User’s Manual for CCC (Cinema Critic Comments) 1.0:

 

CCC is Copyright © 1997 Glenn Rioux and Tim McGaughey.

 

Table of Contents:

·        Introduction

·        Getting Started

·        Navigation

·        Tips

·        Known Bugs

·        Credits

 

------    A movie review system database utility for Windows 95 and NT    -------

 

Introduction:

CCC provides all the verification powers and functionality included in our previous release of REVMAN plus additional features and conveniences. The system maintains databases of movie reviews in a hierarchical manner.  These entries can be easily viewed and can be easily modified in the database using the program.  For convenience, the program will verify all the data in the various files that comprise the system when databases are opened.  If there are problems, the system will notify the user to check the report file that was generated.   The system is organized so that the database can be modified and viewed using a menu system and a Graphical User Interface. Extensive error checking and user verification help to ensure that the functions being performed are indeed what is intended.

 

A typical user experience would begin with the user creating a review for a new movie using their favorite text editor.  If there has not yet been a database that the user has been working from, they are expected to make the appropriate entries into the database source files.  If the user has been working from a database already, they can simply start the CCC program and begin from there.  When the program is executed, a startup screen is displayed with information about the program and the creators.  After the startup screen is displayed, the program proceeds by showing some brief information for assistance with the program’s usage.  When the program continues, the menu becomes available and the display window is cleared.  Using the menus, or taking advantage of the DOS command line, one opens an existing database or creates a new database.  The action will check all the data, make some changes to the menu options available, and will show a listing of all the categories that are currently in the database.  The user would then select the proper category for their new movie review.  For example, if the new movie was part of the Science Fiction category, then the user would click on the Science Fiction category opening a listing of the different reviews which comprise that category.  Using the menu options, it is then simple for the user to add a new entry into the Science Fiction category and provide the attributes for the file.  When the file is added to the database, it is updated on the display, and is immediately accessible like any of the other entries.

 

Getting Started:

Executing CCC.EXE will begin the program.  When the program begins, a start screen is displayed which gives some information about the program and the programmers.  This screen is dismissed by pressing a key.  A brief help screen will be shown next, which gives some basic information on using the program.  This manual is a more detailed source of information for the program’s operations.  For detailed help, pressing the F1 key is an available option at many points in the program’s operation.

 

Once the help screen is dismissed, the layout of the screen will be setup for operation. 

 

To begin maintaining review collections, choose the File menu and choose New.  This will prompt for the category file to open, which will build the database.  In the event you do not have a category file, use your favorite text editor to create one.  When the file is loaded, the screen will reflect the loading of the file by updating the main display to show the movie categories that were built.  If any errors were detected in the files when they were read, you may open up the report file using the file viewing utility of your choice.  The report file will have the same base name as the file that was opened, but the extension will be “.rpt.”

 

If you already have a database, you can choose to begin operation on that database by running the program with the database name as a command line parameter (in the form of “CCC.EXE category.ccc”) or by using the File menu’s Open command.  This will prompt for the database file to open, and will do verification on it.  If errors were found, they may be viewed in the report file, which has the same base name as the database that was opened, but has the extension “.rpt.”

 

Once the database is loaded, the Edit and CCC menus are designed to make changes to the database.  The view menu is for switching what is displayed in the main window, and enables access to menu functions that do not appear initially.  For more help on the menus and what their functions are, please examine the Navigation section below.

 

Navigation:

·        Menus:

There are quite a few different menus and options in CCC.  These options change based on the current state of the program.  They are used to execute the features of CCC.  To access each of the different menus, the user must hit the key that begins the name of the particular menu.  We will discuss each of the various menus in turn, starting with the Program CCC menu and its associated options, and working our way through the remaining menus.

·        Program:

The first menu lets one obtain a little information about the program through help and about options.

1.      Help:

The help screen gives a general summary of what CCC does.

2.      About:

The about Screen simply tells the name, version, and a little about the origins of the program.

·        File:

From the file menu, one can access new databases, old databases, or can choose to close the database or quit the program instead.  Under the File menu, all the operations dealing with file manipulation are clumped.

1.      New…:

This operation will create a new CCC database file from the physical files necessary to gather the correct information.  The files are all verified when opened, and errors are placed inside of an error report file using the name of the master category file with a “.rpt” extension.  After the files have been checked, they are listed in the display area.

2.      Open…:

Using the open operation will open an existing CCC database and will list the information.  Errors are placed in a report file at the end of verification.  This report file has the same base name as the database, only with the extension “.rpt."

3.      Save:

The Save operation will save a CCC database to a file.  This file is the same as the base name of the file that was originally opened by default.  This can be changed with some methods.  In some cases, the default output file may be the same as the original file name opened if the opened file was already a CCC database file.

4.      Save As…:

This operation gets a new output file name and then executes identically to the Save operation so that it will save to that new output name.

5.      Close:

Closing a file will delete the list from memory and make changes to the mode of the program.  If the program cannot determine if the database has been saved recently, it will ask the user if they want to save the file.  If so, the database will be saved using the default save name.

6.      Quit:

Quit will perform all the operations of the Close command, but will also terminate the program after confirmation that it is the intended operation.

·         Edit:

The Edit menu is the menu that controls the modification processes for the database.  The Edit menu lets such operations as changing filenames and ratings take place.

1.       Category...:

The category option lets you modify the name of the currently selected category.  Input is taken from the command line and the list is updated following the operation.  This option is only available when viewing the category listing.

2.       Title...:

The title option works in a similar manner to the category option, but lets you change the title for the highlighted review instead.  This option is only available when viewing the review listing.

3.       Rating...:

The rating option also takes input from the command line to replace the current rating for the selected review.  This option is also available only when listing the reviews.

4.        Filename...:

This option will let one change the filename that the database is supposed to be using for a particular review.  This command works only while listing reviews, and works on the currently selected review.

·         CCC:

This menu contains options to manage entire entries of categories and reviews.  From here, categories and reviews can be added and deleted easily.

1.       Add category...:

This option will ask for a new category to add and will start it off with no review entries.   The input is provided from the command line.  This command only works while viewing the category listing.

2.       Delete category...:

This command will confirm your desire to delete the category and will remove the category and all the associated reviews for that category from the database.

3.       Include review...:

This option includes a new review lets you insert a title for the movie review, the rating, and the filename for the physical review file.  When inserted, it is automatically included in the currently displayed category review listing.  This option only works while listing the reviews.

4.       Delete review...:

This will delete the currently highlighted review from the database.  This command works like the delete category command, and can only operate from the review listing.

·        View:

The view menu enables switching what the main display shows.  There are options for showing categories, movies, and reviews.

1.       Categories:

The categories option will switch the main display to show all the categories in the database.  This option will work from any of the views.  Alternatively, pressing escape while viewing the review listing will accomplish the same task.

2.       Movies:

The movies option will list all the reviews for a category.  This option will work from the category view when a movie is highlighted, and from the review file view.  Alternatively, this can be accessed by using the return key on a highlighted category in the category listing, or by hitting escape from a review file listing.

3.       Review:

Listing a review file begins by displaying the first five lines of the review that was highlighted in the movie view.  The review can then be viewed in 20 line increments if one decides to continue.

·         Search:

The search menu provides a way to seek out particular entries in the database of movie reviews.

1.       Name...:

The search by name is supposed to take a name to seek.  This command is not functional in this version, but is intended for inclusion in a future release.

2.       Title...:

Searching by title would yield results for a movie review title.  This feature is not implemented in this version and instead is delayed for a future release.

3.       Filename...:

A search by filename would yield results based on the physical filename on the system for the files included in the database.  This feature is intended for a future release.

·        Keyboard:

Many commands on the menus have associated keystroke commands.  As you become more comfortable with the availability of the particular menu options, you will become accustomed to some of the shortcuts that have been provided for convenience.  The entire navigation sequence is based around a few keystrokes, basically operating the menus although navigation within the listing of categories, reviews, or the review contents is also provided.

·        Mouse:

There is no mouse support in CCC.  Perhaps in a future version mouse support will be necessary or desired, but the current functionality and implementation does not lend itself to mouse operations easily.  To include support would require the inclusion of scroll bars and other graphic elements that do not function adequately in the curses environment.  Perhaps a future version of the program will take advantage of the Graphical User Interface of the Microsoft® Windows Operating System making those elements accessible and convenient for both users and developers.

 

Tips:

Please read all of CCC's information and help screens for information on what is expected by the program. The program is complicated and comprehensive.  Reading this manual is a good place to start when difficulty is encountered.

 

Known Bugs:

No bugs are available at this time.  If user demand is strong enough, some will be included.

 

Credits:

Tim McGaughey

         -     System design and code

Glenn Rioux

         -     System design and code

 

End of CCC User’s Manual.