
BRAILLE SENSE 
MANUAL:
(For Software Version 4.0)




SECTION 13 Database Manager
TABLE OF CONTENTS



13.  Database Manager	1
13.1 Table Manager	2
13.1.1 Add Table	3
13.1.2 Modify Table	4
13.1.3 Delete table	5
13.1.4 Set Default Table	5
13.2 Add Record	6
13.3 Search Records	7
13.4 List of Records Found	9
13.5 Hot Keys for Database Manager	9


13.  Database Manager

The database manager is a program that can be used to create a database in the form that you specify.   You can use the DataBase Manager to add records and search for data in your records.  A table contains at least one record, and a record consists of at least one field.  You can specify attributes for each of the fields.  In other words, a record is made up of a group of one or more fields.
      
When the database manager is started, it will check whether or not a table has been registered or created already.  If no table has been registered yet, a table manager dialog box will appear to help you to register a new table.  If there is at least one table already registered, a search records dialog box will appear and the search edit box will be focused, so that you can search for data records in the tables.  If you want to close the program while you are adding or searching a table, press space-z (dots 1-3-5-6).  Or you can use the menu.  Press space-m (dots 1-3-4) or F2 to open the menu.  Move to exit by pressing space-1 or space-4 (or Left or right scroll button) repeatedly, and press enter. Or you can type z (dots 1-3-5-6) in the menu.
The major navigation keys that can be used in this program are as follows.
1) Moving by controls
Move to the previous control: Shift-Tab (space-1-2) or Space-F3
Move to the next control: Tab (Space-4-5) or F3
2) Moving in a  list box
Move to the previous list item: Space-1 or left-scroll button
Move to the next list item: Space-4 or Right-scroll button
3) Changing the selection in a prompt box
Select the next value: Space-4 or Space, or Right-scroll button
Select the previous value: Space-1 or Backspace, or Left-scroll button

The menu in the database manager consists of the following items.  You can open this menu by pressing space-m (dots 1-3-4) or F2.
1) Table manager: Here you can create, delete, and modify tables, records, and their fields.  When you run the database manager for the first time, the table manager dialog box will appear.
2) Add record : You can add records to the current table.
3) Search records : You can search records in the current table.  You can also search each field in the table.
4) List of records found : You can use this menu item to go through a list of records found in the table by the previous search.  Here, you can delete or modify each record in the list.  If you didnt search for anything before you use this function, the message, no list 0/0, will be displayed.

Each of these menu items will be discussed in the following sections below.

13.1 Table Manager

The table manager dialog box is where you can create, delete, or modify a table.  This dialog box contains the following controls.

1) Table name list : It displays the name of registered tables, and their order in the list.
2) Add table button : Using this option, you can create a new table.
3) Modify table button : Using this option, you can change the name of a table, or modify the structure of the table, by adding or deleting fields.
4) Delete table button : Using this option, you can delete the table that you have selected in the table name list.
5) Set default table button : Using this option, you can set the table that opens by default when you run the program.
6) Close button : After closing the table manager dialog box, it will take you back to where you were before you started the table manager dialog box.  If there is no registered table, the table manager dialog box will not be closed and you will just hear a beep.  

You can move between each of these controls by pressing tab (space-4-5) or shift-tab (space-1-2). 

13.1.1 Add Table

Add table is a dialog box where you can create a new table.  This dialog box contains table name edit box, registered fields list, add field button, delete field button, and confirm button.  You can move between these controls by pressing tab (space-4-5) or shift-tab (space-1-2).

Suppose you want to create a table called addressbook which contains 4 fields: name, telephone, address, and memo.  You can create this table as follows.

1) In the table manager dialog box, press tab (space-4-5) to move to the add table button, and press enter. Or you can just press a (dot 1) in the dialog box.
2) Then, the add table dialog box will appear, and the table name edit box will be focused.
3) Type addressbook and then press tab (space-4-5).
4) Then, the registered fields list will be focused.  At first, no list 0/0 will be displayed in the list.  As you add fields to this table, they will be added to this list box.
5) Press tab (space-4-5) to move to the add field button, and press enter.  Or you can just press its shortcut key, a (dot 1).
6) Then the add field dialog box will be opened, and the field name edit box will be focused.  
7) Type name here, and then press tab (space-4-5).
8) Then, the field type combo box will be focused.  Press space-4 or space-1 to move to edit box, and press tab (space-4-5).
9) The primary key check box will be focused.  If you want to set the current field as the primary key, press space in order to check it.
10) Press tab (space-4-5) to move to the confirm button, and press enter.  Now, the name field has been added to the addressbook table. 
 
If you want to cancel adding the field, press tab (space-4-5) once more to move to the cancel button, and press enter.  If you have added a new field, you will get a message saying that a new field has been added.  Then, the registered fields list will be shown again.  Now, name field appears in the list, with the form, name (edit box, pri) 1/1.  Since only one primary key exists in a table, if you have set a field as the primary key, the set primary key check box will not be shown in the add field dialog box when you add another field.  Add the telephone, address, and memo fields by repeating the step 5 through 10 above.  Note that you may want to set the field type of telephone field to number, address to edit box, and memo to multi edit box.  Once you have added all of the fields you want, press tab (space-4-5) to move to the confirm button, and press enter.

Then, the add table dialog box will be closed, and the table name list box will be shown again.  The newly created table will be added to this list, and address book 1/1 will be shown in the list.  To close the table manager dialog box, press tab (space-4-5) to move to the close button, and press enter.  Or you can just press space-z (dots 1-3-5-6) to close the dialog box.  Then, the search records dialog box will be opened, and the name field, the first field of the address book table, will be shown.  Here, you can type the name you want to search for.  

13.1.2 Modify Table

Modify table is used to modify the name or structure of a registered table.  It contains the same controls as in the add table dialog box.  To modify a table, press space-m (dots 1-3-4) or F2 to open the menu, and press enter on table manager. Or you can just press the hotkey for table manager, enter-t (dots 2-3-4-5).  The table name list will be focused when the table manager dialog box is opened.  Press space-1 or space-4 to move to the table that you want to modify, and press m (dots 1-3-4), the shortcut key for the modify table button.  Or you can press tab (space-4-5) repeatedly to move to the modify table button, and press enter. Then, a dialog box where you can modify the table will appear.  This table is same as the add table dialog box.  The only difference is that the table name edit box, and registered fields list contain the information already stored in the table.  If you want to change the name of the table, you can type the new name in the table name edit box.  If you want to add additional fields, you can use the add field button.  If you want to delete an already registered field, press space-1 or space-4 repeatedly in the registered fields list to move to the name of the field you want to delete.  Then, press d (dots 1-4-5), the shortcut key for the delete field button.  Or you can also press tab (space-4-5) repeatedly to move to the delete field button and press enter. 

To change the order of a field, which is in your table, you can move to the field that you want to change.  This can be done when you are in the registered fields list.  Once you are on the field, press p (dots 1-2-3-4) or n (dots 1-3-4-5).  Or you press tab (space-4-5) and enter on a previous field button or next field button.  

If you need to change a name of a field that is registered, move to a field name that you want to change on a registered fields list.  Then press m (dots 1-3-4) or tab (space-4-5), and enter on a modify field.  It appears as field name? (selected filed name), here you type the Name you want, and press enter.  
Even though you can change a name of a field, it is not possible to change the property of that field.

13.1.3 Delete table

This option is used when you want to delete a table.  To delete a table, Press space-m (dots 1-3-4) or F2 to open the menu, and press enter on table manager.  Or you can press enter-t (dots 2-3-4-5), the hotkey for table manager. When the table manager dialog box is opened, the table name edit box will be focused.  In this list box, you can move to the name of the table you want to delete by pressing space-4 or space-1 repeatedly, and press d (dots 1-4-5), the shortcut key for the delete table button.  Or you can press tab (space-4-5) repeatedly to move to the delete table button, and press enter. Then, delete table? Yes will be displayed.  If you want to delete, press enter, and if you want to cancel, press space to select no, and press enter.

13.1.4 Set Default Table

When you set a table as the default table, whenever the database manager is started, the table will be activated and you will be placed in the search dialog.  You can search and add fields on this table.  If you have registered more than one table and there is a table you use more frequently than the others, it may be convenient for you to set this table as the default table.  However, if no table has been set as the default table, the table that was used the last time will be activated when the database manager is started.  To set a table as the default table, press space-m (dots 1-3-4) or F2 to open the menu, and press enter on table manager.  Or you can also press enter-t (dots 2-3-4-5), the hotkey for table manager. Then, the table manager dialog box will appear, and the table name list will be focused.  In this list, press space-4 or space-1 repeatedly to move to the name of the table you want to set as the default table.  Then press s (dots 2-3-4), the shortcut key for the set default table, or press tab (space-4-5) repeatedly to move to the set default table button and press enter.  Or you can press enter on the name of the table in the table name list.  Then, you will get a message saying that the table is set as the default table, and the table manager dialog box will be closed.

13.2 Add Record

You can use this option to add information to a table that you have created.  When the database manager is started, the search records dialog box will be opened at first.  To open the add record dialog box, press space-m (dots 1-3-4) to open the menu, and press enter on add record.  Or instead of using the menu, you can just press enter-i (dots 2-4).  You can think of a record as a collection of information (fields) for an object (record).  Lets consider the addressbook table you created in the previous section.  Adding records to this table can be performed as follows.

1) Press space-m (dots 1-3-4) or F2 to open the menu, and press enter on add record. Or instead of using the menu, just press enter-i (dots 2-4).
2) Then the name field, the first field in the addressbook table, will be shown.  Here, you type the name you want to add, and press tab (space-4-5).
3) Then, the telephone field will be focused.  Here, type the phone number.  Since this field is of number type, you can type only a limited set of characters such as numbers and hyphen.  You can enter a number without the leading number sign.  If you press space instead of  (hyphen), the hyphen will be entered.  
4) Press tab (space-4-5) to move to the address field.  Type the address.
5) Press tab (space-4-5) to move to the memo field.  Since this field is of multi edit box type, you can type multiple lines.  To start a new line, press enter. 
6) Press tab (space-4-5) to move to the confirm button.  If you press enter here, the one record that you have just entered will be added to the table.  If you do not want to save the record you have just typed in, press tab (space-4-5) once more to move to the cancel button, and press enter. Or you can just press space-e (dots 1-5).

If you have added a record, the name field will be focused again so that you can add another record.  If you press shift-tab (space-1-2) at a field, the focus will be moved to the previous field.

To go back to the searching address dialog box, press enter-s (dots 2-3-4).  To open the table manager dialog box, press enter-t (dots 2-3-4-5).  If you open these dialog boxes while you are entering a record, you will be asked if you want to save the record.  Select yes or no by pressing space or backspace, and press enter. If you select yes, the record will be saved, and if you select no, it will not be saved and open the specified dialog box.  If you select cancel, the dialog box will not be opened.  

13.3 Search Records

   After you have added your records, if you want to search for   information that is in your records, you can use the search records dialog box.  To open the search records dialog box, press space-m (dots 1-3-4) and press enter on search records.  Or instead of using the menu, just press enter-s (dots 2-3-4).  Then, the search records dialog box will be opened, and the first field of the table will be focused.  Here, you can type the text that you want to search for.  If you want to search for records using content from more than one field, press tab (space-4-5) to move to another field.  Type the text to search for, and press enter. Then, the list of records found will be opened and the search result will be shown in the list of records found.  Being able to search in more than one field can be useful if you are searching for those who have the same first and last name. 
   
In the list of records found, each record will be shown in the following form.   (the name of the first field) : (other information in the record) xx/yy.  yy is the total number of records found, and xx is the order of the current record in the list.  If no record has been found, you will get the message no matched record, and the current field will be shown again, so that you can type another text to search for.  You can move through the list of records found as follows.
   
1) Move by records
Move to the next record: Space-4 or Right-scroll button
Move to the previous record: Space-1 or Left-scroll button
Move to the last record: Space-4-5-6
Move to previous same field different record: Space-3
Move to next same field different record: Space-6
Move to the first record: Space-1-2-3

2) Move between the fields in a record
Move to the next field: Space-5
Move to the previous field: Space-2
Move to the last field: Space-4-6
Move to the first field: Space-1-3

In the list of records found, if you want to search for different text, you can press enter-s (dots 2-3-4) again to open the search records dialog box.  Then, type the new text that you want to search for.

If you want to delete a record found, press space-1 or space-4 to move to the record, and press space-d (dots 1-4-5) in any of the fields in the record.  Then, you will be asked if you really want to delete the record.  Here, you can select yes or no by pressing space or backspace.  If you press enter after selecting yes, the record will be deleted, and if you select no, the deletion will be canceled.  If you want to search for records in another table, press enter-t (dots 2-3-4-5) to open the table manager dialog box, and press enter on the name of the table that you want to activate.  
If you want to change the content of a record, select the record by pressing space-1 or space-4 repeatedly.  And press enter-m (dots 1-3-4) at any field in the record.  Then, the same dialog box as the add record dialog box will be opened.  To change the content of some fields, move to the fields by pressing tab (space-4-5), type the new content of the fields, and press enter. To save the modified content of a record, press enter after typing the contents of all the fields that you want to change.  Or you can move to the confirm button by pressing tab (space-4-5) repeatedly, and press enter. If you want to cancel modifying the record, press tab (space-4-5) once more to move to the cancel button and press enter.

13.4 List of Records Found

The list of records found will appear when the search records was performed successfully.  While you are using the add record or search records dialog box, if you want to go to the list of records found, press space-m (dots 1-3-4) or F2 to open the menu, and press enter on list of records found.  Or instead of using the menu, you can just press enter-f (dots 1-2-4).

13.5 Hot Keys for Database Manager 

Add record: Enter-i (dots 2-4)
Search records: Enter-s (dots 2-3-4)
Table manager: enter-t (dots 2-3-4-5)
List of records found: Enter-r (dots 1-2-3-5)

1)  Move by controls
Move to the next control: Tab (Space-4-5 or F3)
Move to the previous control: Shift-Tab (Space-1-2 or Space-F3)

2)  Move in a list box
Move to the next list item: Space-4 or Right-scroll button
Move to the previous list item: Space-1 or Left-scroll button

3)  Select your answer in the prompt box
Move to the next answer: Space-4, Space, or Right-scroll button
Move to the previous answer: Space-1, Backspace, or Left-scroll button

4)  Move in the list of records found
Move to the next record: Space-4 or Right scroll button
Move to the last record: Space-4-5-6 
Move to the first record: Space-1-2-3.  
Move to the next field: Space-5
Move to the previous field: Space-2
Move to the last field: Space-4-6 
Move to the first field: Space-1-3 
Move to previous same field different record: Space-3
Move to next same field different record: Space-6



10


