Screen Format Utility

SCREEN FORMAT UTILITY


(aka. Screen Formatter)


by Alistair de Wet





Read on and a fantastic screen format / data base utility will unfold


before your very eyes!





This program is a screen format / data base utility for on screen data


capture and information storage, sorting, editing, enquiry and general


manipulation. The screen format section of the program is designed to


emulate what is commonly available on larger business micros.





Operating instructions





The program on loading presents the user with 10 options available for


use. The program is idiot-proof in as much as it will not allow you to


use an option if it is not logical to use the option at the stage -


eg: trying to display or sort data which does not exist. A logical


sequence of using the program could be as follows:





1. OPTION 1: Instructions and Scope





This option will list a summary of what the the SF-UTIL program does


as an overview to the user. It is not intended to be a full set of


instructions. It also shows an example of a formatted screen.





2. OPTION 2: Format Screen





This option will display a sub menu which will allow you to format


your screen with fixed text and variable data definition and then


return to the main menu.





OPTION 1: Text on a blank screen.





Use cursor keys to move the cursor. Use edit to move the cursor to


start of next line. Use caps/lock to change from upper to lower case


and vice versa. Press ENTER to accept your screen. This is where you


enter the fixed text portion of your screen - eg: those portions that


remain the same each time you capture information (headings, titles,


underlinings, etc).





OPTION 2: Variable Data Fields.





The idea here is to place the cursor at the position of the first


field to be captured and then press ENTER. The program will then ask


you to input field length (from 1 to 30), paper (0-7), ink (0-7),


bright (0 or 1), flash (0 or 1) and inverse (0 or 1). Thereafter it


prints a row of X's the length of the field that you specified with


the colour attributes which you entered. If this looks correct you


press ENTER to continue to the next field to be defined or you press 0


(zero) to wipe out the current field if it is wrong to allow you to


try again or move the cursor to a more desirable position and try again.





When you have moved your cursor to all the fields that need defining


you press DELETE to return you to the sub-menu.





Remember one important factor. If you re-enter the Option 2 phase of


this sub-menu and try to define new variable data fields, all data


previously captured in the machine will be cleared out of memory. If


you, therefore, wish to save such data you must first use the SAVE


DATA option of the main menu. Obviously if no data has as yet been


captured then you lose nothing. Up to 40 variable fields are


permitted.





OPTION 3: Display Finished Screen





This option will display the completed screen which you will be


presented with when you enter the data capture phase of the system. If


any aspects of this screen are not to your liking you can re-enter


Options 1 and/or 2 of the sub menu to redefine the entire screen of


text and/or variable data.





OPTION 4: Display Data Definition





This option will display a full definition of the data. This


definition is held in memory in an array T (40,9). Each variable field


is defined here. Up to 40 variable fields are permitted and each has 9


parameters viz:





1. Row position on screen.


2. Column position on screen.


3. Length of field in characters.


4. Start position of data in the array D$


5-9. Paper Ink Bright Flash Inverse





This definition will be extremely useful to the budding programmer, as


it allows access to any of the stored data (in D$ array) at field


level for extra program codes to be included in this program or in


other programs which he may write to read the data which has been


saved from this program. If you are going to write your own program, I


would suggest that you merge the load procedure from ST-UTIL into your


program which will save you time and trouble, as there are 3 files to


load into memory (FIXED TEXT ARRAY, TABLE ARRAY, DATA ARRAY). Also the


data array size is governed by the variable fields as defined in the


table array and is thus set up in the load subroutine at run time.





OPTION 5: Return to Main Menu





Does just that.





3. OPTION 3: Formatted Data Capture





This allows you to capture data according to the definition you set up


in the Option 2 sub menu. The cursor will position itself on the first


column of the first field to be captured. Start entering information.


The cursor moves automatically from one field to the next as it fills


up the field. To move the cursor from one field to the next without


entering data use the [UpArrow] and [DownArrow] cursor keys for next


and prior fields.





To move the cursor from one character to another use the [RightArrow]


and [LeftArrow] cursor keys for next and prior character. Caps lock


will change from upper to lower case and vice versa. Press ENTER once


you have entered all the data you want, to accept the screen data and


store it in memory.





4 OPTION 4: Edit/Enquiry





The first thing you are asked to do is to enter the number of the


field on which you wish to enquire. This action will cause the


appropriate field to flash. You are then asked if this is correct and


you have a chance to change your mind or correct your choice. You will


then be asked to input the string of data you wish to enquire on. This


could be the entire field length or just part of a field - ie, you may


wish to enquire on the surname field and look for all surnames


starting with "SM". You would Just enter "SM". The enquiry system will


search the entire surname field looking for "SM". As soon as the first


record is found containing an "SM" within the surname the document


will be displayed with options at the bottom of the screen that read:


1 ALT 2 DEL 3 PRT 4 CONT 5 QUIT.





If you enter:





(1) You can alter the contents of the record using the same method of


moving the cursor and pressing ENTER after you have completed your


changes as per data capture instructions.


(2) Will delete the current record which is displayed on the screen.


(3) Will copy the current record to the printer.


(4) Will search for further records with the same seek key (in this case "SM").


(5) Will not search any further but will return to main menu.





5. OPTION 5: Display Records





This option starts at the first record and displays all the records


stored so far. Pressing any key will stop the display at the current


record at which point the option is given to continue or return to


main menu.





6. OPTION 6: Save Data





SAVE DATA saves the three arrays used by the system. You will have to


press a key when the machine requests you to do so. The 3 arrays are


interdependent upon each other in the controlling of the data handling


of the system.





7. OPTION 7: Load Data





Enter the name of the file to be loaded or just press ENTER to load


any file. The 3 arrays previously saved will now be loaded. This load


module will obviously overwrite any formats or data presently in the


machine.





9. OPTION 9: Sort the Data





The first thing you are asked to do is to input the number of the


field on which you wish to sort. This section wIll cause the


appropriate field to flash. You are then asked if this is correct and


you have the chance to correct your choice. Once you are satisfied the


sort begins. Entering Option 5 (Display Data) will show that data has


been correctly sorted.





10. OPTION 10: End Routines





This routine will give the user the option to stop the run or to go


back to the main menu if he has forgotten to save his data.





NOTE





The program is, under normal operating conditions, not likely to


crash. If, however, you manage to crash the program, type GO TO 500.


Do not type RUN or all your data will be lost.