Documentation for DBASES.600, a Database Manager program for the Tandy 600.
 Copyright 1986 - David Dunn Thomas - All rights reserved

Introduction:

     DBASES.600 is a Basic program that may be used to maintain and retrieve
data from the FILE Applications program built into the Tandy 600. The program
enables the user to: add new records, edit records, sort records, find & print
to screen records, delete records, print all or selected records to printer as
well as print out all or selected mailing labels, and switch from one xxxx.DAT
file to another. Each xxxx.DAT may contain up to 500 records. All of these
functions may be performed rapidly without exiting the program. The program
provides Menu selection of functions, clear prompting, and is speedy in
execution due to use of DBCALLS.LIB machine language sub-routines.

     DBASES.600 is currently tailored to handle data in three files:
ADRESS.DAT, CHECKS.DAT, and PHONBOOK.DAT. With little adaptation, the program
may be modified to handle any other xxxx.DAT file containing five fields.
Further, more advanced modifications, will enable it to handle any xxxx.DAT
file that may be desired. Use of ADRESS.DAT permits mail label print out from a
FILE containing: Last name, First name, Company, Office Phone, Home Phone, and
address of those recorded.

Requirements:

     DBCALLS.LIB and the xxxx.DAT/FIL desired must be loaded in the Tandy 600's
RAM. Basic ROM must be installed or, RAM permitting, loaded in active RAM.
Unless rather small databases are involved, expansion to 128K is required.
Expansion to the full 224K would permit use of all three xxxx.DAT to their
maximum capacity. The DBASES.600 program uses 9378 bytes; ADRESS.FIL 2079
bytes; CHECKS.FIL 1842 bytes; and PHONBOOK.FIL uses 1700 bytes as configured
for use with DBASES.600. Naturally, each xxxx.DAT file can grow to a maximum of
64K, but even ADRESS.DAT will reach it's limit of 500 files first.

Setting up:

     DBASES.600 must be downloaded with the Tandy 600's XMODEM protocol
following the procedures explained in TEL004.600 from DL 1 of the Model 100 SIG
and must be received as DBASES.BAS. It is a binary file and is ready to run on
receipt.
     For simplicity, it is highly recommended that the applications files be
downloaded also --- at least those of interest/need to the user. Specifically,
ADRESS.DAT, ADRESS.FIL, CHECKS.DAT, CHECKS.FIL, PHONBO.DAT, and PHONBO.FIL
should be downloaded from DL 2. Each is a binary file and must be downloaded
with XMODEM protocol as described in TEL004.600.
     All of the applications should retain their filename.ext except for the
PHONBO.* files. They must be renamed to PHONBOOK.DAT and PHONBOOK.FIL (after
saving your current copies to disk!)
     Note that DBASES.BAS will operate with any one, or all, of the three
databases loaded into RAM. Further, it will operate on any other database after
suitable patching of the program.

Using DBASES:

     After initialization, the user is advised as to the xxxx.DAT files loaded
into active RAM and asked which file is desired. The file requested must be
listed on the screen AND must be one of the three files listed above. Both
upper and lower case responses are accepted.
     After an acceptable selection, the user is taken to the Master Menu. In
addition to an eight option Menu, the date is displayed at the top right of the
screen and the number of records in the database is displayed on the top left.
These two bits of data are displayed on the screen for each Section used.
     The Menu, and the entire program, is pretty much self-explanatory and the
user will readily follow the prompts. Main Menu options are:
     1) Add new xxxx.DAT records            5) Delete xxxx.DAT records
     2) Edit xxxx.DAT records               6) Print  xxxx.DAT records
     3) Sort xxxx.DAT records               7) Change database file
     4) Find xxxx.DAT records               8) Exit program

     For each Section, the prompts vary depending upon the database file being
used. Likewise, the screen display and hard copy print outs vary from database
to database. Most obviously, ADRESS.DAT is the only one that offers a mailing
label option after choosing the "6) Print" Section. Further, ADRESS.DAT will
only display five of the ten fields when using the Find Section whereas all
fields are displayed with CHECKS.DAT and PHONBOOK.DAT in use.

Section comments:

     In order to either Edit or Delete a record, it's Item or Number must be
known. That information may be obtained by use of the Find section.

     For Sorting, Finding, and Printing records, the user is able to select the
field on which to search and the type of match desired. The "matching" may take
a bit to get used to, but in every case note that ALL records may be easily
selected by use of 0 as the Number/word to search for and then choosing option
"1) Not equal to" as matching criteria.

General comments:

	Surely nobody has any specific use for the xxxx.DAT files as they
currently appear here in the Data Library. The xxxx.FIL files are necessary in
order to obtain the layout information including field names, types, widths and
such like. However, the suggested procedure is to download and use the xxxx.DAT
files in order to experiment and familiarize oneself with the use of DBASES.
Then, when the user is comfortable, the records in the xxxx.DAT file may be
deleted with either the DBASES program or by accessing the FILE application
directly and using the system's column/row deletion method. Keep in mind,
however, that DBASES expects the three databases to be formatted precisely as
they are available here in the Data Library.

Program modifcation:

	Even a novice programmer can easily modify DBASES for use with other
database files to their own specifications. Some pointers:

  Lines 46-50:     Database filename must be located here or the error message
                   "Sorry, no DATA statements" will be received." Note that
                   these lines contain further essential coding and references.

  Lines 400-       DATA lines containing: number of fields, field names.

  D number         Specifies database type and affects record handling during
                   running of the program.
                   D = 1: numeric, alpha (date), alpha, alpha, numeric (money)
                   D = 2: numeric, alpha, alpha (phone), alpha, alpha
                   D = 3: numeric, alpha, alpha, alpha, alpha (phone),
                          alpha (phone), alpha, alpha, alpha, numeric
                          In "Find" only the first five fields are displayed.
                          With "Item" known, the "Edit Section" may be used to
                          locate remainder of information if needed.

  Lines 5-7       Initialization
  Lines 8-38      Sub-routines including, but not limited to, DBCALLS
  Lines 39-59     Database and Section selection
  Lines 60-73     Add New Records module
  Lines 100-118   Edit Files and Records module
  Lines 120-123   Sort Records module
  Lines 130-145   Find Records module
  Lines 150-156   Delete Records module
  Lines 160-221   Print Records & Mailing Labels module
  Lines 250-254   Change Database module
  Line  255       Close files and LIBRARY, exit to System Manager
  Lines 300-309   Error handling

     As noted in REM lines 0-4 DBASES.600 is Copyrighted by David Dunn Thomas
and the program may NOT be submitted, published, or uploaded to other BBS,
local or national, in any format without author's permission in writing.
     Contact author at 2308 Chetwood Circle, #103; Timonium, MD 21093 or
telephone (301) 252-5379.
     Program will be tailored to user's specifications on stipended request.