Compsoft Limited Data Management System User Guide

This document is the "User Guide" for the "Data Management System" (DMS) developed by Compsoft Limited, copyrighted in 1982. It serves as a comprehensive manual for users operating DMS on CP/M microcomputers.

The core purpose of DMS, as outlined in the guide, is to enable non-expert users to manage data efficiently without the need for specialized programming. It aims to reduce software costs and provide a flexible, adaptable system akin to a "sophisticated card index system," offering advantages like faster access, reduced storage, and automated calculations over manual methods.

The guide is structured into several sections covering key functionalities:

1. System Setup & Configuration: Detailed instructions on machine requirements, preparing master disks, configuring DMS for specific printers, VDUs, and disk drives.
2. File Management: How to define new data files (including field types, lengths, and key fields), create, update, and delete individual records using various access methods (Key, Mask, Browse).
3. Data Manipulation: Tools for searching records ("Selection Criteria"), sorting data into specific orders, and performing "Batch Processing" for calculations or mass deletions.
4. Reporting & Output: Comprehensive options for generating standard and user-defined reports, printing labels, and utilizing a "Letter Writer" feature (conditional on Release 2.2).
5. Integration & Maintenance: Explanations on "Linking" DMS data with word processors (like Wordstar and Spellbinder) and other software, "Copying" or merging DMS files, and performing essential "Backup" and "Restore" operations.
6. User Support: Includes appendices with a quick reference guide, menu descriptions, password protection details, comparisons of access methods (Key, Mask, Browse), example file definitions, and common error codes.

The manual emphasizes a user-friendly approach with "English-based" prompts and includes a "Worked Example" to guide users through the process of setting up and operating DMS, from initial disk preparation to advanced reporting. It also stresses the critical importance of regular data backups.