Category : Databases and related files
Archive   : VCRCAT.ZIP
Filename : VCRTAPES.DOC

VCRTape Librarian


VCR Tape Library Catalog Manager




Shareware Registration Contribution: $30

























Copyright (C) 1990 by Albert J. Howard. All Rights Reserved.



Compuserve ID: 72375,1563 Genie: A.HOWARD3





T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S




Notice.................................... 1
The Shareware Concept..................... 1
Introduction.............................. 2
System Requirements....................... 2
Printer Compatibility..................... 3
Getting Started........................... 3
Getting Around............................ 3
Action Bar................................ 3
Sub-Menus................................. 3

FILE MENU................................. 4
New and Open options..................... 4
Delete option............................ 4
Exit option.............................. 4
About VCRTapes........................... 4
Rebuild Indexes.......................... 5

TAPE MENU................................. 6
Select Tape.............................. 6
Add Tape................................. 6
Change Tape.............................. 6
Delete Tape.............................. 7
Single Label............................. 7

PROGRAM MENU.............................. 8
Select Program........................... 8
Add Program.............................. 8
Change Program........................... 8
Delete Program........................... 8

REPORTS MENU.............................. 9
By Tape Number........................... 9
By Prog Title............................ 9
Tape Labels 1............................ 9
Tape Labels 2............................ 9

INFORMATION KEPT BY THE PROGRAM........... 10
Tape Information......................... 10
Program Information...................... 11

APPENDIX.................................. 13
A. Printer Configuration File........... 14
B. CUA Primer........................... 16
C. Technical Information................ 19
D. Coming Attractions................... 21
E. Registration & Questionaire.......... 22


N O T I C E

VCRTapes disk, including programs and documentation, is
distributed as is, with no guarantee that it will work correctly
in any or all situations. This manual may contain errors and/or
omissions. In no event will the author (Albert J. Howard) be
liable for any damages, including lost profits, lost savings, or
other incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use
or inability to use these programs and or files, even if the
author has been advised of the possibility of such damages, or
for any claim by any other party. The use of this program cons-
titutes total acceptance of this disclaimer.


T H E S H A R E W A R E C O N C E P T


VCRTapes is distributed as a Shareware product. In short,
this means that you should try the program for a reasonable
period of time, then if it meets your needs and you intend to
continue using it, you are asked to contribute toward the cost of
developing the program. This cost consists of an extensive
amount of personal time dedicated to the design, coding, and
testing the program, as well as the money cost of getting it
loaded to the various channels (Genie, Compuserve, etc.) needed
to get the program to you.

In the true spirit of the Shareware concept (which some
authors seem to have forgotten in recent years), the amount of
the contribution, and even whether you make one or not, is up to
you and your own conscience. In the event that you are really
unsure what to contribute, I have suggested an amount of $30,
based on what I have seen for other programs of this type.

What happens if you contribute? Well, for the full $30
contribution, I will set aside a diskette and mailer with your
name and address on it, which will be mailed to you IF a release
2.0 of this product happens (no guarantees!) within three years
of receiving your contribution, or January 1, 1995, whichever
comes first. I will not mail out maintenance releases (Version
1.x if needed). Instead, they will simply be placed in normal
distribution channels. For less than the $30 amount, postcards
may be sent out, depending on the amount I would have to send,
but no promises!!

What happens if you do not contribute? Absolutely nothing!
Obviously I can't enforce any kind of pay-up-or-else clause, so I
have no such clause. You simply will not be supporting the
shareware concept.

Should you decide to remit a registration fee, please take a
moment to fill out the questionaire at the end of this document.
Your comments will be appreciated.



1


INTRODUCTION


Videophiles and other TV enthusiasts often have VCR tapes
numbering in the hundreds, with a possibility for several pro-
grams on each tape. A given tape could have 5 programs, each
recorded at a different speed, each a different length of time,
each with different titles, stars, guests, and subjects.
Managing such an array of conditions is a must if you need to
find a specific program to view, or just find out what you have.

This is where VCRTape Librarian comes in. Using this pack-
age, you can manage an entire tape library, or even multiple
libraries. Tapes and programs are entered on an easy-to-follow
screen. The program tracks date of purchase, brand name, and
length of the tape, and an optional title. Program information
includes the counter positions for each program, titles, date and
time recorded, stars, guest stars, record speed, rating,
category, whether the program is to be kept or not, and a large
comment block for general information.

The program uses this information to produce spine labels
(uses standard 1 x 3 1/2" 1-up or 1 x 4" 2-up labels), and
listings of the library both by tape number and by program name.
Single labels can be requested for a specific tape, or all tapes
can be labeled.

VCRTapes uses a screen design that is similar to the Common
User Access standard as defined by IBM and Microsoft. This means
pull-down menus, edit boxes, "radio buttons", check boxes, and
other CUA defined standards. The CUA standard was developed to
encourage developers to design screens that users could easily
understand, and to provide a common appearance between different
applications, so that "getting around" in one application would
be the same as any other application. As an example, CUA de-
fines Ctrl-End as an input terminator. Any program that is CUA-
compliant would therefore include Ctrl-End as an input termi-
nator. For more information about CUA, refer to Appendix B.

I will make a point of telling you that this is a full
implementation. There is NO crippled version for introductory
If you took the time and expense to download this package from a
paid service, or paid a shareware distribution service for the
disk that you got the program on, you deserve the full package to
test with.

System Requirements:
IBM PC/XT-Compatible microcomputer
MS or PC-Dos Version 2.0 or greater
Floppy or hard disk
Printer
Color Monitor is recommended




2



Printer Compatibility:
Since this program uses different features of the printer,
such as underlining and condensed printing, a printer configura-
tion file is required to define the appropriate command strings
for your printer. This file will be called PRINTER.CFG, and must
reside on the currently logged disk. If the file is not there,
the program will default to the settings for an EPSON LQ
printer. Included with this disk are samples for setting up an
NEC-8023a and a Hewlett-Packard Laserjet II. Using these sam-
ples, you should be able to set up a PRINTER.CFG file for your
printer. More information on creating this file is in Appendix A.

Getting started:
To start VCRTapes, from the Dos prompt, enter "VCRTAPES".
The program detects whether you have a color or monochrome video
adapter and performs appropriately. A command line parameter
can be used to select the color mode. If you enter "VCRTAPES 1",
a lighter color set will be used (white palette). "VCRTAPES B"
will force the program into black/white mode. Users should try
each combination to see which one best suits them.
The program will give a logo panel. Press any key to end
this screen and move the the main data entry screen.

Getting Around:
VCRTapes follows CUA (Common User Access) standards. This
means that users who have used other CUA programs should have no
trouble moving around in the system. Other users should review
Appendix B, CUA Primer, for assistance in moving around in the
system.
In short, pull-down menus are used to select the various
functions in the system. Use arrow keys to move around in the
menus. The menu cursor appears with the menu item in white with
a red background. Press ENTER when the menu cursor is on the
item that you want.

Action Bar:
The action bar shows the different general actions that are
available. Major actions are File, Tape, Program, and Report.
When in menu mode, using the left and right arrow keys moves
between Major action items. Each major action has a submenu of
items that relate to that action type. When you move between
items, the sub-menu for that action item displays.

Sub-Menus:
Sub-menus show and select the specific actions needed to use
the program. Each submenu is grouped by a category, or major
action. For example, the File item on the action bar contains a
sub-menu that has "New", "Open", "Delete", "Exit", "About
VCRTapes", and "Rebuild Indexes". Although "Exit" and "About
VCRTapes" don't quite fit here, this is where most CUA-type
programs put them, so this is where they are in VCRTapes.






3


FILE MENU

The File menu is where you will always start in the program.
When you first enter the program, one of two actions is needed.
Either create a new file group (New), or open an existing file
group (Open). Other options in the File menu are "Delete",
"Exit", "About VCRTapes", and "Rebuild Indexes". More about
those to follow.

New and Open options:
When you select "New" or "Open", a dialog box opens on the
screen to allow you to specify a path name and a library name for
the library you are going to create or open. You will notice
that the path defaults to blank (meaning the currently logged
path) and the library defaults to "MASTER". The library name is
used to name the DOS files that will make up your tape library.
Four files are needed altogether. This is why the library name
is eight characters. After you select your path and library
name, the title area of the screen will change from "(no files in
use)", to the library name. This is how you can tell if a
library is currently open. Note that if a library is open when
you select "New" or "Open" it will be closed before the dialog
box appears.
This method of allowing users to specify libraries, rather
than use a pre-defined library name as you might be accustomed
to, will allow you to create multiple libraries if you wish. For
example, you might have a group (library) called "VHS" for VHS
tapes and a group called "BETA" for your Beta format tapes.

Delete option:
"Delete" performs similar to the "New" option. Any open
libraries will be closed and a dialog box will appear. In this
case, the library name you enter will be deleted from the system.
When you enter the library name, the system will check to see if
the library exists. If so, a message will appear in the message
area asking if you want to delete the library that was found. If
you enter "Y", the library will be deleted.

Exit option:
"Exit" closes any open files and terminates VCRTapes. Note:
NEVER turn your computer off without exiting this (or any other)
program. It could leave files in an unclosed state and cause
them to be damaged beyond repair. If you have to reboot your
machine, or encounter a power failure, or forget this warning and
turn your machine off without properly exiting, you will probably
need to rebuild the indexes. In most cases, this will be enough
to recover from such a condition. If you were in the process of
adding, changing or deleting tapes or programs, more serious
problems may result. This is where I must emphasize the import-
ance of backing up your library.

About VCRTapes:
This block displays the initial logo panel. It is strictly
an informational panel. Pressing any key except ESC and Break
will return to the main panel.


4


Rebuild Indexes:
This option rebuilds the index files that point to the tape
data in the libraries. This action is usually not absolutely
necessary during ongoing usage, however, it can be used occasion-
ally to speed up access to the libraries. Once a month, or
whenever you do backups would suffice.
Rebuilding the index files becomes necessary when these
files become corrupted. The most common cause of that is an
abrupt loss of power, such as a power failure or circuit breaker
throw. Another cause is turning off the machine or rebooting
while you are still in the program. This can sometimes cause
index pointers to be lost (because the files do not get properly
closed), rendering the index files useless. In this event, the
"Rebuild Indexes" option must be run.










































5
TAPE MENU

The Tape menu options allow you to select tapes to add or
update programs to, add, update, and delete tapes, and print
labels for single tapes. If you are updating information, either
program or tape information, this is the second menu you will
usually use. Each option in the Tape menu will check for open
files before functioning. If you have not opened files, the
option will display an error message and return to the menu.

Select Tape:
You must select a tape before going to the program menu, or
the "Single Label" option. When you select this menu, the pro-
gram will enter the data entry panel and allow you to enter a
tape number. After entering the number, if it is found, the
information related to the tape will be displayed. If it is not
found, an error message will display. Press any key to clear the
error message. You can also enter a question mark (?) for the
tape number. This will bring up a list of the tapes that are
currently on file. Use the arrow keys, PgUp, PgDn, Home, and End
to move the highlight bar through the selection list. Press Enter
when the choice you want is highlighted. Press Escape to back out
with no selection. NOTE: The index is built in memory. If you
are limited in memory, and have a very large number of tapes, you
may encounter problems using this option. Also, the larger the
number of tapes, the longer it will take to build the index.
If you change your mind and do not want to select a tape,
use the delete or backspace key to clear out anything entered in
the Tape Number field (spaces must be cleared also), and press
ENTER. The program will then return to the menu.

Add Tape:
When you select this option, the program will go to the data
entry panel. You can then enter all pertinent information about
the new tape. Details about what information is maintained will
follow later. When done entering data (either when Ctrl-End or
F10 is pressed, or when ENTER is pressed on the last field), you
will be asked if it is OK to save the tape. If you answer yes
(Y), the program will attempt to file the tape information. If
another tape is found with the same number, you will be asked if
you want to save the new tape over the old one. If you say yes
(Y), the new data will overwrite the old one.
If you answered N to either of the above questions, a
message will display that the add request was canceled. You will
then be asked if you want to add another tape. If so, you will
be returned to the data entry panel. Otherwise, you will be
returned to the menu.

Change Tape:
Change tape allows you to update information about a tape
that has already been entered. When you select the option, the
data entry panel will allow entry of the tape number only. The
tape data will be retrieved and written on the panel. If the
tape cannot be located, an error message will appear.
If a tape was found, you can move through the data entry
panel and change any information that you might wish to change.
After you are done entering changes, you will be asked if you
want to save the updates. If so, the updates will be saved. You
will then be asked if you want to update another tape. If you
do, the process will repeat. Otherwise you will be returned to
the menu. Note: The tape number cannot be changed.

6

Delete Tape:
Delete Tape allows you to delete all tape and program infor-
mation related to a specific tape number. When you select the
option, the data entry panel will allow you to enter the tape
number. The tape data will be retrieved from the database and
written to the screen. You will then be asked if you want to
delete the tape. A "Y" response will cause the tape, and all
programs entered on that tape, to be deleted from the system.
Once gone, they stay gone!
As with the other options, you will then be asked if you
want to delete another tape. A "Y" response returns you to the
data entry panel. "N" returns you to the menu.

Single Label:
This option prints a label with all tape and program infor-
mation for the selected tape. Note that the "Select Tape" option
must be done before selecting this option.
The first thing will happen is a message will be displayed
asking you to mount the labels in the printer. Do so and press
any key to clear the message. The program will then ask if you
want the title and subtitle of programs combined. This means
that if you answer yes, any programs with a subtitle will have
the title line on the label printed as title/subtitle. Other-
wise, only the title will be printed. After all this is done,
the label will be printed. Since this option only prints one
label at a time, it does not matter whether one-up or two-up
labels are mounted. If you use two-up labels, you can save the
page for later use and turn it over when the labels on one side
are used up.




























7


PROGRAM MENU

Program Menu controls all actions that relate to programs.
For options in Program Menu to work, you must have already opened
a library, and selected a tape. An error message will display if
either one of these requirements have not been met.

Select Program:
This option retrieves a program from the library and dis-
plays it on the screen. It is primarily to allow you to view
programs without updating them. Unlike the "Select Tape" option,
it is not a prerequisite to any other function (at least not
yet!). It will ask you for a program number. If the program is
found, it will be displayed on the panel.
You can enter a question mark (?) for the program number to
bring up a list of programs in the library for the current tape.
Use the arrow keys, page up, page down, home and end keys to move
the highlight bar to the desired program. Press Enter to select
the program that is highlighted. To quit without selecting a
program, press Escape.

Add Program:
This is where you add programs to a tape. Note that the
tape that is being added to was selected already and is displayed
on the panel. When selecting this option, the data entry panel
accepts all program-related information and attempts to add the
program to the library. If a program with a matching number
already exists for the tape, an error message will display.
You will then be asked if you want to add another program.
If so, you will be returned to the data entry panel. Otherwise,
the menu will reappear.

Change Program:

This option allows you to change information about a program
that has already been entered in the library. You will enter a
program number. The system will attempt to retrieve the selected
program from the library. If it is found, it will be displayed
on the panel and you can change any information about the pro-
gram. You will then be asked if you want to save the changed
program. If so, it will be saved.
You will then be asked if you want to change another pro-
gram. If so the process repeats. Otherwise you will be returned
to the menu.

Delete Program:

Here you can delete programs from the library. You will
enter the program number. If the program is found, it will be
displayed on the screen and you will be asked if you want to
delete it. If so, it will be deleted from the library. Once
gone, it stays gone! You will then be asked if you want to
delete another program. If so, the process repeats. Otherwise,
you will be returned to the menu.


8



REPORTS MENU

The reports menu controls the various reports that are
available in the program. In this release, there are two report
formats and two label styles available.

By Tape Number:
The report By Tape Number is the primary detailed report of
the system. It lists all information about each tape, and all
detailed information about each program on the tape.
There are no options to this report. The printer should
have 8 1/2 by 11 continuous feed paper mounted and set at TOF
(Top-Of-Form) before selecting the option.

By Prog Title:
This report is an index report to aid in locating programs.
It sorts the program data by title, subtitle and date. Only the
title, subtitle, date, tape number, program number, and start
position are printed.
Again, there are no options. The printer should have 8 1/2
by 11 continuous feed paper mounted and set to TOF before
selecting the option.
This option may have a delay while the programs are being
sorted. A message will be displayed on the screen while the
sorting process takes place. You must also make sure that there
is some empty space on the currently logged disk, as it is used
as a work area for the sort.

Tape Labels 1:
This options prints one-up (single column) labels. The
system will prompt you to mount single column labels in the
printer. There are two options which you will be asked to
select.
The first option is if you want titles and subtitles com-
bined. This means that if a program has a subtitle, it will
appear as title/subtitle on the label. Some truncation may occur
if this option is selected. If you say "N" to this option, only
the title will be printed on the label.
The second option is if you want to test alignment. If you
do, a label will be printed with all X's in the data area. The
X's must all be within the label boundaries. You will be asked
if the alignment is correct. If it isn't, you should adjust the
label and respond "N". Another alignment test will print. When
the alignment is correct, the system will begin printing the
labels. They are printed in tape number sequence.

Tape Labels 2:
This option is identical in performance to Tape Labels 1,
except that it prints on two-up (double column) labels, printing
two tapes per row, one on each label. See Tape Labels 1 for
option details.





9


INFORMATION KEPT BY THE PROGRAM

The most significant pieces of information are the tape
numbers and program numbers. These numbers are used to identify
each tape and program to the library. A consistent method for
assigning these numbers is imperative in managing your tape
library.
The tape and program numbers are treated as character fields
to the system. This means that you could enter virtually any
combination of letters and numbers that you desire. It also
means, however, that if you use strictly numbers, they are still
treated like characters. Thus a tape number 1 does not equal
tape number 0001. If you use strictly numbers, therefore, you
should always enter leading zeros. In any case, you should
always fill all four characters in the tape and program numbers
with something other than spaces. This also holds true because
if you entered 1 with a space or two after it, it would not be
the same as entering a 1 with no space. This could be a source
of confusion later.

TAPE INFORMATION

In addition to the tape number, four other items are also
maintained, all of which are actually optional. Only the tape
number is required.

Brand Name:
This is the brand name of the tape. It is optional.

Date Purchased:
This is the date you bought the tape. It is in the format
MM/DD/YYYY. You must enter the full 4-digit year if you enter
this field. It is currently optional, but could be used in a
future release.

Tape Length:
This is a numeric field that represents the length in
minutes for the tape. You should enter the number of minutes for
the fastest speed (i.e VHS tapes are most commonly 120 minutes at
SP). You do not need leading zeros for this because it is
treated as an integer. This field is currently optional, but may
be used in a future release.

Tape Title:
This would be for a tape that has several programs of the
same type, such as all different episodes of the same program, or
all the same category. This is an optional field.










10


PROGRAM INFORMATION

In addition to the program number, several other significant
items are maintained about each program. Only the program number
is a required field. Others are optional, but some may be used
in a future release for statistical information.

Start Position:
This is the counter number where the program begins. Since
different VCRs may calculate this number differently, you should
only depend on this based on counters on your own VCR.

End Position:
This is where the program ends. Like the start position,
this might be different on different VCR's.

Length:
This is the length in minutes of the program. It is a
numeric field and should be based on the record speed. It is
currently optional, but may be used in a future release for
statistical information.

Record Speed:
This is represented on the panel as radio buttons. You can
select SP (Short Play), LP (Long Play, or EP (Extended Play). On
some VCR's, EP is actually represented as SLP (Super Long Play).
This field will default to EP if you do not specify anything.

Date Recorded:
The date the program was recorded in the form MM/DD/YYYY.
The full four-digit year should be entered.

Time Recorded:
This is the time that the program was recorded in 12-hour
form (do not use military time). A check box indicates if the
program was recorded in PM or not. Note 12:00 midnight is 12 AM
and 12:00 noon is 12 PM!

Title:
This is normally the main title of the program.

SubTitle:
Some programs have episode titles in addition to the main
title.

Star/Co-Star:
Here you can name two main stars of the program. For tv
shows, you might enter the stars that played primary roles in
that particular episode.

Rating:
Rating is represented as radio buttons showing the MPA
rating types that are given to movies. For shows that are not
rated, you can either enter your own rating, or select None.
This will default to None if you do not select one.


11

Guests:
For tv shows, enter guests for a particular episode. For
movies, you can enter more members of the cast.

Keep:
This is a check box that indicates whether or not you want
to preserve the program or not. This field may be used in a
future release to provide a report of available tape space.

Category:
This is a free-format field to allow you to assign cate-
gories to programs, such as Science Fiction, Drama, etc. You
should be consistent on how you enter this. Don't enter Science
Fiction on one and SCIENCE FICTION on another one. This might be
used in a future release.

Notes:
A free format area to enter general comments about the
program. You might give a brief on what happens in the episode,
like what is given in tv guides.




































12


















A P P E N D I X








































13


Appendix A - Printer Configuration File


This program uses a routine that obtains printer commands
from a text file. This text file is named 'PRINTER.CFG', and
must reside on the logged drive. If the file is not found, the
program assumes that an EPSON LQ is connected to LPT1.
Setting up a printer configuration file is simply a matter
of using a text editor to build the various commands that define
the control strings for your printer. Each command is entered on
it's own line. The general format of the command is an eight
position command name (must be eight positions, blank filled if
the command word is not eight positions in length, followed by at
least one integer. Thus a command line might look like this:

LPI6 2 27 65

The represent the carriage return and line feed that are
standard ascii end-of-line markers. The first integer, which
must begin in column 9, indicates the number of characters that
follow to make up the string that will be sent to the printer.
This line defines the characters to set the printer to six lines
per inch. The 2 means that two characters will be sent. The 27
and 65 are the decimal characters that actually are transmitted.
A maximum of eight characters are allowed. For commands that do
not involve defining transmit characters, 0 should be placed in
column 9.

The following commands are significant:

LPI6 Defines the string to set printer to 6 lines per inch.
LPI8 Defines the command to set printer to 8 lines per inch.
CPI5 Defines command to set printer to 5 characters per inch,
or the closest equivalent (Enlarged).
CPI10 Defines command to set printer to 10 CPI (Pica).
CPI12 Defines command to set printer to 12 CPI (Elite).
CPI17 Defines command to set printer to 17 CPI or closest
equivalent (Condensed).
BOLDON Defines string to turn on boldface printing.
BOLDOFF Defines string to turn off boldface printing.
ULON Defines string to turn on underlining.
ULOFF Defines string to turn off underlining.
INITPRT Defines string to initialize printer.

LPTx Defines the printer port to use where x = 1,2 or 3.
only one printer port is allowed.
CSPOOL Use only on network systems. CSPOOL 1 tells program
to close the print file after each print to force out
the print page. This is required on PC-Lan networks.
END Identifies the end of the commands. Be sure to specify
zero in column 9, or the program will crash.

When no command string exists for a function, such as INITPRT,
specify the command with a 0 in column 9. This overrides the
defaults in the program.


14

Along with the program, you should have received configura-
tion file samples for a NEC PC-8023A printer (which also works on
a C.ITOH 8510), named NEC8023.CFG, and a Hewlett-Packard Laser-
jet, named HPLJET.CFG. To build one for your printer, copy one
of these to another file and edit it with a standard text editor.
Just change the appropriate command strings, save the file, and
copy it to 'PRINTER.CFG'. If you have an EPSON LQ, you do not
need PRINTER.CFG, and should delete it.

















































15


Appendix B - CUA Primer

While this program does not claim to be 100% CUA compliant,
the standards of the Common User Access definition are observed
as closely as possible. If you have used Microsoft Windows or
other similar programs, than you have been working with CUA
compliant screens. CUA is simply a standard set up to provide
computer users with similar working environments in different
programs. Thus a particular key in one program should mean the
same in another program if both are CUA compliant. To help you
to become familiar with the CUA environment, let's start with a
few definitions:

Panel - A specific screen layout for a specific function.
Example: a data entry panel is where data is entered into a
database. A logo panel introduces the program.

Radio Button - Represents one of a group of predefined values for
a single field. For example, a program is recorded in either SP,
LP, or EP. A group of radio buttons represents this. If you
turn on the SP button, any other button that was on is turned
off. If you then turn on the EP button, the SP button is turned
off. Normally, one is always on, and a default is predefined.
In this program, a radio button is defined as blue squares with a
white astrisk (*) in the one that is on. Black and white users
will see white squares with a black astrisk in the one that is
on. To change selection of a radio button, use the left and
right arrow keys, when the cursor is on the selected radio but-
ton. This causes the cursor to move to another radio button and
select that button, turning off the one that was on.

Check Box - Represents an on/off, or yes/no condition. A yes, or
on condition is represented with the check box turned on. A
check box is a blue square with a white 'X' representing on, and
blank representing off. B/W users will see a white box and black
'X'. The check box is switched on and off by pressing the space
bar when the cursor is on the check box.

Text Box - Area to enter fields that are normally free-format
characters or numbers. Use the left and right arrow keys to move
back and forth within a text box without deleting characters.
Delete removes characters to the right, starting at the cursor
position. Backspace removes characters to the left of the cur-
sor, one at a time. F6 deletes characters from the cursor to the
end of the field. F5 deletes all characters to the left of the
cursor and moves remaining characters to the left.

Dialog Box - A window that opens on the panel to accept fields
that require immediate information. The window is white, with a
blue double-lined border.







16

Message Box - Similar to a dialog box, except that it only dis-
plays a message and waits for acknowledgment in the form of any
key pressed. Color of the box depends on the circumstances. If
the message is strictly informational, the box is white. If the
message is a warning, the box is green. If the message is a
critical or fatal error, the box is red.

Group Box - A single border box with a title. Usually used to
surround radio buttons, or other related objects.


OK, enough definitions for now. Let's talk a little about
panels. The CUA standard defines several panel types, but you
will only see two in VCRTapes. The first is the Logo Panel.
This panel is what you see when you first enter the program. It
contains the title of the program, and in this case a brief
introduction to the shareware concept. Pressing any key clears
this panel. In this program, it is also used as a help panel,
which is actually a third panel type, but not really used here.

The next panel used is the data entry panel. It is the one
you will be most familiar with. A data entry panel is divided up
into sections. The first section is the Title section, which is
at the top of the screen. It consists of one line, and displays
the title of the panel. For color users, the title line is in
cyan, with the actual title as white letters on black background.
The second section is the Action Bar, which is the second
line, and contains the primary menu options. The action bar is
black letters on a cyan background. Within the action bar is the
selection bar, which indicates the currently selected action, and
is white letters on a red background. For b/w users, the action
bar is black letters on white background, and the selection bar
is white letters on black background. When an action is selected
it overlaps the data entry section with a pull-down window that
has related options to be selected. The color characteristics
are the same.

The third section is the data entry area. This area con-
tains the actual data fields that make up the database. This
occupies rows 3-23. It is a white background. Titles to the
fields are black characters. Colors of the various objects
depend on the object type. For b/w users, the background is
black with white letters. Objects are reversed.

The final section is the message area, occupying rows 24-25.
CUA actually defines this area for function key definitions. I
don't. This is the area where you will normally be asked yes/no
questions for various program actions. When a message appears
here requesting a response, the computer will beep. On the lower
right side is an indicator to show whether insert mode is on or
off. If insert mode is on, you will see "Ins" on row 25, near
the right side of the screen. If insert mode is off, that area
will be empty. The message area is black letters with cyan
background.



17



CUA defines specific meaning to particular keys on the
keyboard. VCRTapes observes most of those definitions. The
meaning of the keys for VCRTapes is as follows:

F1 Help (displays the logo panel).
F5 Erases all data to the left of the cursor and adjusts
the remaining data to the left.
F6 Erases data from the cursor to the end of the field.
F10 Exits from the data entry panel.
Home Moves cursor to the first field on the panel.
End Moves cursor to the last field on the panel.
Insert Toggles insert mode on and off.
Delete Deletes characters, one at a time, from the cursor to
the right, adjusting characters leftward each time.
Backspace Deletes character to the left of the cursor, moving
remaining characters leftward to fill.
Up arrow Moves to the previous field, or the last field on the
panel if the cursor is on the first field.
Down arrow Moves to the next field, or the first field on the
panel if the cursor is on the last field.
Left arrow Moves cursor to next character in a text box, or
selects next radio button in a button group.
Right arrow Moves cursor to previous character in a text box,
or selects previous radio button in a button group.
Ctrl-Left Moves cursor to beginning of the current text box.
Ctrl-Right Moves cursor to end of current text box.
Enter Moves cursor to next field, or exits data entry
panel if cursor is on last field.
Ctrl-End Same as F10. To comply with CUA rules.
Tab Same as down arrow. To comply with CUA rules.
Shift-Tab Same as up arrow. To comply with CUA rules.


























18



Appendix C - Technical Information

This section is provided for information of programmers,
hackers, and other interested parties. Knowledge of the data
presented here is not required to run this program.

Programming language: Turbo Pascal, Version 5.5
Database access: Turbo Database Toolbox

Data record definition:

TYPE

Str4 = String[4];
Str8 = String[8];
Str10 = String[10];
Str15 = String[15];
Str30 = String[30];
Str40 = String[40];
Str70 = String[70];

Date = Record
Year : Integer;
Month : Integer;
Day : Integer;
End; {Date definition}

Time = Record
Hour : Integer;
Minute : Integer;
PMFlag : Boolean;
End; {Time definition}

TapeRecord = Record
RecStatus : LongInt;
TapeNumber : Str4; { Record key }
BrandName : Str10;
DatePurchased : Date;
TapeLength : Integer;
TapeTitle : Str30;
Filler : Str40;
End; {TapeRecord definition}

ProgramRecord = Record
RecStatus : LongInt;
TapeNumber : Str4; { First part of key }
ProgramNbr : Str4; { Second part of key }
StartPosition : Str4;
EndPosition : Str4;
RecordSpeed : Char;
ProgramLength : Integer;
Title : Str30;
SubTitle : Str30;
DateRecorded : Date;
TimeRecorded : Time;


19

Rating : Char;
Category : Str15;
Star : Str30;
Costar : Str30;
Guest1 : Str30;
Guest2 : Str30;
Comment1 : Str70;
Comment2 : Str70;
Comment3 : Str70;
Keep : Boolean;
Filler : Str40;
End; {ProgramRecord definition}

ProgramKey = Str8;

MaxDataType = ProgramRecord;
MaxKeyType = Str8;

The above information is provided for information only. It does
not constitute a license to write add-ons to distribute as part
of this package. Add-ons may be written for your personal use
only. Compatibility of add-ons with future releases is not
guaranteed.


































20

COMING ATTRACTIONS


Although VCRTapes is packed with features, there is always
room for improvement. Whether or not an upgrade will be released
will depend heavily on the response received from this release.
Several possible enhancements are being considered. The list
below is neither a promise of future enhancements, or a complete
list of what might be included, should an upgrade come to be.

Possible Improvements:

Support for additional label forms:
VHS Face Labels (3 1/8 by 1 7/8)
VHS Spine Labels (5 7/8 by 3/4)
On-line search by program title
Mouse support
Additional reports
Tapes with space available
Programs that can be recorded over
Duplicates
Move programs between tapes
Change tape numbers

In order to help decide what enhancements would be of value
to users, please fill out the questionaire on the following page,
when you send in your registration. Your input will be helpful
in deciding what areas to concentrate on in a future upgrade.


REGISTRATION & QUESTIONAIRE


Your Name: ___________________________________

Address: ___________________________________

City: _____________________ St ____ Zip ____________

Phone: (______) ______-__________


Please indicate order of importance for the following possible
enhancements (1-most important, 7-least important):

VHS Face Labels ___
VHS Spine Labels ___
On-line search by program title ___
Mouse support ___
Report of space available ___
Programs to record over ___
Duplicate programs ___
Move programs between tapes ___
Change tape numbers ___

What additional modifications do you feel would be of value?




Did you encounter any problems or possible "bugs" while using
VCRTapes?





Please send your remittance to:

Albert Howard
10034 Houston Ave
Hanford, CA 93230

For questions, send Email on Compuserve to 72375,1563, or
on Genie to A.HOWARD3.