+---------------------------------------+ | buttonFile 1.0 - READ.ME | +---------------------------------------+ CONTENTS OF THIS READ.ME FILE: * LIST OF FILES * WHAT IS SHAREWARE * WHERE BUTTONFILE IS SOLD * COPYRIGHT INFORMATION * DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTIONS * THE MANUAL * NOTES & CHANGES * HINTS & TIPS ON USING BUTTONFILE * INSTRUCTIONS FOR PRINTING THIS FILE * ASSOCIATION OF SHAREWARE PROFESSIONALS (ASP) +---------------+ | LIST OF FILES | +---------------+ Please refer to the following files on Disk 1 for the limited license to copy: VENDOR.DOC Information for Shareware Distributors, Disk Vendors and Computer Clubs. SYSOP.DOC Information for Bulletin Board SYSOP's. EDUCATE.DOC Information for Classroom and Training Use. LICENSE.DOC Information for Individuals. To see a complete list of files that must be included with this package for distribution, please check the file called PACKING.LST. +----------------------------+ | WHAT IS SHAREWARE? | +----------------------------+ Welcome to the Shareware revolution. This remarkable method of software distribution was co-pioneered in 1982 by Jim Button and Andrew Fluegelman. It has become a major force in the computer industry, helping to reduce software prices and eliminate copy protection schemes. You are encouraged to copy the buttonFile Shareware diskette(s) and share them freely with others. Please make copies of your original diskettes rather than copying the installed program so the Setup program is included. You have the luxury of trying out the complete programs, at your own pace and in the comfort of your own home or workplace. This is not a disabled or demo copy, but the complete fully-functional working version of the program. After you have used buttonFile for a reasonable evaluation period you must either stop using it or buy a licensed copy from ButtonWare or from an authorized software dealer. +-----------------+ | WHY PAY AT ALL? | +-----------------+ * You receive the most current copy of the program * You receive a bound, printed manual * You become eligible for notification of updates and new products * Inexpensive updates (typically 1/3 the retail price) * Periodic special price offers (for registered users only) * Your input and ideas help shape future products and versions * A sense of pride and ownership, by having honestly participated in the Shareware revolution * The satisfaction of helping to keep software prices down, by supporting a distribution method which doesn't depend on expensive advertising campaigns * You are required to obtain a registered copy if you continue to use the program At ButtonWare, we are committed to the continued development of useful, friendly (easy to use), inexpensive software. Your payment is very important. It helps to fund the creation of new software programs and encourages the Shareware approach to software distribution. In essence, your payment is a vote for this program and for this method of software sales. Sincerely, Jim Button Founder and President. +----------------------------+ | WHERE IS BUTTONFILE SOLD? | +----------------------------+ You can purchase buttonFile (often at a substantial discount) from the following retail outlets: In the U.S.: CompuAdd (800)999-9901 Computer City (local store) Egghead (800)EGG-HEAD MicroWarehouse (800)367-7080 PC-Connection (800)800-5555 In Canada: Primax (800)668-4305 Crowntek Express(800)567-5000 In Australia: Manaccom 7-368-2366 In New Zealand: Manaccom(NZ) 9-3600-500 In the U.K.: Shareware PLC 0297-24088 Or you can purchase buttonFile from your local dealer or directly from ButtonWare. Call (800)J-BUTTON or (206)454-0479 for the dealer nearest you or for current pricing and order information. +-----------+ | COPYRIGHT | +-----------+ buttonFile(R) is a registered trademark of ButtonWare Inc. (1992-1993). The exclusive copyrights to this program are held by ButtonWare and Jim Button. +-----------------------------+ | DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTIONS | +-----------------------------+ Please dive in and enjoy the fun of legally sharing good software with your friends and associates. The following restrictions are designed to protect the community of Shareware users and to prevent others from taking unfair advantage of the trust, hard work, and good will of Shareware authors. Exceptions to these conditions must be granted in writing from ButtonWare. 1. Disk vendors (those who sell Shareware disks for a profit) must follow the procedure outlined in the "VENDOR.DOC" file. 2. Individuals wishing to share buttonFile with others must adhere to the conditions outlined in the "LICENSE.DOC" file. 3. To distribute buttonFile via a telecommunications link, you must follow the procedure outlined in the "SYSOP.DOC" file. 4. A copy of buttonFile is available for student use in classrooms. (Please see EDUCATE.DOC.) 5. Shareware distribution is permitted only in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. +-------------------+ | Technical Support | +-------------------+ If you need technical support, you can call our bulletin board at (206)454-7875, contact us in PCVENA on CompuServe or call our technical support line (900)454-8000. There is no charge for the first minute on the 900 line. Each minute thereafter is billed at $2 on your phone bill. Please do not contact the business office for technical support on Shareware versions of ButtonWare products. +---------------------------------+ | THE MANUAL | +---------------------------------+ You will not find a copy of the printed manual in the Shareware version of buttonFile. There are three reasons for this: * The help files are extremely complete. You will find this to be one of the most comprehensive help systems you have ever seen. * The program is extremely intuitive and easy to use. * It takes us a great deal of time to create an ASCII version of the manual, which itself contains many graphic illustrations. Because the ASCII version can't contain the graphic illustrations (your printer probably wouldn't be able to print them), this makes the on-disk version of the manual almost unuseable. +---------------------------------+ | NOTES AND CHANGES | +---------------------------------+ There are some other text files in your subdirectory worth looking at: PRODUCTS - Short review of ButtonWare products, and an order form RESPONSE - A user feedback survey. Very important to us. LICENSE.DOC - important licensing information for individuals. DESCRIBE.DOC - sample descriptions of buttonFile package. VENDOR.DOC - information for shareware vendors. SYSOP.DOC - information for Bulletin Board SYSOP's. EDUCATE.DOC - information on classroom and training use. +----------------------------------+ | HINTS & TIPS ON USING BUTTONFILE | +----------------------------------+ DIALING PROBLEMS If you have trouble dialing with buttonFile, it could be due to several things. 1) Incorrect Modem Init String. The modem init string defaults to "AT E0V0" in buttonFile. This string should work with virtually all modems that are Hayes compatible. Refer to your modem's documentation to see if your modem manufacturer recommends a different modem initialization string. If it does, choose Phone Dialer from buttonFile's Configure menu. Select the Use custom option button in the Initialization area. Type the recommended initialization string into the text box, and choose OK to save this setting. 2) Incorrect COM port. Make sure buttonFile is configured to dial from the correct COM port. If you are using an external modem, you may be able to check the back of your computer to see which COM port it is attached to. If you are using an internal modem, refer to your modem's documentation to determine which COM port your modem is configured as. After you are sure which COM port your modem is using, choose Phone Dialer from buttonFile's Configure menu. Select the option button for your modem's COM port in the Port area. Choose OK to save this setting. 3) Other possible problems: Make sure the modem is on and hooked up to the phone line. Make sure there are no DOS programs using the modem. 4) Incorrect Windows COM port settings. This problem is more likely if you are using an internal modem. It may be necessary to manually configure the Base I/O Port address and the IRQ number for the COM port your modem is set for using the Advanced options of the Ports option on the Windows Control Panel. This can be necessary even if the the Base I/O Port address and IRQ number for your internal modem match the standard COM Port settings. To configure COM port IRQ number and Base I/O Port address: 1. Open the Main group window in the Windows Program Manager. 2. Choose the Control Panel icon. 3. Choose Ports from the Control Panel window. 4. Select the port want to dial from. 5. Choose Settings. 6. Set the appropriate Baud Rate for your modem (refer to your modem documentation, if necessary). 7. Choose Advanced. 8. Set I/O Port Address and IRQ to the following: for COM1 set Base I/O to 03F8, and IRQ to 4 for COM2 set Base I/O to 02F8, and IRQ to 3 for COM3 set Base I/O to 03E8, and IRQ to 4 for COM4 set Base I/O to 02E8, and IRQ to 3 (Refer to your modem documentation to make sure these match your modem's settings) 9. Choose OK. 10. Choose OK. 11. Choose Close. You will be prompted to restart Windows -- these settings will not take effect until you do so. If you are still having problems dialing after performing the above procedure, there may be a conflict between IRQ settings with other devices on your computer; however this situation should be rare. If this is the case, you should determine which IRQs are being used by any other devices on your computer (such as network, mouse, scanner, or printer interface cards). Microsoft supplies a diagnostic program, MSD.EXE, which is installed in your \WINDOWS directory. Run MSD.EXE and choose the IRQ Status option to display a list of the IRQs currently in use. Then refer to the documentation for your serial card or internal modem card to see if you can change which IRQ numbers are used with settings on the card or its setup software. If this is possible, you can eliminate the conflict in Windows by reassigning the card to use an unused IRQ, then use the Ports option on the Windows Control Panel to use this new IRQ. COMPACTING DECK FILES For speed and efficiency when deleting cards (records) from buttonFile decks (databases), cards are marked as deleted but are not physically removed. For this reason, the size of the deck file (deckname.btn) does not decrease after deleting cards. However, buttonFile does reclaim the space occupied by deleted cards when new cards are added. For this reason, the size of the deck file will not increase until the space taken up by all deleted records is re-used. If you need to force deleted cards from a deck file, you can merge (import) the active cards from the current deck into an empty copy of the deck using the following procedure. To compact a deck file: 1. Choose New from the File menu. 2. Select Design Deck Patterned After Deck from the Source list box. 3. Choose OK. 4. Select the name of the deck you want to compact from the File Name list box. 5. Choose OK. A deck design window displays with the layout of the deck. DO NOT modify the deck layout. 6. Choose Save from the File menu. 7. Type a new file name, if you are saving to the same directory as the file you want to compact, or save to the same name in a different directory. 8. Choose OK. 9. Choose Close from the File menu. 10. Choose Yes to use the new deck. An empty copy of the original deck displays in a deck window. DO NOT switch to any other open deck windows. 11. Choose Merge from the File menu. 12. Select the name of the deck you want to compact from the File Name list box. The Merge Mapping dialog box displays. 13. Choose the Map All button. Confirm that the All Cards option button is selected in the Merge Which Cards group. 14. Choose OK. An information box displays indicating the progress of the merge operation. When all of the active cards are merged from the original deck, the new deck displays. If you saved the compacted deck to a different name, you can close both the original and compacted decks, then use File Manager to delete the original deck and rename the compacted copy to the original name. If you saved to the same name in a different directory, you can copy the compacted deck back to the original directory over the original deck. +-------------------------------------+ | INSTRUCTIONS FOR PRINTING THIS FILE | +-------------------------------------+ buttonFile's installation program creates an icon located in the buttonFile program group called Read Me. Double-clicking on this icon loads the READ.ME file into Windows Notepad. To print the READ.ME file from Notepad, choose File (ALT-F) and then choose Print. There are other ways to print and view this file. Some suggestions are listed below: 1. Determine which port your printer is connected to. Many printers are connected to LPT1. 2. At a DOS prompt, type: COPY READ.ME LPT1 and press ENTER. If your printer is connected to a port other than LPT1, substitute that port for LPT1 in the above example. Note: This procedure does not work when printing to a PostScript printer. You can also print this file from your word processing program. First, load this file into your word processing program, format the file if desired, then use your word processing program's command to print the file. +----------------------------------------------+ | ASSOCIATION OF SHAREWARE PROFESSIONALS (ASP) | +----------------------------------------------+ _______ ____|__ | (tm) --| | |------------------- | ____|__ | Association of | | |_| Shareware |__| o | Professionals -----| | |--------------------- |___|___| MEMBER Jim Button is a founding member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442 or send a CompuServe message via electronic mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ButtonWare PO Box 96058 Bellevue, WA 98006-4469 (206)454-1838 Fax USA CompuServe ID 73230,1363