====================================================================== HUGE BASE READ ME! ================== FOR VERSION 2.1b - RELEASE 4 - THE END ====================================== ====================================================================== INTRODUCTION ============ Welcome to Huge Base ! Whether you've got names and addresses, millions of CD's, thousands of videos or you know loads of girls then keep track of them all with Huge Base. I do! Huge Base is a must for all of your database needs. Keep all of those bits of data and pieces of paper in order no matter how small or how large the data is. Huge Base is guaranteed to advance by the second and stay with the Amiga, and the Amiga ONLY! THE END ======= Unfortunately folks, this is the very last upgrade I will do to Huge Base. Due to the huge piracy that went on during the first release period, I have no money left to produce Huge Base. It's sad to see my little Huge Baby die but that's the way it has to be. However, I am still willing to sort out problems and answer letters, maybe even do tiny little upgrades. Any bugs reported will be fixed and the version letter upgraded. ====================================================================== 1. COPYRIGHT ============ ====================================================================== These copyright guidelines apply to Huge Base V2.1b FREEWARE ONLY. Huge Base is now freeware. As from September 1 1996. Huge Base is NOT a commercial package. Huge Base (all versions) is Copyright © 1996 Matt Cartlidge. Huge Base may be distributed as long as all of the following conditions are true :- * All of these files are kept together and remain UNCHANGED apart from compressing. - Huge_Base (actual program) - Instructions (document) - Read_me! (document) - Example databases, including :- - Tracks.HB2 - Discs.HB2 * NOTE that any copy found with altered documents, programs documents or databases are breaking the guidelines. * Huge Base may NOT be uploaded onto ANY BBS or contained on ANY COMPILATION in which copyright is claimed on ALL of the files * Any guidelines from previous versions do not effect this version if they are different PPMore, ReqTools.library and PowerPacker.library are all Copyright © Nico François. FastView V2.0 is Copyright © 1995 John Hendrikx. FastView can display IFF (.iff), JPEG (.jpg), GIF (.gif), PCX (.pcx) and BMP (.bmp) images. Play16 is Copyrighted Freeware by Thomas Wenzel. It is freely distributable as long as the program and the document supplied remain unchanged. Play16 is capable of playing WAV (Microsoft RIFF-WAVE), VOC (creative voice), AU (sun/NeXT Audio), MAUD (MacroSystem audio), AIFF (Apple/SGI/Amiga AIFF), and Amiga IFF-8SVX files. Play16 can also play most RAW audio waves. See the full documentation to Play16 in the C: directory of the disk that Huge Base is contained on. I have chosen FastView V2.0 and Play16 V1.6 for inclusion as they are the best programs of their type that I have seen. If you think you can do better, send me your versions! In no way am I trying to claim ownership of programs, libraries or other files supplied with Huge Base apart from Huge Base itself, its documents and its databases. Do not try to delete this document so you can break all of the rules that it holds. That's a bit stoopid isn't it. ====================================================================== 2. WARNING ========== ====================================================================== I don't want to sound mean in this bit but everyone says this in their documentation so, here goes. I cannot accept responsibility for loss, damage or any other disruption caused by using Huge Base. This program is supplied "AS IS" without any kind of warranty whatsoever. However, if you have received a faulty disk from myself, then I will be pleased to replace it for you. Sometimes, magnetic media can get damaged in the post due to crap sorting techniques. ====================================================================== 3. SHAREWARE ============ ====================================================================== Remember about SHAREWARE : Many shareware programs on the Amiga market are extremely good quality and most are as good, if better, than commercial programs - with the obvious exception of a user manual. But hey, who needs a user manual when you've got an ASCII file? Thousands of shareware authors spend hundreds, maybe thousands of hours working on shareware programs, including me. The more support and registrations they receive, the more likely they are to carry on contributing to the shareware side of things. Shareware is a good thing, keep supporting it! Huge Base is now freeware. Freeware is even better than shareware, be thankful that you've got it! ====================================================================== 4. WHY WRITE HUGE BASE? ======================= ====================================================================== I wrote Huge Base because there wasn't one single database program out there that did all of the things that I wanted it to do. This is normality when talking about shareware - an author hasn't got what he wants, so he makes his own, that's the way it works, and it works very well. That's why the Amiga has such good software nowadays. I also wanted a program in which the author would listen to the users ideas, this is how programs get to be so good as versions increase. Most importantly, I wanted a database program that was updated and supported regularly. And what better author to support it than ME! ====================================================================== 5. REQUIREMENTS =============== ====================================================================== Huge Base needs the following to run :- * Workbench 2 or higher. (Never tested on any lower). * 1MB or more of memory, 2MB recommended for large databases. * MED.library to play MED modules from within the program. Note that the MED.library, once opened, usually interferes with other sounds being produced so you may notice distortions if using soundsets after loading a MED module. * PPMore in the C: directory to view the documents. * FastView in the C: directory for viewing images. * Play16 in the C: directory for playing sound samples. * An assign called SOUNDSETS: assigned to where your soundsets are kept. See the section in this document on SoundSets on how to create your own. * An icon called HugeBaseIcon.info in the S: directory. This is copied if the ADD ICON preference is set. This file is not essential but if it does not exist, no icons can be saved with your databases. * As with all programs in which you can print from, various files will be needed in order to print from Huge Base depending on your printer type. This should not be a problem if you are running Huge Base from your Hard Drive. * You require a mouse to use Huge Base. Even though Huge Base has got a lot of keyboard shortcuts on its buttons, you can not resort ONLY to the keyboard. Anyway, who hasn't got a mouse on their Amiga? PPMore requires PowerPacker.library and ReqTools.library to run. FastView requires Asl.library, ILBM.library and the IFFParse.library to operate properly. It also requires IconX in C: to run. To view JPEG images, FastView also requires a temporary path called JPEG_TMP which you can assign either to RAM: or, better still, to your hard drive. Play16 requires Asl.library and Mathieeedoubbas.library to run. * When I distributed Huge Base, all of the necessary files were included for each operation to work fully, including the proper disk icon which is normally replaced by the company name or something like that. Huge Base requires 50K to be free at ALL TIMES. If memory falls below this value, any operations which requires more memory will be disabled. Don't worry, saving does not require any more memory when operating so your data is safe. 50K is 51,200 bytes. When an operation is taking its time to complete and you wish to use the Workbench while Huge Base operates, it is best not to load any program or reserve any more memory to be on the safe side, especially if Huge Base is allocating more and more memory at the same time. Huge Base reserves 60K before the program starts for variable space. This is essential that this space is fairly large as it can slow down the program to a crawl if you are not very generous with the space. Huge Base loads Play16 and FastView into RAM: after the program itself has loaded. They are deleted from the Ram Disk when the program has ended. NOTE that Huge Base does NOT require any external files to operate, but, without the requirements above, you will not get the max out of the program or internal fuctions may not operate as they should or not at all. ====================================================================== 6. INSTALLING HUGE BASE TO YOUR HARD DRIVE ========================================== ====================================================================== Huge Base is very simple to install to hard drive. The simplest way is to follow these instructions using Workbench :- 1. Drag the entire Huge_Base disk icon onto your hard disk. This will copy the entire contents of the disk to your hard drive. 2. As you boot from your hard drive, delete these directories from the directory. C, SOUNDSETS, DEVS, LIBS, L and S. 3. Now create a directory anywhere on your hard disk called SOUNDSETS. It can be called anything you like really, but this is the most obvious. 4. Copy the contents of the SOUNDSETS directory on your Huge Base disk to the SOUNDSETS directory that you have just created on your hard drive. 5. Now you must assign the soundsets to your hard drive. Use a suitable text editor and add a line to either your S:startup-sequence or your S:user-startup. The line should read something like this, depending on where your SOUNDSETS directory was created. Assign SOUNDSETS: DH1:SOUNDSETS 6. Copy the contents of the C: directory on your Huge Base disk to the C: directory on your hard disk boot partition. The files included should have FASTVIEW and PLAY16. You should already have the other C commands on your hard disk. Huge Base does not need any external libraries or files to operate. But, read the requirements chapter to make sure that Huge Base can operate properly. ====================================================================== 7. SOUNDSETS ============ ====================================================================== Huge Base uses soundsets to give itself sound in your preferences. These are actually sample banks created using the AMOS Professional sample bank maker. If you own AMOS then you can create your own. Each sample number in the bank represents the action you take in Huge Base. 1. Key press other than below 2. ESCAPE pressed. 3. RETURN pressed. 4. Draw an inverted box. (Looks pressed in). 5. Draw a standard box. (Looks normal, no action). 6. DELETE or BACKSPACE pressed. You must store your SoundSets in an assign called SOUNDSETS: and you must assign this to wherever the soundsets are kept. E.g. If you are keeping them on your hard drive in a directory called SOUNDSETS then you should have this in your startup sequence :- Assign SOUNDSETS: DH0:SOUNDSETS Huge Base will then look in DH0:SOUNDSETS for all of your soundsets. You must name your soundsets Set1.abk, Set2.abk etc. There are a limit of 32 soundsets, any numbers higher than this will be ignored. Also, if there are more than 6 samples in your soundset file, they will be ignored too. Play16 is not required to use soundsets in Huge Base. Five soundsets are included with Huge Base so if you make your own, they should be named Set6.abk, Set7.abk and so on unless you decide to get rid of my crap ones! ====================================================================== 8. SECURE WARNING ================= ====================================================================== There is a SECURE function in Huge Base which allows you to save your databases with a password. I strongly recommend that you make the password easy to remember or write it down somewhere just in case. REMEMBER THIS MATEY! - You CANNOT get your database back if you do not know the password in which you saved it, unless you're me of course! Huge Base uses a VERY VERY complex code to encode and decode secure data. Don't send databases to me pleading for me to crack the password because you can't remember it! If you use the SECURE function, you should be extra careful. You have been warned! ====================================================================== 9. FILE FORMATS =============== ====================================================================== The file format for Huge Base has not changed at all since V2.0 so Huge Base V2.0 can load V2.1a/b formats and vice versa. Huge Base will always be forwards compatible. E.g. When V3.0 is released, it will still be able to load V1.00 databases as well as V2.0 and V2.1a/b databases. ====================================================================== 10. DON'T GET LEFT BEHIND ========================= ====================================================================== A lot of programs on the Amiga will not run on a basic Amiga 500+ with 1MB of RAM. There are even programs and games (and a lot due for release) which will not even work properly using 2MB of RAM. Amiga users that have been with the Amiga for a long time will have learned that the Amiga has moved forward a long way since the A500. If you're still using a 7.14MHz Amiga 500 with only 1MB of RAM then I'm afraid you're in at the deep end. Most companies and software distributors have abandoned WorkBench 1.3 completely and not much new software will run on WorkBench 1.3, commercial or shareware. If you want to keep up with the Amiga, you MUST move forward to at least the A1200 standard. Some authors are even forgetting about WorkBench 2.0 and this will be next on the gravestone. If you get left behind, you're not getting anything out of the Amiga. As Huge Base will require more and more memory as it enhances and the file size increases, less and less Amiga's can cope with the demand. I strongly recommend to get a memory expansion if you only have 2MB. This is sufficient for 99 percent of programs. ====================================================================== 11. THE HUGE BASE DATABASE FILE =============================== ====================================================================== I advise that you don't tamper with your database files manually using any program whatsoever. This can cause a lot of problems. I have made every effort to stop database files loading if they have got an error in them. Once, I changed ONE CHARACTER in a database file, it loaded into Huge Base fine, without any errors. I typed in a few records and the system crashed. This is NOT bug in Huge Base. If you change the database file manually, what else would you expect? ====================================================================== 12. BUG REPORTING ================= ====================================================================== Huge Base has been tested for weeks on end for bugs and faults. There are no known bugs in Huge Base but I can't guarantee it. If you do spot a bug, please do not keep quiet about it, it is most important that my programs are completely bug free. If possible, state what you were doing at the time and what you have already done. Be as detailed as you can. If it is something simple like a spelling mistake, then don't bother with detail. Just use common sense. 90 percent of the bugs I have found myself, by accident. The other 10 percent of the bugs are either found by people looking for them or a couple of people who write to tell me. Come on, make an effort, get in contact if you see anything at all that is wrong! This freeware version of Huge Base has had a lot of internal changes since its shareware release back in April 1996 so there may be a few minor bugs lurking around. No data threatening ones though. ====================================================================== 13. CONTACT =========== ====================================================================== If you have suggestions, comments or new ideas then please send me a letter explaining it all. If you're thinking "if only it did that" and "it should do this as well" then tell me about it. Matt Cartlidge 3 Cotterill Grove Burslem Stoke-On-Trent Staffordshire ST6 3DT ENGLAND If you are sending a disk that you want me to return or you want me to reply, include a stamped SAE. I WILL reply to every letter personally if a stamped SAE is included. ====================================================================== 14. SUPPORT =========== ====================================================================== Programs are perfect because it is what YOU want. I don't know what you want unless you tell me. I think Huge Base is a long way from being the best thing since sliced bread as there are hundreds of things that could be added and a lot could be improved. Point them out to me by writing a letter, then look at the contact section above. I haven't worked on Huge Base in large quantities for quite a few months now like I used to, so only minor changes can be made. Huge Base can only be successful if there are a lot of users. Come on, switch to Huge Base! I will continue to support Huge Base as long as you support me by using it! ====================================================================== 15. THANKS ========== ====================================================================== Thanks loads to ... Gaz Knight, Waterworld in The Festival Park Stoke on Trent, Alton Towers Ltd., Louise, Alanis Morissette and Madonna. SPECIAL THANKS TO AMIGA USER INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE 17 BIT SOFTWARE QUARTZ PUBLIC DOMAIN ====================================================================== 16. ABOUT ========= ====================================================================== Huge Base was written in AMOS Professional. Europress have now abandoned AMOS and all knowledge of the Amiga (gits), but AMOS lives on, and so does the Amiga! So WE don't want you back either, Europress! Software used to create Huge Base :- * AMOS Professional V2.0 and Compiler - "AMOS rules!" * Deluxe Paint IV by Dan Silva - Used to create the title/about screen. * Text Engine V5 by Nicholas Harvey - This was used to create and spell check these documents. * Ordering V1.05 by Julien Torres - This was a great help in compiling the disks and testing the output files created by Huge Base. Also, to keep my backups of Huge Base in perfect order and condition. Huge Base was created using a standard A1200. I've got one external drive, 1GB hard drive and no memory expansions. I'm discovering that 2MB just isn't enough anymore. And as for the monitor, I haven't got one, it's a crap portable TV ! ====================================================================== Matt Cartlidge.