DbEd Instructions
=================

DbEd allows you to examine and add to the structure of the databases on your BeBox.


Important Notes
---------------

DbEd was written for BeOS Developer Release (DR) 8.2.  The database is slated for
an overhaul in DR9.  

Developer releases prior to DR9 do not allow for editing or deleting tables or
fields.  DbEd can therefore let you add to a database, but it's not possible to
undo those changes.  Because of this, it is recommended that you only change the
database of a floppy disk.  This is because of another shortcoming of pre-DR9
releases -- changes made to the database for the floppy drive do not survive a
reboot.  


Using DbEd
----------

It is strongly suggested that you read and understand the storage application
section of the BeBook before using DbEd.

The DbEd window lists the available databases on the BeBox.  (There is one
database for each volume.)  This window is dynamic; it is updated as volumes are
added and removed from the BeBox.

Double-click on a database to open a window listing the tables in that database.
Double-click on one of those tables to open a window listing the fields in that
table.  Double-click on one of those fields to open a window listing the
attributes of that field.  Double-click here and nothing happens; you've reached
the end of the database road. 

Selecting the "New" menu item in either the table or field windows allows you to
add an instance of the corresponding item to the database.  Creating either one
requires you to enter a unique name.  When creating a table, you can choose to
inherit the fields of another table from the database.  When creating a field,
you'll need to choose the type of data the field represents as well as decide if
the field  will be indexed.  Again, refer to the storage section of the BeBook
for a description of the possibilities.

You can copy tables between databases by selecting, dragging and dropping an
entry from one database window to another.  The table and all its fields will be
copied to the recipient database.

You can copy fields between tables similarly, by dragging a field from one table
window to another.


Release Notes
-------------

DbEd is copyright  1997 Levin-Delson Software.  All Rights Reserved.

I've included the source code for DbEd with this release in the hopes that it
will help other BeOS developers as they write their "tractor" applications for
the BeBox.

You can reach me for bug reports, comments, etc. at aklevin@bix.com.
