Minimally revised Bulletin #5 from Robert Blacher's BBS with some additional information re File Express v3.82. ******************************************************** ******************************************************bw (45 min. left) Main Board Command? b ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º Bulletin Listings º ÌÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍËÍÍÍËÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ͹ º Date º # º Description º ÌÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÎÍÍÍÎÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ͹ º Current º 1 º New DOS Files / Descriptions and Comments º º 02-18-87 º 2 º System News and Tips º º 02-05-87 º 3 º PC-Write 2.71:Information and Download Policy º º 02-12-87 º 4 º How to request an "ARCHIVED" (off-line) file º º 03-20-87 º 5 º File Express 3.82 is Available º º 12-30-86 º 6 º Tips for DOS, Lotus 1-2-3, WordStar, dBase, TP & Basic º º 10-12-85 º 7 º Notes on Ymodem º º 09-22-86 º 8 º Best of the Board List (MS-DOS) º º 08-27-86 º 9 º Access Policies for System #2 -- (202) 547-7621 º º 09-02-86 º10 º Time Limits on System #1 º º 03-08-87 º11 º READ.ME file from Seminar '87 Software Diskette º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÊÍÍÍÊÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ View: [1 - 11], [L]? 5 ns ====[ Bulletin 5 -- File Express ]================================== [03-20-87] FILE EXPRESS VERSION 3.82 IS AVAILABLE The File Express data base management system has been updated to version 3.82 and is now available for downloading in three archives on download dir #5. PLEASE NOTE: The documentation, contained in FE382-3.ARC is unchanged since version 3.80 and need not be downloaded again. The update notes, FE.NEW, are in FE382-1.ARC. Here are the author's update notes (which only go through v3.81): Version 3.80 / 3.81 * Fixed another Sort bug that would occur with files with over 12000 records. * and will move 100 and 1000 records ahead in Quickscan browse mode. * and will move backward 100 and 1000 (version 3.81) Version 3.77 * A new command line option, /L, has been added to accomodate printers that insist on doing a line feed with every carriage return that is sent to it (resulting in a double spaced report or labels). Typing a /L after the FE to start the program will cause File Express to only send out a carriage return after each line printed instead of both a carriage return and a line feed. Fixed bug in Merge section. Fixed bug in Sort section that would occur when sorting numeric fields with deleted records. Version 3.73 * The CR command in the QuickLabel section may now be expanded to CRx, where x is a number from 1 to 9. This allows many more linefeeds to be specified when using tall labels or note cards. * The QuickSearch feature will now find the first occurance of a match and will automatically switch to the regular search mode if no match is found with QuickSearch. * Fixed bug in Sort routine that would occur with very large sorts. * Sort routine will now sort decimals numbers with a different number of digits to the right of the decimal point into numeric order. Version 3.72 * File Express may now be run so that all screen displays are routed through the regular BIOS routines instead of being printed straight to the screen memory. This allows the program to run on a wider variety of machines such as a PC jr. with a Racore or Quadram expansion unit. To start File Express in this mode type: FE /B from the DOS command line. Version 3.62 File Express now supports subdirectories on a hard disk, so the File Express executables and its data base files can be in separate subdirectories. Version 3.55 * A Quick Search feature has been added to greatly increase the search speed when looking for information in a field that has been sorted in ascending order. After typing in the string information to look for, press instead of . If a record with a matching field is found it will be quickly displayed. In a 10,000 record file, the worst case search would only require File Express to look at 13 records to find a match. The matching record displayed on the screen will not necessarily be the first occurance within the file. You can, however, use the

and keys to move back and forth within the file to view other matching records. Please remember that the Quick Search feature will only work if the database has been sorted in ascending order on the field you want to search by. Version 3.50 * Assembly language routines have now been added to print the screens. You will notice quite a difference. Version 3.33 * will now toggle you between the ADD section and the last record entered in a file. * After every fifth record entered into a database file, the file is automatically closed and then re-opened so that if the power goes out or if you exit the program abnormally, you won't loose more than the last five entries. Version 3.29 * You may now do embedded text searchs in fields that are shorter than 5 characters. As an option to typing ..xxxxxx.. to look for a string anywhere within a field, you may now just type: xxxxxx and then press . This makes it possible to look for a one char- acter string within a two or three character long field. Version 3.27 * Labels may now be sent to the Screen or a Disk File for later printing. Version 3.2x * File Express is now being compiled with a new compiler from Microsoft. This allows us to distriute the "Special" version to everyone. All the program modules now fit on one disk and the transfer between modules is much quicker. * File Express now requires version 2.1 or higher of DOS and at least 192K of RAM memory. * You may now start File Express with extra commands on the DOS command line. Four items may now be specified on the command line: 1 - A database file name. The file name must have the data drive letter as part of the file name. For example: C:MAILING If the MAILING database exists on the indicated drive, File Express will open the file and present you with the Main Menu. If MAILING does not yet exist, (or if you mis-spelled the file name) File Express will assume that you want to start a new file and will take you to the definition section. 2 - A /S to indicate that you want to start File Express with No sound. You may toggle the sound back on from within the program by pressing . 3 - A /M to indicate that you want to start File Express in Monochrome mode. All screen displays will be black and white. You may toggle Color back on from within the program by pressing . 4 - A /1 through /8 to indicate what Main Menu selection is to be selected after the database is opened. Examples: To start File Express with no sound: FE /S To start File Express with no Color: FE /M To start File Express with the EXAMPLE database file on the B drive: FE B:EXAMPLE To start File Express, start a new file called PATIENT on the C drive and to have no Sound and no Color: FE C:PATIENT/S/M To start File Express with the EXAMPLE database opened on the B drive and to go to the REPORT section. FE C:EXAMPLE/5 Please note the following rules when using these commands: 1 - The database file name MUST start with a valid drive letter followed by a colon. FE B:MAIL is correct FE MAIL is incorrect 2 - There must be at least one space between the FE and the command string. 3 - There must not be any spaces between the slash and the S or the M or the numbers. 4 - Menu options will only be honored if there is a database name used in the command. ie FE /1 is incorrect. If rule 1 is not followed you will just be taken to the Opening Screen as if you had just typed FE with no commands. If rule 2 is not followed you will get a BAD COMMAND error from DOS. If rule 3 is not followed the desired Color or Sound switch will not be set. Note: It is possible to trick File Express with a bad file name such as: FE B:::++ But you won't get far!!! * When Searching for records in the Search / Update section, the current search is started from where the previous search left off instead of always starting at the beginning of the file. If you are going to be searching for more that one record, you should arrange them, if possible so that the records will be found in order of the last sort. * While looking at records in the Search / Update section, there is a new option on the prompt line at the bottom of the screen: e-search This allow you to specify another record number or field to search by without having to go back to the Search / Update Menu. * We have now added a new option in the Mailing Label section so that you can print reports complete with title, date and page numbers. This lets you take advantage of multiple columns, trailing space removal, and blank line removal features found in the label printing module. Just after being asked if you would like to have blank lines removed, you will be asked: "Set paging options (Y/N)?" Answering will take you through questions to find out if you would like a title, date, or page, or any combination of these. You will also be asked how many rows of label to print before going to the next page. * The Report Generator section will now ask you: <1> Regular-80 <2> Regular-132 <3> Condensed-132 <4> Condensed-220 after you have set up a new report format. Previous version of File Express would automatically attempt to go to condensed mode if the report format went over 79 columns wide. You may now print reports on wide paper in regular mode without having to "fool" the program by replacing the "condensed" printer code with the "regular" code. * We have now increase the number of fields that you can view in the Quick Scan browse mode from up to any three fields to up to any eight fields. * Calculated Fields may now include themselves in the calculation. For example, field 2 could be set up to be the sum of field 1 + field 2. This makes it possible to keep a running balance field. In the above example, each time you go back to a record and put a new number in field one, it will automatically be added to the current contents of field two. Version 3.0x * Quick Labels may now be printed while adding or viewing a record * Database, Report Format, Label Format, and Import Format files may now be erased from inside File Express * Import program is now run from inside main program instead of being a run-alone program * Many more different type of files may be Imported or Exported * Added Index, Error message appendix, and more examples to the new User's Guide. * There is now a margin release feature when setting up label formats * You can now save Import Formats for future use. * Label size is now saved with Label Format * Maximum linefeeds between labels has been increased from 15 to 66. * Quick Scan feature (browse mode) added. Any three fields may be selected for display. Twenty records at a time are displayed. Use PgUp, PgDn, Home, and End to move around database. Any record shown may be fully displayed and edited. * You may now sort a database by record number regardless of field contents * You may now do Counts on character fields * Editing of fields in records is done with a lot fewer keystrokes * You may now print Subtotals only when printing a report. * You may now do a formfeed after each subtotal generated. * Mixed case searches may now be done. * Report Formats are now saved in a slightly different format to accomodate the new information that must be saved. Therefore all old report formats will have to be re-entered. Sorry Version 2.9x * Fixed line counter on report generator * Fixed embedded string search Version 2.8 * You may now put record numbers on mailing labels * You may select Manual or Automatic spacing between fields when setting up Report Formats Version 2.7 * Screen dumps may be sent to disk file * Separate Function Key files are kept for each database file * Reports may now be sent to disk files View: [1 - 11], [L]? *************************************** *************************************** Robert's Bulletin #1 commentary: ====[ Bulletin 1 -- New Files ]=================================== Computer Connections PCBoard, Washington, D.C., 2400/1200 (202) 547-2008 -- Public; (202) 547-7621 -- Limited Access Brief descriptions and reviews of new files added to the system: [03-20-87] Screened, strewed but not yet reviewed: ======================================= FE382-1.ARC 119917 03-20-87 \FILE EXPRESS DBMS, latest version / EXE FE382-2.ARC 128787 03-20-87 /3.82 01/15/87 - the most complete \ FILES FE382-3.ARC 88858 03-20-87 \user-supported DBMS now available / DOCS U/L by Bob Weinstein. The update notes are in FE.NEW which is in FE382-1.ARC and cover changes through v3.81. The doc and example files, which are in FE382-3.ARC are exactly the same as were contained in the 3.80 arhives and need not be downloaded again. *************************************** *************************************** *************************************** 032287:0403*************************rjw