mp1u+@andrew.cmu.edu (Michael Portuesi) (09/28/88)
I actually would like my Amiga to perform a practical use for me. I have about
a megabyte of recipes I have collected off Usenet and Fidonet, and would like
to put them into some kind of database where each record has the following
features:
* has a field containing the name of the recipe
* has an unlimited length text field (essentially a text buffer that
can be scrolled through, changed and resaved) that contains the list of
ingredients
* has a text buffer to store the instructions for cooking the recipe.
It would be nice if the database offered a utility to convert properly
structured text files into its format, so I can take the megabyte of messages I
have now, transmogrify them into the proper format with MG, and import them
into the program.
What I (ideally) would like to be able to do once I have the recipes stored:
* Select "Search" off a menu.
* type a keyword into a requester box.
* have a window pop up containing a list of the names of all the
recipes containing that keyword in a scrollable box.
* Clicking on the name of one of these recipe titles pops up a window
containing that recipe.
In addition, it would be nice if the software could support marking some or all
of the found messages and perform operations on them, such as delete, move to a
different database (or "stack" for HyperCard groupies), print, write to text
file, etc.
Is there a commercially-available program for the Amiga that can do this?
Aside from the ability to import text, it seems HyperCard on the Mac could do
most or all of this stuff. I looked at the review of database programs in the
September AmigaWorld, and none of them seem to meet my needs. They either try
to be Dbase clones or get hung up with doing useless things such as filing IFF
images. Microfiche Filer came the closest to what I want to do, but even then
it can't handle arbitrary length fields.
If you have any words of advice, please send them via E-mail, as the Andrew
netnews feed is backed up by about two weeks and doesn't seem to be getting
better anytime soon.
--M
Michael Portuesi / Information Technology Center / Carnegie Mellon University
ARPA/UUCP: mp1u+@andrew.cmu.edu BITNET: rainwalker@drycas
"my friends say she's a dumb blonde, but they don't know she dyes her hair"