File Manager

File Manager is a Sam Coupe filing program designed to give the greatest possible flexibility. File size is governed only by the size of ramdisc in use, and up to 26 fields are available per record. Fields may be of any size up to 248 characters and may vary from record to record.

The number of fields is determined when the file structure is created, but there is provision for spare fields, held in reserve, which can be brought into use at any time if it is found that new information categories need to be added to the records.

Any number of screen display layouts may be defined for information organization and presentation. Text labels may be added as required.

File printing uses the screen layouts, so the user can determine the presentation of information in hard copy. Individual records may be separated on paper by blank lines or by a line of dashes.

Headers and page numbers may be added and single or multiple copies of printouts obtained. There is a special option for label printing using stationery with more than one label across the web.

Records are not sorted in the file, but sort lists may be prepared which will display records in order of a chosen field. A sort list may be fine sorted by taking into consideration other fields as specified by the user, if the main sort field is identical in any records.

Records may be selected and selected records sorted, displayed, printed, saved as a separate file, or deleted from the main file. The contents of one field in all selected records may be deleted, or filled with the same information in each record.

The whole program is written in MasterBasic and there is no program protection, to enable you to examine and modify the program to suit your own needs. Options have been left unused on the main and most other menus, to allow you to add your own facilities.

Because no machine code is used, search operations can be a little slow, especially in a long file. The MASTERBASIC SORT command is very fast, but sorting files and search lists is made slower because of the need to construct the data arrays, which SORT needs, from OPENTYPE files. A BASIC file “QUICKSEAR” is provided. This may be MERGEd into the main program to speed up searches on fields C and higher in many files. Full details are in the section on RECORD SELECTION AND SEARCHING.

The choice of flexibility rather than search/sort speed is deliberate, so that the program may be tailored to the individual user’s precise requirements.