

                        TRICKS TO UNDERSTAND MEAL MASTER


Meal Master (reg. trademark) is the easiest recipe database you will ever
find, and yet there are several tricks which will make your adventure in
cooking easier. Since I get many questions about MM, I will attempt to 
explain the most common ones. Please understand, I am not an expert, just
an avid user.

1.      How do I add a recipe to MM?

        Simple! Just open Meal Master (by typing mm.exe at the prompt), 
        and you will see the opening screen. Now, hit E for enter. This
        will take you to a screen which offers you a variety of options.
        By pressing A for add, you will then be prompted to add a recipe.
        If you want to continue, just hit E for enter, and proceed.

        You will now be asked for a name, for the categories you wish it
        entered in to, the number of servings, and then you will be 
        asked to enter the ingredients and directions.

        A few hints I have found useful in adding a recipe.

                a.      Don't put it into too many categories - just 
                        put it into the ones you think are the most im-
                        portant. 
                b.      When entering the directions, try not to extend
                        them past 70 lines, or they may be cut off when
                        you import them into a message in a BBS.
                c.      You might want to create a specialized category
                        to enter them into at all times. I use "Cyber-
                        ealm" as that is the BBS I want to credit for
                        the recipe. I also use "Mom's best" a lot.
                d.      I prefer the single line entry for ingredients.
                        That way I don't have to worry about losing the
                        last few letters of the ingredient, and I don't
                        have a problem importing them directly to MM.

        If you get stuck entering the ingredients or the directions,
        just follow the prompts at the bottom of the screen. They are
        invaluable.

2.      How do I search for a recipe?

        This, too, is easy. If you are at the main menu screen, you 
        will see the second prompt is Search. Just hit S and then enter
        and you will be at a screen which will allow you to search by
        number, title, ingredient, or category. Just choose whichever
        one you want and hit enter. If you search by a number MM will
        ask you which number (and the ones thereafter), and do you
        want to start there or jump to that number.

        If you choose category, you can simply use your arrow key to
        get to the category you want, or type in the name. 

        If you choose an ingredient, you only have to put part of it 
        in for MM to do its job. For example, if you want to check
        out all recipes with beef in it, just type in beef, enter, and
        then S for start search. All recipes with beef as an ingredient
        will be listed.

        If you choose a title, you only have to put in part of the 
        title. For example, if I want to search for Orange Poppy Seed
        Cake, I could just put in Orange in the title section, and
        everything with the word Orange will be listed.

        Once you find the recipe, and would like to stop the search,
        just hit the space bar, and the search will be interrupted.
        Then you can just hit the enter key, and your recipe will be
        displayed.

3.      How do I view a recipe now that it is listed?

        Simple! Just hit Enter. When you are done, hit ESCape.

4.      How do I print a recipe?

        Let's assume that Berlin Bread is displayed on your screen.
        Well, to print it, just hit ESCape, and then select "P" for
        print, and MM will send it to your printer.

5.      How do I export a recipe into a mail packet?

        Of all the questions I get on Cyberealm BBS, this is the most
        often asked one.

        We use OLX, and so my reference will be to that mail packet.
        This is a fairly simple procedure.

        First of all you will have to export the recipe. How do you 
        do this?

                1.      Select the recipe to export. You do this by
                        going to the recipe you want to send to the
                        mail packet, and type "E" for export.
                        Now, MM will say, where shall we send it? I
                        usually send it to my upload directory (in this
                        case it is c:\telix\upload). You must give the
                        recipe a name. I use "cyber1.txt).

                        So, my line looks like this:

                                c:\telix\upload\cyber1.txt
                        
                        Assuming you have no other recipe named 
                        cyber1.txt, you then hit enter. MM will ask
                        you Create, Append or Replace. It will more 
                        than likely create it, and you then hit Enter.
                        Your recipe is now sent to c:\telix\upload
                        as cyber1.txt.

               2.       Now, you exit MM. Go to your mail packet. Go
                        to the appropriate conference you wish to
                        import the recipe into your message in. Should
                        it be a new message or a reply, simply follow
                        the normal procedure to write or reply. When
                        you are ready to import the recipe, you
                        simply do this:

                                ALT R

                        you should now get a screen which asks you the
                        file name:  you type in....

                                c:\telix\upload\cyber1.txt
                        Now simply hit Enter...

                        On your screen (if you are using OLX-TD) you
                        should see your recipe. Then save it! When you
                        exit you have a perfectly importable recipe
                        ready to be posted on your BBS!

6.      How do I get my recipes to import properly so the next person
        doesn't have to completely retype them?

        This too is easy, but in order to be certain everything is ok
        we must go back to the main screen of MM, and now go to the
        Maintainance/Setup Menu. So, please at the main menu type M.

        Now that we are there, we see a screen which gives you several
        options. One by one they are....

                a.      Quantities displayed as:  

                                If you toggle this by pressing the
                                space bar you will see it in decimals
                                or common fractions. I suggest common
                                fractions.
                
                b.      Output ingredients in:

                                Toggling you will find: Dual Columns or
                                single columns. Again, I suggest single
                                columns.

                c.      Two-Col List Sequence:

                                If the dual column output is selected
                                above, then this option controls the 
                                sequence of ingredients inputted. 
                                If you choose single column above, then
                                this will not be affected.

                d.      Serving sizes on lists:

                                You can be prompted to choose "prompt"
                                or "as stored". I suggest "as stored".

                e.      Export format selection:

                                This one is important. Toggle through
                                the selections and choose Special:
                                MMMMM format. This makes importing the
                                easiest on all databases and BBS'.

                f.      Printer setup:

                                MM supports many different printers.
                                You will most likely have yours set
                                to the following:

                                Current driver: Default.mmp
                                Description: Default printer

                                It can, however, print 3 x 5 recipe 
                                cards for you. 
      
                g.      File Path:

                                Sometimes you might want to store your
                                recipes in a place other than your data
                                base. This allows you to do this; in
                                other words, you can store your recipes
                                onto floppy disks. 

                                To change a files path simply type
                                in f, and then enter the new drive and
                                file path. 

                h.      Rebuild recipe files:

                                If you have flagged recipes for dele-
                                tion, and you want to get rid of them,
                                now is the time to rebuild. This will
                                permanently delete them. It will also
                                renumber all remaining recipes. 

                                It will then tell you how much you
                                have saved in space, and rebuild every-
                                thing for you.

                i.      Category Maintainance:

                                Displaying C will let you add, change,
                                or delete the category values in MM.
                                You will be allowed to add categories,
                                rename existing ones, and delete them.


7.      How do I import recipes to my database?

        The process is long, but easy once you do it a few times.
        Let me explain it best by giving you an example.

        I have a separate directory set up to extract recipes for
        import. It is called g:\recipes.

        When I get a file which I want to import, I simply unpack 
        the file into g:\recipes.  So, let's call it candies.zip.

        I extract it into g:\recipes, and find there are two files in
        the original one... candies.mmf (or it might just be called
        candies or candies.txt) and readme.txt. Well, I look at both
        and find the actual recipes are in candies.mmf. To import 
        them, I now go to MM. Once in the main screen, I go to Util-
        ities (U) and once there, I see a variety of selections.
        At this point, I want I for Import recipe.

        Now, MM will ask me, ok - where do you want to import it from?
        I type in g:\recipes. If I don't remember the name, I can
        now press F1 and it will tell me. Or if I remember, I can
        type in g:\recipes\candies.mmf and then hit Enter. Once I have
        that selected, another screen will come up. I will see a 
        variety of selections once again. It should say something
        like:

                File:  G:\recipes\candies.mmf

                M  Mode............:Manual
                        E Error Handling...... N/A
                        D Duplicate Handling.. N/A

                R Reformat instructions...:  Yes
                S Start Importing.........:  Yes
                X Exit

                        Selection ( )

        Let me explain what each of these mean.....

                M   Mode:  Your choices are manual and automatic.
                           If you choose manual, you will need to make 
                           a decision whether or not you wish each
                           recipe in the file. If you choose automatic,
                           each one will be imported. I choose automat-
                           ic. It's easier.

                E   Error Handling:

                           This option is only available if you use
                           automatic. This is a pretty good feature,
                           as you can decide what to do with the rec-
                           ipes which will not import for some reason
                           of an error. Toggle between the options.

                           If you choose Manual, each time there is an
                           error, MM will stop and say "ok, what do
                           I do now??"

                           Log to a Import.Log will allow you to skip
                           over the errored recipe and it will save it
                           to an import log and tell you what is wrong.
                           (I like this one).

                           Copy to Import.ER1 will completely copy the
                           recipe to a log for you to fix it later. 
                           This is ok if you don't have a problem with
                           space.This is also a good feature if you
                           don't  want to save the recipe file to edit
                           later. 


                D   Duplicate Handling: 
                
                           This option is only available if the import
                           log is set to automatic. Again, I like this
                           feature. Pressing "D" will toggle among the
                           five settings that tell you whether or not
                           you should proceed if there is a duplicate
                           recipe. Believe me, this one is important
                           or else you will have 5 recipes for fudge 
                           and they might be all the same!

                           "Skip and copy to import.log" tells you 
                           that your duplicate will be saved in case
                           it is not the same and you want to just
                           change the name.

                           "Copy to import.dup" will tell MM to check
                           the duplicate files and if it finds one
                           with the same name, not to import it.

                           "Overwrite existing" is a scary, but good,
                           feature in that should you have your favor-
                           ite fudge recipe, and a new one comes along,
                           the new one will overwrite your mom's old 
                           one. BE CAREFUL using this one!

                           "Always import" will always import every-
                           thing! I used this when I first started
                           with MM and had to delete a lot of recipes
                           which were exactly the same!

                           "Skip" does just that... it skips the dupli-
                           cate and gives you no log, no copy, or 
                           anything!

        So, now you have it set up the way you want. Just hit S for 
        Start Importing, and you're off!!!!


I hope these tips help you. I highly urge you to register this program.
There are a lot more utilities which are available to you in the 
registered program, including my favorite == Chgcat. Changing cate-
gories allows you to search your database for unique recipes which are
not anywhere in your categorys which you have set up, and you can
then move them into your own categories. If you don't have this fea-
ture, you may have a lot of recipes sitting out in limbo, and you 
can't find them. They are in the database, you just can't access them.

It also allows you to change colors of your screens (my other favorite)
calculate statistics on how many recipes you can put into MM, allows
you to convert recipes from other formats in MM, and lots of other 
goodies.

To register, send $35, along with the registration form in MM, to Epi-
soft Systems, Suite 143, 10121 Evergreen Way, Everett, Washington
98204. 

Believe me, it is worth it!!

(PS, I don't have any ownership in Episoft, nor am I related to
Scott Welliver [the author]. I just think if you use it, you should
register it!)

Linda Fields, Sysop and MM fan
Cyberealm BBS
Watertown, New York 13601
315-785-8098
315-786-1120
