REVIEW

Disk Data Manager For VIC And 64

Cal Hunter

After acquiring my first computer, a Commodore VIC-20, I found that my most pressing need was for a data processing program that would enable me to maintain customer profile information and to search out, sort, and print mailing lists and different categories of information for marketing programs.
    After browsing the magazine advertisements, I chose Disk Data Manager by MicroSpec. It requires a minimum of 8K expansion for a VIC (to handle up to 600 records). With even greater expansion, up to 1200 records can be maintained.
    Novices should have no difficulty handling the program. The instruction manual is well-written and thorough, and program prompts are self-explanatory. It's worth the time, however, to carefully read the instruction manual before loading and running the program.

Functional Screen Displays
I was impressed with the functional and professional-looking screen displays. When the program is loaded and run, a menu appears:


    Entering the first two characters executes the desired function. The first time you run the program, the only valid options will be to CReate a File or EXit the File. A data base description file is required to perform the other options.
    One word of caution: It is imperative that you always exit the program with the EXit option. This procedure closes and updates all file records. Failure to do so can result in all newly entered data being erased.
    To create a file format, enter the CReate option. You will be queried on the number of fields per record. Any number up to nine may be selected. You will then be prompted to name each field.
    My prospect file required seven fields:


    The Disk Data Manager permits me to add new prospects, delete a record when it is no longer needed, or change a record when new information is obtained. It's efficient. At any time, I can browse through my prospects or even search for a particular record. If I wish, I can print out a complete listing of the desired information in any category.
    The PRint option offers several functions. You may print your entire file in record number sequence, or you may specify a field to sort on. If you select a field to sort on, you will be asked to specify the low and high limits. For instance, in the above prospect file, if you elected to sort on field #5, you could elect a low of 35 and a high of 50. The report would then be printed listing only persons in the file between 35 and 50 years of age.

Commodore 64 Version
When I recently traded in my VIC for a Commodore 64, I ordered the 64 Data Manager, a somewhat more elaborate version of the same program.
    The menu is the same. The add, delete, and change options are still basically the same, but the browse function permits you to examine the next record forward or backward.
    The SEarch and PRint options offer some very useful changes. Instead of the sort by low and high parameters, you may now become more specific by entering selection criteria. The message line will prompt: "field# (eq, ne, gt, lt, ge, le) Argument." You may select one of the two-character equivalency parameters. They stand for equal, not equal, greater than, less than, greater than equal to, and less than equal to. Argumen stands for the value you wish the field compared against. An example might illustrate this concept best:

Field #	Field ID
1	Name
2	Age
3	Sex
4	Salary

    We wish to select persons over 30 years old who are male and earn $20,000 or less. We would then enter the following criteria:


    Disk Data Manager is quite a flexible, valuable tool.

Disk Data Manager
MicroSpec, Ltd.
2905 Ports O'Call Court
Plano, TX 75075
$59.95