VU-FILE ======= (C) Psion 1983 Loading time: 1 minute 30 seconds Load name must be typed in lower case letters. Welcome to VU-FILE. Both at home and at work we constantly refer to lists, card indexes, filing cabinets, etc., to store and retrieve information in an orderly fashion. At home, the information includes addresses, club members, recipes, files on home improvements and expenditures, etc. At work or school, all manner of information is filed in cabinets. VU-FILE is a high-speed storage and retrieval program designed especially for the TS2000. Have access to your personal or business files almost instantly. The program allows you to design, or format, files to suit your special needs and update and interrogate them. With a printer, make copies of files as they appear on the screen — or according to a special printer format of your design. Accompanying VU-FILE is a bonus program — GAZETTEER. It is actually a copy of VU-FILE equipped with a list of every country in the world incorporating information such as its capital city, languages, land area, population, etc. TO LOAD: Type LOAD "vfile", start the cassette player, and press ENTER. The program loads in 1 minute 30 seconds and starts automatically. Stop the tape when the first screen appears, asking you to press either E — TO ENTER A NEW FILE, or L — TO LOAD A FILE FROM TAPE The first time user must select the first option, enter a new file. (Option L works the same as option 6, LOAD A NEW DATA FILE, explained near the end of these instructions.) Press the E key. Before you is the RECORD LAYOUT screen. It is for designing the format of each record. Let's look ahead. A file in VU-FILE (you may have different files for different purposes) consists of a collection of "records." Each record appears as one "page" on the screen. Each record in a given file conforms to the same format. A format consists of the headings, sub-headings, titles, etc., that are repeated in each record. NOTE: The bonus program, GAZETTEER, follows VU-FILE on the tape. Actually, it is a second copy of VU-FILE, containing a file of records for every country in the world. It is included as an example of a VU-FILE program. Press LOAD "gazetteer" and follow the loading instructions above. We will refer to this example program in these written instructions. Here is a typical format, taken from the GAZETTER program: Country: SPAIN Continent Capital EUROPE MADRID Languages Currency SPANISH PESETA _______DATA_______ Population 35.0 Million GNP per capital 1950 US$ Land area 505,000 sq.km. COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD Actually, it is more than a format — it's a format containing data-fields. Each item of information in a record is called a "data-field." You may have as many data-fields in your format as fit on one screen. Once you have designed the format, including the data fields, there is an entire range of commands at your fingertips to develop and interrogate the file. You can: order it; search out records — individually, by category or string; alter entries; flip forward and back through the file; and send copies of records to an attached printer. The various commands appear at the top of the screen, in the "command point" immediately above the records. Let's format the file on the RECORD LAYOUT screen. In the upper left-hand corner of the format screen is a flashing red cursor. Use the arrow keys (CAPS SHIFT 5, 6, 7, and 8) to move the cursor about the screen, thereby placing headings in your format ("Country," "Continent," etc. in our GAZETTER program). The cursor position designates the first letter of the heading. Position the cursor and type in the heading. Press ENTER. If you make an error typing a heading, use the DELETE key (CAPS SHIFT 0) to erase it, either before or after pressing ENTER. Move the cursor to the position of the next heading. Type it in and press ENTER. Continue in this fashion until all headings are entered. Any time during the formatting process you may press EDIT (CAPS SHIFT 1) to change the colors of the PAPER and INK for subsequent headings (but not for those you've already entered). A list appears on the screen: PAPER 7 INK 0 BRIGHT 0 FLASH 0 BORDER 1 The flashing cursor appears after PAPER. If you wish to leave the current setting, simply press ENTER. The cursor moves to ink. Type the appropriate new number or press ENTER. To cause a heading or headings to stand out, or flash on and off, enter a 1 when the flashing cursor moves to BRIGHT or FLASH. After formatting the RECORD LAYOUT, press STOP (CAPS SHIFT A). The program automatically switches into DATA FIELDS mode. You are not actually entering data-fields but rather marking the spot where each data-field will begin. Use the arrow keys to position the cursor at the spot after each heading (or below each heading, as in GAZETTEER) you wish the information to begin. Press ENTER after each data-field. Next, use the command panel to enter PAPER and INK color for each data-field — different colors may highlight different types of information. "PAPER" refers to the immediate background of the characters, not the entire "page." The program is set with black ink on white paper, and will remain that way unless changed. Upon entering the paper and ink colors for a data-field, move to the next field. After choosing the colors of the last data-field, press STOP. You automatically switch into ENTER A RECORD mode. NOTE: If you are not happy with your final format, we recommend you delete it, using option 6 below, and enter a new format. Remember you are going to have to live with the format, perhaps for a long time. ENTER A RECORD The file is formatted and you are ready to enter records. The red cursor is flashing at the beginning of the first data-field. Type in the appropriate information and press ENTER. The cursor will move to the beginning of the next field. Enter the next item of information and press ENTER. Continue until the record is complete. A new formatted page appears automatically. Enter the next record. Changes may be made to any data-field prior to pressing ENTER by using the DELETE key. If you pressed ENTER, you must complete the record and later select the Alter command — see below — to change it. Press STOP to access the main command point to interrogate the file. You are returned to the beginning, alphabetically, of the file. Above the record is a list of thirteen commands at your disposal. Before we explain how to use each command, let's try one. Press Q (for "Quit" — don't worry, we're not going to pick up the bases and go home yet). Here is the program menu — the options available: 1. Enter VU-FILE 2. Set record layout 3. Set printer layout 4. Save data file 5. Load a new data file 6. Erase current file Access any of these options by pressing the number in front if it. This menu and the main command point are the two central organizing points of the program. From these two points you may access any point in the program, and any of the program's commands. Now press 1. ENTER VU-FILE, you are at the beginning of the file with the first record on the screen. Press 0 again, you're back at the menu. Press 1 to return to the main command point. Let's look at each of the 13 commands in this option - Enter: Press E to enter new records into an existing file. Use this command to add or up-date a file, probably one loaded from cassette using option 5 on the program menu. Enter as many new records as you like, then press STOP to return to the command point. Alter: Press A to make changes in existing records. Use this command if an error occurs in the original entry or the information in the entry needs updating. The cursor will appear at the beginning of the first data-field. If the information needs changing, simply type in the new information — it will automatically replace the old. Press ENTER. Press the down arrow key (CAPS SHIFT 6) to skip a data-field that doesn't need changing. You return to the command point at the end of the record. Inform: Press I for a status report on the file. At the top of the screen is the file name, the number of records in the file, the number of data-fields in each record, and the present Order field (see Order, below). You are also told the number of bytes of the TS2000's memory used, and bytes remaining. Press any key to return to the command point. Forward: Press F to move forward, one record at a time, from the "current" record to the end of file. The file is ordered according to the first data-field (in GAZETTER this is "Country"), unless otherwise changed with the Order command. Back: Press B to move backward one record at a time, from the current record to the beginning of the file. Reset: Press R to reset the file at the beginning. This does not change the ordering currently in effect. Order: Press O to determine the order in which the records are organized. Records are ordered alpha-numerically according to the first character in a data-field. If the first character is the same for two or more records those records will be ordered according to the second character, and so on through the data-field. Priority is given to numbers over letters. If, for example, you have a file that includes street addresses, and you Ordered according to that data-field, 23 Elm St. would appear closer to the beginning of the file than 9 Adams Ave. To select the "Ordering" data-field press any key and move the cursor to your choice. Press ENTER. You automatically return to the command point. Select: Press S. This is one of the most powerful features of the VU-FILE. It enables you to type in a string of characters and ask the TS2000 to search for and display all records in the file containing that string. First, you are asked to press ENTER if you want the string to apply to any field in the record format — or press any key to move the cursor to a specific data-field to which you want it to apply. Press Enter. Type in the selecting string and press ENTER. The string appears above the current record. It may be any number of characters in length. If you wanted to search out all Spanish-speaking countries in GAZETTEER, you might type "SPA" (or "spa" — the TS2000 won't differentiate between upper- and lower-case when searching). However, unless you specified "Languages" as the data-field to be searched, you might turn up Trinidad, a French and English speaking country whose capital is Port Of Spain. The longer the string you enter, the more specific the search. Type the string, press ENTER, and the first record appears on the screen. Press ENTER again to see the next record, so on through to the end of file. Press STOP to return to main command point. To have the selected string remain active, press Y (for "yes"); otherwise press N (for "no"). If you press Y, the string will apply to all subsequent operations of List, Print, Forward, Back, and Reset — until you use the Select command and change it. To cancel the current string, without selecting a new one to replace it, simply enter Select and press ENTER, immediately press STOP, and answer either Y or N when asked if the string is to remain active. Quit: Press Q to exit from the main command point to the program menu. List: Press L and the TS2000 displays a list of all records in the file, from the current record to the last record in the file. To start the file from the beginning, use the Reset command. Each record appears on the screen for a couple of seconds. Press any key to sop the listing. Use the Back or Forward command, or resume the list by pressing L. Print: Press P to create a printer listing of all records, from the current record to the last record in the file. This listing is according to the format created when you first began the file, unless you selected option 3 from the main program menu earlier and set up a different format for the printer. Copy: Press C to send a copy of the record currently on the screen to the printer. This will always be according to the original format, rather than the printer format. Delete: Press D — and ENTER — to delete, or erase, from the file the record currently on the screen. If you change your mind after pressing D, hit any key to return to the command point without making the deletion. 2. SET RECORD LAYOUT: Press 2. Rearrange format headings and data-fields or add new ones. Use the DELETE key to erase old headings. Use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the spot where you wish to type new headings and data-fields. Press STOP to return to the menu. 3. SET PRINTER LAYOUT: Press 3 to format a record for the printer. Design a more compact record to make more economical use of your printer paper (see the printer layout in the GAZETTEER program). This option works in the same manner as the general record formatting. Enter the headings, then the beginnings of the data-fields. The difference in this option is you do not enter the information for the individual records. The printer will not print below the last line you format. Press STOP to return to the menu. 4. SAVE DATA FILE: Press 4 to save the current file on cassette. You are asked to type in a name for the file. Choose any name then press ENTER. Be sure the MIC port on the TS2000 is connected to the MIC port on the tape recorder, and the tape is set to the beginning — if a new tape — or to any location on a tape where you will not record over something else. Start the recorder in RECORD mode and press any key on the TS2000. When the save is complete, verify its success by rewinding the tape to the position at which the save began, pressing the V key, and starting the tape in PLAY mode. If the save was good, the program menu will return to the screen. If the save was unsuccessful, you will see an error code at the bottom of the screen — simply type GO TO USR a and press ENTER. This restarts the program without losing any data. Be sure the computer and tape recorder are set properly. Try the save again. 5. LOAD A NEW DATA FILE: Press 5 to load a previously saved record file from a cassette. Enter the file name — type it in exactly as you saved it, and press ENTER. The EAR port on the TS2000 must be connected to the EAR port on the tape player and the tape should be rewound to the beginning of the file you are loading. Start the tape player in PLAY mode. When the file has loaded, the main program menu will return to the screen. NOTE: When you load a new data file, any file that is currently in the computer's memory will automatically be deleted. 6. ERASE CURRENT FILE: Press 6 to erase the record file currently in the computer's memory. You then return to the beginning of the program and are asked to press E to enter a new file, or L to load a file from tape. LOADING INSTRUCTIONS: (See Chapter 4 of your instruction manual for detailed instructions.) 1. First listen to the tape so you will be familiar with its distinct sections. The tape has a period of silence at the beginning, followed by a high-pitched, screechy noise. This is the computer program. The program is recorded twice on the cassette in case one does not load. 2. Set the volume control on the cassette deck to about 3/4 of the maximum. If you have tone controls, set the bass to minimum and treble to maximum. If you have just one tone control, set it to HIGH or MAXIMUM. 3. Rewind the tape to the beginning. Connect the EAR jack on the computer to the EAR jack on the cassette deck recorder. Make sure the plugs are clean and securely in place. 4. To instruct the computer to accept the program you must press the LOAD command and type the name of the program in quotation marks. See the instructions or cassette for the correct loading name. 5. Start the cassette deck, allow a few seconds for it to get up to speed, then press ENTER during the silence before the program begins. 6. The border of the TV screen will alternate between pale blue (cyan) and red, during the time the computer is searching for the program on the tape. 7. When the program has been found, the screen border will show a pattern of lines in the same shades of blue and red, and shortly the name of the program will appear on the screen. 8. Next, as the program itself is being loaded into the computer, the border pattern will become thinner, faster moving yellow and dark blue lines. 9. When the computer has finished loading the program, one of two things will happen: 1. Most commercial programs will begin running automatically, usually with a "title screen" or instructions to the user. (A title screen may tell you that the tape is still loading, if not, you should stop the tape immediately at this point so as to be in the proper position to load the next program if you wish.) or 2. The screen will be blank, except for a 0 OK, 0:1 in the lower left hand corner. This is a report code and means that the computer has successfully loaded the program. Stop the tape immediately. To execute the program, you press RUN and ENTER. This will start the program. SOME SUGGESTIONS 1. The volume at which the program is loaded is very important. Usually 3/4 maximum volume works best, but recorders vary and may require experimentation with the volume setting. If you have a technical background you can check the output level of your recorder's EAR/SPKR jack. It must be at least 4-volts peak-to-peak, although 5 to 6-volts peak-to-peak is best. 2. Clean and demagnetize the heads of the tape recorder. Your ears may not pick up the signal fluctuations due to magnetic flux on the tape heads, but the computer has a much more sensitive "ear." 3. The computer is very susceptible to outside interference. Working on a metal table or near electrical appliances should be avoided. 4. Occasionally, once a program has loaded, the video display will show instability. This can be corrected by adjusting the vertical hold on the television. WARRANTY There are no warranties which extend beyond the description on the face hereof. No other warranty, whether express or implied, including the warranty of merchantability, shall exist in connection with the sale of this product. In no event shall Timex be liable for any consequential, incidental or special damages. MODEL NO. 345-061001 (C) 1983 Timex Computer Corporation Waterbury, Connecticut 06725