pcGRIN Manual Introduction

What Is pcGRIN and Who Should Use It?
Conventions and Standards of This Guide
Getting Started
Conventions and Standards of the Software
Preferences

Chapter 1. What is pcGRIN and Who Should Use It?

There are two versions of pcGRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network for the personal computer). One version is a stand-alone query package for crops in the United States Department of Agriculture‘s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) genebank system, whose database is referred to as GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network), while the second version is for use by a genebank as a data management system.

pcGRIN was created in DOS FoxPro.

Note: Data structures in pcGRIN are not exactly the same as those in GRIN.

Query Version

The Query version enables you to query GRIN data that has been extracted from the national database, or pcGRIN passport and character/evaluation data, on your own PC. The program for accessing these data follows the same principles of GRIN, but accommodates the PC. This software and guide contain some items from the Management Version.

Management Version

The pcGRIN genebank Data Management package has all the capability of the Query package plus it allows management of all the information in your genebank for the following types of data:

• Accession Passport
• Cooperator
• Geographic
• Taxonomic
• Characterization/Evaluation
• Inventory
• Orders

You can manage data on several crops at the same time. Remember, this software is based on pcGRIN structures.

Chapter 2. Conventions and Standards of This Guide

Several conventions have been incorporated by this guide to make it easier to use:

1. When you make a selection or type something into the screen, the instructions will be preceded by an arrow:
2. Terminal display examples are shown as pictures of the screen.
3. Prompts within the text are shown in italics.
4. Names of the Areas and special words are shown in bold letters.
5. Information within brackets [ ] is variable and must be substituted by the user (for example, [access code]).
6. Keyboard keys are bold and surrounded by "< >"
7. Notes to help you will be preceded by: Note.

Chapter 3. Getting Started

Equipment

The minimum equipment required for pcGRIN is an MS-DOS based micro-computer with at least 486 MHz, 8 MB of memory, and a hard drive with at least 5 MB of free space. The amount of free space you need after startup depends on how much data you put into the database.

Operating Systems

DOS

pcGRIN is a DOS product and will work easily in the DOS environment.

When using a Windows 3.x package, it is best to shut down windows and go to your DOS prompt to run pcGRIN.

When using Windows 95, 98 or NT, modify your cursor idle time. To accomplish this:

Open your pcGRIN window,

Click, with your right mouse button, on the top of the window where it says pcGRIN Foxpro. Another window will pop up.

Click on the bottom option that says Properties

Click on the option all the way to the right that says Misc

In the box labeled Idle Sensitivity, move the tab to low

When using Windows NT, modify the number of buffers and files so that you can have at least 99 files and 40 buffers. To modify your config.nt file, follow these steps:

In Windows NT, to modify your config.nt file:

Choose Start
Choose Programs
Choose Accessories
Choose Notepad
Choose File
Choose Open
Choose c:\WINNT\system32\config.nt
Go to the bottom of the file and change to the following:
Files=99
Buffers=40
Choose File
Choose Save
Reboot your machine

pcGRIN can be run in a DOS window with the default memory settings. You may want to turn off Mouse Actions to prevent conflicts with the mouse control in pcGRIN.

Obtaining pcGRIN

pcGRIN may be obtained without charge by any plant scientist, breeder, or research organization. Our addresses, both U.S. Mail and e-mail, are located in the Foreword.

A complete package of pcGRIN Query includes the software and this guide. A complete package of the Management version includes the software, this guide and a Data Dictionary.

To obtain pcGRIN on diskette, send your request to the GRIN DataBase Management Unit. The address is located in the Foreword.

Installing pcGRIN

See the file labelled install.htm

Starting pcGRIN

To begin pcGRIN, from a DOS prompt, type:

cd c:\pcgrin

pcgrin

Exiting pcGRIN

To exit pcGRIN, at the Main Menu:

Choose X

Chapter 4. Conventions and Standards of the Software

Navigating

There are three ways to navigate through pcGRIN. You can use the mouse, keyboard keys, or keywords.

Mouse

Familiarity with standard windows navigation is assumed.

Keyboard Keys

The F1 Help Key

Help is context sensitive. Each field has a detailed help screen. To display this, when the cursor is in a field,

Press F1

A screen pops up with the following information about the field:

• The table short and long name
• The field (column) short and long name
• The type which is the number of characters and which kind
• The field column) definition

To leave the Help area,

Press <Esc>, or

Choose the <Cancel> push button

 

Keywords

pcGRIN contains words that always provide the same results.

Keyword	Definition
Yes	Yes moves you to the next screen.
No	No stops whatever you are doing.
OK	OK brings up the next screen.
Cancel	Cancel usually returns you to the Main Menu.

Navigating Within a Scrollable Pop-up

You are in a scrollable pop-up if there is an arrow on the bottom line of the pop-up. There are four ways to navigate within a scrollable pop-up to make a selection. They are:

1. Search the list by putting the cursor from the mouse on the top or bottom line and hold down the Leftmouse button. Notice the arrow on the bottom line of the pop-up. The arrow never shows up on the top line after you have moved down the list.
2. Press <Page Down> or <Page Up>, or
3. Arrow down or Arrow up, or
4. Press the first character of your selection. The cursor will jump to the first item that starts with the letter you pressed.

Sample Screen

A view of a sample screen might have the following types of items on it:



Terms on a Sample Screen

Term	Definition
Main Menu	The Main Menu consists of a list of items from which you choose your next action. The Main Menu is located on the top line of the screen.
Choice	A Choice generally consists of an action chosen from the Main Menu. Here, Choice points to Inventory.
Field	A Field is a highlighted area displaying a value or accepting an input value.
Field Label	A Field Label explains the field it is associated with.
Radio Button	A Radio button is surrounded by ( ) , choose one in a series. This typically identifies your working environment context.
Push Button	A Push button is surrounded by < >, push buttons immediately perform the intended task.
Message Line	The Message Line provides a brief explanation about the item or the field you are on.

Selecting an Option in pcGRIN

To select any menu option, you have the following choices:

Click on the option with your Leftmouse button, or

Press the arrow keys to reach your choice, then press <Enter>, or

Type the highlighted letter of your option unless your cursor is in a text field.

Use <Tab> to go from one field to the next on input forms.

In the rest of the manual, the choices above will be referred to as "Choose …"

How To Exit From Windows Displays

When you display your results in a windows environment, there are two ways to exit:

Click on the small yellow box in the top left corner, or

Press <Esc>



 

 

Chapter 5. Preferences

Preferences are located in the section called Other in the Main Menu. Here is where you configure pcGRIN to act the way you want: that is, here is where you set the type of output you like to see, your printer port, the date format, and your password. A view of the Preferences screen is below:



Defining Your Query Output

There are four ways to see your output: No Preference, Scrolling Text, Within Window, Send to Printer. The different options are explained below.

No Preference

This is the default choice. It allows you to choose the type of output you want each time. A sample of the screen you will see if this is your choice, follows:



Text Mode Display

This display allows you to view your results one screen at a time, without allowing you to go back to see screens that were previously seen.

Windows Mode Display

This option allows you to see your results in a window that lets you scroll up or down. You are able to see screens that were previously seen.

Scrolling Text

This choice allows you to view your results one screen at a time, but it doesn’t allow you to go back to see screens that were previously seen.

Within Window

This choice presents a screen similar to any windows display allowing you to scroll up and down within the window. With this choice, you can go back and view something that you have already seen by using a mouse or the <Page Up> and <Page Down> keys to scroll backwards or forwards. There is a delay in loading the data into the window with this option.

Send to Printer

This option directs all your output to your printer.

Note : You can change your output view anytime, by going to the Preferences area.

 

Dates

The date format can be set at either:

dd/mm/yyyy or mm/dd/yyyy

Note : You can change your date format any time by going to the Preferences area.

 

Printer Port

This is where you set up your printer port. There are nine choices, LPT1 through COM4. Generally, your printer connects to your computer at the port known as LPT1.

The default setting for your printer is LPT1. Use the Reset command to return to this setting.

Choose Reset

Choose <OK>

If you are on a network, you have to set some variables. The program helps guide you through the process.

Choose Network

Choose <OK>

A screen appears with the following help:



To set up your network printer, type the following on the line provided:

\\ [the name of your network’s machine] \ [the name of your printer] = [the destination of your device]

 

Note : Do not put any spaces on the line.

In the figure here:

My network’s machine name is: ARSBA-NGRL

My printer’s name is: HP5SIMX-PQ

My destination port is: LPT1

Click <OK> to save it

 



About pcGRIN

The About pcGRIN screen shows the version of pcGRIN that you are using, when it was last updated, the developers, and how to contact us. This information is important if you contact us.

Selecting the push button <About pcGRIN>, seen in the screen below, provides you this information. See the screen below:



The About pcGRIN screen follows: