Dec 112017
Full Description of File
A dBase tool for the building of .Dbf and
.Dbt dBase compatable Files from text files.
Use Mouse to mark text in a text window then
paste in dBase Fields or Memo's. In addition
dBuddy features search, view and edit of both
.DBF and Text files to aid in the database
build process.
.Dbt dBase compatable Files from text files.
Use Mouse to mark text in a text window then
paste in dBase Fields or Memo's. In addition
dBuddy features search, view and edit of both
.DBF and Text files to aid in the database
build process.
A dBase tool for the building of .Dbf and .Dbt dBase compatable Files from text files. | |||
---|---|---|---|
File Name | File Size | Zip Size | Zip Type |
DBUDDY.DOC | 31584 | 9732 | deflated |
DBUDDY.EXE | 141536 | 61807 | deflated |
ELECVEH.DBF | 746 | 258 | deflated |
ELECVEH.DBT | 1536 | 78 | deflated |
ELECVEH.TXT | 593 | 373 | deflated |
ELECVEH.XDF | 515 | 241 | deflated |
ELECVEH.XMF | 298 | 126 | deflated |
ELECVEH.XTF | 774 | 273 | deflated |
FILE_ID.DIZ | 290 | 195 | deflated |
SW.LST | 4919 | 1590 | deflated |
Download File DBUDDY24.ZIP Here
Contents of the DBUDDY.DOC file
dBuddy Ver 2.4 release 6 Jan 1992 QRFM Ver 4.1 4 Dec 92
Mountain Retreat Software
dBuddy
(c) Copyright 1992 by John Jamieson
All Rights Reserved
Intro:
dBuddy is a tool for the building of .Dbf and .Dbt Dbase III and
dBAse IV compatible Files from text files. Since the majority of
commercial and shareware databases have built-in ability to import
and export to .dbf and .dbt files, dBuddy could be used by almost
any database user in order to facilitate the tedious and very
often frustrating task of transferring data from text files into
database files. It can also be used by those without dBase or a
compatible data base program to view and edit .Dbf and .Dbt files.
For best results dBuddy should be used with a mouse, but all its
features are accessible from a keyboard.
Programming was done in Turbo Pascal 6.0 and uses Turbo Pascal's
Turbo Vision Units to provide the user interface and other
features. dBuddy was developed to satisfy the needs of one user, I
would appreciate comments/suggestions from others.
dBuddy Features:
Create .Dbf and .Dbt files.
Mark and Paste data from text files to .Dbf and .Dbt files.
Search, View and edit .Dbf data and .Dbt Memos
Export .Dbf files to character delimited files
Export .Dbt files to a Text file
Memo files are Exported with delimited or text files
Trademarks:
dBase and Turbo Pascal are trademarks of Borland International, Inc.
Thanks:
I want to thank Cyrill Vatomsky for all his help with dBuddy;
his ideas, testing and critique were invaluable.
Files included in this archive:
DBUDDY.EXE Data Base Buddy. The only program needed for operation
DBUDDY.DOC This File
Sample files:
ELECVEH.TXT Text file used in the mark and paste process
that was used to create ELECVEH.DBF and
ELECVEH.DBT
ELECVEH.DBF A dBase III compatible .DBF Data file
ELECVEH.DBT A dBase III compatible .DBT Memo file
ELECVEH.XDF An Exported Character (,) delimited file
ELECVEH.XTF An Exported List of Records
ELECVEH.XMF An Exported Memo File
Caution:
It is strongly suggested that when working with existing data
base files a backup of those files be made prior to using dBuddy.
HOW TO INSTALL dBUDDY
If you do not have any problems with moving and copying files, you
can create directory DBUDDY and unpack the archive into it. File
DBUDDY.EXE is the only one needed to run the program. Sample files
are provided for a quick look at dBuddy's features. Be sure to copy
.dbf files you want dBuddy to work with into the same directory.
If you use dBase III or dBase IV as your primary database software,
you can just copy DBUDDY.EXE file into the directory where you
keep your .dbf files.
If you use other database software that can export data from its
format into dBase format, you can place DBUDDY.EXE in the directory
where .dbf files are exported to..
You might want to add the dBuddy's location to the PATH statement
in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
Quick Try:
1. Place all the dBuddy files in a directory of their own.
2. Select the DATABASE Menu by using the mouse to click on the
DATABASE menu.
3. Use the mouse to click on Open a .Dbf file.
4. Select ELECVEH.DBF by clicking first on ELECVEH.DBF and then
on OK. Or by using arrow keys to highlight ELECVEH.DBF then
pressing enter. The Tab key will move you between FilePickList,
OK button And Cancel Button if need be.
5. Next load the text file that is to be used as a source of data
into a text file window. In a similar manner to selecting a .Dbf
file select ELECTVEH.TXT.
6. Press F5 to add a blank record to the database.
7. Press Ctrl PgDn to move you to the bottom of the text window or
use the mouse on the scroll bar on the right side of the window
to move to the last item in the text file.
8. Move the mouse cursor to the first character in Electric Golf Cart
Press the left mouse key and hold it down while moving the mouse
cursor to (t) the last character in the word cart Cart. Then let
up on the mouse button.
5. Next move the mouse cursor to the string of field pick numbers in
the DATABASE Window and click on the number one. The text will be
moved to field number one in the new record that you created.
6. In the same manner as the Veh Name was pasted, Mark and paste the
Year "80" into field 2.
7. This process is repeated until all the fields in the record that
are to receive captured text have been filled. MEMO's are also
marked and copied by this same process, mark and paste the text
paragraph starting with "Only slightly" into the memo field five.
7. Now Save this record by pressing F6.
8. If any additional data must be input, the record can be called up
with the View/Edit function and edited. A MEMO can be edited or
viewed by pressing the SPACE bar when the cursor is on the
memo field of interest in the View/Edit Window.
When pasting data into a field you can click on the line displaying
the data, you may find it easier than using the Field Picks.
Record:8 Field
Fld Typ Len Dec Picks 1 2 3 4 5
2 N 2 0 YEAR
1 C 20 0 VEH_NAME -
In the example you could paste marked data into the VEH_NAME by
clicking on the line
1 C 20 0 VEH_NAME -
The next field the, YEAR field can be pasted in the same way by
clicking on the line
2 N 2 0 YEAR
When you click on this second field in the record the fields will
scroll bringing the next field up ready for filling.
RUNNING dBUDDY
To run dBuddy, simply type dBuddy at the DOS prompt either
in its directory or anywhere if the PATH is known. Or you can
include dBuddy into your favorite menu system.
dBuddy was especially designed to be used with a mouse, though
most all its features can be accessed from a keyboard.
PULL DOWN MENUS
Menus are pulled down by clicking on the menu name or by
simultaneously pressing ALT and the highlighted character in the
menu name. You can select an item by moving the highlight bar with
UP and DOWN keys.
EXIT
Clicking on EXIT will pull down EXIT MENU.
EXIT TO DOS will temporarily shell you to dos prompt. From there you
can issue any DOS command. Eg. COPY, if you forgot to copy a .dbf
file into dBuddy's directory.
EXIT will terminate execution of dBuddy.
ABOUT will gives you info on where to register.
DATABASE MENU
Clicking on it will pull down DATABASE options menu.
MAKE .DBF HEADER will first prompt you for the name of the file you
want to create. Do not include file extension. You will also be
asked to specify whether you want to create a dBaseIII,
dBaseIIIPlus or dBaseIV file. (In the earlier dBIII files, there
is an ASCII NUL character between the $0D end of header indicator
and the start of the data. The NUL is not used in Plus, making a
Plus header one byte smaller than an identically structured III
file.)
After the file is named and its type is chosen, the following window
will appear on the screen. Remember that you can move this window by
clicking on the border and moving the mouse while holding the button
depressed.
[] Order.DBF Fields
Name Type Length Decimals
NAME C 15
COST N 10 2
POST DATE D
ONESHOT L
QUANTITY N 5
MEMO M
~ ~
Add Field Cancel Save
It is recommended that you review the text file first and make
all decisions on how many fields you want, on their types and on
their lengths before you actually start creating a file. Once
created, the file header can be edited only if the file contains
no data. Refer to EDIT .DBF HEADER for more hints on editing.
You can either add all fields first by highlighting Add Fields
and pressing ENTER or clicking the mouse on it. Then move to the
first line and begin entry. Or you can enter field names and
specifications one by one, navigating between blue areas using
mouse or TAB for jump forward and SHIFT-TAB to jump to previous
area. Do not use ENTER key to move from field to field, it can only
be used when Add Fields is highlighted in order to add more. Be
careful while making entries, since dBuddy is not a database software
per se and its abilities to modify file structures are limited.
Only the following field types are allowed:
DATA TYPE
C Character (ASCII characters)
N Numeric - . 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
L Logical Y y N n T t F f or (? if none of the others)
M Memo See the paragraphs on memo's for info
D Date dBuddy requires the format MM-DD-YY or MM/DD/YY
dBuddy converts and stores dates in the following
format YYYYMMDD.
Length must be specified for field types C and N.
The Decimals column is used with N type to specify the number
of Decimals allowed. It does not apply to other field types.
Click on Next Page if you need more then one page to list all
fields you need. When finished, click on Save or highlight it
using TAB and press ENTER. You file structure is now saved and the
file is ready for data entry.
EDIT .DBF HEADER will first prompt for the name of the file which
header you want to edit. It will then bring back the same screen
as in MAKE .DBF HEADER. You can then make any changes you want in
already existing field specifications. You can add more fields to
the end of the list. But you will not be able to insert new fields
between the existing ones. Editing of .dbf header can only be
performed on files that contain no data. If you want to modify
structure of a file with data you will have to use a database
software to do so. If you use database software that uses data
files in a format different from .dbf, you can import the file
created by dBuddy, modify it and then export it back into .dbf
format.
COPY .DBF HEADER will allow you to create a new file with the
structure copied from an existing one. Use the scroll window to
highlight the file you want to copy the structure from.
OPEN .DBF FILE will open a small window with a list of files in
dBuddy's directory and available for loading into database window.
Scroll files by clicking on the scroll bar on the right, highlight
desired file and then click on OPEN. CANCEL exits from the scroll
window.
When a .Dbf file is opened dbase window will be opened at the
bottom of the screen, this window is used during Data entry
operations. Refer to FIELD_OPS AND RECORD_OPS for further
instructions
EXPORT DELIMITED will export a .dbf data file to a character delimited
file.
EXPORT TEXT LIST will export a .dbf data file to a fixed length field
text file.
Record length is cut to a maximum of 250 characters in both of the
list types. Memo's are also exported, they are placed in a text
file and cross referenced to the character delimited, or text
file. See the files ELECVEH.XDF, ELECVEH.XMF, ELECVEH.XTF for
examples of how memo's are handled in exported lists.
The DATABASE window was described above.
RECORD_OPS MENU
The Record_Ops menu is divided into two sections, the first gives
you the keys that will move you through the .Dbf file. The
position in the .Dbf file is shown in the DATABASE Window. The
second section is used for performing operations on the current
record or to add a blank record.
The most often used features from this menu are also placed on the
tool bar at the bottom of the screen.
NEXT REC will move you to the next record of the dBase file. This
function can be accessed from the tool bar at the bottom of the
screen.
BACK ONE REC will move you one record back. This feature can be
accessed from the tool bar at the bottom of the screen.
POS AT REC (X) will prompt you for the number of the record you want
to go to and then move you to it.
FIRST REC POS will move you back to the first record of the file.
LAST REC POS will move you to the last record of the file.
HUNT FOR will prompt you for a search string then search for that
string, starting at the current record and field shown in the data
base window. If you want to search from the beginning of the data
base first move to the first record in the data base.
VIEW/EDIT CURR REC will bring up the full screen record editor. You
can view the current record in full and complete editing it if
necessary:
[] CHAPLIN.DBF Record 1 Edit/View
Fld. Name Type
TITLE C MAKING A LIVING
COMPANY C KEYSTONE
RELEASE_DA D 02-02-14
DIRECTOR C HENRY LEHRMAN
FEETLENGTH N 1030
REELS N 1.0
ACTOR C CHARLES CHAPLIN
ACTRESS C VIRGINIA KIRTLEY
SUPPORT M 1
MUSIC M 0
~ ~
Cancel Save
Click on a field that you want to edit, or use the TAB key to move
to it. Make changes in all fields you want and then press Save.
MEMO FIELDS are called up by pressing the SPACE bar when the
cursor is on the memo field of interest in the View/Edit Window.
The number shown in the Memo field is the block number that the
Memo starts in, in the .Dbt file.
[] CHAPLIN.DBF Rec 1 Field 14 Memo Block 1 View/Ed
CHARLES CHAPLIN (sharper), VIRGINIA KIRTLEY
(girl), ALICE DAVENPORT (mother), HENRY LEHRMAN
(reporter), MINTA DURFEE (woman), CHESTER CONKLIN
(policeman/bum)
~
Cancel Save Delete Memo
When the Memo window comes up click on the Text field or press TAB
until the cursor is in the Text field. Enter your Memo and click
on Save.
Changed memo's are tacked on the end of the .Dbt file, a bit
wasteful but that is the way dBase does it. To pack memo data you
can get the Public Domain utility dBTPACK, a dBASE III utility
program that packs (removes permanently ) the unused information
stored in a memo field. File name DBT102.ARJ.
CLEAR CURR REC will clear contents of the record currently displayed
in the dbase window.
ADD A BLANK REC will add a blank record at the end of the file,
regardless of your current position. This function should be used
every time you want to start a new record.
DELETE RECORD TOGGLE will delete or undelete records marked for
deletion. Deleted records are indicated in the DATABASE window by
the word DELETED just before the record number.
SAVE CURR REC will save the record shown in the DATABASE Window
after data has been entered. This function should be used each
time after a record has been created or altered. Use this function
after you paste text from Text window into fields. This function
can also be accessed from the tool bar at the bottom of the
screen.
A note on saving, when you create or edit a memo and save that memo
only the memo is saved. You must still save the record as it contains
the memo location. When Memo is marked and copied from text, the memo
is saved automatically but the record must still be saved.
APPEND TO END will clone the current record and append it to the end.
If you change the current record and append it to the end, the
changes made to that current record are then abandoned, it is left
as it was before editing.
FIELDS_OPS MENU
CLEAR CURR FIELD will clear the contents of the field displayed in
the second display line of the database window.
TOGGLE CHAR FLD APPEND allows you to choose whether you want to
overwrite the old contents of the field with the new text, or
append the new text to the existing one. dBuddy will always warn
you if the text you plan to paste exceeds the field length.
Both those functions can be also accessed from the tool bar at the
bottom of the screen.
ALT ACTIVE FIELDS will activate respective tens of field numbers for
picks in database window. Refer to description of database window
for more detailed information on those commands. They are included
mostly for those who prefer using keyboard over mouse.
TEXT MENU
LOAD TEXT FILE will bring up a scroll window with the list of
available files. The opening directory will be dBuddy's own
directory, but you can go up and down directory tree by selecting
a subdirectory name or ".." for previous directory and then
clicking on OPEN or pressing ENTER. If you know the name of the
file and its path you can enter it in the line above the scroll
window.
CLOSE TEXT WIN will close currently displayed text window.
SAVE TEXT will save text displayed in the open window.
PREVIOUS will allow you to go to previous text window if you have
more than one opened at a time.
NEXT will move you to the next open text window
WINDOWS AND OPERATION
With the exception of the DATABASE Window the windows are
moveable if you need to see under one. Just click on the window
title with the left mouse button and while holding the button
down move the mouse. The window will move with the mouse.
DATABASE WINDOW
When a database file is created or open from the database menu, the
database window will appear at the bottom of the screen:
CHAPLIN.DBF (dBIII+ Compatible File) DataBase Window
Record:1 Field Next Prev First Last
Fld Typ Len Dec Picks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
2 C 15 0 COMPANY -KEYSTONE
1 C 30 0 TITLE -MAKING A LIVING
F2 NextRec F3 PrevRec F4 View F5 AddNew F6 SavRec F7 ClrFld F8 TogApnd
One record of the database file is processed at a time. The record
number is displayed in the upper left corner of the Data Base
window.
The string of numbers following the word (Picks) represent the
fields in the record. If data is not marked, in the Text Window, for
pasting clicking with the left mouse button on the field number will
cause that field to be displayed. If data is marked clicking on the
field number will Paste the data and display the field with it's
newly pasted data.
The words (Next Prev First Last) are buttons to click on, another
way to change to a different field. Field number, type, length,
number of decimals (for numeric fields only) and the field name will
be displayed on the left. Contents of the field will be displayed on
the right. Two consecutive fields will be displayed at a time.
Character fields will be preceded by a + or - depending on how "Character Field
Append" has been toggled. If text is marked in the Text Window and you
click the left mouse button dBuddy will attempt to move that marked
text into the field selected. *** REMEMBER if you are building a new
record make sure to first create that new record by pressing F5. In
addition to clicking on the field numbers, as just described, you can
also click anywhere on the two lines displaying field info. The marked
text will be inserted in the field. If the Append toggle if on (plus
is displayed) the marked text will be appended. If the Append toggle is
off, the marked text will replace the text in the field and the field
display will scroll by one.
Special Data Inserting keys
In the same way clicking on the left mouse moves and inserts a set
of alt key combinations will also accomplish the task. Alt 1 thru
Alt 0 will move to Record field 1 thru 10, in the DATABASE Window
if no text is marked in the text window. If text is marked dBuddy
will attempt to insert that text into the field selected and will
then display that field. To select fields above 10 using this method
requires that you change the Alt active fields by pressing an alt F
key combination.
For Alt Active Fields 1-10 press Alt F1
For Alt Active Fields 11-20 Press Alt F2
For Alt Active Fields 21-30 Press Alt F3
For Alt Active Fields 31-40 Press Alt F4
For Alt Active Fields 41-50 Press Alt F5
TEXT WINDOW
The text window is where text is displayed for marking and Pasting
to a field in the DATABASE Window. Text window a text editor
window and you can move within it using methods common for text
editors. You can use Arrow Keys on the keyboard or you can use a
mouse to click on scroll bars on the right and on the bottom of
the window.
[] C:\TP\DBUDDY\ELECTVEH.TXT
Electric Vehicles for sale
'80 Courier Pickups
120 Volt, 55mph, 25-40 mile range
3 available all in process of renovation.
$6000, $2500, $900
'80 Omni Hatchbach
65mph, 40-60 mile range
$4900
'88 Sinclair Moped
3-wheel, 12 Volt, 15mph
$700
1:1
Marking is accomplished by Moving the mouse cursor to the first character
of the text, pressing the left mouse button and, holding it down, Moving
the mouse cursor to the last character in the text to be transferred. The
text will be highlighted. Releasing the mouse button will stop the
highlighting and marked text is ready to be pasted into database.
Marking can also be accomplished by use of the keyboard. Press
at the start of the text to be marked then use the cursor key to move
to the last character and press.
Though it is not possible to load files bigger than 64K in the editor,
multiple text windows can be opened containing different files. The
number of text windows that can be opened at a time depends on available
memory.
Some simple editing can be performed, if minor changes are needed in a
data prior to being inserted into the database. A text window is closed
by pressing F10 or using the mouse to click on the [] in the upper left
corner of the window. Press F8 to switch to the next text window if you
have more than one text file loaded. F9 will save changes to text files.
The text window is limited to a 60k maximum file size.
Special Text Window keys:
Ctrl K B Start marking a Block of text
Ctrl K K Stop marking text
Enter will Delete a marked Block
Ctrl Y Deletes a line
Ctrl U UnDo
Ctrl PageUp Moves cursor to top of file
Ctrl PageDn Moves cursor to bottom of file
Ctrl K F Search
Ctrl K A Search and replace
Ctrl L Search again
Exit DATABASE Record_Ops Field_Ops Text
Make a .DBF File
Edit a .DBF Header
Copy a .DBF Header
Open a .DBF File
Export Delimited
Export Text List
Next Rec F2
Back One Rec F3
First Rec Pos ShftF2
Last Rec Pos ShftF3
Pos at Rec (X) ShftF4
Hunt for ShftF8
View/Edit Curr Rec F4
Clear Curr Rec F7
Add a Blank Rec F5
Delete Rec Toggle ShftF5
Save Curr Rec F6
Append to End ShftF6
Clear Curr Field F7
Toggle Char Fld Append F8
Alt Active Fields 1-10 AltF1
Alt Active Fields 11-20 AltF2
Alt Active Fields 21-30 AltF3
Alt Active Fields 31-40 AltF4
Alt Active Fields 41-50 AltF5
Load Text File
Save Text F9
Find Text CtrlF2
Find Again Text CtrlF3
Replace Text CtrlF4
Previous Window
Next Window ShftF10
Close Text Win F10
Disclaimer agreement:
Users of dBuddy must except the following disclaimer agreement:
dBuddy is provided AS IS. The Author makes no Warranty of any kind,
expressed or implied. In addition THE AUTHOR ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR
DAMAGES WHICH MAY RESULT WHICH MAY RESULT FROM THE USE OF dBuddy.
History:
Version 1.0 BETA released Sept 92
Version 1.1 BETA released 27 Sept 92 Added dBase IV compatibility
Version 1.2 BETA released 1 Oct 92 Incorporated comments and
fixed a few bugs. The dBIV Memo file bug was the most significant.
Version 1.3 BETA released 2 Oct 92 Menu changes and an improved
DATABASE Window.
Version 1.4 BETA released 6 Oct 92 A couple of minor adjustments
Version 1.5 BETA released 8 Oct 92 Improvements in the user interface
Version 1.6 BETA released 9 Oct 92 Sorted out compatibility problem
vers 1.6 now reads and writes dBIII, dBIII+ and dBIV files
Version 1.7 BETA released 10 Oct 92 Bug fix and added next,prev,
first,last to field pick in the data base window
Version 2.0 Beta status removed, added a data base Search function.
Version 2.1 Bug Fix, a non fatal bug allowed possible erroneous
results during database searches.
Version 2.2 Bug Fix, a un-initialized variable caused irratic havoc.
Version 2.3 Bug Fix, Compiled using TP7, Changed to an improved Dos Shell
Version 2.3 Bug Fix, Program wouldn't load a text file that wasen't in
the current Directory.
Registration:
If you decide to continue using dBuddy after a 90 day trial period
you are expected to register. Please send your $20 registration fee to:
John Jamieson
Mountain Retreat Software
555 Buckeye St.
Felton Ca, 95018
For support contact:
Fidonet 1:216/506
Internet [email protected]
BBS phone (408)335-4595
Voice phone (408)335-4672
Mountain Retreat Software
dBuddy
(c) Copyright 1992 by John Jamieson
All Rights Reserved
Intro:
dBuddy is a tool for the building of .Dbf and .Dbt Dbase III and
dBAse IV compatible Files from text files. Since the majority of
commercial and shareware databases have built-in ability to import
and export to .dbf and .dbt files, dBuddy could be used by almost
any database user in order to facilitate the tedious and very
often frustrating task of transferring data from text files into
database files. It can also be used by those without dBase or a
compatible data base program to view and edit .Dbf and .Dbt files.
For best results dBuddy should be used with a mouse, but all its
features are accessible from a keyboard.
Programming was done in Turbo Pascal 6.0 and uses Turbo Pascal's
Turbo Vision Units to provide the user interface and other
features. dBuddy was developed to satisfy the needs of one user, I
would appreciate comments/suggestions from others.
dBuddy Features:
Create .Dbf and .Dbt files.
Mark and Paste data from text files to .Dbf and .Dbt files.
Search, View and edit .Dbf data and .Dbt Memos
Export .Dbf files to character delimited files
Export .Dbt files to a Text file
Memo files are Exported with delimited or text files
Trademarks:
dBase and Turbo Pascal are trademarks of Borland International, Inc.
Thanks:
I want to thank Cyrill Vatomsky for all his help with dBuddy;
his ideas, testing and critique were invaluable.
Files included in this archive:
DBUDDY.EXE Data Base Buddy. The only program needed for operation
DBUDDY.DOC This File
Sample files:
ELECVEH.TXT Text file used in the mark and paste process
that was used to create ELECVEH.DBF and
ELECVEH.DBT
ELECVEH.DBF A dBase III compatible .DBF Data file
ELECVEH.DBT A dBase III compatible .DBT Memo file
ELECVEH.XDF An Exported Character (,) delimited file
ELECVEH.XTF An Exported List of Records
ELECVEH.XMF An Exported Memo File
Caution:
It is strongly suggested that when working with existing data
base files a backup of those files be made prior to using dBuddy.
HOW TO INSTALL dBUDDY
If you do not have any problems with moving and copying files, you
can create directory DBUDDY and unpack the archive into it. File
DBUDDY.EXE is the only one needed to run the program. Sample files
are provided for a quick look at dBuddy's features. Be sure to copy
.dbf files you want dBuddy to work with into the same directory.
If you use dBase III or dBase IV as your primary database software,
you can just copy DBUDDY.EXE file into the directory where you
keep your .dbf files.
If you use other database software that can export data from its
format into dBase format, you can place DBUDDY.EXE in the directory
where .dbf files are exported to..
You might want to add the dBuddy's location to the PATH statement
in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
Quick Try:
1. Place all the dBuddy files in a directory of their own.
2. Select the DATABASE Menu by using the mouse to click on the
DATABASE menu.
3. Use the mouse to click on Open a .Dbf file.
4. Select ELECVEH.DBF by clicking first on ELECVEH.DBF and then
on OK. Or by using arrow keys to highlight ELECVEH.DBF then
pressing enter. The Tab key will move you between FilePickList,
OK button And Cancel Button if need be.
5. Next load the text file that is to be used as a source of data
into a text file window. In a similar manner to selecting a .Dbf
file select ELECTVEH.TXT.
6. Press F5 to add a blank record to the database.
7. Press Ctrl PgDn to move you to the bottom of the text window or
use the mouse on the scroll bar on the right side of the window
to move to the last item in the text file.
8. Move the mouse cursor to the first character in Electric Golf Cart
Press the left mouse key and hold it down while moving the mouse
cursor to (t) the last character in the word cart Cart. Then let
up on the mouse button.
5. Next move the mouse cursor to the string of field pick numbers in
the DATABASE Window and click on the number one. The text will be
moved to field number one in the new record that you created.
6. In the same manner as the Veh Name was pasted, Mark and paste the
Year "80" into field 2.
7. This process is repeated until all the fields in the record that
are to receive captured text have been filled. MEMO's are also
marked and copied by this same process, mark and paste the text
paragraph starting with "Only slightly" into the memo field five.
7. Now Save this record by pressing F6.
8. If any additional data must be input, the record can be called up
with the View/Edit function and edited. A MEMO can be edited or
viewed by pressing the SPACE bar when the cursor is on the
memo field of interest in the View/Edit Window.
When pasting data into a field you can click on the line displaying
the data, you may find it easier than using the Field Picks.
Record:8 Field
Fld Typ Len Dec Picks 1 2 3 4 5
2 N 2 0 YEAR
1 C 20 0 VEH_NAME -
In the example you could paste marked data into the VEH_NAME by
clicking on the line
1 C 20 0 VEH_NAME -
The next field the, YEAR field can be pasted in the same way by
clicking on the line
2 N 2 0 YEAR
When you click on this second field in the record the fields will
scroll bringing the next field up ready for filling.
RUNNING dBUDDY
To run dBuddy, simply type dBuddy
in its directory or anywhere if the PATH is known. Or you can
include dBuddy into your favorite menu system.
dBuddy was especially designed to be used with a mouse, though
most all its features can be accessed from a keyboard.
PULL DOWN MENUS
Menus are pulled down by clicking on the menu name or by
simultaneously pressing ALT and the highlighted character in the
menu name. You can select an item by moving the highlight bar with
UP and DOWN keys.
EXIT
Clicking on EXIT will pull down EXIT MENU.
EXIT TO DOS will temporarily shell you to dos prompt. From there you
can issue any DOS command. Eg. COPY, if you forgot to copy a .dbf
file into dBuddy's directory.
EXIT will terminate execution of dBuddy.
ABOUT will gives you info on where to register.
DATABASE MENU
Clicking on it will pull down DATABASE options menu.
MAKE .DBF HEADER will first prompt you for the name of the file you
want to create. Do not include file extension. You will also be
asked to specify whether you want to create a dBaseIII,
dBaseIIIPlus or dBaseIV file. (In the earlier dBIII files, there
is an ASCII NUL character between the $0D end of header indicator
and the start of the data. The NUL is not used in Plus, making a
Plus header one byte smaller than an identically structured III
file.)
After the file is named and its type is chosen, the following window
will appear on the screen. Remember that you can move this window by
clicking on the border and moving the mouse while holding the button
depressed.
[] Order.DBF Fields
Name Type Length Decimals
NAME C 15
COST N 10 2
POST DATE D
ONESHOT L
QUANTITY N 5
MEMO M
~ ~
Add Field Cancel Save
It is recommended that you review the text file first and make
all decisions on how many fields you want, on their types and on
their lengths before you actually start creating a file. Once
created, the file header can be edited only if the file contains
no data. Refer to EDIT .DBF HEADER for more hints on editing.
You can either add all fields first by highlighting Add Fields
and pressing ENTER or clicking the mouse on it. Then move to the
first line and begin entry. Or you can enter field names and
specifications one by one, navigating between blue areas using
mouse or TAB for jump forward and SHIFT-TAB to jump to previous
area. Do not use ENTER key to move from field to field, it can only
be used when Add Fields is highlighted in order to add more. Be
careful while making entries, since dBuddy is not a database software
per se and its abilities to modify file structures are limited.
Only the following field types are allowed:
DATA TYPE
C Character (ASCII characters)
N Numeric - . 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
L Logical Y y N n T t F f or (? if none of the others)
M Memo See the paragraphs on memo's for info
D Date dBuddy requires the format MM-DD-YY or MM/DD/YY
dBuddy converts and stores dates in the following
format YYYYMMDD.
Length must be specified for field types C and N.
The Decimals column is used with N type to specify the number
of Decimals allowed. It does not apply to other field types.
Click on Next Page if you need more then one page to list all
fields you need. When finished, click on Save or highlight it
using TAB and press ENTER. You file structure is now saved and the
file is ready for data entry.
EDIT .DBF HEADER will first prompt for the name of the file which
header you want to edit. It will then bring back the same screen
as in MAKE .DBF HEADER. You can then make any changes you want in
already existing field specifications. You can add more fields to
the end of the list. But you will not be able to insert new fields
between the existing ones. Editing of .dbf header can only be
performed on files that contain no data. If you want to modify
structure of a file with data you will have to use a database
software to do so. If you use database software that uses data
files in a format different from .dbf, you can import the file
created by dBuddy, modify it and then export it back into .dbf
format.
COPY .DBF HEADER will allow you to create a new file with the
structure copied from an existing one. Use the scroll window to
highlight the file you want to copy the structure from.
OPEN .DBF FILE will open a small window with a list of files in
dBuddy's directory and available for loading into database window.
Scroll files by clicking on the scroll bar on the right, highlight
desired file and then click on OPEN. CANCEL exits from the scroll
window.
When a .Dbf file is opened dbase window will be opened at the
bottom of the screen, this window is used during Data entry
operations. Refer to FIELD_OPS AND RECORD_OPS for further
instructions
EXPORT DELIMITED will export a .dbf data file to a character delimited
file.
EXPORT TEXT LIST will export a .dbf data file to a fixed length field
text file.
Record length is cut to a maximum of 250 characters in both of the
list types. Memo's are also exported, they are placed in a text
file and cross referenced to the character delimited, or text
file. See the files ELECVEH.XDF, ELECVEH.XMF, ELECVEH.XTF for
examples of how memo's are handled in exported lists.
The DATABASE window was described above.
RECORD_OPS MENU
The Record_Ops menu is divided into two sections, the first gives
you the keys that will move you through the .Dbf file. The
position in the .Dbf file is shown in the DATABASE Window. The
second section is used for performing operations on the current
record or to add a blank record.
The most often used features from this menu are also placed on the
tool bar at the bottom of the screen.
NEXT REC will move you to the next record of the dBase file. This
function can be accessed from the tool bar at the bottom of the
screen.
BACK ONE REC will move you one record back. This feature can be
accessed from the tool bar at the bottom of the screen.
POS AT REC (X) will prompt you for the number of the record you want
to go to and then move you to it.
FIRST REC POS will move you back to the first record of the file.
LAST REC POS will move you to the last record of the file.
HUNT FOR will prompt you for a search string then search for that
string, starting at the current record and field shown in the data
base window. If you want to search from the beginning of the data
base first move to the first record in the data base.
VIEW/EDIT CURR REC will bring up the full screen record editor. You
can view the current record in full and complete editing it if
necessary:
[] CHAPLIN.DBF Record 1 Edit/View
Fld. Name Type
TITLE C MAKING A LIVING
COMPANY C KEYSTONE
RELEASE_DA D 02-02-14
DIRECTOR C HENRY LEHRMAN
FEETLENGTH N 1030
REELS N 1.0
ACTOR C CHARLES CHAPLIN
ACTRESS C VIRGINIA KIRTLEY
SUPPORT M 1
MUSIC M 0
~ ~
Cancel Save
Click on a field that you want to edit, or use the TAB key to move
to it. Make changes in all fields you want and then press Save.
MEMO FIELDS are called up by pressing the SPACE bar when the
cursor is on the memo field of interest in the View/Edit Window.
The number shown in the Memo field is the block number that the
Memo starts in, in the .Dbt file.
[] CHAPLIN.DBF Rec 1 Field 14 Memo Block 1 View/Ed
CHARLES CHAPLIN (sharper), VIRGINIA KIRTLEY
(girl), ALICE DAVENPORT (mother), HENRY LEHRMAN
(reporter), MINTA DURFEE (woman), CHESTER CONKLIN
(policeman/bum)
~
Cancel Save Delete Memo
When the Memo window comes up click on the Text field or press TAB
until the cursor is in the Text field. Enter your Memo and click
on Save.
Changed memo's are tacked on the end of the .Dbt file, a bit
wasteful but that is the way dBase does it. To pack memo data you
can get the Public Domain utility dBTPACK, a dBASE III utility
program that packs (removes permanently ) the unused information
stored in a memo field. File name DBT102.ARJ.
CLEAR CURR REC will clear contents of the record currently displayed
in the dbase window.
ADD A BLANK REC will add a blank record at the end of the file,
regardless of your current position. This function should be used
every time you want to start a new record.
DELETE RECORD TOGGLE will delete or undelete records marked for
deletion. Deleted records are indicated in the DATABASE window by
the word DELETED just before the record number.
SAVE CURR REC will save the record shown in the DATABASE Window
after data has been entered. This function should be used each
time after a record has been created or altered. Use this function
after you paste text from Text window into fields. This function
can also be accessed from the tool bar at the bottom of the
screen.
A note on saving, when you create or edit a memo and save that memo
only the memo is saved. You must still save the record as it contains
the memo location. When Memo is marked and copied from text, the memo
is saved automatically but the record must still be saved.
APPEND TO END will clone the current record and append it to the end.
If you change the current record and append it to the end, the
changes made to that current record are then abandoned, it is left
as it was before editing.
FIELDS_OPS MENU
CLEAR CURR FIELD will clear the contents of the field displayed in
the second display line of the database window.
TOGGLE CHAR FLD APPEND allows you to choose whether you want to
overwrite the old contents of the field with the new text, or
append the new text to the existing one. dBuddy will always warn
you if the text you plan to paste exceeds the field length.
Both those functions can be also accessed from the tool bar at the
bottom of the screen.
ALT ACTIVE FIELDS will activate respective tens of field numbers for
picks in database window. Refer to description of database window
for more detailed information on those commands. They are included
mostly for those who prefer using keyboard over mouse.
TEXT MENU
LOAD TEXT FILE will bring up a scroll window with the list of
available files. The opening directory will be dBuddy's own
directory, but you can go up and down directory tree by selecting
a subdirectory name or ".." for previous directory and then
clicking on OPEN or pressing ENTER. If you know the name of the
file and its path you can enter it in the line above the scroll
window.
CLOSE TEXT WIN will close currently displayed text window.
SAVE TEXT will save text displayed in the open window.
PREVIOUS will allow you to go to previous text window if you have
more than one opened at a time.
NEXT will move you to the next open text window
WINDOWS AND OPERATION
With the exception of the DATABASE Window the windows are
moveable if you need to see under one. Just click on the window
title with the left mouse button and while holding the button
down move the mouse. The window will move with the mouse.
DATABASE WINDOW
When a database file is created or open from the database menu, the
database window will appear at the bottom of the screen:
CHAPLIN.DBF (dBIII+ Compatible File) DataBase Window
Record:1 Field Next Prev First Last
Fld Typ Len Dec Picks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
2 C 15 0 COMPANY -KEYSTONE
1 C 30 0 TITLE -MAKING A LIVING
F2 NextRec F3 PrevRec F4 View F5 AddNew F6 SavRec F7 ClrFld F8 TogApnd
One record of the database file is processed at a time. The record
number is displayed in the upper left corner of the Data Base
window.
The string of numbers following the word (Picks) represent the
fields in the record. If data is not marked, in the Text Window, for
pasting clicking with the left mouse button on the field number will
cause that field to be displayed. If data is marked clicking on the
field number will Paste the data and display the field with it's
newly pasted data.
The words (Next Prev First Last) are buttons to click on, another
way to change to a different field. Field number, type, length,
number of decimals (for numeric fields only) and the field name will
be displayed on the left. Contents of the field will be displayed on
the right. Two consecutive fields will be displayed at a time.
Character fields will be preceded by a + or - depending on how "Character Field
Append" has been toggled. If text is marked in the Text Window and you
click the left mouse button dBuddy will attempt to move that marked
text into the field selected. *** REMEMBER if you are building a new
record make sure to first create that new record by pressing F5. In
addition to clicking on the field numbers, as just described, you can
also click anywhere on the two lines displaying field info. The marked
text will be inserted in the field. If the Append toggle if on (plus
is displayed) the marked text will be appended. If the Append toggle is
off, the marked text will replace the text in the field and the field
display will scroll by one.
Special Data Inserting keys
In the same way clicking on the left mouse moves and inserts a set
of alt key combinations will also accomplish the task. Alt 1 thru
Alt 0 will move to Record field 1 thru 10, in the DATABASE Window
if no text is marked in the text window. If text is marked dBuddy
will attempt to insert that text into the field selected and will
then display that field. To select fields above 10 using this method
requires that you change the Alt active fields by pressing an alt F
key combination.
For Alt Active Fields 1-10 press Alt F1
For Alt Active Fields 11-20 Press Alt F2
For Alt Active Fields 21-30 Press Alt F3
For Alt Active Fields 31-40 Press Alt F4
For Alt Active Fields 41-50 Press Alt F5
TEXT WINDOW
The text window is where text is displayed for marking and Pasting
to a field in the DATABASE Window. Text window a text editor
window and you can move within it using methods common for text
editors. You can use Arrow Keys on the keyboard or you can use a
mouse to click on scroll bars on the right and on the bottom of
the window.
[] C:\TP\DBUDDY\ELECTVEH.TXT
Electric Vehicles for sale
'80 Courier Pickups
120 Volt, 55mph, 25-40 mile range
3 available all in process of renovation.
$6000, $2500, $900
'80 Omni Hatchbach
65mph, 40-60 mile range
$4900
'88 Sinclair Moped
3-wheel, 12 Volt, 15mph
$700
1:1
Marking is accomplished by Moving the mouse cursor to the first character
of the text, pressing the left mouse button and, holding it down, Moving
the mouse cursor to the last character in the text to be transferred. The
text will be highlighted. Releasing the mouse button will stop the
highlighting and marked text is ready to be pasted into database.
Marking can also be accomplished by use of the keyboard. Press
at the start of the text to be marked then use the cursor key to move
to the last character and press
Though it is not possible to load files bigger than 64K in the editor,
multiple text windows can be opened containing different files. The
number of text windows that can be opened at a time depends on available
memory.
Some simple editing can be performed, if minor changes are needed in a
data prior to being inserted into the database. A text window is closed
by pressing F10 or using the mouse to click on the [] in the upper left
corner of the window. Press F8 to switch to the next text window if you
have more than one text file loaded. F9 will save changes to text files.
The text window is limited to a 60k maximum file size.
Special Text Window keys:
Ctrl K B Start marking a Block of text
Ctrl K K Stop marking text
Enter will Delete a marked Block
Ctrl Y Deletes a line
Ctrl U UnDo
Ctrl PageUp Moves cursor to top of file
Ctrl PageDn Moves cursor to bottom of file
Ctrl K F Search
Ctrl K A Search and replace
Ctrl L Search again
Exit DATABASE Record_Ops Field_Ops Text
Make a .DBF File
Edit a .DBF Header
Copy a .DBF Header
Open a .DBF File
Export Delimited
Export Text List
Next Rec F2
Back One Rec F3
First Rec Pos ShftF2
Last Rec Pos ShftF3
Pos at Rec (X) ShftF4
Hunt for ShftF8
View/Edit Curr Rec F4
Clear Curr Rec F7
Add a Blank Rec F5
Delete Rec Toggle ShftF5
Save Curr Rec F6
Append to End ShftF6
Clear Curr Field F7
Toggle Char Fld Append F8
Alt Active Fields 1-10 AltF1
Alt Active Fields 11-20 AltF2
Alt Active Fields 21-30 AltF3
Alt Active Fields 31-40 AltF4
Alt Active Fields 41-50 AltF5
Load Text File
Save Text F9
Find Text CtrlF2
Find Again Text CtrlF3
Replace Text CtrlF4
Previous Window
Next Window ShftF10
Close Text Win F10
Disclaimer agreement:
Users of dBuddy must except the following disclaimer agreement:
dBuddy is provided AS IS. The Author makes no Warranty of any kind,
expressed or implied. In addition THE AUTHOR ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR
DAMAGES WHICH MAY RESULT WHICH MAY RESULT FROM THE USE OF dBuddy.
History:
Version 1.0 BETA released Sept 92
Version 1.1 BETA released 27 Sept 92 Added dBase IV compatibility
Version 1.2 BETA released 1 Oct 92 Incorporated comments and
fixed a few bugs. The dBIV Memo file bug was the most significant.
Version 1.3 BETA released 2 Oct 92 Menu changes and an improved
DATABASE Window.
Version 1.4 BETA released 6 Oct 92 A couple of minor adjustments
Version 1.5 BETA released 8 Oct 92 Improvements in the user interface
Version 1.6 BETA released 9 Oct 92 Sorted out compatibility problem
vers 1.6 now reads and writes dBIII, dBIII+ and dBIV files
Version 1.7 BETA released 10 Oct 92 Bug fix and added next,prev,
first,last to field pick in the data base window
Version 2.0 Beta status removed, added a data base Search function.
Version 2.1 Bug Fix, a non fatal bug allowed possible erroneous
results during database searches.
Version 2.2 Bug Fix, a un-initialized variable caused irratic havoc.
Version 2.3 Bug Fix, Compiled using TP7, Changed to an improved Dos Shell
Version 2.3 Bug Fix, Program wouldn't load a text file that wasen't in
the current Directory.
Registration:
If you decide to continue using dBuddy after a 90 day trial period
you are expected to register. Please send your $20 registration fee to:
John Jamieson
Mountain Retreat Software
555 Buckeye St.
Felton Ca, 95018
For support contact:
Fidonet 1:216/506
Internet [email protected]
BBS phone (408)335-4595
Voice phone (408)335-4672
December 11, 2017
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