Disk Bonus

Antic Data-X, Revision B

More features, more power, more records

by Jeffrey Summers, M.D.

Antic Data-X (May 1988), the fast, full-featured, easy-to-use database software that became one of the year's most popular Super Disk Bonuses gets some impressive new enhancements and fixes on this month's Antic Disk. These programs work on Atari XL/XE computers with at least 64K memory. RAMdisks are also supported. --ANTIC ED

I: DATA-X, REVISION B

I found a bug in the original Antic Data-X (Super Disk Bonus, May 1988) that limits the user to 255 records instead of the 1,000 which the database was supposed to handle. Revision B fixes this bug. Sorry, Revision A and Revision B data files are incompatible. But don't worry about losing your existing data--this new revision of Antic Data-X comes with an easy Conversion Program!

Revision B of Antic Data-X also adds the following improvements:

1. After a file is created, you automatically move to the MAIN menu, eliminating the time-consuming need to re-open the file.

2. If you made an error in designing your format when printing a file, you can abort the procedure before printing. Just press [0] when asked for the field to print. Then when the program prompts you to press [RETURN] for continuing the printing, instead press [ESC] to abort the print process.

Install Revision B by using the following series of DOS commands from the monthly Antic Disk: Format a new disk with DOS 2 or DOS 2.5, using command I. With DOS command H you'll next "Write DOS Files" to the newly formatted disk. Now use the C command to copy RNTIMEB.OBJ and REVB.CTB from the Antic Disk to your new disk. Finally, use DOS command E to rename RNTIME.OBJ to AUTORUN.SYS and REVB.CTB to AUTORUN.CTB. Any future support programs, utilities, etc. that I release for Antic Data-X will be compatible with both versions of the program. (An in-depth 2,500-word manual on how to use Antic Data-X is included on the May 1988 Antic Disk. Select HELP from the Side B menu. --ANTIC ED)

II: DATA-X UTILITIES

As with any program, there are always features that could be added to Antic Data-X. This new Data-X Utilities program, DATAUTIL.BAS offers three powerful features that could not be included in the original software due to a lack of available memory. Now you can make major global changes in your databases--add or delete a field throughout an existing database, or change the length of a field throughout a database.

When you RUN the Data-X Utilities program, you'll be asked for the source and destination filenames. Don't use the same name for both files. Also, make sure there's enough room on your destination disk for the new file.

After the program opens the files successfully, you'll see the next menu. Here you can [A]dd or [D]elete fields, [C]hange field lengths, [L]ist the fields and their lengths, or [E]xit.

Adding a field is easy. After pressing [A] on the menu, you'll be asked for the name of the field, then its length. The program then copies the old database from the source file to the destination file, adding your new field. When finished, the program returns you to the READY prompt.

Deleting a field requires that you know the order of the fields. If you aren't sure, press [L] to list the fields. Then press [D], at which time you'll be asked for the field number. The program will copy the database from the source to the destination file, eliminating all the data contained in the deleted field. If you select this option and then realize that either you don't want to delete a field or you want to look at the field list, press [RETURN] instead of a number, and the program will return you to the main menu.

To [C]hange the length of an existing field, you also need to know the number of that field. You'll be asked for the field number and then the new length. The program then creates a new database in the destination file using the data from the source file, either padding the changed field with spaces or deleting the trailing characters, depending on whether you want to expand or shrink the field size.

[E]xit simply quits the program without making database changes.

III: CONVERT

The Data-X Convert program, DATCON.BAS, converts Revision A files to Revision B format and vice versa. When you RUN the program, you'll be asked for the filename of the input database you want to convert. Enter the full name, including the device. Then you'll be prompted for the output filename--don't use the same filename as before. The program checks the input file to see which version of the database program created the file, then asks you to confirm the conversion. If you want to continue, press [Y] to convert the file.