












		      Collect!   VGA GRAPHICS Version 2.0

		       Intelligent Collection Management

		       Copyright (c) 1992 by G.L. Alston




			      U S E R   G U I D E



			      Alston Software Labs
				 (209) 522-8666
			      Modesto,  California



			    Collect! User Manual  Page 1


	 Ŀ
	  REQUIREMENTS 
	 

	   Hardware:

	   This program requires a VGA monitor,  512K (of 640k total) FREE
	   RAM memory, an 80286 or better processor, and a mouse or track-
	   ball pointing device. Do not run this program if you don't have
	   the required hardware.


	   Software:

	   None.


	   Recommended:

	   Make sure any  DOS  TSR ( pop up background )  programs you are
	   using leave at least 512K free RAM.  If you  have  DOS 5.0, use
	   DOS MEM.EXE to determine your amount of free RAM.

	   Also recommended is a printer.



	 Ŀ
           QUICKSTART  
	 

	  INSTALLATION:

	  Put the distribution floppy in an appropriate drive, such as
	  A: or B:

	  Type:

	  INSTALL [d:] [space] [\] [directory]

	  For example, if you want to install to the Collect! directory on
	  drive E:, type:

	  INSTALL e: \collect!

	  (Remember to put the space in between the colon and the
	   backslash.)

	  The install batch program will then copy all of the  appropriate
	  files over to the destination drive \directory and prompt you on
	  how to get Collect! running.

			    Collect! User Manual  Page 2



	  OPERATION:

	  To start,  type  "Collect!"  at the DOS prompt. The program will
	  load. Press a key to get by the Alston Software Labs logo.

	  1. Choose "F" for FILE and then choose "O" for OPEN.
	     Press 'Enter' to load in the default sample data file.

          2. Press "V" and use the arrow keys to scroll through
             the records. Press "Esc" to bring you back to the
             main menu.

          3. To quit Collect!, press "F" to pop up the file
             window, and "Q" to quit.

          4. To print this manual -- at the DOS prompt, type:

             type collect!.txt > lpt1

             including the word "type." This will use DOS to
             redirect the screen output to the printer.


			    Collect! User Manual  Page 3


	 Ŀ
	   INTRODUCTION  
	 

	  Collect! is an  Intelligent Collection Management  tool  that is
	  cleverly disguised as a specialty database. It's primary purpose
	  is to aid people in cataloguing what they have  accumulated over
	  the years and help with insurance planning, estate planning, and
	  yes, planning what items to buy to  augment a collection.  It is
	  likewise  intended  for  small  businesses  to  aid in inventory
	  management;  especially collectibles dealers of items like base-
	  ball cards, antiques, comic books, video and audio tape, records,
	  fine arts, books and magazines.  The  list  of  collection types
	  Collect! can work with is practically endless, since it is  USER
	  PROGRAMMABLE. It will also serve to keep track of household  in-
	  ventory, maintain reasonable sized software libraries, and  even
	  can be used for phone lists.

	  More than just a  computerised  record  keeper,  Collect! allows
	  intensive analyses to be made of the contents of any given coll-
	  ection.  Coupled with advanced data  manipulation  techniques is
	  the ease of use normally associated with Windows programs.
	  Collect! is also user programmable. Need a toy trains  database?
	  No problem.  Do you collect something a little out of the ordin-
	  ary? Again, no problem.  Part of what sets  Collect!  apart from
	  other seemingly similar products is the ability to search. While
	  other programs offer search capabilities, few (if any) offer the
	  range of possibilities Collect! does. Even if they did, Collect!
	  does its' searching lightning fast: try  300  milliseconds. Yes,
	  you heard right -- a  Collect! search takes slightly less than a
	  third of a second. This allows some pretty snappy access to data.

	  Collect! offers unique features that make this collector's data-
	  base faster and easier to use than any other product:

		      * Pick Lists
                      * Works in RAM memory, not the disk
                      * All data on one screen
		      * User Programmability
		      * Mouse Support
                      * Financial data
		      * Printing Options
		      * File manipulation
		      * VGA 3d Graphics Presentation with
			pushable pushbuttons

	  The combination of features make Collect! far more than what you
	  find in other collector's type programs.  The ability to analyse
	  and  manipulate  data  make  Collect!  an Intelligent Collection
	  Management tool rather than a record keeper.

			    Collect! User Manual  Page 4


	  ****************************************************************
	  Here's an example:

	  Bonnie collects antique items.  She  really has no idea what her
	  collection is worth.  Her  special  passion is a box full of old
	  victorian ladies purses.  Now that she has  Collect!, Bonnie has
	  been entering her collection data,  and looking  up  some recent
	  sale values in collector books. Using Collect!, Bonnie discovers
	  that the $4000 she's  spent in the last eight years is now worth
	  about $6800 !!!  If nothing more, she can at least give reliable
	  information to her insurance agent. She has also created another
	  database template for her son's more expensive Baseball and Hoc-
	  key cards from his collection.  She's  amazed to  discover  that
	  her son has about $650 worth of cards that he traded for. ( Good
	  eye, no? He ought to consider a business of his own!)

	  Now Bonnie turns her attention to her purses.  How does she find
	  out about ONLY the purses? With Collect!, it's simple:  she does
	  a simple search of  PURSES in her antiques file,  and copies the
	  FOUND data (i.e. her purses) into another file. She now can open
	  this file alone and see data representing only purses. Using the
	  graphing capability  of  Collect!,  Bonnie  sees that a group of
	  purses she bought 2 years ago has appreciated in value far  more
	  than the others in her collection.  Searching this file by  DATE
	  OF PURCHASE shows a similarity in her high appreciation  purses.
	  She then  uses  this information  to cross-reference to a  purse
	  collector book to verify. Want to bet what sort of purse  Bonnie
	  will be looking out for on her next buy?
	  ****************************************************************

	  Is this an unrealistic scenario? No, it's not,  and it is played
	  out quite frequently. One of the most common similarities of all
	  collectors  is  that they have a limited or misguided idea about
	  what their collection is worth.  Are  we  saying that you should
	  take a hard-nosed approach and  look  only at the financial asp-
	  ects?  Of course not.  People collect what they  LIKE.  But, for
	  your own protection, you ought to know how much you have tied up
	  in your collections, and where the  money  is at.  Collect! will
	  help with getting your insurance coverage done correctly, keep a
	  record of what you buy and HOW you buy it,  and  assist  you  in
	  planning what items to get to augment a collection.

	  Collect! can therefore be used in a  variety  of  ways,  ranging
	  from a simple record keeper to an investments aid.

	  To get you up and moving with Collect!,  we'll  discuss  some of
	  the  concepts  used  by the program  to help with organising and
	  analysing data: databases and spreadsheets.


			    Collect! User Manual  Page 5


	 Ŀ
	   ABOUT DATABASES and SPREADSHEETS 
	 

	  A database uses the concept that information will  always follow
	  a given format.  This format breaks  down the  individual pieces
	  of information into blocks called "fields." Each group of FIELDS
	  is called a "Record."  As  a  'for instance', take the case of a
	  mailing list:


                          Name
                          Street
                          City
                          Zip
                          Phone


	  The above constitutes a RECORD.  Each line  of  information is a
	  FIELD. In the case of a mailing list, the database uses the same
	  format for each and  every  RECORD,  although the information in
	  each FIELD will change depending on the RECORD viewed. A Rolodex
	  (tm) is a database.

	  Collect!'s  information  is  likewise  broken down into the same
	  type of format. Take a look at a supplied example:

                       RECORD EXAMPLE: (Movies Database)


	   Title         :         <---- 1 FIELD
	   Starring      :
	   Running Time  :
	   Movie Type    :
	   Director      :                     BASIC DATA:
	   Year Made     :
	   Condition     :                 File Value      :
	   Year Purchased:                 Paid out        :
	   Purchase Price:                 Pctg of File    :
	   Current Value:                  Pctg Change     :
	   Studio       :                  Amt of Change   :
	   Film Number  :
	   Any Comments :


			    Collect! User Manual  Page 6


	  In this case we have  organised the  fields  such that taken to-
	  gether,  they describe ONE movie. Each individual movie uses one
	  RECORD of information.  In  Collect!,  these fields are program-
	  mable by  you such that you can name these anything you require.
	  Here's another supplied example (on the distribution disk):

			   RECORD EXAMPLE: (Stamps Database)

	   Country Origin
	   Denomination
	   Year Issued
	   Color
	   Vert  Perf                         BASIC DATA:
	   Horiz Perf
	   Condition                      File Value      :
	   Year Purchased                 Paid Out        :
	   Purchase Price                 Pctg of File    :
	   Current Value                  Pctg Change     :
	   Scott Cat. Nr.                 Amt of Change   :
	   Scott Wmk. Nr.
	   Depiction


	  As you can see, we have named all of the FIELD names to  reflect
	  the needs of collecting  Stamps,  rather than  Movies.  But what
	  about the BASIC DATA on the right? These names didn't change.

	  This is the part of  Collect!  that is like a  SPREADSHEET.  For
	  those of you who don't know, a spreadsheet uses the concept of a
	  two - dimensional (X/Y) grid:


		1      2      3       4       5       6       7

	  A                  50000      SALARY

	  B                  40000      TAX

	  C

	  D

	  E                  10000 (A3 - B3)  PAY


			    Collect! User Manual  Page 7


	  The way it works is this: each coordinate, such as A1, D4, etc.,
	  is referred to as a cell.  Each cell can have data, or more imp-
	  ortantly, a FORMULA.  For instance,  A3 may contain your SALARY.
	  B3 may contain your TAXES.  E3  could contain a  FORMULA such as
	  (A3 - B3) to indicate your BRING HOME PAY. Then again, maybe you
	  really DON'T want to know these things...

	  In Collect!'s case,  the data under BASIC DATA is like that of a
	  spreadsheet:  it  is generated by the program, and is based on a
	  series of formulas.


	  FILE VALUE    --  The total value of items in this data file
	  PAID OUT      --  How much you paid for items in this data file
	  PCTG of FILE  --  The relationship between the value of THIS
			    item (that which is in the record shown on the
			    screen) and the entire file
	  PCTG CHANGE   --  How much the value changed (of this item)
			    relative to how much was paid
	  AMT of CHANGE --  The DELTA ( value minus price)


	  More importantly, this is data you can SEARCH for with  Collect!
	  to modify your search patterns. This data, since it will  change
	  from record to record, is DYNAMIC. Dynamic data can be very use-
	  ful in searching: say, for instance, that as part of your search
	  you need to see items that  increased in value by  $40.00  since
	  you originally bought the item.  This  search pattern would then
	  include the AMT OF CHANGE dynamic data field.

	  The dynamic 'spreadsheet' data is also used in presenting easily
	  understood displays such as the QUICK GUAGES,  which graphically
	  shows how any given item relates to the other items in your data
	  file.

	  To summarize, Collect! is a hybrid program -- part database, and
	  part spreadsheet. The database qualities help you keep organised
	  records, whereas the spreadsheet qualities  help  you get a good
	  financial understanding of your collected items.



			    Collect! User Manual  Page 8



          Ŀ
           RUNNING COLLECT! 
	  


	  "Easy to use" has been the  single  most  important  quote we've
	  seen in various reviews since  Collect!'s introduction in August
	  1991. We realize that you would rather work with your collection,
	  not 'learning' a program. The  ease of use stems from a  combin-
	  ation of organisation and visual  clues.  For instance, Collect!
	  keeps all of your data in ONE screen area  and  uses  windows on
	  top of it. The most extensive of menu items drops down by 2 win-
	  dow levels,  and the display has been  designed so that you know
	  instantly where you are at.  Part of the visual clues is the use
	  of pushbuttons and icons. Collect!'s pushbuttons are Three dim -
	  ensional -- i.e. when you engage a function related to this but-
	  ton, it looks like it is pushed in. The main menu, for instance,
	  is a series of 5 buttons across the top of the screen. A  single
	  glance will tell you what menu  item  you've  accessed  since it
	  will have a pushed-in button.

	  Icons help simplify things as well. For instance, if you want to
	  copy a data record into  another  record,  you use the clipboard
	  tool. While this is not an innovation in and of itself, Collect!
	  will not require you to remember something like "Press Alt-F6 to
	  copy this record."  Instead,  we have a small picture of a clip-
	  board on the screen.  All  that  needs  to be done is to use the
	  mouse to point and click at the clipboard. Pretty Simple.

	  Organisation is also  important.  For instance,  we allow you to
	  scroll  records  in  the database by using a pushbutton oriented
	  scroll bar.  This allows you instant access to data:  using  the
	  mouse, you  DRAG  the  scroll  button to where you want it to be.
	  This corresponds to a certain position within the data file.


	  GENERAL:

	  The main system menu appears horizontally as a  series  of push-
	  buttons at the screen top. Pressing the  RED HIGHLIGHTED  letter
	  key or clicking with the mouse will 'activate' the selected item.

       Ŀ
         Clicking:                                                          
                                                                            
         The term "click",  which is used  liberally  throughout this guide,
         means to momentarily depress the LEFT mouse button while the arrow 
         cursor points at an item.                                          
       

			    Collect! User Manual  Page 9



	  When this happens, the pushbutton will push in, and in all cases
	  but VIEW/EDIT, a  menu  will  appear.  Note the small box with a
	  spacebar Icon in the upper left corner of menu windows.  This is
	  the  CLOSE  button, which will  CLOSE  the menu and  POP UP  the
	  pushed-in pushbutton.

	  The main screen is divided into logical areas: the database type
	  information (field names) are in the large depressed area at the
	  screen left. Database data fits on the notepad. Spreadsheet type
	  data names are to the right of the notepad,  in a  smaller  dep-
	  ressed area while the spreadsheet data is on  the  yellow  Legal
	  Pad. The main menu is at the screen top as a series of  pushbut-
	  tons.  The scroll bar (database data scroller) is at the extreme
	  right of the screen.


	  MAIN MENU:

	  The  Main  Menu  pushbuttons are very much like the  pushbuttons
	  in a Car radio -- only one can be pushed in at a time. Therefore,
	  if one of these is pressed in, you can  click  the other buttons
	  but the  clicks  will  be ignored  until the depressed button is
	  released.


                 File     View     Search     Print     Utilities
                 -        -        -          -         -

	  All menu items within a pop up menu are accessed either by pres-
	  sing the highlighted letter key (shown here as underlined) or by
	  moving the highlight bar with the  ARROW (cursor) keys and pres-
	  sing ENTER.  To  PRINT  something, for instance, pressing either
	  "P" or highlighting 'PRINT' will bring up the PRINT pop up menu.
	  Of course, you can always click the text.

	  Once  a  window has been popped up, you can get back to the main
	  menu by pressing the "Esc" (Escape) key or by clicking the upper
	  left corner CLOSE BUTTON.  You will see Some DIALOG windows per-
	  iodically; these  usually  have  an  "OK"  pushbutton.  You must
	  either click the button, or press ENTER or  ESCAPE to EXIT.  The
	  ESCAPE key always takes on the meaning EXIT.


			    Collect! User Manual  Page 10



          Ŀ
            ON LINE  HELP !  
          

	  At most points in the program,  pressing the "?" key or clicking
	  the pushbutton will bring up a context sensitive HELP popup win-
	  dow.  Press the ESCAPE key or click the close button to exit the
	  window. The HELP is available in all sub-menus as well.  The On-
	  Line HELP should not be used exclusively in place of this manual.
	  HELP is available at all menus and  screen  changes,  and can be
	  customized.  Each of the  HELP  subjects  is contained in a disk
	  file  which  is  distinguished by using a DOS extension of .HLP;
	  likewise the HELP window shows you the filename that is current-
	  ly accessed.  You  may  reword  or  rewrite these files using an
	  ASCII text editor (no special formatting characters,  such as in
	  a word processor, can be used.) Just follow the existing format:
	  58 characters x 60 lines in each file. In this way,  HELP can be
	  customized for your (or your employees) special needs. If you're
	  new to computers and have Windows 3.x,  the NOTEPAD  text editor
	  in the  ACCESSORIES  group is perfect for this job.  Remember to
	  tell it to look for *.HLP files in the directory  with Collect!,
	  Otherwise, if you have DOS 5.0, you can use the QBasic-based ed-
	  itor provided with DOS.

	  When in  HELP,  clicking the arrow buttons  will move by 4 lines
	  ( the display maximum ) at a time. Pressing the arrow ( Cursor )
	  keyboard keys scrolls the display one line at a time.



			    Collect! User Manual  Page 11

          Ŀ
            MENU SELECTIONS  
          



          ** = main menu selections



          ** FILE:

                  used to access, save, and create disk based
                  data files; enter DOS; and Quit the program.


	  THE "FILE" MENU:

	     OPEN

	     A window showing a default data file and drive PATH is shown.
	     The default data file is the FIRST  one Collect! finds in the
	     current PATH. (Please consult your DOS manual for information
	     about PATHS. Essentially, the  PATH  shows you where Collect!
	     files are at.) At the window bottom are some disk drive icons
	     and the path information.  You may click a drive icon if data
	     files are located in a different disk drive than the program.
	     In this manner, you can keep all of your data on floppy disk,
	     for instance, and keep Collect! on your hard drive. To access
	     the data files on your floppy, put the disk into the A: or B:
	     drive and click the drive icon.  Collect!  neither knows  nor
	     cares what sort of floppy drive  the  A: or  B: drive is;  it
	     only knows that it is a floppy drive. Therefore, you may keep
	     your file data on any  size floppy disk your system will han-
	     dle. The hard drive icon will not appear if you do not have a
	     hard disk.

	     Note that the default data file appears in a box with a  DOWN
	     arrow next to it. If the box does not display a default file-
	     name,  there may  be  either  something  wrong with the drive
	     (maybe the door is not closed, or the disk is not in  all the
	     way) or the disk does not  REALLY  have data files on it.  If
	     you do click the "A:" drive icon, for instance, Collect! will
	     remember what drive is the one for data files. When you  SAVE
	     an OPENed Data File, Collect! does not ask you to save WHERE;
	     it will attempt to save to the DATA drive.

	     To choose a file other than the default data file,  click the
	     DOWN arrow (or press the DOWN  cursor key) to pop down a list
	     of filenames in a  LIST BOX.  This list can be manipluated by
	     keyboard or mouse.  Click  OK or press ENTER when the desired
	     filename is highlighted. You can also  DOUBLECLICK  the file-
	     name: click once to highlight, and again to select.  The LIST
	     BOX will disappear and the  selected  filename will appear in
	     the filename box.  If  this  is  the file you want to access,
	     click the OK button or press the ENTER key.

			    Collect! User Manual  Page 12


	     If  you attempt to  OPEN  a file and an  EDITed file (already
	     OPENed) is in memory,  you  will  be asked to  SAVE the older
	     Data file before proceeding.

	     If  you change  your mind, and do not wish to  REALLY  OPEN a
	     Data File, press ESCAPE or click the close button of the OPEN
	     FILE window.


	     NEW (CREATE)

	     This starts a new database file. You will need enter the name
	     you wish to call it, such as  "dolls", etc.  This action will
	     erase the current file in memory. The new name will be tested
	     to see if it is the same as an existing  filename.  If it is,
	     Collect!  will  have you re-enter the name as it will NOT let
	     you overwrite  existing files.  ( Even if you really  DO know
	     what you are doing!) Collect! will also not accept an attempt
	     by you to put in a  DOS  extension.  Collect! Data Files have
	     their own unique extension.  If you  have edited any file you
	     have OPENed,  Collect!  will give a  warning that you need to
	     SAVE the current file before starting a NEW one.

	     You are  next  presented with a list of  collection  types to
	     choose from in a List Box. ( This List Box works the same way
	     as the one you choose a data file with.) This is necessary to
	     do as Collect! wants to know what sort of collection type you
	     wish to enter data for. You've already seen two examples (see
	     About Databases and Spreadsheets, pp. 5-7 ) that show how
	     different the data  fields  can be set up for a given type of
	     collection.  Collect!  keys  each data file with a collection
	     type.


             SAVE

	     After you edit your database, use this to put the new data
	     back on the disk.


	     SAVE AS

	     This function helps you to save a Data File under a different
	     name than it was  OPENed  under.  ( You may wish to sometimes
	     edit a data file, save the original  AND the edited version.)
	     You will need to type in a data  file name.  You can make one
	     up; Collect! will not allow you to  overwrite  existing  Data
	     Files. It will also disallow the addition of a DOS extension,
	     as it appends  its' own extension to be able to automatically
	     find the Data Files later. As described previously,  the Data
	     file will be saved to the disk chosen for Data files.


			    Collect! User Manual  Page 13


	     QUIT / EXIT

	     Allows you to quit Collect! and return to DOS.  Make sure you
	     SAVE any changes you made to a database file before you quit.
	     Collect! will not let you  quit  UNTIL  a  data file that has
	     been edited has been saved. If you really do not want to save
	     the edited file,  simply choose  SAVE AS  and enter a name to
	     save under (such as "garbage") to make  Collect! happy; then,
	     when you go back to  DOS  ( i.e. the program is over ) simply
	     delete the file:

	     C:\COLLECT > del garbage.*

	     This particular  item is a  feature  designed to keep  novice
	     users  from  doing a long  edit  session and  simply quitting
	     without any data save whatsoever.  This is especially  useful
	     if you own a small collectibles business,  for instance,  and
	     an employee is updating the inventory files for you (maybe an
	     item sold. )  This is insurance to make sure  SOMETHING  gets
	     saved.


	     ABOUT

	     This window shows the  revision  information,  the copyright,
	     and how to get hold of Alston Software Labs (or the publisher
	     in countries other than the U.S.A. and Canada.)



          ** SEARCH:
                    used to search for records that either match or
                    fall within a given pattern set or parameters.


	  In the search window,  a list of the  data fields is  presented.
	  Also, there are financial data fields. Use the Up and Down arrow
	  keys to move the highlighted selector to the field to search in.
	  The highlighted (current) selection will  appear in  BLUE  text.
	  Press the  ENTER  key to  activate when you have scrolled to the
	  desired entry.  Of course,  you may  also  click the text of the
	  field name. At this time, the CRITERIA window pops up:

			 =  Match
			 <  Less Than
			 >  Greater Than
			 -  Range

			    Collect! User Manual  Page 14



	  You can again use the Up / Down (cursor) keys to choose the type
	  of search to be made in the  field  you selected rather than use
	  the mouse. Press ENTER or click to activate. Note that alphanum-
	  eric (text) fields are searched as MATCH only.  Standard numeric
	  fields can be searched in any method. Common Data fields (#4 and
	  #7) are  MATCH  only.  After entry  of your search criteria, the
	  window pops away and you can  then  select  any other  remaining
	  (unused) data field to search in. Search of any CRITERIA through
	  all possible records takes a few  milliseconds,  NEVER more than
	  1/2 second. (As soon as you have entered your  SEARCH FOR  data,
	  it is ready to continue.)

	  This process can continue on ALL fields until ESCAPE is pressed,
	  OR until the search has narrowed the  FOUND records to less than
	  three records. As each search  criteria gets  entered,  you will
	  see a note by the appropriate item in the SEARCH window.

	  You can also stop the search progress by closing the search win-
	  dow.

	  In the bottom of the search window  is a  display that shows the
	  current number of records left to search in:

			   LEFT:  XX of YY

	  ( Where XX is the number of  VALID  records left to search in of
	  the total number of records in the data file, represented by YY)

	  After the search is done, the search window will pop away, leav-
	  ing the main screen. At the screen bottom, an  EXIT button and a
	  line of text appears:

		Use arrow keys to scroll through XX records.

	  (Where XX is the number of matching records.)

	  The first matching record (if any)  is displayed.  If there were
	  none, the first record in the file is displayed.

	  The up and down cursor keys will cycle through all of the  FOUND
	  records; you also can click the up and down arrow buttons on the
	  scroll bar at the right side of the screen.

	  To exit the search function, press the ESCAPE key,  or click the
	  EXIT  button.  The  currently  shown record will stay on screen.
	  Note that the Search 'found' records can be operated on in other
	  ways - they can be  printed out (See  PRINT)  or moved or copied
	  into other files  (see UTILITIES).  Once you have done a search,
	  Collect! will remember  the results.  If you wanted to list your
	  FOUND items on paper,  for instance,  you would go to the  PRINT
	  menu and select PRINT LAST SEARCH.



			    Collect! User Manual  Page 15


          ** VIEW:
                  used to VIEW and EDIT the database file.

	  On the right side of the screen (at the border) is a scroll bar.
	  This  is  a visual aid to help determine how far you are in the
	  file:

				       <----- Top (end)
                                     
                                     
          Scroll Bar Marker  ------>  <----- Current Position
                                     
                                     
                                     
                                     
				       <----- Bottom (1st record)


	  Near the bottom of the screen, a series of buttons  will appear.
	  Each  has a  highlighted  letter for those of you who prefer the
	  keyboard. Also there is a Clipboard Icon to the left.

	  To Scroll through the records,  click the  UP and DOWN arrows on
	  either end of the scroll bar.  You can also use the keyboard ar-
	  row keys to scroll.

			 Up / Down ARROW keys to
                         cycle through file.

                         "F" to access the
                         FIRST record.

                         "L" to access the
                         LAST record.

                         "D" to DELETE the
                         current record.

                         "E" to EDIT.

	  As you scroll through entries,  the  scroll bar marker will move
	  up  and  down (corresponding to a  records' position within your
	  data file) to  give a quick visual indicator of your position in
	  the file.  The scroll bar can also be  manipulated as well:  The
	  button can be  dragged to a new  position.  To  drag,  click the
	  scroll button and move the mouse up and down  WHILE  HOLDING THE
	  LEFT BUTTON DOWN.  Also,  clicking  the areas between the scroll
	  button and the arrow buttons will cause the records to PAGE, I.E.
	  10% of the file size. Of course, to  increment  a  file  by  10%
	  you'll need to have at least 10 records in the file... The supp-
	  lied Example Data File,  ANTIQUES, has 10 records to demonstrate
	  this feature.


			    Collect! User Manual  Page 16



	  EDITING A RECORD:

	  When you get to a record you wish to Edit, click the EDIT button
	  near the screen bottom (or press "E").  The up and down keys are
	  used to cycle through the data fields in each record.  To make a
	  change, cycle through the record to the desired data field.  The
	  selected Data will appear in  RED video.  Of course, you can get
	  there much faster by simply clicking the desired data. Start ty-
	  ping in the revised information and press the ENTER key.  If you
	  access Pick List fields  (4th and 7th from the top),  a separate
	  window will pop up containing a  List Box  with valid entries to
	  choose from. Click the EXIT button (or press "X") once to return
	  to VIEW mode.


	  USING THE CLIPBOARD:

	  The Clipboard can be use to copy the entire contents of any rec-
	  ord over to any  other record.  This may save time when updating
	  your Data file and you have an item  to enter that is similar to
	  one of the current entries.  The default  clipboard entry is al-
	  ways record #1 when OPENing a file.  To  access  the  clipboard,
	  click the clipboard icon or press the 'C' key.  The record curr-
	  ently held in the clipboard is shown.

	  To copy the record on the notepad into the clipboard,  click the
	  'IN' button ( or press 'I' ).  The record seen on screen at that
	  point will be copied into the clipboard.  This  copy action does
	  not do anything to the record on the notepad you are copying.

	  Therefore, to copy the contents of  ANY  record to the clipboard,
	  navigate through to the record desired and copy it into the clip-
	  board as described. To PASTE the clipboard's contents into a Data
	  record,  click the clipboard ( to access it ) and click the 'OUT'
	  button (or press 'O').  Whatever is held in the clipboard will be
	  copied into the record number you are at.

	  EXAMPLE: Add A Telescope to the Sample Antiques file --

	  OPEN the antiques sample data file. Choose View/Edit, and scroll
	  to the record that describes a  Telescope.  Click the  clipboard
	  and choose 'IN'.  Scroll the records to the  EMPTY record (#11),
	  choose the clipboard again, and this time choose 'OUT'. The con-
	  tents will now copy into record 11.

	  Note that you can also access the  Clipboard using the keyboard.
	  If you look at it, you'll see a 'C' written on  the pad of paper
	  in the board. Just press the 'C' key to access.


			    Collect! User Manual  Page 17


			     Ŀ
			       COMMON  DATA   
			     

	  When a common data field is accessed,  a window  will pop up and
	  prompt you for entry. This window will contain a  Pick List;  it
	  is operated as described in OPENing a Data File. (pg 11) One of
	  these fields is CONDITION, and the other is the 4th field.


		Ŀ
		 Poor                      
		 Fair                      
		 Good                      
		 Very Good                 
		 Excellent                 
                                           
		          [ OK ]           
                


	  However, looking at the CONDITION field on screen (in your data-
	  base record), you will see an alpha entry, such as "Excellent."

	  One of the problems we've seen in most databases has two
	  symptoms, but it's the same problem:

	       * Commonly typed data gets misspelled. Searches
		 tend to suffer.

	       * People tend to abbreviate a lot. This winds
		 up being confusing for others. Was "P" POOR
		 or PREMIUM ?

	  What Collect! does to bypass some of the abbreviation clutter is
	  to use Pick List information on fields likely to contain  Common
	  Data. For instance, there is at least ONE distinguishing charac-
	  teristic that sets any given item in  your collection apart from
	  any other. We use  FIELD # 4  for this Pick List.  The Pick List
	  should contain and describe features about an item that would be
	  otherwise tedious to spell out, time and time again. For example
	  the Antiques data file ( and collection type template ) uses the
	  term  PERIOD / STYLE  for the Pick List. Why?  Well, ALL antique
	  items are usually designated by period. Each period has disting-
	  uishing characteristics that show up in the styling and is often
	  used to help date a piece.  Look in any  antiques  type book and
	  you'll see  descriptions  like: "A very nice EDWARDIAN (period!)
	  Ladies dresser, with...."

			    Collect! User Manual  Page 18


	  Another  VERY  common pick list item is CONDITION. Collect! uses
	  the Condition Pick List rather than having you type POOR or GOOD
	  or whatever in  umpteen  records.  It's far easier and faster to
	  simply click a pre-prepared list. This reduces abbreviation to a
	  minimum, thus making your data record  FAR  more readable. Also,
	  SEARCHing for data is now a snap.  The  most  common  descriptor
	  will be on the Pick List, and YOU CANNOT GET IT WRONG. Searching
	  with misspellings is no picnic.


	  QUICK GUAGES:

	  By clicking somewhere on the Yellow  'Legal Pad'  you will bring
	  up the QUICK GUAGES window. These guages are used to give you an
	  idea of how this (current) particular item stacks up financially
	  against the other items in the Data File.



          ** PRINT:
                   Printing out data from Collect! Print will use any
		   printer at LPT1. (Parallel Printer Port 1)

		   Collect! printing will "page" the data (it assumes
		   a continuous sheet type printer, such as a dot matrix
		   with a tractor feed or LASER with a paper tray) so
		   that the page breaks will be skipped.


	  PRINT ALL

	  Prints the entire Data File in memory, starting at the first
	  record and printing in order to the last.


	  PRINT LAST SEARCH

	  Prints all records (in order) from last search. If no search
	  was ever performed, it prints NO records.


	  PRINT CURRENT ENTRY

	  Prints the record currently on screen.

	  FORMATTING

	  Allows you to format your page display.  This will pop up format
	  window: there are three  choices for  output style,  a check box
	  for toggling field name masking, and a lines / page adjustment.

			    Collect! User Manual  Page 19

	  The OUTPUT STYLE selections are as follows: VERTICAL, HORIZONTAL,
	  and TWO COLUMN.   Vertical  format  prints along the page on the
	  left side, one item per line,  and skipping 2 lines between rec-
	  ords.  Horizontal format puts as much information as possible on
	  a line, and one line is skipped between records. Two column for-
	  mat puts records  side by side ( similar to Vertical format ) up
	  and down on the page.  To activate any particular  output style,
	  click the  corresponding  check  box beneath the style you want.
	  Any STYLE selected previously is now de-selected.

	  The  FIELD NAME MASKING  check box, when checked, will NOT print
	  the names of the  data fields.   For  instance,  in the supplied
	  ANTIQUES collection type template, the first field is "Item type."
	  One of the example records is a Settee.

	  Printing with FIELD NAME MASKING OFF:

	     Item Type   :  Settee

	  Printing with FIELD NAME MASKING ON:

	     Settee

	  The LINES / PAGE  adjustment will allow you to preset the number
	  of lines - per - page on a printout.  This number is adjusted by
	  clicking the UP / DOWN arrows and will adjust from 10 - 96. This
	  feature should be used when using Laser,  Desk Jet,  Bubble Jet,
	  and other printers that commonly use a  60  lines per page print
	  format. Tractor feed dot-matrix printers typically are set to 66
	  lines / page (standard US 8.5" x 11" paper).  The default is  66
	  lines per page. The lines / page option uses FORMFEED to advance
	  the paper to the next page.

	  NOTE that the print formatting options, when set by you, will
	  stay as set during the course of program use. They will revert
	  to the default states when you exit Collect!


	  MASK CONDITION  [ ON | OFF ]

	  Toggles  MASKING  on and off.  Masked fields are those that WILL
	  NOT PRINT AT ALL  when toggled ON. Each time you select this, it
	  toggles states;  i.e. if it was set to  ON,  the next time it is
	  selected it will set itself to OFF.

	  SET UP MASK

	  Masked fields (those that will NOT be printed -- see above) will
	  show up in grey lettering,  and the corresponding check box will
	  show up with an "X" in it. To Mask a data field, click the check
	  box. Subsequent clicks of the check box will TOGGLE the state of
	  the masking ON and OFF. When you print any records using a mask,
	  the GREY (or checked) fields and the corresponding Data will not
	  be printed.  Close  the  window in the usual manner and the mask
	  data will be saved to the disk.


			    Collect! User Manual  Page 20





	  Why use a mask? If you are a dealer, masking off the "price paid"
	  field would enable you to hand a printout directly to a customer.
	  Likewise,  a trader may not want privy information about an item
	  being given out.  A printout is much easier to  generate  than a
	  typed or  handwritten  list,  and is more convenient than memory
	  alone. In the UTILITIES is another use for the mask.


			    Collect! User Manual  Page 21


         ** UTILITIES:
		      Used to change printout header, toggle automatic
		      backup capability, view statistical data, and
		      copy/cut/paste data into other files.

	  CHANGE PRINTOUT NAME

	  When Collect! prints records,  it starts out by first printing a
	  header. The default says

		    "Collect! Release II Revision 2.0"

	  You can change this to anything you prefer, such as:

	    "Mr. Bill's Baseball Card Emporium / Choklit Shoppe."

	  To make a change,  just start typing your new  header  and press
	  the ENTER key.

	  When any  printouts  are  made,  the header precedes any of your
	  collection data. This header comes up only once per printout. If
	  you print ONE  record,  the header will be printed first. If you
	  print out  20  records, the header will likewise be printed only
	  once, NOT once per record.

	  AUTO BACKUP  [ ON | OFF ]

	  Data files used  by Collect! can be automatically backed up upon
	  OPENing. Enabling of this feature can act as insurance for those
	  of you who desire the extra safety factor.  The only downside is
	  that it takes longer to OPEN any given file;  Collect! will make
	  a backup DATA FILE IMAGE by reading the original  and writing an
	  exact duplicate to the same disk. The duplicate uses a different
	  DOS extension. See FILES AND BACKING UP OF DATA, page 23.
	  By default, it is "OFF" when Collect! starts.

	  To change the state, choose the menu text. It will toggle ON and
	  OFF each time it is chosen.

	  COPY / CUT / PASTE

	  This selection uses data from the LAST SEARCH and brings up ano-
	  ther menu window. The data from the LAST SEARCH PERFORMED can be
	  moved into other files ( which erases the records in the current
	  file) or copied into other files ( which leaves the current file
	  intact.)  If you choose to move or copy data to a new file,  you
	  are asked for a Filename. Should the filename already exist, the
	  program will NOT  let you overwrite this - you must come up with
	  a unique name. Whenever a Copy/Cut/Paste  choice is selected and
	  used,  a dialog box will  appear to confirm that what you wanted
	  has been done.  All  you  need to do is press Enter or click the
	  'OK' Button.  Remember that the filename used by you should also
	  be a standard DOS file. What this means that the eight character
	  restriction  placed  on  the  length  of  filenames by DOS is in
	  effect.


			    Collect! User Manual  Page 22



	  Modem Files:

	  The next option is MODEM FILE,  which is a mechanism to copy any
	  search data onto the disk as ASCII text that can be viewed, such
	  as using the DOS 'TYPE' command.  The  data  is grouped with the
	  appropriate field names and the MASK is used.  For all practical
	  intents and purposes, MODEM FILE is the same thing as PRINT Last
	  Search (With MASK ON) except that the data is routed to the disk
	  instead of the printer.  The new file (DOS extension ".MOD") can
	  then be sent via disk or  MODEM to another collector for trades,
	  to another dealer for inventory purposes, or to other interested
	  parties. The receiving party can then use DOS or a word processor
	  to PRINT out the file as if Collect! had printed it.


	  *.DBF File Create

	  Quite a few database products use the *.DBF (dBASE) file format.
	  Collect! data can be Exported into other products  by  writing a
	  copy of the data file to the disk  in an  ASCII  comma delimited
	  sequential file format. This is then readable by dBASE, Paradox,
	  and other database products supporting the dBASE format.

	  This particular format, if viewing a file using the DOS TYPE com
	  mand, would show a record like this:

	  "Settee","Pretty old","Red","1867", etc...

	  The comma "delimiters"  are used to  separate data items in this
	  record, which is all on one line.


	  STATISTICS

	  This choice pops up a menu with three choices. The first two are
	  graphs, and the third, BASIC statistics, shows how much the data
	  file items are worth on the average. The graphs show you how much
	  you've been spending by year, and how much the items are worth vs.
	  the year purchased.


			    Collect! User Manual  Page 23


          Ŀ
            FILES AND BACKING UP OF DATA  
          

	  Files used by Collect! use a DOS extension of .ADB and .BAK....
	  If you have the  Auto Backup Toggle turned ON, the .BAK file is
	  created as soon as the .ADB file (your database) is OPENed, and
	  it is an image of the .ADB file that got loaded.  This  is done
	  to provide you with a last resort way of saving your data. Nor-
	  mally, you never see the backups, nor do you see the *.ADB  DOS
	  extension.

	  If you do lose your primary file and require use of the  backup,
	  exit Collect! to DOS and rename the backup. For instance, if you
	  were somehow to lose your database called "DOLLS", what you lost
	  was the file DOLLS.ADB.  The backup would be  called  DOLLS.BAK,
	  and you could then use the DOS 'RENAME' command as follows:

          A:> rename dolls.bak dolls.adb

	  This will now be openable by Collect!,  and Collect!  will  then
	  create another backup as soon as you OPEN the file name "DOLLS."
	  A batch file called  "NAME.BAT",  provided  on  the distribution
	  floppy, does the same thing; however, it is easier to use:

          A:> name dolls

	  The batch file "ADB2A.BAT", provided on the distribution floppy,
	  will copy all of your *.ABD database files to a formatted floppy
	  disk in drive A:

          C:\Collect!>adb2a

	  After all, it IS the database files that are important to save;
	  this batch file copies them over in a fast way so that you do
	  not have to back up the whole drive.

	  The batch file "INSTALL.BAT" will create a subdirectory
	  on your hard disk and install Collect!


          Ŀ
	      NOTE     
          

	  COLLECTION TYPE EDITOR: EDITYPE.EXE

	  Please Read EDITYPE.TXT for instructions on how to use the
	  Collection type editor and the database sorter.


			    Collect! User Manual  Page 24

	  Ŀ
            SHAREWARE  
          

	  As this program is distributed as "shareware", you should know a
	  little about the concept. Shareware is not free software.  It is
	  not a type of software. Shareware is a distribution method.

	  Alston  Software  Labs also has  other titles for sale in retail
	  markets (although not necessarily sold under our logo) and these
	  are marketed in different ways. Collect! is copyrighted material
	  and wholly owned by the author, exactly the same as shrinkwrapped
	  software on the shelf. If you use Collect! for a period beyond a
	  reasonable evaluation time such as 30 - 60 days, you are expected
	  (and legally obligated by copyright laws) to pay for it.  If you
	  cannot use Collect!, you are encouraged to pass it on to someone
	  else.
	  This program (as well as others) has been released as  shareware
	  to encourage widespread low-cost distribution whereby the typical
	  computer user can obtain and evaluate Collect! at minimal cost.
	  You are free ( encouraged, even ) to make copies and  distribute
	  them at your discretion, providing that you do not charge a  fee
	  for any distribution. ( Disk Vendors are a separate category and
	  are subject to the limitations in VENDOR.TXT) Each recipient can
	  also try Collect! and register if they can use it. Upon registr-
	  ation,  we  will  send you a manual and a new registered copy of
	  Collect!,  which will probably be at a higher version level than
	  this one (due to the slow nature of the shareware channel). Also,
	  you will recieve free upgrades for  one year,  special discounts
	  on other Alston Software Labs products, a $15 credit for joining
	  Compuserve, and a discounted subscription to SHAREWARE MAGAZINE.

	  Registering this program is simple: You may order by cheque,
	  Credit Card, or Money Order. The Cost is $40.00.

	  Contact:

			L.J. Alston
			1320 Standiford Ave.
			Suite # 242
			Modesto CA 95350
			(209) 522-8666

			FAX (209) 522-8666


          Collect! is copyrighted material (c) 1991  G.L. Alston
          All rights reserved.

	  DOS, MS-DOS, and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft
	  Corp., Redmond, Washington, USA.

	  dBASE is a registered trademark of Borland/Ashton-Tate

	  Paradox is a registered trademark of Borland International,
	  Scotts Valley, CA




