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 • Why you can't use QABACKUP (the backup utility that comes with Q&A for DOS) after 12/31/99 and what alternatives you have.
• How to program and use linked lists for hierarchical data structures such as a military chain of command, Part 2
• Using programmed retrieval expressions to perform complex record retrieval operations
• How to get a Q&A for Windows report that includes just the "current" record
• Getting correct subtotals and totals in a Q&A for DOS "totals-only" report
• How to make Q&A repeat duplicated values in a sorted report column
• How to get rid of unwanted double-spacing in a report
• Migrating from Q&A DOS to Q&A Windows, Part 1 (Focus is on reproducing forms for data entry and viewing)
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99		 • Using Q&A 5.0's @Userselect command to view data from an external database record (instead of using it as a picklist display tool)
• What to do if your database's four-digit date format is making your report columns too wide
• Line Draw characters must be removed from Q&A Write documents before converting them to Acrobat Reader PDF files
• Why you should back up your database form design independently of your data
• How to program and use linked lists for hierarchical data structures such as a military chain of command
• Why using 'Remote Access Servers' with Q&A isn't such a good idea
• What to do if Print Preview in Q&A for DOS causes problems
• How to make temporary changes to a Q&A for Windows report
• Q&A for DOS merge documents won't work in Q&A for Windows unless you modify them
• More on using the Lesspace utility so you don't have to partition a large hard drive just to run Q&A
• A comprehensive index for the Q&A for DOS Application Programming Tools Manual
• Using the @Rest function as a retrieval expression
• How to align the fields in your Q&A for DOS database so they're easy to copy to the Windows clipboard as a group
• A review of the latest version of DTFWIN - the powerful add-on for Q&A for Windows
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99		 • Programming your database so you can use it with both Q&A for DOS and Q&A for Windows
• A handy keyboard shortcut for deleting the rest of the old field entry after you've typed a new one
• Indenting second and subsequent lines in a report (hanging indent)
• A freeware WAV file player that plays your WAV files from a Q&A 5.0 database really fast
• A simple program that lets you type 2-digit years when entering 21st century dates
• What you need to know about running Q&A 5.0 on an NT network
• Advantages and disadvantages of using a RAM Disk with disk-intensive Q&A operations
• Things to check after changing PCs or printers and experiencing printing problems
• Create a time-clock database that lets network users clock-in and -out
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99		 • How to link Q&A data to Microsoft Word. Technique involves programming an MS Word document to prompt you to select the records to merge print. When you make your selection, a third party utility extracts the selected records and fields from the Q&A database and merge-prints them in the Word document. (Includes VBA code for Word document.)
• How to use "temporary" specs when performing multiple operations on the same database (such as archiving a selected group of records, then removing the same records from the original database). Ensures that same group of records is operated on.
• Various techniques that let you control when your XUserselect and Userselect lists display.
• Enhancing Crosstab reports. Includes techniques to enhance certain rows or columns and force Q&A to sort the report the way you want.
• Calculate group and overall profit percentages in a report.
• Why Q&A can't "permanently sort" a database and how to work around the "limitation."
• Processing text file records (such as Web forms received as email that you save to text file format). Technique parses the text file and puts the data into the appropriate fields in the Q&A database.
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99		 • Reporting Changes over time. Report technique that lets you select a date range and get data from the first and last records (only) within that range.
• How to quickly check for duplicate records in a database without the risk of removing any of the dups.
• How to generate flashing, beeping conditional messages in a Q&A database. How to make fields and messages on the message line blink on and off to really grab the user's attention.
• How to remove password protection from a database.
• How to disable the Intelligent Assistant.
• How to get the contents of a database field into Q&A's word processor.
• Printing graphic images in Q&A Write documents.
• How to sort on a complex alphanumeric text field on alpha characters first.
• How to make Q&A auto-fill a Fax Number field.
• How to play Windows sound files (WAV and MIDI files) from a Q&A 5.0 database.
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99		 • The Ultimate Application Switcher. A master menu for a Q&A database system that allows you to switch between applications such as order entry, customer maintenance, inventory control, payroll with a single mouse click. Actually swaps in different macro files (modules) when each app has its own macro file
• The advantages of using multiple macro files instead of one huge global macro file
• How to toggle display on and off in a macro
• How to merge large Q&A text fields (a comments or notes field, for example) with MS Word documents
•  Subdividing a Mature Database, Part 2. Case study about splitting up a huge "everything-but-the-kitchen-sink" database into multiple smaller databases for efficiency, then linking them together into a user-friendly system
• Why the "Copy 2" message can fail to appear when you're running a second copy of Q&A, and how to create and use a custom Main menu for the second copy so you always know where you are
• Another way to run a second copy of Q&A (on top of an initial copy)
• How to design a batch file that will start Lesspace.com before starting Q&A, then remove Lesspace from memory when you quit Q&A. (Lesspace is for use when you need to run Q&A DOS in a large +1.8G hard drive partition)
• Special considerations for Installing Q&A 4.0 for DOS on a large (+1.8G) hard drive partition
•  Minor problem that can occur when returning from Print Preview mode when Q&A DOS is running in a window in Windows 95/98
• What causes the weird "Disk Drive Door Open" message and how to fix the problem
• Techniques for replacing part of the contents of a field with something else across multiple database records (such as auto-replacing "canine" with "dog" in a Keyword field or standardizing name and address fields with consistent abbreviations or punctuation)
• Auto-incrementing numbers in sequential database records without using @Number
• Q&A enters the current year in a date by default
• Auto-duplicating data from the previous record
• Having Q&A auto-skip fields when conditions in the database dictate that they should be left blank
• Programming to apportion an amount of money between various categories
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99		 • Subdividing a Mature Database, Part 1. Case study about splitting up a huge "everything-but-the-kitchen-sink" database into multiple smaller databases for efficiency, then linking them together into a user-friendly system
• Which HP DeskJet printer models NOT to buy for use with Q&A for DOS
• Keystroke-saving shortcuts you can add to your databases to assist with the entry of 21st century dates
• How to have Q&A strip unwanted punctuation from address fields to make them conform with modern postal addressing standards
• How to apply the Q&A Y2K patch when Q&A for DOS is running on a Windows 3.1 or DOS PC
• Why a macro with video off won't display a record when its in use elsewhere on the network
• The usual reason why Q&A won't let you save your Program Spec
• An alternative to using Q&A's Copy Records command when either database might be in use
• Brief story of a guy who "died and went to MS Access" then desperately wanted to return to Q&A
• Slick technique for working around Q&A's 64K per-database programming limit
• Making your Q&A Write for DOS documents portable. Easy way to convert Q&A docs so others who don't have Q&A can view them. Useful technique if you need to send your docs to others on the network or across the Internet in a form that doesn't require Q&A to open and read them.
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99

 • The easiest way to mail merge your Q&A data with Microsoft Word for Windows documents. (Step-by-step guide to setting up a Word mail merge using data from Q&A)
• What you need to know to publish data from your Q&A databases (or put the databases themselves) on a Web site (so remote visitors to the Web site can view and even interact with your Q&A data)
• How to get grand averages on column totals in a report
• @Help - The 12 most frequently-asked-questions about Q&A • Which versions of Q&A are Y2K compliant? • Is there a Windows 95 or 98 version of Q&A? • Will Q&A for Windows run in Windows 95 and 98? • Will Q&A run on today's fast Pentium PCs? • What's this "Divide Error" message I get when I try to install Q&A? • Why won't Q&A run on my new computer? • What are the main differences between the various versions of Q&A? • Is Q&A networkable? • What is the "Q&A Network Pack" and how do I use it to make Q&A available to more users? • Why won't Q&A for DOS print to my network printer? • Can I upgrade my old version of Q&A (2.0 or 3.0) to a newer version without losing my data? • Can I use Q&A for DOS and Q&A for Windows with the same databases?
• How to automatically print Windows documents (as separate enclosures) right along with your Q&A for DOS merge letters. (Tips on print spooling. Tips for Lasers and inkjet printers)
• Obscure date error uncovered in Q&A 4.0. Shows up as erroneous date sorting in reports under certain conditions
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99		 • How to subdivide a database into record categories (such as Customer, Vendor and Associate) and use picklists to quickly retrieve records without typing or having to switch to a Retrieve Spec
• Assigning a Q&A macro to the right mouse button Printer Control Panel settings that stop LaserJet 4's and 5's from printing an extra page at the end of Q&A print jobs
• Inventive, comprehensive data validation technique you can use to ensure a record is complete and correct before it can be posted or added to the database
• Two retrieval techniques that always select the records from the previous or following month regardless of the current month
• Q&A 4.0 program that stamps records with the User ID and date they were modified. Workaround for lack of Q&A 5.0's @Modified function
• Programming that automatically creates a DOS text (ASCII) file containing information from the record you're working on. Resulting text file can be used in other programs
• How to specify paths for XLookups (and other programs that reference external databases) when using QA in a network environment
• Create Userselect lists that automatically display with a default selection based on current conditions, such as a pick-list of months that always defaults to the current month
• Reusable Q&A report design that generates an export file of names and email addresses (from a Q&A database) that can be immediately imported into Microsoft Outlook 98
• Printing a report to DISK without losing its header. Includes technique that outputs a DISK report preformatted with HTML tags so it can be uploaded to a Web site
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99		 • Multiple shipping addresses. Technique for displaying and selecting alternate shipping addresses for customer during invoice data entry.
• Y2K compliance revisited. Programming a date field to catch, during data entry, 21st century dates that are interpreted by Q&A as 20th century dates.
• Keeping a Web site up to date with Q&A. Case study of organization (Humane Society chapter) that uses Q&A to create complete Web pages consisting of HTML tables containing updated information from its databases.
• Handling "File in Use" messages after database has been damaged by a power surge.
• Exporting date fields to a MMDDYYYY format.
• How to prevent wasted @Numbers in a shared network database.
• Why XLookups don't work on a Peer-to-Peer Network and how to remedy the problem.
• Either/Or record retrieval program.
• Database corruption and the "generations" problem.
• Q&A 5.0's creators on Q&A and the Y2K problem.
• Fax from your database with WinClip and WinFax
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99		 • All about field names. What you absolutely need to know about field names and how they differ from field labels.
• Extra field not needed for @Shell. (You can run @Shell without a field to store the "0" return value.)
• How to sort dates that span the turn of the century. (Some fixes for potential Y2K problems.)
• Programming space limitations and suggestions on how to economize on programming.
• Solve network printing problems
• Q&A and Windows NT
• Fix damaged databases
• Add a clickable "image map" to your database. (A graphic US map with clickable states.)
• How to lose text by typing to much in an unexpanded multi-line field.
• An easy way to print ordinal dates in your documents.
• Creating and using arrays (when you need to store external data in records).
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99		 • Edit your picklists on the fly. For Userselect lists that require frequent updating.
• Get faster printing. How to turn off print spooling for DOS programs in Windows.
• HP LaserJet "junk page" mystery solved. How to keep your printer from printing an extra page.
• Get If-Then action in report derived columns.
• Fix too-tight (squished) linespacing in documents.
• How to copy mailing labels between PC's.
• Database system errors and what to do about them.
• The right way to XPost across a network.
• More FORMagic tricks. Much more you can do with this great little utility package (see the Dec 1998 issue) to get graphics capabilities in Q&A for DOS, such as printing your letterhead (along with your letter) on plain paper.