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Ch 14 - User choices

This chapter describes things you can do to influence the way Powerbase looks and functions.

14.1 Preferences

prefs/png The largest group of user-defined choices is that controlled by the Preferences window (right), which is opened from the iconbar menu. It can also be displayed, even when no database is open, by clicking ADJUST over the Powerbase icon on the iconbar. Several of these choices have been mentioned in previous chapters but a full description is provided here for completeness. Because of the unusually large number of buttons on this window and the need to refer to it frequently the approach adopted is the same as that used in Ch.2 for some of the tool-pane buttons. Moving the pointer over the relevant button in the illustration and clicking with SELECT will take you to the text explaining that button. To return quickly to the illustration look for a "thumbnail" of the window and click with SELECT.

14.1.1 Control
These settings have an important bearing on what you see on opening a database and how you move around and edit records. The five buttons in this section have an instant effect so you can readily see what they do. If the tool-pane/keypad has been disabled from the Passwords window (see 11.2) then all six buttons are shaded. The top three radio buttons enable selection of the tool-pane or the alternative keypad (see below) or neither. In the last case there should be control buttons on the record window.
 
 
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Keypad
To 2.2 (Moving about the database)
keypad/png The keypad (left) is an alternative to the attached tool-pane for controlling browsing and editing features. It has button-pairs for several functions which, on the tool-pane, are served by single buttons clicked with SELECT and ADJUST, e.g. there is both a next record and previous record button instead of the dual-function single step button on the tool-pane. Even so, clicking ADJUST on the paired buttons still reverses the action of SELECT.

The most frequently used buttons are those on the top two rows, and clicking the toggle-size icon (top right corner) reduces the keypad to these rows only. Note that there is a close icon (top left). If you do close the keypad it can be re-opened with Show keypad on the main menu (or with the Tab key). Tab is also useful if you lose the keypad behind the record window, but there's another trick you can use to avoid that (see below).

Clicking MENU over the keypad opens the window used to define function-key equivalents for the buttons (see App.B). This window also has an option called Attach keypad. When this is selected the keypad is linked to the record window and moves with it. You can still drag the keypad around freely and toggle it between full and reduced size but whenever you move the record window the keypad moves too and stays in front.

Tool-pane
The attached tool-pane is the default means for controlling browsing and editing and is described fully in 2.2.

Neither
This option suppresses both the tool-pane and the keypad. It's normal use is where you prefer to put the control buttons on the record window itself.

New sprites
This button is shaded when the keypad is selected and is active only when using either the tool-pane or buttons on the record window. When selected (this is the default) it enables a set of symbols with double-headed arrows for the tool-pane or record window where some buttons do duty for two keypad buttons, e.g. single-step where a SELECT click steps to the next record and an ADJUST click steps to the previous record. If deselected the buttons used are the same as the ones on the keypad with right-pointing arrows only. The action of the buttons isn't affected in any way by the setting of New sprites but the double-arrow versions are more informative when using the reduced number of buttons provided by the keypad.

Reverse mouse
pwin/png This button does affect the action of the tool-pane buttons by reversing the action of the left and right mouse buttons. It only becomes unshaded when the New sprites button (see above) is selected since it then seems very logical to click the left button to produce the action indicated by the left-pointing arrow and the right button for the action indicated by the right-pointing arrow. e.g. on the single step button ADJUST would display the next record and SELECT the previous record — the opposite to normal. The blue sprite on the single step button is replaced by a red one as a visual indication that the mouse-button actions are reversed, but all the buttons bearing double arrows are affected even though their appearance doen't change.

L/R click
One Powerbase user I know was somewhat perplexed by the new double-arrow sprites. He expected to be able to click on the right-pointing arrow to move forward and the left-pointing arrow on the same button to go back. At the time I thought this was mildly funny — a button is a button — but then I got to thinking well, why not? It's possible to find out where the mouse pointer is on the button so I could make the left and right halves work differently. And that's what LR click does! To tell you when this mode of working is operative the single step button has a blue left arrow and a red right arrow. A SELECT click anywhere right of centre on one of the new sprites has the same effect as it does without Rev. mouse, but SELECT in the left half of the button does what ADJUST would normally do. You'll either love this or hate it. You can't select both L/R click and Rev. mouse; that really would be confusing,

14.1.2 Separators in date and time fields
To 4.2.5 Other types of Editable field
By default the two most commonly-used formats for Date fields have the format dd-mm-yy or dd-mm-yyyy, i.e. they use a hyphen as a separator. Time fields have the form hh:mm:ss, i.e the separator is a colon. These defaults may be changed by entering your preferred separators in the two writable icons in the Separators section at the top of the Preferences window and clicking Accept. Note that when entering dates or times into these field types you may actually type any non-numeric character you wish as a separator. On moving to another field Powerbase will re-format the date or time to use the separator specified in Preferences.

14.1.3 Wild-cards
The use of wild-card characters is described in 2.5.5 and 3.5.3. By default # represents a single character and * a group of characters which need not be matched. You may change either or both wild-card characters if you wish in the same way as described above for date and time separators. If you are using Calculated fields (see 6.1.1) you might need to change the multiple wild-card character to avoid confusion with the multipy operator. $ is suggested as an alternative to *.

14.1.4 Option buttons
To 6.4 (User functions)
The descriptions given below refer to the action taken when the buttons are selected.

Record edits as CSV file
Causes a CSV file called NewDataXX to be created in PrintJobs. New and edited records are saved in this file which may then be used to enter data into another database. XX is a 2-digit number which is incremented each time the database is opened so that the results of successive editing sessions are saved as NewData01, NewData02 etc.

Launch new copy
Double-clicking on a database normally loads and runs Powerbase only if it isn't running already. An open database gets closed and the newly-clicked database is opened instead. If Launch new copy is selected double-clicking on a database will always launch another copy of Powerbase, leaving any open database unaffected. This can be useful if you want to access several databases at once, as one copy of Powerbase only supports the use of a single database. Even when the button is deselected you can still load multiple copies of Powerbase by double-clicking on Powerbase itself and then opening a different database in each by dragging the databases to the icons. Dragging is necessary because double-clicking would open a database in whichever copy of Powerbase was loaded first.

Case-sensitive queries
Makes operations involving the Query panel take account of the case of letters. You can, of course, control this using the Case button on the Query panel but this option determines the default state of the Case button.

Recalculate on opening
Causes Powerbase to scan the whole database (i.e. every subfile) when the database is first opened, updating any Computed fields (see 6.1 and 6.2) whose associated formulae make use of the system variable TIME$. Those Computed fields which are analogous to time-related Stamp fields (see 4.2.12) are also updated. With the button deselected the contents of such fields are recalculated only when a record is displayed, which might not be good enough where, for example, TIME$ is used in a User function (see 6.4) to keep track of people's current ages.pwin/png

Blank record on deletion
If this button is selected deleting a record from the database results in the deleted record being overwritten by a blank one. With the button deselected deleting a record merely removes all references to its key from the indexes, leaving the actual record data untouched in the Database file. "Unreferenced" would be a more accurate name for such records than "deleted". This latter situation has both its good and bad side. In its favour is the fact that these unreferenced records can be recovered by rebuilding the primary key index. However, the situation may be deemed unsatisfactory from a security point of view since the "deleted" records can be examined by simply loading the Database file into Edit.

Keep descriptor with data
Affects the moving of fields during record design, making the descriptor jump to its "normal" position to the left of the data field as soon as you release the mouse button after dragging the latter. As noted in 4.2.1 the descriptor may be moved independently after the data field has been positioned but, even so, some users find this repositioning of the descriptor a nuisance and like to turn it off. Descriptor and data field may then be moved freely without considering which to move first.

Validate input
When selected data input validation takes place(see Ch 5). When deselected both character validation and table validation are disabled and the Table button on the tool-pane is shaded. If you ever find yourself unable to escape from a field linked to a validation table you can bring up the Preferences window, deselect this button and try again. You can also toggle validation ON and OFF with Shift-F9.

Display linked table data
Displays a small window showing data from the relevant validation table row every time the caret enters a field with a link to a validation table. This is either useful or infuriating, depending on your point of view. If turned off you can still call up the window for a specific field by double-clicking on the field with SELECT (see 5.5).

Warn of external deletion
Displays a message warning that you are about to delete the file linked to an External field (see 2.6.3).

Warn of repeated keys
The creation of records with identical primary keys can be prohibited if so desired (see 11.2.1). Normally, however, they are permitted. You may, if you wish, turn this button ON to issue a warning that such a record is about to be created.

pwin/png

Default action on Return
According to the Style Guide for RISC OS typing Return anywhere inside a dialogue box ought to have the same effect as clicking on the default action button (that's the one with the yellow channel border) regardless of which writable icon the caret is in. If that's what you want then select this button. Many users (including the author!) hate it and prefer the default action to take place only if the caret is in the last writable icon when Return is typed. Hence the default setting, which is OFF.

Strip leading spaces
Causes spaces at the beginning of data fields to be stripped before the record is written to the file.

Strip trailing spaces
Causes spaces at the right of data fields to be stripped. Such spaces are usually the result of pressing the space-bar by accident when entering data quickly and are therefore unwanted. Unlike leading spaces they are invisible until the caret enters the field. This is therefore a useful option to keep selected.

Balance every <n> records
Forces rebalancing of the current index at regular intervals. The required value of <n> is entered in the writable icon alongside. The new index structure in v.9.70 and later means that you're very unlikely to want to use this feature (see 10.5).

Remember place in subfile
It can be useful when examining two or more subfiles to have the same record on screen when you return to a previously viewed subfile as when you were there last. Selecting the left button of this pair will make Powerbase remember your place in each subfile as long as the database remains open. If you want those places to remain after closing the database the right button will do that and you don't need to have the left button selected as well.

Remember selected subfile
When this option is OFF, a newly opened database displays the first enabled subfile, which is normally subfile 0. Turning the option ON causes Powerbase to store the number of whichever subfile is selected when the database is closed down. On re-opening the database this subfile is displayed.

Save marked status
Keeps track of records which are marked for printing etc, together with the include/exclude status, so that the same records appear marked in the same way next time the database is opened.(see 3.8).

Auto-open user menus
Field-linked user-menus are normally opened by clicking the menu button with either SELECT or MENU. When this option is selected such menus open automatically whenever the caret enters the associated data field. General user-menus aren't affected because they aren't associated with a specific field.

Re-load last report
Causes the last-saved report from a window to be automatically re-loaded and displayed on opening the database.

Query by example
This has already been described in 3.6 in connection with creating reports. If selected it is active for all operation for which you would otherwise type a search formula into the Query panel, i.e: pwin/png

When any of the above functions is invoked with QBE enabled, a blank record is displayed for the entry of target values. The Match window also appears but with the writable icon shaded on the Query panel. After entering the values to be matched the Report button is clicked as usual. If ADJUST is used, so that the window stays open, the next click on the Report button presents the blank record again for new target values to be entered.

14.1.5 Save indexes (Default: Manual)
To 2.4.1 Adding new records
When you close a database the following things are always saved to disc if any of them have been altered: Only fear of power cuts or system failure (which includes some kind person switching off your computer!) need make you concerned about saving them yourself, but the process can be made to take place at regular intervals if you so wish. The default setting in this section of Preferences is Manual. Nothing happens during normal working unless you click Update on the tool-pane. Selecting Automatic or Warn only allows you to type in a suitable time interval (default = 10 min) at which Powerbase will save all the above items for you or simply issue a warning to save your indexes by clicking Update.

14.1.6 Edit from
When a record is displayed the caret is placed, by default, in the first editable field. Editing may be made to start at a different field by choosing Start editing from the Field submenu (see 2.5.4) or, alternatively, by placing the caret in the required field and typing Ctrl @. The tag of the relevant field is stored in this writable icon in the Preferences window where it may be altered manually. It will be saved along with the other preferences.pwin/png

14.1.7 Application for ImpulseII data-merging
As noted elsewhere (see 9.2) Powerbase can merge directly into a suitably-formatted Impression document by simply dropping the document icon onto the record window. The dialogue box which then appears contains a writable icon which shows the application with which Powerbase will merge. This name is, by default, "Impression", but may be altered by users for their own purposes. An application which will receive data from Powerbase in this way must make use of the ImpulseII protocols as defined by Computer Concepts. Even if you are using Style or Publisher the name to which these applications respond is still "Impression".

When using Ovation Pro you may, if you wish, alter this entry accordingly but it isn't actually necessary; Powerbase can tell from the type of the document dropped onto the record window whether you are using Impression or Ovation Pro.

14.1.8 Save choices
To 1.2.4 (Backing up a database)
This area of the window offers three ways of saving the settings. The Preferences window is not the only one containing these facilities; an identical or closely similar area will be found on other windows. The full list, along with the names of the files saved from them is shown in the table below. The way in which these buttons work is explained in detail here and descriptions of the windows listed refer you to this section.
Window Purpose File name File type
Preferences General choices which might frequently need changing and therefore should be easily accessible. Preference Text
CSV options Choices determining the way data is exported as CSV and related files, and the interpretation of files imported into a database. CSVoptions Text
Report options Choices specifically concerned with text output, whether to a window, a text file or to the printer. !PrintOpts PrintOpt (&7f5)
Backup choices The pathname of the directory used by the Backup button, the number of backup generations saved and whether or not backup is automatic on closing a database. BackupDir Data
Field colours Colours used to identify key fields, table-validated fields,mandatory fields, scrollable lists, and locked fields. FieldCols Data
Key equivalents Keystroke equivalents for the keypad/tool-pane buttons. Fkeys Data
Grid options Colour, spacing, snap interval and choice of solid or dotted lines for the layout grid used to design the record format. GridOpts Data

"in database"
This is the default selection on all the windows in the table when there is a database open. On clicking Save choices the relevant file will be saved inside the database directory. Files saved there will affect the one database only, so you can have different choices for different databases.

In the case of the !PrintOpts file it will be saved one level down, in the database's PrintRes directory. This file contains all the choices made in the Report options window and in the Printer setup window. It differs from the other choices files also in offering a Save box to enter the filename. This is because you may save as many print options files as you wish under their own names. All other windows with a Save choices area require files to be saved under a particular filename.

If you open the Preferences window when no database is open the in database choice is shaded and in Powerbase is selected.

"in Powerbase"
When selected the choices will be saved in the !Powerbase.Resources directory. In a new copy of Powerbase the Resources directory contains none of the files listed above. They are, however, present in another directory, !Powerbase.Initial from which they are copied to Resources when you run Powerbase for the first time. However, each file is copied only if there is no file of the same name already present in Resources. This system is used because users might update Powerbase by dropping a later version on top of an older one. If they have altered the choices files to suit their own requirements the altered files will not be overwritten by the ones from Initial. It goes without saying that you should not alter any of the files in Initial and no means of doing so is provided from within Powerbase. A convenient way of returning to the default choices is to delete the relevant file from Resources. The next time you run Powerbase the missing file will be identified and the "factory default" copied from Initial.pwin/png

Files saved in !Powerbase.Resources affect every database opened with that copy of Powerbase unless a database has its own "private" choices files saved using the in database option.

"for User" option
If you're using RISC OS 3.1 you'll probably find this choice shaded. RISC OS 4.02 and early versions of Select will show for User. RISC OS Adjust and later versions of Select support individual user "profiles" which become available when you enable the Users facility from the Configure application. If you are using this feature (which you might be if you're sharing the machine with someone else) there will be a private directory for each user in !Boot.Choices.Users and the system variable Choices$Write will point to the logged-on user's directory. When Powerbase is run it creates a subdirectory inside the user directory and choices files will be saved there if the aforementioend radio button is selected. The radio button itself is labelled for <username> leaving no doubt that you are saving choices for your use alone.

If you haven't set up the system for different users there will just be a directory called Single inside !Boot.Choices.Users and the radio button will be labelled for User as with earlier RISC OS versions, but this is still a useful place to save choices files, although all users of the computer will be using the same files. To view the directory pointed to by Choices$Write, press f12 to access the command line, type Filer_OpenDir <Choices$Write> and press Return.

Files saved in !Boot.Choices.Users affect all databases opened with any copy of Powerbase on the computer, except for those with their own "private" files as described above.

14.1.9 Priority of choices
This is best illustrated by an example. Let us consider the Preference file, used with the Elements database by a user called Fred. You can see from the foregoing description that there could be as many as four copies to consider:
  1. A database-specific file !Elements.Preference
  2. A user-specific file !Boot.Choices.Users.Fred.Powerbase.Preference
  3. The working default file !Powerbase.Resources.Preference
  4. The "factory default" !Powerbase.Initial.Preference.
No.4 may usually be ignored. The other three are used in order of preference, as listed above, when you open a database, i.e. Powerbase looks first for a database-specific file and loads it if present. If no such file is found it looks for a user file. Failing that, the file from Resources (whose presence is guaranteed) will be loaded. When the relevant choices windows are examined the window title indicates the source of the file currently being used.pwin/png

14.1.10 What does the Load default button do?
Simply clicking with SELECT or ADJUST reloads whichever file was originally loaded when the database was opened, as determined by the priority order described above. Thus, if there is a database-specific file then that will be loaded, the next choice is a user file and the final choice the one from Resources. There might be occasions when you wish to override this order. Shift-clicking will preferentially load your user file (if any), Ctrl-click loads the file from Resources. You can even load the file from Initial by Ctrl-Shift-clicking.

14.1.11 Preserving your own choices when upgrading
It has already been mentioned that copying a newer Powerbase onto an older one will not overwrite files saved in !Powerbase.Resources. For RISC OS 3.1 users without the new !Boot folder this is the only place (other than in an individual database) where such choices may be preserved. Users of RISC OS 3.5 or later are reommended not to use this method but to save the files to Choices$Write as described in 14.1.8. They will then remain intact even if Powerbase is accidentally deleted.

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14.2 CSV options

An explanation of how to access the CSV options window and what the pop-up menus and option buttons are for will be found in 8.2. The buttons for saving your choices work in the exactly same way as described above for Preferences, as do Accept, Cancel, and Load default. The file is saved as a plain text file called CSVoptions with the same choices of location as described above for Preference.

14.3 Report and Printer setup options

These are described at some length in Ch 3, especially in 3.10.2. All that needs to be said here is that the Save buttons work like those on the Preferences and CSV options windows except that you are offered a standard Save box and given the opportunity to give your own name to the file and save it wherever you like, the default being in PrintRes. It is anticipated that most users will have a need for several different print options files, differently named, for different ways of reporting from the database. Remember that a file called !PrintOpts saved in PrintRes will be used as a default if no other settings are made. Powerbase's own default file is !Powerbase.Resources.!PrintOpts. top of page

14.4 Layout grid options

To 4.2.1 (Simple field creation)
grid/png

These are more or less self-explanatory and are saved as a data file GridOpts in one of the three locations described above for the Preference file.

14.5 Colours of key fields etc.

These may be selected in a window reached by choosing Colours from the Miscellaneous submenu. The default colours are shown in the table below. Clicking with SELECT on the descriptor and data icons within this window makes either the foreground or background (depending on the setting of the two radio buttons) cycle through the available colours. Clicking with ADJUST cycles through the colours in the opposite direction. The effect of the changes can be seen immediately.
Type Foreground Background
Descriptor of key field (inactive) dark blue light grey
Descriptor of key field (active) red light grey
Data icon of primary key field(s) black pale yellow
Data icon of field linked to validation table dark green white
Data icon of mandatory field red white
Scrollable list black white
Data icon of locked field light green white

Choices are saved as a file called FieldCols and the options are the same as for Preference etc.

14.6 Defining the function keys

To 2.2 (Moving about the database)

keys/png Any button on the tool-pane or keypad may have its action duplicated by one of the keys F1-F11, with or without the use of Shift or Control. Point at the button to which you wish to assign a key and click MENU to display the Key equivalents window (left). The present key-assignment, if any, is displayed. Use the "bump" icons to select the required function key and, if desired, select one of the buttons for Shift and Control.

Click on the Assign button and you will now find that the assigned key exactly mimics the action of the button. In three instances Powerbase will automatically assign keys with Shift for you:

You may save your key definitions as a file called Fkeys in the same way as described for Preference etc. and you will find them operative next time you use Powerbase. The default keystrokes (together with some which duplicate other actions) are listed in Appendix B. If they have been redefined you may restore the defaults by clicking Load defaults. If you wish to "lose" the redefined keystrokes permanently you should restore the defaults as described then Save choices. List displays all the key definitions (including those for additional functions) in a window from which the information may be saved as a text file or printed out (see 3.1.1).

Function keys may also be used to enter data into record fields or writable icons in dialogue boxes. The actual programming of the keys is done at the command line which is accessed by pressing F12. This takes you temporarily out of the desktop and gives you a "star" prompt at the bottom of the screen. Suppose you want to program F3 to enter the word "Powerbase". Type, at the star prompt Key3 Powerbase and press Return twice to return to the desktop. The string assigned to the key may be entered by typing Ctrl Shift F3. Any of the keys F1-F9 may be programmed and the string is always entered by typing the key with Ctrl and Shift both held down.top of page

14.7 Overall control of the database

To 11.2 (Options selected from the password-setting window)

A Powerbase database is normally controlled in four ways:

Each of these can be disabled by deselecting one of the option buttons on the Password window (see 11.2). The main reason why you might want to do this is to provide limited facilities to someone else who is using your database. It doesn't, on the face of it, make a lot of sense to disable both the tool-pane and the keystroke-equivalents since no browsing or editing would then appear to be possible. You can, however, place some or all of the tool-pane buttons on the record window itself (see 4.2.13) thus allowing you to choose what functions you want to allow access to. You might, for example, wish to provide only the Single-step and Search buttons. Define these as Button fields at the time the record is being designed then disable the tool-pane (or keypad) and keystroke equivalents. Other buttons in the Password window enable you to stop the user printing reports or exporting data as CSV files or subsets.top of page

14.8 Config files

To Note concerning Mark pane
To 4.1 (Creating the database application shell)
To 4.2.5 (Other types of Editable field)
To 4.2.6 (Scrollable lists)
To 4.2.13 (Button fields - Directory button)
To 5.3 (Creating a validation table)
To 15.3 (What happens when Powerbase is run? [Customise])

The plain text file !Powerbase.Resources.Config determines certain aspects of the program's operation which will seldom need changing. Changes made to Config take effect only when Powerbase is next loaded. Each attribute is identified by a token word and there is a comment line describing each. It is also possible to place a Config file in the computer's !Boot application, in the sub-directory pointed to by the system variable Choices$Write. Such a file will then be used in preference to the one in !Powerbase.Resources. A database may also have its own "private" Config file, placed inside the database's directory. This is very useful if you want to alter just one or two settings for use with that particular database because the private Config file need not be a complete one; it can consist of just those settings which are to be changed. Some settings, however, are only permitted in a "master" Config file located either in Resources or in !Boot. These are indicated by an asterisk in the following description.

The different places where the file may be saved are exactly the same as those described for the Preference file etc. (see 14.1.8) but in view of the rarity with which Config files need editing neither the settings within the file nor the place where it is to be saved are selected from a window.

Each feature controlled by Config is identified by a token which is followed by either a numeric or string parameter and the order in which entries appear in the file is not important. Lines beginning with "|" are comments. In the following descriptions tokens marked with an asterisk may only be used in a "master" Config file; others may also appear in "private" Config files inside individual databases.

Fields
* Maximum number of fields per record. Default=100, Maximum=127

Keys
* Maximum number of subsidiary indexes. Default=10

Tabs
* Maximum number of validation tables. Default=10

Cols
* Maximum number of columns in a validation table. Default=20

MaxLibs
* Maximum number of customisation libraries. Default=10 (See Ch.15)

CustDir
* Pathnames of recommended directories for customised databases. Default=Default.
"Default" means the directory containing Powerbase itself. You may supply your own directory pathname instead. If more than one is specified separate names with commas.

Scrolls
* Maximum number of scrollable lists. Default=5, Maximum=8

MaxScrollCols
* Maximum number of columns in a scrollable list. Default=16, Maximum=63

BTime
* Number of seconds for which start-up banner is displayed. Default=2, Maximum= 5

LeftOpen
* Left-opening iconbar submenu. Default=NO
Most users hate this but it might be preferred if the Powerbase icon is near the right-hand end of the iconbar.

UndoDir
Location of directories used to store !Undo applications during reformatting. Default=Default.
"Default" means in the same directory as the database itself. Other possible values are Scrap, meaning the Wimp$Scrap directory, or a directory whose pathname you provide.

MaxNames
Maximum number of auto-assigned file or directory names. Default=10
Save operations to the same directory (e.g. PrintJobs) offer default filenames of the form: <name>_01, <name>_02 etc. When the maximum is reached a warning is displayed and the default name offered becomes <name> until you delete the numbered files, starting with the latest. The feature can be disabled by setting MaxNames to 0.

BackGnd
Background colour for record window. Default=1
This also allows a background texture to appear if configured under RISC OS 4. Other numbers in the range 0-15 produce non-textured backgrounds in the standard Wimp colours. The colour can be set for individual databases but then affects only the background colour of field descriptors — not very useful.

CBsize
Width and height of Check-box icons. Default=48,48
Values are in OS units. Check-box icons need to be slightly larger than their sprites so that a noticeable black border appears when they are ADJUST-selected for printing. The RISC OS 4 sprites are smaller than those used previously and a setting of 44,44 still shows an adequate border. If you want to group Check-boxes so that they actually touch when stacked vertically the height can be reduced still further so that the horizontal borders disappear altogether.

Margins
Right and bottom margins of record window. Default=16,16
Values are in OS units. The record window is sized in such a way as to accommodate the longest and lowest fields, and the margins set here are additional to that minimum.

ScrollBars
Whether or not scroll-bars are present on the record window. Default=YES
Small windows which don't need to be scrolled look tidier without them.

AddIt
How "illegal" entries into validated fields are handled. Default=NO
Entering a value not on the allowed list produces an error message, followed by restoration of the previous field contents. With this option set to YES the message is extended to ask if the user wants to add the value to the validation table. Cancel restores the old field contents but a positive response leaves the entry intact and displays the table for editing.

ClearSel
Clear print selection after creating report. Default=NO

AllSpaces
Allow primary key to consist of spaces only. DEfault=NO
A rare requirement requested by one particular user. NOT recommended!

Upper
Force password entry in Access window to uppercase. Default=NO

DirOpts
Display option for directories opened by buttons on the record window. Default=-si
Means "small icons". This may be changed to -li or -fi for large icons and full information respectively. The options -sn, -st, -sd, -ss, to sort by name, type, date and size may also be added after a space.

ExtFiles
Method used for storing Text, Sprite and Draw files linked to External fields. Default=NEW
You should not change this setting.

RemPaths
Type of pathname used for objects linked to Referenced fields. Default=R (meaning Relative). It may be changed to A (Absolute). (see 4.2.9).

FontAdj
Adjust width of data fields to take account of desktop font. Default=YES

Multi
Continue to multi-task when generating reports, indexing etc. Default=NO
Report generation is much slower if this is set to YES.

Markpane
Attach pane for marking records for printing etc. to record window. Default=YES
Mark-pane can be toggled ON/OFF with Ctrl-M even if Config setting is NO

ReportSize
Specifies maximum width and height, in OS units, at which a report window opens initially. e.g. 1600,1200. If the window's extent is less than that specified by ReportSize it will be opened at its full extent. Width, height or both may be specified by rec and max instead of numbers. rec makes the width/height of the report window the same as that of the record window; max displays the full extent of the report (subject to screen-size limitations). The report window is normally positioned so that its top left corner coincides with that of the record window, leaving the title-bar of the latter visible. Default=max,max.

There is an associated feature which might prove handy. If, when a report window is open, the record window is dragged by its title-bar with Alt held down, the report window stays in front and moves as if "glued" to the record window. Releasing Alt "unglues" the windows and allows the record window to come to the front. Subsequent Alt-dragging of the record window causes the report window to jump back to its original position and become "glued" again.

ListEdit
Display pane for browsing/editing on-screen reports. Default=YES

ShiftWarn
Request confirmation before moving record to next/previous subfile. Default=NO

NameLen
Maximum filename length. Default=10
RISC OS 4 and later allows long filenames if HD is E+ formatted. Apps LongFiles and raFS also enable these. If you increase this value and give a database to someone remember not everyone can use long filenames!

ButtonAtts
Attributes of Directory and Run file buttons when used on record window (See 4.2.13) Default=42
Button width in pixels. The sprite will be vertically and horizontally centred on the button unless you add L to the number, when the name of the attached file or directory will appear beneath the sprite. You will almost certainly need to make the button much wider to accommodate the name.

DialDelay
Delay before ring-tones are sounded. Default=5 sec.
Double-clicking with SELECT on a field of type Phone will attempt to produce dial-tones through the internal speaker. If you hold a telephone handset where it can "hear" the tones the number will be dialled. This option specifies the delay in seconds between the double-click and the tones.

TimeFirst
Determines the interpretation of incomplete entries in Time fields (see 4.2.5). Default=H
Means "Hours first". The first number entered is assumed to be Hours, next is Minutes and last is Seconds. Changing to S causes numbers to be interpreted in reverse order.

FullTime
Display all times as hh:mm:ss. Default=YES
Changing to NO allows mm:ss for times under 1 hour.

CentChange
Earliest year assumed to be 20th century in dates with 2-digit year. Default=15
Year numbers 9 or less are taken to be 21st century.

TreeOpts
A 3-letter string which determines the default choices for displaying index trees (see "View index" on iconbar "Utilities" submenu). The default is CTS. Note that the order of letters is important, but the case is not

DefPos
The Search, Filter, and Match windows normally open at specific positions. If you use the toolpane (default) then those three windows will always open so that their left edge abuts the right edge of the toolpane and their bottom edge lines up with the bottom of the toolpane. You may drag the windows elsewhere, of course, but when opened afresh they will again be placed as described. You might not like this behaviour; having to move the Search window, say, out of the way of the record window every time you open it. The annoyance (if it is an annoyance) can be avoided by changing the DefPos setting from YES to NO. The first time you open any of the three windows it will be in the position described but when re-opened later it will be wherever you moved it to.

If you use the keypad rather than the toolpane things are a little different. The default opening positions of the Search and Filter windows are to the right of the keypad. The Match window opens in the middle of the screen. Changing DefPos to NO makes them behave like this only when first opened, subsequently opening wherever you moved them to.

If you are using a NO setting for DefPos you can restore the default window positions by closing the record window and re-opening it by clicking the Powerbase icon on the iconbar with SELECT.

Output
What to do with output destined for the printer. Default=1
Send directly to the file called "printer:". 2 means send first to Wimp$Scrap then copy to printer. This may be needed to overcome problems with certain combinations of hardware and versions of !Printers.)

TableRules
Default=1. As explained in Ch.3.2.3 the grid used in Table format is normally ruled with solid lines regardless of the rule settings in Report options. If you change this option from 1 to 0 the Report option settings will be applied to the table.

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14.9 The Messages file

This text file in !Powerbase.Resources contains all the error and warning messages used by Powerbase including those for Acorn's interactive Help application. The wording may be altered if you wish. Many error messages contain the string "%0" and possibly "%1", "%2" or even "%3". Data items are substituted for these when the message is printed so don't omit them or alter their logical placement within the message.

14.10 Giving a database a title screen

You might like the idea of having your database start up by displaying a pretty picture and/or some fancy text as an introduction. You can do this by devising a suitable sprite and saving the sprite file inside the database directory under the name Title. Only the name of the sprite file is important; the name of the sprite itself is immaterial and, if the file contains more than one sprite, the first will be used. RISC OS 3.6 or greater allows you to use a JPEG instead of a sprite.

When the database is opened the sprite will cover the record window and is scaled to fit. The aspect ratio of the sprite is maintained, which means there will usually be strips of grey bordering the sprite, either at the sides or at top and bottom, since it is most unlikely that the record window's aspect ratio will match that of the sprite. If you want to display text it needs to be part of the sprite. The easiest way is to design your title screen in Draw then grab it as a sprite using Paint's "snapshot" facility.

Clicking over the record window, tool-pane, keypad or iconbar icon makes the title image disappear; so does pressing a function key. If you later decide to dispense with the title screen you should simply delete the Title file.top of page

 

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