ÛÛÛÛÛ± Û± Û± Û± Û± Û± Û± Û± ÛÛÛ± Û± Û± Û± ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ± ÛÛÛ± Û± Û± Û± ÜÜÜÜÜ Û± ÛÛÛ± Û± ÛÛÛÛÛÛ± Û± Û± Û± Û± ÛÛÛÛÛ± Û± Û± Û± Û± Û± Û± Û± Û± Ûßßßßß Û± Û± ÛÛÛÛÛ± ÛÛÛÛÛÛ± Û± Û± ÛÜÜÜÜÛ± ÛÛÛÛÛ± Û± ÛÛÛ± ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º Collect! Ver 1.0x º º DUAL VERSION º º Individual's Collection Database º º º º Copyright (c) 1991 by G.L. Alston º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ INTRODUCTION ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Collect! is an advanced specialty database that is used to keep track of the things people collect. It can also be used by small dealers of items like baseball cards, antiques, comic books, video / audio tape, records, fine arts, books and magazines. The list of collection types is practically endless. It will also serve to keep track of household inventory. Collect! offers unique features that make this collector's database faster and easier to use than any other product: * Common spelling file * Works in RAM memory, not the disk * All data on one screen * User changeable database templates * Mouse Support * Financial data * Masked printing Collect! is not as cryptic as some database products can be. Rather than using the standard menu system (Add, Change, Delete, etc.), Collect! uses pop-up windows and a mouse and is laid out to be easily understood. LET'S MAKE COMPARISONS: Now that we've gotten the basic propaganda out of the way, let's take a moment and discuss what some of these features mean. I aim to convice you that Collect! is THE best choice you can make to use a computer with your collection. We will make comparisons with other programs of the same general type. The comparisons will help show why Collect! is the best collection manager you can get. The programs we will compare to are of a general type; I.E. they are intended for the home / collector market. All programs have their place in the grand scheme of things. However, computer software is a business like any other, and I want your business the same as the other guys. COLLECTIONS: So what exactly is a collection? Everybody collects one thing or another. Some of you are very serious about collecting, and treat it as an investment. Others of you have small collections of this and that, and have no idea of the value. Given the proper tools, you may find that what you have is worth more than you thought! Therefore a collection is best thought of as an organised assembly of similar objects. Most software products act as "catalogues" in an attempt to help you organise. A lot of programs allow you to enter tons of data about your various collections. There are usually two drawbacks: 1. Many Programs seem overly specialized. If you're not careful, you can wind up with a dozen or more, each catering to a particular class of object. You may have seen these or own one: video tape, CD's, records, guns, etc. Is this really necessary? Do you really own 5,000 guns or 50,000 tapes? Do you really want to learn 12 different programs? 2. What you wind up with is tons of data, and in many cases, it is not particularly coherent. It is more organized, neatly typed, and sometimes easier to find. What you have is a record keeper: you succeeded in turning a $1000.00 computer into a $1.59 notebook. It's fast, but it's still a notebook. While being organised is a good idea, there are many ways to do this. A collector's program should be a tool. Not just one to record stuff on a computer disk instead of paper, but one that can analyse and manipulate the information. Many programs, for instance, allow you to enter the price you paid for such and such an object, but offer very little manipulation. You are not really doing anything that cannot be done with a notebook - the computer allows you to compress the information into a smaller space, and allows you to locate some things a little faster. Therefore, great numbers of people have a perfect record of things they have collected, but do not seem to know what the values are like, where the money spent on the collection was wisely spent, or what (if any) trends there are in their buying / collecting habits. In effect, despite being more organised, you really don't know much more than before you GOT organised. Collect!, on the other hand, has a different philosophy. Like the other programs, Collect! allows you to amass tons of raw data and compress it to a disk. However, it is a true tool. Collect! can be set up to record data for ANY collection type. Yes, any. NO LONGER WILL YOU REQUIRE MULTIPLE PROGRAMS. As a matter of fact, we've included a number of samples with the program to help get you started. If you don't like one of them, you can always change it to suit your needs. You can also create your own as well. Lots of them. With Collect!, you now can use one master program for anything you collect. There is no need to learn how to use a dozen different programs. More importantly, Collect! allows you the chance to do something with the data. Part of the secret is the search engine. THE COLLECT! SEARCH ENGINE: So what is so special about searching? Most programs do this. Well, yes, but usually only to a point. The Collect! search engine allows for searching of ALL data fields simultaneously. Furthermore, it allows searching of unequal data, and data ranges. Here's a list of how a Collect! search can be made on a data field: MATCH ( = ) --- data field = target LESS ( < ) --- data field < target MORE ( > ) --- data field > target RANGE ( - ) --- low target < data field < high target Now, think about this for a moment. Let's say that your collection is, oh, somewhat common, like stamps. Remember that the Collect! search engine allows searches on ALL fields AND can use unequal data. Now you can construct a search like this: Country: USA (match) Issue Date: 1909 - 1932 (range) Denomination: < 10 c ( less) Current Value: > $1.50 ( more) What Collect! will report back is this: US stamps, made from 1909 - 1932, with 10 cents or less denomination, and a current value greater than $1.50. And, you could always add MORE things to search for, like "RED coloured stamps" plus the above data; this can be done on ALL the data fields. Not only that, the method used is ridiculously easy - just choose the data field, choose the search type, and enter the target data. You don't need to learn any languages or an obscure syntax to put together a query. Collect! does not stop there. There are 13 data fields that you can enter data into, much like the other programs. The essential part of Collect! that makes it a tool and not a simplistic record keeper is the financial data. Of the 13 fields, 2 are used for financial data: how much did you pay, and how much is it worth now? The financial data allows Collect! to analyse data in a fashion much like a spreadsheet: Price Paid: 100.00 and Current Value: 150.00 infers - Change in Value: 50.00 Percentage of change: 50% Percentage of value vs. the total value in the file: 2% In other words, the general appreciation and relative value of items can be seen. THIS CAN ALSO BE SEARCHED FOR! Now, you can add 3 more fields to the search list. But wait - this is inferred data, not data you entered. True. This is referred to as Dynamic Data. The search engine therefore allows searches to be made of data YOU DID NOT ENTER. In continuing the above example, let's now add PERCENTAGE OF CHANGE to the other 4 items. Let's also turn this into an 'unequal' criteria: Pctg of change: > 25% ( more) What you will now see is this: US stamps, made from 1909 - 1932, with 10 cents or less denomination, a current value greater than $1.50, with 25% or more appreciation since purchased. As you can see, Collect! can be used as a real tool. It can assist in determining those members of your collection that either do not appreciate well or those that do. Used properly, you may be able to infer what items to add to a collection and which ones could possibly be deleted. Of course, many collections (probably most) are of items that you fond of, and will keep simply BECAUSE YOU LIKE THEM. On the other hand, there's also no harm in adding those items to your collection that you like that will also have a higher probability of being worth more. If you are going to be spending money on things you collect, you may as well spend wisely and treat it as an investment; in years to come, your children will undoubtedly appreciate your foresightedness. Who knows, maybe you'll decide to sell, retire early, and live the good life in the Bahamas. TWO PROGRAM VERSIONS IN ONE: Like a lot of you, I like graphics based systems. Adds a little sizzle to the day. However, a lot of you have not quite yet made the switch to VGA. EGA and CGA were livable in their day, but writing a graphics system for these is well, sort of like going backwards. The problem is this - how does one write a program with all of the current bells and whistles without limiting the program to the lowest common denominator? And what of the folks who prefer text for one reason or another? Easy. Collect!, as it comes to you, can run in either of two modes - text or VGA graphics. Each mode is actually a separate program; both share the same Data Files, and the same support files. Both use basically the same interface structure - once you can run one, you can run the other. You can enter and mainpulate the same data with either. The predominant interface method today uses a mouse. Both versions use the mouse. In TEXT mode, it is optional. In GRAPHICS, it is required. Either way, it make these programs FAST. The use of two programs in one also can help solve other problems as well: I take a Toshiba Laptop with me, but it won't handle the graphics. Collect! runs in text mode on it, while the computer at home runs in graphics mode. Stuff I do while away from home can be immediately loaded into the graphics version when I do get home. Also, think about the case where you may be taking your copy of the program to the insurance agent's office to get that wee bit of extra protection for your valuable collection - no telling what computer/monitor/mouse combination she is using. DATA VIEWING: There's a LOT of programs out there that in one way or another cater to the home collector and small business market. A lot of these are database programs. Most of these use the format that most of you have seen by now, in one form or another: 1. Add a record 2. Change or Edit a record 3. Delete a record The odd part is that they ask you to enter which record number! A lot of you like this sort of thing. A lot of you haven't seen much else. Frankly, I do not like having to enter a record number. Too much to remember. Why should I, anyway? After all, I could do this almost as fast by turning the pages in a binder... Besides, it's not 1982 any more. You will not find this in Collect! There's a better way. Collect! allows you to use a mouse to skim through records just by clicking the up and down arrows on a SCROLL BAR on screen; you can also use the cursor pad Up and DOWN arrow keys. ( I never really understood why other programs didn't take advantage of these. ) When you get to a record you wish to EDIT, simply click the EDIT button or box, type in the data, and that's it! Each record is shown in it's entirity on screen. No paging. You can skim and move around VERY fast this way; the scroll bar keeps you aware of the record's position in a Data File. Now, you don't have to remember the record number. Of course, some of you prefer this. Collect! is set up to allow you to do this, if you prefer. At least you have a choice. PRINTING: Collect! allows you to mask off any information from any record information you print out. Let's say you're a collectibles dealer. You don't REALLY want your potential customer to have a copy of how much you paid for something, do you? Collect! can be used right in the shop to give quotes to customers on the spot. You can be choosy on what information you give out, and yet present a very high quality, computer generated price quotation. Contrast this with the majority of dealers who scribble something on a piece of paper if the quote is written at all. And think of the service to the customers - you could attach pertinent data to select objects. No more "How old is this clock?" stuff. You don't have to be a dealer, either. Traders can take advantage of this, as well as individuals who simply want a hard copy of their precious data but do not want prying eyes to know certain financial facts. STATISTICS AND GRAPHS: In the graphics version, Collect! can present graphs that plot your buying habits and investment stratagem by year. These are a quick visual indicators that can be readily understood without having to study reams of information. Again, Collect! is meant to aid you in managing your collection, not simply recording data. TECHNOLOGY: Now we will turn our attention to the creation of the programs; the discussion will be predominately about the graphics version. The graphics version was written with C++, version 2.0, from Borland International. Normally, this is a Who Cares? sort of thing that is simply not discussed in program documentation. I feel it to be important. Why? Collect! VGA uses techniques that have evolved relatively recently in the programming world. A very high number of programs out there for sale right now use, well, older technologies, and less sophisticated methodry as a direct result. Those of you who know something about software engineering will know this term: Object Oriented Programming (OOP). The importance here is that Collect! is positioned technologically to take full advantage of advances as they come along. Some of the programs out there, while quite good, are written such that they will not be able to keep up quite as well or do as many things. What this means to you is that Collect! will be upgraded as time goes along in an easily discernable way. For instance, while you are reading this, the Microsoft Windows version is being readied for release. It is important that a program will operate in the user's favourite environment. It should NOT be the other way around. Ask yourself this: will that program you bought last year be upgraded to run on Windows, or will you have to go into text mode to please IT? Will it ever use a mouse, or take advantage or graphics? Or is it a technological Black Hole? As you know, Collect! is already running in text and VGA graphics modes. Both modes will share data files. The Windows version will likewise share data files. Other enhancements to the existing versions are already in the works. LET'S TALK MONEY: When you register Collect!, you automatically recieve all upgrades for FREE for a year. The $25 I am asking for this program is not a great deal of money, especially when you consider that programs that are capable of far less cost just as much and even more. This program is also far cheaper than the available alternatives to intelligently managing your collection. Sure, you can do this, but it will take a database AND a spreadsheet to do it. Not only that, when you buy Collect! you are actually getting 2 programs. The free upgrade will of course include the Windows version; if you buy now, you will probably get your Windows version within 6 - 8 months. Think about it. I am offering a pretty good deal here. Not only that, the programs on the disk are presented IN THEIR ENTIRITY for your honest evaluation. It works like this: I give you two COMPLETE programs to try out. If they don't do what you want, erase them or give them to someone else. If they do, I am trusting you to do the right thing and pay for them; the program is more than capable of paying for itself in the money and time it will save you. When you pay for Collect! you'll receive another version for Windows as part of the FREE upgrades for one year. You will own one of the best collector's packages you can buy. You'll also know that by helping support the development effort, Collect! will continue to evolve and become even more powerful. The more powerful Collect! gets, the more power you will have to wisely manage your collections. Now is that a deal, or what? WHAT'S ON THIS DISK: On this disk is 2 installation files: TEXTINST.BAT - installs text version GRAFINST.BAT - installs graphics version You will need to adjust these if you want them to install to a drive\directory other than: C:\TEXTCOLL - text version C:\GRAFCOLL - graphics version Use a text editor to modify the drive specifications. The rest of the files are primarily self extracting archive files. A self extracting file is a file that contains lots of little compressed files inside of it, and it is run like a program. In a way, it IS a program whose main function is to give birth to a bunch of other programs and files. When you run one of these, files start popping out. It's generally not too messy. Otherwise, this disk is shipped with a copy of the Public Domain Utility, BROWSE.COM, written (I think) by the illustrious Charles Petzold, a true giant among software engineers. Readers of PC MAGAZINE enjoy his insightful columns. If you are reading this by way of the README command, it is Browse that is doing all of the work. ( Beats the heck out of the old Control-S business, eh? ) As the version(s) you require gets installed, please read the manual. Just like this case, type README and Browse does the rest. To PRINT a manual, position the paper at a perforation, and type: TYPE COLLECT!.TXT > LPT1 This causes DOS to redirect the screen output to the printer. DO NOT TRANSFER HELP (*.HLP), TEXT (*.TXT) or COLLECT!.* FILES BETWEEN THE DIRECTORIES IF YOU ARE RUNNING BOTH VERSIONS. YOU MAY TRANSFER SUPPORT (*.00*), DATA (*.ADB), DEFAULT (*.DEF), AND DEFINITION (*.DBF) FILES. If you do run both versions, you may indeed be able to skip one manual and read just one.