Changes

Getting back to the main program, the printer routine is very flexible, giving the user complete control over what parts of a record to print as well as where to print it on the page. You may also insert spaces and blanklines to make the printout morereadable. Among the most useful aspects ofthis program is the abiity ability to createsubfiles within the main record file.This may. be done in several ways.including basing the subfile on akeyword that is in the field or a keywordnot present in the field. or bynumerical relationship, such a·sas greater than or less than otherrecords in the field. You may also usetwo keywords on which to base asubfile. ===Ease of Use: === It will take severalhours for the new user to get used tohow the system works, but that is tobe expected for any applicationsprogram. Perhaps the most frustratingproblem I ran into is the fact thatthe data disk must be separate fromthe program disk because of themanner in which the two areaccessed. For someone with only onedisk drive, it means a lot of diskswitching. But that's the price youpay to have 500 records on file.Documentation: IUG provides a12-page manual to guide the user

 ===Value: === There is only one problemwith Database 500, and in my mind itrenders the program inappropriatefor business use. Namely, data inputproceeds at a snail's pace. You cannotsimply type away; enteringwords as quickly as your fingers hitthe keys. There is a pause betweeneach keystroke so that the letter can be registered. This is not an inconvenience for one-finger typists, but it becomes increasingly frustrating for those who type faster than 20 words per minute. Maximum data entry efficiency is achieved by finding a typing speed which keeps up with the program but does not outpace it. If you exceed the processing speed of the program the data you type will not be registered. What does this mean for the home user? Well. I can only go on the basis of my experience. We have a very large library and I ordered this program primarily to catalog our collection of books. However, by the time I finished inputting the sixth shelf of books-there are more than 36 shelves in total - I decided that I don't need a catalog that badly. It took about six hours to get that far, only part of which was because of the time it took to fetch books from shelves and open to the cover page. Now I'm thinking of reducing the number of entry fields Per record to just author name, title, and location. I figure this will speed entry along. though I had visions of including such relevant information as publishing date, page numbers, type of fiction etc. The tradeoff here is that if I use database 500 to its fullest potential I will pay for it in the number of boring hours I must spend inputting data. On the other hand, if I settle for a less comprehensive data file I can expect to finish the task without literally losing a lot of sleepto do it. Despite this criticism. the low price is exceptional for such a sophisticated program. If you've got the time to use it, this could very well turn out to be one of the best bargains you will ever find in applications software for Texas Instruments home computers. '''— JK'''