The example program is a simplified version of one in use by O. E. Nelson. The program and the format of the data are easily modified to individual needs. There is no need to worry about ordering your files because stock information is seldom retrieved using a unique key that the file can be sorted on. This program retrieves stock information using a genotypic description. The retrieved information is the full genotypic description and the stock number of this plant's seed packet and those of its parents. All records containing the target description are retrieved on the first search. Additional target description information may be specified after each search until the remaining stocks are the handful desired. On each pass you may specify that retrieval is to be done on the basis of two traits. The traits may be specified to include this trait or exclude this trait in seed, pollen, or either seed or pollen. In between operations the program will give you the option of searching again, turning the printer on or off, or starting over with a fresh set of genotypic descriptions.
This program is written in dBASE 11 (c) Ashton-Tate. That makes it very portable; it will run on any personal computer with a dBASE II interpreter without modification. Data entry is done with the dBASE II append command and is very simple. Data may contain spaces and all printable characters except ";". The stock numbers may contain letters and "-" if you wish. The data files for the stocks are created using the create command and may be edited using the edit command. Data may not be changed inside the program. The dBASE II commands are explained in the manual that comes with the interpreter.
The file the program will use will be called NELSON.DBF. dBASE II will take care of the DBF part of the name and placing an entry in the disk directory.
Search time on the first pass is about 3 minutes for Dr. Nelson's records from 1970 through 1982; subsequent passes are much faster. We will be happy to supply a complete copy of the version we use at U.W. to anyone who requests one. We use 8 inch floppy disks formatted for a CP/M system.
Randolph Cunningham
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