This is the overview read me for the entire Leverage distribution containing last minute information about it and also some not so last minute information that you should be aware of. Contents -------- This distribution contains Leverage version 3.0 (for Newton OS 2.0 or later) and supporting files and applications (e.g., LevLink for scriptable Macintosh communication with Leverage). It also contains Leverage version 1.5 for use with use with Newton devices running 1.x versions of the Newton OS. Leverage version 3.0 should not be installed on a Newton device that does not have version 2.0 or later of the Newton OS. Installation ----------- To install the software onto your Macintosh simply copy the diskette onto your hard drive or open the diskette and copy the two files (this read me and the self extracting archive) onto your hard drive. Double click on the self extracting archive (Leverage.sea) to create a Leverage folder containing Leverage version 3.0, Leverage version 1.5, and all the supporting files. If you have a Newton with Newton OS 2.0 or later (e.g., a MessagePad 130 or 2000 or an eMate 300), you should install Leverage 3.0. If you have a Newton with a 1.x version of the Newton OS (e.g., a MessagePad 110), you should install Leverage 1.5. Some special considerations of installing Leverage onto your Newton as an update to an earlier version is explained in the version 3.0 addendum. Note that most installers (the Newton Package Installer and the Newton Backup Utility, for example) require that the package not already exist for the download to succeed, so if you are updating a previous version of Leverage, you'll need to remove it first. It is not necessary to remove old databases. Either scrub the Leverage icon in the Extras Drawer or select it and choose Delete from the Action button (the button in the lower right that looks like an envelope). Newton will ask for confirmation that you want to delete Leverage. (In 1.x versions of the Newton OS you remove applications from the Extras Drawer using the Card app or the Memory Preferences, depending on where the applications are installed.) If you *do* want to start completely fresh with no old databases, start your old copy of Leverage, go into Prefs and tap on "Erase Databases", confirm that this is really what you want to do. Leverage will quit and report progress as it erases the databases. When it is done you can go into the Extras Drawer and delete the Leverage icon. You are now ready for a clean installation (although it wouldn't hurt to reset the device first). The FileMaker Pro connectivity scripts require AppleScript. If you have system 7.5 or later or system 7 pro, AppleScript is part of the system. You may also have AppleScript as part of another package. If you do not already have AppleScript, open the folder named "put contents in Extensions" and copy the contents into the Extensions folder in your System folder. This also installs communications tools used by LevLink. Even if you already have AppleScript you may still need to install the communications tools from this folder (Text Tool, TTY Tool, AppleTalk ADSP Tool, and Serial Tool). The cautious approach would be to copy the tools into the Extensions folder one at a time, choosing to cancel the copy if the Finder complains that a file of that name already exists -- particularly if is says a newer file of the same name exists. Documentation ------------- Documentation on the updates to Leverage has not been incorporated into the Reference Manual yet. The documentation for changes to Leverage between version 1 and version 1.5 can be found at the end of the manual in the first addendum. Documentation on the new Leverage connectivity features can be found in the second addendum. Documentation on changes to Leverage between version 1.5 and version 2.0 is in the third addendum. And, yes, that's right, documentation on changes for version 3.0 are in the fourth addendum. The tutorial is up to date for Leverage version 3.0. If you are using Leverage version 1.5 and want to use a version of the tutorial specifically for that version, you can obtain an electronic copy from our ftp site. The addenda are not indexed. The main index has not been updated to reflect the changes to the tutorial for Leverage version 3.0. LevLink's only documentation is a Read Me in the LevLink folder. Someday there will be more. Undocumented Features --------------------- Features that didn't make it into an addendum: Modem connections are now supported for import and export. Of course, something has to be on the other end of the line waiting for the call. The MicroPhone folder now includes a Leverage Modem Server settings file similar to the Leverage ADSP Server settings file. See the Read Me in the Connection:Microphone:MPPro folder for information. If the current database includes a bar code field, scanning a bar code while the Go dialog is up places the bar code input into the Go dialog. This is useful for quickly moving to records indexed by large serial numbers, for example. The indexed field (the one you're "Go"ing on) doesn't have to be a bar code field itself (although it probably will be), but there does have to be a bar code field in the database. Logically or-ing fieldFlags with 4096 causes a barcode swipe in that field to create a new record. Column totals in list view should now format correctly if appropriate (this applies principally to "real" fields). Things you shouldn't try: ---------------------- You are advised that the "Assimilate" selection from the Action button is for thrill seekers only. You will search in vain for documentation. The user interface for this feature is inadequate for most uses. Don't use colons (':') in field names (e.g., don't call a time string "HH:MM" or a blood pressure field "Sys:Dia") as it will cause confusion with multifield indices. You also shouldn't use slashes in field names (e.g., "Sys/Dia") since it will confuse smart links (if they're so smart, how come they get confused?) Of course, you can live without smart links, so this may not be a problem, but any use of colons in a field name will cause trouble with sorting on that field. The following installation/deinstallation sequence will annoy Leverage: 1. install Leverage on a card, 2. erase Leverage (without removing databases), 3. remove card, 4. install Leverage internally 5. put card back in Leverage will recreate the internal databases in step 4, so there will be duplicates after step 5. This is not fatal, but it will probably cause Leverage to complain about internal database definitions being corrupted when it starts. The error message is benign, but becomes irksome after a few weeks. If you install Leverage on a card and later decide you would rather have it installed internally, you should erase all databases before removing Leverage. Of course, if you have data you don't want to lose you'll want to export it first (see Chapter 13 of the Leverage Reference) so you can import it back into Leverage after it is installed where you want it. There is additional information on installing Leverage as an update in the version 3.0 addendum. It is best not to cancel a database modification after changes have been made to link options (specifically SmartLinks) since these changes will not be undone properly. If it is necessary to cancel changes, you will probably need to go into expert mode, remove the appropriate records from the _links database, and then re-add them in the Modify Database dialog (or you could correct them by hand, but this is fraught with peril). Fields connected by smart links should be of the same type. It would probably be nice of Leverage to automatically convert as needed (or at least warn you of mismatches), but it does not do so. Even something as apparently reasonable as linking a real and an integer field is unlikely to behave as desired. If you delete the list view part of a split view, Leverage will complain (but try to do something useful) the next time you try to display that split view. Similarly if you delete the index on the linking field in the bottom/list/many/detail database in a split view (e.g., Invoice and Lines databases linked by an "invoice" field in the Lines database -- this field should be indexed, but you could perversely delete the index), Leverage will try to do something useful (in fact, Leverage will try to show the related records, although this is very inefficient without an index), but will complain about the missing index *at every record*. Known bugs and misfeatures: -------------------------- You cannot transfer note fields from Newton to Newton yet (i.e., export a database with note fields from Leverage on one Newton and import it into Leverage on another Newton). You can beam (or email) individual records that include notes, however. Adds to the _tables database will sometimes fail during import to Leverage (producing a Leverage Add Failed notification on the Newton.) This problem is due to a bug in the Newton OS regarding the handling of duplicate keys. A likely candidate would be a very large table since table elements are indexed by table name, so every element in a table has the same key value. Apple is working on a resolution. Leverage sometimes fails to ask whether to add a value to a table when a new value is entered and you have "Ask whether to add" checked for that table field. In particular, selecting a value from the pop-up list and then appending text to the end of the value by writing into the field usually exhibits this behavior. The data is stored correctly in the record and the table is not damaged, although the pop-up list is confused. Leverage's idiosyncratic handling of field name capitalization is not a bug, although it is probabably a misfeature. The "Go" button works with multi-field indices, but you can only go based on the value of the first field in the index. Furthermore, the "Go" button doesn't understand reverse order sorts. Leverage leaves you in split view when you modify the top/one/main/master database (i.e., the only one you can modify when in split view). It should probably take you to single record view, particularly since you might be deleting the field that relates the two databases. You can use 8-bit characters (i.e., accented characters, characters with diacritical marks such as an umlaut) in field names, but, since NewtonScript is a 7-bit language, such fields cannot then be used in code. Conflicts -------- There have been reports of conflicts with some scroll enhancements (ScrollMenu?) and also with i++. Trademarks ---------- FileMaker is a registered trademark of Claris Corporation. AppleScript is a trademark of Apple Computer. There are others. Contacting us ------------ Naturally, we're very interested in hearing about your experiences (good and bad) with Leverage. You can try email, support@balconessoftware.com or balcones@bga.com or, Balcones Software 13102 Briar Hollow Dr. Austin, TX 78729 or there's always 512/353-7289 or 512/258-3731 or fax 512/331-0155 or 512/353-3008 See our web page, www.balconessoftware.com, which includes a link to our ftp site, ftp.bga.com/vendors/balconessoftware.com for additional sample databases, utilities, hints, demos and documentation. You can usually find the latest available copy of Leverage there in demo form (the only limitation on the demo being a limit on how long or how many times it can be invoked.) If anyone has a database they think others would find useful, please let us know and we'll include it among the samples. last modified 13 June 1997