AMIGABASE V 2.2 (c) 1989-1995 Steffen Gutmann ============================================= AmigaBase is a programmable hierarchical database. AmigaBase is shareware. This means that the program can be freely copied and distributed as long as no more than a nominal fee is charged to cover time and copying costs. All rights reserved. If you use the program you must register yourself. Therefore send a short letter along with the shareware fee to: Steffen Gutmann Wiesentalstr. 30 D-73312 Geislingen/Eybach. GERMANY The shareware fee is DM 70,-- or US $50. If you are a registered user of AmigaBase V1.xx then you are allowed to use the new version. If you want the new user manual you can get it for an update fee of DM 30,-- (US $20). Please specify your registration number when sending the fee. Registered users of AmigaBase V2.x will find a small documentation update in the "Updates" directory. Send money by EuroCheck (only in Deutsch Mark (DM)), postal money order or cash (take care that the money is not visible from outside!). You may also use a foreign check, but please add DM 10,- or US $5 in this case. If you live in Germany then please also read the "Liesmich" file for further ways of paying the fee. On registration you will get the latest version of AmigaBase along with the user manual. The manual is available in English or German. It has been written in Latex, contains several screendumps and is about 100 pages. I cannot guarantee that this program is bug free! You use this software at your own risk! But if you find a bug then please let me know of it. You can contact me by sending a letter to the address above, or by sending an email to gutmann@informatik.uni-ulm.de AmigaBase uses 'reqtools.library' (c) Nico François and 'gadget.library' (c) Steffen Gutmann. Files: ------ You should have the following files: AmigaBase or AmigaBase.lha - executable program, packed eventually. Install-AB/* - Installer script to install AmigaBase ReadMe - this file LiesMich - German ReadMe BUGS CONTENTS HISTORY TODO - further information Reg_Form - registration form Reg_Form.deutsch - German version Updates/* - Documentation updates (for registered users, do not read if you aren't one :-). Catalogs/*/AmigaBase.catalog - catalog files for other languages than English Data/Deutsch/* - some example projects (German versions) Data/English/* - some example projects (English versions) Data/Graphics/Mandelpic.iff - iff picture used by the project "Mandel pictures". libs13/reqtools.library - reqtools.library for Kickstart 1.2/1.3 libs20/reqtools.library - reqtools.library for Kickstart 2.0 libs13/gadget.library - gadget library for 1.2/1.3 and 2.0. MakeCat/* - information & files to translate AmigaBase into another language. ToolManager/AmigaBase.brush - image file for toolmanager. lha - unpacker for AmigaBase.lha MuchMore - text displayer Equipment: ---------- AmigaBase works on every Amiga with Kickstart 1.2/1.3 or higher. Of course if your computer runs a higher OS version, AmigaBase will make use of its improvements. You need at least 1MByte Ram to run AmigaBase. Recommend, but not needed, are more memory and a hard disk. Installation: ------------- For installation use the Installer script in the 'Install-AB' directory. Double click its icon and follow its instructions. It installs AmigaBase, the reqtools.library, the gadget.library, the locale files and the example projects. If you want to install AmigaBase by hand you have to do the following: o Reqtools.library: Corresponding to your OS version copy libs20/reqtools.library or libs13/reqtools.library into the libs: directory. o Gadget.library: Copy libs13/gadget.library into the libs: directory (even under OS2.0 or up). o Unpack the file AmigaBase.lha if necessary. Now you can start AmigaBase. o If you want AmigaBase to look in your language and you have OS 2.0 with Workbench 2.1, copy Catalogs/your_language/AmigaBase.catalog to LOCALE:Catalogs/your_language. If your language is not supported then please have a look into the MakeCat directory and read the ReadMe file there. o If you want to start AmigaBase by double clicking an AmigaBase project you need to assign AmigaBase: to the directory containing AmigaBase. What does AmigaBase offer: -------------------------- AmigaBase is not a relational database with SQL interface or something like this. AmigaBase is a hierarchical programmable database. Nevertheless, or just because, AmigaBase is ideal for managing music cassettes, videos, addresses, etc. Complex applications like a finance manager with automatic printing of transfer forms and writing client accounts is no problem for AmigaBase, too. A project consists of one or several records. A record is displayed by a rectangle with a colored border and a titlebar. The record name is displayed in the title bar. A record can be placed beside or within annother one (hierarchy). In records you can place variables which are used for data input and display. Data is organized in datasets. For each record you can allocate any number of datasets (only limited by available memory). Datasets can be ordered by several keys. A filter allows the selection of some datasets. A print menu allows printing of datasets. With a search requester it is easy to find certain datasets. AmigaBase offers two display modes: form and listing. In form display all records are displayed in several windows. In each record exactly one dataset is shown. In listing display all dataset of a specific record are displayed in a scrolling list in a window. AmigaBase has two operating modes: working mode and installing mode. In working mode you can work with your project, input data, start programs, etc. In installing mode you build your data structure. You can define new variables, change and delete them. Variables can be of the type BOOLEAN (boolean values), CHOICE (one item out of many items), INTEGER (integer values), REAL (floating point values), STRING (any text), DATE (date values), TIME (time values), or MEMO (unlimited multi line text). Additionally there is the program button type which is only used to start AmigaBase programs. Furthermore you can define, change and delete texts. Texts are only used for decoration in records. You can also define, change and delete records and windows. You must give each variable, record and window a name. This name must begin with an uppercase letter followed by up to nine letters, digits or the character '_'. There are some reserved words that cannot be used for names. A special feature of AmigaBase is the programming of it. For each variable (except MEMO variables) you can write a program which is called whenever you change the contents of this variable or press RETURN while the cursor is on the program button variable. If you want to have a view into programming AmigaBase I recommend that you have a look at the label print program of the cassette project (included in the distribution). A complete description of all functions and abilities of AmigaBase is found in the user manual of AmigaBase. This document is available by registration only. Import of datasets ------------------ For importing datasets there aren't any menu items. But with the use of an AmigaBase program you can write your own Import routine. First you have to load the import file into a MEMO variable (MEMOLOAD). Then you do a FOR loop and examine each line of the MEMO variable. Use LeftStr, MidStr, RightStr, Val, etc. to extract the data and assign it to the dataset variables. This looks awkward, but it is very flexible. The user manual contains a whole chapter about importing and exporting datasets. New features V1.31 - V2.00 -------------------------- o Full font sensitive o OS 3.0 look o Iconification of windows. o Improved memory management o Arexx port o Copy & paste o New variable type: CHOICE o MEMO variables with their own window o Improved text editor. o Enabled use of an external editor o Shortcuts for variables o Improved preferences settings (project dependent/independent) o Formats for date and floating point values. o Stack overflow handler and ctrl-c checking o Save & load of filter programs o Font attributes, background color and borders for all variable types. o New program types: PreNewDataset, PostNewDataset, PreDeleteDataset, PostDeleteDataset and Functions. o Many new functions and improvements for programming AmigaBase o Many bug fixes New features V2.00 - V2.1 ------------------------- o Danish and French catalog file. o New programming functions: Filename, Changes, ARexxPort, ChooseString, Now, StrCmp and ChoiceLabels. o Improvements for file requesters. o Many bug fixes and other improvements. Neue Features V2.1 - V2.2 -------------------------- o New program types: PostOpenProject and PreQuitProject. o New functions for programming. o New menu item to print a listing of all records and variables. o New ARexx functions. o New escape code: "\e". o Small improvement for opening requesters. o Small improvement when using the external editor for programming. o Small improvement when searching for data. o Changed menu item "Paste buffer". o Support of the Spanish and Dutch language. o Several bug fixes. Example projects: ----------------- In the directory Data/Deutsch and Data/English you will find some example projects. If you have created your own project and you think that other AmigaBase users should also benfit from it then please send it to me. We can then decide how to make it available to the public. Installer: ---------- Installer and Installer project icon (c) Copyright 1991-93 Commodore-Amiga, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduced and distributed under license from Commodore. INSTALLER SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS-IS" AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE; NO WARRANTIES ARE MADE. ALL USE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. NO LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY IS ASSUMED. Thanks ------ Thanks to o Mats Granstrom for many ideas and his funny jokes and comments. o Mads Lie Jensen for the Danish catalog file and other things. o Eyal Teler for many bug reports and ideas. o Falk Hildner, Wolfgang Brodowski, Dirk-Michael Brosig, Hartmut Jäger, Michael Klingbeil, Ralph Reuchlein and Waldemar Karwath for beta testing and some example projects. o Paolo Costabel and Werther Pirani for the Italian catalog file. o Fabien Larini and Tattoo Mabonzo for the French catalog file. o Peter Wastholm and Mikael Fors for the Swedish catalog file. o Ronald Sloot for the Dutch catalog file. o Jorge Acereda for the Spanish catalog file. o All other beta testers. o Jürgen Brust, Michael Janich, Nico François, Michael Greenhalg, Jan Ulbrich, Andy Buck, Ralf Biedert, Petra Mössner, René Schuster and all registered AmigaBase users.