHAPTER 10 WRITING LETTERS AND MERGING DATA ......... 201 CHAPTER 11 PRINTING REPORTS AND LETTERS ............. 213 CHAPTER 12 CREATING GRAPHS .......................... 224 CHAPTER 13 UTILITIES ................................ 239 Exporting, Importing, Exchange, File management, COnfiguring, Packing, Repairing CHAPTER 14 PRINTING LABELS WITH PC-LABEL ............ 276 CHAPTER 15 TOOLS .................................... 297 Dropping to DOS, Phone Dialer, Snapshot labels, the Calculator, Spell checking CHAPTER 16 MACROS ................................... 311 CHAPTER 17 CALCULATIONS ............................. 324 Guidelines, Mathematical, Date, Time, Conditional, Random Numbers, String functions, Relational lookups CHAPTER 18 BATCH POSTING ............................ 343 CHAPTER 19 MEMORY USAGE AND PERFORMANCE ............. 350 PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 2 NOTES ON THE ON-DISK MANUAL The retail (printed) manuals were written using Microsoft Word for Windows and formatted with Ventura Publisher 4.1. Screens were captured using HiJaak by Inset Systems. Text is in Garamond, headings in Helvetica Condensed, and callouts in Tekton. The manuals were printed by R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company. We have tried to provide you with everything necessary to evaluate PC-File. The program uses clear, informative menus. Help screens are always available. Also, the file "CARD" can be printed to create a quick reference card with a summary of the program commands. The file "STARTUP" gives answers to the most common start-up problems. This is sufficient for most people to evaluate the program. However, some people prefer to have a copy of the printed manual. In prior shareware versions of PC-File our manual was over 500 pages long and many people complained. Therefore this time we have shortened the manual so as to give you complete information about each feature but to avoid repetition and the obvious. PLEASE NOTE YOU CAN ALWAYS GET CONTEXT SENSITIVE HELP BY PRESSING F1. Note that there are no pretty screen pictures in the disk manual, and the tabbing in some of the tables isn't perfect. This is because much of the pictorial information is lost when we translate from our typeset document to a a text file on the disk. This isn't possible in a text file that will print on all printers. To keep costs down, the on-disk documentation is not included with purchased copies of PC-File. Purchased copies include a complete printed User's Manual, typeset and bound, which includes screen shots and more examples, a Tutorial for beginners, and an Index.It's 681 pages long. ButtonWare, Inc. 325 118th Ave. SE, Suite 200 Bellevue, WA 98005 ISBN 0-922692-38-6 PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 3 GETTING STARTED WITH PC-FILE This section is designed to help you get up and running with PC-File. This section contains information on your PC-File package, PC-File requirements, and installation instructions. WELCOME TO PC-FILE Congratulations! You've made an excellent choice for your file management needs. PC-File is a perfect fit for everyone needing to manage their data-beginners and advanced users- corporate, small business, and home users. PC-File does just what you need a database to do-store, organize, retrieve, manipulate, and update information. Whether it's your mailing list or your membership list. Your clients, your customers, or your contacts. Sales, inventory, expenses, payables and receivables, even your hobby collection . . . PC-File can keep a record of it. About the Getting Started Section This section is intended for all users of PC-File Version 7, including users of previous versions of PC-File. Whether PC- File is your first software program or you're an experienced computer user, we highly recommend you read and follow the instructions in this section. This section is intended to: Familiarize you with the PC-File package Inform you of PC-File Version 7 requirements Guide you in installing PC-File Tell you how to register your copy of PC-File In addition to this section, the User Guide contains the PC- File Tutorial section and the PC-File Reference section. The PC-File Tutorial provides hands-on exercises to help you learn PC-File. The PC- File Reference section provides information and instructions on using PC-File. REQUESTING TECHNICAL SUPPORT PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 4 The Technical Support Information card included with this package contains up-to-date phone numbers, operating hours, and other information to assist you in obtaining technical support. We provide 30 days of free phone support after you register PC-File. The 30-day free support period begins on the date of your first call and ends 30 days following. To receive technical support during your 30-day free support period, call (206) 454-0479. Options for obtaining technical support after your 30-day free support period ends, include: Pay-as-you-go Phone Support: 1-900-454-8000 Yearly Support Plan: call (206) 454-0479 for information CompuServe Information Service: ButtonWare is located in Section 1 of the PCVENA forum Electronic Bulletin Board Support: (206) 454-7875 Refer to the Technical Support Information card included with this package for further details on any of the technical support options listed above. REQUESTING CUSTOMER SERVICE ButtonWare's Customer Service department exists to serve you. If you have any billing, shipping, non-technical questions or comments about your package or registration, please contact us. To reach our Customer Service department, call 206-454- 0479 Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (Pacific time). If you prefer, you can write a letter and mail it to ButtonWare Customer Service, P.O. Box 96058, Bellevue, WA 98009-9818 or fax it to us at 206-454-1838. BEFORE YOU BEGIN Before you begin working with PC-File, you need to: Check the contents of your package Make sure you have the correct equipment to run PC-File Install PC-File Register your copy of PC-File (Unless you purchased this package directly from ButtonWare, in which case you are automatically registered.) This section discusses each of these procedures. After you've completed these procedures you'll be ready to put PC-File to work. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 5 Checking the Contents of Your Package Before installing PC-File, we recommend you check the contents of your package. Your package should contain the following materials: PC-File User Guide Technical Support Information card Licence Agreement envelope containing: One set of 5 1/4" disks (Disk One, Disk Two, and Disk Three); and one set of 3 1/2" disks (Disk One and Disk Two) NOTE: Upgrade packages purchased from ButtonWare contain one set of the requested disk size, unless you requested both sizes. "Retail" upgrade packages contain one set of the size indicated on the package, and contain a Disk Exchange Card that you can return to ButtonWare, if you require the other disk size. Registration card (Unless you purchased this package directly from ButtonWare.) If any item is missing or damaged, contact your PC-File dealer immediately. Or, if you purchased this product from ButtonWare, call our Customer Service department at 206-454- 0479. Requirements for Using PC-File 7 PC-File is designed to work on IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2, and 100% compatible computers. In order to use PC-File, your computer must have the following: MS-DOS or PC-DOS 3.0 or higher 450K available RAM (more is recommended) A hard drive with a minimum of 1.5 megabytes available disk storage. To determine the version of DOS installed on your computer, use the DOS VER command. At the DOS prompt, type ver and press ENTER. To determine how much RAM and disk storage space are available, use the DOS CHKDSK command. At the DOS prompt, type chkdsk and press ENTER. The last line should indicate at least 460,800 bytes free, if you have the minimum 450K available RAM. For more information on these commands, please refer to your DOS manual. Listed below are additional hardware items which are not required to use PC-File, but are highly recommended: A printer (dot matrix, daisy wheel, laser, or PostScript) A mouse PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 6 A CGA, EGA, VGA, or Hercules graphics card and compatible monitor (only required to display graphs; EGA or VGA required to run in graphics mode) A Hayes compatible modem (only required to dial phone numbers stored in your databases) INSTALLING PC-FILE Before you begin using PC-File, you must install it to a hard drive. PC-File includes an installation program designed to make this step quick and easy. The installation process normally takes less than 5 minutes. To install PC-File: 1.Turn on your computer. 2.Insert PC-File Disk One in drive A. 3.At the DOS prompt, type a:install and press ENTER. If you insert the disk into a different drive, substitute the appropriate letter for a. The installation program begins. A screen appears asking you to choose whether to install in color or in black and white. 4.Choose C to run the install program in color, or choose B to run the install program in black & white. Choose the option which contains the most readable text on your screen. The main installation menu appears. 5.Press F10 to continue and do a complete installation. If you do not want to install certain types of files, use the arrow keys to move the highlight bar, and press ENTER to toggle the checkmark on the highlighted item. PC-File asks you to "Enter the Source Drive". This is usually the drive you inserted Disk One into. 6.Press ENTER to accept the default drive letter. To choose a different drive, press the key of the letter of that drive. PC-File asks you to "Enter 7.the Destination Drive". This is the drive you want to install PC-File on to. 8.Press ENTER to accept the default answer. To choose a different destination drive, choose the letter for the destination drive you want to install PC-File to. 9.PC-File asks you to "Enter the Destination Directory". This is the directory path on the destination drive where PC-File will be installed. The default destination directory is \PCF7. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 7 10. Press ENTER to accept the default answer. To install PC- File to a differentdirectory, type in that full directory path. If the directory you choose does not exist, PC-File will create it. PC-File begins copying files to your hard drive. Each file is listed as it is being installed. Depending on the type of disks you are installing from, PC- File may ask you to insert DISK TWO and DISK THREE. After PC-File has installed all the files, you are asked about changes to you CONFIG.SYS file. Your CONFIG.SYS file may require changes so that PC-File runs properly on your computer. You can let the installation program make the changes for you, or you can bypass these changes. 11. Choose Y to let the Install program make changes to your CONFIG.SYS file. 12. Choose N, to bypass making changes to your CONFIG.SYS file. 13. The last step of the Installation process is reading the READ.ME file. The READ.ME file is automatically displayed. Use the arrow keys to scroll through the entire file. It is important to read the READ.ME file before you begin using PC-File. It may contain important information added after the PC-File manuals were printed. 14. After you're finished reading the READ.ME file, press ESC to quit and return to the DOS prompt. The Install program puts you into the directory where you installed PC-File. Checking the Installation Process After the Installation program is finished, start PC-File to ensure that the installation process was successful. To start PC-File, at the DOS prompt, type pcf and press ENTER. The PC- File screen and logo are displayed. To exit PC-File using a mouse, click on File to display the File menu, then click on the Exit menu option. When the exit window displays, click on the Exit button. To exit PC-File using the keyboard, press ALT-F to display the File menu, then press X to select the Exit option. When the exit window displays, press X to select the Exit button. If the PC-File screen and logo are not displayed, first check to make sure your computer has the minimum requirements to run PC-File. Then re-install the program following the instructions above. If after re- installing the program, you still cannot successfully start and exit PC-File, please call our Technical Support department at 206-454-2629. INSTALLING YOUR MOUSE PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 8 Although a mouse is not required to use PC-File, it allows you to perform a variety of PC-File functions without having to use the keyboard. To use your mouse with PC-File, you must install it before you start PC-File. Refer to the manual included with your mouse for specific instructions on installing your mouse. If a mouse is connected to your computer and PC-File does not recognize it, refer to the manual included with your mouse for troubleshooting information. REGISTERING YOUR COPY OF PC-FILE Before you start using PC-File, there is one final thing to do-register your copy. (NOTE: You do not need to register PC- File if you purchased this package directly from ButtonWare- you are automatically registered at that time.) When you register your copy of PC-File, you are placed on our mailing list and will receive notifications of updates, new products, and special offers available only to registered users. In addition, when you register your copy of PC-File, you receive 30 days of free product support. To register your copy of PC-File, simply fill out the registration card included in your package and mail it to us. Or, if you prefer, you can register by fax or phone. To register by fax, fill out the registration card and fax it to ButtonWare at 206-454-1838. To register by phone, call 1-800- JBUTTON (1-800-528-8866) or 206-454-0479. UPGRADING FROM PREVIOUS VERSIONS OF PC-FILE What Needs To Be Updated Data Files PC-File 6.5, PC-File 6.0, PC-File 5.0, and PC-File:dB databases are compatible with PC-File 7. No conversion is necessary. PC-File+, PC-File/R, and PC-File III databases are not directly compatible with PC-File 7. However, the data can be easily converted to a PC-File 7 database using the conversion program, FCONVERT, included with PC-File 7. Report, Letter, and Graph Files PC-File, 6.5, PC-File 6.0, PC-File:dB, and PC-File+ reports, letters, and graph files are compatible with PC-File 7. No conversion is necessary. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 9 PC-File/R and PC-File III reports and letters are not compatible and must be redefined using PC-File 7-there is no way to convert them. Macros (Smart Keys) Some menus have changed from PC-File 6.0 and 6.5 to PC-File 7, which may require you to redefine or edit some macros. Because the menus and keystrokes have changed, macros from PC- File 5.0 and earlier versions are not compatible with PC-File 7-you must redefine them. Redefining macros is an easy task using the Recording option on the Macros menu. Snapshot Labels Snapshot labels defined with PC-File 6.0 and 6.5 are compatible with PC-File 7. You must redefine snapshot labels defined with PC-File 5.0 and previous versions. In PC-File 7, simply define a Mailing Label using the Report menu, then "attach" the report to a snapshot definition using the Configuration option on the Utilities menu. See Chapter 15, "Taking Snapshot Labels" for details. CONVERTING YOUR DATABASES FCONVERT converts existing PC-File+, PC-File/R, and PC-File III databases to the PC-File 7 format. You DO NOT have to run FCONVERT on PC-File 5.0, 6.0 and 6.5 databases. FCONVERT is easy to use. You answer a few questions, and FCONVERT does the rest of the work. FCONVERT only converts one database at a time, so if you have more than one database to convert, you need to run FCONVERT on each database separately. FCONVERT reads the old format database and writes a new copy in the PC-File 7 format. The original database files are not deleted, overwritten, or altered in any way by FCONVERT. You should back up your old database files (.HDR, .DTA, and .INX files) either before or after running FCONVERT. After running FCONVERT, you will probably want to delete the old database files to free up disk space. Before you start FCONVERT, you must locate the database you want to convert. If the database is in a different directory than FCONVERT, you must use the complete path name of the database when prompted. For example, if you are converting a PC-File+ database called PEOPLE which is stored in the PCF subdirectory on drive C, the database's full path name is C:\PCF\PEOPLE. To run FCONVERT: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 10 1.Change to the drive and directory containing FCONVERT (the drive and directory where PC-File 7 is installed). You can skip this step if this drive and directory is referenced in your DOS PATH. 2.Type fconvert and press ENTER. 3.FCONVERT prompts you for the full path name of the database you want to convert. Type it in and press ENTER. The extension isn't required. Using the PC-File+ example above, you would type c:\pcf\people and press ENTER. 4.FCONVERT prompts you for the full path name of your new database. The extension isn't required. For example, to name your new PEOPLE database PEOPLE2 and put it into the DATA subdirectory on the D drive, type d:\data\people2 and press ENTER. 5.For each numeric field (a field name ending with a # sign), FCONVERT asks you how many decimal positions you want. The # sign at the end of the field name is eliminated. Any # or other "illegal" characters (punctuation characters, and first character must be a letter) within the field name are replaced with underscore characters. You may need to edit reports, letters, and graph files to reflect these field name changes. 6.If the database contains a superfield less than 254 characters long, you must indicate whether you want the field converted to a memo field or a scrollable character (window) field. A superfield greater than 254 characters is automatically converted to a memo field. See the Reference Section, Chapter 2, "What is a Database Structure" for more information on memo fields. When FCONVERT completes the conversion, your database is ready to use in PC- File 7. BACKWARD COMPATIBILITY Databases originally created in PC-File:dB, PC-File 5.0, PC- File 6.0, and PC-File 6.5 can be opened by PC-File 7 without conversion. These versions and PC-File 7 all use the dBASE data file format (.DBF and .DBT (for memos) files). When PC- File 7 opens databases created with these versions of PC-File, it creates its own "header file" for the database that is saved under the same name as the database with a .DBH extension. For example, opening a database created under an earlier dBASE version called ACCOUNTS with PC-File 7 creates an ACCOUNTS.DBH file. This does not overwrite the "header file" used by the earlier versions (.HDB files), which allows you to continue to open the database under the earlier versions. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 11 As long as you do not change the structure of the database using Redefine from the File menu in PC-File 7, you can continue to open the database using the earlier dBASE versions of PC-File. However, PC-File 7 will not update any indexes used by the earlier versions-you must rebuild indexes with the earlier version to access any new information added under PC- File 7. Redefining a database originally created in a earlier dBASE version of PC-File using PC-File 7 does not update the old .HDB file. To be able to open the database with the earlier version, you must delete the database's .HDB file which will allow you to "adopt" the redefined database. Any new databases created with PC-File 7 can also be "adopted" by previous dBASE versions of PC-File. To open databases from pre-dBASE versions of PC-File (PC- File/R, PC- File III, and PC-File+) with PC-File 7, you must convert them to the dBASE format using FCONVERT. If the database's structure was not changed using Redefine from the File menu in PC-File 7, you can open the database by importing the data from the PC-File 7 database's .DBF file back into the older version database. Any old database that has been redefined in PC-File 7, and any new database created in PC- File 7, can be opened using a pre-dBASE version of PC-File by first creating a new database that matches the structure exactly (use Database Description from the Utilities menu in PC-File 7 to see the stucture). Then import the data from the PC-File 7 database's .DBF file. WHAT TO DO NEXT Congratulations! You are now ready to begin learning and using PC-File. If you are new to PC-File, you will find the PC-File Tutorial that follows this section very helpful. The tutorial includes a variety of informative exercises to teach you the basic skills for using PC-File. For detailed information and instructions on using PC-File, refer to the PC-File Reference Section. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 12 CHAPTER 1 NAVIGATING IN PC-FILE This chapter introduces you to some of the concepts and features of PC- File. It describes how to start and exit from PC-File, and how to navigate through the menus and screens. The chapter also lists the keys used in PC-File, and explains how to back up your databases. Starting PC-File Before you can begin using PC-File, you must install it. See the Getting Started section for information on installing PC- File. To start PC-File: 1.Change to the drive and directory containing the PC-File program files. If you have accepted the installation defaults, this will be the \PCFILE directory on your C drive. If you have included that drive and directory in your DOS PATH statement, you can skip this step. 2.At the DOS prompt, type pcf and press ENTER. If you are using Microsoft Windows and have added PC-File as a non- Windows application, choose the PC-File icon. The PC-File menu bar displays once you start the program. NOTE: You can load a database automatically when starting PC- File by following the PCF command with the database file specification. For example, to start PC-File 7 and load the database called CONTACTS in your \DATA directory on your D drive, you would type: pcf d:\data\contacts and press ENTER. Note that you do not include an extension following the database name. You can also change the parameters for the current session of PC-File by adding switches to the start command. See Chapter 13, "Adding Commands at the DOS Prompt" for details on command line switches. Exiting PC-File When you exit PC-File, the program displays an exit window. The window provides brief information on the number of records processed during the current session. To quit PC-File: 1.Choose File from the menu bar. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 13 2.Choose Exit from the File menu. 3.Choose Exit from the exit window. If you change your mind, choose Resume to return to PC-File. Graphic and Character Modes PC-File operates in one of two modes: Graphics mode Character mode PC-File performs the same functions in both modes. Graphics mode presents a crisper, more modern appearance than Character mode, but Character mode offers somewhat more speed when PC- File is writing data to the screen and uses about 10K less memory. Graphics mode is designed for use with VGA, EGA, and Hercules- compatible monochrome monitors. Even with one of these monitors, however, you can switch to Character mode to speed up an operation. On the other hand, if you have a CGA monitor (monochrome or color), you can only use Character mode. PC-File defaults to operating in Graphics mode. You can switch from Graphics to Character mode, but you can do so only by restarting PC- File. There are two ways: When you start PC-File, add /CHARMODE to your starting command to switch to Character mode for the current session. For example, type pcf /charmode at the DOS prompt. PC-File reverts to the default (Graphics mode) the next time you start the program. Turn off Graphics mode in your configuration profile by removing the X from the Graphics mode check box. After saving the change, exit from PC-File and restart it. You remain in Character mode until you change the profile again or load another profile. See Chapter 13, "Utilities," for information on configuration profiles. Using the Mouse If you have a mouse, you can use it throughout most of PC-File to make your work easier and quicker. The only major area of the program where the mouse is not functional is the PC-Label utility. You must have the mouse driver that came with your mouse installed and loaded before starting PC-File. Refer to the documentation that came with your mouse for details on driver installation. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 14 Use the left button of the mouse for almost every action in PC-File. The right button is only used to call up the list of macros for invoking execution of a macro. If you have a three-button mouse, the center button is not functional in PC-File. The mouse cursor changes shape in Graphics mode in PC-File, depending on what you are pointing at: The basic mouse cursor is an arrow or pointer, which you can use to choose options and buttons. An I-beam appears when you move the cursor into a text box, field, or edit window, where you can enter text. The cursor takes the shape of a hand when you move it over the title bar of a dialog box or Help window that can be moved about the screen. An hourglass appears when PC-File is performing a task that requires that you wait for it to finish before going on to the next step. NOTE: In Character mode, the cursor appears as a rectangular block at all times. You can block a section of text with the mouse in order to delete it or move it. To block the text, place the cursor at one end of the block and press the left mouse button. Holding the button down, drag the cursor to the other end of the block. Release the button. The block appears in reverse type. Use DEL to delete the text; SHIFT-DEL to delete the text and copy it to the buffer; CTRL-INS to copy the text to the buffer without deleting it; and use SHIFT-INS to copy the text from the buffer to another location on the screen. See Chapter 7, "Finding and Modifying Data," for more information on using the buffer. Using the Keyboard With its pull-down menus, buttons, and other features, PC-File is designed to be used with a mouse. If you have a mouse installed, you will undoubtedly find the mouse often makes it easier to navigate through PC-File. But any action you take in PC-File with a mouse can also be taken with a keystroke or series of keystrokes. Sometimes, in fact, you will find the keyboard quicker than the mouse. Some hot keys, for example, often prove to be quicker than their menu or button equivalent. When recording macros, you must use the keyboard instead of the mouse- mouse actions are not recorded. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 15 Keys specific to a particular area or operation of PC-File are pointed out throughout this manual. However, a complete list of the keys is given below as reference. Navigation Keys Navigation keys allow you to move around on the screen. They normally operate in a similar fashion no matter where you are in PC-File. If they have multiple uses, each is explained below. Keys: Function ENTER: Activate the current entry; move on to the next step. ESC: Cancel the current operation; move back one step. ALT: Switch the cursor between the menu bar and the work area (the current record, or editing windows and dialog boxes with menu bars). For example, when editing a record, press ALT to move the cursor to the menu bar. Press ALT again to move the cursor back into the record. ALT-letter Hold down ALT and press the underlined or highlighted letter of a menu bar option to display the pull-down menu for that option. In dialog boxes, press ALT and the underlined or highlighted letter to choose buttons or check boxes. HOME: Move the cursor to the leftmost position or choice. END: Move the cursor to the rightmost position or choice. CTRL-RIGHT ARROW: Move the cursor to the first character of the next word. CTRL-LEFT ARROW: Move the cursor to the first character of the previous word. CTRL-HOME: Move the cursor to the top-leftmost position in a memo field or edit window. CTRL-END: Move the cursor to the bottom-rightmost position in a memo field or edit window. PGUP: Scrolls one window full of information above the currently visible window area. PGDN: Scrolls one window full of information below the currently visible window area. CTRL-PGUP: Move the cursor to the first field on the screen, when viewing records. CTRL-PGDN: Move the cursor to the last field on the screen, when viewing records. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 16 TAB: Move the cursor to the next field, button, or option. The cursor moves from left to right and top to bottom. At the bottom-rightmost position, the cursor "wraps around" back to the top-leftmost position. SHIFT-TAB: The opposite of TAB: move the cursor to the previous field, button, or option. The cursor moves from right to left and bottom to top. At the top-leftmost position, the cursor "wraps around" back to the bottom- rightmost position. CTRL-TAB: Move to the right in a Table view, Modify mode. CTRL-SHIFT-TAB: Move to the left in a Table view, Modify mode. LEFT ARROW: Move the cursor one position or option to the left. On menus, at the leftmost position, cursor "wraps around" to the rightmost position. RIGHT ARROW: Move the cursor one position or option to the right. On menus, at the rightmost position, the cursor "wraps around" to the leftmost position. UP ARROW: Move cursor up one position, field, or option. At the top position, the cursor "wraps around" to the bottom. DOWN ARROW: Move cursor down one position, field, or option. At the bottom position, cursor "wraps around" to the top. Editing Keys Use editing keys in edit windows and within fields and text boxes to make changes to the text. To select or block a section of text using the keyboard, place the cursor at one end of the block. Then, hold SHIFT down while you move the cursor to the other end of the block with the ARROW keys or other key combinations listed below. You can then delete or move the block of text. Use DEL or BACKSPACE to delete the text. See the section on reading to and writing from the buffer in Chapter 7, "Finding and Modifying Data," for information on moving blocks of text. Keys: Function BACKSPACE: Move the cursor one position to the left, deleting the character in that position or the selected block DEL: Delete the character to the right of the cursor, or the blocked text CTRL-DEL: Deletes the word the cursor is currently on. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 17 INS: Toggle between insert and replace mode; the mode is indicated by the size of the cursor SHIFT-RIGHT ARROW: Start or extend the selection one character position to the right SHIFT-LEFT ARROW: Start or extend the selection one character position to the left SHIFT-UP ARROW: Start or extend the selection up one line SHIFT-DOWN ARROW: Start or extend the selection down one line SHIFT-END: Select all characters from the cursor to the end of the line SHIFT-HOME: Select all characters from the cursor to the beginning of the line CTRL-SHIFT-RIGHT ARROW: Start or extend the selection one word to the right CTRL-SHIFT-LEFT ARROW: Start or extend the selection one word to the left Hot Keys Hot keys are key combinations designed specifically for often- used actions in PC-File. If you don't have a mouse, you must use hot keys for some of the buttons on the button bar. Other hot keys replicate menu options. For example, you can choose Drop to DOS from the Tools menu, or you can press CTRL-D. Several of the hot keys provide editing functions. Hot key Function CTRL-A Continue search CTRL-B Blank from cursor to end of field or line CTRL-C Bring up the calculator (Tools/Calculator) CTRL-D Drop to DOS (Tools/Drop to DOS) CTRL-E Expand memo field to a window CTRL-F Duplicate field from previously-viewed record CTRL-H Forces insert mode; not a "toggle" like INS key (for macros) CTRL-I Switch to another index CTRL-J Dial phone number (Tools/Telephone dialer) PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 18 CTRL-L Print snapshot label (Tools/Snapshot) CTRL-M Display macro menu to invoke macro (Macro/Execute) CTRL-N Display next record (in Record view) CTRL-O Toggle between flip data and insert tilde, and flip data and remove tilde CTRL-P Display previous record (in Record view) CTRL-Q Spell check current selection CTRL-R Duplicate previously viewed record when adding CTRL-S Simple search CTRL-T Toggle between current and most recent view CTRL-V View memo window CTRL-W Display cursor location box (letters, Free form, and Language reports only) CTRL-Y Begin and end recording macro (Macro/Begin recording and Macro/End recording) ALT-O Choose OK in dialog boxes and windows ALT-C Choose Cancel in dialog boxes and windows ALT-F7 Use with ARROW keys to move dialog boxes and windows ALT-F8 Use with ARROW keys to resize memo window ALT-F10 Resize memo window to full screen SHIFT-DEL Delete selected text and copy to buffer CTRL-INS Copy selected text to buffer SHIFT-INS Paste selected text from buffer PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 19 Elements of the PC-File Screen PC-File features easy-to-use pull-down menus and dialog boxes throughout the program. This section explains the various features of the program and how to navigate in them, using a mouse or the keyboard. The Basic Screen When you open a database, PC-File displays the first record on the screen, based on the current index. The title bar displays the name and description (if there is one) of the open database. If no database is open, only the program name displays. The menu bar is the main menu for PC-File. Choosing any of the options on the menu bar displays a pull-down menu, from which you choose the actions you want to take. In some parts of PC- File, a small menu bar serves the current screen. The work area varies, depending on where you are in PC-File. It may be a displayed record, or an edit window for defining a database, report, or letter. Dialog boxes display to request information from you. Command buttons appear on the button bar for commonly used functions when they are appropriate. Use hot key equivalents if you don't have a mouse, or prefer using the keyboard. The status line displays the description of the current index and the number of records in the open database. This line is for information only and is not accessible with the cursor. Moving Between Elements with a Mouse If you use a mouse, you can move between the menus, work area, and buttons by moving the cursor to the appropriate location and clicking. For example, if you are modifying a record in the work area and want to move to the next record, you can click on the Next button at the bottom of the screen. If you want to move to the menu, click on the menu option. Moving Between Elements with the Keyboard Press ALT to toggle between the menu bar and the work area. If the cursor is in the work area, press ALT to move to the File menu. If you are on the menu, pressing ALT takes you to the first field in the work area. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 20 Press ALT-letter, where "letter" equals the underlined or highlighted letter of the menu bar option, to move from the work area to a specific menu. For example, press ALT-S to display the Search menu. To access the buttons on the button bar, use the appropriate hot keys. For example, to display the next record, press CTRL- N. The hot keys are listed above and in Chapter 7, "Finding and Modifying Data." The Menu Bar Each option on the menu bar serves as the heading for the menu that pulls down below it. Thus, Edit is an option on the menu bar and is also the name of the menu that displays when you choose it. Some features about menu options should be pointed out: A grayed-out option is not currently active. Most options become active once you open a database. An ellipsis (three dots) following an option indicates that more information is needed before the action specified is taken. Normally a dialog box displays when you choose the option. A check-mark indicates that one of two options is chosen. For example, on the Edit menu, you can toggle between Modify mode and Read-only mode. Only one of these options can be chosen at a time. Choose the unchecked option to change options. Choosing Menu Options with a Mouse To display a pull-down menu, click once on the menu bar option. To choose an option on a pull-down menu, click once on that option. For example, to open a database, click on the word File to open the File menu, then click on Open to display a dialog box. Choosing Menu Options with the Keyboard Use the left and right arrows, or TAB and SHIFT-TAB, to move along the menu bar. Highlight an option and press ENTER or the DOWN ARROW to display the pull-down menu. If no menu is pulled down, you can also press the first letter of the menu bar option to highlight it and display its pull-down menu. If you are elsewhere on the screen, press ALT and the underlined or highlighted letter of the menu bar option to display the pull- down menu. For example, press ALT-S to display the Search menu. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 21 Once a pull-down menu is displayed, press the underlined or highlighted letter of an option to choose that option. You can also use the UP and DOWN ARROWS to highlight an option, then press ENTER to choose it. Dialog Boxes PC-File uses dialog boxes to request information. You may be asked to choose an option from a list, menu, or group of buttons, or enter a name or description. Dialog boxes take on a wide variety of shapes and forms in PC-File, but they are simple to use. Moving Dialog Boxes Most dialog boxes can be moved if they cover something you want to see while the box is on the screen. With a mouse, point at the title bar, hold the left button down and drag the dialog box where you want it. The cursor changes to the shape of a hand (in Graphics mode only) when you move it onto a title bar. With the keyboard, press ALT-F7, then use the ARROW keys to reposition the box. Press ENTER once the box outline is located where you want it. Moving Within Dialog Boxes Dialog boxes normally contain one or more elements, including buttons, boxes, and lists. Use the following techniques to move within and between these elements. With a mouse, click on the element of the dialog box you want to move to or change. If it is a command or option button, clicking once activates the button. With the keyboard, use ALT-letter, where "letter" is the underlined or highlighted letter of the appropriate element, to move the cursor to that element. For option buttons and check boxes, ALT-letter is the only access if you don't have a mouse. For other elements, you can also use TAB and SHIFT-TAB to move within and between elements. Use TAB to move to the right or down, SHIFT-TAB to move up or to the left. To accept the current options, choose the OK button or press ALT-O. Choose the Cancel button (you can press ALT-C) or press ESC to cancel the operation and move back one step. Elements of a Dialog Box Dialog boxes can contain command and option buttons, text and list boxes, and check boxes. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 22 Command Buttons Command buttons are the rectangular buttons used to initiate an action. They appear on the button bar as well as in dialog boxes. The OK and Cancel buttons found in most dialog boxes are command buttons. With a mouse, click once on a command button to initiate the action. With the keyboard, press the underlined or highlighted letter on the button to initiate the action. If the dialog box includes a text box, press ALT and the underlined or highlighted letter. For the OK and Cancel buttons, press ALT-O or ALT-C respectively to initiate the action. You can also move the cursor to the command button and press ENTER. Text Boxes Text boxes allow you to type in information. When you move the mouse cursor to a text box, the mouse cursor changes from an arrow to an I- beam. Type the appropriate text in the highlighted box. In some cases, default text may be shown, in which case you can leave the default or type over it. All text boxes have a limit to the number of characters you can enter. Some text boxes are scrollable, allowing you to enter more information than the displayed area indicates. In those cases, the text scrolls to the left. Either way, PC-File beeps when you reach the character limit of the box. List Boxes A list box provides a menu of options to choose from. Some list boxes permit just one choice; others, called check-off lists, allow for multiple selections. List boxes often include scroll bars, indicating there may be more options than are shown. With a mouse, click above or below the scroll box or on the scroll arrows to scroll up or down the list of options. You can also drag the scroll box. To do so, click on the scroll box, hold the mouse button down, and drag the box up or down the scroll bar. Click on an option to choose it. With the keyboard, use the UP and DOWN ARROWS to scroll. To choose an option, move the highlight to the desired option with TAB and SHIFT-TAB or UP and DOWN ARROWS and press ENTER. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 23 When you may need to make more that one selection from a list, PC-File uses a field selection list box. Check-off list boxes display a checkmark next to each option you select. If the order of selection is important, a number indicating the order also displays. With a mouse, click on an option to select it. Repeat for each additional selection you want to make. With the keyboard, use the UP and DOWN ARROWS to highlight an option. Press ENTER to select the option. Repeat for each additional selection you want to make. You cannot undo individual selections. If you make a selection in error, you must undo all of your selections and make them over again. Choose the Reset button to remove all checkmarks and numbers. Once you have finished making all of your selections, choose OK to initiate the action. Option Buttons PC-File uses option buttons to indicate available program options. You can only choose one option at a time. With a mouse, click on the button to choose it. With the keyboard, press ALT-letter, where "letter" is the underlined or highlighted letter of the button label, to choose the appropriate button. Check Boxes Check boxes allow you to turn individual options ON and OFF. An X in the box indicates the option is turned ON. A check box is a toggle. Choose it once to turn the option ON; choose it again to turn the option OFF. With a mouse, click within the box itself to choose it. Don't click on the label. With the keyboard, press ALT-letter, where "letter" is the underlined or highlighted letter of the box label, to choose it. The Work Area The work area in PC-File is of three types: The main screen PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 24 The edit window The view designer The main screen is the screen you are looking at when you are adding, modifying, or viewing your records. When modifying or viewing records, you can be in either of two formats: a Record view or a Table view. The edit window is a specialized word processor which displays when you write a letter, or create a report using the Free form and Language formats. Within the edit window you can enter text The view designer is used to create and modify database views. The view designer lets you manipulate text and fields as objects you can move within a view using the mouse or keyboard. Editing keys used on both the main screen (in Modify mode only) and in the edit window are described later in this chapter. Drawing Lines and Boxes Within the edit window only, PC-File lets you draw lines and boxes as part of a structure. Lines and boxes can add clarity to the structure by enclosing and sectioning off related fields. You can create lines and boxes by using characters from the ASCII table. To use these characters, hold down ALT while keying in the decimal value of the character. Then release the ALT key. For example, to enter +, hold down ALT and key in the numbers 2 1 8, using the numeric keypad on the right side of the keyboard. The complete ASCII Table is found in Appendix D. Other ASCII characters, such as letters from other languages, can be entered in the same way. Status Windows Printing a report or checking for duplicate records in a large database can often take several minutes. PC-File provides a handy feature that lets you know how the operation is progressing. This feature, called a Status window, appears in the lower right corner of your screen. It displays during all record processing, except when you are printing a report, letter, or graph to the screen. In those cases, the window could block your view, so it is not displayed. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 25 The fields and status bars in the window are described below: Records: Shows total number of records in the database, including any deleted records whose space has not been reused. Scanned: Indicates the number of records read. Selected: Indicates number of records selected. Percent selected: Indicates the percentage of records read that have been selected. If you choose All records, this always shows 100 percent. If you choose Some records, it indicates what percentage have been selected from those read so far. Percent complete: Indicates what percentage of the total records in the database have been read. Selecting Files and Fields Two operations show up repeatedly in PC-File. To ensure that you understand how to perform these operations, the procedures are detailed here in full. Selecting a File File selection dialog boxes appear when you want to open a database or a feature of the database, such as a report or letter, that PC-File maintains in a separate file. Use this dialog box to choose the file you want. There are two ways to select a file: Choose the path and file from the directory and file list boxes Enter the path and file in the text box The path is the drive and directory where the file is located. Directories can be nested within other directories down to many levels. To choose the file from the list boxes: 1.Choose the path first, using the directory list box. Choose (..) to move up the hierarchy of directories, if necessary. Choose a drive letter to change drives. Choose a directory to list the files in that directory. The current path is displayed above the directory list box. 2.Choose the file from the file list box. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 26 All the files in the current directory with the file extension appropriate to the current file selection dialog box are listed. For example, if you are selecting a database, all files with the extension .DBF located in the current directory are listed. To enter the file in the text box: 1.Place the cursor at the start of the text box. 2.Type in the path and file name. The file extension is usually unnecessary. For example, to select the MEMBERS database, type c:\pcfile\sample\members If the drive listed is already correct, you can just enter the directory and filename. For example, type \pcfile\sample\members If the path is already correct, you can just enter the file name. For example, type members 3.Press ENTER or choose OK. If you can't remember where your file is located, use the command buttons labeled "This drive" or "All drives." Choose "This drive" to display all the appropriate files on the current drive. Choose "All drives" to display the appropriate files in drives C through Z. PC- File searches up to 10 subdirectories deep and displays the first 100 appropriate files it finds. Selecting a Field or Partial Field Many PC-File operations require that you choose one or more fields from the database. When that step arises, PC-File displays a field selection dialog box. In some cases, you can select just a single field. To do so, click on the field with the mouse or use the arrow keys to highlight the field and press ENTER. In other cases, you can select multiple fields. Choose the fields in the order of importance. A check mark and a number representing the order appears next to each field as you select it. When you have chosen all the fields you want, choose OK. In rare cases, you may want to choose the same field twice. If you choose a field a second time, only the second number appears next to the field. However, the field is used twice in the operation, in the order selected. If you make a mistake while choosing multiple fields, choose Reset. The check marks and numbers disappear, allowing you to start over. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 27 You can also choose a partial field. For example, if you want to use the first five digits of a nine-digit zip code field, you can designate those character positions in the field. To select a partial field, use the text box in the field selection dialog box. Enter the partial field in the following format: Field name,starting position,number of positions The starting position is the position of the first character you want to choose from the field. The number of positions is the total number of characters in your selected partial field, beginning with that first character. Use commas between the three parts of the command. Do NOT use spaces. As an example, consider a field called Phone that contains numbers in the following format: 206-454-0479. To print just the phone number without the area code, you would designate a partial field of just the last eight characters. In the text box, you would type Phone,5,8 The example shows a partial field selection starting at the fifth position and selecting eight characters. In the example of the nine-digit zip code field, enter the partial field like this: Zipcode,1,5 This prints five characters of the field, starting with the first character. You can use the text box for entering whole fields, as well as partial fields. If you want to select a whole field in this way, you only need to enter the field name. The text box can be handy for recording macros as well. To choose a field while recording a macro, type the field name in the text box. This avoids possible problems with any changes in the order of the fields in the list box. Using Help PC-File provides an on-line Help system throughout the program. This Help system is context-sensitive, providing instant information about the current screen or dialog box. Help takes several forms in PC-File. The following chart illustrates the available options: Menu option: Key: Purpose PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 28 Help now: F1: Context-sensitive Help about current option, dialog box, or screen General Help: ALT-F1: Reference help (a list of keys, navigation tips, and menu information) Choose OK or press ESC to remove a Help window from the screen. Help windows work like dialog boxes in that you can move them around the screen if they are covering something you want to see. With a mouse, place the cursor on the title bar, press the left button, and drag the window. With the keyboard, press ALT-F7, then use the arrow keys to move the window. Backing Up Your Databases Back up your databases frequently. Your databases are the result of your time and effort and, perhaps, money. You can never predict when a database may be damaged. You or other users might erase data by mistake, your hard disk may crash, or the electricity may go out. If you have no backup, all could be lost. Keep at least two copies of each database on separate floppy disks in addition to the copy you use regularly. You might want to get into a routine of backing up one copy one day and the other copy the following day. Some users maintain a copy for each day of the week, with the day clearly marked on the floppy disk. Back up all the database files when you first create a database. Once you have done that, you only need to back up those files you make changes to. For example, when you add or modify data, back up the data file. If you create or modify a report, back up the report file. There are several ways to back up a database: Use the DOS BACKUP command Use a special backup program or tape software Use the DOS COPY command Use the Copy option in PC-File (choose File Management from the Utilities menu) Each method is explained below. NOTE: You can't back up an open database. If you use the Copy option in PC-File to back up a database, close the current database first. If you backup from the DOS prompt, exit from PC-File and then issue the BACKUP command. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 29 Using the DOS BACKUP Command If a database is too large to fit on a single floppy disk, use the DOS BACKUP command. This command lets you copy the entire database onto several floppy disks. You must use the DOS RESTORE command to copy the database back onto a hard disk, if that need arises. See your DOS manual for more information on the use of these commands. To back up a database using the DOS BACKUP command: 1.At the DOS prompt, enter the command to back up the database. For example, to back up the MEMBERS database to floppy disks in drive A, you would type the command backup c:\pcfile\sample\members.* a: and press ENTER. Using Special Backup Programs You can back up databases with programs specifically designed for that purpose. You can also use tape backups for databases. If you have a special backup program, see the manual that comes with it for instructions. Using the DOS COPY Command If your database is small enough to fit on a single disk, you can use the DOS COPY command. See your DOS manual for more details on using this command. To back up files using the DOS COPY command: 1.At the DOS prompt, enter the command to copy the database. For example, to copy the MEMBERS database to a floppy disk in drive A, you would type the command copy c:\pcfile\sample\members.* a: and press ENTER. Using PC-File's Copy Option PC-File makes it easy to back up files from within the program. The procedure is not quite as fast as the DOS commands, but you don't have to exit from the program to do it. And PC-File groups the files in such a way that backing up is easier. NOTE: If copying to a floppy disk, the database files (files with extensions .DBF, .DBT, and .HDB) must fit on one disk. If your database files don't fit on a single disk, you must use the DOS BACKUP command or a special backup program instead. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 30 To back up files using the PC-File copy option: 1.Choose Utilities from the menu bar. 2.Choose File management from the Utilities menu. PC-File prompts you to choose one of three options: Copy, Delete or Rename. 3.Choose Copy. 4.Choose the type of file to copy. Choose Database to back up the structure and data in a database. All database files with the listed file extensions will be copied. The other options copy files with the indicated file extensions. 5.Choose or enter the drive, path, and file name you are copying from. 6.Choose or enter the drive, path, and file name you are copying to. If you are copying to a floppy disk, you normally just need to enter the drive and file name. NOTE: For information about PC-File files and file extensions, see Appendix C, "Program and Database Files." PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 31 CHAPTER 2 CREATING A DATABASE STRUCTURE The first step in defining a database is defining the database structure. You "tell" PC-File what your fields will be named, what type of data will be stored in them, and how long each field will be. This chapter covers the details of this process, plus other database design considerations. Opening and closing an existing database is also described. Opening and Closing a Database Some menu options, such as Configuration, are accessible without an open database. However, unless you are creating a new database, you will generally want to open a database once you start PC-File. You can then begin working with the database. Alternatively, you can open a database when starting PC-File from DOS. Opening a Database To open a database: 1.Choose File from the menu bar. 2.Choose Open from the File menu. A file selection dialog box appears, with the databases in the current directory listed. 3.Choose the database you want to open by clicking on it and choosing OK, or highlight the text box and type in the database name. If the database is located in another directory, use the Directory list box to move to that directory. You can open only one database at a time. If you open a second database, PC-File automatically closes the first database. NOTE: You can open any database that uses dBASE-format files. These are files created with a program such as dBASE or FoxPRO and which use the extension .DBF. PC-File creates a header file automatically, which allows you to use certain features specific to PC-File. You are also prompted to enter a database description. The description is optional. To load a database automatically when starting PC-File from DOS type pcf followed by the database file specification. You do not need to include the database file extension. For example, to start PC-File and load a database called CONTACTS in the \DATA directory on drive D, you would type the following at the DOS command prompt: pcf d:\data\contacts and press ENTER. To open a database when starting PC-File: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 32 1.Type PCF at the DOS prompt followed by the desired database's file specification in the following format: pcf d:\subdirectory\databasename 2.Press ENTER Closing a Database To close a database: 1.Choose File from the menu bar. 2.Choose Close from the File menu. If you are ready to quit PC-File, you can choose Exit instead. The program closes the database automatically. If you want to open another database, choose Open from the File menu. PC-File closes the current database before opening a new one. The Database Structure PC-File allows you to create a database easily by defining a basic database structure. The database structure defines what fields you will have for each record in your database. (See Lesson 1, "Understanding Databases," in the Tutorial section if you are not familiar with database terminology and concepts.) After you have created the basic database structure, you can add additional features if you want. You can: Change field attributes, such as calculations, special formatting, or data validation rules, using the Field Attributes option on the File menu. Create different views to change the way the data is displayed in the work area using the Create option on the Views menu. Define indexes to sort your data different ways using the Index Maintenance option on the File menu. This section explains how to create the basic database structure. See Chapter 4, "Adding and Modifying Field Attributes" for details on how to change field attributes. See Chapter 5, "Database Views" for details on how to change the view of the data. See Chapter 8, "Indexing Data" for details on how to create indexes. There are three ways to create a new database structure: Create a database structure from scratch PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 33 Create a database structure by patterning after an existing database Redefine an existing database and build a new file Patterning after a database copies only the original database's structure: field names, lengths, and types. If you also want to copy a database's field attributes and custom views, you must redefine an existing database. Redefining also gives you the option to transfer some, all, or none of the records to the new database. This chapter explains how to create a database structure from scratch or by patterning after another database. See Chapter 3, "Modifying a Database Structure," for information on how to redefine an existing database. What is a Database Structure? The single most important element of a database is its structure. The database structure consists of the fields you want for each record in your database. Each field represents a different category within the set of pieces of information that make up a record. Each field has a field name that uniquely identifies it within the database structure. The field name appears on the entry screen when entering records, and is also used to access a field's data for many other database operations such as calculations, printing reports, defining indexes, relational operations, and exporting. Each field has a field type that is determined by the kind of information you will be storing in the field. A field in PC- File can be one of five field types: Character, Numeric, Date, Logical, or Memo. Lastly, each field has a field length that determines how many chararacters you can enter and store in the field. A simple example of a database base structure would be a database to store names and phone numbers. To create such a database, you might define a database structure with 3 fields named: FIRST_NAME, LAST_NAME, and PHONE. After naming the fields, you need to determine what field types to use. The FIRST_NAME and LAST_NAME fields will only contain letters and possibly punctuation, so they both would be designated as character type fields. The PHONE field will contain numbers, so you might think it should be a numeric field type. But a phone number field will also contain dashes between numbers and possibly parentheses around area codes. A numeric field will only store numeric values, therefore you must also designate PHONE as a character field. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 34 You also need to determine how long to make your fields. Choose lengths that are appropriate for the data you will be working with, keeping in mind that even empty fields and spaces at the end of a field entry take up disk space. You might make FIRST_NAME 10 characters long, LAST_NAME 15 characters long, and PHONE 14 characters long (assuming you are formatting your phone numbers like: (555) 555-1234). See the "Fields and Field Characteristics" section later in this chapter for more details on field names, types, and lengths. Maximum Record Size The overall size of each record is determined by the sum of the lengths of all fields, except memo fields each of which account for 10 characters of the record size. The maximum number of characters PC-File allows per record is 4,000. And, you can have no more than 128 fields per record. To calculate the record size of your database strucuture, add the lengths of each character and numeric field, plus 8 for each date field, 1 for each logical field, and 10 for each memo field. This number must total 4,000 or less. (Note: Memo field data is stored in a separate file-the number 10 used for memo fields when calculating record size accounts for the information stored in the main data file that "points" to data stored in the memo file.) Here is an sample calculation to determine the record size for a simple database: FIELD Type Length FIRST_NAME Character 15 LAST_NAME Character 15 PHONE Character 15 ENROLL_DATE Date 8 MEMBER_YN Logical 1 DUES_PAID Numeric 6 NOTES Memo 10 Total Size 70 Fields and Field Elements The building blocks of a database structure are the fields. Creating a database basically involves defining the elements of each field. The field elements that you can define in PC- File are listed below. Elements: Purpose PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 35 Field Name: Uniquely identifies a field. Field Type: Defines the kind of data a field contains. The field type may limit what characters are allowed, the format that is accepted, and how the data is handled for sorting, searching, or calculations. Length: Defines the number of characters allowed in a field. The lengths allowed vary for each field type. For character fields, you can select a length that exceeds 65 characters, but only 65 characaters will display in the work area at once. Decimals: Applies only to numeric data. This determines how many places to the right of the decimal to display. Calculations in numeric fields are rounded to this number of places. Physical Order: The order in which you enter the fields is the physical order of the data base. Fields will initially be accessed in this order. However, you can provide different access orders by defining custom views (see Chapter 5). The field name, field type and length are required elements for all fields. Decimals are only required for numeric fields and can be set to zero. At zero, any data entered on the right side of the decimal is rounded and is not stored in the database. Field Names Field names can be up to 10 characters long and can contain letters, numbers, or the underscore ( _ ) character. Field names must start with a letter. Spaces are not allowed. All field names in the same database must be unique. PC-File treats both uppercase and lowercase letters in field names the same. Thus, you couldn't name two separate fields PHONE and Phone in the same database. NOTE: By default, PC-File puts the field names on the screen next to the fields. This shows you which fields correspond to which field names. You can change this text or put additional text on the screen by defining a custom view. Custom views allow you to put nearly any text on the screen-you don't have to follow the rules for field names mentioned above. See Chapter 5, "Views" for details on how to define custom views. Field Types Field type determines the kind of information that can be entered into a field. It can also determine the length of a field, or a range of lengths. Field type must be defined for every field. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 36 The table below lists each of the five field types supported by PC- File, their length or range of lengths, and their allowable characters. Additional information about each field type follows the table. Field type: Field length: Allowable characters Character: 1 to 254: All letters, numbers, and other characters found on a typical keyboard (all ASCII characters with a decimal value over 31) Numeric: 1 to 19: All numbers, and optionally: the decimal point (period), leading minus sign (hyphen), or leading plus sign Date: 8: All numbers, plus the slash, hyphen, or period Logical: 1: T or F, Y or N Memo: 5000: Same as Character fields, except for _ which is reserved as a control character. Character Fields Most fields you define are of this type. Character fields can include letters, numbers, and most other characters found on a typical keyboard. Additionally, you can enter extended characters by pressing the ALT key and entering the character's ASCII decimal value on the numeric keypad. You can also enter extended characters directly from the keyboard if your system is configured to use character sets for languages other than United States English with the DOS KEYB program- see your DOS manual for details. Numeric Fields Numeric fields contain arithmetic values. They are precise up to eight decimal positions. Just because a field contains numbers does not mean it should be a numeric field. As a general rule, if using the data in a calculation would be meaningless, define the field as a character field. For example, you would not use phone numbers in a calculation, so a phone number field should be defined as a character field. Additionally, PC-File discards everything to the right of the first non-numeric character it encounters in a numeric field. If you enter data that contains both numbers and other characters into a numeric field, some of your data will be lost. For example, if you enter the phone number 206-555-1212 into a numeric field, PC-File converts and stores this as a value of 206. Zip codes, social security numbers, or part numbers are other good examples of data that contain numbers but should be stored PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 37 in character fields. Fields that you define to number records consecutively should be numeric fields. These fields are often used to sort records and defining them as character fields will result in the following sort: 1, 10, 101, 11, 2, 21-PC-File essentially "alphabetizes" numbers entered into character type fields. The same set of numbers entered in a numeric field would be sorted properly: 1, 2, 10, 11, 21, 101. Numeric fields are never displayed or stored as blank. PC-File displays and stores 0 in any numeric fields left blank when adding records. Date Fields Typical date fields are birth dates, expiration dates, and due dates. Unless you want to use a non-standard date format, you should define any field you want to enter dates into as a date type field. This allows PC-File to properly sort and search the field. Internally date fields are always stored as 8 characters of data in a YYYYMMDD format. When defining date type fields for your database structure, the only length allowed is 8. However, date fields can be displayed using either 8- or 10- character formatting (using either a 2- digit or 4-digit year). Date formatting is set using the Default Date Format options on the Configuration dialog, or by setting Date format as a field attribute. See Chapter 13, "Default Date Format" and Chapter 4 "Date Format" for details on how to change date display formatting. If you do not set date display formatting, PC-File defaults to displaying dates in 10-character MM/DD/YYYY format. NOTE: The following information assumes you are using PC- File's default Month/Day/Year formatting. You can reconfigure PC-File to use other date formats using the Configure option on the Utilities menu. See Chapter 13, "Default Date Format" for details. Date fields will only accept entries made in valid formats. Regardless of how dates are configured to display, PC-File only accepts date entries in two formats: MM/DD/YY-"March 1, 1993" would be typed in as: 03/01/93 or 3/1/93. Internally, PC-File converts and stores this as 19930301. PC-File assumes the date is in the 20th century and adds 19 at the beginning of the stored data for all dates entered in the MM/DD/YY format. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 38 MM/DD/YYYY-"March 1, 2001" would be typed in as: 03/01/2001 or 3/1/2001. Internally, PC-File converts and stores this as 20010301. Because the full year is provided when entering dates in this format, no century is assumed. This allows you to enter dates from any century. PC-File will display dates entered using either format as MM/DD/YYYY, unless date display formatting was changed using Configuration or Field Attribute settings. NOTE: While date fields formatted to display 8-character date formats also accept entries in either MM/DD/YYYY format, and internally store the full year so entered, PC-File converts the dates to display in MM/DD/YY format. PC-File sorts properly if this field is indexed, but you cannot visually distinguish between dates from different centuries. For example, MM/DD/YYYY formatted data entered for "January 1, 1901" and "January 1, 2001" display identically: 01/01/01. Therefore, you should always use a 10-character date display formatting for entering dates before 1900 or after 1999. Also, PC-File date type fields convert any year entered as less than 100 to a 20th century year. Therefore, PC-File date fields can only be used to store dates from the years 100 AD to 9999 AD. Logical Fields Logical fields are used for either/or situations. You can enter only one character: T (True), F (False), Y (Yes), or N (No), using either upper- or lowercase letters. Memo Fields Memo fields are a type of character field, but with a much longer maximum field length (5000 characters). Use them to store large amounts of text. Memo fields can't be indexed. Use memo fields sparingly, as memo text requires an additional file that can take up large amounts of disk space. Also, each memo field requires additional system memory. As a general rule, you should limit the number of memo fields in your database to preferably no more than 2. NOTE: However, you may not be able to use a database defined with the maximum of 10 memo fields. PC-File has to set aside memory to manage each memo field when it opens the database. How much memory PC-File can use may vary depending on how the system it is running on is configured. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 39 Memo text is stored in a file called databasename.DBT, where "databasename" is the name of the database. Within that file, memo text is stored in blocks of 512 characters. In other words, at least 512 bytes of space are used up even if the field only contains a single character. On the other hand, if the field is left blank, no space is taken up in the memo file. Once the amount of data in a memo field exceeds 512 characters, an additional 512 bytes is added to the .DBT file, and so on up to the 5000 character size limit. Choose the character field type unless: you will need more than 254 characters for the field; if the field will be used infrequently; or if you don't need to worry about disk space. NOTE: When you edit a memo field, PC-File attempts to reuse the blocks previously used in the .DBT file. If PC-File is not able to reuse the blocks, they are set aside (but still remain as part of the .DBT) and new blocks are used. For this reason, if you edit your memo fields frequently, the .DBT file may grow larger than you expect it should be relative to the size of the rest of the database. Packing the database using Pack on the Utilities menu will remove unused information from the .DBT. Length The field length is the maximum number of characters available for data entry. Defining a field length of 15 characters for a LASTNAME field, for example, would allow the entry of any last name up to 15 characters in length. Field length is determined by field type. Some field types allow you to set the field length within a range, while others are predetermined. For example, character fields can be from 1 to 254 characters long, but date fields must be 8 characters long. The field lengths allowed for each field type are described in the table at the beginning of the "Field Type" section. Decimal Places Numeric fields require that you specify the number of positions to the right of the decimal. PC-File provides precision for up to eight places to the right of the decimal. The number you enter for the field length specifies the total length of the numeric field. If you are defining decimal places, the total length includes a position for the decimal point plus any positions to the right of the decimal point. The maximum number of decimal places you can define is the field length minus two, keeping in mind that the decimal point itself is part of the total length. In other words, if you define a numeric field as 10 positions long, you can place up to eight of PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 40 those positions to the right of the decimal. The largest number you could enter into a field with a length of 10 and 8 decimal places would be: 9.99999999. Data Length vs. Display Length PC-File distinguishes between data lengths and display lengths. The data length is the maximum number of characters the field can contain. The display length is the number of characters that show on the data entry screen at one time. For character and memo fields, the data length can exceed the display length. You are specifying the data length when you define or redefine a database structure. The maximum data length for character fields is 254 characters. If you want to store more than 65 characters in a character field, you should specify that when you create the database. If you forget to do this or change your mind later, you can use the Redefine option on the File menu to change a field's data length. PC-File defaults to using display lengths of 65 for all memo fields and for character fields with data lengths longer than 65. For character fields with data lengths 65 or less, PC-File defaults to using a display width that matches the data length. You can set the display width to be less than the data length for character fields and memo fields using the View designer as explained in Chapter 5. You can scroll within a field that has a data length larger than its display length. It's as if you were looking at the field through a window, only able to see part of the data at any one time. To see other portions of the field, you move the cursor left or right, which moves the visual window across the data. A memo field always has a data length larger than than its display length. You can scroll through the memo as described above, or you can pop up an editing window to view or edit the memo's contents. See Chapter 4, "Entering Data in a Memo Field" and Chapter 5, "Viewing a Memo Field" for more details. Numeric and logical type fields display lengths must be the same as their data lengths-you cannot change their display widths. Date fields' default display lengths are 10. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 41 Creating a New Database Structure The process of creating a new database structure brings together all the elements discussed above. If you have any questions about specific elements while defining your new database structure, refer to the preceding sections for details on each element in the database structure: Field Name, Field Type, Field Length, and Decimals. Defining by Patterning After an Existing Database If you want, you can start the database definition process by patterning after the structure of an existing database. This is useful if you want to create a copy of a database, or to start from another database's definition. Starting by "patterning after" only copies the existing database's structure: the field's names, their types, and lengths-calculations and other field attributes are not copied. If you also want to copy the database's field attributes and custom views, you must open the database you want to copy and use the Redefine option on the File menu, choosing to build a new file. See Chapter 3 for details on redefining. When you choose New from the File Menu, you will be asked Pattern after Existing Database? Answering Yes to this dialog displays a file selection dialog box so you can choose the database structure to copy. After you choose the database to copy, the Define screen displays with the copied database's field definitions. You can then continue with the definition process: adding, modifying, or deleting fields as necessary. Answering No to this dialog proceeds to an empty Define screen to allow you to define a database from scratch. To start defining a database by patterning after an existing database: 1.Choose New from the File menu. 2.Choose Yes. The file selection dialog displays. See Chapter 1, "Selecting a File" for more information on how to use a file selection dialog box. 3.Choose the database to pattern after. The Define screen displays with the selected database's field characteristics filled in. Continue the definition process as described below. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 42 The Define Screen After you answer the "pattern after" prompt, the Database Structure Screen appears. The Define screen consists of 5 columns of information: Field Number, Field Name, Type, Length, and Decimals. PC-File determines the field number and you enter the rest of the information for each field's definition. PC-File will start with one blank field definition line for you to enter information. A new field definition line is added whenever you advance below the last line in the Define screen, up to the maximum of 128 fields. The scroll bar to the right of the field definition lines is used to scroll the field list when defining more fields than will fit on the screen. The left end of the button bar of the Define screen has three buttons: Add, Insert, and Delete. These buttons can be used to edit your field list, if necessary. The OK button on the right end of the button bar lets you continue the definition process when you are done specifying all the field details on the Define Screen. Navigating in the Define Screen Once you start adding fields, PC-File displays as many field definition lines as will fit on the screen. If you define more fields than fit on the screen at once, you can scroll up and down to view additional lines. You can navigate within the field definition lines on the Define screen using either the keyboard or the mouse. Whenever you advance below the current definition line, a new line is created up to a maximum of 128 lines. Navigating with the Mouse in the Define Screen To move to a field element: Point to the desired field element and click the left mouse button. The cursor becomes active in the selected field element. To scroll one field line: Click on the up or down arrow on the scroll bar. To scroll one screen full of lines: Click above or below the scroll box. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 43 Navigating with the Keyboard in the Define Screen To move to a field element: Press TAB and SHIFT-TAB or the ARROW keys to move between field elements. You can also advance to the next element by pressing ENTER. The UP and DOWN ARROWS are particularly useful when moving up and down in the list. To scroll one line: Press UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW. To scroll one screen full of lines: Press PAGE UP or PAGE DOWN. Entering a Field Name A field name can be no longer than 10 characters, and must start with a letter, and can only contain letters, digits, or the underscore character (_). To enter a field name: 1.Move the cursor to the Field name column in the line you want to define. 2.Type the field name. Choosing a Field Type To specify a field type: 1.Click on Type button. 2.Choose the field type. Or... 1.Move the cursor to the Type column in the line you want to define. 2.Type the letter for the field type you want to define: C=Character, N=Numeric, D=Date, L=Logical, and M=Memo. Defining a Field Length You can define the lengths for Character and Numeric fields within the limits described above under "Field Types." Other field types are pre- defined. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 44 To define a field's length: 1.Move the cursor to the Length column in the line you want to define. 2.Type the number for the desired field length. Defining Decimal Places You can define the number of decimal places for numeric fields. The maximum number of decimal places you can define is two less than the total length of the field. To define the number of decimal places (for numeric fields only): 1.Move the cursor to the Decimals column in the line you want to define. 2.Type the number of decimal places. Inserting, Deleting, and Adding Field Lines After you have started specifying field details, you may need to edit your field list. The three tools buttons in the lower left corner of the Define screen allow you to edit your field definition list to insert or delete lines, and to add new lines at the end of the list. The Insert button allows you to insert a field definition line above the line the cursor is on. This allows you to add a field somewhere other than the end of the list, in the event that you forgot to define it when initially entering field definitions. The Delete button allows you delete the field definition line the cursor is currently on, if you decide that you don't need it or if you need to move its definition to a different location. The Add button allows you to add a blank field definition line to the end of the list. You can also add new definition lines by navigating with TAB or ENTER below the last definition line. To insert a new field definition line: 1.Move the cursor to the line that you want to insert a field above. 2.Choose the Insert button on the tool bar. A new field entry line is inserted above the cursor. To delete a field definition line: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 45 1.Move the cursor to the field definition line you want to delete. 2.Choose the Delete button on the tool bar. 3.Choose Yes to delete the line. The current field definition line is deleted. To add a field definition line at the bottom: 1.Choose the Add button on the tool bar. A new field definition line is added at the bottom of the define screen. Or... 1.Navigate below the last line of the current definition. A new definition line is created for each line you advance. Moving Field Definition Lines To move a current field line to re-order fields, you must add or insert a new blank definition line at the location you want to move the field to, re-enter the definition at the new location, then delete the field from its old location. There is no way to cut, copy, or paste an entire field definition line in one operation to make this process simpler. However, you can cut, copy, or paste one element of a field definition at a time by highlighting it and then using the edit keys: SHIFT-DEL (to cut), CTRL- INS (to copy), or SHIFT- INS (to paste). NOTE: You can not copy or paste the field type letter. You must re- enter the field type using the Type button. Also, you cannot copy the Length for Date, Logical, and Memo fields, because their lengths are automatically supplied when you use the Type button. To move a field definition: 1.Add or insert a blank line at the location you want to move the field to. 2.Re-enter or copy and paste the "old" field definition to the new location. 3.Delete the old field definition line. Naming the Database PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 46 Once you finish defining the database structure, choose OK to continue with the definition process. PC-File will prompt you to name your database. Give your database a name that describes its content and is easily identifiable to you and any other users. If you maintain several databases, it is helpful to use names that clearly indicate which is which. PC-File uses the database name to name several files that contain the data and structure of the database; therefore, you must follow DOS filename rules when naming the database. Use no more than eight characters in the name, using letters, numbers, and valid punctuation marks. You cannot use spaces. See your DOS manual for specifics. Each database within a directory must have a unique name. To name a database: 1.Use the directory list box in the file selection dialog box to move to the drive and directory in which you want to locate the database. See the instructions in Chapter 1, "Navigating in PC-File," if you have questions about using the file selection dialog box. 2.Enter the database name in the text box. You do not have to include a file extension. 3.Choose OK when you finish. You can overwrite an existing database by giving a new database the same name. Be aware, though, that all data in the original database will be lost. Describing the Database After you finish naming your new database, PC-File will prompt you to enter a database description. The database description provides additional information about a database. It is displayed in the field selection dialog box when you highlight the database name, and in the title bar once the database is open. The description can be particularly useful when you have a number of databases that are similar and need more than the eight-character limit allowed in a database name to describe them clearly. However, the description is optional. To describe a database: 1.Enter the description in the box when prompted by the program. The description can be up to 50 characters in length. 2.Choose OK when you finish. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 47 3.Choose OK to bypass the description if you choose not to enter one. Overview of Creating a Database Structure The following procedure provides an overview to bring together all of the elements of the database structure creation process. To create a Database Structure: 1.Choose New from the File menu. The "Pattern After" dialog box displays. 2.Choose whether to pattern after an existing database. See "Defining by Patterning After" for details on how to choose a database to pattern after. The Define Screen displays. 3.Enter or edit the Field Names, Types, Lengths and Decimals for each field you want to define. Any field definition lines left blank will be ignored. Use the tool bar buttons to insert, delete or to add new field definition lines, if necessary. 4.Choose OK when you have finished entering all of your field definitions. The file selection dialog box displays. 5.Use the directory list box in the file to move to the drive and directory you want to save the database in. 6.Type the database name in the text box. You do not have to include a file extension. 7.Choose OK to continue. The database description dialog box displays. 8.Type a description up to 50 characters long in the text box. 9.Choose OK. An information box displays indicating additional database features you may want to define. See Chapter 4 for information on adding Field Attributes, and see Chapter 5 for information on how to define custom Views. 10. Choose OK to clear the information box. The work area displays an empty record ready for you to start adding data. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 48 CHAPTER 3 MODIFYING A DATABASE STRUCTURE This chapter explains how to redefine a database structure. Redefine a database to make any changes to the structure: adding, removing, or re- ordering fields; changing field types; and changing field lengths (and decimal places for numeric fields). You can also redefine a database to create a copy or a subset of the original database. Or you can redefine as a way of defining a new database starting from a current database's definition. What Does Redefine Mean? Once you have defined and used a database, you may find a need to change it. For example, you might decide to add a phone field to a database of names and addresses. Or you could discover that some addresses are longer than the space you allotted for them, and decide to lengthen the field. You can add fields and delete fields. You can add fields at the end of your existing fields, or you can insert them in the middle of your list of fields to keep your fields in a particular order. PC-File allows you to change each of the four elements of your database structure. These elements are the same as those used in creating a new database: field name, field type, length, and decimals. You can change the names of your fields with redefine. If it is appropriate, you can change the type of field you are using. You can increase or decrease the length of a field to accommodate your information. And you can add or shorten the amount of information to store after the decimal place for numeric fields. After you modify your structure, PC-File transfers all of your data into the new structure. Most commonly this is simply a matter of copying any data from "old" fields into the "new" fields-PC-File automatically matches the field names and transfers the data. However, it is also possible to split or join "old" fields during the transfer process using special procedures. You can change the database structure whether or not the database contains data. If there is data, you can also use Redefine to copy all or selected groups of records to new databases to produce new copies or subsets of the current database. You can also choose to copy none of the original database's records to produce an empty database. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 49 NOTE: The Redefine option on the File menu ONLY changes the database structure, that is the specifics of the field definitions. To rearrange fields on the entry screen, you must use the Create option on the Views menu to create a custom view. Or, if you already have custom views, use the Modify option on the Views menu. Overview of Changes to Database Structure PC-File allows you to perform the following operations with Redefine: Add new fields by inserting or adding to end of list Delete any field from list Change field order (by deleting and re-inserting) Change field names Change field types Change field lengths (within the limitations of the field type) Change number decimal places in numeric fields Split or join field contents Create a new copy or subset of a database Each of these operations will be covered in more detail in the sections that follow. Internally, all these changes to the database require the creation of a new database data file (.DBF). However, for all operations except producing a subset or copy, you can retain the original database name when performing all redefine operations. You don't have to build a new database under a new name, delete the original, and rename the database as you did in previous versions of PC-File. Starting the Redefine Process You must open a database before you can redefine it; the Redefine option is grayed out otherwise. In addition, you can only redefine the open database. You can't make changes to one database from within another database. To start redefining a database: 1.Open the database you want to redefine. 2.Choose File from the menu bar. 3.Choose Redefine from the File menu. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 50 The Redefine screen functions exactly like the Define screen used to originally define the database structure except that it starts with the current database structure already displayed. You can easily move around the Redefine screen using either the mouse or the keyboard. See Chapter 2, "Navigating in the Define Screen"-the same procedures documented there work for navigating in the Redefine screen. The following sections describe the various operations you can perform on the Redefine screen, and how to complete the redefinition process. Changing Current Field Definitions You can change the four elements of the database structure on the Redefine screen: Field Name Type Length (for character and numeric fields) Decimals (for numeric fields) These are the same elements you define when you create a database structure from scratch. See Chapter 2, "Creating a New Database Structure" for more details on these elements. In particular, see the sections: "Entering a Field Name," "Choosing a Field Type," "Defining a Field Length," and "Defining Decimal Places" for step-by-step procedures. Also see the sections "Maximum Record Size" and "Fields and Field Elements" for information about limitations on record size and field lengths, and for details on field types. Making changes to the structure is easy, just move the cursor to the element that you would like to change and edit or redefine it. For example, to change a field name from "FIRST" to "FIRSTNAME," simply move the cursor to the field name FIRST and type FIRSTNAME. To change a field element: 1.Move the cursor to the element you want to change, e.g. field name, using the mouse or the keyboard. 2.Edit or redefine the field element. NOTE: You can use the standard navigation and editing keys for all text boxes on the Redefine screen. See Chapter 1, "Editing Keys" for the specifics. 3.Repeat steps 1 and 2 for all elements you want to change. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 51 4.When you have completed all your changes, choose OK. Skip this step if you also need to insert, delete, add, or move fields. These procedures are described in the following sections. Inserting, Deleting, Adding, and Moving Fields The three tools buttons (Add, Insert, and Delete) on the left end of the button bar allow you to edit your field definition list. The Insert button allows you to insert a new field definition line above the line the cursor is on. This allows you to add a field somewhere other than the end of the list. The Delete button allows you delete the field definition line the cursor is currently on, to eliminate that field (or if you need to move its definition to a different location). The Add button allows you to add a blank field definition line to the end of the list. You can also add new definition lines by navigating below the last line with TAB, ENTER, or DOWN ARROW. To insert a field: 1.Move the cursor to the line that you want to insert a field above. 2.Choose the Insert button. A blank line is inserted above the line that was current in step 1 and the rest of the fields move down. The cursor is on the new blank line. 3.Enter the definition for your new field. To delete a field: 1.Move the cursor to the field definition line you want to delete. 2.Choose the Delete button. 3.Choose Yes. The line that was current in step 1 is removed and any following lines move up. To add a new field definition line at the bottom: 1.Choose the Add button. A blank field definition is added at the bottom of the field list. The cursor is on the new blank line. 2.Enter the definition for your new field. Or... PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 52 1.Navigate below the last line of the current definition using TAB, ENTER, or DOWN ARROW. A new definition line is created for each line you advance. 2.Enter the definition for your new field. Moving Fields There are two "main" reasons you may need to change the field order: To improve the organization of your database All fields referenced in a field calculation must come before the field that contains the calculation for the calculation to work properly To move a current field line to re-order fields, you must add or insert a new blank definition line at the location you want to move the field to, re-enter the definition at the new location, then delete the field from its old location. There is no way to cut, copy, or paste an entire field definition line in one operation to make this process simpler. However, you can cut, copy, or paste one element of a field definition at a time by highlighting it and then using the edit keys: SHIFT-DEL (to cut), CTRL- INS (to copy), or SHIFT- INS (to paste). NOTE: You cannot copy or paste the field type letter. You must re-enter the field type using the Type button. Also, you cannot copy the Length for Date, Logical, and Memo fields, because their lengths are automatically supplied when you use the Type button. To move a field definition: 1.Add or insert a blank line at the location you want to move the field to. 2.Re-enter or copy and paste the "old" field definition to the new location. 3.Delete the old field definition line. Mapping Field Data Once you finish making changes to the structure of your database as described above, PC-File gets ready to transfer the data from the original data file to a new data file. In doing so, PC-File must determine where the data for each field comes from. This process is called mapping. When you choose OK from the Redefine screen the Mapping screen displays. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 53 The New Fields column shows the field names for the database that you have just created with the Redefine process. The Comes From column shows which fields from the original database are mapped to the fields in the New Fields column. PC-File automatically maps all field names that match. If you haven't changed any of your current field names, you will see same name in both the New Fields and the Comes From columns for each field. Any new fields you added in the Redefine process will be blank in the Comes From column. Generally, you don't need to map new fields because you will be entering data for them later. In most cases, since PC-File has done the mapping for you, you can simply choose OK to continue the redefine process. However, if you have changed a field name, PC-File will no longer recognize the field name and the Comes From column will be blank for that field-you must choose the data source for that field. For example, if you have changed a field name from FIRST to FIRSTNAME, you must tell PC-File that you want the information from the old FIRST field to be put into the new FIRSTNAME field. NOTE: If you rename many of your current fields and add several new fields or re-order fields, you should double-check to make sure that all fields are mapped properly. In this case, it may be less confusing to rename your current fields first using the Field Attributes option on the File menu. Then add the new fields or re-order using the Redefine option. There are two other reasons you may need to map your fields: To split portions of a current field into other fields To join two current fields into one You must type in special codes into the Comes From column to split or join fields. There are two ways to map your fields. You can select them by using the List button or by typing field names into the Comes From column directly. Selecting Fields Using the List Button If you changed the name of a field, you will need to map the old field to the new field. The List button provides a simple way to do this. Choosing the List button displays a list of the old field names on the right side of the Mapping screen. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 54 The Old Field List Box shows all fields from your current database, including any fields that you deleted. All fields that have already been mapped by PC-File have a checkmark next to them. To map a field, put the cursor in the Comes From column next to the New Field you want to map. Then choose a field from the Old Field List. This inserts that field's name into the Comes From column. To map your fields with the List button: 1.Highlight the box in the Comes From column next to the New Field name you want to map. The box should be empty. 2.Choose the List button. The Old Fields List displays on the right-hand portion of the screen. The cursor is active in the list. 3.Click on the field you want to map with the mouse, or navigate to the name of the field with the TAB key and press ENTER. The field name is inserted into the Comes From column. 4.Repeat steps 1 through 3 for each field you want to map. When you have finished mapping your fields, choose OK to continue the redefine process. Selecting Fields by Typing Names Alternatively you can map fields by simply typing the name of the old field in the appropriate Comes From text box. This may be a faster method if you are only using the keyboard. However, you must type in the name exactly as it is saved in the database. You can press ALT-L to display the Old Field List for reference. To map your fields by typing the field names: 1.Move the cursor to the box next to your new field name. The box should be empty. 2.Type in the name of the field which will be mapped to your new field. 3.Repeat steps 1 through 3 for each field you want to map. When you have finished mapping your fields, choose OK to continue the redefine process. Specifying a Portion of a Field PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 55 You can use the type in method to do more than simple mapping. You can use it to transfer a portion of a field using substring notation. Substring notation specifies the starting position, and length of the partial field. To use substring notation, type the name of the field followed by a comma, then type the number for the starting position, and another comma followed by the number of characters to transfer. For example, typing ZIPCODE,1,5 in the Comes From box transfers the first five characters of the field ZIPCODE. Likewise, typing ZIPCODE,7,4 transfers the last four characters starting from the seventh character in the field. Joining Two Fields You can also use the type in method to join two fields. To do so, type the field name, a semi-colon and the second field name. For example, type FIRSTNAME;LASTNAME to join the fields FIRSTNAME and LASTNAME. Saving Your Changes After you have mapped all your fields you are presented with the option to either update the current database or save the redefined database as a new file. Unless you want to make a new copy or subset of the current database, choose Update Current. If you choose Save As, the original database is not modified, and your changes will be saved to a new database file. Updating the Current Database If you choose Update Current at the Save Changes dialog, PC- File performs the update and takes you back to the menu bar. You are finished with the redefining operation. When updating the current database, PC-File needs to write a new copy of the data file. PC-File renames the original database file as a backup using this format: TMPnn.DBF where "nn" is a unique number. PC-File does this as a security measure: If you made a mistake or if something were to go wrong during the Redefine process, you can reclaim your original database by opening the TMPnn.DBF file. After PC-File creates the TMPnn backup file, it then creates the updated database using the original name including all your current records. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 56 PC-File displays an information screen at the end of the updating process telling you what TMPnn name was used for the backup of the database files. You may want to write down the TMPnn file name at this point, in case you need it in the future. Once you are certain the Redefine operation was successful, you can delete the TMPnn file using the File Maintenance option on the Utilities menu. NOTE: If you want to copy only a selected group of records, you must use the Save As option. Use a new database name or use the same name making sure to write the redefined database to a different drive or directory than the original database. To update the current database: 1.At the Save Changes dialog box, choose Update Current. A status window with a bar graph showing the rate of progress displays in the lower right corner. When all records have been transferred, an information box displays showing the TMPnn name for the backup of the original database. 2.Choose OK to clear the information box. The redefine operation is complete and you are returned to the redefined database. Saving Changes as a New Database If you choose Save As at the Save Changes dialog box, PC-File first prompts you to to name and describe the new database file, then you choose which records you want to transfer. This will save the redefined database as a new file, leaving the original database the way it was when you started the redefinition process. PC-File may take some time to generate the new file after you choose which records to transfer. This will depend on the size of the database, how you select which records to copy, and the speed of your system. A status window with a bar graph shows the rate of progress. Naming the New Database Naming the new database is the first step in the Save As process. After you choose Save As, PC-File displays the file selection dialog box. When the file selection dialog box displays, you can either: Give the database a new name and save in the current directory Change the drive or directory using the Directories list box, and then save the new database with the original name or a new name PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 57 Enter the name of the new database in the text box of the file selection dialog box. Describing the New Database Once you have chosen the name and location for the new database, PC- File prompts you to enter a description. If the database being redefined had a description, it appears as the default. You can use the same description or enter a new one. The description is optional. Descriptions can be up to 50 characters in length. Transferring Records After naming and describing the new file, PC-File asks you whether you want to transfer all, some, or none of the current records to the new file. Choose All to either transfer all the records or select which records to transfer one at a time. Choose Some to conduct a search to determine what records to transfer. (See Chapter 7, "Finding and Modifying Data," if you have questions about how to conduct a search.) Conducting a search lets you create a subset of your old database. For example, you could define a database containing records for just one year, eliminating records from previous years. Or you could select sales reps from just one area, setting up a separate database for that region. Choose None to create a new empty database-no records are transferred from the previous database and the redefinition process is finished. Approving Records After choosing All or Some, PC-File displays the first record to transfer overlaid with the Record approval dialog box. Choosing All clears the Record approval dialog box and transfers all or some records depending on the choice you made at the Transfer Which Records dialog box. Choosing Yes, transfers that one record and displays the next one with the Record approval dialog box. Choosing No skips the current record and displays the next one with the Record approval dialog box. You can continue in this fashion to approve records to transfer one at a time until no records remain to display. At any point in the record approval process you can choose All to stop approving records and transfer all remaining records. Choose Quit to stop approving records and complete the redefinition. To save the redefined database as a new file: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 58 1.At the Save Changes dialog box, choose Save As. The Save As file selection dialog box displays. 2.If you want to save the database in a new location, change the drive and directory with the Directories list box, otherwise skip this step. 3.Type the new name in the text box. 4.Choose OK. The Database Description dialog box displays. 5.Enter a file description up to 50 characters long. 6. Choose OK. The Transfer Which Records dialog box displays. 7.Choose whether to transfer All, Some, or None of the current records. If you choose None, the new database is copied to the new name and the redefinition process is completed. 8.If you chose Some, the Type of Search dialog displays. Choose the type of search and enter your search criteria. See Chapter 7, "Conducting a Search" for details on how to enter a search. Otherwise, skip this step. The first record is displayed with the Record Approval dialog box. 9.Choose All to transfer all records without interruption. To approve records one at a time: Choose Yes to accept a record; Choose No to skip a record; Choose Quit to stop the approval process. If you chose All in step 9, a status bar graph displays showing the rate of progress. When all records are transferred the redefinition is complete. If you use the Record Approval dialog to approve records one at a time, the redefinition process is completed when you run out of records to choose from, or if you choose Quit. Rebuilding Indexes If you defined any indexes for your database before beginning the redefine process, PC-File will ask if you want to rebuild the indexes after it has finished saving the data you selected to the new database structure. See Chapter 8, "Indexing Data" for more details. Choose No if you do not want the new database to have the same indexes as the original database. If you have a large database with several indexes, it could take a long time to rebuild them all, or you may not have the time right now to rebuild them. If you choose No, you can make indexes for you database at any time later. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 59 Choose Yes if you want PC-File to rebuild all the indexes the original databases had. Rebuilding all the indexes may take a long time if you have a very large database and several indexes. PC-File will attempt to rebuild all the indexes for your database, but it may not be able to. If you made any changes to fields included in any of the index definitions, PC- File will tell you which indexes it was unable to rebuild. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 60 Overview of Procedures for Redefining The following procedure presents an overview of the entire redefinition process from start to finish. To redefine a database: Open the database you want to redefine. 1.Choose Redefine from the File menu. The Redefine screen displays. 2.Make the desired changes to the field list. See the sections "Changing Current Field Definitions" and "Inserting, Deleting, Adding, and Moving Fields" for details. 3.Choose OK when you have made all the changes you want to make to the field list. The Mapping screen displays. 4.Map fields if necessary (see "Mapping Field Data" for details), otherwise choose OK to continue. 5.Choose whether to Update or Save As. If you choose Update, the Status window displays to show the rate of progress. If you choose Save As, you must name and describe the new database, and then specify which records to transfer. See "Saving Changes as a New Database" for details. 6.Choose Yes to rebuild indexes, or No to omit the current indexes. The Redefine process is finished. How Redefining Affects Other Database Characteristics Redefining only changes the characteristics of your data file (databasename.DBF), but there are many other areas of your database which may be affected by the changes you made. PC- File lets you define many additional attributes and characteristics about your database and fields including Field Attributes Custom Views Indexes Reports, Letters & Graphs Macro definitions Batch Posting definitions PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 61 These features are optional, so you might have defined only a few or none at all. You may not need to update any of these features, or you may need to update all of them-it all depends on the extent of the changes you made to the database structure. Each section below describes briefly how to know if you need to make additional changes. Changes to Field Attributes PC-File lets you define field attributes which control and automate what happens in each field. See Chapter 4, "Field Attributes" for more details. What to check: If you changed any field names, those field's attributes are retained as long as they have been properly mapped to the new database's field names. If you added new fields to your database structure, you may want to define new field attributes for them. If you deleted any fields or changed any existing field names when you redefined, you may also need to update calculation and relational lookup attributes. Additionally, if you have any other databases which do relational lookups on the database you redefined, you may need to update those databases' relational lookup attributes if they referenced any deleted field or fields whose names you changed. Changes to Custom Views PC-File lets you define additional "views" to display your data in different ways. See Chapter 5, "Views" for more details. Redefining retains any custom views you defined for the original database. However, because you can delete and rename fields when redefining, pre-existing custom views that contained those fields will be affected. What to check: Deleted fields are removed from all custom views Renamed fields will remain in the view as long as they have been properly mapped to the new database's field names. New fields will not appear in any of your custom views. If you want your new field(s) to appear in any your custom views you must modify the views to add the new field(s). The two Default views always reflect the current database structure, so they will automatically reflect any changes you make during when redefining. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 62 Changes to Indexes PC-File lets you define indexes which allow you to customize the order your records are displayed in. See Chapter 8, "Indexing Data" for more details. If you defined any indexes for your database prior to redefining the structure, PC-File asks you if you want to rebuild the database's indexes. If you answer Yes, PC-File will attempt to rebuild all the indexes you had defined. Index definitions are dependent on field names, field types and field lengths. Deleting fields or changing field names, lengths, or types can cause indexes to become invalid. What to check: If an index contains a reference to field that has been deleted or modified in any way, PC-File will tell you it was unable to build the index. You may want to remake any indexes PC-File was unable to rebuild. Changes to Reports, Letters & Graphs Printing Reports, Letters and Graphs are some of PC-File's useful features. See Chapter 9, "Creating Reports," Chapter 10, "Writing Letters," and Chapter 12 "Creating Graphs," for more details. Because any number of databases might be able to use the same reports, letters and graphs, PC-File will not attempt to make any changes to them when you redefine a database structure. What to check: If you deleted fields, or changed fields names, lengths or types, you must update any reports, letters and graphs used with that database to reflect those changes. Changes to Macro Definitions Macros allow you to simplify complicated or repetitive tasks by recording the keystrokes so you can play them back at any time. See Chapter 16, "Using Macros" for more details. Because you can record nearly any task in PC-File into a macro, it is almost impossible to list everything you should look at after having made changes to the database structure. Below is a list of the most common changes that will disrupt macros. What to check: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 63 If any of your macro reference a field name and you changed that field's name, you will need to modify the macro to reflect the new name. If any of your macros are designed specifically to navigate to certain fields in a view and that view has changed because you deleted fields, you may need to modify the macro. If any of your macros reference a database name and you saved the redefined database structure to a new name, you will need to modify the macro to reflect the new name. Changes to Batch Posting Definitions PC-File's Batch Posting feature allows you to update information in other databases with information in the current database. See Chapter 18, "Batch Posting" for more details. What to check: If you have any databases that perform batch posting on the database you redefined, those databases' post definitions must be updated if they referenced fields you deleted or fields whose names you changed. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 64 Chapter 4 FIELD ATTRIBUTES PC-File's field attributes let you control and automate what happens in each field. Field attributes can: supply automatic data, such as calculations; perform certain kinds of validation, such as defining the range of allowed values; control date, and character formatting; and can restrict when a field can be edited. Field attributes can be combined and applied selectively for each field. This chapter tells you how to define, modify, and delete field attributes. What are Field Attributes? PC-File's field attributes control what happens in a field in addition to the restrictions placed by a field's type. Field attributes fall under four basic categories based on how they affect the field: Automatic Data, Validation, Formatting, and Data Restriction. Automatic Data field attributes automatically supply data to a field from several different sources: Automatic Date-from the system date Automatic Time-from the system time Serial Number-supplies an automatically incrementing serial number Calculation-from a calculation based on other field's values Relational Lookup-retrieves data from other databases Default Text-from default text you define Automatic Dupe-by duplicating field data from the previous record Validation field attributes confirm that data has been correctly entered: Must Answer-confirms that something was entered Validate Range-confirms that the data entered falls within a defined range Formatting field attributes control formatting: Date Format-defines the display format for date-type fields Case Force-converts entered characters to either: upper-, lower-, or mixed case Data Restriction field attributes control what can be entered: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 65 Not Editable-controls whether a field can be edited Character Restriction-controls which characters can be entered Each of these field attributes and how to assign them are discussed below. When Are Field Attributes Applied? You can control when PC-File applies Automatic Data attributes. For example, you can have an Automatic Date attribute supply the system date only when a record is first added. See the discussion under "When are Automatic Data Attributes Applied?" for more details. All other field attributes, except Not Editable, are applied at all times. How Many Field Attributes Per Field? To provide the greatest flexibility, PC-File lets you assign any number of field attributes per field. For example, for the same field you may assign Character Restriction to allow only certain characters to be entered, and assign Validate Range to define a range of allowed values, and assign Must Answer to make sure that something is always entered in the field. However, this means that it is possible to assign conflicting attributes to the same field. For example, PC-File will not prevent you from assigning both Automatic Date and Automatic Time attributes to the same field-the attribute assigned last would overwrite the other. Another example: PC-File will not prevent you from assigning Validate Range to limit the allowed range of values and then adding a Calculation that produces a result outside of the specified range. If you are assigning more than one attribute to a field, be careful not to assign attributes that will conflict with each other. Except for Calculation, Relational Lookup, and Default Data attributes, PC-File does prevent you from assigning more than one of the same attribute to a field. The Field Attribute Definition Process To start the Field Attribute definition process with the database you want to work with must be open. Then, choosing the Field Attribute option on the File menu displays a Field Selection dialog box. The Field Selection dialog box lets you choose which field you want to work with from the list. Once you choose a field, the Atrribute dialog box displays. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 66 The Name text box at the top of the box lets you edit and change the field's name. The Available Attributes list on the left side shows all the field attributes you can work with. The Current Attributes list shows all attributes that are defined for the field. You can perform as many field attribute operations on the field as you want: add, delete, or modify one or more field attributes. Choosing OK returns you to the Field Attribute field selection dialog box to let you work with another field. To start working with field attributes: 1.Open the database you want to work with. 2.Choose Field Attribute from the File menu. The Field Section dialog box displays. 3.Choose the field you want to work with. The Field Attribute Definition dialog box displays. 4.Continue the Field Attribute definition process as described below. Adding a Field Attribute Once you have the Field Attribute Definition dialog box for the desired field displayed, you can add Field Attributes. The following procedure outlines the basic steps for adding an attribute. See the section for each attribute type later in this chapter for full details. To add a field attribute: 1.Select the attribute you want to assign from the Available Attributes list. 2.Choose the Add button. The dialog for the selected attribute displays. See the appropriate section later in this chapter for full details on each attribute. 3.Choose OK when you are finished defining the attribute. You are returned to the Field Attribute Definition dialog box. Deleting a Field Attribute You can easily delete field attributes once you have the Field Attribute Definition dialog box displayed. To delete a field attribute: 1.Select the attribute you want to delete from the Current Attributes list box. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 67 2.Choose the Delete button. A confirmation dialog box displays. 3.Choose Yes to delete the selected attribute. Modifying a Field Attribute Once you have assigned a field attribute, you may find you need to modify its definition. The following procedure outlines the basic steps for modifying an attribute. See the appropriate section later in this chapter for the full details on each attribute type. To modify a field attribute: 1.Select the attribute you want to modify from the Current Attributes list box. 2.Choose the Modify button. The appropriate dialog box for the selected field attribute displays. See the appropriate section later in this chapter for full details on the attribute you are working with. 3.Choose OK when you are finished modifying the attribute. Completing the Field Attribute Definition Process You can perform any number of field attribute operations using the Field Attribute Definition dialog box. Once you are finished working with the field, choosing OK on the Field Attribute Definition dialog box returns you to the Field Section dialog box. You can choose to work with another field or choose OK on the Field Selection dialog box to return to the work area. Details on how to define each field attribute are covered in the following sections. Defining Automatic Data Attributes PC-File allows you to set up seven different types of automatic data attributes: Automatic Date Automatic Time Automatic Duplication Calculations Default Text Relational Lookups Serial Numbers Each of these options is described in detail later in this section. When are Automatic Data Attributes Applied? PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 68 Automatic Data attributes generate their data at a time that you specify. PC-File controls when an Automatic Data attribute generates its output three ways. You can determine if the attribute is applied: When adding records, when modifying records, or both When you begin editing the record, or when you exit the record Only when the field is empty, not empty, or at all times When you add or modify an Automatic Data attribute, a dialog box is displayed. There may be differences in the dialog box depending on what kind of Automatic Data attribute you are defining, but all dialog boxes have these three sets of options. In most cases, you can choose the default choices that PC-File provides. However, you may want to modify the options for different purposes. How each group of options affects Automatic Data attributes is described below. During Which Operations The When Adding Records and When Modifying Records check boxes determine whether the attribute is applied only when you add records, only when you modify records, or both. For example, you might want to assign an Automatic Date attribute to the ENTER_DATE field in an invoicing database. Turn on the When Adding Records check box to specify that the Automatic Date is only supplied when adding a record. Also, make sure that the When Modifying Records check box is turned off. Then each time you add a new record (invoice), PC-File automatically puts today's date in ENTER_DATE for you. Similarly, you might put an Automatic Date attribute in a MODIFYDATE field to track when a record was last modified. Turn on the When Modifying Records check box and make sure the When Adding Records check box is turned off to apply the attribute only when the record is modified. You can turn on both check boxes to apply an attribute when both adding and modifying records. Also, if you want to temporarily disable an attribute without having to delete and re-enter it, you can turn off both When Adding and When Modifying check boxes. At What Time During the Operation The When You Begin Editing and When You Exit The Record option buttons control at what time the attribute is applied while you are editing a record. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 69 The When You Begin Editing option behaves slightly differently depending on whether the attribute is being applied when adding or modifying a record. When adding, this option causes the automatic data to be supplied as soon as you start adding a record-the output of this attribute will be visible as soon as you choose to add a record. When modifying, this option causes the automatic data to be supplied as soon as you access any field in a record and start typing. Typically, the When You Begin Editing option is used for information you want to show at the start of an editing session. Automatic Date, Automatic Time, Automatic Duplication, Default Text, and Serial Number would typically be set with the When You Begin Editing option. The When You Exit The Record option causes the automatic data to be supplied as soon as you are finished working with a record. This is typically used for the two Automatic Data attributes that depend on information from other fields: Calculations and Relational Lookups. Apply When Empty or Not Empty The Empty and Always option buttons control whether you can override an Automatic Data attribute when entering data. For example, if you choose the Always option button and both When Adding and When Modifying from the During Which Operations options, you cannot ever enter your own data into the field-the automatic data will replace anything you enter. However, when the attribute is set to perform only if the field is empty, if you type something to replace the automatic data, PC-File will not replace your entry. The Not Empty option button causes the Automatic Data attribute to perform only when there is something in the field. You can use this option to trigger the Automatic Data attribute whenever you enter something into the field. Automatic Date PC-File allows you to add a field attribute that automatically puts today's date in the field. PC-File gets this date from your computer's system date. You can use this attribute in Date, Character, and Memo type fields. Use the When to Apply options to determine when to generate the date. To add an automatic date attribute: 1.With a database open, choose Field Attributes from the File menu. The Field selection dialog box displays. 2.Choose the field to add the automatic date attribute to. The Field Attributes dialog box displays. 3.Select Automatic Date from the Available Attributes list. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 70 4.Choose Add to add the attribute. The Automatic Date dialog box displays with When to Apply options. 5.Select when to apply the automatic date. NOTE: Selecting when to apply an automatic field attribute can be daunting. See the section, "When are Automatic Field Attributes Applied," for a detailed explanation. For example, you may want to have the date supplied automatically only when you add a record. Optionally, you may want to apply the date when you modify a record to see when you last updated it. 6.Choose OK to apply this attribute to the field. Automatic Duplication Automatic Duplication is similar to adding Default Text to a field. However, while Default Text always inserts the same data in a field, Automatic Duplication inserts whatever data appeared in the same field in the previously viewed record. In either case, you can type over the current information. This attribute makes entering a series of records with the same data simpler. For example, you could use a duplication mask for a STATE field in which you entered all the WA addresses first, then moved on to the OR addresses, and from there to the CA addresses and so on. To add an automatic duplication attribute: 1.With a database open, choose Field Attributes from the File menu. The Field Selection dialog box displays. 2.Choose the field for Automatic Duplication. The Field Attributes dialog box displays. 3.Select Automatic Dupe from the Available Attributes list box. 4.Choose Add. The Automatic Duplication dialog box with When to Apply options displays. 5.Select when to apply. 6.Choose OK to apply this attribute to the field. Automatic Time PC-File allows you to add a field attribute that automatically generates the time from you computer's system time. Like the automatic date, you can generate the time when you add a new record or when you modify. To put in an automatic time field: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 71 1.With a database open, choose Field Attributes from the File menu. The Field selection dialog box displays. 2.Choose the field to add the Automatic time attribute to. The Field Attributes dialog box displays. 3.Select Automatic Time from the Available Attributes list box. 4.Choose Add. The Automatic Time dialog box with When to Apply options displays. 5.Select when to apply the Automatic time attribute. 6.Choose OK to apply this attribute to the field. Calculations Using the Calculation field attribute you can create a field that generates its own data through a calculation. For each record, PC-File performs the calculation at the time you specify and enters the results in the field. You can use any of the calculations described in Chapter 17, "Calculations." This includes mathematical, date, and string calculations as well as relational lookups. In most cases, you will want to define a relational lookup using the dialog boxes displayed when choosing the Relational Lookup field attribute as explained later in this chapter in the "Relational Lookup," section. The outermost set of parentheses around a calculation is optional, as PC-File adds them automatically. Field calculations can include other field names, numeric constants, and functions. See Chapter 17, "Calculations," for information on using calculations in PC-File. Here are some examples of calculations: FIRST_NAME;" ";LAST_NAME ((TODAY#) - (BUY_DATE ( @DAY#,mdy))) TOTAL_AMT *1.0825 To add a calculation: 1.With a database open, choose Field Attributes from the File menu. The Field Selection dialog box displays. 2.Choose the field to add the calculation to. The Field Attributes dialog box displays. 3.Select Calculation from the Available Attributes list. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 72 4.Choose Add. The Calculation dialog box with a text box for entering the calculation and the When to Apply options displays. 5.Type the calculation in the Calculation text box. 6.Select when to apply the calculation using the options below the Calculation text box. 7.Choose OK to apply this attribute to the field. Default Text If you want the same data to appear in a field in most records or in every record, add a Default Text attribute to that field. For example, suppose that most of the addresses in a database are from Walla Walla. To save you from having to type WALLA WALLA every time a new record is added, you can insert WALLA WALLA as default text in the city field. You can then skip over that field most of the time. When a different city is needed, type it right over the default text. Here are some examples of default data: WALLA WALLA CA 01/22/93 To add a Default Text attribute: 1.With a database open, choose Field Attributes from the File menu. The Field Selection dialog box displays. 2.Choose the field to add the Default Text attribute to. The Field Attributes dialog box displays. 3.Select Default Data from the Available Attributes list. 4.Choose Add. The Default Text dialog box with a text box for entering the default data displays. 5.Type the text to be used as Default Text in the text box. 6.Select when to apply using the When to Apply options. 7.Choose OK to apply this attribute to the field. Serial Number The Serial Number attribute lets you define a field that contains an incrementing number for each record. Typically this feature is used to automatically enter a number in a field each time you add a record. This is useful if you need a unique identifier for each record, or if you need to know the order each record was added to the database. Sorting the database does not change these numbers, and numbers are never reused, even if a record is deleted. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 73 You can define which number will be used as the starting number and what number will be used to increment by. By default the serial number will start at 1 and increment by 1 so the first record added will be number 1, the second record number 2, and so on in a series. However, you can choose any starting number or interval by typing the desired values in the text boxes on the Serial Number dialog box. NOTE: In previous versions of PC-File, serial numbers were called unique numbers. Previous versions include PC-File 6.5, 6.0, 5.01, 5.0, PC-File:dB and others. To add a Serial Number attribute: 1.With a database open, choose Field Attributes from the File menu. The Field Selection dialog box displays. 2.Choose the field to add the Serial Number attribute to. The Field Attributes dialog box displays. 3.Select Serial Number from the Available Attributes list. 4.Choose Add. The Serial Number dialog box with When to Apply options displays. 5.Type the starting number and the number to increment by, if desired. 6.Select when to apply the serial number. 7.Choose OK to add this attribute to the field. Relational Lookups Relational lookups are a special type of calculation that provide you with a way to "pull" information from another database into the present database. You can define a lookup by either entering a formula in the text box on Relational Lookup dialog box, or by choosing the Define Lookup button and PC-File will step you through the lookup definition process. See Chapter 17, "Relational Lookups" for more details on how relational lookups work and how to define relational lookup formulas. To add a Relational Lookup: 1.With a database open, choose Field Attributes from the File menu. The Field Selection dialog box displays. 2.Choose the field to add Relational Lookup attribute to. The Field Attributes dialog box displays. 3.Select Relational Lookup from the Available Attributes list. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 74 4.Choose Add. The Relational Lookup dialog box with When to Apply options displays. 5.Type the relational lookup formula into the text box, or choose the Define Lookup button. (See Chapter 17, "Defining Basic Lookups" for details on how to define a relational lookup.) 6.Select when to apply the relational lookup. 7.Choose OK to add this attribute to the field. Defining Validation Attributes Validation attributes apply data validation rules to allow you to control the way a user of your database enters data. The defined validation rules are applied as the user exits the field after entering data. If the data entered does not meet the validation criterion, a dialog box displays to inform the user what must be done to continue. Use the Must Answer attribute to create fields which require user input. Use the Validate Range attribute to limit the range of permissible data entered into a field. Validation attributes are applied at all times, when adding and modifying records. Must Answer Use Must Answer to require the user to enter data into a field. For example, you might have a database for tracking customer's orders. In order to keep track of every record, you might want to ensure that each order entered in the database includes the customer's identification number. Assigning the Must Answer attribute to the ID_NUMBER field reminds the user to enter data for the field whenever a new record is added. PC-File will not allow the user to continue until the field is filled. NOTE: Adding the Must Answer attribute to a numeric type field requires a non-zero entry. That is, entering 0 is always considered to be empty. Do not use the Must Answer attribute on numeric fields if zero is considered a valid entry for the field. To add a Must Answer field attribute: 1.With a database open, choose Field Attributes from the File menu. The Field Selection dialog box displays. 2.Choose the field which you would like to be Must Answer. The Field Attributes dialog box displays. 3.Select Must Answer from the Available Attributes list. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 75 4.Choose Add. An information dialog displays to indicate Must Answer has been added. 5.Choose OK to add this attribute to the field. Validate Range Use Validate Range to limit the range of values a user can enter into a field. Setting the minimum and maximum values defines the range that will be allowed. Whenever the range is exceeded, PC-File notifies the user of the defined range and allows the user to continue editing to enter a correct value. The user cannot leave a record as long as the value exceeds the defined range. Generally you would use this attribute to define a numeric range. For example, from a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 100. However, you can also define a range of characters. For example, a minimum of A and a maximum of E to include A, B, C, D and E. To add a Validate Range field attribute: 1.With a database open, choose Field Attributes from the File menu. The Field Selection dialog box displays. 2.Choose the field to assign Validate Range to. The Field Attributes dialog box displays. 3.Select Validate Range from the Available Attributes list. 4.Choose Add. The Validate Range dialog box displays. It contains two text boxes: one for the lowest allowed value and one for highest allowed value. 5.Type the values for the lowest and highest allowed values. 6.Choose OK to accept the values. 7.Choose OK to add this attribute to the field. Defining Formatting Attributes Formatting attributes determine how data displays in the field. PC-File gives you two Formatting Attribute options: Force Case and Date Format. Force Case You can specify three different case combinations with the force case attribute. You can force the entry into all upper case; all lower case; or mixed case, where the first letter of each word is capitalized and the rest of each word is in lower case. The Force Case attribute is applied as soon as the user exits the field. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 76 To add a Force Case field attribute: 1.With a database open, choose Field Attributes from the File menu. The Field Selection dialog box displays. 2.Choose the field for the Force Case attribute. The Field Attributes dialog box displays. 3.Select Force Case from the Available Attributes list. 4.Choose Add to add the attribute. The Force Case dialog box displays. There is a set of option buttons: one for UPPER, one for lower, and one for Mixed Case. 5.Select the button that corresponds with the desired case option. 6.Choose OK to accept the selection. 7.Choose OK to apply Force Case to the selected field. Date Format You can apply a particular date format with the date format attribute. This attribute allows you to change the date display format from MM/DD/YY to MM/DD/YYYY for example. You can choose a different Month- Day-Year sequence. You can also change the delimiter from slash (/) to hyphen (-) or period (.). The Data Format field attribute only applies to the field you select at the beginning of the field attribute definition process. You can assign different date formats for different date fields, if you want. NOTE: In most cases you will want to set date formatting for all fields at once using the Default Date Format options on the Configuration dialog. The Date Format field attribute only applies to one date field at a time and will override Configuration Default Date Format settings for that field only. To add a Date Format field attribute: 1.With a database open, choose Field Attributes from the File menu. The Field Selection dialog box displays. 2.Choose the field to apply data formatting to. The Field Attributes dialog box displays. 3.Select Date Format from the Available Attributes list. 4.Choose Add to add the attribute. The Date Format dialog box displays. There are option buttons for the display order of day, month and year; year display, two or four digits; and the separator: "-", "/" or ".". PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 77 5.Select the desired options for the order, year display and separator. 6.Choose OK to accept these selections. 7.Choose OK to apply the Date Format. Defining Data Restriction Attributes Data Restriction field attributes are much like Validation attributes except they are applied immediately, not as the user exits the field. PC-File gives you two options: Not Editable and Restrict Character. Not Editable The Not Editable field attribute to prevents data from being altered. This attribute prevents the cursor from entering the fields-pressing TAB while editing will bypass the field. You can prevent editing only when Adding, only when Modifying, or both. For example, if you have a field that has a calculated result that you don't want altered, configure the Not Editable attribute to apply when both adding and modifying records. However, you might want to allow user input when adding the record, but then prevent users from changing the field afterwards. In this case, you would choose to apply the Not Editable attribute only when modifying. To add a Not Editable field attribute: 1.With a database open, choose Field Attributes from the File menu. The Field Selection dialog box displays. 2.Choose the field. The Field Attributes dialog box displays. 3.Select Not Editable from the Available Attributes list . 4.Choose Add. The Not Editable dialog box with When to Apply options display. 5.Choose when to apply the Not Editable attribute. 6.Choose OK to apply this attribute to the field. Restrict Characters Use the Restrict Characters field attribute to limit the characters the user can type in a field. You can restrict a field to accept only letters or only numbers for example. There is no way to define a range of allowed characters when doing this-you must type every allowed character when defining the Restrict Character attribute. This restriction applies whenever you add or modify data. To add a Restrict Character field attribute: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 78 1.With a database open, choose Field Attributes from the File menu. The Field Selection dialog box displays. 2.Choose the field. The Field Attributes dialog box displays. 3.Select Restrict Characters from the Available Attributes list. 4.Choose Add. The Restrict Characters dialog box displays. There is a box into which you enter the characters that you will allow the user to enter into the field. 5.Type in each character you want to permit in the field in the text box. 6.Choose OK to accept this selection. 7.Choose OK to apply this attribute to the field. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 79 CHAPTER 5 VIEWS In this chapter, you will be introduced to database views. Default Record and Default Table views will be introduced. How to navigate within views is also discussed. In addition, you will learn how to switch, create, modify, and delete customized Record and Table views. What are Views? Views are simply the different ways that you can display your data while working in PC-File. PC-File provides two kinds of views of your data: Record views Table views Record Views A Record view displays one record at a time. There are advantages to using either kind of view. Most of the time, you can see more of each record's data at once in a Record view. This gives you more information at your finger tips about each record. Table Views A Table view displays multiple records in a column format, much like a spreadsheet. You can page up and down to reveal other records, and scroll horizontally to display fields that don't fit on the screen. Table views show more than one record at a time and therefore are a better way to compare information from one record to another. Generally, you can't display as much of each record's information at once in a Table view as you can in Record view, but you can scroll across the table to view additional columns of data. Default Views Whenever you create a database, PC-File automatically creates two default views which are always named: Default Record View and Default Table View. Default views display every field in your database and the fields are displayed in the "physical order"-the order you defined the fields when creating the database structure. Custom Views PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 80 In addition to the default views, you can create custom views of either type. A custom view contains only the fields you specify in the order you determine. Using custom Record views you can organize the screen any way you want and include additional text, such as a title, headings, and data entry instructions. Using custom Table views you can choose which fields to show in the table and their order. Custom views can be particularly useful if your database has a large number of fields and you have more than one work group working with the database. You can create custom views that display different sets of fields for each work group. For example, one work group may only want to see fields containing name and address information for maintaining a mailing list, but another work group may want to view accounting fields for billing customers. You do not have to define custom views to use your database. You can access any database using just the two default views PC-File generates when you create the database structure. The Views Menu Choosing Views on the menu bar displays this list of options: The Switch option on the Views menu displays a list of your views to choose from. Pressing CTRL-T toggles between the last two views you've selected. The Create option lets you define custom views. The Modify option lets you change any of your custom views. The Delete option lets you delete any custom views you no longer need. These options have no effect on default views-the two default views cannot be modified or deleted. Each of these options are discussed in detail later in this chapter. Viewing Your Data When you open a database, PC-File displays the first record or group of records (based on the current index) on the screen. The area where the record displays is called the work area. NOTE: PC-File always starts up with the last view that was active when the database was closed. Switching Views PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 81 You may switch between views so that you can better see the data that is important for you. For example, you can browse through a group of records in a Table view to find a specific record. Once you've found the record that you want, you could switch to a Record view to see more of the data for that particular record. To switch between views: 1.Choose Switch from the Views menu. The Switch View dialog box will display. 2.Select the view that you would like to use from the list box. 3.Choose OK. PC-File switches to the selected view. NOTE: There will always be at least two views to select when switching views. If you haven't created any custom views, you will only see the two default record and table views. See "Creating and Modifying Views" later in this chapter for information on creating custom views. Toggling Between Two Views You can move quickly between two views using CTRL-T. Pressing CTRL-T switches you to the view that you most recently viewed. Pressing CTRL-T will move you back to your original view. For example, if you are in the Default Table view and last used the Default Record view, you could move back to the Default Record view by pressing CTRL-T. To move back to the Default Table view, press CTRL-T again. To toggle between the two most recent views: 1.Press CTRL-T to switch to the most recently used view. PC- File switches to the previous view. 2.Press CTRL-T again. PC-File switches back to the original view. Navigating Within Views The following sections describe how to navigate within Record and Table views to display your data. See Chapter 6 for details on how to add records, and see Chapter 7 for details on how to search for and modify records. Navigating in a Record View The following table describes the mouse and keyboard options for navigating within a Record view. Function: Mouse Action: Keyboard PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 82 Display next record: Click Next button: CTRL-N Display previous record: Click Previous button: CTRL-P Scroll down one line: Click the down arrow on the scroll bar: N/A Scroll up one line: Click the up arrow on the scroll bar: N/A Scroll down a page: Click below scroll box: PGDN Scroll up a page: Click above scroll box: PGUP Jump to bottom of view: Drag scroll box to bottom of scroll bar: CTRL-PDN Jump to top of view: Drag scroll box to top of scroll bar: CTRL-PGUP You can edit fields in a record as long as the Read-only option on Edit menu is not checked. Use TAB and SHIFT-TAB to move between fields, or click on a field with the mouse. The current field is highlighted with a different color or shading than the other fields. The cursor displays as a flashing underscore. Navigating in a Table View Table views let you browse through your database many records at a time. Columns are distinguished by color on a color monitor, by shades of gray on a monochrome monitor. The width of each column in the Default Table view reflects the field length you defined when you created the database structure. However, you can define a custom Table view with narrower display widths. PC-File only displays entire columns on the screen, not partial columns. Thus, in some cases, empty space may appear on the right side of your screen. The records display in order based on the current index. If you switch indexes, the records rearrange on the screen to match the new index. The following table describes the mouse and keyboard options for moving around the screen in a Table view. Function: Mouse Action: Keyboard Scroll one column to the right: Click on right arrow on horizontal scroll bar: CTRL-TAB Scroll one column to the left: Click on left arrow on horizontal scroll bar: CTRL-SHIFT-TAB PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 83 Scroll right one screenful of columns: Click to the right of the scroll box on the horizontal scroll bar: N/A Scroll left one screenful of columns: Click to the left of the scroll box on the horizontal scroll bar: N/A Scroll to the right most column: Drag the scroll box on the horizontal scroll bar to the right end: N/A Scroll to the left most column: Drag the scroll box on the horizontal scroll bar to the left end: N/A Scroll the screen down one row: Click the up arrow on the vertical scroll bar: N/A Scroll the screen up one row: Click above the scroll box on the vertical scroll bar: N/A Page down one screenful: Click below the scroll box on the vertical scroll bar: PGDN Page up one screenful: Click above the scroll box on the vertical scroll bar: PGUP Pressing TAB moves the highlight one column to the right within the current screenful. Pressing SHIFT-TAB moves the highlight one column to the left. Once the highlight reaches the rightmost or leftmost column in the current screen, the window scrolls one column each time you press TAB or SHIFT- TAB. This differs from CTRL-TAB and CTRL-SHIFT-TAB in that they scroll the entire screen one column regardless of which column the highlight is on. Similarly, UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW move the highlight up and down one row within the current screenful. Once the highlight reaches the top or bottom of the current screenful, the entire screen will scroll. This differs from clicking the up and down arrows on the vertical scroll bar in that this always scrolls the entire screenful up or down one line. Viewing a Memo Field Memo fields, which hold up to 5000 characters of data, can be expanded for viewing and modification. When you expand a memo field, a memo window displays. This window can be resized as needed. You can display a memo window in either Record or Table views. You can also display a memo window for viewing AND modification, or only for viewing. Follow these guidelines to display a memo window: The Read-only mode on the Edit menu must be off to display a memo window for viewing AND modification. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 84 You can display a memo window, for viewing only, when Read- only mode is on or off. To display a memo window for viewing and modification: 1.Highlight the memo field you want to display and edit. 2.Press CTRL-E. You can also click on the Up arrow button at the end of the field. The memo field expands to a memo window. 3.Make any changes necessary to the memo. 4.Choose OK to save your changes and close the window. Choose Cancel or press ESC to close the window without saving any changes. To display a memo window for viewing only: 1.Display the record containing the memo you want to view. 2.Press CTRL-V. The memo field expands to a memo window. 3.Choose OK or press ESC when you finish viewing the data. To resize the memo window with a mouse: 1.Click on the maximize button in the upper right corner to expand the window to full size. Click on the same button to return the window to its original size. As an alternative, move the cursor to one of the corners of the window, hold down the left mouse button, and drag the sides of the window. In this manner, you can expand or shrink the window. To resize the memo window with the keyboard: 1.Press ALT-F10 to expand the window to full size. Press ALT- F10 again to return the window to its original size. As an alternative, press ALT-F8. Then use the arrow keys to expand or shrink an outline of the window. When the outline reflects the size you want, press ENTER. You can also move the memo window in the same manner that you move dialog boxes or Help windows. NOTE: Character fields can't be expanded to a window, even if you have defined a data length longer than the display length. You must scroll through the text within the defined display. Creating and Modifying Custom Views PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 85 The View Designer is where you create or modify views. There is a view designer for Record views and one for Table views. You can create views completely from scratch, or you can pattern one view after another. Patterning one view after another will save you time if the view you would like to create is similar to one of the existing views, especially with Record views. PC-File lets you create up to 10 custom views of either type. For example, you could have two Table views and three Record views. In general, only define the views you absolutely need, as too many views can be confusing. A view should reflect a particular need for your data. For example, you may have a database that is filled with address information about your clients, but most of the time, you only need their names and phone numbers. This would be a good reason to have a custom view that displays only the name and phone number information. Starting the View Designing Process You create custom views using the Record View and Table View Designers. Using the View Designers you specify and lay out the information that you want for your custom views. To create a new view from scratch 1.With a database open, choose Create from the Views menu. 2.Choose No when prompted to pattern after an existing view. 3.Choose whether to create a Record view or a Table view. The Record View Designer or the Table View Designer display depending on the kind of view you choose in step 3. To create a new view by patterning after an existing view: 1.With a database open, choose Create from the Views menu. 2.Choose Yes when prompted to pattern after an existing view. The View selection dialog box displays. 3.Choose the view you want to pattern after. 4.Choose OK. The Record View Designer or the Table View Designer displays depending on the kind of view you chose in step 3. The details for defining each view type are covered in the following sections. The Record View Designer PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 86 You customize your Record view layouts in the Record View Designer. Here are the parts of the Record View Designer that are important to understand: The Cursor The cursor can be controlled by either the mouse or the arrow keys in most places throughout the View designer work area. As long a you have a mouse installed (if you don't, see Chapter 1, "Installing Your Mouse" for more information), the View designer displays both a blinking square cursor and a mouse pointer. In graphics display mode, the mouse pointer displays as an arrow. However, in character display mode, the shape of the mouse pointer is identical to the square cursor, but the mouse pointer does not blink and it is a contrasting color. Using the keyboard, move the cursor using the ARROW keys anywhere in the View designer. Using a mouse, move the mouse pointer to a location and then click the left button to move the cursor to that location. The Button Bar The button bar is the area at the bottom of the screen just below the View designer work area. It contains the tools you will use to create views. When you first enter the View Designer the only buttons available are Field and Text. The Edit, Delete and Move buttons are greyed out-they become available once you place and select fields or text. Navigating in the Record View Designer You can navigate within the Record view designer work area using either the mouse or the keyboard. This section describes the different ways to scroll the screen. The sections following this, describe how to place fields and text. Then how to select, move, modify, and delete fields and text is discussed. The following table describes the mouse and keyboard options for scrolling the Record View Designer: Function: Mouse Action: Keyboard Scroll down one line: Click the down arrow on the scroll bar: N/A Scroll up one line: Click the up arrow on the scroll bar: N/A Scroll down a page: Click below scroll box PGDN Scroll up a page: Click above scroll box PGUP PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 87 Jump to bottom of view: Drag scroll box to bottom of scroll bar: CTRL-PGDN Jump to top of view: Drag scroll box to top of scroll bar: CTRL-PGUP Placing Fields You can place a field in the work area of the Record View designer two ways: Using Field button on the button bar Using Insert New Item dialog box Both methods afford you the use of the keyboard or the mouse. Using the Field Button Choosing the Field button displays the Field Details dialog box. You choose which field to place by scrolling through the Field list until the desired field displays. You can also use the Field Details dialog box to specify how much of a field will display at once by entering that value in the Display Width text box. For example, you may have a field with a data length of 65, but you only need to see 10 characters of the data at a time. By defining the display width to be 10, you create a scrolling window that displays 10 characters of the field's data at a time. A field's display width can be no longer than the data length (the length you specified when defining the database structure) up to a maximum of 65. You cannot change the display width for numeric fields, they always display their full data length. This also holds true for logical fields which can only be 1 character position long. You can also check the Show Field Name option to place the field name immediately to the left of the field. Do not check this option if you want to enter your own field label that does not use the internal "dBASE" field name. In that case, place text to format the field label (see "Placing Text" later in this chapter for details). Using the Insert Item Dialog Box PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 88 You can also display the Field Details dialog box by first invoking the Insert Item dialog box. To do this with the keyboard, move the cursor to the desired location and press ENTER. To do this with the mouse, you must click twice in the same location: Click once to move the cursor to the desired location, then click a second time directly on the cursor. This is functionally very similar to "double-clicking," but how fast you click is not important-you must click twice in the same spot to display the Insert New Item dialog box. Either action displays the Insert dialog box. This dialog box gives you the option to place either a field or text. Choosing Field displays the Field Details dialog described earlier. Note that most fields display with the field name enclosed in brackets. The area enclosed in brackets shows where the data will display. How much space is between the brackets is determined by the display width you define. If the display width is shorter than the number of characters in the field name, you will not be able to see the entire field name with the brackets. Also, a closing bracket will not display if the display width is less than the number of characters in the field name plus two. Once a field is placed in the view, you can move, modify, or delete it if necessary. See "Selecting, Moving, Modifying, and Deleting View Objects" later in this chapter for details. To place a field using the Field button: 1.Move the cursor where you want place your field. 2.Click on the Field button or press ALT-F. The Field Details box will display. The Field box will be empty. To choose a field, use one of these four methods: Type the field name in the box. Or... Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to move through the list of the fields until the desired field is highlighted; Or... Press TAB to move the highlight to the down arrow button at the right of the field box and press ENTER to see an entire list of the fields. Select a field for placement and choose OK; Or... Using the mouse, click on the down arrow button to see an entire list of the fields. Select a field for placement and choose OK. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 89 3.Change the display width if you want by typing a value in the Display Width text box. NOTE: The display width cannot exceed the data width for that field. 4.Turn on the Show Field Name option, if desired. 5.Choose OK from the Field Details box. The field is placed in the work area. To place a field using the Insert New Item dialog box: 1.Move the cursor where you want to place your field. 2.Click the left button on the mouse twice in the same spot, or press ENTER. The Insert New Item dialog box displays. 3.Choose Field. The Field Details dialog box displays. The Field text box will be empty. Choose a field using one of these four methods: Type the field name in the Field text box. Or... Press DOWN ARROW to move through a list of the fields until the desired field is displayed. Or... Press TAB to move the highlight to the down arrow button at the right of the Field text box and press ENTER to see an entire list of the fields. Select a field for placement and choose OK. Or... Using the mouse, click on the down arrow button at the right of the Field text box to see an entire list of the fields. Select a field for placement and choose OK. 4.Change the display width if you want by typing a value in the Display Width text box. 5.Turn on the Show Field Name option, if desired. 6.Choose OK from the Field Details box. The field is placed in the work area. Placing Text PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 90 There are many reasons to place text in your view. You can replace the "normal" field name with a text label that is easier to for your database users to understand. You can place instructions on the screen to help the user. You could list the choices for a given field as text in the view. Or you can place lines to divide the data entry screen into groups. Placing text is similar to placing fields. You can place text in the work area of the view designer two ways: Using Text button on the button bar Using Insert New Item dialog box You can use either method using the mouse or the keyboard. Once text is placed in the view, you can move, modify, or delete it if necessary. See "Selecting, Moving, Modifying, and Deleting View Objects" later in this chapter for details. To place text using the Text button: 1.Move the cursor to where you want your text. 2.Click the Text button or press ALT-T. A dialog box will display, prompting you to Enter Text. The Text box will be empty. 3.Type in your text in the Enter Text box. 4.Choose OK. To place text using the Insert New Item dialog box: 1.Move the cursor to where you want your text. 2.Click the left button on the mouse twice in the same spot, or press ENTER. The Insert New Item dialog box displays. 3.Choose Text. A dialog box will display, prompting you to Enter Text. 4.Type in your text in the Enter Text box. 5.Choose OK. Selecting, Moving, Modifying, and Deleting View Objects Once you have fields and text (view objects) in the View Designer work area, you may find you need to edit them to get your view "just right." These options are also useful if you started the view definition process by patterning after another view. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 91 You must first select a view object before you can work with it. For moving and deleting view objects, PC-File lets you select multiple objects at once. However, you can only select one object at a time when modifying the definition of a view object. Selecting a Single View Object You must select an object before you can make any changes to it. You can select an object with the keyboard or the mouse. Using the keyboard to select an object: 1.Use TAB and SHIFT-TAB or the ARROW KEYS to move the cursor to the object. 2.Press SPACEBAR. The current object displays in a different color to indicate that it is selected. Using the mouse to select an object: 1.Move the mouse cursor over the object. 2.Click the left mouse button. The current object displays in a different color to indicate that it is selected. Selecting Multiple View Objects You can select more than one object in the View Designer. Use multiple selection when there is a group of more than one objects that you would like to move as a group to another area of the work area. You can also select multiple objects to delete them all at once. Using the keyboard to select multiple view objects: 1.Use TAB and SHIFT-TAB or the ARROW KEYS to move the cursor to the first object that you want to select. 2.Press CTRL-SPACEBAR. The object will change color, signifying that it is selected. 3.Move the cursor to the next object that you want to select. 4.Press CTRL-SPACEBAR. Both objects display in a different color, signifying that they are selected. 5.Continue in this fashion until all the fields you want to work with are selected. Using the mouse to select multiple view objects: 1.Move the mouse cursor to the first object that you want to select. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 92 2.Hold down the CTRL key and click the left mouse button. The object will change color, signifying that it is selected. 3.Move the mouse cursor to the next object that you want to select. 4.Hold down the CTRL key and click the left mouse button. Both objects display in a different color, signifying that they are selected. 5.Continue in this fashion until all the fields you want to work with are selected. Moving Selected View Objects Once you have selected one or more objects, you can move them to another location in the work space using either the keyboard or mouse. Using the keyboard to move view objects: 1.Select the object or group of objects that you would like to move. 2.Choose the Move button by pressing ALT-M. 3.Using the ARROW keys, move the cursor to the new location for the objects. 4.Press SPACEBAR to de-select and "drop" the objects in the new location. Using the mouse to move view objects: 1.Select the objects or group of objects that you would like to move. 2.Place the mouse cursor on any one of the selected objects, depress the left mouse button and hold it down. 3.Drag the objects to the new location and release the left mouse button. 4.Move the mouse cursor to an unused portion of the work area and press the left mouse button to de-select and "drop" the objects in the new location. Modifying View Objects Once you have placed view objects you may find you need to modify the definition of the object. You can modify the definition of any view object while the Record View designer is active. You can only modify one view object at a time. To modify a view object: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 93 1.Select the object to modify. 2.Choose Edit from the button bar. Or... Press ENTER. Or... Click the left button on the mouse twice on the desired object. The appropriate dialog box will display for editing a field object or a text object. 3.Make any changes to the object. 4.Choose OK. Deleting View Objects You can delete one or more view objects after selecting them. To delete view objects: 1.Select the object or group of objects you want to delete. 2.Choose Delete from the button bar. A dialog box displays to confirm that you want to delete the selected objects. 3.Choose Yes to delete the selected objects. Completing the Record View Definition Process When you are happy with the design of your custom record view, you need to choose OK from the button bar to continue with the record view definition process. This displays the Access Order screen. The numbers next to each of the fields indicate the current order the fields will be accessed when entering data. By default, the access order is determined by the order you placed the fields in your view. The first field you placed is numbered 1; the second field you place numbered 2, and so on. This sequence is irrespective of where the field is placed in the work area. If this order is acceptable, you can choose OK to continue on to name your new view and conclude the definition process. The following section describes how to customize the access order. Setting Access Order PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 94 There are many ways to access the fields in your views. You may want a particular field to be accessed first in spite of the fact that the field is in the middle of work area. Or if you have more than one field per line, you may prefer either a left to right or a top to bottom access order. PC-File lets you change the access order easily. There are three access orders that can be applied automatically using the Sequence button. Choosing the Sequence button displays the Field Order dialog box. Left to Right If you have two or more fields per line, you can access all the fields in a row from left to right before moving to the next row. Choosing the Left to Right option automatically renumbers your fields in a left to right access order. Top to Bottom If you have two or more columns of data, you may prefer to access all of one column top to bottom before moving to the next one. Choosing the Top to Bottom option automatically renumbers your fields in this sequence. Physical The physical order is the order of the fields in the database structure. When you created the database structure, the order in which you entered the fields determined the physical order. The Default Record view reflects the physical order for your database. Choosing the Physical (DBF) option automatically renumbers your fields in this sequence. Custom Order You can also change the access order to anything you want by typing the desired sequence number next to each field. To do this, you do not choose the Sequence button, simply navigate to each field on the Access Order screen and type the desired sequence number. If you are defining a custom order for a large number of fields the Refresh button may come in handy. Choosing the Refresh button resolves any duplication in the sequence you are defining. For example, if the first two fields in your view are both numbered 1, choosing Refresh will leave the first field numbered 1, renumber the second field to 2, and renumber all following fields from 3 forward. You can also use the Refresh button to quickly move a field to the end of the access order. To do this: type a number greater than the total number of fields in your database in the field, then choose Refresh. To define the view's access order automatically: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 95 Choose the Sequence button. The Field Order dialog box displays. 1.Choose the desired option. The access order is renumbered. 2.Choose OK on the button bar to continue with the view definition. 3.To define a custom access order: 1.Navigate to a text box next to a field using TAB or SHIFT- TAB, the ARROW keys, or by clicking in the text box. 2.Type the number for the desired sequence in the access order. 3.Repeat steps 1 and 2 until all fields are numbered. Choose Refresh to resolve duplication, if desired. 4.Choose OK on the button bar to continue with the view definition. Naming the View After you have defined the access order, you must name your custom Record view to complete the view definition process. Choosing OK from the Access Order screen displays the View Name dialog box: A default name of "Custom Record View" displays in the box. You generally will want to use a more descriptive name. Each view must have a unique name. You can enter a name up to 30 characters long. To name a Record view: 1.Type in a name for the view. 2.Choose OK. The record view definition process is complete. You are returned to the main PC-File work area. Your new record view is now active. Overview of Creating a Custom Record View This overview will take you through the basic steps for creating a view. You can pattern a view after one of the default views or any other view that has been defined. In this example, you will create a completely new view. To create a new Record view: 1.Open a database. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 96 2.Choose Create from the View menu. A decision box will display. 3.Choose No. The Create View dialog box will display. 4.Choose Record View. You will then move into the View Designer. The work area is blank. 5.Place your field and text objects in the work area. 6.Choose OK. 7.Select the sequence for access order. 8.Choose OK. 9.Enter a name for the View. 10. Choose OK. The newly defined Record view is active. Modifying a Custom Record View You can modify any of the Custom Record views you have created using the Modify option on the Views menu. You cannot modify the Default Record view. Choosing Modify presents you with a list of all of your custom views, both record and table views. The view designer that displays after you choose a view to modify depends on the kind of view you choose from the list. For this reason, you may want to include the kind of view as part of each custom view's name when creating them so that you can easily distinguish them. Once you have the selected view active in the Record View designer, you can use any of the procedures described in the "Adding Fields", "Adding Text", and "Selecting, Moving, Modifying, and Deleting View Objects" sections to modify the view. To modify a Record view: 1.Open a database. 2.Choose Modify from the Views menu. 3.Select a Record view to modify. 4.Choose OK. The Record View Designer displays. The work area displays the objects that currently make up the view. 5.Edit the field and text objects in the work area. 6.Choose OK. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 97 7.Select the sequence for access order. 8.Choose OK. 9.Enter a name for the view. 10. Choose OK. The modification process is complete. Deleting a Record View You can delete a view at anytime. If you created a view to more easily complete a particular task, you can delete that view when you have finished. To delete a Record view: 1.Choose Delete from the Views menu. 2.Select the view to delete. 3.Choose OK. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 98 The Table View Designer Use the Table view designer to specify which fields to put into a custom Table view and to determine the order they display in. The Table View designer is accessed from the View menu like the Record view designer. Just like record views, you can start the Table view definition process by patterning after other Table views, or you can create them from scratch. Unlike creating Record views, there are not as many differences between creating a Table view with a pattern or without a pattern. After you choose to define a Table view, the Table View designer displays. The Field Name column displays each of the field names for all of the fields in your database. You cannot edit the field names. The Column column lets you determine the order the columns in your custom Table view will display. For example, typing a 1 for a field causes that field's column to display at the far left of the Table View work area. Similarly, typing a 3 for a field causes that field to display as the third column from the left. Any field that you do not enter a number for will not be included in the view. The Width column defaults to displaying the current display width for each field. Changing the Width number increases or decreases how much of the field displays at once in the resulting Table view-the display width of each column. You cannot enter a width that is larger than the field's data length. You cannot specify a width of zero, but you can exclude a field from displaying by not typing a Column number for that field. And you cannot change the display width for numeric fields- numeric always display their full data length. Creating a Table View To create a new Table view: 1.Open a database. 2.Choose Create from the View menu. A decision box will display. 3.Choose No. The Create View box will display. 4.Choose Table View. The Table View Designer displays. 5.Move the highlight to the column field. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 99 6.Type the number corresponding to the column where this field should display. 7.Move the highlight to the display width. 8.Type an appropriate display width. 9.Repeat this procedure for each of the fields you wish to display. 10. Choose OK to continue the Table View definition process. Naming the View After you have determined the columns and display widths, you must name your custom Table view. The default name is Custom Table View. You generally will want to use a more descriptive name. It's a good idea to include the type of view (Record or Table) in the name. To name a Table view: After you have determined the columns and display widths, a dialog box will display prompting you to enter a view name: 1.Type in a name for the view. You can type up to 30 alpha- numeric characters. 2.Choose OK. Modifying Custom Table Views You can modify any of the Custom Table views you have created using the Modify option on the Views menu. You cannot modify the Default Table view. Choosing Modify presents you with a list of all of your custom views, both record and table views. The view designer that displays after you choose a view to modify depends on the kind of view you choose from the list. For this reason, you may want to include the kind of view as part of each custom view's name when creating them so that you can easily distinguish them. Once you have the selected view in the Table View designer, you can modify its definition. To modify a Custom Table view: 1.Open a database. 2.Choose Modify from the Views menu. 3.Select a Table view to modify. 4.Choose OK. The Table View Designer displays. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 100 5.Edit the Table view definition 6.Choose OK. 7.Enter a name for the view. 8.Choose OK. The modification process is complete. Deleting Table Views You can delete a Table view at anytime. If you created a view to more easily complete a particular task, you can delete that view when you have finished. To delete a Table view: 1.Choose Delete from the Views menu. 2.Select the view to delete. 3.Choose OK. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 101 CHAPTER 6 ADDING DATA Once you create a database structure, you can begin adding data. Data is normally added one record at a time through the data entry screen. This chapter explains the procedures involved in adding data. Data Entry Data is normally added to a database on the data entry screen. When you add records, the current record on the screen clears and the cursor moves to the first entry field. You can then begin adding records, one at a time. You can add new records in either Record or Table views by choosing the Add option from the Edit menu or by choosing the Add button on the button bar. In a Record view, an empty record is displayed for you to fill out. In a Table view, an empty row is displayed at the top of the table for you to fill out. The new record is saved when you finish entering the data and navigate to a new record or choose to add another record. During data entry, the entire menu bar is available. If you perform another menu operation (except Tools menu options) while adding a record, the new record is automatically saved before proceeding. NOTE: You can also add data to a database by importing a file. See Chapter 13, "Utilities," for information on this method of adding data. You can add up to 1 billion records in a database. It is more likely that you will run out of space on your hard disk before you encounter the limits of PC-File itself. Adding a Record The procedures for entering a record are the same, whether you are in Record view or Table view. To add a record: 1.Open the database. 2.Choose Add from the Edit menu, or choose the Add button on the button bar (press ALT-A, if using a keyboard). An empty record data entry screen displays if you are in a Record view, or an empty row displays on the top row if you are in a Table view. 3.Enter the record. Press TAB or ENTER to move from one field to the next. Use SHIFT-TAB to move to the previous field to correct an error. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 102 4.Repeat these steps to add additional records. See Chapter 5, "Navigating Within Views" for full details on how to move around within a record. Saving a Record Each new record is saved as soon as you choose to add additional records or when you navigate to a pre-existing record (using the Prev and Next buttons or CTRL-P and CTRL-N). Also, if you perform another menu operation (except Tools menu options) while adding a record, the new record is automatically saved. Cancelling an Added Record You can cancel adding a new record at any point before the record is saved by choosing the Cancel button or by pressing ESC. A visual cue that cancelling is possible is that the Cancel button is greyed-out once the record has been added. Entering Data in a Memo Field Memo fields differ from other fields in that you can expand the display during data entry. The field expands to a window, allowing you to see most or all of your entry. This makes data entry and formatting much easier. A memo field is identifiable by the up arrow button that displays at the end of the field. To expand a memo field: 1.Click on the button at the end of the field. From the keyboard, place the cursor in the field and press CTRL-E. The field expands to a window. If necessary, you can resize the window. To resize the window with a mouse: 1.Click on the maximize button in the upper right corner to expand the window to full size. Click on the same button to return the window to its original size. As an alternative, move the cursor to one of the corners or sides of the window, hold down the left mouse button, and drag the sides of the window. In this manner, you can expand or shrink the window. To resize the window with the keyboard: 1.Press ALT-F10 to expand the window to full size. Press ALT- F10 again to return the window to its original size. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 103 As an alternative, press ALT-F8. Then use the arrow keys to expand or shrink an outline of the window. When the outline reflects the size you want, press ENTER. You can also move the memo window in the same way that you move dialog boxes or Help windows. To close a memo window: 1.Choose the OK button. This saves the memo entry and closes the window. If you don't want to save your entry or changes, choose Cancel or press ESC instead. In that case, PC-File prompts you to save changes before closing the window. Choose No if you don't want to save your changes. Once you close a memo window, only the first line of the memo displays in the field. You can enter up to 5000 characters in a memo field. NOTE: You can't expand character fields to a window, even if you have defined a data length that is longer than the display length. Instead, the text scrolls to the left as you enter data in the field. You can also spell check the contents of your memo field using the Spell button. See Chapter 15, "Using the Spell Checker" for details on how to use the spell checker dialog box. Do You Get a Beep? Some field types and field attributes place limitations on the characters that can be entered in a field. For example, you can't enter letters in a numeric field, and you can only enter the letters y, n, t, and f in logical fields. The Character Restriction field attribute can further limit the characters that can be entered. If the computer beeps at you when you are entering data, it's because you're trying to enter a character that isn't permitted in that particular field or because the field is full and characters are being deleted from the end. Not Editable If the cursor skips over a field, or if PC-File beeps when you try to click in a field, the Not Editable field attribute has been set for that field. As its name implies, the Not Editable field attribute is used to prevent the contents of a field from being edited. See Chapter 4 for details on the Not Editable field attribute. Leaving Fields Blank PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 104 The field type determines what happens to a field that you leave blank. If the field is numeric, PC-File places a 0 in the blank field. If the numeric field includes a decimal, PC- File includes a 0 before the decimal and a 0 for each character to the right of the decimal. Thus, a field with three characters to the right of the decimal looks like this when left blank: 0.000. All other field types display no characters in the field if left blank during data entry. Using Calculation Fields If you have defined a field with a calculation, the data in the field is derived from the calculation. PC-File allows you to access calculation fields and even enter data in them. However, the data displayed in the record is the data derived from the calculation. PC- File ignores any data you have entered by accident or otherwise, unless you chose the Only When Field is Empty option when defining the calculation. To prevent yourself or other users from entering or editing the result of a calculation, you can add the Not Editable field attribute. See Chapter 4 for details on how to do this. Shortcuts and Helpful Tips PC-File provides a number of hot keys and other short cuts to make data entry as easy as possible. Duplicating Fields and Records PC-File can automatically enter data from the previously viewed or added record into the current record. You can choose between duplicating a single field or duplicating all fields from the cursor position to the end of the record. Either way can shorten the time it takes to add data. Duplicating a field overrides any default data that you entered in a field when defining the database. Duplicating a Single Field Duplicate a single field when only that field repeats itself, but not the fields that follow. For example, if you are entering address information, it is likely that you could encounter two addresses in a row from the same state, but with a different zip code. To duplicate a field: 1.Place the cursor in the field. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 105 2.Press CTRL-F. The data from the previously-viewed or added record is copied into the current record. Duplicating to the End of the Record You can duplicate all data from the current field forward in access order to the end of the current view. For example, you may find in entering addresses that the city, state, and zip code information is the same for the current record as for the previously viewed or added record. It's probably quicker to copy the data from the previous record than to type it in again. To duplicate all data to the end of the record: 1.Place the cursor in the appropriate field. 2.Press CTRL-R. PC-File copies the data for that field and all subsequent fields (in access order) from the previous record. Once you complete the duplication, you can make changes before adding the record to the database. CTRL-R is most useful in either of two situations: When two records are almost exactly the same, and you just have to change one or two fields after making the duplication. When the last few fields in a record are the same. In that case, enter the information in the early fields, then press CTRL-R when you reach those fields that can be copied from one record to the next. NOTE: Be cautious in using CTRL-R if your database contains a field with the Serial Number field attribute. PC-File makes an exact duplicate with CTRL-R, including the Serial Number field. Thus, you would end up with two records with the same number in that particular field. You can get around this if the Serial Number field is the first field in the record. In that case, move the cursor to the second field before pressing CTRL-R. Memorizing Data If you want to enter the same data in a field quite often, you can copy the data to the buffer and paste it into a field whenever necessary. To do that, use the read from and write to hot keys. These hot keys are explained in detail in Chapter 7, "Finding and Modifying Data." PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 106 NOTE: If you find yourself using the buffer for one particular field a lot of the time, consider entering default data in the field instead. You can always overwrite the default data if necessary. See the section on entering default data in Chapter 2, "Creating a Database." Using the Flip Data Character PC-File provides the tilde (~) character to flip data within a field. The tilde is most often used in name fields that include both the first and last name within a single field. Being able to flip the data lets you enter the last name first for sorting purposes, then flip the last name and first name to print mailing labels. NOTE: For most databases, it is recommended that you place first names and last names in separate fields. If you do that, you don't need the tilde. To flip data, type the tilde between the two parts of the field that you want to flip in every record you enter. Then, when you print out a report, whether on-screen or to a printer, the two parts of the field display in flipped order. Thus, if you enter Ratite ~Janet in the field when adding data, Janet Ratite appears in the report. Be sure to enter a space between the last name and the tilde that precedes the first name. NOTE: Make sure the flip data option is turned ON (checked) in the Print options dialog box. You can also flip data when you are adding or modifying a record. With the cursor in the field you want to flip, press CTRL-O to flip the data. This is most useful if you have entered dozens of names in one order, then realize you want them in reverse order for sorting. You can modify each record by placing the cursor in the proper field and pressing CTRL-O. This is much faster than retyping each one. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 107 CHAPTER 7 FINDING AND MODIFYING DATA To find data, choose one of two powerful search options. To modify records, display a record, click in the field or press ALT to move the cursor into the record and then TAB to the field, and make your changes. These operations and more are covered in this chapter. The Search and Modify Options Locating data, viewing that data, and making changes to it are key ingredients of any database. PC-File provides a variety of alternatives for all three operations. For the most part, these operations are activated or performed from the options on the Edit and Search menus. These menus are illustrated below and each of the options described briefly. You can also locate records by simply browsing through the database as described in Chapter 5, "Views." The Search Menu Use the options on the Search menu to navigate through your records: Choose Beginning to display the first record in the database, based on the current index. Choose End to display the last record, also based on the current index. If you change indexes, these records are likely to change. You can also choose the Search button on the button bar to conduct a Simple search. The Edit Menu With the exception of Add, the options on the Edit menu are used for making changes to your data. You can make changes as long as the Read- only option is not checked. Checking the Read-only option permits you to view the data, but allows no access for making changes. Switching edit modes and making changes is covered in detail in the section "Modifying and Deleting Records," at the end of this chapter. The Add option is covered in Chapter 6, "Adding Data." Paging Through Records PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 108 For the most part, finding data means conducting a search for that data. You define specific criteria, then let PC-File search for the records that meet the criteria. However, you can also page through your records. PC-File lets you page through one record at a time in a Record view or a screen's worth of records in a Table view. Whether you page through one record or many records at a time depends on the current view. Display a Record view to page through one at a time. Use the Next and Prev buttons or CTRL-N and CTRL-P to page forward and backward in your database. Displaying a Table view lets you page through your records a screenful at a time. Use PGDN and PGUP to display the next screen or the previous screen of records. You can also use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to move one record at a time. Alternatively, you can use the vertical scroll bar on the right side of a table view to page through records in a Table view. See Chapter 5, "Navigating Within Views" for full details on how to navigate within Record and Table views. You can also jump to the first or last record in your database, based on the current index, at any time. To display the first record or group of records, choose Beginning from the Search menu. To display the last record or group of records, choose End from the Search menu. Conducting a Search PC-File allows up to a billion records in a database, so fast and efficient methods of searching for data are an important feature of the program. Paging through your records, either in Record or Table view, can be useful, but offers little help when you want to find information in a large database quickly and easily. PC-File provides three powerful search options: Simple Formula Global A Simple search satisfies most search needs and is easy to learn and use. A Formula search provides more power than a Simple search, but requires you to enter a search command. Use a Global search to look in all but memo fields for specific text. Within Simple and Formula searches, you can look for records that "sound like" the search criteria, scan through a specific field for a word or part of a word, enter wildcard characters, and use comparison operators. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 109 When you conduct a search, PC-File displays the first record found that satisfies the search criteria. To see the next record that satisfies the search criteria, click on the Again button or press CTRL-A. Choosing the Search Type For the most part, you will probably conduct Simple searches when looking for specific records. A Simple search is quicker and easier to conduct and powerful enough for most needs. However, there are some kinds of searches that can only be done with a Formula search. A Global search is most useful for searching for data when you are unsure in which field you need to look. Advantages of a Simple Search When you choose Simple search from the Search menu, PC-File displays your data entry screen and lets you enter the search criteria in the appropriate field(s). To search for all members in your database that live in Seattle, you simply type the word Seattle in the CITY field, as shown above. There are several advantages of a Simple search when compared to a Formula search. A Simple search: Is more intuitive Requires fewer keystrokes Allows less likelihood of making a typing mistake Doesn't require a knowledge of search command syntax It is likely you will conduct Simple searches in all cases except those that require a Formula search. Advantages of a Formula Search When you choose Formula from the Search menu, PC-File displays a dialog box for entering a search command. A Formula search is more powerful than a Simple search. You can conduct certain kinds of searches with a Formula search that you can't with a Simple search. Among them are searches that: Include more than one search criterion within a particular field Use OR statements Require a calculation PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 110 If you want to search for all members that live in either Seattle OR Portland, or you want to search for all members that live in Seattle OR have a last name of Jones, you must use a Formula search. (You could search for all members that live in Seattle AND have a last name of Jones using a Simple search, but to use OR, you must conduct a Formula search.) Advantages of a Global Search A Global search lets you scan through all the fields in your database, other than memo fields, for a specific bit of information or text. It is most useful when you have multiple fields that contain the same type of information. For example, if you have several name fields or several fields listing parts or parts numbers, use a Global search if you are unsure which field contains the data you are looking for. On the other hand, if you know which field you want to look in, conduct a Simple search instead, using the scan-across search method (described below). The Simple search is faster, as PC-File doesn't have to look through all the fields for the information. You can also use the scan- across method to conduct searches in memo fields, which you can't do with a Global search. Index Autoswitching On large databases, indexing the field you are searching on will speed up most Simple and Formula searches quite dramatically. (See Chapter 8, "Sorting and Indexing Data" for details on how to define indexes.) This increase in searching speed will only occur if the index for the field you are searching on is current when searching is performed. The current index is always indicated on the Status line on the bottom of the screen. By default, PC-File will automatically switch to the best index (if one is available) when performing a Simple or Formula search. This feature is called autoswitching. For example, suppose your database has an index on the ZIPCODE field and an index on the LASTNAME field. If the LASTNAME index was current when you conducted a Simple search on the ZIPCODE field, PC-File would autoswitch to the ZIPCODE index to perform the search as quickly as possible. There may be occasions where you want to prevent autoswitching from occuring. For example, suppose you have indexes on the STATE and the ZIPCODE fields. You might enter a search to find records for a particular state, but you want the records found to display in the ZIPCODE order. With autoswitching on, PC- File would always switch to the STATE. However, the bottom line of the Simple screen and Formula search dialog box has two option buttons to toggle autoswitching on and off. Choosing the No PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 111 button turns autoswitching off, choosing the Yes button turns autoswitching on. There is also an Index button in the lower left corner of the Simple search screen and Formula search dialog box. Choosing this button lets you manually switch the current index. See Chapter 8, "Switching Indexes" for details on how to switch indexes. Methods of Entering Search Criteria There are five different ways of entering search criteria in Simple and Formula searches. They include Generic Scan-across Sounds-like Wildcard Comparison All five methods can be used in both Simple and Formula searches. You can also combine the methods within one search, though there are some limitations that arise. For example, you cannot use the scan-across method in numeric fields. The limitations are covered in the discussion on each method below. NOTE: Determine case sensitivity in the Configuration option on the Utilities menu. If you make searches case sensitive, entering SEATTLE will not find Seattle or SEAttle. If you make searches case insensitive, then SEATTLE retrieves records for Seattle or SEAttle. NOTE: Search criteria in Simple and Formula searches require the use of specific characters. Those characters are ?, ~, and _. Because these characters are part of the search syntax, you cannot search for them using Simple or Formula searches. However, you can search for these characters using the Global search method. Generic Searches The generic search is the default method of entering search criteria. In a generic search, you enter the search criteria just as it appears in the record. For example, to retrieve records in which the city is listed as Seattle, type Seattle in the City field. You can also enter part of a word, but it must be the first part. For example, type le to retrieve records that start with LE in the field, such as LEOPARD or LEMUR. Records containing CATTLE or TURTLE would not be retrieved. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 112 For the Simple search option, a generic search requires no special characters. Enter just the search criteria themselves. For the Formula search option, place quotation marks " " around the search criteria for generic searches. The quotation marks are part of the command syntax. If you only want to find occurrences of JOHN and not JOHNSON or JOHNSTON, follow the N with a space. Use only generic searches or comparison searches when searching for values in numeric fields. In addition, you must search for the actual value; you can't search for part of the value. For example, if you enter 1 in a numeric field search, PC-File only finds records where the value is 1, not 12 or 100. Scan-across Searches Use the tilde (~) to look for an occurrence of a word or characters anywhere within a field. Thus, ~LE would retrieve records for Leopard, Lemur, Cattle, and Turtle. If you only want to find occurrences that end in LE, follow the LE with a space. Only Cattle and Turtle would be retrieved in that case. In Formula searches, place the tilde before and after the search criteria, like so: ~LE~ or ~PARD~. You can't use a scan-across search in a numeric field. Sounds-like Searches Use the question mark (?) to conduct a sounds-like search. A sounds- like search retrieves records that sound the same as the search information. This is used to find a name when you're uncertain of the spelling. For example, if you enter ?Rawlins, PC-File retrieves records such as Rollings, Rollins, Rawlings, and Rawlins. The first character of a sounds-like search must be the same. For example, you wouldn't be able to find Cranston if you asked for ?Kranston. Place a question mark before and after the search criteria in Formula searches, like so: ?RAWLINS? or ?SMITH?. In Simple searches, place the question mark in front of the search criteria only. Sounds-like searches can only be conducted on character fields. Wildcard Searches PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 113 Use an underscore ( _ ) to indicate wildcard characters appearing in fixed positions within a field. For example, suppose you wanted to find all members with a renewal date in the month of May. You could enter 05/__/____ or 05/__/1993 in the renewal date field to display those records. This example assumes you are using the default MM/DD/YYYY date display format. Enter wildcard searches on dates using the field's current display format. NOTE: When searching on a date field, you must enter the date in the the field's current display format. Also, if you enter searches on dates using the display format, you must include the separator characters. For example, if you are using the MM/DD/YYYY format, include both slashes in the search expression. When you enter the wildcard character as part of the search criteria, PC-File accepts any character found in that position. You cannot use wildcard characters in combination with sounds- like or global searches. Also, you can't use wildcards to search numeric fields. This is because a number in a numeric field is handled as a single value-PC-File does not "see" it as a string of separate characters. However, you can perform a wildcard search on a number stored in a character field. Comparison Searches Use comparison operator symbols when performing a simple search to search for data that is "greater than," "greater than or equal to," "less than," "less than or equal to," or "not equal to." You do this by typing the appropriate comparison operator followed by the search data on the Simple Search screen. You can use any of the following comparison symbols: Symbol Comparison Operation > Greater than < Less than >= Greater than or equal to <= Less than or equal to ! or != Not equal to (the equals sign is not required) For example, suppose you want to search for all checks with numbers greater than 1000 and dates on or before (less than or equal to) January 31, 1993. To do this you would type >1000 in your Check Number field and <=01/31/93 in your Check Date field on the Simple search screen. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 114 NOTE: The number of spaces available to enter search criteria on the Simple search screen are limited to 2 characters greater than the display length of the field, except for date and memo fields. This provides 2 extra spaces for you to enter your comparison operator, if necessary. The contents of the search field will scroll 2 spaces if you enter a search criterion that is longer than the field's display width. Searches on dates will scroll up to 12 spaces, and searches on memos will scroll up to 65 spaces. You cannot include more than one comparison per field when conducting a Simple search. For example, you cannot enter >1000 & <1100 to find records greater than 1000 and less than 1100. You must use a Formula search to do this. Also, in a Simple search, all search criteria must be met to find a record. The Simple search mentioned in the Check Number example above would be equivalent to a Formula search like this: CHECK_NO > 1000 & CHK_DATE <= "01/31/92" A simple search is always equivalent to a Formula search using "and" operations: "find records where both x and y are true." Any search that requires "or" operations must be entered as a Formula search. See "Conducting a Formula Search" for details on how to use comparison operators in Formula searches. Conducting a Simple Search Generally, you'll want to conduct a Simple search unless the complexity of the search criteria requires that you conduct a Formula search. Use any of the five methods of entering search criteria described above when conducting a Simple search. To conduct a Simple search: 1.Choose the Search button or press CTRL-S. The Simple search screen displays. 2.Enter the search criteria in the appropriate field(s). 3.Turn off Autoswitch, if you want to remain in the current index. See "Index Autoswitching" earlier in this chapter for details. 4.Choose OK to begin the search. PC-File displays the first record that meets the criteria. 5.Choose the Again button or press CTRL-A to display the next record that meets the criteria. Repeat this step to retrieve all additional records that meet the criteria. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 115 PC-File interprets unused character positions that follow your criteria as wildcards. Thus, if you search for the name Anders in a last name field, you'll find records for Anders, Anderson, and Andersen. If you only want to find records for Anders, enter a space with SPACEBAR after the last character in Anders. You can enter search criteria in a single field or in multiple fields. For example, to search for members living in Seattle, move the cursor to the City field and type Seattle. That is a single field search. A multiple-field search is a more selective type of search. If you enter search data in multiple fields, all of the data must match before the record is considered found. For example, you can search for zoo members living in Seattle that are life members. Only the records for those people that are both life members and live in Seattle are found as a result of the above search. Conducting a Formula Search A Formula search provides more power than a Simple search. With a Formula search, you enter the entire search command rather than just the search criteria. This gives you more flexibility when conducting the search. For example, you can enter multiple search criteria for a specific field. And you can use OR as a logical operator, as well as AND. To conduct a Formula search: 1.Choose Search from the menu bar. 2.Choose Formula from the Search menu. A dialog box appears. 3.Enter the search command in the text box. 4.Turn off Autoswitch, if you want to remain in the current index. See "Index Autoswitching" earlier in this chapter for details. 5.Choose OK to begin the search. The first record that meets the search criteria displays. 6.Click on the Again button or press CTRL-A to display additional records that meet the search criteria. The Formula search dialog box allows up to 250 characters. The Format of a Search Command A Formula search command follows a basic format containing a Search Location, a Comparison Operator and Search Criteria. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 116 The search location always appears on the left side of the comparison operator and the search criteria on the right side. Another example illustrates a more involved search command: LASTNM = "SMITH" | LASTNM = "JONES" & CITY = SEATTLE" Translated into plain English, this command says "First find anyone named SMITH or JONES, then make sure the city is SEATTLE." You can include up to 34 comparisons in a search command. Use spaces as you see fit to improve readability. They don't affect the command, except when used in search criteria to indicate a space. The components of a search command are explained in detail below, followed by examples of various search commands. Search Location The search location is normally a field in the database, but can also be a calculation. The search location always appears on the left side of a comparison. Enter field names without any punctuation, as follows: LASTNAME = "SMITH" However, you can enter just enough of the field name so that PC-File recognizes it as unique in the database. Thus LA = "SMITH" would be fine as long as no other field in the database begins with LA. You must enter a search location for each comparison within a command. For example, you cannot enter LASTNAME = "SMITH" | "JONES" **INCORRECT** You must enter a field name for each criteria separately, like this: LASTNAME = "SMITH" | LASTNAME = "JONES" **CORRECT** A calculation used as a search location can be any valid numeric or date calculation. You can't use relational lookups. The following example illustrates a calculation involving two fields: (TOTALDUE - AMTPD) >= 500 PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 117 In this calculation, the program searches for all records where the balance due is greater than or equal to $500. Comparison Operators Comparison operators determine the relationship between the search location and the search criteria. The six comparison operators are: Equal to = Not equal to != Greater than > Less than < Greater than or equal <= Less than or equal to <= The operator Equal to (=) means that the comparison is exact. The command LASTNAME = "SMITH" will not find SMYTH (unless you do a sounds-like search). It will only find SMITH. PC-File follows the ASCII table in determining the order of alphanumeric characters. Greater than refers to those characters with higher numbers on the ASCII table. Less than is the opposite. Case insensitivity changes the rules slightly, making SMITH also equal to Smith, rather than Less than (Uppercase letters are lower in the ASCII table than lowercase letters). The operators Not equal to (!=), Greater than or equal to (>=), and Less than or equal to (<=) should always be entered in the order shown. Do not place the equal sign first. Search Criteria The right side of each comparison is normally a constant, but can also be a calculation or a field. In a Formula search, the constant must be surrounded by special characters. The only exception occurs when you use a numeric value as a constant. In that case, quotation marks are optional. The characters differ depending on the method of entering search criteria, as follows: Generic Quotation marks (") "SMITH" Scan-across Tilde (~) ~MIT~ Sounds-like Question mark (?) ?SMITH? PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 118 The wildcard character ( _ ) must be used only in combination with generic and scan-across searches. You can't use wildcards with sounds- like searches. Logical Operators Use logical operators to link multiple comparisons. Use the ampersand (&) for AND and the pipe (|) for OR. On most keyboards, the pipe appears on the same key as the backslash. It is not a colon. PC-File does not recognize the words OR and AND as logical operators, so be sure to use the symbols instead. The operator AND means that both comparisons must be met to satisfy the search criteria. The operator OR means that either can be met. Normally OR is used when you are linking comparisons for the same field and AND is used when linking comparisons from different fields. Thus, in the search command STATE = "WA" | STATE = "CA" you must use the operator OR because both abbreviations do not appear in one record. Parentheses Parentheses are used to group comparisons logically. In many search commands, they are necessary to make the command work properly. Without them you would retrieve a different group of records. In most cases, a command that includes both logical operators requires parentheses to make the command work properly. For example, the command CITY = "SEATTLE" & (NAME = "JONES" | NAME = "SMITH") would produce a different result without the parentheses. As it is, the search retrieves all records in which the city is SEATTLE and the name is either JONES or SMITH. Remove the parentheses and the command retrieves all records in which the city is SEATTLE and the name is JONES, plus those records for which the name is SMITH, no matter what the city. The reason it works this way is that PC-File reads commands from left to right. However, it disregards the previous logical operator when it encounters a new logical operator, unless it also encounters parentheses. Parentheses force the program to consider the information within the parentheses as a unit. Thus, with the parentheses in place in the above example, there are two main parts to the search command, which it considers together. Without the parentheses, PC-File disregards the AND when it gets to the OR, and treats it separately. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 119 You normally don't need parentheses when you only use OR or only use AND in the command. For example, in the command STATE = "WA" | STATE = "CA" | STATE = "NY" parentheses are unnecessary. The same is true with the command NAME = "JONES" & STATE = "WA" & YEAR = "1985" However, in the search command STATE = "WA" & (NAME != ?SMITH? & NAME != ?JONES?) the parentheses make a difference in the records retrieved. Examples of Formula Search Commands A number of examples further illustrate the syntax used in Formula search commands. The examples are shown in uppercase letters, but uppercase letters are not required. Example #1 The following example can also be performed as a Simple search by typing >150 into the AMOUNT field on the Simple search screen. AMOUNT > 150 Example #2 The following example can also be performed as a Simple search because an AND operation is assumed when using multiple search criteria in a Simple search. To perform this search as a Simple search, type <150 into the AMOUNT field and type >=03/15/91 into the DATE field. AMOUNT < 150 & DATE >= "03/15/91" Using the logical operator for AND requires that both criteria be met. As with the previous example, numeric values (150 in this case) don't require quotation marks. PC-File would find the same records if you did use quotation marks, though. Example #3 In the following example, PC-File searches for all records between the two dates. This search cannot be performed as a Simple search because you cannot enter multiple criteria for one field. DATE > "03/15/91" & DATE < "03/31/91" Example #4 PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 120 In the following example, PC-File searches for records with one or the other member number. The numbers are enclosed in quotation marks because Member_no is a character field, not a numeric field. This and all the following examples cannot be performed as Simple searches. MEMBER_NO = "001729" | MEMBER_NO = "096119" Example #5 In the following example, PC-File searches for records with a specific date and either one or the other member number. DATE = "05/05/91" & (MEMBER_NO = "001729" | MEMBER_NO = "096119") Example #6 When using the comparison operator Not equal to (!=) with multiple criteria, you generally want to use AND (&) as a logical operator, rather than OR ( | ), as in the following example: DATE != "02/14/91" & DATE != "02/15/91" If you were to use OR, PC-File would search for dates not equal to 2/14/91, which includes 2/15/91, and dates not equal to 2/15/91, which includes 2/14/91. You must use AND to exclude both dates. Example #7 Wildcards are especially useful when searching for dates. The following example illustrates this: DATE = "03/__/91" | DATE = "04/__/91" This command searches for all records with dates in the months of March and April. Example #8 A global search looks everywhere for the search criteria except in memo fields. For memo fields, use a scan-across search, as follows: COMMENTS = ~cold~ | COMMENTS = ~icy~ This command searches for the words cold and icy throughout the memo field. Conducting a Global Search PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 121 Global searches are similar to scan-across searches in that you can search for a word or part of a word. However, a global search looks through all fields (except memo fields) of all the records, while a scan-across search looks only in the designated field. When you conduct a Global search, enter the search criteria just as it appears in the records. PC-File treats the search criteria as a character string. Don't use quotation marks or other punctuation, unless that punctuation is part of the string you are searching for. You can't use wildcards either. If you enter an underscore character, PC-File searches for data containing an underscore. As long as case sensitivity remains turned off in your configuration profile, PC-File searches for both uppercase and lowercase variations on the criteria. You can't use multiple criteria, comparison operators, or logical operators in a Global search. To conduct a Global search: 1.Choose Search from the menu bar. 2.Choose Global search from the Search menu. PC-File prompts you for the search criteria. 3.Enter the criteria in the text box. 4.Choose OK. PC-File conducts the search and displays the first record that meets the criteria. 5.Click on the Search Again button or press CTRL-A to display additional records that meet the search criteria. Because PC-File searches the data file in global searches, you must enter dates in the format they are maintained in this file: YYYYMMDD. Checking For Duplicate Records Duplicate records often appear in databases, particularly in mailing lists. PC-File makes it easy to find and display duplicate records, allowing you to delete them. There are two ways to process duplicate records: Display the duplicate records side by side, then choose to delete the record on the right, on the left, both, or neither of the records. Print a report listing all duplicate records, either on- screen, to a printer, or to a file. Then you can go back and consolidate data and delete duplicate records as necessary. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 122 If you are the cautious type, you might want to run a report of your duplicate records before you start to compare and delete them on the screen. A report gives you time to check for address changes and other possible causes of duplicates that you might not catch if you go through the records quickly on the screen. How Duplicate Records Are Found Records are checked for duplication by comparing the data in one or more fields. You choose the fields from the database by which you want the data compared. You can choose up to 10 fields. Be aware, though, that duplication exists only where two records are identical in all fields being compared. Thus, the more fields you select for comparison, the stiffer the comparison. PC-File ONLY compares adjacent records. For example, the data in the second record is compared to the data in the first and third records, but is NOT compared to the data in the fourth, fifth, or any other records. As the order of the records is based on the current index, it is important that your primary field of comparison (the first comparative field selected) coincides with your current index. If you are using last names as the primary comparison field, for example, a database indexed by zip codes will likely miss some if not all of the duplications. Displaying Duplicate Records Placing duplicate records side by side makes it easy to compare the fields in each record. The two records show two people with the same first and last name, but different addresses. This is in fact two separate people. You would not want to delete either record. To display duplicate records side by side: 1.Choose Search from the menu bar. 2.Choose Duplicate records from the Search menu. 3.Choose one or more fields from the list box by which you want to compare records. The primary field of comparison should match your index. All other comparison fields are up to you. Select no more than 10. You can compare based on a portion of field by typing the notation for a partial field in the text box, e.g. ZIP,1,5 only compares the first 5 characters of the ZIP field. See Chapter 1, "Selecting a Field or Partial Field" for more details. 4.Choose OK when you finish selecting fields. A dialog box displays. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 123 5.Choose Now when asked what course you want to take. The first pair of duplicates displays on the screen, along with a dialog box. 6.Choose to delete the record on the left side of the screen, the record on the right side of the screen, both records, or neither record. The next pair of duplicates displays. 7.Display each pair of duplicates and choose one of the options until you have gone through all the duplicate records. A box displays when you finish, informing you how many duplicate records were displayed and deleted. Printing a Report of Your Duplicate Records A printed report of your duplicate records can be handy for checking address changes, determining what causes duplication, and generally examining your duplicates before deleting any of them. PC-File prompts you to make several choices while defining a duplicates report, as follows: Print to the screen, a printer, or disk Print to the screen if you suspect just a few duplicates or want to check to see if there are any duplicates at all. Print to the default printer if you want a report you can study at length. Print to disk to produce a report that you can read with a word processing program or text editor. PC-File prints an ASCII file called databasename.DUP, located on the current directory. With a word processing program or text editor, you can conduct searches, which can be helpful if you have a lot of duplications. Use this option also if you have no printer currently available. Print all data or compared data You can print data from all the fields in the database for each duplicate record, or just the data in the fields you have chosen for comparison. If you feel you can compare duplicate records adequately with just the comparison data, just print compared data. Otherwise, you probably want to print all the data. If printing to a printer, you can also choose all the fields, then truncate those fields that don't fit within the width of the printer. Do you want to truncate? PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 124 If you are printing to the printer and the fields extend beyond the width of the printer, PC-File asks if you want to truncate the data. Choose Yes to print just the fields that fit. Choosing No results in data being printed off the edge of the paper, wrapping, or being truncated anyway. It depends on your printer. To print a duplicates report: 1.Choose Search from the menu bar. 2.Choose Duplicate records from the Search menu. 3.Choose one or more fields from the list box by which you want to compare records. The primary field of comparison should match your index. All other comparison fields are up to you. Select no more than 10. You can enter a partial field for comparison by entering the field, starting position, and number of characters in the text box. See the section on choosing partial fields in Chapter 1, "Navigating in PC-File." 4.Choose OK when you finish selecting fields. A dialog box displays. 5.Choose List when asked what action you want to take. 6.Choose to print the report to the screen, the printer, or to a file. 7.Choose to print all data or just the data from the fields you have chosen for comparison. If you choose to print to the screen, the report displays on the screen. There is no way to stop and start the display if the duplicates run beyond a single screen. If you choose to print to a printer, the printing operation begins unless the fields being printed don't fit within the width of the printer. In that case, PC-File prompts you to truncate the fields to those that do fit. If you choose to print to a disk, PC-File prints a list of the duplicates to a file on the current directory named databasename.DUP. Modifying and Deleting Records The Read-only Mode option on the Edit menu must be off (not checked) to modify or delete records. This is true whether you are modifying or deleting individual records or making global changes or deletions. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 125 As long as Read-only Mode is off, you can modify or delete a single record any time it is displayed on the screen. Global changes, on the other hand, can be made without displaying the individual records. In some cases, PC-File also lets you undo changes and restore deleted records. Read-only Mode Read-only mode permits the viewing of your data only. This option is provided because it is very easy to modify records otherwise. In Read- only mode you can navigate within records, but you cannot modify data. You can access the menu bar and the button bar; however all options on the Edit menu other than Read-only Mode are grayed out. Only the Edit menu is affected by Read-only mode. There are no limitations on other activities within PC-File, such as creating reports, printing graphs, and so on. Read-only mode is on when the Read-only Mode option is checked on the Edit menu. To toggle Read-only mode on and off: 1.Choose Edit from the menu bar. 2.Choose Read-only Mode. When a check mark is displayed to the left of the Read-only Mode menu option, Read-only Mode is on. When there is no check mark to the left, Read-only mode is off. Reading to and Writing from the Buffer PC-File provides a buffer that you can read to and write from at anytime. A buffer is a storage area that holds data in memory until it is needed. It is most useful for copying data from one spot and pasting it to another. You can use the buffer to hold data from fields in your records and from the edit window. The buffer is particularly useful when recording a recursive macro to make changes to a group of records. See Chapter 16, "Using Macros," for information on recursive macros. Only one block of data is held in the buffer at a time. If you read another block of data to the buffer, it replaces what was there before. The previous block of data is gone. You can use the following hot keys to read and write to the buffer. Hot key Function PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 126 CTRL-INS Read to the buffer SHIFT-DEL Read to the buffer and delete SHIFT-INS Write to the screen from the buffer To read to the buffer: 1.Select the data you want to read to the buffer. 2.Press CTRL-INS to copy the data to the buffer. If you want to copy the data to the buffer and delete it from its current location at the same time, press SHIFT-DEL instead. To write from the buffer: 1.Place the cursor where you want the data to appear. 2.Press SHIFT-INS to copy from the buffer to the screen. Data remains in the buffer only during the current session. When you exit from PC-File, the buffer is emptied. Modifying a Record Changes can be made to any record displayed on the screen, as long as you are in Modify mode. It doesn't matter whether you displayed the record by paging through your database or by conducting a search. Nor does it matter whether you are in Record view or Table view. If you can move the cursor to the fields in a record, you can change the record. To change a record, simply type in the correct information. You can type right over the previous entry, or erase the field first (by pressing CTRL-B) and then type in the correction. You can also use BACKSPACE and DEL to erase current data. Saving Your Changes Changes made to a record are saved automatically as soon as you leave the record. This is true whether you move to a new record or choose a menu option to begin a new action. Even if you choose Exit on the File menu, the change is saved. Automatic saving works in Table view just as it does in Record view. As soon as you move the cursor from one record to another, any changes made in the previous record are saved. Canceling a Change If you make changes to a record, then decide you don't like the changes, you can undo them. However, you can only undo them if you haven't saved the changes by moving to a new record. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 127 To undo changes to a record: 1.Choose Edit from the menu bar. 2.Choose Cancel Changes from the Edit menu, or press CTRL-C or ESC. The record is restored to its state when it was last saved. Recalculating Press ALT-R or choose the Recalc button to rerun any calculations in your records for which data has changed. All the calculations in the current record, whether in a Record view or a Table view, are rerun. This button is most useful for relational lookups in which the data in the lookup database has changed, and for date calculations in which one or more dates have changed. The results of the recalculation display on your screen as soon as the calculation is finished, or when you save the record. Deleting a Record You can delete records in a Record view or a Table view. To delete a record in a Record view: 1.Display the record on the screen. 2.Choose Edit from the menu bar. 3.Choose Delete from the Edit menu. 4.Choose Yes when asked to confirm the deletion. The next record replaces the deleted record on the screen. If there is no next record, the previous record is shown. To delete a record in a Table view: 1.Place the cursor anywhere within the record you want to delete. 2.Choose Edit from the menu bar 3.Choose Delete from the Edit menu. 4.Choose Yes when asked to confirm the deletion. PC-File refreshes the screen, deleting the record in the process. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 128 If you change your mind after you have deleted a record, you must use the Undelete option on the Edit menu. See the section below on undeleting records. The Cancel Changes option on the Edit menu restores only fields, not deleted records. NOTE: A record is not removed from the data file when it is deleted, it is only removed from view. For this reason, the record count that displays in the lower left corner of the screen stays the same after deleting records. For the same reason, deleting records does not reduce the size of the data file. You can pack the database to permanently remove all deleted records from the data file. See Chapter 13, "Packing a Database" for details on packing. Modifying Multiple Records You can modify all or a selected group of records in your database at one time, using the Global modify option on the Edit menu. For example, if the post office changes a particular zip code from 98007 to 98008, you can select all the records with the 98007 zip code and change them to 98008 without displaying the records. Using Global modify to change a selected group of records assumes that there is some common denominator within the database that you can use as a criteria for selecting those records. The change in the zip code, for example, provides criteria by which you can search for specific records. A batch of address changes from your members, on the other hand, does not provide the criteria necessary to make a global change. In that case you would have to make changes individually. There are also some types of global changes that you can't make with the Global modify option, but that you can make with a recursive macro. Generally those changes involve variable length data and inserting data within other data. See Chapter 16, "Using Macros," for information on what types of changes you can make with a recursive macro that you can't make with Global modify. You can only make changes in the open database. To make a global change: 1.Choose Edit from the menu bar. 2.Choose Global modify from the Edit menu. 3.Choose All or Some from the dialog box that displays. Choose All to change ALL the records in the database. Choose Some if you want to make changes to a selected group of records. PC-File prompts you to conduct a search. See the section on searching earlier in this chapter. 4.Enter the change or changes on the screen that displays. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 129 5.Choose OK. 6.PC-File displays the first record selected and asks if you want to make changes to the displayed record. Choose Yes to change the current record and display the next. Choose No to leave the displayed record as is, and display the next record. Choose All to make the prescribed changes to the current and all remaining records. Choose Quit to quit the operation. Use spaces to blank out characters in a change. Use wildcards to prevent changes to specific characters within a field you are changing. The wildcard character is the underscore ( _ ). Place it in a field you are changing to indicate you want no change at that particular spot. For example, if you are changing a nine-digit zip code field, but want no changes to the last four digits, use the underscore in the last four spots. Do not use blank spaces in those spots, as they will blank out that portion of the zip code in all records that are changed. Deleting Multiple Records If you want to delete all or a large group of records in your database, you may be able to use the Global delete option on the Edit menu. As with the Global modify option, you can only delete a selected group of records if there is a common denominator that allows you to select these records. You can only delete records in the open database. NOTE: A record is not removed from the data file when it is deleted, it is only removed from view. For this reason, the record count that displays in the lower left corner of the screen stays the same after deleting records. For the same reason, deleting records does not reduce the size of the data file. You can pack the database to permanently remove all deleted records from the data file. See Chapter 13, "Packing a Database" for details on packing. To delete multiple records: 1.Choose Edit from the menu bar. 2.Choose Global delete from the Edit menu. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 130 3.Choose All or Some from the dialog box that displays. Choose All to delete ALL the records in the database. Choose Some to delete a selected group of records. PC-File prompts you to conduct a search. See the section on searching earlier in this chapter. 4.PC-File displays the first selected record and asks if you want to delete it. Choose Yes to delete the record and display the next record. Choose No to leave it as is and display the next record. Choose All to delete it and all the remaining selected records as well. Choose Quit to quit the operation. Recovering Deleted Records You can restore records that you have deleted if you change your mind about them or find you have deleted them by mistake. This includes records deleted individually or through a global delete. The reason you can recover deleted records is that PC-File doesn't erase records when you delete them. Instead it just removes them from view. However, if you pack the database all deleted records are erased (see Chapter 13, "Packing a Database" for details on packing). Also, redefining the database writes a new copy of the data file which omits deleted records. Therefore, you cannot undelete records deleted before packing or redefining. To recover deleted records: 1.Choose Edit from the menu bar. 2.Choose Undelete records from the Edit menu. PC-File displays the deleted records that it finds one at a time. You can then choose which records you want to restore. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 131 CHAPTER 8 SORTING AND INDEXING DATA PC-File uses indexes to sort data. Indexes are normally based on one or more fields in your database. However, they can also include dBASE and PC-File functions, as well as calculations. This chapter tells you how to create and use indexes. Rearranging Data Data in a database is always arranged in some order. It might only be the order that it was entered, but it does have an order. To be most useful for you, it should be arranged according to your needs. To print out mailing labels, for example, you might want the labels arranged in zip code order. To print out a phone list from the same database, however, sorting the records in alphabetical order by last name would be more useful. In PC-File, indexes are used to sort data. Indexes are normally based on fields, the data within the field is used for the sort. Thus, if you index on a zip code field, the data is arranged in the order of the zip code numbers. You can arrange indexes in either ascending or descending order. Indexes can also include functions (normally dBASE functions) and calculations. These are called Formula indexes. You can create several indexes for a database, allowing you to quickly rearrange the data in any order you want it. For example, you could arrange files in zip code order to print out a set of mailing labels, then quickly switch to alphabetical order by last name to print a membership list. If you're viewing your data in a Table view on the screen, switching indexes rearranges the data as you watch. You can also define indexes that sort on multiple fields. For example, you can create an index that sorts first on the last name field, then on the first name field. Thus, when you get to the Smiths, Andy would appear first, then Bob, then Charles. PC-File also lets you create one index for each database that is based on a selected group of records only. This is called a Subgroup index. You can redefine this index whenever the need arises. Along with sorting data, indexes speed up the process of searching for records. Conducting a search using an indexed field is a faster operation than conducting the search on a non-indexed field. Unindexed Order PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 132 Sometimes, you will find it advantageous to use no indexes. You can see the data in the order in which it was entered by using the Unindexed Order option. This option can be useful when you have small databases because you don't need to create additional files, and searches are still fast because there is little data. Indexing Operations When you create a database, you don't need to define an index. However, an index can be very useful because it displays your data in a particular order. One index may be all you need. However, it is likely that you will find a need for additional indexes, or that you need to modify a current index. When you do, choose Index Maintenance from the File menu. PC-File displays a dialog box. The command buttons are used to access each of the indexing operations. These operations are described briefly below. Make Index If you find a need for an index, it is easy to create one. You will find yourself creating indexes as the need arises. For example, you can decide what indexes you need as you create reports that require specific sorting options. When that occurs, choose this option from the dialog box to define the index. Make Subgroup Use this option when you want to work with a specific subset of records from the whole database. If you wanted to print all the records that have a specific zipcode, you would create a subgroup of only those records. Using this index, PC-File would only need to manipulate these records and not the whole database. When you have a large database and only need to work with one easily identifiable portion, this is a convenient way to do it. Delete Index If you find you have created indexes you don't use, delete them. Updating indexes when you add or modify data takes time, so keep only those you need. Select the index to delete, then choose this option from the dialog box. Rename Index If you want to change the name you gave an index, you can rename it. Renaming does not affect the DOS file name, only the description used to identify the index. Rebuild Index PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 133 If you suspect that you have a "bad" index, rebuild that index. A "bad" index usually results from some unforeseen trouble like a power outage while adding records. Use this option to rebuild only one index. In some cases, PC-File prompts you to rebuild an index when it encounters a problem with an index. See Chapter 13, "Repairing a Database" for more information. Rebuild All Use this option to rebuild all the indexes associated with a database. See Rebuild Indexes above for more information. Switching Indexes PC-File lets you switch indexes at almost any time. You may want to switch indexes prior to printing a report or while paging through a Table view of your records. NOTE: The current index is always listed on the status line at the bottom of the main screen. There are three ways to switch indexes in PC-File: Press CTRL-I Use this hot key to display a list of the indexes defined for the current database. Choose the index you want from the list. Use the menu Choose Index Switch from the File menu, then choose the appropriate index from the list. Let PC-File switch the index automatically PC-File lets you choose whether to automatically switch indexes when performing Simple and Formula searches. This is called autoswitching. When you conduct a search for records with autoswitching on, PC-File automatically switches indexes to the field you are searching on, if that field is indexed. This will generally make the search go faster. PC-File will also autoswitch to unindexed access if that is the most efficient way to perform the search. If the search field is not indexed, PC-File maintains the current index. If you want to prevent an automatic index switch, turn off the Autoswitch option from the Simple or Formula search screen. See Chapter 7, "Index Autoswitching" for more information on the Autoswitch feature. To switch indexes: 1.Choose File from the menu bar. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 134 2.Choose Index Switch from the File menu. As an alternative to steps 1 and 2, press CTRL-I. The Switch Index dialog box displays. 3.Choose the index you want from the list. Data is arranged according to the new index. In PC-Label, the hot key CTRL-I doesn't function. To switch indexes, choose Define/modify setup from the PC-Label Main Menu. On the setup screen, choose Define Search to display a list of the current indexes. Choose the one you want. The list of indexes only displays if you have more than one index defined in the database. Index Maintenance Operations Indexes are very helpful in managing your data, and generally, you will employ indexes at one time or another. You create and maintain indexes using the Index Maintenance option on the File menu which displays a dialog box. When you create an index, you designate which field or fields take precedence in sorting the data. For example, in a list of names and addresses, you could sort the data by first names, by last names, by addresses, cities, and so on. Obviously, some fields make more sense for sorting than others. If you are creating mailing labels, you probably want to sort by zip codes. If you are creating a phone list, sorting by last name is more logical, or, if it's a short list, perhaps by first name. In a database, you can determine what fields to sort by as the need arises. If you have created a database to print mailing labels, then decide later to use the same list to keep track of membership renewals, you can add an index based on the renewal date. Choosing the Type of Index To create a new index, choose Index Maintenance from the File menu, then choose Make Index from the dialog box. PC-File displays the following dialog box, prompting you to choose the type of index you want to create. Choose either the Simple index or Formula index option. A Simple index lets you sort data directly on the contents of one or more fields. You can: Sort on up to 10 fields, each one sorting within the previous field Order each field in ascending or descending order PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 135 Sort on partial fields Simple indexes should handle most of your indexing needs. However, there are some kinds of indexes you can't define with the Simple index option. For those you need to create a Formula index. A Formula index allows for a wider range of index definitions by letting you define an index in the form of an expression. With an expression, you can enter dBASE and PC-File functions. Functions allow you to: Enter a calculation as part of an index Define an index based on the record number Both Simple indexes and Formula indexes are explained in depth below. Defining a Simple Index A Simple index lets you sort data directly on the contents of one or more fields. For example, you can create an index based on a single zip code field. You can also create an index based on both a last name field and on a first name field. You can include up to 10 fields in an index. Each field you add in an index is nested, in a sense, within the previous field. Thus, in the above example, last names are sorted first, then first names are sorted within the last names. The Johnsons would appear before the Kelloggs, and within the list of Johnsons, Bob would appear before Kathleen and Kathleen before Vicki. Whether you index on a single field or multiple fields, each field is sorted in ascending or descending order. Ascending order sorts spaces first, then 0 to 9, then A to Z, and from earlier to later. Descending order runs in the opposite direction. The default is ascending order. For indexes with multiple fields, you select the order for each field individually. Thus, if you define an index sorted first on state, then on zip code, you could sort the state field in descending order and the zip code field in ascending order. You can also sort on partial fields, in both single and multiple field indexes. Thus, you could index first on a state field, then on just the first five characters of a 10- character zip code field. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 136 NOTE: You can't sort memo fields. You can sort date fields, but you can't sort dates in character-type fields with a Simple index. If you try to sort dates in character fields, 08/27/78 would sort after 03/27/91, as the date would be treated as a string and 08 comes after 03. To define a simple index: 1.Choose File from the menu bar. 2.Choose Index Maintenance from the File menu. The Index Maintenance dialog box displays. 3.Choose Make Index. PC-File prompts you to choose the type of index. 4.Choose Simple index. A field selection dialog box displays. 5.Determine the sorting order for the primary field. Leave the default of Ascending, or choose the Descending option button. 6.Choose the primary field you want to sort on. The field you select is checked and displays in the Selected list. The number 1 and the letter A (for ascending) or D (for descending) displays next to the field name. If you are indexing on just a single field, choose OK and skip the next two steps. 7.If you are defining a multiple-field index, repeat the previous two steps for each field you add. First determine the order by choosing the appropriate option button, then choose the field. The second field you choose appears in the Selected list right below the first field with the appropriate letter, A or D, next to it; the third field appears below the first two with the appropriate letter next to it, and so on. You can choose a partial field instead of an entire field for any part of the index. To do so, enter the field name, starting position, and number of characters in the text box. See the section on choosing partial fields in Chapter 1, "Navigating in PC-File," for more information on this operation. 8.Choose OK when you finish. 9.Enter a description up to 30 characters long for the index when prompted or leave the default suggestion. A status box displays indicating the how the index building operation is proceeding. This may take a long time on large databases. Once the index is completely built, PC-File displays an information box indicating that the new index is now current. 10. Choose OK. 11. Choose OK to clear the information box. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 137 Defining a Formula Index When you create a formula index, you enter an expression in a text box. With index expressions, you can enter dBASE and PC- File functions, as well as calculations. Functions are commands that perform a specific, predefined action. For example, the function UPPER converts all characters to uppercase. The function TOSTR converts all non- character field data to character strings. Index expressions range from basic to complex. The following illustrates a basic index expression: UPPER(Lastname) This expression defines a single field index for the field Lastname. The function UPPER converts all characters to uppercase. That forces the field to sort without concern for case sensitivity. It also assumes that case sensitivity remains turned off in your configuration profile. It is unlikely you would define this index with the Formula option, as you could create the same index more quickly with the Simple index option. (The function UPPER is assumed in Simple indexes as long as case sensitivity is turned off.) A more complex index expression might look like this: SUBSTR(Part_no,4,2) + LEFT(Code,3) + TOSTR(Date) This expression defines an index based on three fields. Both the Part_no and Code fields are character fields. The SUBSTR function performs the same operation as defining a partial field in a Simple index. The LEFT function also lets you define a partial field, but the field always starts with the first character in the field. In the example above, it uses the first three characters of the Code field. The TOSTR function converts the date into a character string. This expression can also be accomplished with a Simple index. PC-File lets you pattern a new index after any other index within the current database. When you get ready to enter an index expression, choose the Pattern button instead. PC-File displays the list of indexes. Choose the one you want to use. PC-File enters the index expression in the text box. You can then edit it to fit your new index. To create a Formula index: 1.Choose File from the menu bar. 2.Choose Index Maintenance from the File menu. The Index Maintenance dialog box displays. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 138 3.Choose Make Index. PC-File prompts you to choose the type of index. 4.Choose Formula index. A text box displays. 5.Enter an index expression in the text box. Choose the Pattern after button if there is another index expression after which you want to pattern the current index. Choose the appropriate index when prompted. 6.Choose OK when you finish entering the index expression. 7.Enter a description up to 30 characters long for the index when prompted or leave the default suggestion. 8.Choose OK. A status box displays indicating the how the index building operation is proceeding. This may take a long time on large databases. Once the index is completely built, PC-File displays an information box indicating that the new index is now current. 9.Choose OK to clear the information box. NOTE: As with Simple indexes, you can't use memo fields in Formula indexes. Guidelines for Formula Indexes There are a few guidelines you should keep in mind when creating Formula indexes: Use complete field names in index expressions. Expressions are limited to 100 characters. The data that results from the expression is also limited to 100 characters. Thus, you could not sort on two 60-character fields together. Use partial fields for one or both of them. If you are mixing field types within an expression, convert all the fields to character strings, using the TOSTR or STR functions. Ensure that you use the same number of left and right parentheses in an expression. When you use the CALC function, enclose the calculation within quotation marks as well as within parentheses. For example: CALC("Amount + 3") Expressions are evaluated left to right and inside of parentheses first. For example, in the expression CALC("5 * (2 + 3)"), the addition of 2 + 3 takes place first, then the result is multiplied by 5. The result is 25. If the expression read CALC("(5 * 2) + 3"), 5 is multiplied by 2 and the result is added to 3. The result is 13. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 139 Formula Functions You can find a complete list of dBASE functions in a dBASE manual. The ones most often employed in indexing in PC-File are explained below. This list also contains four functions specific to PC-File. UPPER(field) Converts all characters to uppercase before performing the action. This makes the expression case insensitive. Use this expression only when you have case sensitivity for sorting turned OFF in your configuration profile. SUBSTR(field,starting position,length) Use this function to define a partial field for sorting. LEFT(field,length) This function also creates a partial field, in this case starting with the first character and running to the right the prescribed length. RIGHT(field,length) The opposite of the previous function. Creates a partial field starting with the last character and running to the left the prescribed number of characters. TOSTR(field) Converts the data in a numeric, date, or logical field to a character string so that it can be indexed. Indexes in ascending order. This function is specific to PC-File. STR(field,length,decimal) Converts numeric values to a character string for indexing. Specify the length and the number of places to the right of the decimal. Because you can specify the length with this function, it produces a much shorter result than the TOSTR function, and thus is recommended when converting numeric values. DESCEND(field) This function operates like the TOSTR function, in that it converts the data in a numeric, date, or logical field to a character string. However, it indexes in descending order. VAL(field) PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 140 The opposite of TOSTR in that it converts a character string to a numeric value. Use it for indexing numeric data in character-type fields when the data is of different lengths. RECNO( ) Each record is assigned a record number within the data file based on the order it was entered. This function sorts the records in that order. IIF(condition, field1,field2) If condition is true, uses the data in field 1 as the index data. If condition is false, uses the data in field 2 instead. This function is most often used to sort data based on the second expression when the first expression comes up with a blank. SOUNDEX(field) Use this function to sort data that sounds alike. Thus, if used with a last name field, this function would sort names that are similar in sound together. For example, Smith and Smythe would sort together. This function is specific to PC- File. ROMAN(field) Converts roman numerals to numbers before sorting. Like the previous function, this function is specific to PC-File. CALC("calculation") Use this PC-File function for any calculation you want to use in an index. Use both quotation marks and parentheses around the calculation itself. Examples of Formula Indexes The following examples illustrate some Formula indexes. Several basic examples are illustrated first to show how to put an expression together. Multi-level Sorting You can define a multi-level index in either the Simple index option or the Formula index option. A Formula multi-level index expression looks like this: UPPER(Lastname + Firstname) The function UPPER converts all characters to uppercase, essentially causing the index to sort without sensitivity to case. The first field in the expression, Lastname, is the primary sort field. Thus, records are sorted first on the last name and then on the first name. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 141 This expression is equivalent to a Simple index in which you selected the Lastname field as the first field and the Firstname field as the second field. You can also enter the expression in this way: UPPER(Lastname) + UPPER(Firstname) Since there is a limit of 100 characters for expressions, it is recommended that you use the first method above, which is shorter. If you are sorting on character fields, you may string as many of these expressions together as will fit in the 100-character window. For example, you could define this index: UPPER(Company+Dept_No+Manager+Employee+Acct_no) As with Simple indexes, you can sort to 10 levels in a Formula index. Indexing Multiple Non-Character Fields If you define a multiple field index, some or all of which are non- character fields, you must convert all the fields to character strings. The only exception to this rule is an index with all numeric fields in which you want to add the data together before indexing. Thus, if you index on a character field and a date field, convert the date field to a character string. The same rule applies if you combine a date field and a numeric field, or any other combination of field types. NOTE: You can't index on memo fields, no matter what you try to do to them. Use the function TOSTR to convert date and logical fields to character strings and the function STR to convert numeric fields to a character string. Several examples illustrate the use of these functions. If you indexed on the company name and the company number, your index expression might look like this: UPPER(Company) + STR(Comp_no,8,0) The STR function converts the numeric field Comp_no to a character string. The following index, used in the Donation database, illustrates the conversion of a date field to a character string: UPPER(Member_no) + TOSTR(Date) PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 142 In the case of date fields only, PC-File reorders the data internally so that it reads the date as year, month, and day. That way the date is sorted properly. If you index on two date fields, convert both of them to character strings: TOSTR(Duedate) + TOSTR(Duedate2) In most cases, you also want to convert the numeric fields in an index containing multiple fields to character strings. If you leave the data as numeric values, PC-File adds the data in each record before indexing it. That would result in a different index order than you would get if you converted the data to character strings. Indexing Character Fields Containing Numeric Data If you have a character field that contains numeric data, you may want to convert the character data to numeric values for sorting. This is necessary because character fields locate data flush left, which can cause problems if the values are of different length. The following example illustrates how a character field containing numeric values might sort: 1, 10, 100, 2, 26. Changing these character strings to numeric values forces them to sort in the proper numeric order, as follows: 1, 2, 10, 26, 100. Use the function VAL to convert character strings to numeric values. An index might look like this: VAL(MemberID) If the numeric data in a character field is all the same length, the conversion to numeric values is unnecessary. Sorting by Record Number When you add data to a database, PC-File derives an internal record number for each record. The first record is assigned number 1, the second record number 2, and so on. Within limits (see note below), you can sort your data in the order it was entered by sorting on the derived record number. Use the function RECNO to sort by record number. To sort on the record number alone, enter the expression RECNO( ) in the text box. Be sure to use the parentheses, but with nothing between them. If you combine the record number with other fields in an index, convert the record number to a character string, like this: UPPER(Lastname + STR(RECNO(),6,0) PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 143 NOTE: If you delete records, records added later replace the deleted records. The record numbers of the deleted records are assigned to the new records-in this case, RECNO will not give you an accurate representation of the order the data was entered. Increasing Speed on Large Databases with Duplicate Entries Adding, modifying, and searching for records in large databases with a large number of duplicate entries can slow PC-File down. This is because indexes are most efficient when PC-File is searching for unique entries. For example, suppose you have a large database indexed on Last_name and you have a 1000 entries under the name Smith. If you search for the most recently added Smith record, PC- File has to search through the 999 previous entries before it can locate the record you want. You can make PC-File operate faster by defining a Formula index that adds the record number at the end of the Last_name index entry, like this: UPPER(Last_name + STR(RECNO(),6,0)) You should consider using this type of index if more than 10 records have the same duplicated index information. It is especially helpful if you have a large number of records where the indexed field is blank. Using a Calculation to Sort You can sort on a calculation. Normally, the calculation used in indexes involve arithmetic operations involving two or more numeric fields. For example, you can subtract the data in one field from another, and index on the balance. Or you can add the values in two or more fields together. You can use the PC-File function CALC to perform calculations, or you can perform them without a function. Use the CALC function if you want to abbreviate field names, as in the example below, and when performing date calculations. The CALC function is the only indexing function that allows you to abbreviate field names. For example, an index in the sample database called Attend looks like this: CALC("Pr + Y + A + Sn + Pa + C + Sp + Sc + O") This calculation adds the attendance figures for each category together and then sorts on the total. The field names are shortened to conserve space, but remain unique within the database. Creating a Subgroup Index PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 144 You can create one index within a database that sorts a selected group of records. This can be a time-saver when working with a large database. For example, you might want to send out a mailing to just those people who have been members for more than 40 years. If this group amounts to about 300 out of 20,000 members, you could create a separate zipcode index for just those 300 members. Then, when you get ready to print mailing labels, PC- File doesn't have to search through your entire database to find and print labels for 300 records. For a large database, this can save a lot of time, even if you only print the labels once. You can have only one Subgroup index within any given database and it will always be named Subgroup Index. If you try to create another Subgroup index, PC-File will prompt you to delete your existing subgroup index before proceeding to create one. Subgroup indexes are designed to be used on a temporary basis. Create a new Subgroup index every time you find a need for using just a small part of a large database. You can use Subgroup indexes for reports, letters, labels, redefining databases, and graphs. A Subgroup index can be a Simple or Formula index. It is created much the same way as you have defined one of your other indexes. To create a Subgroup index: 1.Choose File from the menu bar. 2.Choose Index Maintenance from the File menu. The Index Maintenance dialog box displays. 3.Choose Make Subgroup. If you already have a Subgroup Index, you will be prompted to delete it before moving onto the next step in the procedure. A dialog box displays prompting you to choose the type of index to define. You can select either type of index to create. Subgroup indexes can be either simple or formula indexes. See above, "Defining a Simple Index" or "Defining a Formula Index" for more information. 4.Choose the kind of index you want to make and define the index as you would any other index. PC-File prompts you to choose the type of search. 5.Choose Simple or Formula search. See Chapter 7, "Finding and Modifying Data," for more information on searches. 6.Define the search criteria. PC-File performs the search and defines the index. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 145 When you get ready to perform the operation that requires the Subgroup index, press CTRL-I to switch indexes. Choose the index labeled Subgroup Index from the list. This index remains current until you switch indexes again. Once a Subgroup index is defined, it remains available until you overwrite the file with a new Subgroup index for that database. However, all updated records within the database are added to this index, even if they wouldn't have been included initially. For example, if you defined the subgroup to include records where State = CA, all records added or modified in the database since you created the Subgroup index are added to it, no matter what the State. Thus, you need to recreate this index if you update the database. Renaming an Index You may find it necessary to rename an index. PC-File allows you to do this easily. To rename an index: 1.Choose File from the menu bar. 2.Choose Index Maintenance from the File menu. The Index Maintenance dialog box displays including a list of the available indexes. 3.Select the index you want to rename from the Indexes list. 4.Choose Rename Index. The Rename Index dialog box will display. 5.Type in a new name up to 30 characters long. 6.Choose OK. Modifying an Index Expression If you find that an index doesn't quite work the way you hoped, you can modify the index expression using the Formula option and try it again. To modify an expression, start by making a new index, then display a pattern of the one you want to edit. Make changes to expression, then build the new index. Then delete the original "problem" index as described in the "Deleting an Index" section later in this chapter. To modify an index expression: 1.Choose File from the menu bar. 2.Choose Index Maintenance from the File menu. 3.Choose Make Index. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 146 4.Choose Formula. 5.Choose the Pattern after button. 6.Choose the index you want to use as a pattern. 7.Modify the expression. 8.Choose OK. 9.Enter a name for the index up to 30 characters long or accept the default. 10. Choose OK. PC-File builds the index. 11. Delete the old index as described in the "Deleting an Index" section later in this chapter. Rebuilding Indexes Sometimes indexes need to be rebuilt. Rebuilding an index recreates the index, though with the same definition, the same name, and the same file name. If you want to make changes to the index, you have to make a new index instead. PC-File allows you to rebuild just one index or all your indexes at once. The Index Maintenance dialog box provides both options. There are two ways to rebuild indexes: Choose "Rebuild Index" or "Rebuild All" from the Index Maintenance dialog box Choose "Rebuild the index" when PC-File prompts you to rebuild an index If you suspect a problem with an index, rebuilding the indexes in the database may solve the problem. For example, if your searches aren't working properly, try rebuilding the indexes. You may find that takes care of the problem. To rebuild one index: 1.Choose File from the menu bar. 2.Choose Index Maintenance from the File menu. The Index Maintenance dialog box displays including a list of the available indexes. 3.Select the index to rebuild from the Indexes list. 4.Choose Rebuild Index. PC-File rebuilds that index. To rebuild all indexes: 1.Choose File from the menu bar. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 147 2.Choose Index Maintenance from the File menu. The Index Maintenance dialog box displays. 3.Choose Rebuild All. 4.Choose OK. PC-File rebuilds all the indexes in the current database. NOTE: When you choose to rebuild all the indexes in the database, PC- File deletes the Subgroup index if there is one. You can't rebuild a Subgroup index; you have to remake it. Rebuilding "Bad" Indexes If PC-File detects a "bad" index, it displays a dialog box that lets you decide how you want to handle it. "Bad" indexes can result in a variety of circumstances. If a power outage occurred when adding records, your indexes may be corrupted. If this were to happen, you would rebuild all the indexes for the database that were in use at the time of the power interruption. See Chapter 13, "Repairing a Database" for more information. You can choose to Rebuild the index, delete the index, or ignore the warning. Ignoring the warning is the same as choosing Cancel. To rebuild an index when prompted: 1.Choose Rebuild the Index when the Bad Index dialog box displays. PC-File rebuilds the index. Bad indexes can also result from a corrupted data or index file or from a damaged disk. You can try copying your files to another directory to see if that remedies the problem. You can also run the DOS CHKDSK /F command to check for damaged files. See your DOS manual for information on using this command. See Chapter 11, "Repairing a Database" for more details on how to address a corrupted database. WARNING: Exit from ALL programs and applications before running the CHKDSK /F command. Do not use the Drop to DOS option to run this command. If you are running Windows, exit from Windows and return to the DOS prompt before running the command. Otherwise, damage to the File Allocation Table on your hard disk can result. Deleting an Index PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 148 Too many indexed fields in a database slow down operations and take up space. Each time you add, modify, or delete data in a database, PC-File updates each index. This takes time. If you have indexes that you don't use for sorting or searching, get rid of them. You can always redefine them if you find a need for them in the future. When you delete an index, PC-File deletes the file for that index and removes any reference to the index in the header file. To delete an index: 1.Choose File from the menu bar. 2.Choose Index Maintenance from the File menu. The Index Maintenance dialog box displays including a list of the available indexes. 3.Select the index you want to delete from the Indexes list. 4.Choose Delete Index. The index is deleted from the database. NOTE: If you delete an index file with the DOS DELETE command, the reference to the index in the header file doesn't get deleted. As a result, PC-File warns you that the index may be damaged the next time you open the database. PC-File Index Files In previous versions of PC-File (PC-File:dB, PC-File 5.x, and PC-File 6.x), index files were saved to whatever name the user specified using .NDX extensions. This could sometimes cause problems because index files from different database could be accidentally overwritten. In this version of PC-File, all indexes for a database are saved to the same name as the database with an .NDn extention, where "n" is a digit 0-9. For example, if a database named CONTACTS has three indexes defined for it the indexes would be named: CONTACTS.ND0, CONTACTS.ND1, and CONTACTS.ND3. This naming convention applies to all indexes regardless of how they were defined. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 149 CHAPTER 9 CREATING REPORTS Reports are one of the most important features of a database program. Reports let you rearrange your data for viewing or printing in a wide variety of formats. You can create mailing labels, phone lists, invoices, checks, inventories, and quarterly sales reports. This chapter tells you how to create a new report. See Chapter 11, "Printing Reports and Letters," for information on printing a report. Introduction Use PC-File to create the report that fits your needs using a format that fits your experience. Fit your needs by creating any of a wide variety of report types, including mailing labels and phone lists, invoices, checks, inventory reports, and quarterly sales reports. Fit your experience by selecting the report-generating format that's right for you. PC-File provides five formats for your use, ranging from an easy single record per page format to a very flexible but also complex command statement format. When you create a report, you essentially create a report structure. The structure is saved to a separate file. The file carries the report name and the extension .REP. Choosing a Report Format PC-File provides five format options for defining a report: Page, Row, Mail label, Free form, and Language. If you are inexperienced in creating reports, consider using one of the first three options, as PC- File leads you through the operation each step of the way. More experienced users should select the format that serves their current needs. The simpler formats are generally faster, but not as flexible as the Free form and Language formats. However, you can define a report using any format, then go back and edit it with either the Free form or Language formats. Thus, you could lay out a report quickly with the Row format, for example, then edit the report to add whatever changes and features you want. The five report formats are explained briefly below. Choose the format that will help you produce the report you want. PAGE PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 150 Prints one record per page-similar to the format of a data entry screen designed with the Record view designer. All the fields in the database are used, and all or some records are printed. This is the quickest and easiest format. ROW Prints the data in columns, with the field names listed across the top of the screen. You can select and order the fields you want displayed. Automatically totals and subtotals numeric fields. Also lets you enter a title for the report. MAIL LABEL Defines simple mailing labels in a single column format. This format is also useful for defining snapshot labels. For multi- column mailing labels, use the mailing label program (PC- Label) described in Chapter 14. FREE FORM Lets you "paint" the report on the screen. You place titles, headings, and fields where you want them. This is the most visual format for creating a report, as you can see what your report will look like as you create it. Use this format when you want more flexibility of design than found in the first three formats. Along with giving you a lot more flexibility in the design of the report, the Free form format lets you subtotal and total numeric fields, add system fields, perform calculations, and add miscellaneous text and lines. You can also use Free form to edit a report, although complex reports are better edited using the Language format. LANGUAGE Gives you complete flexibility and control over your report. In addition to the operations permitted with the Free form format, the Language format allows you to use IF commands, perform calculations on subtotals and totals, use buckets to accumulate totals and hold string text, and use the conditional page command. The Language format lets you edit any report, no matter what format you produced it in. However, the Language format does require some knowledge of programming concepts. Using the Page Format The Page format provides the quickest and easiest method for creating a report. Each record is printed on a separate page, with the fields arranged just as they appear in one of your Record views. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 151 All fields defined in the Record view you choose are used in the report. Reports stretch to as many pages as necessary for each record to accommodate all the fields. To create a report using Page format: 1.Choose Print from the menu bar. 2.Choose Reports from the Print menu. 3.Choose New from the dialog box listing the operations. 4.Choose Page from the dialog box listing the formats. 5.A dialog displays to choose which Record view to pattern your page report on. 6.Choose the view you want from the list. 7. Choose OK. PC-File creates the report while you wait. 8.When prompted to save the report, choose Yes or No. Choose Yes if you want to save the report for future viewing or printing. Choose No if you want to print or view the report only once, and don't want to save it. PC-File displays the Print options dialog box. See Chapter 11 for information on printing reports. 9.If you chose Yes in the previous step, enter a report description of up to 50 characters. Choose OK when you finish. The description is optional, but can be useful in reminding you of the contents of the report at some later date. 10. Enter a report name of up to eight characters. Choose OK. The Print options dialog box displays. See Chapter 11 for information on printing reports. Using the Row Format A report defined in the Row format lines up the data in columns across the page. This format lets you choose the fields to be printed and select their order of appearance. You can also enter a title for the report, either when creating the report or prior to printing. Limiting the number of fields allows you to create specialized reports within a database. For example, five of 12 fields were selected to create the report shown above. In the same database you could run out a phone list by selecting the name and phone number fields. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 152 PC-File prints the fields side by side with one space between each field. If the report is printed to the screen and is wider than 79 characters, only the first 79 characters of each row are displayed. When sending the report to the printer, the width should not exceed what the printer can print on one line. Consider using condensed type if it does run over somewhat. All numeric fields used in a Row-formatted report generate subtotals and totals, which are printed in the appropriate places in the report. NOTE: To print Subtotals, you must also choose the Subtotals option in the Print options dialog box. See Chapter 11 for information about this operation. Only the display length of character and memo fields prints when you use the Row format. To print the entire field, you must edit the field using the Free form or Language format. See the section on using these formats later in this chapter for more information. To create a report using Row format: 1.Choose Print from the menu bar. 2.Choose Reports from the Print menu. 3.Choose New from the dialog box listing the operations. 4.Choose Row from the dialog box listing the formats. PC-File displays a check-off dialog box, listing the fields in your database. 5.Choose the fields you want to appear on the report, in the order that you want them to appear. 6.Choose OK when you are finished choosing all the fields to include in your row report. 7.The Title dialog box displays. 8.Enter a permanent title for the teport. If you leave this box blank, PC-File prompts you for a temporary title each time you print the report. A permanent title can be up to 65 characters in length, while temporary titles can only be 35 characters in length. 9.When prompted to save the report, choose Yes or No. Choose Yes if you want to save the report for future viewing or printing. Choose No if you want to print or view the report only once, and don't want to save it. PC-File displays the Print options dialog box. See Chapter 11 for information on printing reports. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 153 10. If you chose Yes in the previous step, enter a report description of up to 50 characters. Choose OK when you finish. The description is optional, but can be useful in reminding you of the contents of the report at some later date. 11. Enter a report name of up to eight characters. Choose OK. The Print options dialog box displays. See Chapter 11 for information on printing reports. Using the Mail Label Format Use the Mail label format to define simple mailing labels to be printed in single column format. The mail label option is also used to create a format for snapshot labels. See Chapter 15, "Tools" for information on snapshot labels. For more complex labels, such as labels in a side by side format, use the PC-Label utility, described in Chapter 14. When you create labels using this format, first determine the number of print lines per label. The print lines are the total number of lines from the top of one mailing label to the top of the next label. The print lines include both the lines on which the name and address are printed and the blank lines above or below the name and address. The common one-inch label has six lines, but your label stock may have a different number of lines. Font size can also determine the number of lines on your label. To create a report using Mail label format: 1.Choose Print from the menu bar. 2.Choose Reports from the Print menu. 3.Choose New from the dialog box listing the operations. 4.Choose Mail label from the dialog box listing the formats. 5.Enter the number of print lines for each label. The default is 6. 6.Choose OK. 7.The dialog box to select the fields to print on the first line of the label displays. 8.Select the fields that you want to print on the line in the order you want them printed across the line. For example, to print a first name field followed by a last name field: Select the field containing the first name first, then select the field containing the last name. Each field is numbered as you select it and it displays in the Selected list. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 154 9.Choose OK when you are finished selecting all the fields for that line. If you want to leave the line blank, choose OK without selecting any fields. 10. Repeat steps 8 and 9 for each of the following lines. The numbering starts over for each line. Choose OK after selecting the fields for each line. 11. When prompted to save the report, choose Yes or No. Choose Yes if you want to save the labels for future viewing or printing. Choose No if you want to print or view the report only once, and don't want to save it. PC-File displays the Print options dialog box. See Chapter 11 for information on printing reports. 12. If you chose Yes in the previous step, enter a report description of up to 50 characters. Choose OK when you finish. The description is optional, but can be useful in reminding you of the contents of the report at some later date. 13. Enter a report name of up to eight characters. Choose OK. The Print options dialog box displays. See Chapter 11 for information on printing reports. Lines that have no data to print from a given record are removed automatically by PC-File. Thus, you can format the label for three line addresses, knowing that records with only two lines worth of data will print neatly. This format prints one space between fields which appear on the same line. If you want punctuation between fields, you can either include it in the field when you enter data or edit the report using the Free form or Language format. Using the Free Form Format The Free form format lets you create a report by painting it directly on the screen. Giving you much more flexibility than the Row, Page, and Label formats, the Free form format lets you enter title lines and headings, locate fields where you want, draw lines, and sum the data into subtotals and totals. While providing flexibility, Free form also makes creating a report relatively easy. You use a special edit window divided into six sections to create your report. This allows you to build the report piece-by-piece. You can format fields directly from the keyboard, or you can have PC-File enter fields for you. Report fields can pull data from database fields, system fields (like the computer's clock), calculations, and field totals. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 155 You can also edit any existing report, no matter what format you used to create it. Thus, you can define a quick report with the Page format, then display the report in Free form and play around with it until you get exactly what you want. Procedures for Creating a Free Form Report This section briefly outlines the procedures for creating a new report using the Free form format. Each of the various features that go into making up a Free form report, such as text and fields, are covered in more depth later in this section. To create a Free form report: 1.Choose Print from the menu bar. 2.Choose Reports from the Print menu. 3.Choose New from the dialog box listing the operations. 4.Choose Free form from the dialog box listing the formats. The Free form edit window displays. 5.Paint the report on the screen. Enter text, fields, and any lines or boxes within the appropriate sections. Choose OK when you finish. 6.Choose Yes or No when prompted to save the report. Choose Yes if you want to save the report for future viewing or printing. Choose No if you want to print or view the report only once, and don't want to save it. PC-File displays the Print options dialog box. See Chapter 11 for information on printing reports. 7.If you chose Yes in the previous step, enter a report description of up to 50 characters. Choose OK when you finish. The description is optional, but can be useful in reminding you of the contents of the report at some later date. 8.Enter a report name of up to eight characters. Choose OK. The Print options dialog box displays. See Chapter 11 for information on printing reports. Procedures for Modifying a Report Using Free Form You can display any existing report in the Free form edit window. You can then make changes to it and add any features available in Free form. Thus, you might find it useful to create a report quickly with another format, such as Row, then add to the report structure as needed by modifying it in the Free form window. To modify a report in the Free form window: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 156 1.Choose Print from the menu bar. 2.Choose Reports from the Print menu. 3.Choose Modify from the dialog box listing the operations. 4.Choose Free form from the dialog box listing the edit formats. PC-File displays the Free form edit window. 5.Choose File from edit window menu bar. 6.Choose Open from the File menu. 7.Choose the report you want to modify from the file selection dialog box. The report displays in the edit window, broken down appropriately between the different sections. 8.Make your changes to the report. 9.Choose Save from the File menu when you finish. If you want to save the modified report under a new name, choose Save As instead. The original report remains unchanged in that case. 10. Enter a new description or leave the default. The Print options dialog box displays. See Chapter 11 for information on printing reports. Free Form Guidelines Though the Free form edit window is divided into sections, it is the same edit window found elsewhere in PC-File. Follow these guidelines in using the edit window and creating a Free form report: Sections The edit window is divided into the six report sections. Each section will scroll up to 120 characters wide. There is no way to set a right margin to wrap lines-you must indicate the end of a line manually by pressing ENTER when you want to break to a new line. Enter only the information in each section that you intend. If you don't want to use a section, leave it blank. The end marker (<<) should appear in the first line of those sections you leave blank. You don't have to define the report in the order suggested by the sections. If fact, it may be easier to enter fields in the Detail section of the report before doing anything else. That can help you line up headings in the Heading section, and subtotals and totals in their respective sections. Formatting Commands PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 157 Use formatting commands to force a new page, compress out blank lines, or enter printer codes. The formatting commands are described in detail beginning on page 202. You can use any of the formatting commands that begin with a period, like .FF or .GROUP. Enter these commands on a separate line. Blank lines All blank lines are saved and printed as blank lines. Enter only those blank lines that you want. Lines You can use the hyphen or underscore characters to create lines on a report, or you can use ASCII characters to make lines and boxes. See the section on creating lines and boxes in Chapter 1, "Navigating in PC-File," for more information. Use lines in any section of a report format. Text Anything typed in the edit window other than form feeds or fields (indicated by field markers) is text. Text is printed on the report just as it is entered on the screen. Uppercase and lowercase letters are read as entered. The Free Form Window The Free form edit window is divided into six sections, representing the six parts of a Free form report. Navigating in Free Form This section explains how to move between and within the six sections of the Free form edit window, how to expand each section for easier use, and how to determine the current location of the cursor. To move between sections: 1.Click on the appropriate section with the mouse. With the keyboard, use TAB and SHIFT-TAB to move between the sections. The active section of the window is shaded darker than the rest of the window. You can "paint" a report within each section in either of two views: A contracted view An expanded view PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 158 The contracted view is the view you see of each section when you first open the Free form edit window. You can enter text and fields in this view, but you can only see two or three lines of the section at a time. As you move from one line to another within a section, a new line scrolls into view. Expanding each section individually makes it easier to define and format that section, as well as to visualize what you are doing. However, the menus are unavailable when a section is expanded. To expand a section to a window: 1.Place the cursor in the section you want to expand. 2.Press CTRL-E. The section expands to a window. Paint your report in this format, then choose OK to return the section window to its original contracted size. If necessary, you can determine the current location of the cursor in the edit window, in either the contracted or expanded section windows. This can be handy for lining up fields with their respective column headings. To display the cursor location: 1.Press CTRL-W. A dialog box displays, indicating the current row and column location of the cursor. 2.Choose OK to return to the edit window. Report Sections A Free form report consists of up to six sections. These sections- Cover, Heading, Detail, Subtotal, Total, and Footing-each control a specific part of the report. Only those sections you define in your report are used when the report is printed. Cover This section is used to print text once at the beginning of a report. You can define a separate title page or print a title at the top of the first page of the report. Use a form feed (.FF) after the title to locate it on a separate title page. Heading The text in the Heading section is printed at the top of each page. Use this section to print titles, page numbers, column headings, and lines under the headings. Detail PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 159 This is the most important section, as it is here that the records from the database are printed. Everything in the Detail section is printed once for each record selected. Without a Detail section, data from individual records won't be printed. Subtotal The Subtotal section is only printed when a subtotal break is requested. The Subtotal section can be used to print text, subtotals of numeric fields, and blank lines. Total The Total section is printed at the end of a report after all of the records have been printed. Items that usually appear in the Total section include totals for numeric fields, the number of records printed, and any criteria used for selecting records. Footing This section is printed at the end of each page, and determines the bottom margin on each page. Information in the Footing section can include page numbers, blank lines, and text. The Footing section is required in any report that includes any section other than a Detail section, and with any report that needs a bottom margin on each page. The Footing section should contain at least one printed line (which can be blank). The Free Form Menus The menu bar at the top of the Free form window contains three options. Two of the options-File and Data-display pull-down menus when selected. The Help option displays a Help window. Using the File Menu Use the File menu to open and save reports. Option Purpose New Start a new report Open Display an existing report Save As Save the current report to a new name or directory OK Quit the Free form edit window; PC-File prompts you to save Cancel Quit the Free form edit window PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 160 When you first display the Free form edit window for the purpose of creating a report, you don't need to choose New from the File menu. This option is designed to clear an existing report from the screen and provide you with an empty edit window for starting a new report. Using the Data Menu You can enter fields in your report from the keyboard or have PC-File enter them for you. Use the options on the Data menu to have PC-File enter the fields. Option Purpose Field (trimmed) Displays a field selection dialog box. Choose a field from the dialog box. Enters data with the spaces removed. Field (padded) Displays a field selection dialog box. Choose a field from the dialog box. Enters data without the spaces removed. Field (bar code) Displays a field selection dialog box, followed by bar code type and bar code height dialog boxes. Enters data formatted to print as bar code. See "Printing Bar Codes" later in this chapter for details. System field Displays a list of system field options. Choose an option to enter system-generated data. Calculation Displays a text box for entering a calculation. Data is generated by the calculation. Lookup (relational) Displays relational lookup definition dialog boxes. See "Defining Relational Lookups" for details. Entering Text Use text in a Free form report for titles, field headings and labels, lines and boxes, and miscellaneous descriptions or information. To enter text, place the cursor where you want the text to begin and type the text from the keyboard. PC-File prints uppercase and lowercase letters just as they are entered. Be sure you enter text in the correct section of the report. If you want the title of the report to print at the beginning only, for example, enter it in the Cover section. If you want it printed on every page, place it in the Heading section. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 161 Most if not all fields should have labels, headings, or a description associated with them on the report. In rare cases, data can stand alone without some kind of descriptive label next to it or above it. For example, the current date displayed at the top of a report normally doesn't need to be identified. If you build the report to display columns of data, use field headings above the data. Headings generally should be entered in the Heading section of a report. They are then printed on each page of the report, making it clear for readers to understand what the data is without having to refer back to the first page. The following report illustrates the use of field headings. Field headings are often enhanced by entering a single or double line beneath them. You can use the hyphen or equal sign for this purpose, though on most printers these produce broken lines. Use line characters from the ASCII table to create a solid line. See the section on creating lines and boxes in Chapter 1, "Navigating in PC-File," for more information on these characters. Locating Fields Fields are defined in a Free form report to pull data from one of four places: Database fields A calculation The system (such as the computer's clock) A summation of other fields You can locate fields in any of the six sections of a report, but there are limitations on the type of field you can locate in certain sections. These limitations are outlined below: Section: Valid Fields Cover: System fields Heading, Detail, and Footing: System fields, database fields, and calculated fields Subtotal and Total: System fields and summations of other fields PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 162 Fields are represented in the Free form edit window with the use of two marker characters: the "at" sign (@) or the "pound" sign (#). These markers appear on the Free Form edit window only. They don't show up when you print a report. These characters are automatically placed on the screen when choosing options from the Data menu. If you type field marker characters directly from the keyboard, which character you use determines whether the data you have formatted for this location prints as a padded field or a trimmed field. The at (@) sign is used to print your data as a padded field. A padded field includes extra spaces to "pad" the printed data to the number of marker characters on the Free form edit window. For example, if there are 10 at signs on the report structure screen, but the data printing for a given record at that location is only 5 characters long, PC-File will "print" 5 extra spaces at the end of the data. Padded fields are generally used to line up data in columns when printing more than one field per line. The pound sign (#) is used to print your data as a trimmed field. A trimmed field removes any leading or trailing spaces in the data, but not internal spaces. This format is commonly used when combining first and last name fields, and city, state, and zipcode fields when printing addresses. You can use either marker character with data from any field type, system field, subtotal, total, or calculation. You cannot mix the two characters within one string of marker characters for one field. For most fields, you can use either of two methods for entering the field markers: Choose options from the Data menu Type the characters directly from the keyboard If you use the options on the Data menu, PC-File prompts you to define the data source as you place each item. This method is recommended, as most users find it less confusing. If you enter a field from the keyboard, PC-File prompts you to define the data source after you finish painting the entire report. Both methods are described below. Guidelines for Locating Fields Follow these guidelines when locating and defining your fields in a report: Spacing There must be at least one space between each field, and at least one space between a field and any text. Field length PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 163 The number of field markers you enter to designate a field on the screen determines the number of characters that can appear in the report. For example, @@@@@ or ##### prints a maximum of five characters. If you create a field in the report that is shorter than the field in the database, PC-File truncates data that is longer than the report field. The same is true for system fields, summations, and calculations, so be sure to make your fields long enough to hold the data you expect to fill them with. This is generally not an issue when using the Data menu to place report items, because the Data menu options will automatically place the same number of field markers as the field's display length. Wrapping fields The maximum number of field markers you can use in one field is 65. PC-File ignores all field markers after the 65th in a group. For memo fields or character fields longer than 65 characters, you can choose to print only the first 65 characters of the field, or you can use one of two methods to wrap the data to two or more lines. One method is to enter a single set of field markers on your Free form report, then edit the report using the Language format. Change the print mask for the field from @'s to a "word wrap mask," which allows the data to wrap to its full length. When using this method you only have one wrapping field per line and no field can print to the right of that field. See the section, "Character Masks" later in this chapter for more information. The other method is to enter as many sets of @'s as necessary to print all the data. Then define each set of field markers as successive partial fields. For example, for a 100-character field called Description, you might define two 50-character partial fields, like this: Description,1,50 Description,51,50 The first 50 characters of data print in the first group of at signs and the second 50 characters print in the second group. Entering Fields from the Data Menu You can enter any kind of field from the Data menu other than a summation field. Summation fields must be entered from the keyboard, in either the Subtotal or Total sections of the report. Entering fields from the Data menu is a two step operation: Choose an option from the menu. Define the data source. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 164 Which option you select determines how you define the data source. For padded and trimmed fields, you choose the field from the field selection dialog box. For calculations, enter the expression in the text box. For system fields, choose one of 10 system field options from a dialog box. Once you define the data source, PC-File determines the correct field marker and the field length. For calculations, you are prompted for a field length. To enter fields from the Data menu: 1.Place the cursor where you want the field to start. 2.Choose Data from the menu bar. 3.Choose the appropriate option from the Data menu. The dialog box that displays depends on your choice of option. 4.Define the data source by choosing an option from the dialog box or entering a calculation. PC-File enters the field markers in the report. You can lengthen or shorten a field entered from the menu if necessary. For example, if you have defined a field with a field length of 15 characters, but know that none of the data in that field is more than 12 characters in length, you can shorten the field when you locate it on your report accordingly. Entering Fields from the Keyboard You can enter a field yourself by typing it into the appropriate section in the edit window. Use the desired marker character and enter the correct number of characters to indicate the field length. For example, type @@@@@@@@ if you are printing an 8-character field as a padded field. You can enter any type of field from the keyboard. Fields entered from the keyboard are defined in a different manner than fields entered from the Data menu. Since you don't define the source of data for a field when you just type in a series of field markers, PC- File has to prompt you for the source. It does this after you have finished painting the entire report and choose to save it. A dialog box displays for each field that must be defined. A set of question marks replaces the field that PC-File is prompting you to define. Choose the type of data source first, such as System field, then the source itself. To enter a field from the keyboard: 1.Place the cursor where you want the field to start. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 165 2.Type the field information. Indicate length by the number of characters you enter. Choose the field marker based on how you intend to define the field. To define the source of data for fields entered from the keyboard: 1.Paint the entire report in the Free form edit window. 2.Choose Save from the Free form File menu. PC-File displays a dialog box prompting you to define the source of data for the first field that you entered from the keyboard. 3.Choose the appropriate data source button. Depending on the button you chose, PC-File prompts you to choose a database field or a system field, or enter a calculation. 4.Choose the appropriate option or enter a calculation. 5.PC-File moves to the next undefined field and prompts you for a data source. Fields that you defined using the Data menu options are skipped over, as PC-File already knows the data source. Defining the Fields How you define the field is determined by how you enter the field in the report. If you enter a field from the Data menu, you define the source of data for the field during the process of entering it on the screen. If you enter a field from the keyboard, PC-File prompts you to define the source of data for the field after you have painted your entire report in the edit window. No matter which method you use, however, you must define the source of data. This section describes each of the four source options: Data fields System fields Summations Calculations Data Fields If you enter fields from the Data menu, you can define either padded or trimmed fields. If you enter a field from the keyboard, it is assumed to be a padded field. A padded field retains blank spaces that occur in a field. Thus, if you define a report field as 15 characters long, 15 characters print each time, even if some of them are blank. Use padded fields in reports when you want to maintain data in columns. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 166 If you define a trimmed field, on the other hand, PC-File removes the trailing spaces, printing only the data within each field. Use trimmed fields for mailing labels, in particular, where you want the data within fields to flow together. For example, if you define the City, State, and Zip code fields as trimmed fields on an address label like this: ############, ## ##### PC-File removes trailing spaces from the City field any time the city name is less than 12 characters in length. Thus, the report would produce an address like this: Seattle, WA 98103 The State and Zip code fields adjust to the length of the data in the city field as it changes from record to record. System Fields System fields can be located in any section of the report. A system field pulls data directly from the computer, the program, the database, and even the operator. For example, you can use a system field to have PC-File enter the current date any time you print the report. There are 10 system fields supported in the Free form format, as follows: System field: Description Date now: The current date as determined by the computer's calendar. Time now: The current time as determined by the computer's clock. Page number: Displays the current page number, counting the first one as page 1. Records in database: The current number of records in the database. Selection criteria: Any criteria used to select records to be printed. For example, if you chose to just print reports with Washington addresses, the criteria might be STATE=WA. Index field: The index currently active when you print the report. Qty in Subtotal group: Number of records in the current subtotal. Field name of Subtotalgroup: The field you chose to subtotal. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 167 Count of records printed: The total number of records printed. Operator input: PC-File prompts the user for input at this point. Summations If your report includes fields for which you want to show subtotals or totals, you must enter them in their respective section of the report. Subtotals are always defined in the Subtotal section and totals are always defined in the Total section. When you include a subtotal in a report, you define both the field you want to sum into subtotals and the field that determines the subtotal break. The subtotal break is the manner in which you group records that you want to subtotal. For example, you could subtotal sales volume by month or by department. In that case, sales would be the field you sum and month or department would be the break field. You define the field you want to sum when you define the field marker in the Subtotal section of your report. Enter a subtotal field marker from the keyboard only. The subtotal break field is defined later when you print the report using the Print Options dialog box. At that time, you indicate that you want to perform subtotals, then PC-File asks for the break field. See Chapter 11 for more information on this operation. If you include a total in a report, you just define which field to sum up. Totals only print at the end of a report. Calculations Calculations can be used in the Detail, Heading, and Footing sections of a report. You can use any type of calculation supported by PC-File. Calculations are described in Chapter 17, "Calculations." However, you can't perform calculations on subtotals or totals using the Free form format. For example, you couldn't figure a commission based on a subtotal of sales. To do that, you would have to edit the report in Language format and add the commission calculation to the Subtotal section. Formatting and IF Commands PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 168 The Free form format supports most of the formatting commands described in the "Formatting Commands" section of the "Using the Language Format" section. Refer to the appropriate sections for details on how they work. The commands supported are: .FF .CP n .GROUP .EGROUP .EGROUP R .REFORMAT nn .ENDREFORMAT To use these commands in a Free form report enter each command on a line of it's own in the report section where you want it to take effect. The "Printer Markers" and the "Printer Control Codes" commands also documented in the "Formatting Commands" section of the "Using the Language Format" section cannot be used in Free form reports. However, you can edit a report originally formatted as a Free form report using the Language Format to insert these commands. You can also use the commands documented in the "IF Commands" section of the "Using the Language Format" section. Each IF command must be entered on a line of it's own in the report section you want affected. Using the Language Format As you create a report using one of the simpler formats (such as Row or Free form), PC-File translates it into written command statements. You don't see these command statements, as they remain below the surface of the report format, one level down. But it is these statements that PC- File reads when it prints a report. For example, when you enter a column heading with a line under it while painting a Free form report, PC-File translates that action into five command statements, as shown below. Free form Last name ======== Commands =1 "Last name" /1 =1 PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 169 "========" The first command statement indicates the column at which the heading starts, the second tells the program to print the heading, the third moves the printer down one line, the fourth indicates the column at which the line starts, and the last statement tells the program to draw the line. The command statements are, in a sense, the report language for PC- File. You can work with the command statements by choosing the Language format. You can either create a new report or edit an existing report, no matter what format was used to create it. In most cases, in fact, you will find it easier to create a report in another format, such as Row or Free form, then edit and customize it in the Language format. The advantage of the Language format is that it gives you the widest range of flexibility in PC-File. Among the features only available in Language format are: the ability to perform calculations upon subtotals, totals, and buckets the ability to use all formatting commands the ability to use printer markers and word wrap A report displayed in the Language format is a series of command statements, each on its own line. There are seven kinds of commands recognized in PC-File. Type of command Description Section head Specify the beginning of a section Formatting Define location of text and fields, and set printer codes Text Enter text, including titles, column heads, and lines, in a report Data field Define which field to print System field Pull information from the computer, the database (other than from a field), or from the operator Calculation Perform a calculation or a relational lookup IF Set conditions for performing an operation PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 170 A command statement can also include print masks and buckets. Print masks are used to define how data is formatted when it prints. Buckets are used to hold data or text temporarily. Each type of command, along with print masks and buckets, is explained in detail later in this chapter. Procedures for Creating a Language Format Report To create a report using the Language format: 1.Choose Print from the menu bar. 2.Choose Reports from the Print menu. 3.Choose New from the dialog box listing the operations. 4.Choose Language from the dialog box listing the formats. The edit window displays. 5.Create the report by entering the command statements in the edit window. 6.Choose OK when you finish. 7.When prompted to save the report, choose Yes or No. Choose Yes if you want to save the report for future viewing or printing. Choose No if you want to print or view the report only once, and don't want to save it. PC-File displays the Print options dialog box. See Chapter 11 for information on printing reports. 8.If you chose Yes in the previous step, enter a report description of up to 50 characters. Choose OK when you finish. The description is optional, but can be useful in reminding you of the contents of the report at some later date. 9.Enter a report name of up to eight characters. Choose OK. The Print options dialog box displays. See Chapter 11 for information on printing reports. Procedures for Modifying a Report With the Language Format To edit a report using the Language format: 1.Choose Print from the menu bar. 2.Choose Reports from the Print menu. 3.Choose Modify from the dialog box listing the operations. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 171 4.Choose Language from the dialog box listing the formats. The file selection dialog box displays. 5.Choose the report you want to edit. The report appears in the edit window. 6.Make your changes to the report. 7.Choose OK when you finish. 8.Give the report a new name if you want to keep the original report, or accept the original name to overwrite the report. 9.Enter a description (optional). Basic Guidelines PC-File displays the edit window when you choose to create or edit a report using the Language format. However, you can use any word processor that can produce an ordinary ASCII file (also referred to as "DOS text" or "unformatted" files) to create or edit the report. Just be sure to store the report in a file using the .REP extension. Follow these simple rules when creating or editing a report using the Language format: Enter each command statement on a separate line. Use no more than one line and 80 characters for each command statement. As with the Free form format, use only the sections you need. Section Head Commands The Language format divides up a report into the same six sections found in the Free form format: Cover, Heading, Detail, Subtotal, Total, and Footing. Each section head begins with a colon and must be in all uppercase letters, like this: :DETAIL :TOTAL Sections can be ordered in any sequence. However, for clarity in reading a report definition, it is easier to keep the sections in the basic order that the report follows. For more information on the purpose and parameters of each section, see "Report Sections" in the section on Free form formats earlier in this chapter. Formatting Commands Use formatting commands to tell PC-File where and how to print text and fields. Formatting commands control line and character spacing, compress out blank lines, and insert printer control codes. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 172 The following formatting commands are used in PC-File. Command Description =nn Horizontal tab (tab to column nn) /n Line feed (insert n lines) .FF Form feed (start new page) .CP n Conditional page (start new page if less than n lines left on page) .GROUP Compress lines within grouping .EGROUP End grouping .EGROUP R End grouping, but replace lines at end .x Printer markers (where x is a print enhancement or style, such as .BOLD) .A nn,nn Printer control codes Formatting commands amount to over half the commands used in a report, as they dictate the placement of fields and text within the report. Each of the formatting commands are explained in more detail below. Horizontal Tab Use =nn to control the horizontal print location. The nn indicates the column that is tabbed to, not the number of spaces to insert before the next piece of data. For example, the command =40 would tab to column 40 and =73 would tab to column 73. To move the print head to the first column in the next line, use the line feed command instead. You can't tab backwards on a line. For example, you can't locate a field at column 73 on a line and then locate another field at column 40 on the same line. Commands must be issued with the idea that the print head will move from left to right on a line. The following sample shows two horizontal tabs. :DETAIL =25 [SALUTATION] =29 [FIRSTNAME] PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 173 Line Feed The /n command tells the printer to move down n number of lines. To skip down five lines you would use the command /5. Each section that doesn't end with a form feed (.FF) must end with a line feed. The following sample shows several line feeds. :DETAIL /1 [FIRSTNAME] /1 [LASTNAME] /2 Form Feed The .FF command tells the printer to begin a new page, even if the current page is not full. The form feed is most useful for printing a cover page at the beginning of a report or for starting a new page after each subtotal break. DO NOT use the .FF command in the Heading or Footing sections. If you use .FF in the Cover, Detail, Subtotal, or Total sections, you must include a Footing section with at least one line feed (/1) command. If any data is printed in the section with a form feed, you must also have a line feed before the form feed. The following sample shows a form feed used to begin a new page. :DETAIL /1 [FIRSTNAME] /1 [LASTNAME] /2 .FF Conditional Page Use the .CP n command to prevent several lines of data from being split between two pages. The .CP n command tells the printer to begin a new page, but only if there are less than n lines left on a page. The number of lines taken into account does not include any lines in headers or footers-if you are printing 66 lines per page, and you have a 3 line header and a 3 line footer, the conditional page command will check for how many of the 60 "body" lines remain. For example, the command .CP 8 will prompt PC-File to check how many lines are left on the page. If there are less than eight lines left, the printer will skip to the next page. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 174 The .CP n command is normally placed at the beginning of a section, but never at the end (as it would serve no purpose). Don't use the .CP n command in the Heading or Footing section. And don't use it to determine the bottom margin on the page. Use a Footing section with a line feed instead. The following sample shows a conditional page command. :DETAIL .CP 3 /1 [FIRSTNAME] /1 [LASTNAME] /1 Line Compression The .GROUP, .EGROUP, and .EGROUP R commands are used to compress lines, most often in address lists and mailing labels. Addresses are often formatted for four or five lines to accommodate those addresses that need them, but most addresses are only three or four lines long. Without the line compression commands, you could end up with mailing labels that look like this: Janet Ratite 438 Savannah Way Seattle, WA 98103 To remove blank lines from addresses, place the .GROUP command before and the .EGROUP command after the commands that locate your name and address fields. Use the .EGROUP R command instead of .EGROUP to place any blank lines removed from the middle of an address after the last data line in the group. This command is most used in mailing labels where you must maintain the same number of lines for each label. Here's an example of a typical label report using the .GROUP and .EGROUP R commands: :DETAIL .GROUP [NAME] /1 [ADDRESS1] /1 [ADDRESS2] /1 ", " " " .EGROUP R PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 175 /3 Every .GROUP command must be followed by either an .EGROUP or an .EGROUP R command. Reformatting Commands There are times where you need to reformat a section of a report to a particular width. For example, if you are printing several fields of varying length in the midst of a paragraph of constant text. Use the .REFORMAT nn (where nn is the width you want the following lines reformatted to) and .ENDREFORMAT commands to reformat the paragraph to the specified width. You use the .REFORMAT and .ENDREFORMAT commands like the .GROUP and .EGROUP commands-surround the Text and Field commands to be reformatted. Each command should be placed on a line by itself, and should start at the left edge. For example: .REFORMAT 55 "If you have questions, call your local sales" "office at: " ". " "Your salesperson will answer any questions" "you have." /1 .ENDREFORMAT This would reformat the paragraph to a width of 55. The resulting paragraph would look something like this: If you have any questions, call your local sales office at: 555-1234. Your salesperson will answer any questions you have. Printer markers Use printer markers to change character formatting within the report. Printer markers are available for many of the standard print enhancements, such as bold, italics, and underlined type. The available printer markers are: .NORMAL .CONDENSED .BOLD .ITALIC .UNDERLINE .PORTRAIT .LANDSCAPE .PROPORTIONAL .DOUBLEWIDE PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 176 .USERn (where n is 1-5) Enter a printer marker where you want a change in the font or type to occur. Use the marker .NORMAL to return to the default. For example, if you want to make the title of a report boldface, it might look like this: :HEADING .BOLD "Current Member List" .NORMAL /1 :DETAIL " " /1 .USERn is a user-defined printer marker. You can define up to five of these markers in a configuration profile. See Chapter 13, "Utilities" for information on defining these markers. Printer Control Codes To change character formatting in ways not defined with the printer markers listed above, use the ASCII (A nn,nn) command. The values following A represent the ASCII decimal value of the printer control code. For example, if you want to change the typeface for a particular section of a report, enter the ASCII command for that particular typeface. You can then use the printer marker .NORMAL to change back to the default typeface. You can also use the ASCII command to enter characters not available on the keyboard. Enter the command in the format .A nn,nn with a space between A and the printer code string. Follow each ASCII value with a comma, but no space. For example: .A 27,38,108,49,79 You can use up to 67 characters in an ASCII command. If you need more than that, as some laser printer fonts do, divide the command into two or more commands. Text Commands PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 177 Use text commands to print text. Text includes titles, headings, lines, and miscellaneous text that appears in a report. Text is always surrounded by quotation marks in a text command statement, as shown in the following example: :HEADING "Current Member List" /1 :DETAIL " " /1 Enter text as you want it to appear in the report; that is, words you want to appear in uppercase letters, enter in uppercase. Database Field Commands Use database field commands to print data from fields in your database. Field commands are entered in either of two modes: [field] padded field trimmed field (spaces removed) Use a padded field to line up fields in columns. This format is most often used in combination with horizontal tab commands. For example, the commands =4 [City] =18 [St] produce a report like this Miami FL Tallahassee FL Use a trimmed field to remove trailing spaces (and leading spaces, if they appear, but not internal spaces). This format is most often used when combining first and last name fields, city, state, and zipcode fields, and in similar situations. A text command, such as the addition of a space or comma, is often used with these commands. The commands =4 ", " produce a report like this PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 178 Miami, FL Tallahassee, FL PC-File lets you designate a partial field with either mode as well, though this is most often used with square bracketed fields, as follows: =4 [City,1,12] =17 [St,1,2] Database field commands can be used with print masks and buckets, which are explained later in this chapter. System Field Commands Use system field commands to print data that is taken from the system in one form or another. System field commands include commands to print the current time or date as recorded by the computer, page numbers, and counts of records. The command to prompt the user to key in information is a system field command as well. System field commands available in the Language format are: Command Description [DATE*] System date [TIME*] System time [PAGE*] Current page number [SELECT*] Selection criteria for the report [SORT*] Current index-field index is attached to, not index formula [COUNT*] Number of records printed [RECORDS*] Number of records in database [KEYIN*msg] Prompt for operator input System field commands must be entered in uppercase letters, followed by an asterisk (*), and enclosed in brackets. Like data field commands, system field command statements can include print masks and buckets. PC-File also provides system field commands for handling data derived from subtotal operations. See "Subtotal Report Commands" later in this chapter for details. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 179 Calculation Commands A calculation can use a database field, a system field, a constant, or a total bucket. You can use any PC-File-supported calculation in a report. A calculation must be surrounded by parentheses. When entering a calculation in a report, type field names as they appear in the database; do not use brackets. Constants must be surrounded by quotation marks. System fields and total buckets must be surrounded by square brackets. System fields must be entered in uppercase with an asterisk following the system field name. Relational calculations must be surrounded by parentheses. The following example illustrates the use of a calculation in a report. :DETAIL /1 (DONATION * 12):zz,zzz.##: For more information on calculations, see Chapter 17, "Calculations." IF Commands Use the IF...ENDIF commands when you want PC-File to perform a task only when certain conditions are met. In most cases, this means that PC-File checks the data within a field or calculation, then performs the task if the data meets the condition(s) set within the IF command. IF commands follow a set format: .IF (a comparison calculation) Things to do if true (can be many commands long) .ELSE Things to do if not true (can be many commands long) .ENDIF Every .IF statement must have a matching .ENDIF statement. The .ELSE statement is optional, however. You can't put an IF statement within another IF statement, which is known as "nesting" statements in programming languages. Use separate IF commands rather than nesting the IF commands. This doesn't mean you can't have many commands between the IF command and the ENDIF command-you can use as many commands as necessary within memory limitations. The following example selectively performs a calculation based on the contents of the Tax field, where the Tax field is used to indicate whether or not an item is taxable. .IF (Tax = " Y") " Amount of tax for this item is " PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 180 ([Amount]*.081):zz#.##: .ELSE " Not a taxable item" .ENDIF The IF statement calculates the tax when there is a Y in the Tax field and prints "Not a taxable item" when there is an N in the Tax field. IF commands are closely related to complex searches. All of the valid complex search operators work in IF commands, including scan-across, soundex, generic, and wildcard searches. The IF command can also include system fields, total buckets, and calculations in the IF condition. System fields and total buckets must be enclosed by square brackets. The following example of an IF command shows how to print address information using relational lookups once for each subtotal group. This example uses relational lookups to pull in the address information based on an account number present in both the Customer list database and the Order database. This report is run from within the Order database. :DETAIL .IF ([SUBCOUNT*] = 1) [Company] /1 (@Acct_no,Customer,Cust_ID,Address) /1 (@*,City) ", " (@*,State) " " (@*,Zipcode) /1 .ENDIF Print Masks Use print masks to format a field or calculation. Print masks can be used to restrict the output to a certain length, add dollar signs or decimal places to numeric entries, or suppress leading zeroes. Print masks are not commands; instead, they are added to commands to indicate how the command should be printed. You can use them with database field commands, system field commands, and calculation commands. Print masks are always enclosed within colons, and follow the command itself, as the following examples illustrate: [Month]:@@@: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 181 Only the first three characters of the field called Month are printed [Amount]:$$,$$$.##: Adds a dollar sign to a numeric figure Print masks are not mandatory for fields or calculations (except for date calculations), but are useful when you want to prescribe how the field will look in the report. There are three types of print masks: Character masks Numeric masks Empty masks The different types of masks are explained below. Character Masks There are two character masks: the :@@@: mask limits the number of characters that print in a field; the :Wnn: word wrap mask (where nn is a number) limits the width of the printed data to nn characters, wrapping any additional text from one line to the next. For :@@@: masks, the number of @ characters between the colons equals the width of the printed field. Thus, :@@: prints the first two characters in the field, and :@@@@@@: prints the first six characters. Any characters beyond the formatted width are not printed. For the word wrap mask, the number following the W determines the width at which the printed data will wrap. For example, :W6: prints no more than six characters wide, but will use as many lines as it takes to print all the data in the field. The following examples illustrate how character masks format data in a report: [Name] Roosevelt [Name]:@@@@@: Roose [Notes]:W6: This member has no phone. The word wrap mask doesn't split words. It is most useful with memo fields and scroll fields, but can be used with any field type, including numeric fields. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 182 The :@@@: mask can be used with any field type, but they are most appropriate for fields that contain character data: character, date, and memo fields. Both kinds of character masks cause output to be left-aligned. Numeric Masks The pound sign (#) and the lowercase z represent digits and are used to format numeric fields. The only difference between the two masks is that the lowercase z suppresses leading zeros, the # doesn't. The following examples show how the two masks would treat the same data: [Amount]:##,###.##: 02,564.50 [Amount]:zz,zzz.zz: 2,564.50 If the value of a field was zero, the two masks would handle it as follows: [Amount]:##,###.##: 00,000.00 [Amount]:zz,zzz.zz: Commas and decimal points should be placed where you want them to appear in the field. A leading comma will not print if there are no digits to the left of it, as shown in the following example: [Amount]:zz,zzz.##: 26.49 The asterisk (*) and dollar sign ($) are used as floating characters in numeric fields, and are useful for check writing. Both suppress leading zeros, like the lowercase z. The $ prints a single dollar sign immediately to the left of the first non-zero digit, while the * prints as many asterisks as space allows. The following examples illustrate their use. [Amount]:$$,$$$.##: $4.52 [Amount]:**,***.##: *****4.52 Any other characters placed in a numeric print mask will print as entered, as shown in the following examples: [Item]:zz-zz: 2-45 [Serial_no]:TY######: TY040090 All numeric print masks cause the value to be right-aligned. Empty Masks PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 183 Empty masks are used in combination with buckets, which are explained in the next section. Essentially, an empty mask (also called a null mask) prevents the value in the field from being printed. Instead, the value is placed in the bucket, sort of a temporary holding bin. An empty mask looks like this: [Amount]::`Amt The value in the Amount field is added to the bucket `Amt. The empty mask, represented by the double colon (::), prevents the value from being printed. Buckets As the name implies, buckets are storage containers. In PC- File, they are used to store values temporarily. Temporary storage is useful in two ways: To accumulate numeric values (the total can then be printed in the report or used in a calculation) To hold text to be printed later Buckets used to accumulate numeric values are called total buckets; those used to hold text are called string buckets. Buckets are like print masks in that they are not commands themselves, but are used in command statements. Buckets can be used with text commands (string buckets only), database field commands, system field commands, and calculation commands. A bucket is designated by a name of one to five characters, using only letters (no numbers, spaces, or punctuation). You can use more than five characters, but any characters after the fifth character are ignored. Bucket names are case- sensitive; uppercase and lowercase names are different. Total bucket names are preceded by a backwards apostrophe (`); string bucket names are preceded by the backwards apostrophe and the dollar sign ($). Examples of valid total bucket names are: `a `Value `VALUE Valid string bucket names include: `$a `$Name `$TITLE Using Total Buckets As mentioned above, total buckets are used to accumulate numeric totals. There are two steps to using total buckets. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 184 In the Detail section of the report, specify the field or calculation for which you want to accumulate totals. Subtotals and Totals for a particular field are accumulated in the same bucket. In the Subtotal and/or Total section of the report, print the bucket or use it in a calculation. To specify the field or calculation to be accumulated, simply place the bucket name at the end of the command line. For example, in this command statement [Commission]:: `Comm the data in the Commission field is accumulated in a bucket called Comm. The individual values are not printed as a result of the empty mask (::). In the command statement (Price*Quantity):zz,zzz.##:`Amt the result of the calculation is printed in the format zz,zzz.## and is also accumulated in the bucket called Amt for later use. To print the value in a bucket, enclose the bucket name in square brackets, just as you would a field name. Include a print mask to format the output. The buckets created in the earlier examples are printed like this: [`Comm]:$$$.##: [`Amt]:zz,zzz.##: You can also include bucket totals in calculations. The result of the calculation is then printed. A calculation that includes a bucket might look like this: ([`Amt]*[Tax]):$$,$$$.##: A total bucket can be used to keep a count. To keep a count, use the calculation (1)::`x This calculation adds 1 to the bucket called x each time it is encountered, thus accumulating a running count. The empty mask (::) keeps it from printing. To set a bucket to zero, use the command (0-[`Value])::`Value In this calculation, the value of the bucket called Value is subtracted from zero, resulting in a negative value. When the negative bucket value is added to the positive bucket value, the result is always zero. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 185 Using String Buckets String buckets hold text in memory until you are ready to print it. Unlike total buckets, string buckets can't accumulate or append text. If you add another string of text to a bucket, it replaces the previous contents. However, you can have several different string buckets in memory at one time. To store text in a string bucket, include the string bucket name at the end of the command line. In the text command "Janet Ratite" `$Name the name Janet Ratite is stored in a bucket called Name. In the database field command [State]:@@:`$St each state name in the field called State is stored in a bucket called St. At the same time, it prints out in a two- character format as indicated by the mask. If you create a report using the Row format, and decide to enter the title of your report each time you print it, the command ::`$TITLE appears in the Cover section of the report if you print it out in Language format. This command prints the message TITLE LINE when you call up the report, then holds your response in a string bucket called TITLE. To print out the text string that is stored in a string bucket, enclose the bucket name in brackets, just as you would a field. For example, in the last example above, the title is printed with the following command: [`$TITLE] String buckets can be used in any section of the report. Subtotal Report Commands PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 186 PC-File provides special system field commands to handle data derived from subtotal operations. While you would typically only use one subtotal level, PC-File allows up to nine levels of subtotal breaks. For example, you might want to print a report for a database tracking sales that breaks to print subtotals on three levels: Level 1 - Region, Level 2 - Branch, and Level 3 - Salesperson. Level 1 breaks are the largest, most general subtotal groupings, level 2 are groups break within level 1, level 3 groups break within level 2, and so on. Use subtotal report commands to print subtotal data, or to control what happens for each subtotal level. [SUBLEVEL*] Returns the level number of the subtotal break that caused the current :SUBTOTAL section to print. Level 1 is the first (outermost) subtotal level, level 9 is the last (innermost) level. This command is generally used in .IF statement conditions to control what happens for each break when performing multiple level subtotal breaks. [SUBCMD*n] Returns the subtotal trigger formula in dBASE format. For example: (MONTH(date)). Omit "n" to have PC-File return the formula for the current level, replace "n" with 1-9 to return the command for a particular level. For example, [SUBCMD*3] returns the trigger formula for subtotal level 3. [SUBCOUNT*n] Returns the number of records printed in a subtotal group. Omit "n" to return the current level's group, replace "n" with 1-9 to return the number of records for that level's groups. For example, [SUBCOUNT*2] returns the number of records for the current level 2 group. [SUBFLD*n] Returns the subtotal trigger field name. Omit "n" to return the current level's trigger field, replace "n" with 1-9 to return the trigger field for that level. For example, [SUBFLD*5] returns the trigger field name for subtotal level 5. [SUBID*n] Returns the data (either from the field or the result of the trigger formula) that triggered the subtotal break. Omit "n" to return the current level's trigger data, replace "n" with 1-9 to return the trigger data for that level. For example, [SUBID*7] returns the current trigger data for subtotal level 7. Subtotal Levels and Total Buckets PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 187 Individual total buckets hold the values from all subtotal levels at the same time. When you enter the bucket command in the :SUBTOTAL section of a report, for example: :SUBTOTAL [`AMT]:zzz,zz#.##: /1 PC-File returns the value for the level that triggered the subtotal break. You can refer to a specific subtotal level by putting the appropriate level number immediately after the bucket name, for example: [`AMT3] returns the subtotal for subtotal level 3. Note that the "3" following "AMT" is NOT part of the bucket name, it is only used to force PC-File to return the bucket value for that level. If you are only choosing one subtotal break when printing your report, you do not need to use subtotal level numbers ("n" in the descriptions above). Also, even when performing multiple level subtotal breaks, you only need to use level numbers to force a subtotal system field to return data for that level. If you do not include level numbers, the current subtotal break level is assumed. With all the above commands, you can also refer to level 0, which is the level that is never reset, that is, the grand total level. For example, using [`AMT0] in the :SUBTOTAL section would print the running total. A typical :SUBTOTAL section for multiple level breaks uses .IF statements to determine what action to take for each subtotal level. For example, a three-level report might print total buckets for levels 2 and 3, printing an extra blank line after level 2 breaks, and feed to a new page for level 1 breaks: :SUBTOTAL .IF ([SUBLEVEL*] > 1) "Totals: " [`AMT]:zzz,zz#.##: /1 .ENDIF .IF ([SUBLEVEL*] = 2) /1 .ENDIF .IF ([SUBLEVEL*] = 1) .FORMFEED .ENDIF Printing Bar Codes PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 188 PC-File can print a large variety of bar codes on most dot- matrix and laser printers-without requiring special drivers or font cartridges. For example, you can use PC-File to print zipcode bar codes (Postnet) directly on envelopes, postcards or labels. You can also use this feature to print price tags, inventory control labels, and inventory control sheets in UPC and many other bar code formats. Printers Supported PC-File's bar code printing supports the following printers (and should work on any printer that fully emulates any of these printers): PostScript Epson 9 pin Epson 24 pin IBM Proprinter 9 pin IBM Proprinter 24 pin HP LaserJet HP DeskJet Toshiba 24 pin Okidata Microline Standard NOTE: You must use Configuration on the Utilities menu to choose the type of printer you are using before formatting reports to print bar codes. See "Configuring Your Database" in Chapter 13 for details. Also note that bar codes will only appear in printed output or as graphic commands when printing to a disk file. Bar codes will NOT display when choosing Display on the Print Options dialog box. The bar code graphics commands when printing to a disk file are specifically for the printer you choose when configuring your database. Available Bar Code Formats PC-File supports the following bar code types: UPC-A The standard bar code for items for sale to the public, UPC-A is the bar code used at grocery stores. The standard UPC-A code contains 1 system digit, 5 digits for the manufacturer number, and 5 digits for the product number. PC-File's bar code output also supports 2 or 5 supplemental digits that can follow the standard UPC-A code's 11 digits. UPC-E PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 189 A zero-suppressed and compressed version of the UPC code. The same number and kind of digits as UPC-A (including 2 and 5 supplemental codes) can be encoded, but the code number must have at least 4 zeros. The possible number of different product numbers encoded varies from 5 to 1000 depending on the where the zeros are in the UPC code number. EAN/JAN-13 An extended version of the UPC code containing digits to encode the country of origin. EAN/JAN-13 codes contain 2 digits for the country code, 10 digits for the product information and a checksum number. Since the checksum number is generated, the standard EAN/JAN-13 input code number contains 12 characters. EAN/JAN-13 also supports 2 or 5 digit supplemental codes. EAN/JAN-8 A shorter version of the EAN/JAN code composed of 2 country digits, 5 data digits, and a generated checksum number. Also supports 2 or 5 digit supplemental codes. 3 of 9 (Code 39) Probably the most common bar code because it allows digits, letters and some punctuation to be bar coded. It is standard for many government bar code specifications. An input string of 2 to 30 characters is supported. All lowercase letters are converted to uppercase letters. Extended 3 of 9 Supports every character in the standard ASCII 128 character set, including uppercase and lowercase letters and control codes. Supports codes from 2 to 30 characters in length. Interleaved 2 of 5 A numeric-only bar code that supports numbers from 2 to 30 digits. Code 128 A very compact bar code that can encode the full ASCII 128 character set. Supports codes from 2 to 30 characters in length. Codabar Encodes digits and the + - $ : / . symbols, often used to encode dollar figures and mathematical values. Supports codes from 2 to 30 characters long. ZIP + 4 Postnet PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 190 The special bar code to encode ZIP+4 codes for mailing addresses. Also supports 5 and 11 digit ZIP codes. MSI Plessey Used most often in grocery stores for shelf labels. A numeric- only code that supports codes from 2 to 15 characters in length. Code 93 A compressed version of the 3 of 9 bar code. Extended 93 A compressed version of the Extended 3 of 9 bar code. UCC-128 19 digit fixed length numeric bar code used on shipping containers for items marked with UPC code. The following table summarizes the type and number of characters allowed for each bar code type: Bar Code Type Input Length Allowed Characters UPC-A 11,13, or 16 N UPC-E 11,13, or 16 N EAN/JAN-13 12, 14, or 17 N EAN/JAN-8 7, 9 or 12 N 3 of 9 (Code 39) 2 to 30 N-U-P Extended 39 2 to 30 N-U-L-P-C Interleaved 2 of 5 2 to 30 N Code 128 2 to 30 N-U-L-P-C Codabar 2 to 30 N ZIP+4 Postnet 5, 9, or 11 N MSI Plessey 2 to 30 N Code 93 2 to 30 N-U-P Extended 93 2 to 30 N-U-L-P PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 191 UCC-128 19 N Allowed Characters: N-Numbers (0-9) U-Uppercase (A-Z) L-Lowercase (a-z) P-Punctuation C-Control Characters (ASCII values less than 32) Bar Code Printing Restrictions PC-File can only print one bar code per line. Additionally, nothing can be printed to the right on the same line as a bar code. Further, each of the bar code types supports specific data lengths and types of characters. See "Table of Bar Code Input Requirements" above for the input requirements of each type of bar code. Also note that bar codes will only appear in printed output or as graphic commands when printing to a disk file. Bar codes will NOT display when choosing Display on the Print Options dialog box. Type of Bar Code Dialog Box PC-File can produce 14 types of bar code output (see list and descriptions of available bar code types above). When using the Row, Mail Label, and Free Form formats, PC-File displays a dialog box for each field you've formatted to print as a bar code. The top line of the dialog box lists the name of the field that will print as a bar code. Type the corresponding letter, or click the mouse on the appropriate button to choose what type of bar code to print. Bar Code Height Dialog Box After you've chosen the type of bar code, PC-File displays the following dialog box to choose how high to print the bar code. Type the corresponding number or click the mouse on the appropriate button to select the height of your bar code output. NOTE: This dialog box does not appear when printing the ZIP+4 Postnet bar code which can only print one height. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 192 Printing Bar Codes with Row Format You can use a Row Format report to quickly produce reports in a one record per row format. Using the Row Format you can print bar codes for inventory control catalogs and the like. PC-File can only print one bar code per line with no other data or text printing to the right of the bar code. Therefore, you can only choose to print one field as a bar code with a Row Format report, and it must either be the only field you choose or the rightmost field you choose. First, you must choose any fields you want to print as text from the list box in the order you want to print them across the page. Then, to format the last (or only) field to print as a bar code, type the field's name followed by a comma and the letter "B" in the text box above the field selection list box (like FIELDNAME,B in the picture above), then press ENTER. For example, after you have made the menu selections to format a Row Report, the Field Selection dialog box is displayed. At this point, there should be a checkmark and a sequence number next to the left of each of the fields you have chosen. The field you chose to print as a bar code must be the last (or only) field in the sequence. If it is not, choose Reset and choose your fields again. Choose OK to continue with the report definition. After you choose OK, PC-File displays the bar code type selection box for the field you selected to print as a bar code. After choosing the bar code type, PC-File displays the bar code height selection box. The top border of both dialog boxes shows which field you are formatting to print as a bar code. To print bar code data using Row Format: 1.Choose Reports from the Print menu. 2.Choose New. 3.Choose Row Format. 4.Choose the fields you want to print as text: Click on the field name in the list box. Or... Highlight the field name in the list box and press ENTER. Or... Type the fieldname in the text box and press ENTER. 5.Choose the field you want to print as a bar code: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 193 Move the highlight to the text box above the field selection list box, if it isn't there already. Type the desired field's name exactly as it appears in the field selection list box, followed by a comma and the letter "B." Press ENTER. For example, to format a field named ZIPCODE for bar code printing, type: zipcode,b then press ENTER. 6.Choose OK to continue. 7.Choose the bar code type. 8.Choose the bar code height. (The bar code height dialog box does not display when formatting ZIP+4 bar code). 9.Type the report title and save the report, if desired. 10. Make selections on the Print Options dialog box. See Chapter 11, "The Print Options" for details). 11. Choose OK to print. See "Using the Row Format" earlier in this chapter for more information on printing using Row format. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 194 Printing Bar Codes with Mailing Label Format PC-File now produces bar codes on labels. If you send mailings of 250- 500 pieces or more at a time, you may be able to save anywhere from 2o to over 5o per piece when using ZIP+4 bar coded addressing! (As of this printing-contact your local Post Office for up-to-date information on discounts and addressing standards). You can also use this feature to print labels with bar codes in other formats for applications such as inventory control tags and UPC price tags. Formatting labels to print bar codes with the Mail Label format works much like the procedure used with Row format. The same restrictions hold: You can print no more than one bar code per line, and if anything else is printing on that line, the bar code must be the last thing printing on the line. When selecting fields for each line of your label, type the field's name followed by a comma and the letter "B" to have that field's data print as a bar code. This triggers PC-File to display the bar code type and bar code size dialog boxes discussed at the beginning of this section. Note that the bar code definition dialog boxes do not display until you choose OK after choosing all fields for that line in the label. To print bar codes using the Mail Label report option: 1.Choose Reports from the Print menu. 2.Choose New. 3.Choose Mail Label. 4.Type the number of lines per label and choose OK. 5.First, choose the fields (if any) you want to print as text on the first line of the label: Click on the field name in the list box. Or.. Highlight the Field name in the list box and press ENTER. Or... Type the fieldname in the text box and press ENTER. Repeat for all fields to print as text on the first line. 6.Only after choosing all fields to print as text, choose a field (if any) to print as a bar code on the first line: Move the highlight to the text box above the field selection list box, if it isn't there already. Type the desired field's name exactly as it appears in the field selection list box. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 195 Type a comma followed by the letter "B." Press ENTER. For example, to format a field named ZIPCODE for bar code printing type: ZIPCODE,B then press ENTER. Remember: Do not choose any additional fields to print to the right of a bar code. 7.Choose OK. 8.If you have formatted a field to print as a bar code, the bar code type and height definition dialog boxes display as described above (height definition does not display for ZIP+4). Answer each box appropriately. 9.Repeat steps 5-8 to define each line of the label. 10. Type a name and save the label format, if desired. 11. Make selections on the Print Options dialog box. See Chapter 11, "The Print Options," for details on the Print Options dialog box. 12. Choose OK to print. See "Using the Mailing Label Format" earlier in this chapter for more information on using the Mail Label format. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 196 Printing Bar Codes with Free Form Format The Free Form format gives you more flexibility than either the Row or Mail Label formats. Use the Free Form format to print more complex labels, postcards, envelopes, catalogs, order forms, and other reports with bar codes. However, the same printing restrictions apply to all formats: only one bar code per line and nothing can print to the right of the bar code. A new menu option has been added to the Free Form report Data menu to let you to choose to print a field as a bar code. The Field (bar code) option lets you format a field to print as a bar code: First, place the cursor where you want the bar code to print in the appropriate report section (Heading, Detail, etc.). Then, pull down the Data menu and choose the Field (bar code) option. A field selection list box dialog appears to let you choose which field to print. After selecting the field to print, the Type of Bar Code dialog box is displayed, followed by the Bar Code Height dialog box. To print bar codes using the Free Form format: 1.Choose Reports from the Print menu. 2.Choose New. 3.Choose Free Form. 4.Move the cursor where you want to print the bar code, in the appropriate report section. 5.Choose Field (bar code) from the Data menu. 6.Choose the field from the list box. 7.Choose the bar code type. 8.Choose the bar code height. (The bar code height dialog box does not display when formatting ZIP+4 bar codes.) A row of @'s the length of the selected field appears in the location the bar code will print. 9.Repeat steps 4-8 to print any additional fields as a bar code. Remember not to print more than one bar code per line and do not print anything to the right of a bar code. 10. Format any additional fields as trimmed or padded text, system data, subtotals, or totals; typing any other text directly from the keyboard. 11. Choose OK from the File menu. 12. Choose Yes to if you want to save your report. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 197 13. Type a report description up to 50 characters, if you answered Yes in step 12. 14. Type a report name of up to 8 characters. Choose OK. 15. Make appropriate selections on the Print Options dialog box and choose OK to print your report. See "The Print Options" in Chapter 11 for more information on the Print Options dialog box. Printing Bar Codes with Language Format You can use the Language format to print fields or other data as a bar code by placing an appropriately formatted print mask after the data you want to print as a bar code. This includes printing calculations, relational lookups, string buckets, totals, subtotals, system fields, or formatted strings of text. The same printing restrictions apply as with other report formats: one bar code per line and no printing to the right of a bar code. The format of a bar code print mask is as follows: [Fieldname]:BAR*, Type, Height, ShowErrors: Or... (Calculation):BAR*, Type, Height, ShowErrors: Or... "String":BAR*, Type, Height, ShowErrors: Where "Fieldname" is a valid field name in the database you are printing from. "Fieldname" can also be a valid total bucket name, string bucket name, or system field name. Where "Calculation" is a valid PC-File calculation or relational lookup. Where "String" is any string of alphanumeric characters. Make sure that the number and kind of characters are supported by the bar code type you want to print. Replace "Type" with a number, 1 through 14, to print the desired bar code type. Refer to "Bar Code Type Numbers" below for the appropriate number. Replace "Height" with a number from 1 to 9 to print the bar code that many lines high. This setting is ignored for ZIP+4 Postnet bar codes, which always print at a fixed height. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 198 Replace "ShowErrors" with a 1 to cause PC-File to print error messages if it encounters problems when printing bar codes. (See Bar Code Errors for details). Replace "ShowErrors" with 0 or omit to suppress printing of bar code error messages. Bar Code Type Numbers Bar Code Type Type Number UPC-A 1 UPC-B 2 EAN/JAN-13 3 EAN/JAN-8 4 3 of 9 (Code 39) 5 Extended 3 of 9 6 Interleaved 2 of 5 7 Code 128 8 Codabar 9 ZIP+4 Postnet 10 MSI Plessey 11 Code 93 12 Extended 93 13 UCC-128 14 For example, the line in a PC-File language report to print a field named ZIPCODE using the ZIP+4 Postnet bar code would look like this: [ZIPCODE]:BAR*,10,1: The number 10 following BAR* tells PC-File to use Postnet bar code. The number 1 to its right indicates 1 line high, although this number can be omitted for ZIP+4 Postnet bar code because Postnet only prints one height. Omitting anything to the right of the height number, suppresses the printing of error codes. Another example to print a field CODE using UPC-A bar code 3 lines high and print error messages would look like this: [CODE]:BAR*,1,3,1: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 199 The first number after BAR*, 1, indicates UPC-A bar code type, 3 tells PC-File to print the bar code 3 lines high, the 1 at the end causes error messages to print if errors are encountered. To Print Bar Codes Using the Report Language Editor: 1.Choose Reports from the Print menu. 2.Choose New, if you are writing a report from scratch, or choose Modify, if you are editing a pre-existing report to print bar codes. 3.Choose Language, if you chose New in step 2, or choose Language Editor, if you chose Modify in step 2, then choose the report to edit. 4.Put a mask in the :BAR*, Type, Height, ShowErrors: format after any field or calculation you want to print as a bar code. Make sure only one bar code is printing per line, and that nothing prints to the right of a bar code. 5.Choose OK and save the report. 6.Answer Print Options dialog box appropriately. See "The Print Options" in Chapter 11 for more information on the Print Options dialog box. 7.Choose OK to print. Refer to "Using the Language Format" earlier in this chapter for further details on using Language format. Bar Code Error Messages PC-File does not print bar code error messages for bar code reports set up with the Row, Mailing Label or Free Form formats. In this case, if PC-File encounters an error when printing any record, it will not print that record's bar code. You can use the Language Editor to modify bar code reports to print error messages, regardless of the method originally used to define them. To do this, insert a comma and a 1 at the end of the :*BAR: print mask. For example, if the line in your report format originally looks like this: [CODE]:BAR*,1,5: Inserting a comma and a 1 after the 5, like this: [CODE]:BAR*,1,5,1: causes PC-File to print error messages when it encounters them. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 200 The error message prints directly on the page or label in the location where the bar code would have appeared had an error not occurred. The error message is printed in this format: BAR*x Error y where "x" is the Bar Code Type Number (see the table of bar code types above), and "y" is the Bar Code Error Number. The following table explains the significance of each error number. Bar Code Error Message Numbers Error Significance Number 1 Wrong bar code type number in :BAR*:mask 2 Length of input string is 0 or greater than 30 3 Length of text is greater than 30 4* Wrong printer number 5 Trying to print beyond the 250th column position on the page 6 Bar code height is greater than 20 (2") or less than 1 7* Checksum is greater than 2 8* Number of passes <1 or >5 on dot matrix printers 9 Wrong number of characters, or characters not supported by bar code type Error message numbers in the table followed with an asterisk should not appear-PC-File does not allow you to control these functions. In nearly all cases, the only error you will see is "Error 9" which indicates that the data you are trying to print does not meet the requirements for the chosen bar code type. For example, you cannot encode Canadian Postal Codes using the Postnet bar code format which requires 5 or 10 digit zipcodes (no letters). PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 201 CHAPTER 10 WRITING LETTERS AND MERGING DATA PC-File's letter writing utility lets you combine word processing and data retrieval to create form letters. You can merge name and address information, as well as other data, easily and quickly. This chapter tells you how to do it. For information on printing letters, see Chapter 11, "Printing Reports and Letters." Overview Form letters combine text from the keyboard and data from a database. Thus, you can type up a basic letter, then merge in name and address information, as well as other data, and print out hundreds of "personal" letters. You can print out letters for all or a selected group of your records. PC-File uses the edit window for creating form letters. The edit window is a basic word processing utility that provides many of the same editing options available in other editors and word processors. See Chapter 1, "Navigating in PC-File," for information on the editing tools usable in the edit window. You create a form letter just as you would a regular letter, except that you enter commands where you want to insert data from a database. When you print the letter, PC-File replaces the commands with the data from your records. Commands are also used to help format the letter. These commands let you determine spacing, enter special printing codes, and feed a new page through the printer at the right time. Text is typed into the letter just as it is with any word processing program. The commands can also be typed in, but must include special characters so that PC-File interprets them correctly. Or you can have PC-File enter the commands by choosing them from a menu. Writing a Letter Form letters include the text of the letter and the commands that merge data and control formatting. Combining text with these commands requires a bit of planning before you start. Decide what information you want to pull from a database and where you intend to place it in the letter. You may want to sketch out the letter on paper first. If you plan to use data from more than one database, decide which database provides the majority of the data. Create the letter with that database open. You can use relational lookups to pull in data from the secondary database. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 202 Letter Writing Procedures The basic procedures involved in creating a form letter are outlined below. The specifics of entering mail merge commands are covered in detail later in this chapter. To create a letter: 1.Open the primary database. The primary database is the database that will supply most or all of the data for your letter. 2.Choose Print from the menu bar. 3.Choose Letters from the Print menu. A dialog box displays. 4.Choose New from the dialog box. 5.Accept the column width of 70 characters, or enter a new width up to 120 characters. A width of 70 characters assumes a 3/4 inch margin on each side if you are using 8.5x11 paper and normal type. To increase the side margins, decrease the number of characters. 6.Type your letter, including the appropriate mail merge commands, in the edit window. You can type in the mail merge commands yourself or, in most cases, choose the Insert button to have PC-File enter the commands. 7.Choose OK when you finish. 8.Choose Yes when prompted to save the letter. Choose No if you are sure you will only use it once. 9.If you choose to save the letter, enter a name in the dialog box. You don't need to enter the extension, as PC-File adds it automatically. 10. Enter a description (optional). The Print Options dialog box appears. See Chapter 11, "Printing Reports and Letters," for information on printing a letter. Letter Writing Guidelines When you call up the letter writing utility to enter a new letter, the Edit Window appears. Use the edit window just as you would any other text editor or word processing program. Text wraps automatically from one line to the next as you type the letter. Follow these guidelines as you type your letter. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 203 Top margin The letter writing utility does not provide for a top margin or header. You must determine the margin by inserting the appropriate number of lines at the start of the letter. For dot matrix and daisy wheel printers, drop down six lines for each inch of top margin required. Laser printers insert a three-line margin automatically, so you should insert blank lines at the top for whatever margin you want beyond three lines. Side margins Start your text in column 1. Don't try to increase your left margin by moving your text in from column one. Instead, determine your margins by increasing or decreasing the page width when prompted by PC-File. If your letter prints too far to the left or right on the paper, you can move the paper in some printers. You can also move the copy, to the right only, by increasing the number in the Left margin parameter in the Print Options dialog box. Bottom margin Place a form feed (.FF) at the bottom of the letter. The form feed kicks the letter out of the printer so that each letter starts on a new page. If your letter appears to be fairly long, determine the number of lines in the top margin and in the letter itself, then subtract them from the page length. In that way you can decide if you have enough room for a bottom margin or need to extend the letter to two pages. Multi-page letters If your form letter runs to more than one page, place a form feed (.FF) on the bottom of each page. The top margin of each page begins on the line immediately following the form feed for the previous page. You can include up to five pages in a letter. Be sure to include a form feed at the end of the final page. Determining Where You Are You can determine the current location of the cursor in the letter writing edit window (and in the Free form report edit window). This can be handy for lining up fields and determining how many lines you have used. To display the cursor location: Press CTRL-W. A dialog box displays, indicating the current row and column location of the cursor. Choose OK to return to the edit window. Spell Checking Your Letter PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 204 You can check the spelling in your letter at any time by choosing the Spell button on the bottom of the Letter editing window. See Chapter 15, "Spell Checking" for details on how to use the Spell Check dialog box. Adding Mail Merge Commands There are two ways to add mail merge commands to a letter: 1. Type them in. 2. Choose them from a dialog box. You can type the commands in yourself, following the formatting rules for entering the different types of commands correctly. These rules are described in the sections on the commands. An easier method is to use the Insert button. With this button you can have PC-File enter most of the available mail merge commands for you. Using the Insert Button Use the Insert button on the button bar to have PC-File enter merge commands for you. Choosing the button displays a list of commands, from which you can choose the one you want. To choose the Insert button, click on it or press ALT-I. To have PC-File enter a command: 1. Place the cursor where you want to locate the merge command. 2. Choose the Insert button from the bottom of the screen. PC-File remembers the location of the cursor in the edit window before you move it to choose the Insert button. A dialog box displays. 3. Choose the appropriate option. For example, choose Data. Another dialog box displays. 4. Choose a field from the dialog box. PC-File prints out the field name at the cursor location on the letter. The field name is formatted as a trimmed field. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 205 Of the options in the insert dialog box, Data and Keyed data require additional information before they print a command to the screen. The Data option requires that you choose a field from the database. The Keyed data option displays a text box, allowing you to enter a prompt for the operator. The remaining options print commands directly to the screen. For the IF...ELSE...ENDIF command, you must enter the IF expression between the parentheses. You can erase the ELSE command if it isn't necessary. You can enter other commands in a letter from the keyboard that do not appear as options in the Insert dialog box. However, they are less often used than those offered. All of the commands are explained below. Command Guidelines Mail merge commands must be entered in a specific way in order for PC- File to recognize that they are commands and not text. If you use the Insert button, PC-File enters commands as they should appear. If you type the commands yourself, be sure to follow the rules described below. Start all mail merge commands with a period. Enter command words in uppercase letters. The exceptions are database field names, calculations, and any message included with a KEYIN command. Place all formatting and IF commands on a line by themselves, and begin these commands in the first column. Don't count the lines used by the commands as part of a letter. PC-File reads the commands, but eliminates the lines they occupy. Types of Commands Mail merge commands can be divided into five basic types: Type Function Data field commands Insert data from database fields System field commands Allow for user input and insert current date Formatting commands Determine the format and design of the letter Calculation commands Enter the results of a calculation IF commands Let you include or exclude text based on a comparison Each type of command is covered separately below. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 206 Data Field Commands The most commonly used mail merge commands are the field commands. Field commands add data directly from fields in your database. For example, you would use a field command to enter first name, last name, address, city, state, and zip code from the respective fields in the database. Field commands can be entered in uppercase or lowercase letters. There are two formats: Trimmed field Padded field Trimmed Field Extra spaces are removed from the end of data when you designate a trimmed field. Thus, if the City field is 15 characters in length, but the city is Seattle, only the seven characters in the city name are printed. The remaining eight spaces in the field are removed. This is the most commonly used format for letters, and is practically a must in addresses, where you want the data in the first name and last name fields, as well as the data in the city, state, and zip code fields, to flow together. If you use the Insert button to enter a field, it is formatted as a trimmed field. Trimmed fields are indicated with angle brackets around the field name. Thus, trimmed fields are entered like this: . The following example shows the use of trimmed fields in an address. Spaces and punctuation are added where needed. For example, one space is entered between the first and last names. A comma and a space separate the city and state fields, as is normally the case, while a space separates the state from the zip code. The brackets and periods do not count as spaces. . . . . .,. . You can abbreviate the field name in trimmed formats, as long as there is enough of the field name to identify it as unique in the database. Padded Field Use a padded field when you want to retain all the spacing within a field. This format is most useful when you want to set up columns of data in your letter. The field length you define in the letter doesn't have to be the same length as the data entry field, but if you create a shorter field in the letter, data that extends beyond that length is truncated. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 207 Padded field are indicated with square brackets [ ] around the field name. Enter the number of characters between the brackets that you want to allow for in the letter. Padded field commands look like this: .[Habitat ] .[Species ] Use blank spaces after the field name to add the necessary padding to the field command. Thus, if the field name is seven characters long and the field itself is 15 characters long, add eight blank spaces after the field name to give the field the necessary spacing for the data. You can abbreviate the field name in padded formats, as long as there is enough of the field name to identify it as unique in the database. If you enter a field with the Insert button, it is formatted as a trimmed field. Change the angle brackets to square brackets to define the field as a padded field. System Field Commands System fields normally provide for automatic data from the computer. For letters, you can have PC-File enter the current date, or prompt the user to key in data during the printing of each record. Current Date This command pulls the current date from your computer or network system. It is handy when you plan to reuse a letter and don't want to update the current date each time you print it. Enter it in the format . or choose Current date from the Insert dialog box. Be sure to enter the asterisk in the field if you add it yourself. Otherwise, PC-File interprets the command as a field command, and looks for a field called DATE in your database. Keyed Data Use this command to set up a field that allows user input for each record. While printing letters, the printer pauses and displays the prompt (message) you entered as part of the command. Press ENTER once you finish entering the message to continue printing. Choose Keyed data from the Insert dialog box to have PC-File set up the keyed data command. PC-File asks you for the message to prompt the user with during the printing of each letter. Enter the message as you want it to appear on the screen. For example, you could enter Type p.s. here. To enter the command yourself, type both the command and the message. For example, you could use the following command: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 208 . With the angle bracket format, you don't have to indicate the field length of the user input. You can enter up to 65 characters for each letter. If you want to fix the length of the potential input, use square brackets around the command. Always use the asterisk (*) with the system commands, as illustrated above. Formatting Commands As the name suggests, use these commands to format a letter. The commands can remove unwanted blank lines, force a page change, and set printer codes for special character formatting such as bold or italics. You can enter the more commonly used formatting commands from the Insert dialog box. You'll have to enter the printer codes yourself. Formatting commands do not use brackets, but must be preceded by a period and entered in uppercase letters. Form Feed The .FF or .FORMFEED command (use either format) tells PC-File to skip to a new page. Use the command at the end of a one page letter. Without the command, the page won't kick out unless it also happens to be the last printable line of the page. For letters with multiple pages, use the form feed at the end of each page. Always enter a form feed command on a line by itself and start it at the left margin. Conditional Page The .CP n command skips to a new page, but only if there are less than n lines left on the page. For example, the command .CP 8 would skip to a new page only if there were less than eight lines left on the current page. This command is useful when you want to prevent a section of a letter from being split between two pages. Always enter a conditional page command on a line by itself and start it at the left margin. Reformatting Commands PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 209 There are times where you need to reformat a section of a letter to a particular width. For example, if you are printing several fields of varying length in the midst of a paragraph. The .REFORMAT nn (where nn is the width you want the following lines reformatted to) and .ENDREFORMAT commands reformat the paragraph to the specified width. To use the .REFORMAT nn and .ENDREFORMAT commands surround the paragraph to be reformatted. Each command should be placed on a line by itself, and should start at the left edge. For example: .REFORMAT 55 If you have any questions, please call your local sales office at: .. Your salesperson will be happy to answer any questions you have. .ENDREFORMAT This would reformat the paragraph to a width of 55. The resulting paragraph would look something like this: If you have any questions, please call your local sales office at: 555-1234. Your salesperson will be happy to answer any questions you have. Do not surround more than one paragraph with the .REFORMAT nn and .ENDREFORMAT or they will be reformatted into a single paragraph. Use the commands around each paragraph you need to reformat. Line Compression (Begin group and End group) The .GROUP, .EGROUP, and .EGROUP R commands are used to compress out blank lines, most often in addresses. Addresses can be formatted to accommodate four or five lines, but often require only three or four lines. With the line compression commands, blank lines resulting from empty fields are compressed out. Place the .GROUP command before and the .EGROUP command after the body of text in which you want the blank lines removed. Use .EGROUP R in place of .EGROUP if you want to relocate the blank lines to the end of the grouping, thus maintaining the overall line spacing. If you are entering the commands from the Insert dialog box, you have to add the space and the R from the keyboard. The following example illustrates the use of the line compression commands: .GROUP . .> . .< .,.> . .EGROUP PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 210 For those cases with no data in the ADDRESS2 field, the blank line gets compressed out. Always enter line compression commands on a line by themselves and start the command at the left margin. Printer Markers Use printer markers to change character formatting within your letter. Printer markers are available for many of the standard print enhancements, such as bold, italics, and underlined type. You have to enter printer markers from the keyboard; they are not available from the Insert dialog box. The available printer markers are: .NORMAL .CONDENSED .BOLD .ITALIC .UNDERLINE .PORTRAIT .LANDSCAPE .PROPORTIONAL .DOUBLEWIDE .USERn (where n is 1-5) Enter a printer marker where you want a change in the font or type to occur. Use the marker .NORMAL to return to the default. The following line taken from the sample letter illustrates the use of a pair of printer markers. ...5-acre .BOLDRocky Mtn.NORMAL habitat for ... You can enter a printer marker at the start of a letter to enhance the entire letter. For markers such as .PORTRAIT and .LANDSCAPE, you would normally do that anyway. The .USERn printer markers are user-defined printer codes that you can set in your configuration profile. If you think you might use a particular print enhancement on a regular basis, consider creating a user-defined code. Otherwise, you can use ASCII decimal value for the code, described below. See Chapter 13, "Utilities," for information on user-defined printer codes. Miscellaneous Printer Codes You can imbed printer codes other than those listed as printer markers. To imbed these codes, use the ASCII command. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 211 For example, if you want to insert a superscript or subscript character into a letter, you have to use the ASCII command. You can also change the line spacing in this way. Normally, line spacing is set to 6 lines per inch. You can change it to 8 lines per inch to accent a particular paragraph or tighten up the entire letter. The ASCII command follows this format: .A nn,nn . The .A is followed by a space, then by the decimal values of printer control characters, each separated by a comma. A space must follow the last digit in the command. The space at the end of the command is not printed. See your printer manual for the printer codes and their respective decimal values. Calculation Commands Calculations can be used in letters in much the same way they are used in reports. The answer to the calculation appears in each letter at the prescribed location. Use both angle brackets and parentheses to enclose calculations, as shown: .<(@Member_no,Donation,Member_no,Amount):$$,$##.##:> This relational lookup pulls the data from the Amount field in the Donation database by using the Member_no field common to both the Members and Donation database. Use print masks with calculations to specify the formatting. In the above example, the print mask adds the dollar sign and punctuation to the data. Enclose the print mask within colons. Enter the closing angle bracket after the mask. Print masks are explained in detail in Chapter 9, "Creating Reports." All types of calculations supported by PC-File can be used in a letter, including relational lookups. See Chapter 17, "Calculations," for information on using calculations. IF Commands IF commands can be useful in letters to include or omit information based on a comparison. For example, you can use an IF to include a middle initial in a name when the field contains data, but omit it and close up the space when the field is empty. IF commands also follow a set format: .IF (add a comparison calculation) Things to do if true (can be many commands long) .ELSE Things to do if not true (can be many commands long) .ENDIF PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 212 Every .IF statement must have a matching .ENDIF statement. The .ELSE statement is optional. Always start the commands in the first column of the letter. The following example illustrates the use of an IF command in a letter: .IF (Middle = " ") .> . .ELSE . . . .ENDIF .
.,. . The comparison is always contained on the same line with the .IF command. The .ELSE and .ENDIF commands must appear on lines by themselves. For that reason, you can't include IF commands within the body of a paragraph of text. The lines used by the commands disappear when you print the letter. Choose the option If, Else, Endif from the Insert dialog box to have PC-File enter the command for you. PC-File prints the three commands on separate lines. You can remove the Else command if you don't use it. Modifying a Letter You can call up an existing letter and make changes to it at any time. To modify a letter: 1.Choose Print from the menu bar. 2.Choose Letters from the Print menu. 3.Choose Modify from the dialog box. A file selection dialog box appears. 4.Choose the letter you want to modify from the list. 5.Accept the column width of 70 characters, or enter a new width up to 120 characters. 6.Make your changes to the letter. 7.Choose OK when you finish. 8.Choose Yes to save the letter. 9.Accept the current description or enter a new one. The modified letter is saved. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 213 CHAPTER 11 PRINTING REPORTS AND LETTERS Reports and letters follow similar printing procedures and use the same dialog box for setting printing parameters. This chapter explains those procedures and parameters. In addition, this chapter covers Printer setup, an option on the Print menu. Printing Procedures PC-File simplifies the process of printing a report or letter. When you get ready to print, the program displays the Print options dialog box. Make all your necessary settings and adjustments there. When you finish, you are ready to begin printing. Before attempting to print a report or letter, be sure your computer is properly connected to the printer and that PC-File is configured for your printer. For information on configuring your printer, see Chapter 13, "Utilities," and the section on printer setup later in this chapter. NOTE: Printing graphs and multi-column labels follow separate procedures. See Chapter 12, "Creating Graphs," for information on printing graphs. See Chapter 14 for information on printing labels created with PC-Label. See Chapter 15, "Tools," for information on printing snapshot labels. To print a report or letter, you can either choose an existing report or letter or create a new one. In either case, PC-File displays the Print options dialog box that allows you to set the parameters for printing. To print a report or letter: 1.Choose Print from the menu bar. 2.Choose Report or Letter from the Print menu, depending on which one you want to print. PC-File displays a dialog box. The options are the same whether you choose reports or letters. 3.Choose Run from the dialog box. If you are creating or modifying a report or letter before printing, choose the appropriate option. When you finish, the Print options dialog box displays. 4.Choose the report or letter from the file selection dialog box. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 214 The Print options dialog box displays. 5.Set the options you want and choose OK. If you are printing a report, the settings are saved to a file, named reportname.ANS. The settings become the default the next time you print the report. If you are printing a letter, the settings only pertain to the current printing. The program default settings display the next time you print the letter. 6.What happens next depends upon your settings in the Print Options box. If you chose to print Some records, PC-File prompts you to conduct a search for the records you want to print. If you chose to print to disk, PC-File prompts you to enter a path and file name. If you checked the Do Subtotals box, PC-File prompts you to enter the field or calculation that triggers the subtotal. 7.If you are printing to a printer or to a file, PC-File displays the first record on the screen and prompts you to choose Yes, No, All, or Quit. This prompt displays for two reasons. First, it allows you to choose a selected group of records for which there is no precise selection criteria. In other words, you can print a random group of records. Secondly, if you have defined a selection criteria, it lets you assure yourself your criteria is correct by viewing your records. Once you feel certain you have chosen the right records, you don't have to look at the rest. 8.Choose Yes to print the record and display the next. 9.Choose No to skip the current record and display the next. 10. Choose All to print the current record and all the remaining records that meet the selection criteria without any further prompting. 11. Choose Quit to stop printing the report or letter. If you are printing to the screen, PC-File displays the report or letter without prompting you. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 215 The Print Options PC-File displays the Print options dialog box when you are ready to print a report or letter. Set your printing parameters there. The setting options are the same for both letters and reports, but PC- File handles the two features differently. This is because reports are often run repeatedly, while letters are more likely to be used only once. When you print a report, PC-File remembers the settings from the Print options window and places them in a file. The file is named reportname.ANS. The settings are then used as the default anytime you print that particular report. Presumably, you would not have to reset any of the parameters. If you do make a change, that becomes the new default. For letters, PC-File doesn't retain the settings and doesn't create a file for them. After you print a letter, PC-File replaces your settings with the program default. Thus, if you want to double-space a letter, you have to set the line spacing parameter to 2 each time you print the letter. Each parameter in the Print options dialog box is explained below. Print You can choose which records in your database you want to print. Choose All records to print all the records in your database; choose Some records to select certain records. If you choose to print Some records, PC-File prompts you to select the records by conducting a search. See Chapter 7, "Finding and Modifying Data," for information on conducting a search. You can also print selected records for which there is no specific criteria. For example, you may want to print letters to send to a few members chosen at random from the database. To do this, choose All records. When you get ready to print, the records display one by one on the screen for you to select. Choose the records you want to print. You can follow the same procedure after choosing Some records if you want to pick out selected records from within a specific subgroup of your database. The program default is All records. Output PC-File can print a report or letter to the printer, screen, or to a file on the disk. To select the output device, choose the appropriate option. Only one option can be selected at a time. The program default is Printer. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 216 If you select Printer as the output device, PC-File prints to the printer port selected in the configuration profile or in Printer setup. If you print to a file on the disk, PC-File prompts you for the drive, path, and file name. Enter the output file specifications in the dialog box. For example, you might type: c:\pcfile\sample\temp.txt. The file printed to disk is an ASCII file. Subtotals Subtotal breaks allow you to separate groups of related records in a report. You can then print subtotal values for each group, or you can just separate the groupings by inserting blank lines or page breaks between them. Creating subtotal breaks is a two-part process. The first part involves creating a Subtotal section within the report and defining the action that will occur. See Chapter 9, "Creating Reports," for details. For the second part, select the Subtotals option button in the Print options dialog box, choose OK, then name the break. A subtotal break can be a field, a portion of a field, or a calculation. Normally, a break is a field or partial field. Whenever the data in the break field changes, a new subtotal grouping is triggered. The following example shows a subtotal break on the first letter of the last name. When the first letter changes, a blank line is inserted to break up the names. A subtotal break can produce a simple break or a break with subtotals. Subtotal breaks can also be based on calculations. You can use the same information in the above example, but break it on a calculation based on the amount of the donation. The subtotal break calculation is (Amount >150). The result is illustrated below. PC-File allows up to nine levels of subtotal breaks. For example, you could subtotal by product within salesperson within department within division. In general, the primary subtotal level should be the current index field. After you choose how to perform subtotals, PC-File lets you choose whether you want to print the data from the break only once when it changes or every time it appears. This is called group highlighting. Turning group highlighting ON prevents the data from being repeated over and over. Group highlighting works on every subtotal level. In the previous two examples, group highlighting is turned off. The following example shows the Donation report subtotaled on Member_no with group highlighting PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 217 turned on. In addition to group highlighting, PC-File provides the option, "New Page After Subtotals." Choosing this option causes your report to feed to a new page at the end of each level 1 subtotal break. You must use the Language format to set up more sophisicated paging when performing multiple level subtotal breaks. See the section, "Subtotal Report Commands" in Chapter 9, for details. The default is for subtotals to be turned off. When the setting is turned off, the Subtotal section of the report is ignored. The subtotal setting is always ignored when you print a letter. To set subtotal breaks: 1.Select the Subtotals option button. 2.Choose OK when you finish with the dialog box. 3.Enter the primary subtotal break. You can choose a field name or enter a calculation into the text box and press ENTER. 4.Repeat step 3 for any additional subtotal break levels. You can enter up to nine levels of subtotal breaks. 5.Choose Cancel when you finish entering breaks. 6.Choose Group Highlighting or New Page After Subtotals, if desired. 7.Choose OK. PC-File prints the report to your specifications. Pause Between Pages If you feed paper into your printer manually, select the Pause Between Pages option button on the Print Options dialog box. The program will pause after each page, allowing you to insert a new sheet of paper. Press any key to start printing again. The program default is No Page Pause. Flip Data PC-File normally flips the data in a field containing the flip character, a tilde (~). This is indicated by the Flip Data option button on the Print Options dialog box. You can suppress the flip action by selecting the Don't Flip Data option button instead. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 218 For example, if a name field contains data entered in the format LASTNAME ~FIRSTNAME, and you leave Flip Data on, PC- File prints data in the order FIRSTNAME LASTNAME. If you select Don't Flip Data, the data in the field remains in the LASTNAME ~FIRSTNAME format. The tilde prints as part of the data. The program default is Flip Data. If you have no fields containing tildes, this setting is ignored. Normal Type/Condensed Type PC-File can print a report using one of two pre-defined print sizes. These sizes are determined in your configuration profile, based on the printer you choose or the user codes you set. Condensed type is most useful for reports that are wider than the normal carriage width. Normally, you should use condensed type if your report exceeds 80 characters in width. Otherwise, the printer will either wrap each line of the report to the next line or it will print off the edge of the paper. Most printers other than daisy-wheel printers are set up to handle normal and condensed type. However, you can enter new printer codes in your configuration profile so that the normal and condensed options actually produce some other type style. For example, you can enter printer codes for condensed type that will print a larger type size or a landscape format. The program default is Normal Type, in which case your report or letter prints in normal type. Select the Condensed Type option button to print in condensed type. Number of Copies You can print up to 99 copies of your report or letter in one printing. If you have a multi-page report or letter, PC-File normally prints the entire document before it begins the next copy. Enter the number of copies you want to print. The default is 1. Line Spacing You can set the line spacing in a report or letter. For reports, the spacing only affects the Detail section. For letters, the entire letter is affected, including the name and address. Enter 1 to single-space the report or letter. Enter 2 to double-space it. The default is 1. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 219 For reports, enter 0 to prevent the Detail section from printing. This is useful when only the subtotal or total information is required. NOTE: If you want to double space the body of a letter, but not the name and address, you must enter the extra line spacing directly into the letter itself. Left Margin The Left margin parameter lets you add extra spaces to the left side of your report or letter, beyond the normal left margin. This is especially useful if you have a narrow report that you want to center. For example, if you print a phone listing that includes just names and phone numbers, you could increase the left margin to center the two columns of data. The program default is 0. Page Length The page length setting makes it easy to adjust the length of your report or letter for different size paper and different types of printers without changing the configuration profile. To change the number of lines per page, enter the new page length. The default is 66 lines per page. For reports, PC-File calculates the number of lines of Detail per page by subtracting the number of lines in the Heading and Footing sections from the page length. To adjust your top and bottom margins, edit the report format and change the size of the Heading and Footing sections. Laser printers usually require a page length of 60 lines when printing in portrait mode and 45 lines in landscape mode. Dot matrix and daisy wheel printers normally use 66 lines. For legal size paper, the page length is 78 for laser printers and 84 for other printers. You can determine the number of lines per page by multiplying the page length in inches times the number of lines per inch. The program default is 66. NOTE: If each page of your report or letter prints higher on the page than the previous one, increase the page length; if it prints lower, decrease it. Start at Page # Normally, printing starts on the first page of a report. This setting lets you start printing on a later page. For example, if you have already printed part of the report and need to restart printing (after a paper jam, for example), this permits you to skip over what has already been printed. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 220 NOTE: Don't change your selection criteria midway through printing a report or set of letters. PC-File uses the original selection criteria for printing. The program default is 1. Printer Setup Use the Printer setup option on the Print menu to override the printer defaults in the current configuration profile. These default settings include page length, printer, and printer port. This option is most useful if you only need to change printers or page lengths on rare occasions. If you need to change settings on a regular basis, it is recommended that you define an auxiliary configuration profile. You can then load that profile when you want to change your settings. Refer to Chapter 13, "Utilities," for information on auxiliary profiles. Changes made using the Printer setup option remain in effect only during the current session in PC-File. The settings are overriden if you load another configuration profile. To change your printer defaults temporarily: 1.Choose Print from the menu bar. 2.Choose Printer setup from the Print menu. The printer setup dialog box displays. 3.Set the options you want. 4.Choose OK. Your printer options are adjusted for the current session based on your settings. NOTE: The Page length setting in the Print options dialog box overrides the setting defined with the Printer setup option. Be sure to check that the settings match when you print your report or letter. Common Printing Problems This section lists some of the common problems that occur with printing reports and letters, and offers suggestions on how to correct them. Most of the problems relate to reports only, though some refer to both reports and letters. Bad Report Format Message If PC-File does not recognize a field name or names in a report or letter when asking to print them, a message displays in this format: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 221 Bad Report Format Field: fieldname where "fieldname" is a field in your report or letter. This occurs when: A field name is spelled incorrectly in the report or letter The report or letter was defined for a different database (with different field names) The name of the field has changed since the report or letter was defined To correct the problem, first check to make sure the report or letter was defined to go with the current database. Then check the field name in the document with the field name in the database. You can run a database description (from the Utilities menu) to get a complete list of the database fields if necessary. If the Bad Report Format message displays when trying to print a system field, check to make sure that the system field name is followed by an asterisk and that the system field name is entered entirely in uppercase letters. The Document Creeps Up or Down the Page There are several reasons why a report or letter might creep up or down the page. Incorrect page length Check the Page length setting in the Print options dialog box to see that it is correct. Generally, if the report is creeping up the page, you should increase the page length. If the report is creeping down the page, you should decrease it. Report too wide The printer may be wrapping information from one line to the next. This happens when the report is too wide for your printer to print. (This is seldom a problem with letters.) To correct this problem, edit the report using the Language format option. Insert a new line with the /1 command after the command to print the last field that fits on one line. Alternatively, you may be able to print the report in condensed print so that all columns fit on one line. Missing line feeds The report may not have a /1 command at the end of each section. Generally, every section should end with at least one /1 command. The only exception to this rule is if the section ends with a .FF. You can edit reports with the Language editor to make sure the line feeds are in place. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 222 Missing Footing section Generally, every report should include a Footing section with at least one line feed command (/1) at the end. The only exception is when the report contains only a Detail section and is designed to print on continuous form labels or cards. The Report Prints on the Perforation There are three reasons why PC-File might print on the bottom perforation. Missing or incorrect Footing section The report does not have a Footing section, or the Footing section is not defined to print a bottom margin (blank lines). The number of blank lines at the end of the Footing section determine the bottom margin of each page. Edit the report and add the following line in the Footing section: /6 If the report already has a Footing section, add six line feeds (/6) at the end of the section. This gives you a one- inch bottom margin. You can increase the number of line feeds to lengthen the bottom margin, or decrease it to shorten the bottom margin. PC-File determines how many lines of data to print per page by subtracting the number of lines in the Heading and Footing section from the page length. For example, if the page length is 66 and there are 4 lines in the Heading section and 5 lines in the Footing section, PC-File prints 57 lines of data per page. Do not use the .CP command in the Detail section to determine the bottom margin. The .CP command is used only to prevent data from being split between two pages. Incorrect page length Check to see that the page length is correct. Refer to the section "The Report Creeps Up or Down the Page" above for more information. Incorrect page alignment The initial page alignment may be incorrect. To ensure the initial page alignment is correct, the printer should be aligned to the top of the page before printing begins. Do not manually move the paper in the printer. Use the buttons on the printer to move the paper. You can also align the paper in the printer, turn the printer off, then turn the printer on to reset the printer to the top of the page. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 223 On laser printers, make sure the Form feed light is not on before you start printing. Nothing Prints on the Report or Only Headings Print There are four possible reasons why no data prints on the report. Incorrect line spacing setting Check the Line spacing setting in the Print options dialog box. To print the data from individual records, line spacing must be set at 1 or higher. If you set the line spacing at 0, data from individual records is not printed; only the Cover, Heading, Subtotal, Total, and Footing sections are printed. Report incorrectly defined Make sure the report is defined correctly. The commands to print data from individual records must be in the Detail section. Refer to Chapter 9, "Creating Reports," to make sure you have defined the rest of your report correctly. No records meet selection criteria If you are printing some records rather than all of them, check to see that you haven't narrowed the range so much that no records meet your selection criteria. Try printing the report selecting all records. If nothing prints, investigate the other possible reasons. Damaged file or index The index or data file may be damaged. Rebuild the indexes or run the Repair option from the Utilities menu. However, if you can view your records while browsing, this is not the reason. The Heading Only Prints on the First Page There are two possible reasons why the heading information only prints on the first page. 1.Heading incorrectly defined The heading information is defined in the Cover section instead of the Heading section. The Cover section is only printed once at the beginning of the report. 2.Footing incorrectly defined If you have a Heading section, you must have a Footing section. If nothing else, at least enter a line feed (/1) in the footing section. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 224 CHAPTER 12 CREATING GRAPHS You can create visual representations of your data with PC- File's graphing option. PC-File walks you through the process step by step. Once you have created a basic graph, you can switch between several different types, including line graphs, bar graphs, and pie charts. Graphing Your Database PC-File can give you a graphic view of your data. Graphing can be an especially powerful way to present data because it allows you to summarize large volumes of data in an easily understood picture. You can create several types of graphs-line graphs, horizontal and vertical bar charts, pie charts, scatter charts, overlapped bar charts, and cumulative bar and line graphs. And once you create a graph, you can switch back and forth between the different types to find the one that best displays your data. You can also add a grid, calculate and display an average, and determine and show smoothed averages. Graphing data can seem a bit intimidating to an inexperienced user, but, in fact, it can be a lot of fun. So don't be afraid to give it a try. PC-File walks you through the process of creating a graph step by step. It usually only takes a minute or two to create a graph, so if you make a mistake, you can try it again. System Requirements The PC-File graphing utility will display a graph on most monitors and print a graph on most printers in use today. However, check the following requirements to see that your equipment meets the minimum needs of the program. Monitors The following monitors support the PC-File graphing utility: Hercules or Hercules-compatible monochrome CGA EGA VGA PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 225 The graphing utility runs "as is" on a color monitor. However, if you have a Hercules or Hercules-compatible graphics card and a monochrome monitor, you must run a special program before you can produce graphs. The program is called MSHERC.COM. It is included with PC-File and is automatically loaded onto your hard disk when you install PC-File. If you intend to work with the graphing utility and have a monochrome monitor, you need to run MSHERC.COM before you start PC-File. To run the program, type msherc at the DOS prompt and press ENTER. The program runs through quickly and returns you to the DOS prompt. If you use the graphing option regularly, enter the command MSHERC in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. The program will run automatically each time you boot up. Refer to your DOS manual for more information on the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Printers Graphs created with PC-File can be printed on the following printers: Epson (FX) dot matrix Epson (MX) / IBM dot matrix Okidata dot matrix HP Laserjet PostScript printers For other printers, you may be able to use the DOS GRAPHICS command to print graphs as they appear on the screen. See your DOS manual for information on using this command. Graphing Concepts During the process of defining a graph, PC-File introduces a number of concepts that may not be completely clear to the user at first glance. These concepts are explained in detail below. Subtotals and Totals You must choose between graphing subtotals and totals during the process of defining a graph. The difference is fairly straightforward. Choose Subtotals if you want to graph the data within a field or within several fields. Choose Totals if you want to compare the totals of two or more fields. In other words, if you want to graph records within a field or fields, choose subtotals; if you want to graph a summation of all the records from several fields, choose totals. Values and Counts PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 226 During graph definition, PC-File asks you to choose between accumulating Values or Counts. Values refers to the actual data in the database that you are graphing. Counts refers to the number of records being graphed. In most cases, you want to choose values. If you are graphing sales by each employee, zoo attendance by year, or increases in the captive snow leopard population, you are graphing data from a database and should select Values. Values should always be numeric. It is much less likely that you would choose counts. If you wanted to count the number of sales made by each employee, rather than total the sales themselves, you would choose counts. In that case you would graph the number of records, with each record representing a sale, rather than the sales data itself. Counts are also useful when the data is not numeric. For example, if you want to graph the number of members that lived in each state, you could just count the records by state. Graph Titles PC-File prompts you to enter four titles for the graph. These titles include the main graph title, a subtitle, a category heading and a variable heading. The placement of these titles is illustrated below. The title and subtitle always appear above the graph. They are synonymous with a report title and subtitle. The variable heading normally appears on the vertical axis of the graph. It describes the data of the fields you are graphing. For example, if you are graphing sales by month, sales would be your variable heading. The category heading normally appears along the horizontal axis of a graph. It often describes the contents of the field that you choose for the subtotal break (which is described below). For example, if you are graphing sales by month, month is the field on which you categorize the data, and is your likely category heading. Exceptions to the rules are horizontal bar graphs and pie charts. In horizontal bar graphs, the headings are reversed. In pie charts, the variable heading normally displays as a description beneath the chart and the category heading is used with a legend on the side. The legend provides a description for the wedges of the pie. The titles are case sensitive, and thus appear just as you enter them. All titles are optional. Press ENTER to skip a title. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 227 Subtotal Breaks If you graph subtotals, PC-File prompts you to choose a subtotal break. The subtotal break is normally the field by which you are grouping your data (it can also be a calculation). In that way it is very similar to a subtotal break in a report. Normally, the subtotal break is the field plotted along the horizontal axis of the graph. This is the same field on which you based the category heading. The subtotal break is usually not a field that you are graphing. If you are graphing sales by month, the break field is month. If you are graphing sales by department, the break field is department. Types of Graphs There are four basic kinds of graphs that you can create in PC-File. Read the descriptions below to help you decide which kind you want to use for the data you are graphing. However, once you define a graph, you can switch back and forth between various graph types, using the same selected data. In that way, you can often tell which is the best representation of your data. Line Graphs In general, line graphs are useful for seeing trends-increases or decreases-over time. Line graphs can also be used to plot engineering or scientific data. How temperature readings in one city vary over several months, or how a car's gas mileage changes as the r.p.m.'s increase are two simple examples of possible uses for line graphs. Scatter Graphs Scatter graphs are very similar to line graphs. (Line graphs are actually scatter graphs with lines drawn between the points.) Scatter graphs are most useful when you have a lot of points to plot. As a general rule, if you will be plotting more than 20 points, a scatter graph or line graph will give you a clearer visual summary of your information than one of the other graph formats. Pie Charts Pie charts are the least flexible of all the graph choices. They are primarily used to compare or show percentages. If you want your graph to answer the question, "how much of the pie did this person/these people get?" you probably want a pie chart. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 228 Pie charts are not good if you will be plotting many fields, or if you will have many subtotal breaks. A pie chart becomes cluttered and hard to interpret with more than 10 or 15 wedges. Bar Graphs Bar graphs are one of the most versatile of all the graph formats. Like pie charts, they are useful for visual comparison, but instead of showing you a percentage, bar graphs show actual numeric amounts. Like line graphs, you can use bar graphs to show trends by plotting the values of one or several fields' data over time. The strong point of bar graphs is their ability to show numerical amounts, be it dollars, time, mileage, etc. The choice between horizontal or vertical bar graphs is strictly a matter of preference. You can easily switch between either style to decide which you prefer. Defining a Graph Before you begin to define a graph, you should know: Which fields you are graphing Whether you are graphing subtotals or totals If graphing subtotals, which field or fields will serve as the break Whether you are using values or counts You might find it handy to sketch your graph on paper first. Draw a basic graph, indicating which fields you want to use and how the data will appear when graphed. Decide on the titles and headings. With your sketch in front of you, the actual process of defining a graph on the screen will take only a few moments. To define a graph: 1.Choose Print from the menu bar. 2.Choose Graphs from the Print menu. 3.Choose New from the dialog box listing the operations. A file selection dialog box displays. 4.Enter a file name for your graph in the text box. Choose OK. PC-File prompts you to choose how the data should be summarized. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 229 5.Choose one of the four options. For example, if you are graphing totals rather than subtotals and counts rather than values, choose the fourth option, Total Counts. PC-File displays a field selection dialog box. 6.Choose the fields you want to graph, in the order you want them to appear on the graph from left to right. PC-File displays a dialog box asking you to enter the titles and headings for the graph. 7.Enter the Title, subtitle, and headings in the appropriate text boxes. Press ENTER to skip any of the titles. Choose OK to continue. 8.Choose a default graph type. You can switch types later if you want. PC-File prompts you to save the graph. 9.Choose Yes to save the graph or No to run the graph only once. 10. PC-File displays another field selection dialog box. 11. Choose the subtotal break. 12. Choose to graph all or some records. 13. Perform a search if you chose some records. PC-File displays the first record and asks if you want to output this record. 14. Choose Yes to graph this record and display the next. Choose No to skip this record and display the next. Choose All to output this and all remaining selected records without further prompting. PC-File displays the graph on the screen. Instructions for using 15. the menu commands on the graphing screen are covered below. Viewing and Printing a Graph Once you have displayed a graph on the screen, you have several options: Switch to a different type of graph Add one or more of the optional features Print the graph To perform any of these actions, use the menu. Press the letter M to display the menu. There are two menu lines, as shown below. The General menu, on the top line, remains the same no matter which graph type is displayed. The Type menu, on the bottom line, varies, depending on the type of graph displayed. The name of the menu also varies, depending on the type of graph currently displayed. For example, in the above screen, the menu is called Bar because a bar graph is displayed. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 230 To choose an option from either menu line, press the letter indicated. You can choose options in this manner whether or not the menu is displayed. NOTE: The mouse is inactive within the graphing utility, so you must use the keyboard to choose menu options. The General Menu Options Of the nine options on the General menu, use the last five - Pie, Line, H(orizontal) bar, V(ertical) bar, and Scatter - to switch between the different graph types. Choose Quit when you finish to leave the graphing utility and return to the PC-File menu bar. The first three options on the General menu, Output, Color, and Menu, are explained in detail below. Output Choose Output to print the graph. There are several steps involved in printing. During printing, the menu bar, if currently displayed, is removed from the screen and is not printed. To print a graph: 1.Choose Output from the General menu. 2.Choose Portrait, Landscape, or GIF from the dialog box that displays. Portrait prints the graph in the normal vertical manner. Landscape rotates the graph 90 degrees and prints a somewhat larger image of the graph. If you are making overhead projector view foils, you probably want to use landscape. The GIF format produces a graphics file that can be imported into documents in most word processing or desktop publishing programs. GIF files are in a standard graphics format that is compressed to minimize the amount of disk space used. PC- File defines GIF files with names like PCG2_nnn.GIF, where nnn is a number such as 001. GIF files are defined to the current directory. 3.If you chose Portrait or Landscape, choose the output printer from the list that displays. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 231 Choose Epson for Epson FX and LQ model printers only. Choose IBM for IBM printers, Epson MX model printers, and Okidata printers set to IBM mode. Choose Okidata if your Okidata printer isn't set to IBM mode. Choose Laserjet for all HP- compatible laser printers. Choose PostScript for all printers with a PostScript driver. We recommend that you use PostScript if you have it. It produces the best quality output of all the options available. 4.For PostScript only, another menu displays. Choose an option from this menu. Decide whether you are printing to a file or to the printer, then choose between pattern fill or gray fill. Pattern fill produces various patterns in the rectangles of bar charts and the wedges of pie charts, while gray fill colors those same areas in shades of gray. Choosing gray fill results in a much faster printing operation. As the graph prints, the screen colors change to their "negative" colors to show the progress of the printing process. When creating Postscript output, the graph is redrawn on the screen twice. When printing is completed, the graph is redrawn on the screen and the menu redisplayed (depending upon the state of the M toggle.) NOTE: If you are printing a Pie chart, it is redrawn on the screen when you select the orientation of the output. The aspect ratio defined for the selected orientation is used. Color Some colors may not show up clearly on your screen. The Color option allows you to select those colors which show up best, and also permits you to select the foreground and background colors. Your selections are saved to a file, called PCG2.ASP, and used in future graphing operations. NOTE: The Color option has no effect if you are using a monochrome or CGA screen, both of which display in black and white. CGA monitors display in black and white because the resolution is at its maximum in that mode. To change colors: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 232 Choose Color from the General menu. PC-File displays a dialog box. Adjust the background and foreground colors if you want. Press B repeatedly to run through the available background colors, and press F repeatedly to run through the foreground colors until you have the color combination that you prefer. Turn any of the detail colors off. To turn a detail color off, press the number that is displayed to the left of the respective color bar. An N is displayed to the right of the bar when the color is turned off. Press the number again to turn it back on. You can press Q at any time to go back to your graph and view the current colors. Press C to return to the color screen. Press Q to return to the graph when you finish. Menu The Menu option toggles the menu display on and off. When the menu lines are not displayed, the message (press M for menu) is shown at the lower-right of your screen. You can press SHIFT-F1 to remove this message. The menu lines do not need to be displayed for you to choose any of the menu options. (When you print the graph, the menu lines are removed for you automatically.) The Type Menu Options Use the options on the Type menu to enhance your graphs. You can add a grid, display a calculated average, display smoothed averages, or replot your graph on a logarithmic scale. There are 14 enhancement options. The options available on the Type menu vary, depending on the type of graph currently displayed. Only those options that appear on the menu for the current graph can be used. All of the options are explained below. Bound You can change the scale of a graph with the Bound option. This is done in three steps. First, edit the GRAPH.ME file, using any text editor or word processing program that saves standard ASCII (non-formatted) files. Insert a one-line BOUND command before the first TITLE line in the file. Use the format BOUND:Xh,X1,Yh,Y1,0,Ch where Xh is the maximum X axis value X1 is the minimum X axis value Yh is the maximum Y axis value Y1 is the minimum Y axis value 0 (zero) is required Ch is the maximum cumulative value PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 233 For example, to set the scale of the Y axis so that the maximum value is 500 and the minimum value is 1, and the maximum cumulative value is 5000, use the command BOUND:0,0,500,1,0,5000 Second, after saving the edited GRAPH.ME file, run the graphing utility in stand-alone mode, from the DOS prompt. Making sure you are in the directory that contains both the PCG2.EXE file and the GRAPH.ME file, type pcg2 at the DOS prompt and press ENTER. When the graph is displayed, the old scale is still in effect. For the third step, choose Bound from the menu. The graph displays with the new scale in effect. Use the Bound option as a toggle to switch between the normal scale and the scale specified in the GRAPH.ME file. The Bound option is available with line, scatter, and bar graphs. Log Choose the Log option (by pressing the letter T) to change the scale along the vertical axis to a logarithmic scale. Choose Log again to return to the normal scale. The Log option is available with line, scatter, and bar graphs. Grid Place grid lines on your graph by choosing the Grid option. Remove the grid lines by choosing Grid again. The Grid option is available with line, scatter, and bar graphs. Xchg If you are using multiple variables in your graph, you can switch the way the data elements are displayed with the Xchg option. Choose Xchg to swap the elements. Choose it again to return to the original graph. The Xchg option is available with all types of graphs. Cum Use the Cum option to produce cumulative line and bar graphs. This option is most useful when you have multiple variables. The Y value of the points for each group at a given position on the X axis are totaled to produce this graph. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 234 The Cum option is a toggle. Choose the option once to produce the cumulative graph, choose it again to return to the normal graph. The Overlap and Log options become inactive when you display a cumulative graph. The Cum option is available with line and bar graphs. Avg Choose the Avg option to draw a line across the graph showing the average or mean of all the data. This lets you see which points are above the average and which are below. To remove the average line, refresh the current graph format. For example, if you are viewing a scatter graph, press S to display a new scatter graph without the line. The Avg option is available with line, scatter, and bar graphs. Overlap The Overlap option lets you produce a somewhat more aesthetically pleasing bar graph, in which the bars within a group overlap each other. Press E to overlap the bars; press E again to return to the non- overlapped graph. Overlap is inactive for cumulative bar graphs. Fit To display the trend of your data, choose Fit. This option uses the method of least squares to calculate the regression line. To remove the line, refresh the current graph format by choosing the format again. The Fit option is available with line and scatter graphs. (0-9)Smoothed Avg Smoothed averages are used to show trends when you have a lot of data which varies considerably. Unlike the average line, which shows a single average of all the data, a smoothed average is produced by calculating an average for each point on the graph based on the values a specified number of data points to the left and right of that point. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 235 The number you select (from 0 to 9) controls the amount of smoothing used. The number chosen is the number of points to the left and to the right that are included in the smoothed average. For example, if you press 2, then 2 points to the left, the current point, and 2 points to the right are included in the average for each plotted point. The higher the number you choose, the greater the amount of smoothing. Choosing 0 means that no points to the right or left are included in the average and you essentially duplicate a line graph. Choosing 9 on a graph with just 9 data points is the same as choosing the Avg option. You can display as many smoothed averages on your line or scatter graph as you want. To remove the lines, refresh the current graph format by choosing the format again. Aspect The Aspect option is used to make your pie charts round, both on- screen and printed. This option works by letting you adjust the aspect ratio of the circle. Aspect ratio is the ratio of height to width. If your pie charts appear elliptical rather than round, adjust the height and width with this option. When you choose Aspect, PC-File displays a screen with a circle enclosed in a box. Use this screen to adjust the roundness of the pie chart on your monitor only. To adjust the roundness of a printed pie chart, press P for Portrait or L for Landscape, depending on which format you plan to use. In either case, a similar screen displays. However, all three screens are separate and adjust the aspect of the pie for their respective uses only: the monitor, portrait print, or landscape print. In all three cases, use the arrow keys to adjust the horizontal and vertical dimensions until the circle appears round and the box appears square. The box makes it easier to tell if the dimensions of the circle are correct. The right arrow increases the width The left arrow decreases the width The down arrow increases the height The up arrow decreases the height Whichever arrow key you depress, hold it down for a few seconds. The degree of change with each keystroke is very slight, so you have to give it time to change. This allows you to really fine-tune the circle. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 236 If you correct the aspect ratio for either portrait or landscape printing, you can print out a test circle to check it. With the respective screen in view, press P to print. Choose your printer from the menu that displays. The line inside the circle helps you differentiate between vertical and horizontal on your screen versus your printed output. Press Q to exit from the screens and return to the pie chart itself. Use the Output option to print the chart with the corrected aspect ratio. The aspect ratios are saved to the file PCG2.ASP and used in future graphs. Wedge You can emphasize specific slices of a pie chart by pulling wedges of the pie away from the center. If you are displaying multiple pies, the wedge(s) you pull out apply to all the pies. A new menu displays when you choose Wedge, and one section of the pie changes to a solid color. The solid-colored wedge is the active wedge. Use the menu options as follows: Detach the solid slice Attach the solid slice Skip to the next slice Return all detached sections to the center and exit the Wedge option screen Quit the Wedge option screen, saving your modifications Moving around the entire pie also causes you to exit the Wedge option screen. Disp If your pie chart appears cluttered, you can move the heading and percentage labels to a separate legend. This can create a much more pleasing display. The Disp option is actually a three-way toggle. Press D once to create a legend and move the heading labels next to it. Press D again to add the percent labels to the legend as well. Press D a third time to remove the legend and return to the original pie chart. (1-2)#pies PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 237 If you graphed multiple fields, each field is displayed on a separate pie chart. This option lets you display two pies on the screen at one time. Press 2 to display two pies on the screen side by side. Press 1 to display just one pie. Next group If you graphed multiple fields, each field is displayed on a separate pie chart. This option lets you cycle through the pies, either one or two at a time, depending on your selection for the previous option. Editing Graphs Generally, if you make a mistake in defining a graph, the easiest thing to do is start over again. That's particularly true once you have some experience in creating graphs. However, there are some other options, though they are somewhat limited. If you selected the wrong subtotal break or selected too many or the wrong records, just rerun the graph. PC-File prompts you to rename the subtotal break and select the records to graph every time you run a graph you have already created. You can also edit the graph files. PC-File produces two files when you create a graph: FILENAME.GR GRAPH.ME FILENAME.GR contains the commands you issued as you created the graph. Basically, this is the structure of the graph. This file is like a report file and can be edited using the command format in reports. To edit a .GR file: 1.Change the .GR extension to .REP. Use the DOS RENAME command to change the extension while at the DOS prompt. (See your DOS manual for information on this command.) You can use the Drop to DOS option in PC-File to display the DOS prompt. 2.Return to PC-File and choose Reports from the Print menu. 3.Choose Modify from the first dialog box, then the Language editor from the next one. 4.Choose the graph file from the file selection dialog box. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 238 5.Edit the file just as you would a report. 6.Return to the DOS prompt and change the file extension back to .GR. 7.Return to PC-File and call up the corrected graph. The GRAPH.ME file contains the data from the current graph. When you create or display another graph, the data from that graph replaces the previous data. Thus, there is just one GRAPH.ME file, which is rewritten every time you run a graph. You can edit the GRAPH.ME file using any text editor or word processing program that saves ASCII (unformatted) files. However, it is unlikely you will want to do so, unless you need to add a BOUND command (which is explained earlier in this chapter). If you want to save a particular GRAPH.ME file, rename it using the DOS RENAME command so it doesn't get overwritten. Change the name back to GRAPH.ME when you want to display the graph. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 239 CHAPTER 13 UTILITIES This chapter covers the first four and the last three options on the Utilities menu. Exporting and importing files lets you exchange data between PC-File databases and most, if not all, of the popular database and spreadsheet programs. File management allows you to copy, delete, and rename files within PC-File. Use Configuration to set the parameters that influence the way PC-File looks and works. Use Pack to remove deleted records. Use Repair to fix damaged databases. And, use Database Description to document the structure of your database. Exporting and Importing Files Exchanging data with other programs or files is an important feature of PC-File. You can import data from and export data to just about any of the popular database and spreadsheet programs, including Lotus, Multiplan, and Excel. (Since PC- File databases are already in dBASE format, no transfer is necessary with dBASE files.) You can also move data to and from word processing data files used for mail merging, including those handled by WordPerfect, WordStar, and Microsoft Word. Imported data can be added to an empty database or appended to existing records. You can also use the import feature to append records from one PC-File database to another. When exporting data, PC-File creates a new file. Data is not appended to an existing file. Exchange Formats PC-File supports almost a dozen formats for transferring data between files. These include the data interchange format (.DIF) used by Lotus and Excel for transferring data, comma and line delimited formats, ASCII files, and the formats used by the major word processing programs for data merge in form letters. To transfer files to and from programs that don't support one of these formats, consult the program's manual and select a format common to both. For example, if you want to transfer a file in a Paradox format to PC-File, convert the Paradox file to the dBASE III format. You can then open it in PC-File, with no importing necessary. Whenever possible, convert to a dBASE file, as that eliminates the need to import the file in PC- File. However, if necessary, you can convert the file to ASCII or some other format and then convert that to the PC-File format. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 240 PC-File can exchange data using the following formats: PC-File/dBASE PC-File uses the dBASE format, so it isn't necessary to export this format. However, you can export using this format to easily specify which fields and records to include in a new file. You can also use this format in importing. PC-File's dBASE import feature provides convenient way to tell PC-File where to put the fields from the database you are importing. Select this format only when you want to append (import) one. DBF file to another. These can be files created using PC-File, dBASE III, dBASE III PLUS, dBASE IV, FoxPRO, or any other programs that use the .DBF format. PC-File can't open dBASE IV files that contain more than 128 fields or float type fields. Also dBASE IV memo field data is not compatible. DIF The data interchange format is used by many spreadsheet and database programs for transferring data. These include Lotus 1-2-3, Multiplan, and Microsoft Excel. For 1-2-3, convert the .WKS files to .DIF before making the transfer. For Multiplan, convert the SYLK files to .DIF before making the transfer. For Excel, save the .XLS file to a .DIF file. Fixed length Fixed length format is used by many programs which create "random" files. Every record is exactly the same length, with no delimiters or record separators. The only way to tell where one record stops and the next one starts is by knowing the exact length of each field. This format is just like the text editor format described below, except that the end of each record is not marked by a carriage return. Mail-merge This format consists of data fields separated by commas, with quotation marks surrounding fields that contain a comma. The end of each record has a carriage-return and optionally a line feed. Many word processing programs, including WordStar and Microsoft Word, use this format for their data files when creating form letters. It is also produced by many BASIC programs, and is an export option in many database programs. PC-File also gives you the option to put quotation marks around all fields, for programs that require them. Lotus .PRN PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 241 This is essentially the same format as mail-merge, with one exception. In the mail-merge format, if a field is blank or empty, nothing is written out except the comma, or, if all fields are enclosed in quotation marks, a space appears between the quotation marks. In .PRN files, if a character field is blank, a pair of quotation marks is written out, followed by the comma. If a numeric field is blank, 0 is written out. PRN files can be imported into 1-2- 3 by using the File Import Numbers command sequence in Lotus 1-2-3. The Lotus .PRN format is supported on export, but not import. To import a .PRN file created by 1-2-3 into PC-File, use the text editor format. Line delimited This format places each field on a separate line. It's sometimes called "field delimited" or "field per line" format. The only way to know where one record stops and another starts is to know exactly how many fields exist in each record. Each record must have the same number of lines. Blank fields are stored as blank lines. PeachText uses this format. Text editor or SDF format This format consists of fixed length fields with no separators between fields. The end of each record has a carriage return and sometimes a line-feed. This format is produced by many text editor and word processing programs, and is an export/import option in many database programs. If you were to look at a file in this format with your word processor, it would look like a columnar or tabular report, with each record on a separate line and each field starting at a fixed location. User-defined delimiter This format allows you to exchange data with programs that don't use one of the standard formats. You specify the field delimiter on import, and the field and record delimiter on export. When importing using this format, PC-File assumes the record delimiter is either a line-feed or carriage- return/line-feed. WordPerfect PC-File can transfer to or from WordPerfect secondary merge files and document files, but in most cases, you want to transfer data to and from the secondary merge files. For importing files, PC-File detects which version of WordPerfect you are using (4.2, 5.0, or 5.1) and handles the data accordingly. To export, choose the WordPerfect version you are exporting to when prompted. ASCII files PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 242 PC-File can import and export ASCII files. The ASCII formats supported by PC-File are fixed length, mail-merge, line delimited, text editor (.SDF), and Lotus .PRN Exporting Data Export data from a PC-File file when you want to use that data in another program or format. You can export all the data in the file or just selected records. You can also choose to export selected fields if you want. PC-File lets you select records as you export, viewing each record and exporting just those you want. Or you can choose just to export all the selected records without looking at them. Data is exported in sequence according to the current index. If you were exporting names and addresses for merging into a fundraising letter written in WordPerfect, you could select just the name and address fields and leave out extraneous fields such as the phone numbers. Plus, you could just select those members that live within a specific geographic area. The procedures for exporting data are the same for all format options except mail-merge and user-defined delimiter. Each of these two options requires an additional step, which is explained following the basic procedures. To export data: 1.Make sure there is enough space on the receiving disk or drive to hold the data you are about to export. Fixed length and text editor formats occupy somewhat more disk space than .DBF files. 2.Open the database from which you want to export data. You cannot export from a closed database. 3.Choose Utilities from the menu bar. 4.Choose Export from the Utilities menu. The export format dialog box displays. 5.Choose the format type you want your exported file to take. The file selection dialog box displays. 6.Choose the path and enter the file name you want to save the exported data to. 7.Refer to additional steps described below if you chose an export format of mail-merge or user-defined delimited file. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 243 8.Choose to flip the data or not. Choose Yes if the data contains a tilde (~) character and you want to flip the output. This is most likely in a mail-merge when you want to flip first and last names. Choose No if there is no data that needs to be flipped. 9.Choose to export All or Some Fields. Choose Some if you want to limit the fields that are exported. PC- File displays the database fields in a check-off list box. Choose each field you want to export. A checkmark appears next to the fields that you choose. If you want to export a portion of a field, choose the Options button and designate the portion. Choose All to export all the fields in the database. 10. Choose to export All or Some Records. Choose Some if you want to limit the records that are exported. PC- File asks if you want to conduct a simple or formula search for the records. Choose the search mode and then enter the search criteria or command. See Chapter 7, "Finding and Modifying Data," for more information on searching. Choose All to export all records in the database, or to choose them as they are exported. 11. Choose Yes, No, All, or Quit once the export operation begins and the first record displays. Choose Yes to export the record displayed. Choose No if you don't want to export the displayed record. Choose All if you want to export the current record and all the remaining selected records without being asked again. Choose Quit to stop the operation. Mail-merge Various word processing programs handle the mail-merge format differently, so PC-File asks you to define a couple of additional options during the export process. The two steps below are inserted in the above procedures. 1. Choose Yes or No when asked if the first record of the exported file should contain the field names. Choose Yes if using a program like Microsoft Word, which requires the field names in the first record. Choose No if field names are not required. 2. Choose Yes or No when asked if you want quotation marks around every field. Choose Yes if the program you are exporting to requires quotation marks around every field, even when the field doesn't contain a comma. See your manual if you are unsure about the program requirements. Choose No otherwise. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 244 Continue on with step 8 in the main export procedures. User-defined Delimiter As the format name suggests, you get to define the delimiter used between fields and between records. A delimiter is a character used as a separator between each field and each record. The backslash (\) is the character sometimes used in non-standard programs. The steps below are inserted in the main export procedures. 1.Choose the field delimiter. If you choose ASCII decimal value, PC-File prompts you to enter the value. If you choose Keyboard character, PC-File prompts you to enter the character. For example, you could choose Keyboard character, then enter a backslash in the text box that displays. 2.Choose the record delimiter. Just as with the previous step, PC-File prompts you to enter the ASCII decimal value or the Keyboard character if you choose one of them as the option. 3.Choose Yes or No when asked if the first record of the exported file should contain the field names. Choose Yes if using a program like Microsoft Word, which requires the field names in the first record. Choose No if field names are not required. Continue on with the rest of the main export procedures. NOTE: If you need to export to a format not supported by the export function, you can create a report in PC-File that converts the data to the correct format. Print the report to a disk file. It is then ready for use in the desired format. The exported file will have one of the following names: PC-File/dBASE filename.DBF DIF filename.DIF Fixed length filename.FXD Lotus PRN filename.PRN Mail-merge filename.WS Line delimited filename.LD Text editor ilename.SDF User-defined filename.USR WordPerfect filename.WP Importing Data PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 245 You can import files or databases created with other programs. You can also use the import feature to append records from another PC-File database to the current database. PC-File imports the data into the current (opened) database. To import data, you have to open an existing database or define a new database to which it will be imported. Unlike the export process, you cannot create the receiving file (the current database) during the import process. The format of the import file determines certain requirements of the database, as follows: If you are importing from the text editor (.SDF) or fixed length format, the database must match the import file exactly. The database must be defined with the fields in the same sequence as they exist in the import file, with the same number of fields, and matching field lengths. If you are importing from another PC-File database or dBASE file, the database must have the same field lengths, but not necessarily the same number of fields. PC-File lets you map the fields from the database you are importing from to the fields of the open database. If you are importing from the line delimited format, the database must have the same number of fields in the same sequence as the file you are importing. Field lengths should be at least as long as those in the import file to avoid truncation of data. If you are importing from any other format, PC-File does not require that the import file have the same number of fields or matching field lengths, but does require the fields to be in the same order. If the import file contains more fields than the database, the extra fields are ignored. If the import file contains fewer fields than the database, the fields at the end of the record in the database are left blank. This is also true for field lengths. If the import file contains fields longer than those defined in the database, data in those fields are truncated to the database field length. If the import file contains fields which are shorter than the database, the extra spaces are filled with blanks. The files being imported can have any file extensions, except for dBASE files, which must have a .DBF extension, and DIF files, which must have a .DIF extension. Mapping Field Data from dBASE Files This section only applies to importing from dBASE files. If you are importing from any other format, skip ahead to the "Overview of Importing Process" section for a step-by-step description of the importing process. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 246 PC-File allows you to readily import files from PC-File or any other software product that create dBASE III + compatible file. These files must have the .DBF file extension. After you have chosen the Normal DBF format and the appropriate file to import, the Mapping screen displays. If you are familiar with redefining a database structure, mapping will be quite familiar. Import mapping is quite similar to the process used in redefining a database structure. The Fields column shows the field name for the open database. The Comes From column shows which fields from the imported database are mapped to the fields in the Fields column. PC-File automatically maps all field names that match. If you have identical fields in the open database and the import database, you will see the same name in both the New Fields and the Come From columns for each identical field. In many cases, when PC-File has done the mapping for you, you cam simply choose OK to continue the importing process. However, if a field does not have a match, the Comes From column will be blank for that field-you must choose the data source for that field. For example, if you have a field name FIRST in the open database, but your import database has a field name FIRSTNAME, you must tell PC-File that you want the information from the FIRSTNAME to be put into the FIRST field. There are two ways to map your fields. You can select them by using the List button or by typing field names into the Comes From column directly. Selecting Fields Using the List Button You will need to map any fields that don't have an exact match with the fields in the open database. The List button provides a simple way to do this. Choosing the List button displays a list of the field names from the import database on the right side of the Mapping screen. The Import Fields List Box shows all the fields from the import database. All fields that have already been mapped by PC-File have a checkmark next to them. To map a field, put the cursor in the Comes From column next to the field in the Fields column you want to map. Then, choose a field from the Import Fields List. This inserts that field's name into the Comes From column. To map import fields with the List button: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 247 Highlight the text box in the Come From column next to the Fields name you want to map. The text box should be empty. Choose the List button The Import Fields List displays on the right half of the screen. The cursor is active in the list. Click on the field you want to map, or navigate to the name of the field with the keyboard and press ENTER. The field name from the Import Field List is entered into the Come From list next to the field you choose in step 1. Repeat steps 1 through 3 for each field you want to map. When you have finished mapping your fields, choose OK to continue the importing process. Selecting Fields by Typing Names Alternatively, you can map fields by simply typing the name of the import field in the appropriate Comes From text box. This may be a faster method if you are only using the keyboard. However, you must type in the name exactly as it is saved in the database. You can press ALT-L to display the Import Fields List for reference. To map your fields by typing names: Move the cursor to the text box next to the field you want to map. The box should be empty. Type in the name of the field that will be mapped from the import file. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each field you want to map. When you have finished mapping your fields, choose OK to continue the importing process. Overview of Importing Process To import data: Open the database into which the data is to be imported. Choose Utilities from the menu bar. Choose Import from the Utilities menu. The import format dialog box displays. Choose the format of the import file. If you select the User-defined delimiter option, PC-File asks you to choose the field delimiter; the record delimiter is set automatically as a carriage return/line feed. Choose the path and file name of the import file in the file selection dialog box. If you chose Normal DBF in step 4, you must map the fields as described above in, "Mapping Field Data from dBASE Files." Choose to append the new records to the current database or to overwrite the current database. If you choose to append, the imported records are added to the current database and will be ordered according to the current index. If you choose to overwrite, the current records are DELETED and the new records start at record 1. Choose to import All or Some records. Choose Some if you want to limit the records that PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 248 are imported. PC- File asks if you want to conduct a simple or formula search for the records. Choose the search mode and then enter the search criteria or command. See Chapter 5, "Finding and Modifying Data," for more information on searching. Choose All to import all records in the database, or to let yourself choose them as they are imported. Choose Yes, No, All, or Quit once the import operation begins and the first record displays. Choose Yes to import the record displayed. Choose No if you don't want to import the displayed record. Choose All if you want to import the current record and all the remaining records without being asked again. Choose Quit to stop the operation. NOTE: It is recommended that you choose Yes for the first few records to make sure they are being imported properly. If they are not, choose Quit to stop the operation. Check to see that the current database matches the import file in the ways it is supposed to (as described previously). Make whatever adjustments are necessary and begin the import operation again. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 249 Managing Files Most people use DOS commands or, if they have Windows, the File Manager, to copy, delete, and rename files. However, you may find it easier to use the File Management option in PC- File to perform those functions on your database files. PC-File creates several files as you define a database, including a header file, data file, configuration file, memo file, and separate files for each index. In addition, every report, graph, and letter you create adds a new file. Making a copy of all those files using a DOS command could be confusing, particularly if you have more than one database in a directory. With the File Management option, however, PC-File lists the files associated with a database and lets you copy, delete, or rename those files in groups or, to a limited extent, individually. You can perform file management functions on either an open or closed database. Types of Database Files Whether you choose to copy, delete, or rename a file or database, PC- File displays a list of the types of files in the database. Choose the option from the list that suits your purpose. The Database and Report options include all the files that have their file extensions listed. The remaining options only include individual files with the extension shown. If, for example, you wanted to copy a database to a floppy disk, you would choose the first option, Database files. All the database files that include the listed extensions would be copied to the disk. If you wanted to copy the two database reports that you had defined as well, you would have to repeat the copy operation twice, once for each report, choosing the Report files option from the above list during the process. Copying a File The Copy option is useful for making backup copies of your database, for making a copy to take to another machine, and for a variety of other purposes. It is important that you make a backup copy of your database(s) and associated files, and update the backup on a regular basis. You never know when you might need to refer to a backup copy. See Chapter 1, "Navigating in PC-File," for more information on backing up your database. NOTE: If you want to copy your database to make changes to the structure, use the Redefine option on the File menu instead. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 250 When you copy a database, you must either give the copy a unique name or place it on a separate directory or disk from the current database. Otherwise you will overwrite the current database files. Be sure you have enough space for copying the database files. If you are copying to a floppy disk and your database takes up more space than is available on the disk, you can use the DOS BACKUP command, or various software backup utilities. To copy files: 1.Choose Utilities from the menu bar. 2.Choose File Management from the Utilities menu. 3.Choose Copy from the File Management dialog box. 4.Choose the type of file(s) you want to copy. 5.Choose the file or database that you want to copy. 6.Enter the drive, path, and file or database name that you want to copy to. If you are copying to a different drive or path, you can give the file or database the same name. If you are copying to the same drive and path, you must give the file a new name. PC-File copies the file(s). Deleting a File To delete files: 1.Choose Utilities from the menu bar. 2.Choose File Management from the Utilities menu. 3.Choose Delete from the File Management dialog box. 4.Choose the type of file(s) you want to delete. 5.Choose the file or database that you want to delete. 6.Choose Yes to confirm the deletion. Choose No if you decide not to delete the file or database. PC-File deletes the file(s). When you delete database files, PC-File first looks in the header file for the names of the index files. The index files are deleted along with the other database files. You can delete the database that is currently open. If you do, the result is that no database is open. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 251 Renaming a File To rename files: 1.Choose Utilities from the menu bar. 2.Choose File Management from the Utilities menu. 3.Choose Rename from the File Management dialog box. 4.Choose the type of file(s) you want to rename. 5.Choose the file or database that you want to rename. 6.Enter the new name for the file or database. The name must be unique within the directory and follow DOS filename rules. PC-File renames the file(s). Configuring Your Database Once installed, PC-File is configured and ready to run. All the necessary configuration parameters are defined. Many of the parameters, such as screen color and case sensitivity, are set by defaults in the program. Others, such as mode of operation and printer port, are determined during installation. However, the configuration parameters can be altered at any time. For example, you can change the screen colors, add password limitations, or set a default database to open when you start PC-File. In addition, PC-File lets you define a different set of configuration parameters for each database. Thus, you could define different color combinations for each database. PC-File even lets you define auxiliary sets of parameters that can be pulled up for special purposes, such as connecting to an alternative printer. There are eight basic parameters that can be defined in your configuration, some of which include multiple settings. They are described briefly here and in more detail later in the chapter. Parameter: Description Display :Turn graphics mode ON or OFF and set your screen colors Printer: Determine printer port, printer, and page length Default Date Format: Set the default display format for date- type fields PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 252 Phone Dialer: Determine the modem port and enter dialing codes and prefixes Snapshot: Define the mailing label formats and printer port Passwords: Define passwords for a database Case sensitive: Define whether PC-File distinguishes between uppercase and lowercase letters during sorts and searches Default database: Open a specific database automatically upon starting PC-File Configuration Files PC-File allows for multiple configurations. Each configuration profile is maintained in a separate file. Configuration files use the extension .PRO. There are three types of configuration files: Master profile The master configuration file is called PCFILE.PRO. If you have only one configuration file, this is it. This file was installed with your other program files, and should remain in the directory with those files. PCFILE.PRO contains the configuration defaults, including those set during installation. Database profiles Profiles associated with specific databases need to be named after the database (databasename.PRO). You can define a separate profile for each database. If PC-File finds a profile of the same name as the database when you open a database, it loads the configuration settings in that profile, overriding PCFILE.PRO. Databasename.PRO files should be located in the same directories as the databases with which they are associated. Auxiliary profiles Auxiliary profiles can also be defined, using whatever name you want (as long as you follow DOS filename rules) with the extension .PRO. Auxiliary profiles can be loaded as needed. Auxiliary profiles can be located anywhere, as you can define the path when you load them. However, if an auxiliary profile is associated with a specific database, it is easiest to locate the profile in the same directory as the other database files. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 253 Why Define Additional Profiles? PCFILE.PRO may prove to be the only configuration profile you need. If you define and use just one database, you can fit the configuration to that database. You can always modify it if you buy a new printer, add a modem, or simply want to change your screen colors. You can also modify it temporarily. For example, you could switch your screen colors for a few sessions, then switch back. Even with several databases, the master profile may prove to be all you need. It's when your system gets more sophisticated that multiple profiles begin to become useful. The most likely reasons for using several profiles are: Using more than one printer Using passwords in multiple databases Defining separate snapshot label layouts for different databases Database profiles are practically a necessity for using passwords, which are normally designed to limit access to a particular database or part of a database. There may be other reasons for defining multiple profiles as well. One particular database may require case sensitivity in sorting, while others may not. Or you might want to define different color schemes for each database, making it always easy to tell which one is open. Which Profile is Current? When you choose Configuration from the Utilities menu, the current configuration profile displays on the screen. However, it is important to understand which profile gets loaded when, without having to call up the screen to read the title bar. The following guidelines apply: PCFILE.PRO is loaded automatically when you start PC-File, as long as you start PC-File from a directory containing a copy of PCFILE.PRO. (You can copy the master profile to as many directories as you want.) Thus, if you have set the path for PC-File in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file and start the program from some other directory, copy the master profile to that directory. If you start PC-File from a directory that doesn't contain PCFILE.PRO, no profile is in effect. In that case, PC-File assumes certain defaults. These defaults are listed below. If you have created a databasename.PRO, that profile takes effect when you open the associated database, as long as the profile is in the same directory. The database profile overrides PCFILE.PRO, but only to the extent that it differs from the master profile. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 254 If PC-File can't find a profile on the current directory, it assumes certain defaults. The defaults are: Parameter: Default Display mode: Graphics (VGA, EGA, and Hercules-compatible monochrome); Character (CGA) Display colors: Nautical (VGA, EGA, and CGA); Black & White (mono) Printer port: LPT1 Page length: 66 Default Date Format: MM/DD/YYY (Month-Day-Year, 4-digit, and Slash) Modem port: COM1 Long distance code: 1 Modem dialing code: ATD Case sensitive searches: Off Case sensitive indexes Off The Configuration Window You can open a configuration window whether a profile is currently loaded or not. The configuration window is a dialog box with a menu bar. To open the configuration window: 1.Choose Utilities from the menu bar. 2.Choose Configuration from the Utilities menu. The window displays the different parameters that you can set. The three command buttons in the lower left corner of the window display dialog boxes. The Configuration Menu The menu bar at the top has two options. Help! displays a Help window. The File option displays a pull-down menu of options. Use the options on Configuration menu as follows: Option: Description Load: Load and display an existing profile PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 255 Save: Save the current profile Save As: Save the current profile to a new name Exit: Quit the configuration window The options on the File menu are explained below. Loading a Profile Loading an existing profile and displaying it on the screen are a single operation. To load and display a profile: 1.Choose File from the configuration window menu bar. 2.Choose Load from the File menu. The file selection dialog box displays. 3.Choose the profile you want to open. The profile is loaded into memory and displayed on the screen. To close the configuration window, choose Exit from the configuration window File menu. The window closes, but the profile remains active. Modifying a Profile To modify a profile, display the configuration window and make your changes to the parameters. If the profile you want to modify is currently loaded into memory, all you have to do is display it on the screen. If you want to modify another profile, you must first load that profile. Follow the procedure outlined above for loading a profile. Once you modify a profile, you must save your changes. Choosing Save from the File menu saves to the name you loaded, choosing Save As allows you to save to a new name. To save a modified profile to its original name: 1.Choose File from the configuration window menu bar. 2.Choose Save from the File menu. The profile is saved. To save a modified profile to a new name: 1.Choose File from the configuration window menu bar. 2.Choose Save As. The file selection dialog box displays. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 256 3.Enter a new name in the text box. The changes you made are saved to the new name. Creating a New Profile You can create a new profile in the same manner as you modify an existing one, except you give the profile a new name. You would only use this method to create an auxilliary profile that is loaded on demand. To define a new profile: 1.Display the configuration window. 2.Make any necessary changes to the parameters. 3.Choose Save As from the File menu. 4.Enter a new name for the profile in the text box. The new profile is now loaded in memory. The Configuration Parameters When you choose Configuration from the Utilities menu, the configuration profile currently loaded in memory displays. Each of the profile options is explained below. Display Mode PC-File operates in two modes: Graphics mode and Character mode. Graphics mode is designed for VGA, EGA, and Hercules- compatible monochrome monitors, Character mode for CGA monitors. PC-File determined which type of monitor you were using when you installed the program and set the mode accordingly. You can switch modes in certain cases, however. When you can switch and why you might want to are explained in Chapter 1, "Navigating in PC-File." To switch modes: 1.Choose the Graphics mode check-off box. PC-File is operating in graphics mode when the box is checked, in character mode when it's not. However, you have to exit PC- File and start it again for a change in mode to take effect. Screen Colors PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 257 PC-File provides four pre-defined color schemes, allowing you to change the color patterns on your screen. Each color scheme includes pre-set foreground and background color settings. Additionally, PC- File provides the Customize option that lets you specify the colors for particular screen elements so you can customize your screen colors. The Nautical color scheme is the default for all color monitor cards; Black & White is the default for Hercules cards. If you have a CGA card with a monochrome monitor or an LCD, you might want to switch to Black & White if you didn't during installation. To select a pre-defined color scheme: 1.Choose the option button you want. The colors on your screen change immediately to reflect your choice. Customizing Screen Colors Choosing the Customize button to the right of the User option button displays the Design Colors dialog box. Choosing an option in the list box sets either the background or the foreground color of the designated screen element (with the exception of Window Border, which has only one option). When you choose an option from the list box, that option is highlighted and a checkmark displays to its left indicating it is active. The 16 colored buttons to the right of the list box both set and indicate the current color of the active screen element. An "X" on the color button indicates which color is active for the current screen element. To set colors, choose an item from the list, then choose the desired color button. New color settings are effective immediately, reflected in the colors of the Design Colors dialog box and screen areas visible behind it. If you make a color choice that makes the screen unreadable, such as choosing the same color for both the background and foreground of a screen element, choose another color button. If you decide you don't like the color choices you have made and want to start over, press ESC or choose Cancel. This returns you to the main Configuration window and restores your original colors. Choosing Customize again at this point re- displays the Design Colors dialog box. To customize screen colors: 1.Choose Customize. 2.Choose a screen element to change from the list box. 3.Choose the desired color button. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 258 4.Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each area you want to customize. 5.Choose OK when you are done setting colors. Printer These parameters let you set the default page length, printer, and printer port for your system. You can override these defaults when you print a report, letter, graph, or set of mailing labels if necessary. To set printer defaults: 1.Enter a default page length if different than 66 lines per page. Sixty-six is the standard page length for a dot matrix printer. If you use a laser printer, you probably want to set the page length at 60. If you use paper of a different length, or your printer uses a different line spacing, adjust the page length accordingly. 2.Choose the printer from the list box. If your printer is not listed, press F1 to display the Help window. A list of printers compatible with those shown in the list box displays. If you still don't see your printer, and your printer manual doesn't mention one of the listed printers as compatible, choose User codes from the list. A dialog box displays, allowing you to define the printer codes yourself. Your printer manual If you intend to print to disk rather than to a printer, choose No codes. Printer codes appear as scrambled text and symbols when printed to a file, so it is better to omit them. Choose the printer port. Default Date Format PC-File provides you with convenient ways to format your dates. Using the Default Date Format options in the Configuration window, will apply to any date fields which don't have Date Format field attributes set with the Field Attributes option on the File menu. To have all your date fields display in the same format, use the Default Date Format options in the Configuration window. The default format is Month-Day-Year order, four digit year and slashes (/) as separators. The resulting date for December 29, 1961, would be as follows: 12/29/1961 You change your default date format by changing each of the elements of the format: order, year and separator. Make the choice for each element that accurately reflects your desired date format. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 259 PC-File can accomodate many date formats including those used throughout Europe and Japan. In Switzerland, you might choose Day- Month-Year order, four digit year, and period (.) as a separator. The resulting date would be as follows: 29.12.1961 To set the default date format: 1.Choose an order for month, day and year. 2.Choose either two or four digit years. 3.Choose a separator to use between the elements. Phone Dialer If you use the autodialing feature of PC-File, you'll want to check the dialer parameters in your configuration profile. You can define the modem port, dialing code, long distance prefix, and access prefix. Some of these parameters have defaults that you may need to change. To define dialing parameters: 1.Choose the Phone dialer command button from the configuration window. A dialog box displays. 2.Define the parameters to fit your system. 3.Choose OK. The dialing parameters are defined as follows: Dialing port PC-File assumes your modem is connected to the COM1 port. If it is connected to one of the other COM ports, change the profile accordingly. Modem dialing command The dialing command activates the modem. It essentially tells the modem that you are about to make a call. The default dialing command is ATD. ATD is used with Hayes-compatible modems to make either pulse or tone calls. You can change the command to ATDT if you want to force the modem to use tones, a slightly faster process. You must have a touchtone phone, in that case. You can enter other codes if necessary. See your modem manual for more information. Line access prefix The line access prefix is the number required to dial outside of your office telephone system. Most often this is the number 9. Enter the appropriate prefix for your telephone system. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 260 Long distance prefix The default long distance prefix is 1. If your particular phone system requires a different prefix, enter that here. PC-File sends the long distance prefix when dialing phone numbers that are 10 digits or longer, unless the phone number begins with a zero. For long distance calls outside of the U.S. and Canada, incorporate the long distance prefix into the phone number in your database. When PC-File reads a number that starts with 0, it skips the long distance prefix in your configuration. Also, you should enter "1" in your phone number field for long distance calls within your area, unless your phone company requires you to dial the local area code for long distance calls. If your phone company requires area codes for all long distance calls, enter the area code in your phone number field for all long distance numbers and PC-File will automatically send the long distance prefix. Snapshot The snapshot feature lets you print mailing labels one at a time. If you intend to print snapshot labels, you must follow these initial steps: 1.Define the label report. 2.Assign the label report to a snapshot. 3.Define the output (printer port or file). Steps 2 and 3 are implemented in the configuration profile, and are explained here. Defining a label report is covered Chapter 9, "Using the Mail Label Format." Printing a snapshot is discussed in greater detail in the section on snapshot labels in Chapter 15, "Tools." You can assign up to five labels in a profile. Each label is assigned to a number, which you select when you print the label. Labels are normally assigned within a databasename.PRO file, as you would generally associate a label with a particular database. However, you can assign labels in PCFILE.PRO if you expect to use them with several databases that share the same field names, or if you only have one database. To assign a label and define the output: 1.buttons Choose the Snapshot button. A dialog box with five numbered displays. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 261 2.Choose the number to which you want to assign the label. A file selection dialog box displays. 3.Choose the report upon which the label is based. The output dialog box displays. 4.Choose the printer port or file. If you choose file, PC-File prompts you to name the file. Repeat these steps for each snapshot label. Passwords PC-File allows you to define passwords to prohibit access to specific operations within the program. You can define passwords for all your databases, or for specific databases. The passwords do NOT protect databases from being accessed by unauthorized persons. Passwords in PC-File are mainly designed to prevent users from accidentally performing operations that they don't normally do. If you define a password for a particular function, you must enter the correct password when you access that function. For example, if you define a password for adding data, PC-File prompts you for the password when you choose Add on the Edit menu. If you don't enter the correct password, PC-File won't let you add new records. To prohibit access to certain operations within a specific database, define a database profile and determine your passwords within that profile. If you want to prohibit access within all your databases, you can define passwords within the master profile. If you don't define passwords for a database, all users of the database can perform any operation on that database. You can control access to the following operations with passwords: Adding records (Add) Modifying records (Modify) Deleting records (Delete) Opening the database (Read) Accessing the Utilities menu options and the record, modify, and delete macro options (and associated hot keys). (Utilities) Accessing the Print menu options (Print) PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 262 PC-File passwords are from one to three characters long and can include any character on the keyboard. Here are some valid passwords: TED JR 911 ?%# Hi! Passwords are not case sensitive, so you can type in Ted, ted, or TED for the password TED. If you want, you can use the same password for all password options. NOTE: If you define passwords, write your passwords down somewhere. It's embarrassing to get locked out of your own database. To define passwords: 1.Open the appropriate profile. 2.Choose the Password command button in the configuration window. The password dialog box displays. 3.Type in a password in the text box for each operation that you want to control. Passwords display in the Password dialog box; however, they don't display as you type them in when accessing a restricted part of the program. 4.Choose OK. Case Sensitive PC-File normally treats uppercase and lowercase letters the same throughout the program. However, you can require that PC- File distinguish between the two during searches and/or sorts. With case sensitive searching, PC-File finds records based precisely on how you enter the search criteria. For example, if you request all records for WALLA WALLA, records for Walla Walla and walla walla are not displayed as a result of the search. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 263 With case sensitive indexing, PC-File sorts records based on the rule that uppercase letters precede lowercase letters. For example, BOTHELL would come before Bellevue, as an uppercase O comes before a lowercase e. For the same reason, anchorage would follow Tacoma in a sorted list, and les Baux would follow Zurich. If you change case sensitivity, you have to rebuild existing indexes, using the Index option on the File menu, for the change to take effect. To turn case sensitivity ON: 1.Place a check in the appropriate box by choosing it. Generally, if you want case sensitivity, you would select it for both searches and sorts. Default Database If you use a particular database all or most of the time, you can prompt PC-File to open that database for you automatically when you start PC-File. Define a database default in the master profile (PCFILE.PRO) only. Defining a default database in a database profile is redundant, as a specific database profile doesn't get loaded until the database is opened. To enter a default database: 1.Type the drive, path, and database name in the appropriate text boxes. Enter only the drive letter; no colon is necessary. However, the backslash is necessary before a directory name. You can define just the drive or just the drive and directory if you want. A default path provides a shortcut if you use several databases regularly that are located on the same drive or even in the same directory. It makes opening the database just a little bit quicker. Advanced Profile Parameters Configuration profiles are relatively easy to understand and define when viewed in the configuration window. However, a profile can also be edited or viewed with a text editor (or word processing program). Profiles viewed through a text editor display the parameters as commands, rather than buttons, check boxes, or other forms that they take in the configuration window. For example, to select a printer port in the configuration window, you choose one of the seven option buttons. The same parameter is represented by the command /PRPORT,x (where x is the name of the printer port) when viewed with a text editor. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 264 The major reason for accessing a configuration profile with a text editor is that you can add several parameters here that you can't add in the configuration window. Editing a Profile With a Text Editor To edit a profile with a text editor, start the editor and open the appropriate .PRO file. You will see a file that looks like this: /VIEW,R /PAGELEN,66 /PHPORT,COM1 /PHINIT,ATD /PHLONG,1, /PRPORT,LPT1 /PRINTER,No_Codes Only parameters you have changed appear in the file. The defaults are stored within the program and do not show up in this file. You can add parameters to the file by typing them in at the end of the current text. Place each parameter on a separate line. Hidden Profile Commands Several parameters that you can't add in the configuration window can be added when you use an editor. These parameters are: /MEMOW,n Sets the width of the memo field edit window. For example, to set the width of the window to 75, type /MEMOW,75 in your profile. The maximum width is 78 chartacters. /NOSNOW Changes the way PC-File displays on some CGA monitors to prevent flickering or "snow." /NOXMS Prevents PC-File from using extended memory. /NOEMS Prevents PC-File from using expanded memory. /READONLY Sets the default on the Edit menu to Read-only mode. Adding Commands at the DOS Prompt PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 265 You can change any configuration parameter for the current session of PC-File by adding that parameter to the command when you start the program. For example, you could enter pcf /COLOR,4 at the DOS prompt. The command "pcf" starts PC-File and /COLOR,4 tells the program to change the colors for the current session from the current default to black & white. Separate pcf from the rest of the command(s) with a space. If you need to include more than one command, separate each command with a comma (but no space). Entering a configuration command at the DOS prompt overrides the current default, but does not change the setting in the profile. The next time you start PC-File, the original setting takes effect. You can also set up a batch file containing specific configuration parameters that you want to use at specific times. In a batch file, enter all parameters on one line, like this: pcf /NOSNOW, /READONLY, /CHARMODE Configuration Command Summary The following table lists all of the configuration commands. You can enter these commands in a configuration profile file or at the DOS prompt when starting PC-File. Precede all commands with a forward slash (/) and enter the commands in uppercase letters. Commands that take variables are indicated with an x or n following the command. An n indicates a number or string of numbers separated by commas (e.g. /LANDSCAPE, 27,38,108,49,79), an x indicates a string variable. Use a comma between the command and the variable, with no space. For example, to define a password for data entry, you might enter /ADDPW,jdh. The variable, jdh, is the password you are defining. Command Explanation /ADDPW,x Define password for data entry /BOLD,n Define print codes for boldface type /CASEFIND Set case sensitivity for searches /CASESORT Set case sensitivity for sorts /CHARMODE Set character mode of operation /COLOR,n Set color palette PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 266 /CONDENSED,n Define print codes for condensed type /DATEFORMAT,x Define default date format /DELPW,x Define password to allow deletions /DOUBLEWIDE,n Define print codes for wide type /DRIVE,x Define default drive /FILE,x Define default database /ITALIC,n Define print codes for italic type /LANDSCAPE,n Define print codes for landscape format /MEMOW,n Define the default width of the memo field edit window /MODPW,x Define password for Modify mode /NORMAL,n Define print codes for normal type /NOEMS Prevents use of expanded memory /NOXMS Prevents use of extended memory /NOSNOW Prevents snow on some CGA monitors /PAGELEN,n Define page length /PATH,x Define default path /PHINIT,n Define dialing initialization code /PHPRE,n Define phone line access prefix /PHPORT,x Define modem port /PHLONG,n Define long distance code /PORTRAIT,n Define print codes for portrait print /POSTSCRIPT Set for PostScript output /PRINTPW,x Define password to allow access to Print menu /PROPORTIONAL,n Define print codes for proportional font /PRPORT,x Define printer port /READONLY Set read-only mode as default /SNAP1,x Assign first snapshot label report PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 267 /SNAP2,x Assign second snapshot label report /SNAP3,x Assign third snapshot label report /SNAP4,x Assign fourth snapshot label report /SNAP5,x Assign fifth snapshot label report /SYSPW,x Define password to allow access to Utilities menu /UNDERLINE,n Define print codes for underlined type /USEPW,x Define password to open database /USER1,n Enter user-defined print codes /USER2,n Enter user-defined print codes /USER3,n Enter user-defined print codes /USER4,n Enter user-defined print codes /USER5,n Enter user-defined print codes If you are using a profile defined in a previous version of PC-File, some commands may appear that are not described on the list above. These commands, such as /FG (foreground colors) and /BG (background colors), have been replaced or phased out. They are ignored by the program. Packing a Database When you delete records, PC-File removes the records from view and internally marks them as deleted, but they remain in the database file (.DBF). This allows you to reclaim accidentally deleted records using the Undelete option on the Edit menu. The marked records are still counted as part of the database after deleting them. This is reflected in the number of records displayed at the bottom of the main screen and printed in reports. To remove deleted records from the database permenantly, you mus use the Pack option on the Utilities menu. If the database has memo fields, packing also affects the size of a database's .DBT file by removing any unused memo entries from the .DBT file. Unused memo entries can arise (1) if records with memo entries are deleted, or (2) if a memo is edited in such a way that the disk space the memo originally occupied cannot be reused. How Packing Works PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 268 First, PC-File renames the original database to a temporary name. Then, the active records are copied to new files using the original file names. At minimum, the active records in the .DBF file are copied. If your database has memo fields, the active memos in the .DBT file are also copied. Because packing generates new data files without deleting the originals, completing the packing operation requires about as much available disk space as the original database occupied (this can be somewhat less depending on how many records and memo entries will be removed by packing). Once the .DBF and .DBT files are packed, PC-File rebuilds all indexes for the database and returns you to the database, if the database was open when you started packing. If the database was not open when you started packing, indexes are rebuilt the next time the database is opened. If you have a large database, packing may take a long time. This will vary depending on the number of records removed, the complexity of the indexes that need to be rebuilt, and the speed of your system. In this case, you may want to consider running the packing operation overnight. PC-File renames the original database files to names in the format TMPnnnn.xxx, where "nnnnn" is some number that will create unique file names and "xxx" is the appropriate extension (at minimum, .DBF and .HDB, also .DBT if the database has memo fields). PC-File does this as a security measure to ensure that the original database cannot be damaged if you lose power during the packing operation. The TMPnnnn name is displayed in a message that appears at the end of the packing operation. Write down the TMPnnnn name so you can delete the database with the Utilities, File Management option once you are certain the packing operation was successful. To be more secure, you may want to copy the TMP files to a backup disk and rename them to their original names before deleting them. Assuming the files will fit on the drive you copy them to, you can copy and rename in one operation using a DOS command in the form: COPY c:\path\TMPnnnn.* d:\path\originalname.* where "c:\path" is the location of the original file,"TMPnnnn" is the name PC-File displayed at the end of the packing operation, "d:\path" is the drive and path you want to copy to, and "originalname" is the original name of the database. For example, if you packed a file named CLIENTS located on c:\pcfile\data that was renamed TMP27, you could copy and rename the original files to your A drive using this command: COPY c:\pcfile\data\TMP27.* a:CLIENTS.* NOTE: This command only renames the copied files on drive A, the TMP27 files would remain in c:\pcfile\data and those are the files you would delete to free disk space. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 269 As an alternative to this procedure, you may want to backup your database files before packing. To pack a database: 1.Open the database you want to pack. If no database is open when you choose the Pack option, PC-File will prompt you to choose the database you want to pack using the Open a File dialog box. 2.Choose Utilities. C 3.hoose Pack. 4.Choose Yes to start the packing process. 5.Note the TMP name of the original database and delete it with the Utilities, File Management option once you are certain that packing was successful. Alternatively, copy all files with this name (.HDB, .DBF, and possibly .DBT) as a backup, before deleting them. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 270 Repairing a Database The Repair utility exists to correct certain kinds of damage that can occur to a database file. However, you should not assume that the Repair utility can correct all forms of file damage, or that this means you do not have to maintain regular backups of your files. Above all else, making regular backups of your database-ideally as often as the database is modified- is your best means of data security. See "Backing Up Your Database" for some suggestions on ways to back up databases. Even if you backup regularly, there may be times a database file becomes damaged before it has been backed up. In this case, the following procedures might allow you to reclaim a damaged database. Some of the signs that indicate your database file may be damaged are: "Garbage" characters (characters other than letters, numbers or punctuation) appear in your data, or data is lost. PC-File will not open your database (typically PC-File displays an error message with error code 4097 in this case). PC-File displays an error message (typically with error code 4097) when making new indexes or re-building old indexes. PC-File indicates fewer records than should be in the database. PC-File cannot locate records you know exist. Preliminary Steps In many cases, the problem lies not in the data file, but in problems with one or more of the index files. This can be caused by someone turning off the computer without properly exiting PC-File (using Exit on the File menu), or by power loss or a power surge while PC-File is running. If PC-File can't open your database, follow the procedures described under "To Repair a Database" below. If PC-File can open the database, try rebuilding the indexes using the following steps before trying anything else: To rebuild all indexes 1.Open the database. 2.Choose File. 3.Choose Index Maintenance. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 271 4.Choose Rebuild All. If your database continues to have problems, the next thing to check is to make sure that the problem is not due to an error in the way DOS is storing the data file. For example, if DOS's file information indicates that the data file is smaller than it actually is, PC-File will not be able to read all the records in the database. To cover this possibility, the next thing to try is to run the DOS CHKDSK utility using the /F parameter to make sure that DOS's file information is correct. WARNING: Before running CHKDSK /F, you MUST quit all the way out of PC-File using Exit on the File menu and exit any other program running "on top" DOS, such as Microsoft Windows or a menu program. Failure to do so can damage files. To run CHKDSK against your database: 1.Make a backup of your database. 2.Exit all the way out of PC-File (using Exit on the File menu. DO NOT use CTRL-D or Drop to DOS on the Tools menu) and exit any program running "on top" of DOS such as Microsoft Windows or a menu program. 3.Run the DOS CHKDSK /F command to correct logical file errors (refer to your DOS manual for details). 4.Rebuild all indexes as described above. NOTE: As an alternative to the above procedure, you can use a third- party utility program (such as Norton Utilities, PC- Tools, SpinRite, etc.) to correct file and disk errors. Using Repair If your database still has problems after trying the two procedures above, damage may have occurred to your database's data files (.DBF and .DBT). The reasons this can happen are numerous, but are typically due to something that damages the magnetic information that is stored on your hard drive or floppy disk. For example: Loss of power during a disk operation. Wear and tear on the hard drive surface Physical shocks and poor handling of the hard drive can cause "head crashes" which literally scrape data from the hard drive's platters. Likewise, floppy disks can eventually wear out or become physically damaged. Magnetic damage, static discharge, or power surges PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 272 These environmental influences can erase or corrupt the magnetic information on a disk. "Track Drift" or old formatting When you first purchased your hard drive, it was either formatted at the factory or by a technician. The formatting is the filing system that shows your computer where it can store new files and keeps track of where old files are stored. Over time the tracks of the formatting can drift as the bearings of the hard drive wear, or the formatting (which is magnetic information itself) can fade or become damaged. Hardware errors in the disk controller The disk controller, the part of your computer which controls all access to disk drives, can damage or lose files if it isn't working properly. Program errors An error in any program, or conflicts between simultaneously running programs, can potentially damage disk information. Errors and conflicts which damage files can occur when software accesses the disk, or causes a conflict in RAM. This includes any of the following: application software, such as databases, spreadsheets, or word processors; errors or conflicts with memory-resident software (TSR's and device drivers) such as screen blankers, disk caching, task switching, menus or shells, memory management programs, or drivers for special hardware support; or errors in operating system software, DOS's or windowing OS's. If the damage was relatively minor, and there is no ongoing hardware problem or disk formatting error, you can generally repair damage with the following steps. To Repair a database: 1.Make a backup copy of your database. 2.Run the DOS CHKDSK /F command on the disk where your data resides directly from the DOS command line. 3.WARNING: You MUST fully exit PC-File using Exit on the File menu-NOT CTRL-D or Drop to DOS on the Tools menu. Fully exit any other programs running "on top" of DOS, such as Windows or menu programs, before running the CHKDSK /F command- failure to do so could cause further problems. 4.Correct any problems the CHKDSK command reports before proceeding. Refer to your DOS manual for details on the CHKDSK command. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 273 5.Start PC-File and open the damaged database using the File, Open menu sequence. If PC-File will not open the database, proceed to step 4. 6.Choose Utilities. 7.Choose Repair. If you were unable to open the database in step 3, a file selection dialog box is displayed. Choose the database to repair at this point and choose OK. 8.Choose Yes to scan for illegal characters. A status box displays showing the rate of progress. Some errors are automatically repaired. These errors and repairs are reported as they are encountered. Other errors present an option in this format: Error: This database has: problem PC-File can attempt to repair this problem, but doing so might further damage the database. If you have not made a backup of this database DO NOT choose Yes to proceed. If you have made a backup, you can safely choose Yes. Should PC-File attempt this repair? (Yes/No/Cancel) where "problem" is a brief description of the error in question. Correcting errors of this type might cause further damage to the database, because PC-File has to make certain assumptions that might be incorrect. You should only proceed with these options if you performed all preliminary steps: making a backup and correcting file errors with CHKDSK /F or a third-party utility program. An information box displays at the end of the Repair process indicating what repairs were done. PC-File tests the indexes and rebuilds them, if necessary. If your database still has problems after performing all of the above procedures, try packing the database as described in the section "Packing a Database." Only do this after trying all of the above procedures. If using Repair seemed to make the problems worse (this is possible if the assumptions Repair uses are inappropriate for the detected problem), restore a backup of your database before packing. Packing generates a new copy of the database, which can correct some problems that Repair does not correct due to risk to the original file. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 274 If you still have problems after performing all the above, your file might be irrevocably damaged. Repair utilities such as Ashton-Tate's dBASE File Recovery, or other dBASE file recovery programs can perform more involved repair procedures that might allow you to reclaim the database. It is also possible that hardware or disk errors might be the source of the problem-run a diagnostic program or contact a technician if you suspect this is the source of your problem. Assuming your hardware is fine and your database cannot be recovered with PC-File's Repair command, Pack command, or a third- party repair utility, your only recourse is to restore your most recent backup of the database. Database Description PC-File lets you print a description of your database, listing the fields and the relevant information about each field. Data contained in the fields is not printed, just information on the fields. This feature can be useful when redefining or creating a database, or just as a reminder of field length and type. In fact, it's a good idea to keep on hand a printed description of each of your databases. The Datebase Description has five main parts: Database Structure This section shows the database's field names, a letter for the field type (C=Character, N=Numeric, D=Date, L=Logical, and M=Memo), the data length, and decimal place (only for numeric fields). Indexes This section shows the index search field, followed by the description with the index dBASE expression under it. Field Attributes This section lists any fields that have field attributes assigned, which attributes are associtated with the field, and the "when" assignments for the each attribute. List of Views This section lists all views in the database and their type. Pictures of Custom Record Views If there are any Custom Record views defined for the database a "picture" of each view is printed. If there are no Custom Record views, this section is omitted. The Database Description option gives you three output options: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 275 Printer Prints your database's description using the printer indicated by the current profile. Screen Displays your database's description on screen Disk Stores your database's description in a disk file To produce a database description: 1.Choose Utilities. 2.Choose Ddatabase Description. 3.Choose the database you want a description of, if no database is currently open. 4.Choose Printer to print your database description. Or... Choose Screen to display your database description on screen. Or... Choose Disk to store your database description in a disk file, type the file name, and choose OK. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 276 CHAPTER 14 PRINTING LABELS WITH PC-LABEL PC-Label is unique in that it can be accessed from both the menu and the DOS prompt. This chapter provides information on accessing and using PC-Label. Introduction A mailing label utility is one of the most-commonly used features of a database program. PC-File provides an easy-to- use labels program, PC- Label, that lets you produce mailing labels on almost any stock available. Over a dozen label templates are provided, and you can create your own for those that aren't. PC-Label is actually a separate program that runs with PC- File. In previous versions of PC-File, it was only accessible from the DOS prompt. You can now access PC-Label from the PC- File menu bar as well as from the DOS prompt. NOTE: The mouse is NOT functional within PC-Label, so don't be surprised if you don't see a pointer on the screen when using it. Creating and Printing Mailing Labels The ability to generate mailing labels is one of the most important and useful features of a database program. PC-File provides three options for producing mailing labels. You may find yourself using all three at different times. Choose the method that will do the job you want. Snapshot labels You can print out a single label while entering or displaying a record in a database. This is most useful when you want to print a label as needed or keep track of needed labels one at a time. See Chapter 11, "Utilities," to set up the snapshot label format in your configuration profile, and Chapter 13, "Tools," for information on printing a snapshot label. Single column labels in Reports Use the mailing label format in the Reports option to print out single column labels. Only a minimum amount of formatting is necessary, making this an easy way to print labels if you aren't using multi-column labels. See Chapter 7, "Creating Reports," for more information. PC-Label PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 277 This program, which can be run from the PC-File menu bar or from the DOS prompt, provides the most flexibility. You can set up a template for any label format, compress out lines and spaces, and add text to the labels. PC-Label also handles other kinds of files, not just those from PC-File databases; these include PC-Type, PC- Calc+, and comma-delimited files. This chapter covers only the PC-Label utility. Starting PC-Label PC-Label can be run from within PC-File or from the DOS prompt. If you start within PC-File, the program drops you out to PC-Label. The program works the same way, no matter where you start it from. To start PC-Label from the PC-File menu bar: 1.Open the database you want to use. 2.Choose Utilities from the menu bar 3.Choose Labels from the Utilities menu. The PC-Label Main menu appears. To start PC-Label from the DOS prompt: 1.Move to the directory that contains your PC-File program files. 2.Type pclabel at the DOS prompt and press ENTER. You can add a file specification to your start command if you have an existing label definition and plan to use it immediately. For example, you might enter pclabel c:\pcfile\members.lbl to start up the label program and load the members.lbl label definition at the same time. Otherwise, you can load the defined label once you start the label program. If you have a graphics monitor that doesn't support color (not just a standard monochrome screen), enter pclabel /green at the prompt to set your colors to black and white. Once you start PC-Label, the PC-Label Main Menu appears. The PC-Label Main Menu All options necessary to create and print labels are provided from the Main Menu. The options are defined as follows: Load existing setup If you have created a label definition in the past, you can load that definition and start printing labels. Define/modify setup PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 278 Use this option to define the parameters for a label. The parameters include the label dimensions, number of labels across the page, label layout, number of copies of each label you want printed, and several other factors that determine how your labels will look. Print labels Once you have loaded or defined a label definition, you can print the labels. Save current setup Unless you know you will never print labels again, save your label definition for future use. The label definition is saved to a file with the extension .LBL. Like a report file, this file contains the definition only (essentially a list of the parameters you defined in the setup), not the actual data that prints on each label. Quit/Exit PC-Label Exit from PC-Label when you have finished. You will return to where you came from, either the PC-File menu bar or the DOS prompt. The first four options on the menu are covered in detail below. Loading an Existing Label Setup Use the Load existing setup option to load a label definition that has been previously defined. Once the setup is loaded, choose Define/modify setup to modify the setup. Choose Print labels to print a set of labels. If you want to use an existing label setup with a new database, load that setup and change only the Label source location (database path and name) parameter on the setup screen. Then save the setup and give it a new name. To load an existing label setup: Choose Load existing setup on the PC-Label Main Menu. Enter the path and label filename in the edit box. You don't need to enter the .LBL extension. If the label file resides on the current directory, just enter the file name, without a path. The program assumes the current directory. As an alternative, just enter the path for the label file. The program displays a list of the label files on that directory, from which you can choose the one you want. Defining or Modifying a Setup PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 279 You must define a setup before you can print labels. A label setup is defined on the setup screen, a menu of over a dozen parameters that determine the format and look of your labels. To display the setup screen, choose Define/modify setup on the PC-Label Main Menu. The settings for each parameter are shown in the center of the screen. A window of helpful information appears on the right. The information is pertinent to the setting currently highlighted, and changes as you move through the settings. Most of the parameters have default settings already in place. You can leave or change these defaults. To change a default or enter new information, highlight the appropriate field, then press ENTER. Pressing ENTER activates the field. Once you do this, one of four things happens: An edit window displays, allowing you to enter information The field toggles to another option A menu of options displays, allowing you to choose one A new screen appears, allowing further input It is important that you check each parameter and make sure the settings are correct for your needs. At the bare minimum, however, give attention to three parameters: Label Source Location Label Sheet definition Label layout You can't print a label unless you have defined these parameters. All the parameters are covered in detail below. To define a label setup: 1.Choose Define label setup from the PC-Label Main Menu. 2.Choose a Label Source Type and enter a Label Source Location, if it isn't filled in already. PC-Label won't allow you to make other changes or entries without first choosing the database you are using. 3.Define any other options according to your needs. Most important are the Label Sheet definition and Label layout options. You can't print labels without laying out the label. For all options on the Setup screen, highlight the option and press ENTER to make any changes to it. 4.Press F10 when you finish to return to the PC-Label Main Menu. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 280 5.Unless you know you will use this setup only once, save it by choosing Save current setup from the Main Menu. To modify a label setup: 1.Choose Load existing setup from the PC-Label Main Menu. 2.Choose the label file you want to modify. 3.Choose Define/modify setup from the PC-Label Main Menu. 4.Make your changes to the setup. 5.Press F10 to return to the Main Menu. 6.Choose Save current setup from the menu. 7.Press ENTER twice to save the setup with the same name. An explanation of each parameter on the setup screen follows. Label Source Type Choose the type of data file that you are using for your source. In most cases, you will use the default of PC-File, which includes all recent versions of PC-File and dBASE. PC-Label lets you use any of the following types of data files: PC-File 7 This is the default option that is used to print labels with PC- File 7 databases. The following options are only used with files produced by other ButtonWare programs and ASCII files. PC-File 6 Along with databases created in PC-File 6.0, 5.0, and PC- File:dB, this format includes dBASE III, dBASE III Plus, and dBASE IV files. PC-Label looks for a file with a .DBF extension. PC-File+ This earlier version of PC-File used files with extensions .DTA, .HDR, and .INX. PC-Label looks for all three types of files when you use this format. PC-Calc+ ButtonWare's spreadsheet program files use the file extension .PCC. Comma-delimited PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 281 Files of this type consist of data fields separated by commas. Often, double quotation marks are used around each field in addition to the commas. A carriage return ends each record, occasionally with a line feed as well. ASCII-L Files of this type consist of fixed length fields with no separators between them. Each record ends with a carriage return and sometimes a line feed. PC-Label prompts you to set the length of each field when you get ready to print. Indicate the length of each field by filling the space with a different character (letter) from the keyboard. ASCII-C Files of this type consist of one field on each line. Each record is separated by one or more blank lines. To set the Label Source Type: 1.Highlight the Label Source type field. 2.Press ENTER repeatedly to toggle through the list of source types. PC-File is the default. Label Source Location The Label Source Location is the actual file that contains the data for the labels. PC-Label requires both the path and the database name. Don't use any file extension. If you opened a database before starting Labels from the menu bar in PC-File, the path and database name are displayed here already. To enter the label source: 1.Highlight the Label Source Location field and press ENTER. 2.Enter the path and database name in the edit window at the bottom of the screen. The file extension is not necessary unless PC-Label prompts you for it. For example, type c:\pcfile\sample\members. As an alternative, enter just the path and press ENTER. A list of the databases in the directory displays. Choose the database you want. 3.If the database is in the current directory, press ENTER to bypass the edit window and display the menu of databases; or just type the name of the database in the edit window. NOTE: If you select comma-delimited, ASCII-L, or ASCII-C as the source type, you have to indicate a file extension. For example, if your comma-delimited file has the extension .WS, type ws when prompted for the extension. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 282 Define Search (and switch indexes) PC-Label lets you print all the records in the database, or a selected group of them. The default is to print all the records. To print a selected group, choose this option and define the group you want to select. The Define Search option also lets you change indexes for a PC-File database. If you have multiple indexes, use this option to select an alternate index. The new index changes the order of the labels during printing. The procedures for defining the search vary slightly, depending on the type of database file you are using. The procedures for a PC-File file are spelled out first, followed by the procedures for all other types of files. To define the search for PC-File databases or to change indexes: 1.Highlight the Define Search field and press ENTER. A menu listing the indexes in your database appears. The current index is highlighted. 2.Choose the index for the order you want to print in. A menu appears, providing options for selecting records. If you just wanted to change indexes, press ENTER to return to the setup screen. Otherwise, proceed to the next step. 3.Choose the type of search you want to conduct. For Simple searches, highlight the appropriate field and press ENTER. Enter the string of data you want the program to search for in selecting records. For Formula searches, enter the search command in the edit window at the bottom of the screen. PC-Label supports all of the search capabilities of PC-File. See Chapter 5, "Finding and Modifying Data," for more information on conducting searches. To define the search for other types of databases: 1.Highlight the Define Search field and press ENTER. A menu appears, providing search options. 2.Choose the type of search you want to conduct. For Simple searches, highlight the appropriate field and press ENTER. Enter the string of data you want the program to search for in selecting records. For Formula searches, enter the search command in the edit window at the bottom of the screen. Output Destination PC-Label lets you print to a printer or to a file. Use the Output destination option to set the port to which your printer is connected or to name the file. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 283 The default for this field is LPT1, the first parallel port. Most dot matrix and laser printers use LPT1. However, printers can be connected to LPT2 or to a serial (COM) port. Printing your labels to a file can be useful for a couple of reasons. You can edit the labels with a word processing program. You can also print the labels directly from the file using the DOS PRINT command and continue working in the database at the same time. NOTE: Be sure you have enough space on your disk if you print labels to a file. A large database of names can take up a lot of space. To set an alternative printer port: 1.Highlight the Output destination field and press ENTER. 2.Press ENTER again when asked for a file extension. 3.When prompted for the path, press ENTER. 4.When prompted for the file name, enter the printer port device name. For example, type lpt2 to print to the second parallel port. NOTE: If you want to print to a serial port, such as COM1, be sure to initialize your printer by using the DOS MODE command. Consult your DOS manual for further instructions on this procedure. To print to a file: 1.Highlight the Output destination field and press ENTER. 2.Enter the file extension (without the period) of the file to which you want to print the labels. For example, type txt in the edit window and press ENTER. Leave this blank if no file extension is desired. Just be sure that if you want to access the file with a word processing program, the extension is compatible with that program. 3.Enter the path name when prompted. Press ENTER to bypass the path if you want to be in the current directory. 4.Choose a file from the list that PC-Label displays. Normally you'll choose New File from this list. 5.Name the file if you are creating a new file, and press ENTER. No. of Copies You can print up to 99 copies of your labels. If you want to print more copies than that, you will have to choose the print option more than once. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 284 The default is 1. To define the number of copies: 1.Highlight the No. of copies field and press ENTER. 2.Enter the number of copies in the edit window at the bottom of your screen. Copies Definition PC-Label ignores this option unless you choose to print more than one copy of your labels. If you do print multiple copies, you can print them one of two ways: By Group or By Label. By Group PC-Label prints all of the records once, then prints the entire group again, repeating until the desired number of copies has been printed. Thus, if you decided to print five copies of your labels, the entire set of labels would print out once, then again and again until you had printed it five times. By Group is the default. By Label PC-Label prints the first record the desired number of times, then prints the second record the desired number of times, and so on until all records are printed the specified number of times. Thus, if you decided to print five copies of your labels, the first record would print five times, then the second record would print five times, and so on. No matter which way you choose, consider changing the Formfeed option (described below) to End of each set. By doing that, the printer kicks out the last sheet of each set of labels before beginning the next set. That way each set of labels would be on separate sheets. However, that option can also prove to be wasteful of labels. To define how additional copies are printed: Highlight the Copies definition field. Press ENTER to toggle between the two options. Compress Blank Lines Line compression is important for maintaining the appearance of your labels. Without line compression, you can end up with blank lines in many of the labels. For example, if you're printing five lines of information, and one line is empty for a particular record, line compression prevents PC-Label from leaving a gaping hole in that label. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 285 Line compression removes blank lines from within a label and replaces them at the end of the label. That way the number of lines in a label remains constant, maintaining the proper formatting for the entire sheet. The sample labels below illustrate the differences between printing labels with line compression and without line compression. Compress Blank Lines YES Janet Ratite 438 Savannah Way Seattle, WA 98103 Robert T. Hare Rapid Flo Corp. 8900 Brushwood Avenue Redmond, WA 98052 Compress Blank Lines NO Janet Ratite 438 Savannah Way Seattle, WA 98103 Robert T. Hare Rapid Flo Corp. 8900 Brushwood Avenue Redmond, WA 98052 To set the line compression option: 1.Highlight the Compress blank lines field. 2.Press ENTER to toggle between YES and NO The default is YES (line compression is on). Centering This option lets you center each record vertically and horizontally on the label, based on the longest line and the number of lines within each record. If you leave centering off, PC-Label starts each label at the same place on the same line. Centering overrides the fixed placement of fields which you establish when you lay out a label. Label layout is covered later in this chapter. However, centering does not mean centering each line of an address on the label. PC-Label doesn't do that. Each record is centered as a whole. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 286 Whether or not you center is largely an aesthetic decision. However, centering can sometimes cause problems with alignment of multi-column labels. If you want to center multi-column labels, leave the centering option off until you make sure the labels are aligned, then turn the centering option on. To set the centering option: 1.Highlight the Centering field. 2.Press ENTER to toggle between YES and NO. The default is YES. Pause If Truncation Data that doesn't fit within the space you have defined on a label will be truncated (cut off). You can ask PC-Label to alert you every time that occurs while you are printing. You may want to set this option ON the first time you run a set of labels in order to check for any field length problems. Truncated addresses can result in mail being returned because of incomplete addresses. Once you are satisfied that all your data fits, turn this option OFF. To set the Pause if truncation option: 1.Highlight the Pause if truncation field. 2.Press ENTER to toggle between YES and NO. The default is NO. Escape Code Toggle You may want to print the first line of your mailing labels in bold face, or perhaps include a return address in italics. To use a type style other than regular type, follow these steps: 1.Toggle the Escape Code Toggle ON. 2.Set the escape codes for your printer. 3.Place the codes on the label when you lay it out. Setting the escape codes is explained in the following section (Print Escape Code) and placing the codes on the label is explained in the section on Label Layout later in this chapter. To set the Escape code toggle: 1.Highlight the Escape code toggle field. 2.Press ENTER to toggle the Escape codes ON and OFF. The default is ON. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 287 If you don't use any escape codes in your label format, this feature is ignored, whether it is on or off. NOTE: If you print to a file, escape codes appear as garbled text. If you have used escape codes in your label, turn the toggle OFF when printing to a file, unless you will be printing the file later and wish to retain the escape codes. Print Escape Code Printers print in normal typeface unless they are told otherwise. To tell a printer to use bold face, you must send the printer an escape code. Then you must send another escape code to tell it to return to normal type. Each printer understands specific escape codes for each of the various character formats (bold, italic, underline, subscript, etc.) and different printers understand different codes. If you want to use various character formats in your labels, you must tell PC- Label what codes your printer understands. To do that, you use the Print Escape Code option on the Setup menu. NOTE: Any print codes set in the configuration profile don't apply to PC-Label. Highlight the Print Escape Code field and press ENTER. A dialog box appears. The Print Escape Code Menu displays escape codes for all Epson dot matrix printers and any other printers set to an Epson mode. If you are using this type of printer, your work is probably done. If you are using a different printer, consult the printer manual for the printer escape codes. The menu has two parts. At the top is the setup code. This is the field that is highlighted when the menu first appears. Below that is a listing of five individual character formats and the printer escape codes that turn them on and off. The two parts are discussed separately. Setup Code The setup code field lets you enter an all-encompassing escape code for your labels. If you wanted to print your entire label in italics or condensed type, for example, you would enter the appropriate escape code here. You would not have to place a code on the label definition itself. Character Formats You can access and change the information in any of the three columns on the menu. The center column lists the character format, the left column indicates the printer escape code that turns that character format on and the right column indicates the printer escape code that turns it off. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 288 To make changes to the formats and codes, highlight the appropriate entry and type your change into the edit window that appears. Press ENTER to replace the previous entry with your change. You only need to correct those codes that you plan to use. If your printer reads different codes than the ones shown, but you only plan to use the bold format in your labels, you need only change the escape codes for bold. The other formats and their escape codes will be ignored. If you want to use a format that is not listed, such as small capitals or double wide letters (available on some dot matrix printers), enter the format name in the center column over one of the current formats. Then enter the escape codes listed in your printer manual that turn the format on and off. Escape codes normally consist of two or three characters. These characters can be entered as decimal values between braces, or the actual character can be entered using ALT and the numeric keypad. For example, the Epson dot matrix code to turn off bold face is {27}{65} in decimal and _A using the ALT key and keypad. You can also mix the two ({27}A), as the default values indicate. Label Sheet Definition PC-Label provides 14 templates from which you can choose the one that matches your label stock. If none of them match, you can design a layout that will. To select a template: 1.Highlight the Label Sheet definition field and press ENTER. A window listing the label template options appears. 2.Highlight the template that matches your label stock. The dimensions of your label stock should be listed on the side of the box containing the labels. Choose User-defined if none of the templates match your label stock. 3.Press ENTER to close the window. If you selected a template, you return to the Setup menu. The template you selected is now listed on the screen. If you selected User-defined, a label definition screen displays on which you can create your own template. NOTE: If your labels are 1" high, use the 15/16" equivalent. The other sixteenth of an inch is the space between each label. Creating your Own Template PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 289 To create your own template, first choose the template that most closely resembles the template you have in mind. Then, when you choose User-defined, the values for that template display as the defaults. For example, if you are working with labels that are 4 x 1 1/3 (2- up), choose a template like 4 x 1 7/16 (2-up). That way you have to change fewer values when you define the template. The procedures for creating a user-defined template are explained below, followed by a description of the Label Sheet Format Definition screen. To create a User-defined label template: 1.Highlight the option Label Sheet definition and press ENTER. 2.Choose the template that most closely resembles the template you want to design. 3.Press ENTER to display the list of template options again. 4.Choose User-defined from the menu of templates. The Label Sheet Format Definition screen appears. It is here you create a template. 5.Highlight each option you want to change and press ENTER to activate it. 6.Fill in the proper dimension in the edit window that appears at the bottom of the screen for each option. 7.Test your answers by printing out a test sheet of labels. 8.Make any necessary changes to the label dimensions. 9.Press F10 when you finish to return to the setup screen. The User-defined Template Options Each of the options on the template is described below. Number of labels across Indicate the number of labels printed across your label sheet. The minimum is one, the maximum is 25. Width of label and space between Enter the number of characters from the left edge of one label to the left edge of the next label. This field is ignored with single column labels. Label width PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 290 Enter the number of characters that represent the width of a label. Most printers are set up to print 10 characters per inch, but this is not always the case, particularly if you are using condensed or elite type. Check your printer fonts if you have problems with this dimension. Top margin Enter the number of lines at the top of each sheet of labels. This option is only in effect when you feed sheets of labels manually and have set the Feed method (the next option on the setup menu) to By Sheet. Continuous feeding ignores this option. Number of labels down Enter the number contained in one column of one page of labels. Height of label and space between Enter the number of lines from the top of one label to the top of the next label. This is normally one line more than the label height. Label height Enter the number of lines on one label. Run a test Press ENTER with the Make template field highlighted to print a test sheet. Follow the directions on the screen to check your dimensions. If they are not correct, make the necessary changes and run another test. Feed Method PC-Label lets you choose between two methods of paper feed: Continuous and By Sheet. The default is Continuous, as this is the normal method for most printers, including laser printers. However, if you must feed each sheet of labels manually, or want a pause between each page, choose the By Sheet method. To set the feed method: Highlight the Feed method field Press ENTER to toggle between Continuous and By Sheet. Formfeed PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 291 This option lets you add an extra form feed for specific instances where it might be necessary. There are three settings: None, End of each sheet, and End of each set. Which setting you choose depends partly on the feed method you selected in the previous option. None In most cases you want to leave the formfeed off (set to None). More than likely your printer will formfeed automatically after each sheet and at the end of the printing. End of each sheet Choose this option only if you are using the By Sheet feed method. This forces the last page or any other pages that are not fully printed to kick out of the printer. End of each set Choose this option if you are using continuous feed and are printing more than one set (copy) of labels. This option will kick out a page at the end of each set, thus forcing the next set to start on a new page. A set consists of one "print" of labels, whether printed By Group or By Label (see Copies Definition above). To set the formfeed: 1.Highlight the Formfeed field. 2.Press ENTER to toggle between None, End of each sheet, and End of each set. The default is None. Label Layout Use the Label Layout option to design how your labels will look. Designing a label encompasses locating the fields, adding text, defining the borders, and adding character formatting. There is no default layout or template for the design of an individual label, so you must define this option. Your labels will not print unless you do. To layout a label, highlight the option and press ENTER. The edit window in the center of the screen is sized according to the dimensions you selected under the Label Sheet Definition option. It is within this window that you define your label. This operation is explained below. Locating Fields and Text PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 292 All the fields in the database are listed at the top of the screen. Each field is numbered; use the numbers to locate the fields on the label rather than the names. The last four fields listed are system fields. These fields can be used for all labels. They are explained in detail later. Text intended to appear on all labels can be entered directly onto the label definition. For example, if your labels are large enough, you could enter a return address in the top left corner. All fields, including system fields, and text must be preceded by either of two location markers: the at sign (@) or the question mark (?). These markers are used as follows: At sign (@) Fix the data or text at a specific location by preceding it with the @. The field or text that follows the @ will always start in the spot where you have placed it on the label. The @ itself marks the beginning of the field. Question mark (?) Precede fields or text with a ? when you want the data to slide to the left until it encounters other data, the left margin of the label as defined by the left bracket ( [ ), or the left edge of the label. The use of brackets is explained later in this section. I Using System Fields The four system fields provide extra features that can be added to your labels. The system fields are located on a label definition in the same way as a data field, using the number in place of the field name and preceding the field number with an @ or ?. Recno This field lets you print the current record number on each label, based on the current index. Date Use this field to print the current date, taken from the system calendar. Time Use this field to print the current time, taken from the system clock. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 293 Keyin Use this field to enable you to enter data from the keyboard onto each label. The printer pauses when it encounters this field in each label. Press ENTER when you finish keying in data to continue printing. Unlike other fields, you must define the size of a keyin field. You do this by following the keyin field number with any character from the keyboard, repeated until the end of the field. For example, if you want to define a keyin field eight characters long, you might enter @18aaaaaa Note that the "18" is considered part of the eight character spaces following the @ or ?. You can replace the a's with any other keyboard characters, other than those reserved for other use on the label, such as the @, ?, and the brackets used around field names. Centering the Label and Compressing Lines Use square brackets [ ] to define specific areas within a label for centering and line compression. Follow these guidelines for using brackets. If Centering and Line compression are turned off, brackets have no effect. If either centering or line compression, or both, are turned on, the entire label is affected if you do not use brackets. If either or both functions are turned on, and you do use brackets, only the part of the label enclosed by brackets is affected. Thus, not using brackets is the same as using brackets around the entire label (if centering or line compression is turned on). Adding Character Formatting You can add character formatting to a label if you have toggled the Escape code ON and defined the printer escapes codes for your printer. If so, the character formats for which you have defined escape codes are displayed at the bottom of your screen, below the edit window. Each one is indicated by a print marker, such as <<1>> or <<4>>. Use these print markers to indicate character format changes on the label. To indicate a change in character formatting, place the print marker at the spot where the change occurs. For example, to make a particular field bold, you might locate a field like this: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 294 ?<<1>>9<<2>> Note that the print marker follows the ? or @ for the field it affects. Use no more than 16 different print markers in one label definition, and only one for each field or text entry. In other words, you cannot combine bold and italic formatting for a particular field or text entry. Also, do not change the type size when printing multi-column labels. Workspace Drive PC-Label uses a small amount of temporary work space when printing labels. This work space, amounting to eight bytes per label, is placed in a temporary file. Use this option to indicate the drive on which that file is placed. To set the workspace drive: 1.Highlight the Workspace drive field and press ENTER. 2.Enter the drive in the edit window that appears. The default is C. NOTE: The temporary file is removed from your disk when PC- Label has finished processing. However, be sure you have enough space to accommodate the temporary file when printing labels. Printing Labels When you first start printing a set of labels, you need to make sure the label stock is correctly aligned in the printer and that the parameters you have defined for the label definition are correct. PC- Label lets you check these by providing a test option at the start of printing. Use this option to make sure everything is lined up correctly. When you choose Print labels on the PC-Label Main Menu, your labels are printed to the printer or to a file, depending on the output destination you chose on the Setup screen. The two operations are handled in different ways by the program and are covered separately below. To print labels to a printer: 1.Choose Print labels from the PC-Label Main Menu. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 295 2.Choose Yes or No to position your label sheet in the printer. Choose Yes if you are unsure of the placement of the label stock in your printer. PC-Label goes through a set of screens that will help you position the first sheet properly. Choose No if you are familiar with placing the label stock in the printer. 3.If you chose Yes to the previous step, choose Yes or No when the program prompts you to align the labels again. Choose Yes to test the alignment again. Choose No if you feel certain the alignment is correct. 4.Choose Yes, No, or Yes & don't ask, or press ESC, when PC- Label displays the first label and asks if you want to print it. Choose Yes to print it. Choose No to skip this label and continue to next label. Choose Yes & don't ask to print all the labels without reviewing them on the screen. Press ESC to display the following prompts: Abort-to abort the printing process (to return to the main menu) Backup-to backup to the previous label Continue-continue the printing process Choose the appropriate response. To print labels to a file: 1.Choose Print labels on the PC-Label Main Menu. 2.Enter the extension, then the path and file name to which you want to print the labels. 3.Choose Yes, No, or Yes & don't ask when PC-Label displays the first label and asks if you want to print it. Choose Yes to print the label to the file. Choose No to abort the process. Choose Yes & don't ask to print all the labels without reviewing them on the screen. Press ESC to display the following prompts: Abort-to abort the printing process (to return to the main menu) Backup-to backup to the previous label Continue-continue the printing process Choose the appropriate response. Saving the Current Setup Once you have defined a label setup, you should save it for future use. You can save it before or after you print labels with it, but be sure to save it before you exit from PC-Label or it will be lost. A label setup is saved in a file with an .LBL extension. PC- Label adds this extension automatically when you name the file. To save the current setup: 1.Choose Save current setup on the PC-Label Main Menu. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 296 2.Enter the path (drive and directory) where you want the file to be stored. Do NOT include the file name. If you want to store the file on the current directory, press ENTER to bypass this box. 3.Choose New File.LBL from the list that displays to save the setup with a new name. Choose another file name if you want to save the setup to a current file, overwriting that file in the process. 4.Enter the name of the file if you chose New File.LBL. Follow DOS filename rules in naming the file. You don't need to enter the extension, as PC-Label adds it automatically. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 297 CHAPTER 15 TOOLS PC-File includes four small utilities, all easily accessible from the Tools menu or with a hot key. You can have PC-File dial a phone number for you, drop to the DOS prompt, print a single label, or perform a calculation. PC-File also has a spell checking utility for correcting spelling errors in fields and letters. This chapter explains how to use these features. Overview PC-File provides several options on the Tools menu that perform small but very useful tasks. For example, you can temporarily drop out of PC- File, grab almost all of the memory used by the program, run another program, then return to the same spot without losing a step. PC-File also treats you like a CEO. Display a record on the screen and the program will dial the phone for you and tell you when to pick up the receiver. The Tools options are explained briefly below and in more detail in the sections that follow. Option Hot key Action Drop to DOS CTRL-D Lets you issue DOS commands and run other programs Telephone Dialer CTRL-J Dials the phone number selected on the current record Snapshot Label CTRL-L Prints a mailing label for the current record Calculator CTRL-C Lets you enter and memorize a calculation Dropping to DOS The Drop to DOS option lets you exit from PC-File temporarily. You can then issue DOS commands or even run another program. When you return to PC-File, you are in the same place you left off. You may want to copy a file or group of files to another directory, or perhaps delete files to make more room for data. Or you may want to open another program, such as a spreadsheet, and look at a file from which you are about to import data. Before you drop to DOS, determine what action you intend to take. There are two forks in the road as you drop to DOS, and the action you intend to take determines the forks you should follow. The two forks involve: Issuing single or multiple DOS commands Deciding whether you need to free up memory PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 298 Single or Multiple DOS Commands? When you choose Drop to DOS from the Tools menu (or press CTRL-D), PC- File displays a dialog box. To issue a single DOS command, type the command in the dialog box. Once DOS completes the command, press any key to return to PC-File. To issue multiple commands, leave the text box empty and choose OK. PC- File takes you to the DOS prompt, from which you can enter multiple commands. When you are ready to return to PC-File, type exit at the DOS prompt and press ENTER. If you want to open another program, you can do it either from the dialog box or from the DOS prompt. If you have to change directories first, you need to move to the DOS prompt, as multiple commands are needed. Free Up Memory? Once you enter a command in the dialog box, PC-File asks if you want to free up memory. In most cases, answer Yes if you plan to run another program, or answer No if you are just issuing DOS commands. In rare cases, the opposite may be true. If your computer has a lot of memory, you may not have to free up memory to run some programs. If you have a minimum of memory, you may have to free up some just to run a series of DOS commands. PC-File frees up memory by writing a temporary file to disk. The temporary file contains the actions you have taken in PC- File, so you can return to where you left off. All but just over 20K of memory that PC-File normally uses is freed up. NOTE: Be sure you don't delete the temporary file written by PC-File. Temporary files are named TEMPxxxx.PCF, with the x's being any combination of characters. NOTE: Though dropping to DOS should not interfere with PC- File, it is recommended that you save whatever you are currently working on. For example, if you are creating a report, save the report, then drop to DOS. While unlikely, it is possible you could run out of memory and have to reboot. Autodialing a Phone Number Along with its main function as a database program, PC-File includes several important features of a communications program. If you have a modem, you can display records that include phone numbers and use PC- File to dial the phone. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 299 As an added bonus, PC-File keeps track of your phone calls. After a call ends, an entry is made in a telephone log file, which you can later use to verify the charges on your phone bill. NOTE: You can't use PC-File to "talk" to another computer, such as a bulletin board, or to a fax machine. It's only useful for talking to another person (or listening to an answering machine or voice mail). Autodialing Requirements To make use of the autodialing feature, you need the following equipment and data: Communications port You must have a serial communications port on your computer. This can be COM1, COM2, COM3, or COM4. Modem You must have a "Hayes compatible" modem connected to your communications port. It doesn't have to actually be a Hayes modem. It just has to be able to recognize a few of the Hayes modem commands. Most modems can do this. The modem is essential because PC-File uses it to actually place the phone call. After the phone number has been dialed, the modem is no longer needed. PC-File bypasses the modem so you can talk on your handset. Handset This is the actual telephone. Plug the telephone into the modem. There's usually a connector on the modem that says "to phone" or "handset", or something similar. You can use a dial (pulse) or touch-tone phone. PC-File assumes you have a dial phone unless you specify you have a touch-tone phone by changing the modem dialing command in your configuration profile. See Chapter 13, "Utilities," for information. Database You must have some phone numbers that PC-File can use to place the call. The phone numbers come from a field in a database. The database might be a "customer" database, or a "sales leads" database, or any type of database that contains phone numbers. The phone number must be in a field named "phone", or have "phone" as part of the name. You can have multiple phone fields in a database, as PC-File prompts you for the number you want to call if it detects more than one phone number field. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 300 Setting Up a Database for Autodialing If you intend to use the autodialing features of PC-File, check your configuration profile to make sure the modem port and dialer settings are correct. (See the section on configuration in Chapter 13, "Utilities," for information.) Then follow these guidelines when defining your database: The phone field When the telephone dialer is activated, it looks at each of the field names in the database. If any field name includes the characters "phone", that field is assumed to contain a phone number. Be sure to use the word "phone" in the appropriate field(s). If you have multiple phone fields, PC-File will prompt you to select one of them when you make a call. The phone number The phone numbers should normally be entered as numeric digits (though the field should be a character-type field). Some modems can translate characters to digits, but many can't. Thus, it is recommended that you enter (800)J-BUTTON as (800)528-8866. You can include spaces, parentheses, or hyphens for clarity, although they aren't required. Embedded commands You can include Hayes modem commands in the phone number field, though they are normally unnecessary. PC-File automatically sends the ATD command to alert the modem that you are about to use it. Other commands, such as including a 9 before the number to dial out of an office, should be included in the phone access commands in the configuration profile. See Chapter 13, "Utilities," for information on setting up your phone profile. See your modem manual for information on Hayes modem commands. Comments If you want to include a comment (information that will not be sent to the modem) in a phone number field, precede the comment with a semicolon. For example, you might type 528- 8866; ask for Janet. Long distance codes For long distance calls outside of your area code, don't include the "1" (long distance access code) with the phone number. You do need to include the area code, however. PC-File automatically adds the 1 for all phone numbers that are 10 digits or longer, unless the number starts with a zero (calls outside the U.S. and Canada). PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 301 For long distance calls within your area code, you must include the "1," unless your local phone company requires you to dial the area code for long distance calls within your area code. In that case, treat it like any other long distance number and enter the area code into your phone field. Here are some valid phone numbers: 528-8866 a local call 1-528-8866 long distance within the area code 1 528 8866 same as above (206) 528-8866 long distance to a different area code 206-528-8866 same as above 011-312-322-1 foreign call (PC-File doesn't send a 1) Placing a Call Be sure the modem and telephone are hooked up correctly and the port and access codes are properly configured in the database configuration profile. To place a call: 1.Display the record containing the phone number you wish to call. You can be in either Modify mode or Read-only mode. If you are in a Table view, highlight the record. You do not have to highlight the phone field itself. You must have the record itself displayed. You can't place a call from a letter or report that contains phone number data. 2.Choose Tools from the menu bar. 3.Choose Telephone dialer from the Tools menu. As an alternative to steps 2 and 3, press CTRL-J to activate autodial. To recall this hot key, remember that the J stands for Jingle. 4.Choose the phone number to call if there is more than one phone field in the record. PC-File displays a dialog box listing the phone numbers when multiple phone fields are defined in a record. 5.Wait while the call is being made. Normally you can hear the modem dialing and the rings or busy signal that follow. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 302 6.Pick up the handset and press ENTER as instructed on the screen. Pressing ENTER starts the timer that records the length of the call. Picking up the handset releases the modem from the phone line. Do NOT pick up the handset until the dialing is completed, as it interrupts the dialing process. 7.Press ENTER again when you finish the call to stop the timer, then replace the handset. If you need to use your computer while you're talking on the phone, you can stop the timer whenever you want. This removes the timing message from the screen, but allows you to continue the phone conversation. Of course, the entry in your phone log will reflect a shorter call duration due to the early stoppage of the call timer. The Phone Log A different phone log is kept for each database. The log is called databasename.CDS. PC-File adds a new entry in the .CDS file for each call. The entry always includes the current date, phone number dialed, starting time and call duration, and the port to which the modem is connected. The program also picks up information from any fields which include the characters "name", "company", "city", "state", and "country". Printing and Displaying a Phone Log All of the information in the phone log is in ASCII character format. Thus, you can display or print out your phone log using any program that reads ASCII files. This includes most text editors and word processing programs. NOTE: If you have to change the extension .CDS to a different extension in order to display the file in a word processing program, be sure to save it back as a text file if you want to continue adding phone calls to it. You can also print the log directly by using the DOS PRINT command. At the DOS prompt, type print databasename.cds and press ENTER. Be sure you are in the same directory as the file. The log prints to the default printer. Deleting a Phone Log Each phone call made is added to the end of the current database phone log. If you want to clean out the phone log and start a fresh one, just delete the file using the DOS DELETE or ERASE command. For example, type del databasename.cds at the DOS prompt and press ENTER. PC-File automatically creates a new log for the database the next time you make a call. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 303 Taking Snapshot Labels Snapshot labels let you print a single mailing label for the currently displayed record. This can be a handy feature, particularly for those users that take phone orders or for one reason or another want to print out labels one at a time. You can also print snapshot labels to a file, then print them out all at once at a later time. That might be a better way to do it, if you are not set up for printing single labels. You can also use this feature to save snippets of information other than mailing labels. In fact, the snapshot label feature can be used for a wide variety of possibilities. For example, you can set up a phone log format to remember who called. You can format envelopes with both a mailing and return address, using the Free form format in Reports. You can format a COD label or invoicing form for quick printing. You can even print snapshot letters if you want. Snapshot Label Procedures "Snapping" a snapshot label is a simple process, but there are several preliminary steps before you can actually take the snapshot. To define and take a snapshot label: 1.Define a report structure for your snapshot label. Reports are normally defined using the Mail label format of the Report generator, though you can use any format. See "Defining the Snapshot Structure" below for more information. 2.Assign a report to a snapshot number. You do that in your configuration profile. See Chapter 13, "Utilities," for information. 3.Select the output for the snapshot. You can print to a printer or to a file. This decision is also entered in your configuration profile. 4.Display a record on the screen. You can be in Record view or Table view. In Table view, the record currently highlighted is used. 5.Take the snapshot. Choose Tools from the menu bar and Snapshot label from the Tools menu. As an alternative, press CTRL-L. If you have multiple snapshot label formats attached to the current database, PC-File prompts you to choose one. If printing to a printer, be sure it is properly hooked up and turned on. Defining the Snapshot Structure PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 304 A snapshot label is a report incorporating just one record from your database. Like a report, you must first outline the structure of the snapshot before you can print it. You can use any of the report formats for defining a snapshot report, though for actual mailing labels, the Mail label format is probably the easiest. If you use the Free form or Language formats, you can only use the Detail section. A snapshot does not read any other section in a report. You can use a report for snapshots that you also use for printing a regular report. For example, if you have created a report for printing mailing labels, you can use the same structure for snapshots. You can also create reports for just using with snapshots. Once you have defined the report structure, you must assign it to a snapshot. You can define up to five snapshot reports in each database. At the same time, you must tell PC-File whether you want to print that snapshot to a file or to the printer. Both operations are handled in the configuration profile. See Chapter 13, "Utilities," for information on these operations. NOTE: You can't use a mailing label defined in the PC-Label utility for a snapshot. Using the Calculator The Calculator option on the Tools menu emulates a standard 4- function calculator which responds to either the mouse or the keyboard (including the keypad). You can perform any type of calculation that is functional within PC-File, including arithmetic and date calculations, string calculations, and relational lookups. See Chapter 17, "Calculations," for more details on performing calculations. If a calculation includes one or more field names, the data from the currently displayed or highlighted record is used in the calculation. Choosing the Calculator option on the Tools menu, or pressing CTRL-C displays the calculator dialog box. The text box at the top of the window displays the calculation as a formula reading left to right, for example, 123.4 + 567.8 - 901. If the calculation exceeds the length of the text box, the display will scroll up to a total of 120 characters. You can enter any valid PC-File calculation containing numbers, field names, and all supported functions: Date calculations (@TODAY#), (@DAY#,mask), and (@DATE,mask) Relational lookups (@shared field in current db, lookup database, shared field in lookup db, lookup field) PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 305 Logical expressions Comparisons using any of the following operators: < Less than > Greater than & And | Or ( ) Parentheses NOTE: Logical operators which use the = sign cannot be typed in directly because pressing the = key causes the calculator to display its result. It is possible to copy a logical expression from an editing window or text box in another area of PC-File with CTRL-INS and paste it into the calculation text box with SHIFT-INS. Math functions + Addition - Subtraction * Multiplication / Division ^ Exponentiation % Modulo (Remainder) String functions UPCASE( ), LOWCASE( ), MIXCASE( ), LASTWORD( ), FIRSTWORD( ), TRIM( ), and ; (semicolon) the concatenation operator. The result of your calculation is not displayed until you click = on the calculator, press the = key, or press ENTER. The result does not automatically clear, allowing you to display an intermediate result and continue, incorporating the result into subsequent calculations, if you want. In addition to standard number, decimal, add, subtract, multiply, divide and equals keys, there are seven other keys : clr The Clear key clears the calculation text box. Also, if the contents of the text box has been memorized with the Store (sto) key, pressing it a second time after clearing the text box clears the memorized contents. sto PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 306 The Store key memorizes the full contents of the calculation text box. This can be the result of a calculation (after pressing =) or a calculation formula itself (before pressing =). As much of the memorized contents as possible displays above the calculation text box. Choosing Store with something already memorized replaces the previously memorized value. rcl The Recall key retrieves the value or calculation stored with the Store key. cpy The Copy key copies the full contents of the calculation text box to a memory buffer allowing you to "paste" it with SHIFT- INS. This is generally used to copy the result of a calculation into a field after exiting the calculator window. exit The Exit key removes the calculator window. fld The Field key displays a dialog box that allows you to choose data from any field and copies it to the end of the contents of the calculation text box. This key does not appear when the Calculator is invoked with no database open. LU The Lookup key displays two dialog boxes that allows you to retrieve data from a field in a related database. See Defining Relational Lookups, below, for details on how to use the Lookup dialog boxes. This key does not appear when the Calculator is invoked when no database is open. NOTE: The Store key and the Copy key differ slightly in function. Each stores its memorized information to a separate memory buffer. The Store key can only be used to memorize and copy information within the Calculator window, and must be used in conjunction with the Recall key. The Copy key copies the current contents of the calculaton text box to the same buffer used for the CTRL-INS, SHIFT-DEL, and SHIFT-INS edit keys, and is used to copy the memorized information to any active field or text box used in PC-File. Additionally, both the Store and Copy keys only copy the entire contents of the calculation text box, to copy a portion of the text box: highlight the desired portion, press CTRL- INS, move the cursor to the location you want to copy to and press SHIFT-INS. To perform a calculation: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 307 1.Choose Tools from the menu bar. 2.Choose Calculator from the Tools menu. As an alternative to steps 1 and 2, press CTRL-C. 3.Enter the calculation into the text box using any of the following methods: Using the keyboard Using the numeric keypad Clicking the key buttons on the Calculator window with the mouse. 4.Press ENTER or click = to display the answer. 5.Choose the Copy key or press CTRL-P if you want to save the answer to the cut-and-paste buffer. 6.Choose Exit to remove the Calculator window. To write an answer saved to the cut-and-paste buffer to a field or text box, move the cursor to the desired location and press SHIFT-INS. The cut-and-paste buffer is shared by the Copy key and the edit keys: CTRL-INS and SHIFT-DEL. The cut-and-paste buffer only holds one memorized item at a time. Subsequent uses of the Copy key, CTRL-INS, or SHIFT-DEL replaces whatever was previously in the cut-and-paste buffer. Using the Spell Checker The Spell Checker is available in many areas of the program. You can check data in memo fields or the text of letters used in a mail merge. The Spell Checker is accessed as a tool on the button bar or by pressing CTRL-Q. You cannot access the spell checker from the Tools menu, but it is included in this part of the documentation because it is used like a tool. There are two ways to invoke the spell checker. Press CTRL-Q. Click on the Spell Button with the mouse. When a misspelled word is encountered a dialog box displays. The spell checker in PC-File is similar to any spell checker you may have used in a word processor. When you spell check text in PC-File, it pauses and displays any misspelled word. You then have four options: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 308 Option: Function Ignore : Ignore the misspelled word and continue the spell checking. Suggest: Suggest options for the misspelled word. Add: Add the current word to the user dictionary. Re-type: Re-type the current word in the edit box, making the proper corrections. Ignore Use this option when you use a word or acronym such as NASA. You might want to include NASA in a memo, but not add it to the user dictionary. Choose Ignore to skip the current word and continue spell checking. Suggest Use this option when you want to see various options for corrected spellings. After using the Suggest option, you can select one of the suggestions from the list and then choose Replace to replace the misspelled word with that selection. If the correct word is not among the suggestions, you can re-type the word, making any changes necessary. You can then Replace the word or Add the word. Adding the word will both replace the word and add it to the user dictionary. Add This is used to add frequently used words to the user dictionary that are not found in a common dictionary. Proper names are common additions to the user dictionary. The name "Frankie Angelosi" is not in the dictionary. "Frankie Angelosi" could be added to the user dictionary so that PC- File will not stop each time it found the name. Choose Add to add the current word to the user dictionary. Re-typing You can also edit the current word, making the correction by hand as opposed to having PC-File make any suggestions. For example, PC- file would stop on the word "aftr." It may be easier to simply add "e" to the current word in the edit box and make "after" instead of pressing Suggest and then Replace. Re-type the current word in the edit box to make changes by hand. After you have made changes to a word, you can replace the original word with the changed word by choosing Replace. You can also choose Add to add the changed word to the user dictionary and replace the original word with the newly added word. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 309 You can stop the spell checker at anytime by choosing CANCEL. Spell Checking Memo Fields You can use the spell checker in memo fields. You can use it at anytime: when you first enter the data or later, when examining your data. To use the spell checker in a memo field: 1.Expand the memo field by pressing CTRL-E or clicking on the up arrow button to the right of the memo field. 2.Choose Spell. PC-File begins spell checking the entire memo field. When a misspelled word is encountered the Spell Check dialog box displays. 3.Make the appropriate corrections using: Ignore, Suggest, Add or re- typing for all misspelled words. Spell Checking in the Letter Writer The Spell Checker is available in the Letter Writing part of PC-File. You can check the spelling at any point in the document. The Spell Checker always starts at the point of the cursor and moves through the document to the end. To check an entire document, move the cursor the top of the document and choose Spell. To use the spell checker in a letter: 1.Move the cursor to the first word to spell check, or move the cursor to the beginning of the letter to spell check the whole letter. 2.Choose Spell. PC-File begins spell checking the letter. When a misspelled word is encountered the Spell Check dialog box displays. 3.Make the appropriate corrections using: Ignore, Suggest, Add or re- typing for all misspelled words. Spell Checking Other Fields or Text You can invoke the spell checker in other fields or anywhere the "I- beam" text cursor is active. For example, the spell checker will check the contents of any text box including fields. To spell check other fields or text: 1.Place the cursor in any field or area the text cursor is active. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 310 2.Press CTRL-Q. PC-File begins spell checking the letter. When a misspelled word is encountered, the Spell Check dialog box displays. 3.Make the appropriate corrections using: Ignore, Suggest, Add or re- typing for all misspelled words. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 311 CHAPTER 16 USING MACROS A macro is a shortcut around repetitive work. Instead of typing out the name of your company repeatedly, you can record a macro and enter it with just two keystrokes. Or you could set up a macro to run out a weekly report. Macros are easy to set up and easy to use. This chapter explains how. Why Use Macros? Recording a macro is similar to using a tape recorder. You turn on the record option, make the recording, then turn it off. Later you can play it back just as it was recorded. Macros are essentially a tool to help you cut down on repetitive tasks. Any PC-File operation that you perform often is a good candidate to become a macro. For example, if you find yourself typing out your name and address repeatedly while using PC-File's letter writing feature, record the operation as a macro. You won't have to ever type it again. You could also set up a macro to print out a weekly or monthly report. Record every step, from opening the appropriate database to printing. You can even record a printer setup change, switching from a default dot matrix printer to the laser printer, then switching back again when the printing is completed. PC-File also lets you insert a pause in a macro that allows user input from the keyboard. Thus, you could enter a new title for a report from the keyboard in the middle of executing a macro. A macro can also be useful for making changes to your records. If you have imported a database, for example, and want to divide the information in a particular field into two fields, a recursive macro can save you a lot of time and effort. With a recursive macro, PC-File loops through every record, making the requested changes. Macro Guidelines A macro is a single command that represents a sequence of previously- recorded commands and keystrokes. Executing the macro results in the entire sequence of commands being played back. PC-File makes it easy to record and execute macros. Follow these guidelines when creating and using macros: Macro identifiers PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 312 In PC-File, macros are identified by one of the 26 letters of the alphabet. You can also create a special startup macro and identify with an asterisk (*). Macro descriptions Along with choosing an identifier, you can enter a macro description. Enter a description that will remind you what operation the macro performs. Descriptions can be up to 30 characters long. Macro window PC-File lists all macros in a window. The window displays after you record a macro, allowing you to choose an identifier. You also display the window to execute, modify, or delete a macro. Macro files Each window of macros is stored in a separate file. Macros created with no database open are stored in PCFILE.MAC. This file loads automatically when you start PC-File. Macros created within a database are stored in a file called databasename.MAC. A different file is created for each database. The file loads when you open the database. If you need more than the 26 macros allowed within one file, you can set up an additional file and load it into the database whenever it's needed. Macro limits A macro can contain up to 1000 characters. Some keystrokes, such as entering a single letter, require only one character. Others, such as pressing ENTER, require up to seven or eight characters. Thus, it is impossible to say how many commands can be entered in a single macro, but the limit of 1000 characters is large enough to include most operations. If you suspect that an operation will need more than the limit allows, you can divide the operation between two macros, starting the second macro as part of the operation in the first macro. Planning a Macro Before you record a macro, plan out what you want to do. You might want to list the steps involved and run through them once. This can save you from having to edit or re-record the macro later on. Among the points to consider before you record a macro: Consider the starting point PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 313 Think about where you will be in PC-File when you run the macro in the future. For example, if you set up a macro to run a weekly report, do you start the macro with the database open or do you include the opening of the database in the macro? Mouse commands are ignored Macros do not record mouse commands. Thus, if you use a mouse with PC-File, learn the keyboard commands for those steps that you normally perform with a mouse. Then, when you record the macro, record only keyboard commands. Mouse commands are ignored during recording and skipped over when playing back the macro. Mistakes are recorded If you make a mistake while recording a macro, the mistake and your correction become part of the macro. For example, if you spell a word wrong while typing it in, the mistake, the deletion, and the correction all become part of the macro. Though the end result is correct, you may want to edit the macro after you finish recording it to remove the mistake. Arrow keys can be dangerous in macros When possible, avoid using the arrow keys to make selections from lists. After all, lists change. Whether it is a list of files or a list of fields, the options are variable and can change from week to week. For example, you can create a new report or delete an old one, changing the lineup of report files. Or you could redefine the fields in a database. Thus, instead of using the arrow keys to highlight a field or file, type the field or file name in the text box within the respective dialog box. That ensures that any changes to the order of the options on the list don't affect the macro. Menu option availability can also change, as the result of some options being grayed out. It is recommended that you press the underlined letter of an option rather than using arrow keys to choose it. The Macro Options Use the options on the Macros menu (or the hot keys, if available) to create and use Macros. Option: Explanation Execute: (CTRL-M or right Display macro window to select and run a mouse button) macro Begin recording: (CTRL-Y) Start recording a macro End recording: (CTRL-Y) Stop recording a macro PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 314 Modify: Edit a macro description or definition Delete: Erase a macro Load new set: Create or load a macro file Recording a Macro You must use the keyboard when recording a macro. Mouse commands are ignored during the recording and skipped over during execution of the macro. PC-File indicates that a macro is being recorded by making an audible sound every time you depress a key. To record a macro: 1.Choose Macros from the menu bar. 2.Choose Begin recording from the Macros menu. As an alternative to steps above, press CTRL-Y. 3.Press ENTER to remove the message window and begin recording. 4.Perform the operation you want to record. 5.Choose End recording from the Macros menu, or press CTRL-Y again. 6.Identify the macro by choosing a letter from the window that displays. 7.Enter a description of the macro. The description is optional, but recommended. You can enter a description of up to 30 characters. 8.Edit the macro contents if necessary. The macro contents display the keystrokes you made during the recording of the macro in a written format. You can edit the macro by editing the written definition. See the section on modifying a macro below. 9.Choose OK when you have finished. Pausing for User Input You can force a macro to pause and accept keyboard input from an operator during execution. This can be handy for entering a new title for a report each time you run it, or to include specific criteria as part of a formula search. To include a pause in a macro: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 315 Type {INPUT} at the point where you want keyboard input. In most cases, you should be able to insert the pause while recording the macro. For example, to force a pause allowing the user to enter a report title, you could enter {INPUT} as the report title when recording the macro. Obviously, the report you print out during the macro recording process would have a rather unusual title, but presumably the main purpose is to record the macro for future use. As an alternative, you could enter a legitimate title, then edit the macro afterwards and replace the title keystrokes with {INPUT}. The following example illustrates a macro that allows the user to enter a new page number on which to start printing after a paper jam: plrdonation{ENTER}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{INPUT}{ENTER}{ENTER} The macro assumes the sample database Member is open. In the first part of the macro, plrdonation, PC-File chooses Print from the menu bar (p), Letters from the Print menu (l), and Run from the dialog box (r), then types in the name of the letter (donation) in the text box of the file selection dialog box. {ENTER} closes the file selection dialog box and opens the Print options dialog box. The four {TAB}s move the cursor to the Start at page # text box, where the user can enter a new page number over the default of 1. {ENTER} pressed twice resumes the printing. During execution of a macro, PC-File beeps twice to indicate that information is requested from the user. The message "Pausing" displays on the information line when the {INPUT} command is in effect. Pressing ENTER causes the macro to resume playing. Slowing Down a Macro If you have a problem when running a macro, it can be difficult to see where the problem is occurring when the macro is playing back at normal speed. PC-File has a command to slow down macro execution to allow you to more easily "debug" macros. This command can also be useful to slow down a macro for demonstration purposes, so that your audience can see more clearly what operations the macro is performing. The format of the delay command is: {DELAY-nn} where "nn" is approximately the number of tenths of seconds you want PC-File to delay the execution of each step in the macro. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 316 Like the INPUT command, in many cases you can insert a DELAY command while recording a macro, but more typically you would edit a macro and insert it. See "Modifying a Macro" for details on editing macros. Once issued, a DELAY command continues to take effect for the rest of the program session, or until a DELAY command to reset macro speed to normal is issued. For this reason, you would typically insert or record a DELAY command at the point you want the macro to slow down, and then add another DELAY command at the end of the macro to reset macro speed to normal. For example: {DELAY-10} macro commands {DELAY-0} where "macro commands" is your macro definition. To slow down a macro while recording a macro: 1.Type {DELAY-nn} (where "nn" is the number of tenths of seconds you want to delay each macro step) at the point you want PC-File to slow down your macro. 2.Type {DELAY-0} at the point you want normal macro execution speed to resume. NOTE: If you do not include a {DELAY-0} command following a DELAY command to slow down macro execution, the execution of all other macros during that session will be slowed down. Defining a Startup Macro You can define a startup macro to run automatically when you start PC- File or open a database. A startup macro is useful for those procedures that you find yourself repeating at the beginning of each session. For example, you could use the startup macro to make sure a particular index is in effect when you open the database, or to print the daily report. The startup macro is identified by the asterisk (*). You can define a separate startup macro for each database. To record a startup macro: 1.Follow the procedures described above for recording any other macro. 2.When you choose the identifier, choose * instead of a letter. Only use the startup identifier for a macro that you want to run EVERY time you open the database. Otherwise, leave it unused. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 317 If you do create a startup macro, you can also choose that macro from the window, just as you would any other macro, if you want to perform the actions that it executes. NOTE: Startup macros only run when you open a database. They are NOT programmed to run when you load a new macro file into memory that includes a startup macro. Loading macro files is covered at the end of the chapter. Nesting Macros You can nest a macro within another macro. You do that by recording a macro, then including the execution of that macro in the recording of another macro. When you run the parent macro, the nested macro plays out as part of the operation. Use nested macros to: Run a macro as part of the operation of several other macros Run a recursive macro (used to loop through records) as part of a larger process Handle long operations that stretch beyond the limits of a single macro Nested macros can be used anywhere within their parent macros: at the start, in the middle, or at the end. You can nest macros down to several levels if you want. To include one macro within another, just run the child macro as one of the steps while recording the parent macro. A child macro takes this format: {CTRL-M}x. The keystroke {CTRL-M} displays the macro window. The letter x represents the identifier (A through Z or the *) of the nested macro. Thus a nested macro looks something like this: ...{ENTER}{CTRL-M}B{ALT-E}... In this example, the nested macro listed as B in the current macro file is executed between the macro keystrokes {ENTER} and {ALT-E}. Recursive Macros A recursive macro is a macro that loops back on itself. It works on the same principle as a nested macro, except that instead of calling another macro, the macro calls itself. In that way, it repeats itself over and over. A recursive macro is most useful for modifying records, repeating the same change over and over. You define the macro so that it modifies a record, then repeats itself, in the process moving on to the next record. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 318 You can use recursive macros to add or delete data from records or move data after splitting or combining fields. For example, if you split a name field into first name and last name fields, you could use a recursive macro to move data to the appropriate fields for each record in the database. Recursive macros can be used with all the records in a database, or just some of the records. Defining a Recursive Macro In creating a macro that loops over and over, you want to repeat only those steps that are necessary. Therefore, start recording a recursive macro with the first record on the screen. Don't record those steps involved with searching or defining the records you want to see, as the program will loop through that process every time it repeats. You can, however, create a recursive macro and then nest it into another macro that performs the operations necessary to bring up the first record, or perhaps into a macro that defines the current index. To define a recursive macro: 1.Decide whether you are going to modify all records or some records. If modifying all records, display the beginning record on the screen. If modifying some records, conduct a simple or formula search for the records you want to modify. Display the first selected record on the screen. 2.Make sure you are in Modify mode. 3.Press CTRL-Y or choose Begin recording from the Macros menu. 4.Choose OK to remove the message window from the screen and begin recording. 5.Modify the first record. If necessary, use TAB to move to the field or fields you want to modify. Don't use the mouse. 6.Display the next record, either by pressing CTRL-N (if you chose all records) or CTRL-S (if you chose some records). 7.Type {CTRL-M}x (where "x" is the letter you want to save the macro under in step 9). 8.Press CTRL-Y to stop recording. 9.Identify the macro by choosing a letter typed for "x" in step 7. 10. Enter a description of the macro. Executing a Macro PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 319 Before running a macro, make sure you are at the same place in the program as you were when you started recording the macro. To execute a macro: 1.Press CTRL-M. As an alternative, choose Execute from the Macros menu or press the right mouse button. 2.Choose the macro from the window. You can choose the macro by pressing the letter key that identifies it, by highlighting the macro and pressing ENTER, or by clicking on it. The macro plays out the recorded steps of the operation as you watch. If you decide to stop a macro during operation, press ESC. However, you can't continue the macro once you stop it. You must start over again from the beginning. Modifying a Macro Each keystroke in a macro is recorded by PC-File in written form. You can edit the macro definition to modify or fix a macro, thus saving yourself the trouble of having to re-record it. You can edit the macro description at the same time as you edit the macro definition. To edit a macro: 1.Choose Macros from the menu bar. 2.Choose Modify from the Macros menu. 3.Choose the macro you want to edit from the macro window. A dialog box displays, showing both the macro description and the definition. 4.Make your changes. You can change both the description and the definition in this dialog box. 5.Choose OK when you finish. Letters, numbers, and punctuation marks are displayed as you type them. As illustrated in the above screen, letters appear in lowercase, just as they are typed. For example, if you press o to choose the option Open from the File menu, it displays in the macro definition as o. Other keys are indicated by their name enclosed in braces. For example, ENTER is indicated like this: {ENTER}. Operations such as choosing menu options and using dialog boxes are indicated by the keystrokes used to perform them. The following table lists many of the keys and how they appear in a macro: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 320 KEY MACRO DEFINITION ENTER {ENTER} ESC {ESC} BACKSPACE {BKSP} DELETE {DEL} INSERT {INS} Down arrow {DOWN} Up arrow {UP} Right arrow {RIGHT} Left arrow {LEFT} HOME {HOME} END {END} Function key {Fn} where n = number PAGE UP {PGUP} PAGE DOWN {PGDN} TAB {TAB} Though key names appear in uppercase letters, you can enter them in lowercase or mixed-case letters when editing the macro definition. Key combinations that include the SHIFT, CTRL, and ALT keys appear as follows: {ALT-F}{CTRL-D}{SHIFT-TAB} However, when you edit key combinations, you can enter them in any of the following formats: {c D}{CTRL-D}{CNTL+D}{CONTROL D} You can use a space, hyphen, or plus as a separator between the keys. For ALT, CTRL, and SHIFT, you can spell the word out, use just the initial letter, or use an acceptable shortened form (like CTRL and CNTL). PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 321 NOTE: Though a key combination like SHIFT-TAB displays the entire combination, uppercase letters and punctuation that require you to use the SHIFT key don't display the SHIFT in the macro definition. For example, $ displays as $, not as {SHIFT-4}, and T displays as T, not as SHIFT-t. Macro files are ASCII files, so you can also edit them with any text editor. Maintain the same formatting as displayed. You might want to make a backup copy of your file before you make too many changes. Deleting a Macro If you decide you no longer need a macro, you can delete the macro. You can then reuse the macro identifier for another macro. To delete a macro: 1.Choose Macros from the menu bar. 2.Choose Delete from the Macros menu. 3.Choose the macro you want to delete from the macro window. 4.Choose Y when asked to confirm the deletion. The macro and its description is deleted. Macro Files There are three types of macro files: PCFILE.MAC Database macro files Auxiliary macro files Each macro file can contain up to 26 macros labeled A through Z, plus a startup macro (*). The macro file name is displayed on the title bar of the macro window. PC-FILE.MAC loads into memory automatically when you start PC- File. It remains in memory until you open a database. You can define separate macros in PCFILE.MAC to start each database, and even use it as a menu for novice users. If you create a startup macro in PCFILE.MAC, it executes automatically when you start PC-File. If you want to use it as a menu for novice users, define the startup macro as {CTRL-M}, which would open the macro window. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 322 Once you open a database, PC-File replaces PCFILE.MAC in memory with a file named databasename.MAC. Any macro you create with a database open is saved to the macro file named after the database. Macros saved to this file perform operations within the database. You can create auxiliary macro files, as well. Once created, you can load auxiliary files into memory whenever you need them. Creating an Auxiliary Macro File There are several reasons for defining additional macro files: You define more than the maximum number of macros in a particular database You want to use certain macros in more than one database You want to create macros for operations that occur prior to opening a database, or that include the opening of a database as part of the macro. To create a new macro file: 1.Choose Macros from the menu bar. 2.Choose Load new set from the Macros menu. A file selection dialog box displays. 3.Enter a name for the new macro file in the file selection dialog box. Be sure the new name doesn't conflict with a current macro file. You can locate the new macro file in the current directory or in another directory if you want. 4.Choose OK. You have created a new macro file with a new name. It is currently empty of macros, but is loaded into memory. Any macros you define now are stored in this file. Loading a Macro File To use macros located in a file other than the current file, you need to load that file into memory. When you load another macro file, the current macro file closes. Only one macro file can be open at a time. 1.To load another macro file: 2.Choose Macros from the menu bar. 3.Choose Load new set from the Macros menu. The file selection dialog box displays. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 323 4.Choose the macro file you want to load. All macro files use the extension .MAC. The new macro file is loaded into memory. The macros in that file are now available to you. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 324 CHAPTER 17 CALCULATIONS One way to create data in a database is through a calculation. This chapter covers the different types of calculations you can use in PC-File. Introduction Calculations and lookups are a fundamental and important part of database management. In PC-File, they can be used during any of several operations, including: Defining a database Searching for a record Creating Formula Indexes Creating a report Creating a letter Using the calculator (from the Tools menu or by pressing CTRL-C) This chapter takes an overall look at calculations and lookups. An attempt is made to give you a fairly complete look at the various types of calculations and some of the ways they are used in PC-File. The types of calculations that are functional for any particular operation within PC-File are described in the section on that operation. Calculations include mathematical, date, conditional, and random number calculations, string functions and relational lookups. They are defined as follows: Mathematical calculations let you add, subtract, multiply, divide, exponentiate, and find the modulo. Date calculations let you perform calculations on dates to determine the number of days between dates or a future date. Conditional calculations let you make decisions based on the contents of a field. Random number calculations let you create random numbers and use them in further calculations. String functions let you convert letters to different cases, and manipulate strings of alphanumeric characters. Relational lookups let you retrieve data from other databases. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 325 Each type of calculation is covered separately in this chapter. Calculation Guidelines Calculations can include field data, system fields, constants, functions, and, in reports only, buckets. Normally you use only numeric and date fields in calculations, but you can use character and logical fields. Follow these basic guidelines when using a calculation: Punctuation With one exception, always start a calculation with a left parenthesis and end it with a right parenthesis, like this: (Total - Balance) The only exception to this rule is with the calculator, which you can display by choosing Calculator from the Tools menu or pressing CTRL- C. Outside parentheses are not necessary in that case, but are permitted. Parentheses should always be matched. This means the number of left parentheses should equal the number of right parentheses. However, if they are not matched, PC-File will still perform the calculation. The results may or may not be correct. Normally, you must enclose constants within quotation marks. Constants can be enclosed in the scan across (~) or sounds- like (?) characters in place of quotation marks in searches and comparisons. For example, to search for all names that sound like Riley, you might enter the expression Name = ?Riley? Spaces You can use spaces freely within a calculation to make the formula more readable. For example, each of the following will produce the same result: (Total-Balance) (Total - Balance) ( Total - Balance ) Field Names Field names used in calculations only have to contain enough of the name to uniquely identify the field. Each of these calculations is functionally the same: (Total - Balance) (Tot - Bal) PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 326 Sequence Order Actions enclosed within parentheses are performed first within a calculation, starting with the innermost nested action. For example, in the calculation ((Washington + Oregon) * 128.25) the addition within the inner parentheses (Washington + Oregon) is performed first, followed by the multiplication. Within a pair of parentheses, the sequence of calculation follows this order: 1.Exponentiation (^) 2.Multiplication (*), division (/), and modulo (%), each with equal priority 3.Addition (+) and subtraction (-), each with equal priority For example, in the calculation (1 + 2 * 3 ^ 2 + 1) You first square the 3 (3 ^ 2) to produce 9, then multiply by 2 to get 18, and finally add 1 twice to equal 20. Operators There are three types of operators: mathematical operators, comparison operators, and connecting operators. Mathematical operators are used to compute values. They include: + Addition - Subtraction * Multiplication / Division ^ Exponentiation % Modulo The ^ character is SHIFT-6 on most keyboards. Exponentiation and modulo are explained in the section on mathematical calculations below. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 327 Comparison operators determine whether a relationship exists between two values. They include: = Equal to != Not equal to > Greater than < Less than >= Greater than or equal to <= Less than or equal to The connecting operators link multiple conditions within a calculation. There are two connecting operators defined in PC- File: & And | Or The symbol for Or is called the pipe character and is SHIFT-\ on most keyboards. It is not a colon. Mathematical Calculations The most common type of calculations used in databases are basic mathematical computations. These involve the arithmetic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, as well as exponentiation and modulo. Mathematical calculations can include fields and/or constants. Normally you will use numeric fields in your calculations, but you can use character fields as well. The following are examples of basic mathematical calculations: (Gross - Cost) (Price * Tax) (Yr_income / 12) (Sales * Commission) Modulo is the process of determining the remainder after dividing one number by another. For example, if you divide 5 by 2, you get 2 with 1 left over. The 1 left over is the modulo. If you divide 2 by 3, you get 0 with 2 left over. The modulo is 2. Divide 18 by 6 and you get 3 with 0 left over. The modulo is 0. You can use a modulo for a number of different purposes. The following example illustrates a modulo used in a calculation to skip a line in a report every five records during printing: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 328 .IF([COUNT*]%5 = 0) /1 .ENDIF In this conditional calculation, a line feed (/1) is entered whenever the count of records is evenly divisible by 5. Exponentiation is used to raise a number to a certain power. Use the carot (SHIFT-6 on most keyboards) to indicate an exponential calculation. For example, 4 ^ 3 means 4 to the third power, or 4 * 4 * 4. The calculation 10 ^ 4 means 10 * 10 * 10 * 10. You can use n ^ .5 to find the square root for any number (n). Date and Time Calculations Use date calculations to compute the number of days between two dates and to generate new dates by adding and subtracting days from a given date. Date calculations are performed by figuring out the "day number" of a date, which is the number of days between January 1, 1901 and the date in question. Date calculations can be performed on both date and character type fields. PC-File also has a time function to return the current system time. Date Functions PC-File supports three date functions to help you perform date calculations. The functions carry out the work of converting dates to day numbers and day numbers to dates. They are explained below and their use illustrated in a number of sample calculations that follow. (@TODAY#) Creates today's day number based on the date provided by your computer or network. That number could then be used as part of a calculation. For example, the day number for July 4, 1992 is 33,423, which means that is the number of days between 1/1/1901 and 7/4/1992. (@DAY#,mask) This function is similar to the previous function, but converts any given date to a day number. The date to be converted always appears before the function, either as a constant or as a field containing dates. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 329 The mask indicates the format of the date that is to be converted. Without it the program could get confused in the process of converting to a day number. Valid masks are: ymd ydm mdy myd dmy dym yymmdd yyyymmdd The letter y represents year, m represents month, and d represents day. The three-character masks assume that your dates have at least one separator character between month, day, and year. It doesn't matter what the separator is. The date conversion capabilities are very flexible. Here are some examples of dates that will be handled correctly by 3-character masks: 10/16/91 10.16.91 10-16-1991 Oct. 16, '91 October 16, 1991 16 Oct 1991 The six-character mask yymmdd is used for character type fields in which the date has no separator characters. These fields are assumed to contain six adjacent digits, two each for year, month, and day. For example: 911016. The eight-character mask is used for character type fields in which the date is entered without separator characters in the yyyymmdd format. For example: 19911016. (@DATE,mask) Converts a day number to a date. This function is normally used when you want the calculation to result in an actual date. The mask indicates the format in which you want the date output. You can use any of the three-, six-, or eight- character masks used with the previous function, but you must include a separator character after the three-character masks. For example, use mdy/ to produce a date like 10/16/91 or dmy- to produce a date like 16- 10-91. You can also use periods as the separator. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 330 You can also replace the y with the number 4 to print a four- digit year, such as 1992 or 2001. This is especially handy for dates that run into the next century. Enter the mask in the format md4/ or md4- to produce dates like this: 09/18/1992 or 09-18-1992. Follow the three-character mask with any letter to produce a date that includes the month abbreviated to three letters. For example, the mask mdyX produces a date like OCT 16, 1991 and the mask dmyX produces 16 OCT 91. The date functions must be surrounded by parentheses, as shown above. TODAY, DATE and DAY must be uppercase and the mask must be lowercase. All the functions must be preceded by the at (@) sign and the functions TODAY and DAY must be followed by the pound (#) sign. NOTE: The system field [DATE*] can be used in reports and letters to print today's date as determined by your computer. [DATE*] is not a function in the same sense as those listed above and cannot be used in calculations, as it does not produce a day number. Sample Date Calculations Several date calculations illustrate the use of date functions. Finding Elapsed Number of Days You can determine the number of days that have gone by since a certain day, or the number of days between two dates. For example, you can determine how many days have elapsed since Buy_date. Assume that Buy_date is in the format "mdy". ((@TODAY#) - (Buy_date (@DAY#,mdy))) The function (@TODAY#) determines the day number for the current date. A day number is also calculated for the date held in the Buy_date field. The second day number is then subtracted from the first to compute the number of days elapsed. You can also find out how many days it took a customer to pay his bill by subtracting Buy_date from Pay_date. Assume that both dates are in "mdy" format. ((Pay_date (@DAY#,mdy)) - (Buy_date (@DAY#,mdy))) First, the date in Pay_date is retrieved and converted to a day number. Then, the date in Buy_date is retrieved and converted to a day number. Finally, the Buy_date day number is subtracted from the Pay_date day number to produce the difference in days between the two dates. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 331 Comparing dates The following two examples show you how to compare one date to another date. These examples can be used for searching and selecting records. The first example selects records where Due_date is later than today's date. ((Due_date(@DAY#,mdy)) > (@TODAY#)) The second example selects records where Due_date is earlier than the constant of 01/02/91. ((Due_date(@DAY#,mdy)) < ("01/02/91"(@DAY#,mdy))) Always enclose dates used as constants within quotation marks when performing calculations. Calculating a future date The following example calculates a new date 60 days after the CONTACT date. (((Contact(@DAY#,mdy))+60) (@DATE,mdy/)) First, the date in the Contact field is converted to a day number. Then 60 is added to the day number. Finally, the day number is converted back to a date in the "mdy" format. If Contact contained the date 1/2/91, the result would be 03/03/91. The Time Function PC-File also provides a time function that returns the current system time in military time format (24-hour) for hours and minutes (HH:MM). The time function is (@TIMENOW). You can use (@TIMENOW) as a calculation in a character field to return the current time. Or you can use it in the pop-up calculator (CTRL-C) to produce an on-demand time stamp. The time function only returns a character result and cannot be used in mathematical calculations. Conditional Calculations You often have situations where you want to perform an operation, but only under certain conditions. For example, you may want to add sales tax to a price only when the customer lives in the state of Washington. Or you may want to issue a refund, but only if an item is returned within 10 days. For these types of situations, use conditional calculations. Conditional calculations use IF commands in reports and letters, but elsewhere they must be set up to work without them. IF commands always follow a set format: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 332 .IF (comparison statement) Things to do if true .ELSE Things to do if false .ENDIF You can use IF commands in reports or letters only. Every .IF statement must have a matching .ENDIF statement. The .ELSE statement is optional. Place each part of the command on a separate line by itself. To determine the price of items in which some items are taxable and some are not, you might set up a conditional calculation like this: .IF (Taxable = "Y") (Qty * Amt * 1.06) .ELSE (Qty * Amt) .ENDIF This calculation assumes you have a field called Taxable in which you can enter Y or N, as well as fields Qty and Amt. If the data in the field Taxable is Y, the calculation determines the total price including the tax of 6 percent. (If you just multiply the amount by the quantity by .06, you determine only the tax; multiplying the amount by the quantity by 1.06 gives you the total price.) If the data in the field Taxable is not Y, the tax is not multiplied in. You can simulate an IF command for use in defining a field. To simulate the above example in a field, you might enter this calculation to define a field: (((Tax ="Y")*Qty*Amt*1.06)+((Tax ="N")*Qty*Amt)) This calculation works because PC-File assigns a value of 1 to true statements and a value of 0 to false statements. Thus, if the data in the field called Tax is Y, the first half of the equation is true and the second half of the equation is false. In that case the tax is applied, because the first half of the equation is multiplied by 1 and the second half by 0. Multiplying a number by 0 results in 0. If the data in the field called Tax is N, then the first half of the equation is false and no tax is included. Random Number Calculations Use random number calculations to pull records from your database at random. Random record searches are particularly handy for market research or to pull up a random selection of your members, say to set up a tennis tournament. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 333 PC-File provides the function (@RANDOM#) to do much of the work for you. This function creates a random number between 0 and 1. The easiest way to use the Random number function is to define a separate random number field within your database. Then enter the function as a calculation in the field characteristics dialog box. The field should be numeric and contain several characters to the right of the decimal. The data in the field displays as a random number, like .05324 and .00812. You can then sort on this field and choose the first so many records to give yourself a random selection. Though you can sort on a field that contains random numbers, random number calculations can't be used in a Formula index. String Functions The term string is used as shorthand for the phrase "string of characters"-a group or row of alphanumeric characters (letters, numbers, spaces, and punctuation characters). For example, anything you might enter into a field can be considered a string, such as: names, part numbers, phone numbers, prices, dates, or zip codes. The plural, "strings", refers to separate groups of characters from more than one source. In PC-File, sources of strings are: The contents of a field A "substring" or portion of a field, such as [DATE,7,2] A string of characters surrounded by quotes, such as "ab" A report command language system field, such as [DATE*] A report command language total or string bucket, such as [`ABC] or [`$ABC] The result of a calculation that produces a string, such as some date calculations, or the string calculations described below The term "string" also implies processing data solely as a series characters-not as numeric values, dates, or logical values. For example, the string "123" is processed differently from the numeric value "123." The string "123" is processed as the character "one" followed by the characters "two" and "three." Whereas, the numeric value "123" is processed as the value "one hundred and twenty-three." This does not mean that the source of a string can only be a character- type field or the result of an operation on characters. PC-File can process the contents of any field type as a string, even the results of numeric calculations can be treated as strings. PC-File's string functions let you: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 334 Convert letters to upper-, lower-, or mixed case Isolate the first or last word in a string of words Trim spaces in a string Join strings of characters String functions can be used wherever PC-File calculations can be entered: field calculations, report calculations, .IF statement conditions, formula searches, with the pop-up calculator, and when redefining databases. Except, string functions cannot be used when defining a formula index, use dBASE equivalents-such as UPPER( ) or LOWER( )-instead. String function names must be entered in uppercase. "Argument" in following information refers to any of the following: A field name A "substring" or portion of a field, such as [DATE,7,2] A string of characters surrounded by quotation marks, for example: "This is a string of characters" A report language system field, such as [DATE*] A report language total bucket or string bucket, such as [`total] or [`$string] A nested calculation, such as (UPCASE(LAST(field1))) System field names must be in uppercase letters and surrounded with square [ ] brackets. Bucket names must be surrounded with square [ ] brackets. Nested calculations must have properly balanced parentheses. When using a report Language format, the entire string calculation must be contained on one line (which is true of any calculation in a report format). When using PC-File's Language Editor, this limits your calculations to 78 characters, the maximum width the Language Editor can handle. However, you can edit a report .REP file with an editor or word processor outside of PC-File that allows for longer lines as long as that program can save unformatted files (sometimes referred to as "ASCII files" or "DOS text files"). UPCASE(argument) This function converts all letter characters in a string to uppercase. Numbers and punctuation are not affected. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 335 For example, if a field COMPANY contained the entry "Zippy- Cleen-2u," the calculation (UPCASE(COMPANY)) would return "ZIPPY-CLEEN-2U." LOWCASE(argument) This function converts all letter characters in a string to lowercase. Numbers and punctuation are not affected. For example, if a field COMPANY contained the entry "Zippy- Cleen-2U," the calculation (LOWCASE(COMPANY)) would return "zippy-cleen-2u." MIXCASE(argument) This function converts the first letter in each word in a string into uppercase and all following letters in each word to lowercase. For this purpose, a word is defined as a string of letters separated by anything other than a letter. Numbers and punctuation are not affected. This function is commonly used to change a name field with all upper case letters into mixed case. For example, if a field NAME contained the entry "JANE SMITH- JONES," the calculation (MIXCASE(NAME)) would return "Jane Smith-Jones." Note that "Jones" in the hyphenated last name is left as an uppercase letter. If the result from the previous example, "zippy-cleen-2u" were used: (MIXCASE(COMPANY)) would return "Zippy-Cleen-2U." Note that the "u" following "2" is made uppercase, because both the hyphen and "2" are treated as space between words. LASTWORD(argument) This function isolates the last word in a string. For this purpose, unlike MIXCASE, a word is defined as any string of characters separated by at least one space. For example, if a field NAME contained the entry "Jane Smith- Jones," the calculation (LASTWORD(NAME)) PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 336 would return "Smith-Jones." Note that in this case the full hyphenated name is treated as one word, where the MIXCASE function would treat it as two separate words. FIRSTWORD(argument) This function isolates the first word in a string. For this purpose, a word is defined as any string of characters separated by at least one space. For example, if a field COMPANY contained the entry "Wilton- Smythe & Barney," the calculation (FIRSTWORD(COMPANY)) would return "Wilton-Smythe." Note that in this case the full hyphenated name is treated as one word, where the MIXCASE function would treat it as two separate words. TRIM(argument) This function removes all space characters from the right end of a string. Most commonly this function is used to remove trailing spaces from the contents of a field when joining two or more strings together (see below). Concatenation or Joining of Strings "Concatenation" in programming and application languages refers to joining strings of characters together. PC-File symbolizes this operation with the semicolon (;), which is used like plus or minus signs in arithmetic calculations by placing the semicolon between strings or string calculations you want joined. For example, to join the two fields FIRST and LAST with a space between them, trimming any trailing spaces from FIRST, you would use the calculation (TRIM(FIRST);" ";LAST) which for a record containing "John" in FIRST and "Jones" in LAST would return "John Jones." Note that " " is used to put a space between the two fields because TRIM removes all trailing spaces from FIRST. Without using the TRIM function and " ", the full field length of FIRST (including trailing spaces) would appear before LAST. For example, if FIRST is a 10-character long field, the calculation: (FIRST;LAST) using the same data returns "John Jones." PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 337 You can use any of the string functions listed above as arguments. For example, the calculation: ("MR. ";UPPER(TRIM(FIRST));" ";UPPER(LAST)) returns "MR. JOHN JONES." NOTE: You do not have to use the outermost set of parentheses when entering a string calculation into a field, when using the pop-up calculator, or when entering a calculation in a Free Form report. A set of parentheses is assumed in these areas of the program. For example, in any of the aforementioned areas you could type: TRIM(FIRST);" ";LAST However, you must use an outermost set of parentheses when entering string calculations into a report command format with the Language Editor. When using the Language Editor, the same calculation would have to be entered: (TRIM(FIRST);" ";LAST) Also, using square brackets around field names is optional in the Language editor. For example, (TRIM([FIRST]);" ";[LAST]) is accepted by PC-File. However, do not use angle brackets around field names in any calculations. Relational Lookups Relational lookups are calculations only in the broadest sense of the word. They don't involve the mathematics associated with other calculations, but they do go through some contortions to provide an answer for you. Relational lookups establish a link between two databases and allow you to copy data from one database into another. For example, you could look up a company name and address in a database and copy it into another database to print out with each invoice. Relational lookups require that the two databases share common data. In other words, both databases must have a field with the same field type and contain records that have matching data. You can only perform a lookup for matching data in one shared field. For example, to copy a name and address from a database, you might use a customer number field shared by both databases. Or you could have a shared company name field, and copy the address from the second database. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 338 NOTE: If a relational lookup field calculation finds no matching record, spaces are returned. This will write over, that is, "blank out" any current field entry and prevent you from overriding the lookup. If you need to prevent this from happening, choose Only When Field is Empty when prompted "When to apply this operation?" when entering the lookup. Also, if more than one record matches, only data from the first record found is returned. There are two types of lookups in PC-File: a basic lookup and a fast lookup. You can use the fast lookup only after you have used a basic lookup. Defining Basic Lookups You can define basic lookups using either of two methods: The dialog box method The formula method The simplest and most reliable way of defining a basic lookup is using the dialog box method. The main reason to enter relational lookups using the formula method is to enter specialized forms of lookups such as a fast lookup. Using the Dialog Box Method You can define basic lookups using the dialog box method throughout PC- File in most places lookups can be used: When creating and redefining databases When defining Free Form and Language format reports When writing Letters When using the pop-up calculator (CTRL-C) Depending on what area of the PC-File you are in, you either press a command button (the Lookup button when defining, redefining, or using the Language format; the LU button on the pop-up calculator; and the L button after choosing the Insert button when writing a letter) or make a menu selection (when using the Free Form format) to invoke the first lookup dialog box. The rest of the defining process works identically for all program areas. Choosing the Lookup Database PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 339 Relational lookups are defined using two dialog boxes. The first dialog box is used to pick which database you want to copy data from. This database is called the lookup database. The dialog box used to choose the lookup database looks and works same as the file selection boxes used throughout PC-File to open databases and other files. See Chapter 1, "Selecting a File" for details on how to use the features of a file selection dialog box. Defining the Fields to Match With and Copy From Once you chose the database to copy from, a second dialog box displays. The top two lines of the dialog box list the two databases affected by the lookup. The Current file is the database currently open into which the lookup data will be copied. The Lookup file is the database selected with the previous dialog box from which the lookup data will be copied. The two list boxes on either side of "MATCH WITH" determine which fields link the two databases. Generally this is a field that contains something that is uniquely in common between the two databases, such as a part number, ID number, or social security number. The two fields don't have to have the same name, but they do have to be of the same field type and length. Choose the field to match with from the current database with the left "Field" list box. Choose the field to match with from the lookup database with the right "Lookup field" list box. Choose which field to retrieve the lookup data from with the "Retrieve field" list box in the lower right corner of the Define Lookup dialog box. What appears below the heading "Current Field" in the lower left corner depends on what area of the program you are in: The field that the lookup data will be copied into displays, if you are entering a calculation when defining or redefining a database. "Calculator" displays when using the LU button on the pop-up calculator. "Report" displays when defining a relational lookup for a report. Choosing OK either defines the relational lookup formula for the field or report, or displays the result when using the pop-up calculator. To define a basic lookup using the dialog box method: PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 340 1.Depending on what area of the PC-File you are in, either choose the Lookup command button or choose the Lookup menu selection to invoke the first lookup dialog box. 2.Choose the Lookup database from the Files list box. Use the directories list box or the Search buttons if the database you want to copy from is not in the current directory. 3.Choose the field in the current database to match with from the upper left-hand list box. 4.Choose the field in the lookup database to match with from the upper right-hand list box. 5.Choose the field to copy from using the lower right-hand list box. 6.Choose OK to continue. Using the Formula Method You can define basic lookups using the formula method wherever you can type other PC-File calculations, such as: in field calculations, in reports and letters, and when using the pop- up calculator. You can even use relational lookups as part of a formula search or an .IF statement condition. To perform a lookup, you need to know four things: the name of the shared field in the current database the name of the lookup database the name of the shared field in the lookup database the name of the lookup field in the lookup database The lookup field is the field from which you want to pull data into the current database. To use a lookup, follow this format: (@shared field in current database,lookup database,shared field in lookup database,lookup field) Enclose relational lookups in parentheses, and always use the at (@) sign at the beginning of the lookup expression. Then list the shared field in the current database, the lookup database, the shared field in the lookup database, and finally the lookup field. A relational lookup might look something like this: (@member_no,member,member_no,firstname) PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 341 You could read that lookup like this: "Using the Member_no field in the current database, go to the Members database and find the record with the same data in the Member_no field in that database. Then retrieve the data from the Firstname field." The shared fields don't have to have the same name, though they do have to be of the same field type and length. The lookup could look like this instead: (@member_no,member,number,firstname) The Member_no and Number fields contain the same data. The lookup database name can include a path if necessary. For example, if the Members database were on a different directory, you could enter the lookup like this: (@member_no,\pcfile\member,member_no,firstname) You can include a drive name if necessary, but do NOT include a file extension. Fast Lookups When you want to retrieve two or more fields from the same record of the same database, you can use a fast lookup for all fields after the first lookup. For the first lookup, use a basic lookup defined with either method outlined above. For all subsequent lookups from that database use the format: (@*,lookup data) With the Member database, subsequent lookups might look like this: (@*,lastname) (@*,address1) (@*,city) The fast lookup assumes that you are looking in the same database and the same record as you used in the first lookup. Each time PC-File performs a basic lookup, it memorizes the entire matching record. Subsequent fast lookups can pull any fields from that memorized record without having to search the lookup database. In that way you could pull in the complete name and address contained in another database quickly and easily. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 342 NOTE: Fast lookups will only work correctly if a basic lookup has been performed as the first lookup within the same record. PC-File performs field calculations in the same order fields are accessed. For this reason, you must make sure that the field that you entered the basic lookup into is accessed before any fields containing fast lookups. See Chapter 3, "Modifying a Database Structure" if you need to change this. For the same reason, when entering the lookups make sure that all lookups are performed at the same time. If you have any doubts about any of these requirements, do not use Fast lookups. Troubleshooting Calculations If the calculations in your database don't give you the correct results, investigate the following: Check field names to make sure they are spelled correctly. If you have abbreviated field names, make sure PC-File can tell which fields you mean. Make sure you have used the correct operator. Use the asterisk for multiplication, not an x. Use != for "not equal to" and the pipe character, which is SHIFT-backslash on most keyboards, for "or." Check your expression to see that you have an equal number of left and right parentheses. Make sure date, time, and random number functions are entered in uppercase letters and that the functions are preceded by the at (@) sign. The mask following an @DAY# function, e.g. mdy/, must be in lowercase. All but the (@DATE) and (@TIMENOW) functions must be followed by the pound (#) sign. For relational lookups, make sure the lookup database contains the data you think it does. If necessary, conduct a search in the lookup database to confirm that it does in fact contain the data. Lookup data may not be returned if the index in the lookup database is damaged. Rebuild the indexes if necessary. For explanations of error messages, see Appendix D. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 343 CHAPTER 18 BATCH POSTING The Batch Post command on the Utilities menu is a powerful feature that lets you to update a remote or "destination" database with information from the current or "source" database. This operation is referred to as "posting." Also, for added security, PC-File has a Batch Post "undo" feature that allows you to restore data changed by your last posting. What is Batch Posting? Batch posting sends data from the current or source database to a remote or destination database. Most typically, the source database is a database used to keep track of transactions liking billing or invoicing. Likewise, the destination database is a "master" database used to track items such as account balances or inventory. In order for systems like this to work properly, you must have a field containing data held in common between both databases that can be used to establish the desired link-such as an account number, social security number, ID number, part number, or SKU number. Just like a relational lookup, PC-File establishes the link between the two databases by matching the data held in common between the two databases. Only one field in each database can be used to establish the link. For example, an account number field in one database can be used as a link to post to any other database with a field containing matching account numbers. Unlike a relational lookup, posting cannot be used like a field calculation that is performed whenever a record is added or modified. Posting must be performed as a "batch" operation by running a post definition on demand using the Run option on the Batch Post dialog box. You are also given the option to run a posting immediately after you define it. This batch mode of operation distinguishes PC-File's Batch Post from "fully relational" programs that will automatically post data whenever the linked data in the source database is changed. You must run a Batch Post from the source database-the database in which the posting was originally defined. When running a Batch Post you have the option to post from all or selected records in the source database. A Batch Post definition can only post from one source database to one destination database. However, you can define as many Batch Post definitions as you want to allow you to post from one database to any number of destination databases. And, if you wish, you could automate the process by defining a macro to run each Batch Post definition in succession. Which Records Are Affected? PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 344 When posting, the relationship between records in the source and destination databases can be: One to One One matching record from the source database posts to one record in the destination database. This assumes each matching record is unique in its respective database, or that you have selected to post only records from the source database that have a unique match in the destination database. One to Many One record from the source database posts to one or more matching records in the destination database. This assumes that each record in the source database matches one or more records in the destination database. Or, that you have selected a set of non- duplicate records that have one or more matches each in the destination database. Many to One Many matching records from the source database post to one matching record in the destination database. This assumes that there is at least one set of records with duplicate match fields in the source database that match a unique record in the source database. The form the relationship between the databases involved in a Batch Post operation takes depends on either how the data is entered, or which records you select when posting. For example, let's say you want to post only last month's receipts from database A to database B. Either database A must contain only last month's records-you deleted or archived any previous month's records-or you must choose Some when running the posting and search on a date field to select only last month's records. NOTE: When performing a One to Many posting, make sure that the matching field in the destination database is indexed. Otherwise, all matches won't be found and posted. This is a good idea as a general rule, as this will also speed up the searches performed when posting. Post Actions A Batch Post operation can consist of one or more post actions. A post action is a transaction between one field in the source database and one field in the destination database. Each post action can perform one of the following operations on the designated destination database field: Replace PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 345 Replaces with data from the source database Add Adds the value from the source database Subtract From Subtracts the value from the source database Multiply Multiplies by the value from the source database Divide Into Divides by the value from the source database The last four options are mathematical operations, which are only appropriate for numeric values. For example, you could update an Inventory database from a Transactions database by choosing to match on the part number field, then define your post action to subtract the Quantity field in the Transactions database from the Quantity field in the Inventory database. Likewise, an Accounts database can be updated by using Add, for credits, or Subtract From, for debits, as post actions from a Transactions database. Defining a Batch Post To define a Batch Post operation, you must first open the database you want to post from. Then choose the Batch Post option from the Utilities menu which displays the Destination File dialog box. This dialog box works identically to the Open dialog box that you use to open a database. See "Selecting a File" in Chapter 1 for details on how to use a file selection dialog box. The database you choose with the Destination File dialog box is the destination database-the database the source database (the database currently open) posts to. Once you have chosen the destination database, the Define Posting dialog is displayed. This dialog box is organized into two columns of list boxes to define post actions, with a large list box at the bottom that summarizes the post actions defined. The two list boxes in the left column list fields from the source database and the two list boxes in the right column lists fields from the destination database. Choosing the "Match to" Fields PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 346 The first list box in each column (the "match to" list boxes) defines which field from each database to match on. You can only choose one field from the source database to match on one field from the destination database. Choose a field from each "match to" list box by clicking on the desired field, or highlighting the field and pressing ENTER. A checkmark appears to the left indicating the field is selected. Defining Post Actions The second list box in each column (the "post to" list boxes) and the radio buttons between them define how each post action is performed. Defining a post action is a four-step process: 1.Choosing the source field from the left list box. 2.Choosing the radio button to determine how to post the source data: Replace, Add, Subtract, Multiply, or Divide. 3.Choosing the destination field to post to from the right list box. 4.Choosing the Accept command button to define the post action. After you choose the Accept command button, the defined post action appears in the Post Actions list box. Continue this four-step process to define as many post actions as you desire. If you define more post actions than can be displayed at once in the list box, use the scroll bar to the right of the post actions list box to review your post actions. If you make a mistake when defining a post action, highlight its description in the post actions list box and choose Undo 1. Choose OK to complete the posting definition. You are then asked if you want to save the post definition. Choose Yes and save the file, if you intend to run this post operation more than once, or if you will not being running it immediately after it is defined. Choose No if you want to run this post operation immediately after defining it and do not need to save it. To define a Batch Post: 1.Choose Utilities from the menu bar. 2.Choose Batch Post. 3.Choose Define a New Posting. 4.Choose the destination database using the file selection dialog box. Choose OK to continue. 5.Choose the Match to field for the source database from the first list box on the left. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 347 6.Choose the Match to field for the destination database from the first list box on the right. 7.Perform the following four steps using the Post to list boxes and radio buttons between them for each post action you want to define: Choose the source field from the left-hand list box. Choose the radio button to determine how to post the source data. Choose the destination field to post to from the right-hand list box. Choose the Accept command button to define the post action. Repeat these steps for every post action you want to define. 8.Choose OK to proceed. 9.Save your posting definition, if you want to use it again in the future. 10. Choose to run the post definition, if desired. Running a Batch Post You can run your post operation either immediately after defining it, or if you have saved the post definition, by choosing the Run option on the Batch Post dialog box. You must be in the source database you originally defined the posting from to run a previously defined posting. When running a posting you can post from all or some records. If you choose All records, every record in the source database is checked for a match or matches in the destination database- when a match is found the post action or actions are performed on that record. This continues until all records in the source database are processed. If you choose Some records, you enter a Simple, Formula, or Global search to select which records from the source database will be processed. Again, only matching records are posted. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 348 Regardless of whether you choose to post from All or Some records, the first record you are presented with displays a dialog box with the prompt, "Post from this record?" with Yes, No, All, or Quit buttons. Generally you will choose All to have PC-File automatically process your records. However, you can use the Yes and No buttons to manually choose which of the records to process. Choosing Yes accepts that record and proceeds to the next one. Answering Yes does not necessarily mean that the records data will be posted to the destination database- data will be posted only if the two "match to" fields' data matches. Choosing No omits that record and proceeds to the next one. Choosing Quit stops the posting process. To run a previously defined Batch Post: 1.Choose Utilities. 2.Choose Batch Post. 3.Choose the desired post definition. 4.Choose All or Some. 5.If you chose All above, the first record to post from is displayed, prompting "Post from this record? Yes/No/All/Quit." Answer appropriately to post data. 6.If you chose Some proceed to next step. 7.If you chose Some above, choose the method to select records with and enter your selection criteria. Refer to the appropriate section under "Conducting a Search" for details. 8.Answer the "Post from this Record?" prompt appropriately to post data. UnPost-Undoing a Batch Post The UnPost option on the Batch Post dialog box allows you to "undo" the last posting you performed on a database. PC-File maintains a log file of all data that is changed by a post operation. This log file is saved under the same name as the affected database with a .LOG extension. For example, a database named BALANCE would have an UnPost log file named BALANCE.LOG. To undo the most recent posting to a database, you must be in the database that was posted to (not the database the posting was defined from) and choose the UnPost option on the Batch Post dialog box. The UnPost log file only keeps track of the changes made by the last posting. Therefore, if you perform a posting in error you must immediately restore changes before performing any other posting operation on that database. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 349 For additional security, you can make backup copies of .LOG files before performing additional postings to a database. Then, if you need to restore changed data, you can copy the backup copy of the .LOG file into the same directory as the affected database and use the UnPost option to restore data. Note that the .LOG file only keeps track of data changed in a single post operation. If you have made several postings and wish to restore all data changed across all those postings, you must have backed up .LOG files between every posting (either to separate floppies or by renaming each .LOG file to a unique name). Then you must UnPost each .LOG file in order from the most recent posting back to the earliest posting you want to undo. For the greatest level of security, back up the entire database before any posting. To undo a Batch Post: 1.Open the database that you want to UnPost. 2.Choose Utilities. 3.Choose UnPost. A dialog box displays showing the date the database was last changed. If this date later than the time of the posting you want to undo, proceeding probably will not restore the desired data. You must either copy the appropriate databasename.LOG file into your data directory and repeat steps 1-3, or restore a backup of the database itself. 4.Choose Yes to continue. When the UnPost operation is finished an information box displays showing the number of records restored. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 350 CHAPTER 19 MEMORY USAGE AND PERFORMANCE PC-File performance has been sped up using a number of different methods. Some improvements relate to specifically to the program's internal workings: reworking and optimization of the way the program displays screen images and improvements in the compiler technology. Other improvements have been made in the way PC-File exploits your system's memory and disk resources. Kinds of Memory Before discussing how PC-File uses memory, let's briefly cover the various kinds of memory available on PC systems. A PC system can have up to 3 kinds of RAM memory storage: Conventional memory The memory that standard DOS programs can use, up to a maximum of 640K. DOS COMMAND.COM uses some conventional memory, any device drivers or memory-resident programs (TSR's) listed in your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files use additional memory. The amount of conventional memory you have available to run programs in after booting your computer is displayed on the last line of the report listed by running the DOS CHKDSK command. Extended memory (XMS) Memory in addition to conventional memory, not available on 8086/88 computers, only on 80286 or higher models. Available through the use of add-on hardware cards, and directly on the motherboard on many newer model computers. Expanded memory (EMS) Memory in addition to conventional memory, so-called "paged" memory based on standards established by Lotus, Intel and Microsoft (LIM EMS). Generally available through the use of an add-on hardware card. 386 and 486 computers can make extended memory act as expanded memory using device drivers such as EMM386.EXE (which is included with MS-DOS 5.0). How PC-File Uses Memory When PC-File is running, pressing CTRL-Z displays an information window. Each number listed has the following significance: Available RAM PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 351 The total amount of conventional memory currently available within PC-File, not counting memory for Overlay Buffer or Disk Buffer (if any). Minimum RAM The lowest amount of conventional memory available at any point within a session. Overlay Buffer The amount of conventional memory set aside to swap "overlays" in and out of memory. Overlays are portions of the program that are ordinarily loaded from disk whenever they are required. When the overlay buffer is active, the first time PC-File requires an overlay it copies the overlay from disk into the overlay buffer. Once an overlay has been copied to memory, PC-File can make subsequent accesses much more quickly. Disk Buffer The amount of conventional memory set aside to cache data records and index entries for faster database access. This number will vary from 0 to 16000 depending on how much conventional memory is available when PC-File is started. Using Extended (or Expanded) Memory If PC-File has detected either extended or expanded memory on your system, the last line in the box will read either "Using extended memory" or "Using expanded memory." PC-File will not use both kinds of memory at the same time. If your machine has both kinds of memory, PC-File will use expanded memory because it is less likely to conflict with other programs. PC-File does not list the amount of extended or expanded memory in use. It uses as much as it needs, typically not more than 500K. PC-File can use this additional memory to swap overlays in the same fashion described under "Overlay Buffer." Additionally, PC-File can use expanded memory to swap the contents of conventional memory when using the Drop to DOS command on the Tools menu and choosing to free memory, when using the Labels command on the Utilities menu, or when graphing. Memory Usage Configuration Commands PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 352 Two configuration commands have been added to PC-File to allow you to control whether or not PC-File will use expanded or extended memory: /NOXMS and /NOEMS. These can be used like all configuration commands, either directly from the DOS prompt when starting PC-File, or by editing your .PRO file with any editor or word processor that can save unformatted ASCII files. See Chapter 13, "Advanced Profile Parameters" for details on editing a profile or using configuration commands at the DOS prompt. /NOXMS Prevents PC-File from using extended memory /NOEMS Prevents PC-File from using expanded memory You might need to use these commands if PC-File's use of extended or expanded memory appears to be in conflict with other programs. Also, if your systems has both kinds of memory, PC-File will use expanded (EMS) memory by default. Using just the /NOEMS configuration command forces PC-File to use extended memory instead. APPENDIX A IF YOU NEED TECHNICAL SUPPORT If you are unable to find the answers to your questions in the manuals or help windows, we invite you to call our Technical Support department. They will be happy to answer any technical questions you have about PC-File. To receive technical support, call 1-900-454-8000 Monday through Friday. If you are unable to use the 900 number for technical support or would prefer a prepaid support plan that provides for unlimited technical support on an annual basis, please contact us at 1-800-528-8866 for information on purchasing a Product Support Plan. If you have a modem, you can also contact our Technical Support department on our bulletin board or on CompuServe. Our bulletin board operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The bulletin board phone number is 206-454-7875. There is no charge to use our bulletin board, other than your long distance charge. You can reach our Technical Support department on CompuServe in Section 1 of the PCVENA forum. Type go pcvena at the CompuServe ! prompt to access the PCVENA forum. Regular connect charges apply when using CompuServe. To help us help you, please be prepared to provide the following information when you call. Computer brand and model PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 353 Available RAM (as reported by DOS CHKDSK or MEM) DOS version being used Memory resident programs installed Printer brand and model Monitor brand and model Exact wording of any error message(s) If possible, be at your computer when you call, with your computer on. Also, it often helps if you have available the database description printout (produced using Database Description on the Utilities menu) for the database in question, as well as a printout of any report format you are having problems with. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 354 APPENDIX B PROGRAM AND DATABASE FILES PC-File consists of over a dozen program files. All of these files are loaded when you install the program. Two of the files--PCF.EXE and PCF.HLP--are absolutely essential for running PC-File. The other program files can be erased if necessary. Refer to the list below to see what you lose if you delete a file. PC-File creates a variety of files for each database that you define. Some of these, such as the header and data files, are an integral part of the database. Others, like report and letter files, are added as you define those features in the database. Your PC-File disks also contain several dozen sample files. The examples in the manuals refer to these sample files. All of the program files and each type of database file are explained below. PROGRAM FILES FCONVERT.COM This is a standalone program that converts PC-File III, PC- File/R, and PC-File+ databases into the new PC-File (dBASE III PLUS) format. You can delete this program after you have no further use for it. INSTALL.EXE The PC-File install program. It comes on Disk One, but is not copied onto your hard disk. MSHERC.COM This program must be run before you can produce graphs on a Hercules monitor. If you have a VGA, EGA, or CGA monitor, you can delete this file. PCF.DIC This file contains the 100,000 word dictionary used by PC- File's spell checker. You can delete this file if you will not be using the spell checker. PCF.EXE PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 355 The main program module of PC-File. Don't impinge the integrity of this file at all. You must start PC-File from the directory that contains this file or place PC-File on your DOS path. PCF.HLP This is another main file, without which PC-File will not run. This file contains not only the Help window text, but most of the other screen text as well. Place this file on the same drive and in the same subdirectory with PCF.EXE. PCF.PIF The Windows PIF (Program Information File) used to run PC-File in Graphics mode under Microsoft Windows. Run this file directly from the File Manager, or use New on the File menu of the Program Manager to define it as a Program Item. PCF.SUP The "supplemental" dictionary file that is created when you use the Add function in the spell checker to add words to your personal dictionary file. PCFCHAR.PIF The Windows PIF (Program Information File) used to run PC-File in Character mode under Microsoft Windows. Run this file directly from the File Manager, or use New on the File menu of the Program Manager to define it as a Program Item. PCFLOGO.IMG This file contains the PC-File "paper clip" logo that displays when you first start PC-File in Graphics mode. You can delete this file if you want. PCFILE.MAC The master macro file. You can create macros in this file to open your databases or perform other operations outside of individual databases. This file is not required to use PC- File. PCFILE.PRO The master configuration profile file. This file controls the operating environment of PC-File, including the mode of operation, screen colors, passwords, and telephone dialing codes. This file is not required to use PC-File. PCG2.EXE PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 356 This is the graphing display program. If you will be producing graphs, this program must be in the same subdirectory as your other PC-File programs. If you will not be producing graphs, you can delete this program. PCG2.ASP This file is created when you set colors or a different aspect ratio for graphing. This file is not required to use PC-File. PCLABEL.EXE An external/internal utility that allows you to print mailing labels in a one-up or multi-up format. You can delete this file if you have no intentions of using PC-Label. READ.ME A text file provided for additional information. You can view this file with any word processor that reads ASCII files, or print it on your printer by typing copy a:read.me prn at the DOS prompt. You can then delete the file. SHOWR.EXE A file viewer program used to display the READ.ME file at the end of installation process. You can run this program as a standalone DOS application to view ASCII files, if you wish. You can safely delete this file. DATABASE FILES databasename.CDS This is the telephone log that is kept whenever you tell PC- File to dial a telephone number. Delete this file whenever you want to start a new log. databasename.DBF This file contains the actual data you enter into your database. databasename.DBT Data entered in memo fields is contained in this file. All memo data within a database is stored in this file, even if you have two or more memo fields. databasename.DBH PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 357 The header file is created when you define a database. It contains information about the structure and contents of the database. This file is also created by PC-File when you open a dBASE-type database that was created by some other program, such as dBASE or FoxPRO. databasename.MAC This file is created if you define any macros for a database. It contains the macro definitions for use with the database. databasename.PRO This file is created if you define a separate configuration profile for a particular database. databasename.ND9 This is the Subgroup index file for the database. You can have only one Subgroup index within a particular database. databasename.NDn (Where "n" is 1 through 8) Each index for a database is saved to a separate file under the same name as the database with an .NDn extention. For example, if your database has two indexes they would have .ND1 and .ND2 extensions. filename.ANS This file stores your Print options dialog box settings for each report. When you reprint a report, the appropriate ANS file is used to set the printing defaults. filename.GR This file is created when you define a graph. It contains the commands that define the structure of the graph. A different file is created for each graph. If you change the file extension to .REP, you can edit this file with the Language editor. filename.LBL This file is created by PC-Label when you save the label setup. It contains the commands that define the structure and defaults of the label. filename.LTR This file is created when you define a mail-merge letter. It contains the commands that define the structure of the letter. A different file is created for each letter. filename.MAC PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 358 This file is created if you define any auxiliary macro files. filename.REP This file is created when you define a report. It contains the commands that define the structure of the report. A different file is created for each report. GRAPH.ME This file contains the data for the most-recently created graph. The data in the file changes every time you create a new graph, as the new data replaces the old data. It's an ASCII text file which you can edit with any text editor or word processing program. TMPnn.DBF, .DBH, .DBT, .PRO, and .MAC These files are created as a backup copy of your database when choosing to Update the current database when redefining using the Paint method, and when packing your database. All file types that existed for the original database are created: .DBH, .DBF, .DBT, .PRO, and .MAC. You can safely delete these files, after confirming that your redefine or packing operation was successful. TMPnn.OLD This file is created as a temporary work file when you define a report, letter, or graph without saving them. Ordinarily, you will not see these files, they will be deleted when PC- File is through with these operations. They might be left on your disk if your machine loses power or locks while the program is running. They can be safely deleted. TEMPnnnn.PCF This file is created when you choose to free up memory when dropping to DOS from within PC-File. The file allows you to return to where you were in PC-File. Don't delete the file while temporarily dropping to DOS from PC-File. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 359 APPENDIX C ASCII TABLE Listed below is an ASCII table. The ASCII table includes the decimal and hexadecimal values for each ASCII character, as well as the ASCII character itself. To enter an ASCII character not found on your keyboard in a field, text window or edit window, hold down ALT while keying in the ASCII decimal value of the character using the numeric keypad. Then release the ALT key. For example, to enter u in a field, hold down ALT and key in the numbers 1 2 9, using the numeric keypad on the right side of the keyboard. Then release the ALT key. Note that you cannot use the number keys on the top row of the keyboard. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 360 APPENDIX D ERROR/INFORMATION MESSAGES Listed below are various PC-File error and information messages, explanations and recommended actions. The messages are listed in alphabetical order. ????? Question marks printed in a report or letter indicate that PC- File doesn't recognize the field name(s) included in the report or letter. See Chapter 9,"Printing Reports and Letters," for more information. ?BAD ANSKEY The "lookup field" referenced in a relational lookup is not a valid field in the lookup database. Make sure that the field name is spelled correctly. The "lookup field" is the field in the lookup database containing the value to return, and is the fourth parameter in a relational lookup. ?BAD DB The "lookup database" referenced in a relational lookup is not a valid PC-File database. The "lookup database" is the database containing the data to retrieve, and is the second parameter in a relational lookup. ?BAD DB ID PC-File had problems opening the "lookup database" specified in a relational lookup. Make sure the database name is spelled properly and exists on the specified drive and subdirectory. ?BAD DBKEY The "shared field in lookup database" field referenced in a relational lookup is not a valid field in the lookup database. Make sure that the field name is spelled correctly. The "shared field in lookup database" is the field in the lookup database containing the lookup value, and is the third parameter in a relational lookup. ?BAD KEY1 The "shared field in the current database" referenced in a relational lookup is not a valid field in the current database. Make sure the field name is spelled correctly. The "shared field in the current database" is the field in the current database containing the value to lookup, and is the first parameter in a relational lookup. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 361 ?BAD USAGE The syntax of a relational lookup is incorrect. Relational lookups must be entered in the format (@shared field in current database, lookup database, shared field in lookup database, lookup field) or (*,lookup field). ?CANCELED The relational lookup operation was canceled by pressing ESC. ?NO RAM The computer does not have enough RAM memory to perform a relational lookup. See the error "Out of Memory." Beginning of file You are trying to display the previous record while viewing the first record in the database. Can't create (filename) PC-File has encountered an error when creating a new file. (The file name is included in the message.) This message may indicate that the data disk is full, that there are too many files on the disk, that there is a hardware or disk error, your network rights won't allow you to create files, or the FILES statement in your CONFIG.SYS file needs to be increased. Can't delete (filename or data) PC-File has encountered an error deleting a file or data in a file. This usually indicates a hardware error or a disk error. If the message refers to a file, it could mean that the file is marked by DOS as a read-only file. Can't get memo PC-File has encountered an error reading the memo file. This indicates that the memo file is missing, or there is a hardware error or a disk error. The memo file (.DBT) must have the same name as the data file (.DBF), and must be stored on the same drive and subdirectory as the data file. Can't open (filename) The file named in the message cannot be opened for processing. There could be several reasons for this: The file could not be found, because you gave the wrong name for it. The file could not be found, because you specified the wrong disk drive or subdirectory. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 362 The file is in use by someone else on your system. You are having hardware or disk errors. The FILES= statement in your CONFIG.SYS file is too small. Increase it to 20 or more. The file may have been damaged in some way. See Chapter 12, "External/Internal Utilities," for information on repairing a database. Can't open .LOG file PC-File can't open the file that keeps track of changes made during a posting. If the destination database resides on a network drive, you might not have "rights" to open or create the files. There may be an insufficient number of file handles available to open a file--try increasing the number after FILES= in your CONFIG.SYS file, reboot and try running the posting again. Also, there may be insufficient disk space to open the .LOG file. Can't open .PST file The batch post definition file can't be opened. The file might be damaged. If the file resides on a network drive, you might not have "rights" to open the file. There may be an insufficient number of file handles available to open a file-- try increasing the number after FILES= in your CONFIG.SYS file, reboot and try opening the .PST file again. Can't run DOS You've tried to run a DOS command from within PC-File and the DOS command cannot be processed. There could be several reasons for this: COMMAND.COM cannot be found on the disk, or is damaged. If you told PC-File to free up all memory, PC-File requires about 700K of disk space. The disk may be too full. Not enough RAM is available to execute the command; or the available memory has been corrupted. Can't write (filename) PC-File has encountered an error writing to a file. This usually indicates a full disk, hardware error, a disk error, or that the file is marked by DOS as a read-only file. Cancel changes to this record? PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 363 You selected the Cancel Changes option from the Edit menu, or pressed ESC after modifying a records. If you answer Yes to the question, PC-File ignores all changes made to the current record and restores the record to the original data before you began editing the record. Contains reference to unknown field When you select a report or letter to print, PC-File compares the field names referenced in the report or letter with those in the current database. If the report or letter contains a reference to a field name that doesn't exist in the current database, PC-File displays this message. You should modify the report or letter to include the correct field name references. If you don't, PC-File prints question marks where the field data is to be printed. Creation error PC-File has encountered an error trying to create a new file. This error usually indicates a full disk or a hardware or disk error. If PC-File displays this message when defining a database, make sure that the database definition is valid, i.e., make sure field names, types, and lengths are valid. Data length wrong The record length indicated in the .DBF header does not match the calculated record length (the sum of field lengths). The Repair command cannot correct this type of damage. Try using Pack on the Utilities menu to correct this. DBH doesn't match DBF Both the .DBH and .DBF files store the number of fields, and each field's length and type. There is a discrepancy between the number of fields or one or more fields' length or type. You can redefine the database to create a new database with matching .DBH and .DBF files. Alternatively, you can delete the .DBH file and let PC-File adopt to the database. If you change the database structure with a program other than PC- File, you must delete the .DBH file and let PC-File adopt it. Decimals must be less than number When defining or redefining a database, you can provide the number of decimal places for each numeric field. The maximum number of decimal places is the field length minus 2. For example, if you have a numeric field of length 8, the maximum number of decimal positions is 6. Drive not available or drive door is open PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 364 You are attempting to access an unavailable drive. If the drive you are trying to access is a floppy drive, make sure that the drive contains a formatted disk and that the drive door is closed. End of file You are attempting to display the next record while viewing the last record in the database. If you receive this message unexpectedly, it may mean that one or more of the indexes is damaged. You should rebuild all indexes using the Index option on the File menu. Error 0 PC-File has encountered an error reading or writing to a file. This usually indicates a full disk or invalid path. It can also indicate a hardware error or a disk error. Error adopting dBASE file You selected a data file (.DBF) that doesn't have a corresponding header file (.DBH) and there is a problem creating the header file. PC-File reads dBASE III Plus compatible data files. If your data file is not dBase III Plus compatible, PC-File can't adopt it. Error deleting database record PC-File has encountered an error deleting a record. This usually indicates a damaged index, hardware error, or a disk error. Error during posting An error has occurred while PC-File was trying to post information to the destination file. This might indicate insufficient disk space, a disk error, or if the destination database resides on a network drive, you might not have "rights" to open and write to the files. Error making index (16386) This error will occur if you are attempting to define a Formula Index using a logical field without converting its data to a string using the TOSTR function. For example: UPPER(fieldname) **Incorrect** TOSTR(fieldname) **Correct** See "Defining a Formula Index" in Chapter 8 for details. Error reading (filename) PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 365 PC-File can't read the named file. The message can indicate that the file has been damaged in some way. You may be having difficulties with the disk itself. Either the data disk has a bad sector, or errors are occurring in the disk controller card. Error reading DBF field table The .DBF header can't be read, or the .DBF can't be opened. The file might be damaged. If the file resides on a network drive, you might not have "rights" to open the file. There may be an insufficient number of file handles available to open a file. Increase the number after FILES= in your CONFIG.SYS file and reboot. Error reading DBF header The .DBF header can't be read, or the .DBF can't be opened. The file might be damaged. If the file resides on a network drive, you might not have "rights" to open the file. There may be an insufficient number of file handles available to open a file--try increasing the number after FILES= in your CONFIG.SYS file, reboot and try repair again. Error reading memo (fieldname) This error will occur if PC-File encounters a memo field that it can't read: In "interactive" situations like viewing and editing in Record view and Table view, PC-File leaves the unavailable memo blank and displays an error message in this format: ---------------------------- Error reading memo (fieldname) This database may be damaged [ OK ] [CANCEL] ---------------------------- In "batch" situations like reports and export, PC-File prints or exports: Memo data not available in place of the damaged memo information. An error message in the following format will also display on the screen for 2 seconds: ---------------------------- Error reading memo (fieldname) PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 366 This database may be damaged ----------------------------- You might be able to correct this problem using either the Repair or the Pack options on the Utilities menu. See "Repairing a Database" and "Packing a Database" for details. Error writing on (filename) PC-File can't write to the named file. Also, make sure that the disk isn't already full. If it is full, no more data can be written to it. You may be having difficulties with the disk itself. Either the data disk has a bad sector, or errors are occurring in the disk controller card. If writing to a floppy disk, make sure the disk doesn't have a write-protect tab on it. Exit memo without saving changes? When editing a memo field, PC-File displays this message when you choose Cancel. If you exit without saving, PC-File ignores all changes made to the memo field during the current editing session. Field display length exceeds 65 characters The maximum number of characters you can display for any field on one line is 65. However, the actual data length for character and memo fields can be much longer. Character fields can contain up to 254 characters. Memo fields can contain up to 5000 characters. When creating or modifying a View, you cannot use more than 65 characters for a field's display length. Field type (type) invalid for field length (length) You are defining or redefining a database and have provided an invalid field length. Character fields must be 1 to 254 characters long. Numeric fields must be 1 to 19 characters long. Date fields must be 8 or 10 characters long. Logical fields must be 1 character long. Memo fields must be 5000 characters long. Before you can proceed with the database definition or redefinition, you must either change the field type or field length. In the output database (databasename), The "Match to" field (fieldname) is not indexed. Posting may be slow. Continue? For PC-File to perform posting as quickly as possible, the field to match on in the database you are posting to should be indexed, so PC-File can perform a fast search on the index. If the match field is not indexed, PC-File performs a much slower sequential search. Incompatible memo format PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 367 The .DBF file has memo fields that are stored in dBASE IV format--PC-File can only use dBASE III or III+ format memos. Index expression too long. Ignoring excess. This error message can occur when you are defining a Simple Index (see "Creating an Index" for details) and you choose too many fields to index. All fields indexed up to the point you receive this message will be used if you continue. PC-File generates a dBase index expression which cannot be more than 100 characters long. The total number of fields you can index will vary depending on the lengths of the field names, the types of fields indexed, and how many fields are indexed in descending or ascending sequence. Depending on the situation, you may be able to produce the index you want by defining a Formula Index (see "Creating an Index" for details). Index key exceeded 100 characters Due to limitations of the dBASE index structure, PC-File can't index on more than 100 characters of data. For example, PC- File can't sort five fields of 30 characters each, because the total length would be 150 characters. You need to specify fewer fields to index, or index on portions of fields. See Chapter 6, "Sorting and Indexing Data" for information on indexing portions of fields. Invalid field name (name) When defining a database, you included invalid characters in a field name, or you selected a field and typed a field name that doesn't exist. Field names can contain only letters, numbers and the underscore ( _ ) character. No punctuation, spaces, or other characters are allowed. Field names must start with a letter. Invalid key expression There is an error in the expression you entered for a formula index. It could be a misspelled field name or function name, or a missing parenthesis. Invalid PST file (1st record bad) The first line in the .PST file is not in a valid format. The .PST might be damaged or has been incorrectly edited. This line in the .PST file indicates the "post from" (source) database, and should be in this format: PCF6,D:\path\databasename PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 368 where "D" is the drive and "path" is the subdirectory where the source database resides, and "databasename" is the name of the source database with no extension. For example, posting from a database named SALES on drive C in the \PCFILE\DATA subdirectory the first line of the .PST file would read: PCF6,C:\PCFILE\DATA\SALES To correct this problem: Edit the first line of the .PST file to the format above, restore a backup copy of the .PST file, or redefine the posting from scratch. Invalid PST file (2nd rcd bad) The second line in the .PST file is not in a valid format. The .PST might be damaged or has been incorrectly edited. This line in the .PST file indicates the "post to" (destination) database, and should be in this format: TO:D:\path\databasename.DBH where "D" is the drive and "path" is the subdirectory where the destination database resides, and "databasename" is the name of the destination database. For example, posting to a database named INVENTORY on drive C in the \PCFILE\DATA subdirectory, the second line of the .PST file would read: TO:C:\PCFILE\DATA\INVENTORY.DBH To correct this problem: Edit the second line of the .PST file to the format above, restore a backup copy of the .PST file, or redefine the posting from scratch. Invalid PST file (MATCH command expected) The third line in the .PST file is not in a valid format. The .PST might be damaged or has been incorrectly edited. This line in the .PST file indicates which fields to match on, and should be in this format: MATCH sourcefield to destinationfield where "sourcefield" is the match field from the source database and "destinationfield" is the match field from destination database. For example, matching on a field named PART_NO in both databases the third line of the .PST file would read: MATCH PART_NO to PART_NO To correct this problem: Edit the third line of the .PST file to the format above, restore a backup copy of the .PST file, or redefine the posting from scratch. Line length >>80. Truncate the line? PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 369 You are printing a list of duplicate records and the length of the line of data to be printed is greater than 80 characters. If you are printing to a wide carriage printer or are using a condensed font, you may not want to truncate the line. However, if your printer can only print 80 characters per line, you do want to truncate the data so that your printer doesn't wrap the data from one line to the next. LOG file missing: (filename) This message appears when using the UnPost command on the Batch Post dialog box. Either the .LOG file for the database was deleted, or you may be in the wrong database when trying to UnPost--you must be in the database that was posted to, not the database that was posted from. Match To Field isn't indexed This message indicates that the field to match on in the destination database is not indexed. This does not prevent the posting from being performed, but posting will be slower. Index the "match to" field for better performance. Memo N/A You can't use a memo field in a relational lookup. Name invalid When saving files, you must specify a valid DOS file name. Refer to your DOS manual for the valid file name characters. Also make sure that you don't have a default drive, path and file in the database.PRO file. Need a Match Destination field You need to choose a field from the "post to" (destination) database to match with before you can proceed with your Batch post definition. Need a Match field from Lookup file You need to choose a "match with" field from the Lookup database (the database you are retrieving data from) before you can proceed. Need a Match Source field You need to choose a field from the current (source) database to match with before you can proceed with your Batch post definition. Need a POST action PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 370 You need to define a post action before you can proceed with your Batch post definition. See "Defining Post Actions" for details. Need a Post Destination field You need to choose a field from the "post to" (destination) database to post to before you can proceed with your Post action definition. Need a Post Source field You need to choose a field from the current (source) database to post from before you can proceed with your Post action definition. Need a Source field You need to choose a "match with" field from the current (source) database before you can proceed. Need an Answer field from Lookup file You need to choose the field to retrieve data from in the Lookup database before you can proceed. No phone number To use the telephone dialer option, you must have a field name containing the word "phone." You can use the Redefine option on the File menu to change the name of the field(s) containing your phone number(s) to include the word "phone". See Chapter 13, "Tools," for more information on the telephone dialer. No repairs were performed PC-File found no errors that it could correct, or the user has answered No to a repair message. No snapshot defined To use the snapshot label option, you must have a snapshot label defined in the current profile. See Chapter 13, "Tools," for more information on snapshot labels. Not a compatible DBF file The file you are trying to repair is probably a dBASE II file. PC-File only uses dBASE III and dBASE III+ .DBF files. Not a valid extension PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 371 You have added an invalid file extension in the file selection dialog box. For example, when opening a database, if you provide an extension other than DBF, PC-File displays this message. In most cases, PC-File adds the extension automatically, so you don't have to. Not a valid path or file name The path or file name you have entered in the file selection dialog box doesn't exist or is incorrectly spelled. Also, make sure you select the appropriate drive. Not found PC-File can't find a record matching the search criteria. Numeric field exceeds 19 The maximum field length for numeric fields is 19. You need to reduce the size of the numeric field to 19 characters or less. Out of Memory PC-File has run out of RAM memory (not disk space). To determine how much RAM memory is available on your machine, refer to the "Getting Started" section. PC-File may display an "Out of Memory" message when performing an operation which worked earlier in the current session. While you are in PC-File, memory can become fragmented, such that a large enough block of memory can't be found to perform an operation. There are two ways to work around this problem. First, quit all the way out of PC-File, then restart PC-File and immediately retry the operation that failed. This frees all memory, eliminating fragmentation. Second, make more memory available by either installing more conventional memory in your machine (if you don't have 640K) or by disabling memory resident programs. Extended and expanded memory will not help avoid this error. Another, less common cause of this message is an invalid calculation, complex search criteria or .IF statement in a report or letter. Examples include angle brackets around field names, missing or extra parentheses, and missing or illegal operators such as $, << or =. See Chapter 5,"Finding and Modifying Data," and Chapter 15, "Calculations," for more information. Output (post to) file doesn't exist PC-File can't find the destination database indicated in the .PST file. Either the database has been moved, deleted or renamed; or the .PST has been incorrectly edited. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 372 To correct this problem: Redefine the posting from scratch, or edit the first line in the .PST file to the format described under "Invalid PST file (1st record bad)." Overwrite data. Are you sure? When importing data, you can append the imported records to the database without affecting the existing data or you can overwrite the existing data. Overwriting deletes the original data and replaces it with the imported data. Confirm or cancel your decision to overwrite all records in the current database to continue. Overwrite existing (filename) If you are saving a file to an existing file name, PC-File asks if you want to overwrite the existing file. If you answer Yes, PC-File deletes the existing file and saves the current file with the same name. Repaired (number) This message is displayed at the end of the repair process to indicate how many records have been repaired. Should be memos, but there aren't The .DBF header has a "flag" that indicates if a database has memo fields. This message is displayed if the flag indicates memos, but there are no fields that show memo type. PC-File gives you the option to attempt to repair this problem, if you answer Yes to repair, PC-File turns off the flag. The .DBT file, if any, is not affected. Shouldn't be memos, but there are The .DBF header has a "flag" that indicates if a database has a memo file (.DBT). This message is displayed if the flag indicates no memos, but there are fields that show memo type. PC-File gives you the option to attempt to repair this problem, if you answer Yes to repair, PC-File resets the "flag" to indicate the presence of memos and creates a new empty memo file (.DBT), if it is missing. The "Match From" Field doesn't exist. PC-File can't find the match field for the source database indicated in the .PST file. The .PST file might be damaged or incorrectly edited, or the field's name might have been changed. Redefining the Batch post definition should correct this problem. The disk is full. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 373 There is insufficient space on the destination drive PC-File is attempting to write the redefined database on. Either eliminate unnecessary files, or try redefining to a higher capacity disk, if possible. The UNDO file is dated: date Are you sure you want to undo the posting? This is to inform you the date of the last posting to this database. Only records posted to at that time will be restored. There were (number) transactions for which no matching records were found. "Number" is the number of records posted from that have no matches in the database you are posting to. This Post file is incompatible with the current database. The .PST file was probably defined for another database, or field names might have been changed. Redefining the posting should correct the problem. Too many fields PC-File allows up to 128 fields per database. You are trying to define a database with more than 128 fields. If your database has more than 128 fields, you should consider reorganizing your database structure, or linking multiple databases together using relational lookups. Unsuccessful ADD operation This message usually indicates a damaged index. Rebuild all indexes for the database using the Index Maintenance option on the File menu. The message could also indicate a damaged data file, full disk, or disk error. User Canceled The user pressed ESC or chose Cancel while running a Batch post. WARNING: correcting field decimal places This message displays when PC-File finds a discrepancy between the decimal places for numeric fields indicated in the .DBH file and .DBF header. PC-File assumes the .DBF header is correct and updates the .DBH's values for decimal places to the .DBF header's values. WARNING: correcting field length PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 374 This message displays when PC-File finds a discrepancy between the field lengths indicated in the .DBH file and .DBF header. PC-File assumes the .DBF header is correct and updates the .DBH's field lengths to the .DBF header's values. WARNING: correcting field type This message displays when PC-File finds a discrepancy between the field types indicated in the .DBH file and .DBF header. PC-File assumes the .DBF header is correct and the .DBH's field types are updated to the .DBF header's values. WARNING: correcting number of records This message displays when PC-File finds a discrepancy between the number of records indicated in the .DBF header and the calculated number of records (DBF Length divided by Record Length). PC-File assumes the calculated value is correct and updates the number of records indicated in the .DBF header to the calculated value. WARNING: Database may be damaged PC-File has detected an error with the data file. You should first rebuild all indexes using the Index option on the File menu. If the problem persists, repair the database using the Repair option on the Utilities menu. WARNING: No DBF header termination; continuing The end of the .DBF header does not have an end marker. The .DBF file is probably from a third-party program. This should not affect PC-File's ability to repair and use the file. PC- File does not add an end marker, and continues the repair process. WARNING: PCF.EXE failed integrity check PC-File detects a discrepancy while performing an integrity check. To correct the problem, you should ensure that your data disk(s) are not infected with any viruses, and that there are no errors with your data disk(s), then reinstall PC-File. WARNING: This index may be damaged The index file does not match the data file. You should rebuild the index. Make sure you haven't used the same index file name for more than one index field. See Chapter 6, "Sorting and Indexing Data," for more information on rebuilding indexes and naming index files. What to print in place of ??????? PC-File wants to know what field or system data you want to print at the current data location in your Free form report. PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 375 Writing corrected DBF header This message displays when a discrepancy is found between the number of records indicated in the .DBF header and the calculated number of records (DBF Length divided by Record Length). The calculated value is assumed to be correct and the number of records indicated in the .DBF header is updated to that value. Writing corrected DBH file This message displays when a discrepancy is found between field types, field lengths, and numeric field decimal places stored in the .DBH file and .DBF header. The .DBF header is assumed to be correct and its field definitions are used to update the .DBH file. Wrong password A password is required before you can perform the operation you attempted. You provided the wrong password. You can't have more than 9 indexes PC-File allows up to 9 indexes per database. You already have 9 indexes. You must delete at least one index before you can build another one. You must define at least 1 field You are telling PC-File you have finished defining or redefining a database, but have not defined any fields. Before you can proceed with the database definition or redefinition, you must define at least one field. Your new database has been created. The indexes will be built the first time you use the new database. This message appears after choosing Build New at the end of the Redefine process. Your old database had been renamed to: TMPnnnn Your new (redefined) database keeps the name that it was redefined from. The indexes for your new database will now be created. This message appears after choosing Update Current at end of the Redefine process. TMPnnnn (where "nnnn" is some number) is the name PC-File assigns to the backup copy of the database before redefining it. ABOUT THE AUTHOR PC-File Version 7 Users Guide 376 In 1982, Jim Button started a revolution. He wrote a software program that was so easy to use, even beginners could master it. Yet it was powerful enough to manage information for the largest corporations. Its price was less than half its competition. Jim was so certain that people would love his product, he gave it away for free-requesting payment only if they were completely satisfied. He called it PC-File. Today, 750,000 copies later, Jim's revolutionary software is managing data nationwide. From IBM to the local PTA. Kodak to the cub scouts. Nike to your neighborhood sporting goods store. And it's not alone. PC-File shares the spotlight with a family of powerful products. All are backed by a team committed to quality software, personal service and features that fit the need.