Main Menu and Misc Features
Part II: The Program Details
Chapter 6 - Main Menu and Misc Features
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The Main Menu is divided into two sections, with the first section listed underneath the current portfolio, and the second section listed under Global Operations. The first section includes the following options:
- Activity - go to the Activity Menu, to buy shares, sell shares, and record distributions.
- Security - go to the Local Security Table, to view, add, change, or delete local securities.
- Log Maintenance - go to the Log Maintenance Menu, to view, add, change, or delete open shares records, closed shares records, or distribution records.
The second section offers the following:
- Portfolio - go to the Portfolio Table, to view, add, change, delete, or open portfolios.
- Global Security - go to the Global Security Table, to view, add, change, or delete global securities.
- Broker/Investment Company - go to the Broker/Investment Company Table, to view, add, change, or delete broker/investment companies.
- Security Types - go to the Security Type Table, to view, add, change, or delete security types.
- Reports - generate reports.
- User Settings - go to the User Settings Form to change the current settings.
- View Documentation - view the Capital Gainz documentation files.
- Check Data Consistency - check your data files for suspicious data, such as stray price entries or local securities not linked to a global security.
- Exit - return to DOS. The Esc key will not exit from the Main Menu.
At the top of the menu, the current version number is displayed. At the bottom, the remaining conventional memory is displayed. You are issued a warning if you get low on memory. See Chapter 23 for information on freeing up more memory.
Function keys at the bottom of the screen are:
- Enter - select the highlighted choice.
- F2:Backup - execute the Backup command defined in the User Settings.
- F3:Set Password - set a password to restrict access to Capital Gainz.
- F8:Utilities - switch to the Capital Gainz Utility Program.
- F9:Graphics - switch to the Capital Gainz Graphics Program.
- F10:GoTo DOS - suspend the program and invoke the DOS Shell.
6.1 BackUp
All your data can be wiped out by a disk failure, inadvertant file deletion, or a number of other actions. A backup copy of your data can save a lot of work in such a situation. The Backup key on the Main Menu executes a simple DOS batch file, CAPGNZBU.BAT, which copies the Capital Gainz data files to a diskette. This batch file can be executed from the DOS command line as well:
C:> CAPGNZBU AThis copies the data files to the disk in drive A. The Capital Gainz data files are identified by the file specifications:
*.DAT
*.K01While data on your hard disk can be inadverantly wiped out, data on diskettes is even more vulnerable. A good, simple backup strategy involves 2 or more diskettes. Label the diskettes as backups, and keep a slip of paper with each. Note the date of the last backup involving each diskette on its corresponding paper, and always backup to the oldest dated diskette. Thus, if you have 3 backup diskettes, you'll use one of them each of the first 3 times you backup. The 4th time you'll use the 1st disk, the 5th time the 2nd disk, the 6th time the 3rd disk, the 7th time the 1st disk, and so on. This way, you can limit the data loss in case you have problems with your hard disk and one or more of the backups.
6.2 Passwords
Capital Gainz implements a 1-8 character password to secure your data. A password of all spaces, the initial value after installation, is the same as having no password. Any other setting causes Capital Gainz, along with the Utility and Graphics Programs, to prompt the user for the password on startup.
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Instead of echoing the characters, each keystroke causes a '.' to be displayed. After three incorrect entries, the program aborts.
A password can be 1-8 characters long, with entry terminated by the Enter key. Any of the printable ASCII characters can be used in your password, and it is case-sensitive. The password is blank-padded, so trailing spaces are not significant. Select something you will remember, but is not easily guessed. A good way to avoid easily guessed passwords is to include at least one non-alphabetic character, such as ! or a number. From the Main Menu, you can change the password with the Set Password function. This function results in the following sequence.
- If the current password is not all spaces, you must enter it first. This prevents someone from changing your password if you leave your computer unoccupied while Capital Gainz is running.
- You are prompted to enter the new password. Keystrokes are not echoed.
- You are asked to verify the new password by retyping it. Since the password's characters are not echoed, this lets you verify your new password setting. After successful verification, the new password is in effect.
===>>> The password files are encrypted, so looking at a hex or ASCII dump of these files will not reveal your password. Capital Gainz, as well as the Utility and Graphics Programs, require that these files exist in the directory you're in when you start the program. If you delete these files, Capital Gainz and the other programs will not run. The only way to regain access if you forget your password is to reinstall the original password data files. Alternatively, you can copy old files with a known password into the program directory.
6.3 Switching Programs
You can switch among Capital Gainz, the Utility Program and the Graphics Program from each program's Main Menu. The keys are labeled: F7:Capital Gainz, F8:Utilities, F9:Graphics. However, to be able to switch:
- You must have started Capital Gainz with CG.BAT.
- Capital Gainz, the Utility Program, and the Graphics Program must all be installed in the same directory.
6.4 Shell to DOS
The Goto DOS option on the Main Menus of Capital Gainz, the Utility Program, and the Graphics Program let you suspend the program and shell to DOS. A temporary program image is saved, and your DOS command line prompt is altered. Typing EXIT from DOS returns you to the suspended program. GoTo DOS is NOT the same as ending the program with the Exit option.
6.5 View Documentation
The View Documentation option on the Main Menu lets you view the online Capital Gainz documentation, if you chose to install it. Viewing documentation is the same as viewing a report on the screen. See Chapter 15 for information about viewing reports.
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You can view the following documents on line:
- USERS MANUAL: the Capital Gainz Users Manual.
- README: the Read Me file contains recent information not included in the Users Manual, and instructions on getting started.
- LICENSE: license agreement, describing restrictions on using Capital Gainz.
- HISTORY: a revision-by-revision account of changes made to Capital Gainz.
- SELECT FILE: select another file to view, as described below.
6.5.1 Select File
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If you choose SELECT FILE, you are shown a list of files in the current directory. At the top of screen are the following fields:
- The current Directory to use.
- The File Mask to use, such as *.*.
These fields are initialized to the current directory and *.*. Function keys at the bottom of the screen are:
- Enter:Select - view the highlighted file.
- F2:Dir/Mask - go to the top and change the Directory and File Mask.
- Esc:Exit - exit from the table.
Files are not checked to see if they consist of readable text.
6.6 Online Help
===>>> Whenever Capital Gainz is waiting for input, you can hit F1 to bring up online help. The help facility uses the online users manual, displaying the section most appropriate to where you currently are in the program. You can use Ctrl-X to bring up an index of help topics and chapters from the users manual.
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After choosing a topic, the relevant part of the users manual is displayed. As indicated, some topics directly correspond to specific chapters. You can also bring up this index from the View Documentation option.
The online documentation is a subset of the complete users manual. The last two parts, containing the more narrative chapters, are not in the online version.
6.7 Date Range
===>>> Throughout Capital Gainz, you can limit records displayed or printed by specifying a range of dates in the Dates Form. On menus, you'll see a function key labeled Select Date Range, and it will indicate whether all or a range of dates are currently selected. When you select a date range, this range stays in effect for subsequent tables and reports until you explicitly change it. Limiting records to a range of dates will generally speed up table displays and reports.
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The Date Form accepts a Begin Date and an End Date. If the End Date is before the Begin Date, the two are swapped. You must enter valid dates. The F2:All Dates key lets you remove any current date restriction.
