| ★ APPLICATIONS ★ BUREAUTIQUE ★ INFO-SCRIPT 6128 ★ |
Info-Script 6128 (CPC Computing) | INFO-SCRIPT (Amstrad Computer User) |
IN all the surveys I've seen, one thing stands out a mile - most CPC owners have a word processing package for their machines, whether it was bought or bundled. It now seems that more and more people are buying database programs, perhaps for cataloguing their record and stamp collections, or for more serious business purposes. Until very recently it was impossible to buy an integrated package which included both these elements and a spelling checker. But now Brunning Software has released Info-Script 6128 - an integrated database, word processor, and spelling checker with a disc utilities extension available as an optional extra. To run it you need a 128k machine, which means you can use the CPC6128 or expanded CPC464/ 664. Word processing The word processor part of Info-Script is Brunword, a program which has collected kudos from a number of reviewers, mainly due to the speed of its spell checking and some nice touches in the WYSIWYG deépartment - particularly the display of sub and superscripted numbers. For those unfamiliar with it, a quick resume is in order. In use Brunword is more closely related to Protext than, say, Tasword, but with a number of important differences. Printer control codes are input by using the function keys, which is less than mnemonic and I found irritating. Likewise the need to save redefined printer control codes as a memory file allied to the text file you're working on seems likely to lead to a waste of disc space. The same information will be duplicated for every file unless you follow the manual's recommendation. This amounts to defining a printer driver and setting up a one-word long text file with which to save it. Having done this, you may reload the file -and therefore the printer driver -delete the single-word text file from memory (leaving the driver) and continue with the job in hand. This arrangement doesn't suit me for one main reason: I use two printers, one for draft work and Epson compatibility, and the other for letter quality printing and IBM compatibility. I was unable to send the text to the two printers without reloading the dummy file and the text file I wanted to print. How much simpler just to type something along the lines of printer IBM and have the IBM driver load into the right place. That isn't to say the RAM disc facility built into Brunword is a bad thing, it isn't, and it certainly speeds up a lot of the operations. It's even more effective if you have a memory expansion, as Brunword configures itself to use as much memory as it can find in the most effective way possible. Cutting and pasting - called tearing and weaving in Brunword - are very fast and simple to carry out. In fact it is precisely this kind of speed that tends to balance my criticisms. It's just a pity that the cursor movement hasn't been souped up to the same extent. As it is, the thing is too slow at touch typing speeds, which is a bind. The spell checker is fairly standard in operation and, being memory resident, is fast. My only gripe is that if you need to edit a word you must invoke the checker again from the main menu. As far as the word processing side of the package is concerned, it is competent - more powerful that many on the market - but has a few eccentricities that could point to lack of forethought. It is reminiscent of some of the better BBC Micro word processors, but thankfully lacks many of their worst features. The database And so to Info-Script itself. Usually, I can judge a program fairly well by using it before I've read the manual, checking up on things I can't find intuitively as problems arise. Then I'll sit down and read the documentation before going back to the program to use it as the author intended. I must say I was back to the manual reading stage far quicker than normal with Info-Script, though not because of poor programming. This is a relational database which, with the exception of Masterfile, is something of a deéparture for the humble CPC, although it is quite common on 16 bit machines. This basically means that records can be linked together - related - in one of two ways. Method one is to have the first two fields of the records containing identical data, probably a name and address. The second record then becomes an extension of the first -similar to putting a second sheet of paper in a file on someone, with the proviso that each sheet must contain that person's name and address. This concept should present few challenges to anyone, and is simple to set up. Alternatively, you can determine the link between particular records yourself by entering a special link code in a pre-defined field on the first record. This points to other records with which the relationship is held. In this way you can link, for example, the name and address of a supplier of certain goods with a record of the goods and their prices. These may be in a totally different set of records. To differentiate between files there are up to three markers, plus combinations thereof, which must be uniquely assigned to the different groups/sets of files. This makes the second option less straightforward to understand, but it is a very powerful search and retrieve tool, and worth the time it takes to understand the principles of its implementation. However, this necessitated the quick return to the manual, which is none too clear on the subject, and almost treats it trivially. Info-Script can only access one file at a time, no doubt due to the constraints of Amsdos, but each can be separated into a maximum of four sections which may be of totally different field formats and record types, and must be held in memory. Although it speeds access to records, this preoccupation with everything being memory resident can cause hiccups. For instance during the merge process Info-Script does not check file lengths and so may not do a complete merge, but miss out the last few records. Likewise, you are advised to erase manually any .BAK files before attempting to save any file larger than 59k. Should the file exceed 89k you should erase the working file, necessitating the use of two sides of a disc to be sure that your data is safe. I would have thought that it would have been a simple matter to arrange for the .BAK erasure to be done automatically. In defence of Info-Script, I must point out that the command line gives access to the Amsdos bar commands, so disc handling of this sort can be carried out from within the program. Creating and maintaining records is a simple task. The three main types you are likely to need are held in an example file which I strongly recommend you play with. Quite simply, all you need to do is type the required data into the right fields, and when satisfied that everything is as you desire, press Copy. The record is then copied into the files area of memory. The same applies when editing a record which already exists, save that the manner in which you call it up is to make it current, and enter the editor with E (for edit) from the menu instead of N (for new). Thus you may use the formats already there by killing the data held on the RAM disc and reusing the field specifiers. Having created your database, the usual functions can be performed upon it plus the additional linking facility. With method one, this is taken care of automatically, while reading the directory will enable you to determine the links you require for method two. It will also assign the four markers to separate groups of files. This is not a trivial pursuit. All new records have marker four set by default to distinguish them from older data. They can be reset to any other marker, or cleared of all markers. Records selected using the find function and marked with Q for quick list - those selected for actioning, printing and so on. Once records have been selected, they can have a marker set by adding them to the appropriate group. As you can see, the process can be a little involved, and indeed it took me a while to fully grasp what was happening and the concept behind it. Essentially, you are asked to set markers en masse. Once they are assigned, the start points of the four separate groups need to be set by keying the function keys F1 to F4 as appropriate. The file is then ready to be worked with. From this point on matters become much simpler, and are akin to the data merge facilities and database functions found in other programs. I particularly liked Info-Script's data merge facilities, as they are very simple to use and if you have set up the files correctly, very quick to run. A skeleton text file, Labels, loaded into the Brunword section of Info-Script, is purpose built to make label printing, as straightforward as possible. The data for the labels is taken from all currently selected records, but you can maintain full control over individual labels by using the one-step option from the menu. Again, this is a valuable function, as the fully automated version is not always appropriate. Many more data merging functions will work on almost any field, including the ability to run up invoices from purchase records, cross referenced to item/cost records and related to customer records. Once the methodology of this kind of job is understood and the process has been gone through a few times, while it won't be simple, it will at least be painless. Conditional printing is also supported, based on < > <> and = operators, which are applicable to both alpha and numeric values. This conditionality can also be applied to the loading of text files. For instance it may be used to completely change a letter half way through a print run by the simple expedient of creating a dummy record and writing a condition into the text at the very beginning. Thus two or more shorter print runs can be merged into a longer one which needs no supervision -presuming either tractor fed stationery or a sheet feeder. This strikes me as being very useful, as there should be no need to lurk over the printer waiting for one run of documents to finish so that you can start the second. Instead you can go and do something more productive. Conclusions I was looking forward to a superlative suite of programs in this package, but felt a little let down by the word processor. While it is perfectly serviceable, it lacks some refinements and has a few too many quirks for my taste. The database, however, is something else again. Yes, it takes some learning and getting used to. Yes, the manual could be dearer, but there's a lot of power in there once you've found how to harness it. The supplied data file goes some way towards helping in this area, but there is no substitute for sitting down and constructing your own database for discovering its depths. Whether the majority of users need that power is another matter. If I may draw an allegory, Info-Script drives like an old Porsche 911 Targa, while other databases I could mention drive more like an automatic Mini City 850. If you want a cheap, comfy, easy ride, buy Mini Office II, but if you want plenty of horsepower under the disc drive - which won't be over-stretched - the seven day trial offer from Brunning is the thing to go for. POINTS FOR
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