Instant "Old Job" Retrieval from Printer's Plan Files

by: George Croft - The Print Shoppe - Dallas, Texas

      =========== Overview ================

This is an alternate and infinitely faster method of finding
old jobs stored in Printer's Plan. Using the Reports Menu, a
"list" of all jobs in a given year is requested. The list is
sent to a TEXT FILE rather than to the printer. Then, a
simple shareware file browser is used to search and retrieve
job information from the generated text file instead of
using Plan7's much, much slower internal search features.
Windows users, can automate the process by creating an icon
to instantly launch the browsersearch. Existing Plan7 files
are neither used nor altered in any way in the search.

This method of search is EXTREMELY fast and also allows you
to define ANY type of search string you want (the search key
can be a part of a Name, Job Description, Paper, Job
Number... anything at all!)


Here are the How-To Details:

Here's the step-by-step procedure on how YOU can set it
up in a minute or two...

===== Creating search data files ========================

1. In Plan7, click on REPORTS menu

2. Click HISTORY

3. Select a YEAR and click OK  (it pauses)
         
4. When list is presented, click OK (which selects all items)

5. At next screen, select   ITEM LIST 

6. At next screen, select   (.) File

7. Now, NAME the new file... ALL1996.TXT (or, similarly
descriptive name)

8. Click OK and WAIT... it takes up to 5-10 minutes if you
have a large number of history files... don't worry.

9. When done... a brand new TEXT file has been created which
contains ALL the essential data about EVERY job you did in
all of 1996 (or whatever year you clicked). The file may be
up to 2 megabytes (and it's worth every byte).

Repeat this process for EACH YEAR for which you need a
history search file. This compilation from Plan7 to text
file only needs to be done THIS ONE TIME for each year of
history!

All you need now... is a common and tiny little utility
called a "file browser" which will let you do lightning fast
searches inside the new ALL1996.TXT text file you created.
You will not believe the search speeds and newfound
versatility of using ANY search criteria you choose!

====== Setting up a Browser =======================

10. Find BROWSE.COM ( or BR.COM) on your system. If you do
not have it, download it from any shareware site. It is very
small... less than 5000 bytes. (Upon your request, I will
include the one we use... BR.COM  and will attach it to an
email and send it to you. Just copy the browser to a
subdirectory in your PATH).

11. Make sure you copy the BROWSER.COM file (or similar
browser) into an area included in your computer's PATH or
copy it directly into the Plan7 area.

12. For DOS systems, simply type the command: BROWSE
ALL_1996.TXT in order to pop into that year's whole history
file.  For WINDOWS, create a icon (New Item). Name the icon
"Job1996" (or whatever describes that year), the command
line should read:  browse c:\plan7\all_1996.txt

(Correct the above command statements as necessary to
reflect your actual drive letter, file name, and browser
name). Save the icon. Now, all you have to do is click on
the icon any time you need to search that year.

13. Once the browser has opened the text history file, you
use only TWO simple keys to search... Find = "F" and Again =
"A". To initiate a search, type  F  and enter ANY keyword
(or partial) you remember about the job... anything at all.
Even if you can remember only that it was TICKETS or FOLDER
or JONES or SALLY or PHONE NUMBER or INK COLOR... you'll
find your match. Upper/lowercase doesn't matter. The browse
utility will find all the occurences of your key as fast as
you can press your keys. Press  A  to continue finding any
search key... Again and Again.

14. Generate a Plan7 text file and a Windows icon for each
past year you have on file. However, if you know how, you
can combine all individual year files into one giant megafile
which will further speed your searches.  This is done by
copying all the individual "year" files into one big one.

Sample syntax in DOS:

copy  jobs1994.txt+jobs1995.txt+jobs1996  alljobs.txt


Please tell me how you like this new search method.  

Thanks,

George Croft
Printers Shareware
The Print Shoppe
Dallas, Texas
214-350-5353

Printshoppe@azone.net
GeorgePSW@azone.net