
                          * * *  My Little Realm v2.5  * * *

                                    Public Library

          ____________________________________________________________________
          
                                   General Information
          ____________________________________________________________________

                                        Important

          Public Library is protected by copyright.  It is not freeware, and 
          it is not in the public domain.

          This is the evaluation version of My Little Realm's Public Library.
          It is a full-featured, fully functional program.  You are welcome 
          to try it on your computer to ensure that it functions on your 
          system as it should, and that it meets your individual needs.  If 
          after 30 days you decide to keep using Public Library, you must 
          pay for the program.  To print an order form, press <$> in the 
          Options Window.

          Bonus!  Get one MLR stand-alone program free with your order.
          Read DESCRIBE.TXT for details.  This offer ends 12/31/94.

          My Little Realm Enterprises stands behind all of its products with
          a 90-day money back guarantee.

          Thank you for trying Public Library!
          ______________________________________________________________________

                                     Introduction

          Public Library is really two programs in one.  It keeps track of 
          the outstanding books, magazines, videos, etc., that you borrow 
          from your public library on the one hand, and it also maintains a
          historical file of your borrowings so that you can see what you and 
          your realm members have been reading over the years.

          The Historical Mode contains a powerful Search function that lets
          you find records with specific information in a given field.  For
          example, if you wanted to see what one member of the realm has been
          reading, simply invoke the Search function, select the Reader field 
          to search on, and then enter the reader's Quickey.  Public Library
          will display all of the works that that reader has borrowed over 
          the years.  You can even print the results, if you like.

          Public Library is a great way to keep track of research material,
          too, especially for high school and college students who tend to be
          somewhat less than organized.  It also helps minimize the book and
          video fines (in some areas 25 cents and a dollar, respectively) 
          that can add up so quickly.

          To find out what you have outstanding at any point in time, just
          run Public Library and press 2 in the Options Window.  It's that
          easy.
          ____________________________________________________________________

                                      Overview

          Interface.

          Public Library's screen consists of three types of windows:  a 
          Working Window, a Viewing Window, and an Options Window.  If you 
          are using a color monitor the Viewing Window is always green, the
          Working Window red and the Options Window blue.  Enter the pound
          sign, <#>, in the Options Window to install the color mode.

          You select processes (like adding, updating, or deleting records)
          in the Options Window.  In general, you create records in the 
          Working Window, and you view your records in the Viewing Window.

                             ----------------------------

          Extended processing options.
          
          Several processing tasks, called extended processing options or 
          EPO's, are not listed in the Options Windows, because they are 
          functions that only occasionally need to be performed.  EPO's are
          used to "extend" a program's power and functionality.  One EPO you
          should be aware of initially is the Change Quickeys function.  You
          invoke it by pressing the backslash in the Options Window.

          To find out what EPO commands are employed by Public Library, 
          enter <?> (the question mark) in the Options Window.  The EPO's of 
          Public Library are defined at the end of this document.

                             ----------------------------

          Quickeys.

          There are two types of Quickey lists in the Public Library Routine.  
          The first is for the names of the readers of your realm, or, more 
          precisely, for their initials.  The second group of Quickeys is for
          your libraries.  To enter your Quickey names, press <\> in the
          Options Window.

          The Quickeys in Public Library give you single key access to the 
          names of the readers in your realm and to the libraries you
          frequent.  Enter them once, and you'll never have to enter them 
          again.  See the section "Extended Processing Options" for full 
          details.
          ____________________________________________________________________

                                   Getting Started

          Note:  If you have a color monitor, press the pound sign in the 
          Options Window to install the color mode.  If portions of the 
          screen appear garbled, press <#> again to return to the monochrome
          mode.

          The very first thing you'll want to do with Public Library is make 
          the program uniquely yours.  To do that, you will have to enter the
          names of the readers in your realm and the libraries you visit.  
          The Change Quickeys function is invoked by the backslash key (\)
          entered in the Options Window.

          Public Library will ask which Reader Quickey you want to change.
          The reader entry can be up to three letters long; initials are 
          usually used although any string combination is acceptable.  Public 
          Library keeps up to six readers' initials.

          After you've entered all of your readers' initials, press <esc>.
          Public Library will then ask for the names of the libraries you 
          frequent.  You can enter up to four, and the names can be up to ten
          characters in length.  After you enter the names of your libraries,
          press <esc> once more to return to the Options Window.

          Recommended reading:  Please take a few moments to peruse this
          document.  While Public Library is not difficult to learn, it
          can do a great deal more than simply remind you which books are
          out, who borrowed them, and when they're due.
          
          Exiting Public Library.
          If you've made changes to your data file, Public Library will so 
          notify you when you attempt to return to your operating system and 
          ask if you want to save the changes.  You will almost always 
          respond with <Y> or <enter> to save the changes.  If, for some 
          reason, you do not want to save the changes, press <N>.  Following 
          either response, you'll be returned to DOS.  If you press <esc>, 
          Public Library will instead return you to the Options Window from 
          where you can resume processing.

          Why would you ever want to not save changes?  Home programs must
          take into account the unwanted help of children who occasionally
          get into a program and wreak havoc.  Should you find that someone
          you love is "helping you" with Public Library, don't get angry.  
          Just exit the program and don't save the changes.
          ____________________________________________________________________

                                  Program Information
          ____________________________________________________________________

          
          Options Window for the Outstanding (Books Due) mode.
                        _______________________________________     
                       |                                       |
                       |  1  Enter new books     4  Delete     | \
                       |  2  Return  books                     |  \
                       |  3  Change/View           Choice:  _  |    \       
                       |_______________________________________|     \
                                                                     
                                                                     <enter>    
          Options Window for the Historical mode.
                        _______________________________________       /
                       |                                       |     /
                       |    A  View             D  Search      |    /
                       |    B  Sort             E  Delete      |   /
                       |    C  Print              Choice:  _   |  /
                       |_______________________________________|
                       

                              ++   The Outstanding Mode   ++
          
          The Public Library works in two modes:  Outstanding and Historical.
          To switch between the two modes press <enter> in the Options 
          Window.  You'll see the options in the Options Window change as 
          shown above, and the title box alternately displays "Outstanding 
          Mode" and "Historical Mode", so you'll always know which mode 
          you're in.
          
          The first mode deals with the books that are currently due at your 
          libraries.  In other words, if you've just taken a book out of one
          of your local libraries or returned one, use the Outstanding Mode 
          to make or update the necessary records.
          
          Note:  Public Library always starts in the Outstanding Mode.

          The second mode is the Historical mode which maintains a list of 
          all of the works you've ever borrowed and returned.  It is 
          described later in this document.
          ______________________________________________________________________

          Option # 1, entering your books.

          Press 1 in the Options Window.  Your cursor will go into the 
          Working Window where you'll enter the title, author, and other
          information about the books you've taken out of your library.  If
          you need to back up through the fields, press the up arrow.  To
          advance through the fields, press the down arrow key or <enter>.

                                  ~ Field Definitions ~

          - Title field (35, required).

          Leading prepositions and articles should be placed at the end of 
          the title so that sorting takes place on the first key word.

                                   Title:  Tontine, The
                                   ____________________

          - Author field (30 total, optional).

          In the Public Library program, an author's name is entered with the
          last name first, as in the following example:

                                   Author:  Stone, Irving

          To skip the author entry, press <enter>. 
                                   ____________________

          - Date field (required).

          This field is constructed along the manner of the American date 
          format of mm/dd/yy.  On the first record it displays a date two 
          weeks in the future.  Make the necessary changes, if any, and press
          <enter>.  Public Library then echoes that date in the subsequent 
          records you create, making it very easy to enter a lot of books.

          Public Library will accept dates that are up to one year in the 
          future (remember, these are due dates), and it will accept records 
          with dates from the current and previous months, just in case you 
          don't get the books logged promptly.
                                   ____________________

          - Library Quickey field (single character entry, optional).

          Only Quickeys are accepted in this field.  You cannot manually 
          enter a library name.  So if you want to enter a library name for 
          a given record you must do it using the Quickeys.  To skip this 
          field simply press <enter>.  

          Public Library will display the libraries you listed in your 
          library Quickey file (up to four are allowed) in the box on the 
          lower right side of your screen.  
                                   ____________________

          - Reader Quickey field (3, optional).

          Enter one of the six Quickeys in this field.   The Reader Quickeys 
          are displayed in the box in the lower right part of your screen.
                                   ____________________

          Echoic entries:  Date, Library and Reader fields.

          The Date, Library and Reader fields are echoic entries.  That is to
          say, once a record has been entered, each of these fields will echo 
          its previous value to the screen in subsequent records until you
          alter its value or exit the Enter New Books function.  If the 
          echoed value is the entry you want, just press <enter>.  

          For example, if you borrow six magazines from your local library 
          and all of them have the same due date, you only have to enter the
          date for the first record.  After that, Public Library will echo 
          that date and all you have to do is press <enter> to accept it.  
          The same procedure holds for the library and reader entries.  

          Should you wish to change an echoed value for the Reader or Library
          entries, merely pretend the echoed name isn't there and enter what 
          you would have had the echo not been displayed.
                                   ____________________

          Backing up through the fields.

          You can back up through the input fields by pressing the up arrow.
          You can advance through the fields by pressing the down arrow; it
          acts as the enter key in this respect.  The only time you cannot 
          advance through a field without entering something is when you're 
          in a field that requires an entry, such as the Title field.
          ______________________________________________________________________

          Option # 2, returning your books.

          At a glance, the Public Library's Return function can tell you:

                       the titles of the works currently borrowed
                       the authors of each
                       the dates each work is due
                       the borrowers, and
                       the libraries to which each must be returned

          Public Library automatically displays your outstanding books in the 
          Viewing Window and asks for the record number of the book you have 
          returned.  (The record numbers are displayed on the left side of 
          the Viewing Window.)  

          Enter the record number of each of the works you have returned, and
          Public Library will highlight them.  After you've highlighted all 
          of those returned, press <enter> or <esc> without entering a record
          number.  (If you inadvertently highlight the wrong record, reenter 
          that record number to turn off the highlight.)
          
          After you press <enter> or <esc>, Public Library will check to see 
          if you have highlighted any of the records in the Books Due file. 
          If you haven't, Public Library automatically returns to the Options
          Window.  If you've highlighted any of the works, Public Library 
          will display the following confirmation prompt:
                      
                      ____________________________________________
                     |                                            |
                     |   Press:  1   To confirm your updates.     |
                     |           2   To ignore your updates.      |
                     |           3   To recheck your updates.     |
                     |____________________________________________|

          
          More elaborately, the three options allow you to:  Press 1 to tell
          Public Library to go ahead and update the Books Due file; press 2 
          to leave the Return function without updating the Books Due file; 
          or press 3 to go back to the beginning of the Return function and 
          make some last minute changes (like highlighting another record or 
          turning off a highlighted record).

          Note:  Public Library does not remove the records marked returned
          from the Outstanding file and append them to the Historical file
          until you exit the Public Library program.  This means that if you 
          mark several works returned and then decide to view the Historical 
          file, you won't find your recently returned records at the end of 
          that file.  All of the file changes are made when you exit the 
          program.  Hence, the returned works can still be viewed by invoking 
          the Return function.  On the next occasion you use Public Library, 
          you'll find those returned books in the Historical file.

          Note:  If you mark a book returned, you can change it to 
          outstanding again in either of two ways:  One, use the Update 
          function and highlight the incorrect record.  Don't forget to 
          confirm the update.  Two, use the Change function before exiting 
          the Public Library program.  Public Library will display a sub-menu
          of the fields you can change.  Select <6> (Returned).

                                   ___________________

          You can use the Update function to view your Books Due file 
          (properly called the Outstanding file).  If you have more than one 
          screenful of books, you can use the up and down directional keys to 
          view the others.  When you've finished, press <esc>.  

          Note:  If you are merely viewing your records, remember that you 
          should not highlight them in this function.  If you do, they will 
          be considered "returned", and Public Library will display the 
          confirmation prompt shown above.  If you should happen to forget,
          simply press <esc> when the confirmation prompt is displayed and
          Public Library will ignore your highlighted records and return to
          the Options Window.

          Important:  You should ensure that all entries are correct while 
          the records are in the Books Due file.  Once a record is marked 
          returned, it is moved to the Historical file and cannot be 
          modified.
          ______________________________________________________________________

          Option # 3, correcting and viewing records.

          You can change any of the fields in the Books Due file.
          
          Public Library will want to know the record number.  The record
          numbers appear on the left side of the Viewing Window.  To return 
          to the Options Window, press <enter> (without entering a record 
          number) or press <esc>.

          After you enter a record number, Public Library displays a sub-menu
          of the fields that you can change in the Working Window and 
          highlights the record in the Viewing Window so you'll know which 
          record's data you're changing.  Be sure you have the correct one.
          To turn off the highlight (i.e., to avoid making changes to the 
          highlighted record), press <enter> (nothing else) or press <esc>.

          When the sub-menu is displayed showing the six fields you can 
          change, select the appropriate field's hotkey, and Public Library 
          asks for the new field value.  If you enter the wrong hotkey press 
          <esc>, and Public Library will restore the original value, even if
          you've already typed in something.

          If the menu number you chose was <6> (return status), you can undo 
          the change by simply entering <6> again.  Since the return status 
          is either yes or no, all you do to change the status is to select 
          menu number <6>.  The instant you select <6> the return status is 
          changed to the opposite value.  To change it back, you simply press
          <6> again.

          This function is also handy if you simply want to peruse your Books
          Due file.  If you have more than a screenful, you can use the 
          scrolling keys to view those records not on screen.

          Important:  You should ensure that all entries are correct while 
          the records are in the Books Due file.  Once a record is marked 
          returned, it is moved to the Historical file and cannot be 
          modified.
          ______________________________________________________________________

          Option # 4, deleting your records.

          Public Library will ask for the record number of the record you 
          want to delete.  It will then highlight that record and ask you if 
          you are sure you want that record deleted.  Verify the contents of 
          the record before you respond.  If you respond <Y>, the record is
          deleted.  If you press <esc>, <N>, or <enter>, Public Library will
          turn off the highlight.

          After you respond yes or no, Public Library will ask for the record
          number of the next record you want to delete.  Give it the next 
          record number if you want to delete another record or press <esc> 
          (or <enter> without entering a record number) to leave the Delete 
          function and return to the Options Window.  If you delete the last 
          record in your Books Due file, you will automatically be returned 
          to the Options Window.
          ______________________________________________________________________
          ______________________________________________________________________

                             ++   The Historical Mode   ++

          When you press <enter> in the Options Window, Public Library
          switches between the Outstanding Mode and the Historical mode.  If
          Public Library is in the Outstanding Mode, simply press <enter> to 
          access your Historical file.  Public Library displays "Historical 
          Mode" in the title box on the upper right of your screen.

          The Historical mode of the Public Library Routine allows you a 
          unique perspective on your realm members' reading habits over the 
          years.  There might also be times when you want to go back and 
          re-read an unusual work you had read years before but can't quite 
          recall the name of the work or the author.  
          
          The historical log also allows you to keep detailed records of your 
          research.  And if friends ask what the children of the realm were 
          reading when they were such and such an age, you'll be able to look 
          up the answer quickly and easily using Public Library's Search
          function.
          
          Note:  The records of the works declared returned in the 
          Outstanding Mode are added to the Historical file when you exit 
          the Public Library program.  Public Library puts those returned 
          records at the end of the Historical file, maintaining a nearly 
          chronological account of your borrowings.  This structure of the 
          Historical file is not altered by Public Library's Sort function.
          ______________________________________________________________________

          Option <A>, viewing the historical records.

          Use the directional keys to browse.  You can have Public Library 
          highlight specific records by entering the record numbers of those 
          you want to focus on.  To turn off a record's highlight, reenter 
          that record's record number.

          To return to the Options Window, press <enter> (without entering a
          record number) or press <esc>.
          ______________________________________________________________________

          Option <B>, sorting the historical records.

          You may sort by title, author or reader.  If you wish to print your
          records in a sorted order, run the sort first and then run the 
          Print function (option <C>).
          ______________________________________________________________________

          Option <C>, printing the historical records.

          Public Library prints the title, author, date (due), library, and 
          the reader.  If you want your listing in a sorted order, run the 
          sort first, then invoke the Print function.
          ______________________________________________________________________

          Option <D>, searching the historical records.

          You can tell Public Library to search on any of four fields:  the 
          Title field, the Author field, the Date field, or the Reader field.  
          Give Public Library the string (called a keyword) that you're 
          looking for, and it will search the specified field in every record 
          for any occurrence of the keyword.

          When a search is performed on the date field in Public Library, you
          must enter the search date in the format mm/dd/yy.  You can use
          the question mark as a wild card.  A single wild card in either 
          position of the month, day or year makes that segment wild.  That
          is to say, if you entered 1?/?2/93, both the month and the day
          segments would be considered wild, and Public Library would only
          look for records that had been created in 93.  Both the month 
          segment and the day segment have been declared wild with the 
          inclusion of the question marks.  If you entered 10/1?/91, Public 
          Library would retrieve those records that had been created in 
          October of 1991.
          ______________________________________________________________________

          Option <E>, deleting the historical records.

          This Delete function is a little different from the one in the 
          Outstanding Mode.  In the Outstanding Mode, you delete one record 
          at a time.  In the Historical mode, you select all of the records 
          you want to delete, and then have Public Library delete them all at 
          one time.  Confirmation is required before the deletions are 
          performed.

          Use the directional keys to find the records you want to delete, 
          and enter their record numbers.  Public Library will highlight your
          selections.  After you've highlighted all of the records you want 
          to delete, press <esc> or <enter> (without entering a record 
          number).
          
          If you highlight a record and then change your mind, enter that 
          record number again, and Public Library will turn off the 
          highlight.  Only highlighted records are deleted.

          If you've highlighted any records, Public Library will tell you how 
          many records you've marked for deletion and display the following
          sub-menu.
          
                      ____________________________________________
                     |                                            |
                     |   Press:  1   To confirm your deletes.     |
                     |           2   To ignore your deletes.      |
                     |           3   To recheck your deletes.     |
                     |____________________________________________|
          
          
          If you've changed your mind at this point, you can press <3> to 
          look over the deletions you're making and add others or turn the 
          highlight off any that you've decided to keep.  If you simply want
          to abandon the Delete function, press <2> or <esc>.  To carry out 
          the deletes, press <1>.

          Special note:  If you have sorted your records before running the
          Delete function, Public Library will tell you that it will restore 
          the Historical array to its original structure before it continues 
          with the Delete function.  If you have more work to do using the 
          sorted structure, you might want to finish that work first before 
          you delete any records.
          ______________________________________________________________________
          ______________________________________________________________________

          Extended Processing Options.

               EPO  Definition
                         
               <\>  Change the Quickeys.  Both reader and library Quickeys 
                    are changed by issuing this command.  Public Library
                    asks for the reader Quickeys.  After you enter those,
                    press <esc> to advance to the library Quickeys.  When
                    finished with those, press <esc> to return to the Options
                    Window.
                    
                    Reader Quickeys can be three characters long.  
                    
                    Library Quickeys can be up to ten characters long.  

                                    - - - - - - - - -
               
               <#>  Switch between black/white and color modes.

                                    - - - - - - - - -
               
               <$>  Print an order form for Public Library.
          
                                    - - - - - - - - -
               
               <?>  Display the EPO's for the Public Library Routine.

          ______________________________________________________________________

                                On reading . . .
                   
          Americans deny themselves a valuable resource when they ignore 
          their public libraries.  A chance to read is a chance to explore 
          ... the world around us, the world inside us.  It enhances lives 
          by enlarging the worlds we perceive physically, spiritually, 
          metaphysically, and metaphorically.

          Like looking through different lenses on a sophisticated camera,
          reading allows you to view your world with whole new perspectives.
          The works you read don't have to be revolutionary to make you
          think.  Nor do they have to be written by Nobel Prize winning 
          authors to have impact.  And they certainly don't have to appear on 
          the best selling lists to entertain.  But they do have to be read 
          to be enjoyed.

          Do yourself a favor.  Keep a library book around the realm, even 
          if you're not sure you'll have time to finish it.  There's no rule 
          that says you have to read it cover to cover.  And if, at a later 
          date, you decide you really do want to finish that book but you 
          can't recall the name of the author or the title, don't worry about 
          it ... My Little Realm's Public Library will remember for you.
          
          ______________________________________________________________________

                                      +  The End  +
          ______________________________________________________________________

          (c) Copyright 1991 - 1992 John L. Salisbury

