R a d S o f t w a r e


CoinBase.Exe

Version 2.3

(c) April, 1990

by

Rad Delaroderie
PO Box 1991
Columbus, Ga.
31902


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*********************
Program Requirements:
*********************

128K RAM
DOS 2.0 or later
IBM or compatible


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*************
Idiosyncrasy:
*************

My programming philosophy is that a program shows its first sign of
failure the moment you have to pick up a user's manual to see what to
do next. With this in mind, let me make a few points, and then you
should never have to read this file again. If you do, leave me a
scathing message.

I can be contacted at the PO Box listed above, or at

* CompuServe, ID 74730,3526

* GEnie, RAD4

* Columbus Connection BBS
1-404-687-7309
Rad Delaroderie


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*************
Packing List:
*************

This CoinBase package should contain at least the following files:

CoinBase.Exe (The executable program file)
CoinBase.Doc (This documentation file that you're reading now)
RadCat.Txt (A catalog of other available RAD Software programs)


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********************
Program Description:
********************

CoinBase.Exe is a database program designed to facilitate and
inventory your coin collection. It has powerful search and find
capabilities that allow you to find sub-lists of coins in your file
based on almost any criteria, and will let you associatively index
your coins for later retrieval in ways limited only by your
imagination.


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*****************
To Install & Run:
*****************


The following instructions assume that you know next to nothing about
DOS or installing and running programs. I always try to remember that
new computer users are many, and I wish to make things as easy and
clear as possible for these new users.

Floppy disk based users-

Insert a blank floppy disk into Drive A. At the DOS prompt, type
the following:

a: (Enter)
format a: /v/s (Enter)

When the system finishes formatting the disk, it will ask for a
Volume Label. Type

CoinBase (Enter)

Now remove this newly formatted disk from Drive A and insert the
disk containing the CoinBase program files into Drive A. Type
the following:

Copy a:\CoinBase.* b: (Enter)

Follow the instructions as they appear on the screen. New users
should note that, on a single floppy disk system, your computer
considers your single drive to be both Drive A and Drive B. When
you are finished, you now have a usable program disk. Label the
disk. Put the original disk in a safe place. To run the
program, insert the program disk into Drive A. If the computer
is off, turn it on. Type the following:

a: (Enter)
CoinBase (Enter)

The program will now run.


Hard Disk System-

At the DOS prompt, type the following:

c: (Enter)
cd\ (Enter)
md \CoinBase (Enter)
cd \CoinBase (Enter)

If the original program files are on a floppy disk, insert that
disk into Drive A and type the following:

copy a:\CoinBase.* c:\CoinBase (Enter)

If the original program files are already somewhere on your hard
disk, I'll assume that, if you knew enough to get them on your
hard disk already, you know enough to copy them to the CoinBase
sub-directory.

To start the program, type the following:

c: (Enter)
cd \CoinBase (Enter)
CoinBase

CoinBase.Exe creates a data file, called CoinBase.Dat, when you start
entering your items. Database-type programs are by their very nature
"file read/write" intensive. For that reason, performance is slowest
on a floppy disk, very fast on a hard disk, and lightning on a RAM
disk.

If a small sample CoinBase.Dat file is included in this package, you
may immediately get some idea of CoinBase's features without having to
enter your own items right away. When you are ready to establish your
own personal CoinBase.Dat file, you simply erase the sample file by
typing the following:

del CoinBase.Dat (Enter)

at the DOS prompt while in the CoinBase sub-directory, then start from
scratch with your own data file.


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******************
Using the program:
******************

CoinBase starts with a title page containing author and copyright
information, and a brief description of the program. Pressing any key
then displays the focal point of the program-- the Main Menu.

The Main Menu has three options: See your inventory of coins, Add a
Coin to the Inventory, and Quit the Program. Let's examine each
option in more detail below...


******************
See the Inventory-
******************

To choose this option, highlight it with the arrow keys or the
spacebar and press ENTER. CoinBase will display a sub-menu that
let's you choose between seeing "All" of your coins, or finding
and displaying "Certain" coins.


*************
See All Coins
*************

Choosing this option presents another sub-menu in which you
can choose how you want the entire list sorted. You can
sort the list according to:

Category
Government
Metal Base
Coin Name
aka (also known as)
Year of Issue
Grade

Highlight your preference and press ENTER.

******************
Find Certain Coins
******************

Choosing this option presents another sub-menu in which you
can define how to want to find which entries. You can
according to a certain:

Category
Government
Metal Base
Coin Name
aka
Year of Issue
Face Value
Grade
Comments
Key Phrases

When you highlight your preference and press ENTER, you are
asked to type the phrase, word, or partial word that you
which the program to search for. It is important to note
here that you do not have to type an entire word or phrase
for CoinBase to find it in your records. For instance, if
you wish to find all coins in your inventory made of Gold,
simply highlight "Metal Base", press ENTER, and type "old"
(just in case some of your entries were originally entered
as "gold" instead of "Gold"). CoinBase will search through
the entire inventory extremely quickly and present you with
a sub-list of all coins made of gold!

Whether you choose "All Coins" or "Certain Coins", CoinBase will
sort or find your list with amazing speed, and present the
resulting list of coins. At this point you have several
options:

You can scroll through the list with the cursor control keys.
All of these keys are appropriately responsive.

Pressing the F2 Function Key will let you printout the
information of the entire list or sub-list, or printout the
information on just the coin currently being displayed.

Pressing the F4 Function Key will let you modify any of the data
on the currently displayed coin. Simply follow the instructions
as they appear.

Pressing the F8 Function Key will cause the program, after asking
you to confirm, to permanently delete the coin from your
inventory.


****************************
Add a Coin to your Inventory
****************************

If you highlight this option and press ENTER, CoinBase will
present you with an entry screen that allows you to add a coin to
your inventory.

A few points need to be made here:

None of the entry fields are "required entries"; that is, in
any field you may press ENTER without typing anything.
CoinBase will insert "n/a" in that field for you and move on
to the next field.

With each entry field you are shown a "hint" line at the
bottom of the screen to assist you in your entry.

Entry fields are fully editable with word processing
capabilities including left/right-arrow Home/End cursoring
through the string, character delete, overtype/insert mode,
etc.

To make the most of CoinBase's search and find features, it
is important that you be consistent from entry to entry in
how you type your entries. For instance, in the
"Government" field, don't type U.S. for one coin, USA for
another, and U.S.A for still another. If you do, there will
be no consistent character pattern by which you can later
generate a sub-list of these coins.

If you chose "Add a Coin..." unintentionally, simply press
the ENTER key repeatedly until you reach the bottom of the
screen where you are asked to Accept or Reject the new
entry, and press the ESCAPE key. This will return you to
the Main Menu.

With the above points in mind, let's look at each field entry in
more detail:

********
Category
********

Enter the appropriate category for the type coin you are
entering, such as "Ancient", "Treasure", "Classic U.S.",
"Classic World", "Modern Rare", etc.

**********
Government
**********

Enter the name of the government or sovereignty that issued
the coin. Again, be sure to be consistent in your entries.

**********
Metal Base
**********

Enter the primary metal content of the coin, if this is a
relevant field for this type coin. Remember, you don't HAVE
to enter anything in any field if you don't want to or if
it's inapplicable.

******
Weight
******

Enter the weight if relevant and/or known

*********
Coin Name
*********

Enter the appropriate label of the coin. Examples include
"American Eagle", "Liberty", "Stater", "Denarius", etc.

*******************
aka (also known as)
*******************

Many coins have "common" names, such as "Widow Mite", "cob
coin", "Buffalo", etc.

**********
Issue Year
**********

Enter the year the coin was issued. Sometimes an estimated
range of years must be entered, which is why this field is
so wide.

*********
Mint Mark
*********

Enter the mint mark if one exists.

**********
Face Value
**********

Enter the stated face value of the coin

*****
Grade
*****

Enter the grade of the coin according to the ANA
classification system, or any system you wish to use.

********
Comments
********

This entry field allows you to enter miscellaneous
comments. This field also reflects my awareness as a
programmer that it's impossible to write a program that
satisfies everyone's preference for entry fields. There
will be serious coin collectors, for example, for whom it's
very important to be able to note in the program on what
album or shelf a particular coin is located. The comment
field is 74 characters wide, and provides ample room for you
to include information that's important to you.

***********
Key Phrases
***********

This entry field, deceptively, is one of the most useful and
powerful features of this program. Here you may enter key
words or phrases that characterize your coin in a way that
will let you associate it with other coins when you use the
search and find capabilities of this program.

For example, if you have a personal interest in European
coins as a general class of coins, you can enter "European"
as a key word for any coin of that region, regardless of the
actual Government that issued it, and later produce an
instant listing of all European coins in your collection!
You can enter as many key words or phrases as will fit in a
74-character space. You may separate the phrases and words
by commas, spaces, or any other delimiter you wish to use.
The more you think through and utilize this feature, the
more powerful and useful this program becomes!


After you have been given an opportunity to fill each field,
CoinBase will ask you if you wish to Accept or Reject the new
entry. Pressing ENTER will add the coin to your inventory.
Pressing ESCAPE will reject the entry. Either selection will
return you to the Main Menu.


*****************
Quit the Program-
*****************

If you wish to Quit the program, simply highlight that option and
press the ENTER key.


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*************
Expectations:
*************

If you find that you are using the review version of this program
regularly, please send $10 for the latest full-featured version of a
program that is commercially worth a lot more than that. Make sure
you specify the program name, version number, and the type floppy disk
you need. (Use the order form at the bottom of the accompanying
RadCat.Txt file, or the Shareware message/order form that
appears near the beginning of the review version of this program.)

If you wish to use this program in a commercial or institutional
environment, contact me and we'll make arrangements.

Finally, if this is the review version, you are encouraged to freely
distribute copies of this package for others to review. However,
please make sure to include all the files that are listed in the
packing list at the top of this file).


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********
History:
********

CoinBase.Exe
Version 1.0
Sept., 1989

CoinBase.Exe
Version 2.0
Nov., 1989

* Full-featured version available upon contribution

CoinBase.Exe
Version 2.3
April, 1990

* Source Code converted and optimized to Power Basic v2.00b

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End of CoinBase.Doc File