Impact! Demo Version
by Circle Software

This demo version of Impact is public domain, and may be used to store names and addresses in the 'Addresses' database supplied.

It may be converted into a fully working version, allowing the design of custom databases, by paying the full retail price of 49.95 + VAT, and obtaining a security code number from Circle Software. This may be done over the phone quoting a credit card number, or by post enclosing a cheque. In either case, the instruction manual will be sent by return post.

Fully working versions of Impact ARE NOT PUBLIC DOMAIN! and are covered by the normal copyright laws.


DEMO INSTRUCTIONS
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Running the application installs the Impact icon on the icon bar.

VIEWING A DATABASE
To view the sample Address file supplied on this disc, click Select on the Impact! icon on the icon bar to display the Edit Database dialogue box. This box allows any database to be viewed or edited. Then click Menu over the Database box in the top right hand corner, and select Addresses (the only one at present) from the displayed menu. When you do this, the record card for this database will be displayed.

The selected database may be browsed by clicking Select on either of the two blue arrows in the Edit Database window, to move forwards or backwards through the database records, the record data being displayed on the record card. In this mode, records are displayed in whatever order they were entered.

SEARCHING
To find a specific entry, click Menu over the Name box on the record card. A pop-up menu will be displayed, showing the record field number. Move the pointer over the blank entry to display the caret, and enter 'smith' (lower case), and type the Return key. The first record containing 'smith' will be displayed.

To find other 'smith's, again click Menu over the Name box, but this time click on 'smith' with the Adjust button. The next record containing 'smith' will be displayed. As Adjust keeps the menu open, further clicks may be used to find any further 'smith's on record. A 'bleep' from the computer indicates that no more matching records could be found.

INDEXES
Impact! allows any number of indexes to be created, on any field in the database. As supplied, the Addresses database has just one index created on the Name field, and this may be selected by clicking Menu over the Index box and selecting the Sorted index (the only entry at present). The effect of this index may be switched on and off by clicking on the tick box to the right, but for now leave it ticked. Clicking on the arrows will now allow you to browse through the database in sorted name order. All indexes are automatically kept up to date when records are added or deleted.

FILTERS
Impact! also allows selections of records to be made from a database, which may be useful when printing labels, mail merging, etc, and this is done by defining Filters. A single filter has been defined for this database, which may be selected as before by clicking Menu over the Filter box and selecting the Card List filter. This filter has been defined to filter out all records having the 'Card list' box ticked, intended to indicate that the person named is on our Christmas card, or similar list. Browsing with the arrows will now only display the selected records.

Complex Filters may be defined to select on multiple criteria, by making simple menu selections using the Edit Filter option from the icon bar menu. This is beyond the scope of these brief notes, but may be fully explored using this demo version.

DATA ENTRY
This feature is fully working in this demo version, and is invoked by clicking Select on the Data entry box so that a tick is displayed. When this is done, the record card will be cleared ready for entry. Simply enter the required text followed by the Return key, which will advance the caret to the next field. Return in the last field will cause the data to be written to disc, and the card cleared ready for the next name and address.

You may use this feature with this demo version to store your own addresses. Existing records may be deleted by clicking on the Delete Record button. The Delete Database button will remove the entire Addresses database from the disc, NOT just clear it's contents, so do not do this, as you cannot recreate it.

EXPORTING DATA
Data may be extracted from the database by clicking Menu over the Impact! icon on the icon bar, and selecting the Export option, to display the Export Data window. (The previous windows may be closed at this point.) This window is opened with settings conforming to the Acorn draft CSV file standard, and settings should not be changed if exporting to applications which require standard CSV import.

This window functions in the same manner as the first, and you should now select the Addresses database, and the Sorted index. The only extra action needed is to select the fields required, by clicking Menu over the Fields box. Do this, and click Adjust (to keep the menu open) on the Name field, and Select (to close the menu) over the Post code entry. This box will indicate that 2 fields have been selected. At this point either of the two file icons in the 'Save as' sub-window may be dragged to any application which will accept them, including a printer driver. The choice of icon only affects the exported file type, not it's contents.

MAIL MERGING
An important feature of Impact! is it's ability to merge data directly into an Impression document, and facilities are even provided to help construct the document. To produce a sheet of labels, first install Impression (or Junior), and select Merge from the Impact! icon bar menu.

Next select the Addresses database, and any index or filter if required. Then click Menu over the Document box and select the Lab-LPL03 label document. This document will be loaded by Impression and displayed. You may need to rearrange the Desktop so that you can see both windows. Now click the 1st box to select the first record, then the View button, to provide a pre-view of the first sheet of labels. Impact! will then talk to Impression, and the labels will be displayed after a short delay while data is transfered directly between the two programs. If you have a printer driver installed, the 'Print' button may be used instead. The 'Edit button will return the document to it's editable state.

CREATING A DATABASE
As stated above, you cannot create new databases using this demo version of Impact! However, you can see how easy this is, by going through the motions. To do this select the Create option from the icon bar menu. This will cause two boxes to be displayed, the upper one is the Create control window, the lower one a blank record card.

To design a database, simply choose field types from the panel in the upper box, and drag them onto the blank card. A placement grid is provided to aid the layout. Text legends may be included on the card by entering these in the Legend box, and dragging it onto the card. Fields may be grouped together by dragging the Box item onto the card. All placed items may be further moved by simple dragging, or be altered in size by dragging one edge at a time using the Adjust button.

Further alterations may be made by clicking Menu over a placed item, or the card background, and choices made from the displayed menus. This should be largely self explanatory.

An existing database card may be used as a template for a new database, by clicking Menu over the Database box, and selecting a database to copy.

OTHER FEATURES
The other features, may be explored at your leasure, but please remember that however easy a program is to use, there is no real substitute for the instruction manual, which fully explains in detail how to use all the features.

REGISTRATION
If you should decide that Impact! could be useful to you, you may unlock it's full potential NOW by registering this copy. To register, contact Circle Software, 33 Restrop View, Purton, Swindon, Wilts SN5 9DG, tel. 0793 770021.

The Impact! Instruction Manual will be supplied after program registration.
