
                           * * *  My Little Realm, v2.0  * * *

                                 -  Public Library/sa  -
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                                   General Information
          ____________________________________________________________________

                                        Important

          This is the Shareware version of Public Library.  It is a 
          full-featured, fully functional program that maintains an Historical
          file of a maximum of 50 records.

          The Registered version will hold as many records in the Historical
          file as will fit in your conventional RAM.  

          Thank you for trying Public Library!
          ______________________________________________________________________

          Introduction.

          This routine is really two programs in one.  It keeps track of the
          outstanding books, magazines, videos, etc., that you borrow from 
          your public library on the one hand, and it also maintains an 
          historical file of your borrowings so that you can see what you and 
          your realm members have been reading over the years.

          The Historical Mode contains a powerful Search function that lets
          you find records with specific information in a given field.  For
          example, if you wanted to see what one member of the realm has been
          reading, simply invoke the Search function, select the Reader field 
          to search on, and then enter the reader's Quickey.  Public Library
          will display all of the works that that reader has borrowed over 
          the years.  You can even print the results, if you like.

          Public Library is a great way to keep track of research material,
          too, especially for high school students who tend to be somewhat
          less than organinzed.  It also helps minimize the book and video
          fines (in some areas 25 cents and a dollar, respectively) that can 
          add up so quickly.

          To find out what you have outstanding at any point in time, just
          run Public Library and press <2> in the Options Window.  It's that
          easy.
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                                    The Interface

          Windows.

          Public Library's screen consists of three types of windows:  a 
          Working Window, a Viewing Window, and an Options Window.  If you are 
          using a color monitor the Viewing Window is always green, the 
          Working Window red and the Options Window blue.  Enter the pound
          sign, <#>, in the Options Window to install the color mode.

          You select processes (like adding a record) in the Options Window.  
          You create records in the Working Window, and you view your records 
          in the Viewing Window.

                             ----------------------------

          Extended processing options.
          
          Several processing tasks, called extended processing options or 
          EPO's, are not listed in the Options Windows, because they are 
          functions that only occasionally need to be performed.  EPO's are
          used to "extend" a program's power and functionality.

          To find out what EPO commands are employed by Public Library/sa, 
          enter <?> (the question mark) in the Options Window.  The EPO's of 
          Public Library are defined at the end of this document.

                             ----------------------------

          Quickeys.

          There are two types of Quickey lists in the Public Library Routine.  
          The first is for the names of the readers of your realm, or, more 
          precisely, for their initials.  The second group of Quickeys is for
          your libraries.

          The Quickeys in Public Library/sa give you single key access to the 
          names of the readers in your realm and to the libraries you
          frequent.  Enter them once, and you'll never have to enter them 
          again.  See the section "Extended Processing Options" for full 
          details.
          ____________________________________________________________________

                                   Getting Started

          Note:  If you have a color monitor, press <#>, the pound sign, in 
          the Options Window to install the color mode.

          The very first thing you'll want to do with Public Library is make 
          the program uniquely yours.  To do that, you will have to enter the
          names of the readers in your realm and libraries you visit.  The 
          Change Quickeys function is invoked by the backslash key, <\>,
          entered in the Options Window.

          Public Library will first ask which Reader Quickey you want to 
          change.  The reader entry can be up to three letters long; initials
          are usually used.  When you've entered all of your readers (you can 
          enter up to six), Public Library will ask for the names of the 
          libraries you visit.  You can enter up to four, and they can be
          up to ten characters in length.

          Recommended reading:  Please take a few moments to peruse this
          document.  While Public Library/sa is not difficult to learn, it
          can do a great deal more than simply remind you which books are
          out, who borrowed them, and when they're due.
          ____________________________________________________________________

                                  Program Information
          ____________________________________________________________________

          
          Options Window for the Outstanding (Books Due) mode.
                        _______________________________________     
                       |                                       |
                       |  1  Enter new books     4  Delete     | \
                       |  2  Return  books                     |  \
                       |  3  Change/View           Choice:  _  |    \       
                       |_______________________________________|     \
                                                                     
                                                                     <enter>    
          Options Window for the Historical mode.
                        _______________________________________       /
                       |                                       |     /
                       |    A  View             D  Search      |    /
                       |    B  Sort             E  Delete      |   /
                       |    C  Print              Choice:  _   |  /
                       |_______________________________________|
                       

                              ++   The Outstanding Mode   ++
          
          The Public Library works in two modes:  Outstanding and Historical.  
          To switch between the two modes press <enter> in the Options Window.  
          You'll see the options in the Options Window change as shown above,
          and the title box alternately displays "Outstanding Mode" and 
          "Historical Mode".
          
          The first mode deals with the books that are currently due at your 
          libraries.  In other words, if you've just taken a book out of one
          of your local libraries or returned one, use the Outstanding Mode 
          to make or update the necessary records.
          
          Note:  Public Library always starts in the Outstanding mode.

          The second mode is the Historical mode which maintains a list of 
          all of the works you've ever borrowed and returned.  It is 
          described later in this document.

                                  ~ Field Definitions ~

          - Title field (35, required).

          Leading prepositions and articles should be placed at the end of the 
          title so that sorting takes place on the first key word.

                                   Title:  Tontine, The
                                   ____________________

          - Author field (30 total, optional).

          In the Public Library function, an author's name is entered in the
          following manner:

                                      Last:  Costain
                                     First:  Thomas
                                     M. I.:  B

          To skip the author entry entirely, press <enter> when the cursor is 
          in the first position on the Last name line.  The First and M. I. 
          name lines can be skipped by pressing <enter>.
                                   ____________________

          - Date field (required).

          This field is constructed along the manner of the American date 
          format of mm/dd/yy.

          Public Library will accept dates in the Public Library Routine that 
          are up to one year in the future (remember, these are due dates), 
          and it will accept records with dates from the current and previous 
          months, just in case you don't get the books logged promptly.  
                                   ____________________

          - Library Quickey field (single character entry, optional).

          Only Quickeys are accepted in this field.  You cannot manually enter
          a library name.  So if you want to enter a library name for a given
          record you must do it using the Quickeys.  To skip this field simply 
          press <enter>.  

          Public Library will display the libraries you listed in your library 
          Quickey file (up to four are allowed) in the box on the lower right 
          side of your screen.  
                                   ____________________

          - Reader Quickey field (3, optional).

          Enter one of the six Quickeys in this field.   The Reader Quickeys 
          are displayed in the box in the lower right part of your screen.

          You don't have to use a Quickey, however.  Any character string from 
          one to three letters long may be entered, but only letters may be 
          used.  Numbers are recognized solely as Quickey entries, and only 
          <1> through <6> are accepted.
                                   ____________________

          Echoic entries:  Date, Library and Reader fields.

          The Date, Library and Reader fields are echoic entries.  That is to
          say, once a record has been entered, each of these fields will echo 
          its previous value to the screen in subsequent records until you
          alter its value or exit the Enter New Books function.  If the echoed 
          value is the entry you want, just press <enter>.  

          For example, if you borrow six magazines from your local library and 
          all of them have the same due date, you only have to enter the date 
          for the first record.  After that, Public Library will echo that 
          date and all you have to do is press <enter> to accept it.  The same 
          procedure holds for the library and reader entries.  

          Should you wish to change an echoed value for the Reader or Library
          entries, merely pretend it isn't there and enter what you would have 
          had the echo not been displayed.  To change the Date echo, press the
          <backspace> key.  You can also backspace over the Reader and Library
          echoes if you prefer.
          ______________________________________________________________________

          Option # 2, returning your books.

          At a glance, the Public Library's Return function can tell you:

                       the titles of the works currently on loan
                       the authors of each
                       the date each work is due
                       who borrowed said works, and
                       the library to which each must be returned
                            (should you frequent more than one library)

          Public Library automatically displays your outstanding books in the 
          Viewing Window and asks for the record number of the book you have 
          returned.  (The record numbers are displayed on the left side of the 
          Viewing Window.)  
          
          Enter the record number of each of the works you have returned, and
          Public Library will highlight them.  When you've highlighted all of 
          those returned, press <enter> without entering a record number.  
          
          If you've highlighted any of the works, Public Library will display 
          the following confirmation prompt:
                      
                      ____________________________________________
                     |                                            |
                     |   Press <enter> to confirm your returns.   |
                     |   Press <esc> to abort return function.    |
                     |   Press <backspace> to recheck returns.    |
                     |____________________________________________|

          
          You have three options here:  Press <enter> to tell Public Library
          to go ahead and update the books due file; press <esc> to leave the
          Return function without updating the books due file; or press the
          backspace key to go back to the beginning of the Return function
          and make some last minute changes (like highlighting another record 
          or turning off a highlighted record).

          Note:  Public Library does not remove the records marked returned
          from the Outstanding file and append them to the Historical file
          until you exit the Public Library program.  This means that if you 
          mark several works returned and then decide to view the Historical 
          file, you won't find your recently returned records at the end of 
          the file.  All of the file I/O is performed when you exit the 
          program.  Hence, the returned works can still be viewed by invoking 
          the Return function.  On the next occasion you use Public Library, 
          you'll find those returned books in the Historical file.

                                   ___________________

          You can use this function to view your books due file (properly 
          called the Outstanding file).  If you have more than one screenful
          of books, you can use the directional keys, <home>, <end>, <pageup>,
          and <pagedown> to view the others.  When you've finished, press 
          <esc>.  

          Note:  If you are merely viewing your records, remember that you 
          should not highlight them in this function.  If you do, they will be 
          considered "returned", and Public Library will display the 
          confirmation prompt shown above.  If you should happen to forget,
          simply press <esc> when the confirmation prompt is displayed and
          Public Library will ignore your highlighted records and return to
          the Options Window.

          Important:  You should ensure that all entries are correct while the
          records are in the books due file.  Once a record is marked 
          returned, it is moved to the Historical file and cannot be modified.
          ______________________________________________________________________

          Option # 3, correcting and viewing records.

          Public Library will want to know the record number.  The record
          numbers appear on the left side of the Viewing Window.  To return to 
          the Options Window, press <enter> (without entering a record number) 
          or press <esc>.

          After you enter a record number, it displays a sub-menu of the 
          fields that you can change in the Working Window and highlights the 
          record in the Viewing Window so you'll know which record's data 
          you're changing.  Be sure you have the correct one.  To turn off the 
          highlight (i.e., to avoid making changes to the highlighted record), 
          press <enter> (nothing else) or press <esc>.

          When the sub-menu is displayed showing the six fields you can 
          change, select the appropriate field's hotkey, and Public Library 
          asks for the new field value.  If you enter the wrong hotkey press 
          <esc> and Public Library will restore the original value.  

          If the menu number you chose was <6> (return status), you can undo 
          the change by simply entering <6> again.  Since the return status is 
          either yes or no, all you do to change the status is to select menu 
          number <6>.  The instant you select <6> the return status is changed 
          to the opposite value.  To change it back, you simply press <6> 
          again.

          This function is also handy if you simply want to peruse your books
          due file.  If you have more than a screenful, you can use the 
          scrolling keys to view those records not on screen.

          Important:  You should ensure that all entries are correct while the
          records are in the books due file.  Once a record is marked returned,
          it is moved to the Historical file and cannot be modified.
          ______________________________________________________________________

          Option # 4, deleting your records.

          Public Library will ask for the record number of the entry you want 
          to delete.  It will then highlight that record and ask you if you 
          are sure you want that record deleted.  Verify the contents of the 
          record before you respond.  If you respond <Y>, the record is
          deleted.  If you press <esc>, <N>, or <enter>, Public Library will
          turn off the highlight.

          After you respond yes or no, Public Library will again ask for the 
          record number of the next record you want to delete.  Give it the 
          next record number if you want to delete another record or press 
          <esc> (or <enter> without entering a record number) to leave the 
          Delete function and return to the Options Window.  If you delete the 
          last record in your books due file, you will automatically be 
          returned to the Options Window.
          ______________________________________________________________________
          ______________________________________________________________________

                             ++   The Historical Mode   ++

          When you press <enter> in the Options Window, Public Library
          switches between the Outstanding mode and the Historical mode.  If
          Public Library is in the Outstanding Mode, simply press <enter> to 
          access your Historical file.  Public Library displays "Historical 
          Mode" in the title box on the upper right of your screen.

          The Historical mode of the Public Library Routine allows you a 
          unique perspective on your realm members' reading habits over the 
          years.  There might also be times when you want to go back and 
          re-read an unusual work you had read years before but can't quite 
          recall the name of the work or the author.  
          
          The historical log also allows you to keep detailed records of your 
          research.  And if friends ask what the children of the realm were 
          reading when they were such and such an age, you'll be able to look 
          up the answer quickly and easily using Public Library's Search
          function.
          
          Note:  The records of the works declared returned in the 
          Outstanding Mode are added to the Historical file when you exit 
          the Public Library program.  Public Library puts those returned 
          records at the end of the Historical file, maintaining a nearly 
          chronological account of your borrowings.  This structure of the 
          Historical file is not altered by Public Library's Sort function.
          ______________________________________________________________________

          Option <A>, viewing the historical records.

          Use the directional keys, <home>, <end>, <pageup>, and <pagedown> to 
          browse.  You can have Public Library highlight specific records by 
          entering the record numbers of those you want to focus on.  To turn 
          off a record's highlight, reenter that record's record number.

          To return to the Options Window, press <enter> (without entering a
          record number) or press <esc>.
          ______________________________________________________________________

          Option <B>, sorting the historical records.

          You may sort by title, author or reader.  If you wish to print your
          records in a sorted order, run the sort first and then run the Print
          function (option <C>).
          ______________________________________________________________________

          Option <C>, printing the historical records.

          Public Library prints the title, author, date (due), library, and 
          the reader.  If you want your listing in a sorted order, run the 
          sort first, then invoke the Print function.
          ______________________________________________________________________

          Option <D>, searching the historical records.

          You can tell Public Library to search on any of four fields:  the 
          Title field, the Author field, the Date field, or the Reader field.  
          Give Public Library the string (called a keyword) that you're 
          looking for, and it will search the specified field in every record 
          for any occurrence of the keyword.

          Normally, Public Library deletes the external spaces surrounding a 
          keyword.  For the Title and Author fields, however, you can include 
          a special delimiter, the backslash, to force Public Library to 
          include blank spaces when it conducts its search.  As an example, if 
          you wanted to look at all of the volumes whose author was "Long", 
          you would enter: 

                                   \Long \

          This type of keyword search would eliminate those authors with names
          like Longacre or Longfellow.

          Entering a date string is easy.  You can search on a year or on a 
          specific month and year combined.  Below are examples of valid date 
          entries for the year 1985.

                                   1985
                                   85
                                   /85

          If you want Public Library to restrict the search to a specific 
          month, enter:

                                   7/85
                                   07/85

          Public Library ignores the day portion of the dates.  If you 
          include the day portion of the date, i.e., if you enter 7/24/85 for 
          example, Public Library will use only the month and the year, 
          providing they are valid entries.
          ______________________________________________________________________

          Option <E>, deleting the historical records.

          This Delete function is a little different from the one in the 
          Outstanding mode.  In the Outstanding mode, you delete one record at 
          a time.  In the Historical mode, you select all of the records you 
          want to delete and then have Public Library delete them all at one 
          time.  Confirmation is required before the deletions are performed.

          Use the directional keys, <home>, <end>, <pageup>, and <pagedown> 
          to find the records you want to delete, and enter their record 
          numbers.  Public Library will highlight your selections.  After 
          you've highlighted all of the records you want to delete, press 
          <esc> or <enter> (without entering a record number).

          If you've highlighted any records, Public Library will tell you how 
          many records you've marked for deletion and ask if you want the 
          deletions made.  Respond <Y> to effect the deletions.  Press <N>, 
          <enter>, or <esc> to abort the Delete function.  

          If you highlight a record and then change your mind, enter that 
          record number again, and Public Library will turn off the highlight.  
          Only highlighted records are deleted.

          Special note:  If you have sorted your records before running the
          Delete function, Public Library will tell you that it will restore 
          the historical array to its original structure before it continues 
          with the Delete function.  If you have more work to do using the 
          sorted structure, you might want to finish that work first before 
          you delete any records.
          ______________________________________________________________________
          ______________________________________________________________________

          Extended Processing Options.

               EPO  Definition
                         
               <\>  Change the Quickeys.  Both reader and library Quickeys are 
                    changed by issuing this command.  
                    
                    Reader Quickeys can be three characters long.  
                    
                    Library Quickeys can be up to ten letters long.  

                                    - - - - - - - - -
               
               <$>  Print an order form for My Little Realm's Public Library.
          
                                    - - - - - - - - -
               
               <?>  Display the EPO's for the Public Library Routine.

          ______________________________________________________________________

                                On reading . . .
                   
          Americans deny themselves a valuable resource when they ignore 
          their public libraries.  A chance to read is a chance to explore 
          ... the world around us, the world inside us.  It enhances lives 
          by enlarging the worlds we perceive physically, spiritually, 
          metaphysically, and metaphorically.

          Like looking through different lenses on a sophisticated camera,
          reading allows you to view your world with whole new perspectives.
          The works you read don't have to be revolutionary to make you
          think.  Nor do they have to be written by Nobel Prize winning 
          authors to have impact.  And they certainly don't have to appear on 
          the best selling lists to entertain.  But they do have to be read 
          to be enjoyed.

          Do yourself a favor.  Keep a library book around the realm, even 
          if you're not sure you'll have time to finish it.  There's no rule 
          that says you have to read it cover to cover.  And if, at a later 
          date, you decide you really do want to finish that book but you 
          can't recall the name of the author or the title, don't worry about 
          it ... My Little Realm's Public Library will remember for you.
          
          ______________________________________________________________________

                                      +  The End  +
          ______________________________________________________________________

          (c) Copyright 1991 - 1992 John L. Salisbury

