allegro for Windows
Adaptation

This describes what to do if you already have one or more allegro databases running under DOS.
If not, and if you are going to use standard parameters only, this text is not for you.
Consult the `file checklist` if you want to know what files have to be dealt with in an allegro environment!

To adapt for the Windows programs, no changes are necessary in the data, just a few minor changes in the setup files.

We recommend ...
... to install the TTF fonts on every PC intended to use alcarta or a99 . 
These are the files a-times.ttf und a-letter.ttf . The latter is a non-proportional font for index and result list displays.
There is also a-arial.ttf as an  alternative to a-times.ttf for the display window.
The software package may reside on a server and can be started from there, but the fonts, by their nature, have to be installed locally on a PC. Lacking the fonts, some `Special characters` will appear wrong. Everything else will be ok.
If you use the complete installation package (Febr. 2001 or later) many things will already be configured in the standard way described in the handbook. Some extra information for the DOS "Classico" programs can be found in  `Chap.0.10`. 

If you have absolutely no time to lose
klick on "Catalog your own databases" on the start screen of the DEMO database. The demobase will then also act as a system manager's platform for your existing databases. The program will then search and catalog all allegro databases on any of your disks, after which each of them can be used with a99 right away. A skeleton INI is produced which may be upgraded later.
If you have databases that do not use the standard configuration, the most difficult job will be the adaptation of your display parameters, for this cannot be automated. More about that see below.

A `Checklist` lists all important files that may have to be looked after during installation.

There is also an `Overview` of allegro related files in your system.

Make your database fit for a99 

First thing you need is an INI file. Make a copy of `A99.INI` and then adapt the copy. If your database's name is base, then call the INI file  base.ini and place it on the database directory, for example c:\allegro\catalog
In this case, start a99 using this command:
	c:\allegro\allegro  c:\allegro\catalog\base
You can use this for a desktop icon. The program allegro.exe in fact starts the a99.exe, but first looks if there is a new version of it by the name of aktuell.exe, resulting from a recent upgrade. If so, this one is copied onto a99.exe first, if at all possible, or else aktuell.exe will be started itself.

Step by Step

Beispiel:

Generally, you will have a database with the following attributes (for the boldface names, insert your own names):
Configuration      	K          Default: 	A
Database          	XYZ                	CAT
Directory        	D:\DATA             	C:\ALLEGRO\DEMO
Display parameter   	D-A99.KPR           	D-WRTF.APR

The necessary steps are the following:

0. INI File     (make a copy of  a99.ini)

This file lists all commands and is commented. 
As a minimum, you need these lines:

[General]   <-- don't omit this!
Konfiguration=k     (default: a)
DbName=xyz          Name of your database (= Name of index parameter file)
DbDir=d:\data       where the database resides:
         if the INI itself resides on d:\data, this line is redundant!
DisplayParameter=D-A99
    and there may be different display parameters for alcarta: 
	(default for both is d-wrtf)
OpacDisplay=d-a99

1. IndexParameter
With every database xyz, you already have a file  xyz.kpi ! It will be either on the data path or on the program path.
This file must have the following sections in order for a99 to run properly (some may already exist)

1.1 Symbolic index names for the find command
    One line each for every index to be used in a99, and one for every "restriction" (if there are any)
    The schema is this: (There may be more symbolic indexes than real ones!)
    e.g.,  (see examples in CAT.API)
    An index name looks like this:
I PER 1 "Personal names"
    A restriction looks like this:
R DAT r1 "Date of publication"
Lacking such lines, the find menu will have no index choices to present.

1.2 Headlines of indexes, title display and result set lists

    These are the lines beginning with a  |  , e.g.,  (see CAT.API)
|1="1 : Name index"

1.3 Code table ASCII<->ANSI
    optional:
to     command to load the O.APT (done by default if this line is lacking!)
    is needed for correct display of indexes and result sets

You have to draw up a table like o.kpt yourself, if your database does not use the allegro extended font based on the  PC 437 character list. (see comments in o.apt) To prevent  o.apt  from being loaded by default, provide an empty o.apt instead.

2. Auxiliary tables

d.kpt       ASCII->ANSI for record display (Copy of d.apt)
o.kpt       ASCII<->ANSI for index and result list etc. (Copy of o.apt)
d-rtf.kpt   RTF attributes (bold, italics, colors etc.)
e-w.kpr     for export in internam format (copy of e-w0.apr)
p-w.kpr     for export in list format (if needed)
            (as a minimum, you may    copy p-w0.apr p-w.kpr )

Minimum:
Make copies of  d.apt, o.apt, d-rtf.apt, p-w0.apr and e-w0.apr  and place them on your data path (the files contain comments).

3. Display parameters  D-A99.KPR  (default  D-WRTF.KPR)
If there is no such file, D-W0.APR will be used! This will generate just a tagged display. If you want more:
Make a copy of your D-1.KPR (= the DOS display parameters) and add the following parts:

3.1 Basic parameters
   Add these lines:
    zm=0
    zl=80   mehr oder weniger
    fl=0
    dx=1
      ke=""  avoid this command (has no effect in  DOS anyway)

3.2 Tables
    At the end of the file, add these lines: (no spaces at left margin!)
    td-rtf      RTF-Attribute
    td          Tabelle ASCII -> ANSI
    to		Tabelle o.apt für Auswahlfeld und Schreibfeld

3.3 Section for alternative display: (by F5 or via Menu "View")
    Place these lines any line containing  #+# : (no spaces at left margin!)
    #-(
    #t{ s0 &0 #4 }   oor 5 instead of 4 if tags are 3 characters!
    ## 
    #t{ C }
    #+#

3.4 Text elements

If these contain umlauts or accented characters (p... or P...) they will come out wrong.
Fix: replace the special characters in such places by their ANSI counterparts.
For example, if you have a line

19="Übersetzer: "

then for the Ü (= ASCII 154) insert ANSI code 220 

3.5 Fonts

If you want a columnated display, you cannot use a proportional font. 
In this case, add a line

as="  \f2 "

which will select a Courier-line font as the display font.
In DISPHEAD.RTF , the fonts to be used can be configured and then be applied in the display by inserting commands of type  "\fn " .

4. Configuration
Your file $K.CFG or K.CFG can likely remain unaltered. With very large configurations (like Pica) the values of the commands md, mb and mP may have to be set higher than for the DOS-System. If you have, in your CFG:

md150
mb200
mP2000

then change this to:

md300
mb500
mP5000

Prompt lists do work in a99, but loops for multiple fields present a problem. We recommend to configure a  `Forms file` instead and use the options available for multi-fields in the forms concept. 

5. Help files

are described in  `HELP.RTF`
For your database, you should at least have one additional help file:

DbNameENG.RTF    use Wordpad to create it (make a copy of CATENG.RTF of the demobase)

HA_InENG       ASCII files for your indexes n=1..9
Hnnn 		Help texts for the input functions, #nnn = field tag.
Tip: If h123  doesn't exist, the program searches for h12, and not finding this either, for h1. So, you can at first do help files  H0, ... H9  only, for the field groups #0XX - #9XX , and make more help files for single fields as the need is felt.

6. Menu addition (for experts)

It is possible to add another function to the main menu.
In the INI file, add:

MyMenu=Abc
MyFLEX=xyz

Abc is the menu title, for example "SuperFunction", xyz is the FLEX call, like  X super.

?HELP.RTF=h help
?Special characters=h char
?a99.ini=h a99.ini
?Chap.0.10=h ac0-10
?Forms file=h form
?Overview=X files
?Checklist=h flisteng.txt
?file checklist=h flisteng.txt