The data sheets option accessed from the utility menu enables you to print out various hand-outs to give to your clients on a range of topics.

When this option is selected the system will scan for any sheets on file. These will be displayed in a window on the screen. The first column is the filename the sheet is stored under and the second is a brief description of the sheet.

Select the required sheet by means of:

• The Up/Down arrow keys
• The space bar
• The 1st character of the filename
• Control E and Control X

Each data sheet is stored in a file on the hard disk, one sheet per file. All information sheets have the suffix '.inf'. Below is an example set of sheets used by one of our existing clients.

AGGESSI.INF - The aggressive dog
DESTRUCT.INF - The destructive dog
COPRO.INF - Coprophagia
DOMINANC.INF - The dominant dog
HOUSETR.INF - House training notes
PELVIS.INF - Pelvic fractures
SPAY.INF - Spaying bitches
TERRITOR.INF - The territorial dog
WHELPING.INF - Notes on whelping bitches
TOILETTR.INF - Toilet training
ANALSAC.INF - Anal sacs & their problems
INSURE.INF - Pet Health Insurance
CATSPAY.INF - Cat spay (Details)
CATCAST.INF - Castration of the cat
DOGCAST.INF - Dog castration
CRFDOG.INF - Chronic renal failure in dogs
DOGVACC.INF - Vaccination for dogs
FELV.INF - Feline Leukaemia Virus

The maximum number of data sheets you can store is currently limited to 50 - you will not be allowed to create a new data sheet once this limit has been reached.

To remove a sheet all you need to do is 'kill' the file from the hard disk using the appropriate O.S. command (See your O.S. manual for details) or via the delete option on the text editor.

Creating new sheets
The easiest way is to use the text editor as follows:

1. Start a new file and write the sheet e.g. dummy.doc. The description of the file should appear on the first line of the document prefixed with a hash symbol '#'. You can use the print commands &es, &bf etc. The only 'dot' command recognised is '.pa' and this can be used to take a new page.

2. Use the convert option (<V>ert) to convert the document to the correct format. .inf files must reside in the vet/inf sub-directory. When converting prefix the document name with '../inf/' (Unix) or '..\inf\' (Dos).

   Remember, when entering the filename to copy to, suffix the name with '.inf'. E.g. convert 'dummy.doc' to 'dummy.inf'.

A conversion and filter utility exists as part of the text editor to help use existing O.S. utilities to create/edit your text files. This is needed as different systems handle text in different ways. Text files are files containing only text e.g. not stored in a condensed format like clinical records, and with certain exceptions do not contain any control/unreadable characters. Another name for these text files is ASCII files.

The reason for the conversion utilities is mainly due to how different operating systems/programs determine what a line is. When you have finished typing a line of text into the computer you press the RETURN key; the computer automatically inserts one to two control characters into the text at this point.

Under MSDOS and some of the BDS programs this is indicated by two characters, a carriage return (CR) followed by a line feed (LF), while Unix only inserts a line feed. Additionally the BDS text editor will also insert blank spaces at the end of each line so the length of each line is 77 characters.

What difference does this make?
Most of the time this does not matter. However, the Premvet 5 text editor is limited to one page. Due to this and other limitations, you may sometimes wish to edit documents in one of the text editors supplied with Unix: e.g. vi, ex, vedit etc. These editors will only work correctly if they find only a 'LF' at the end of each line, so if you want to edit a BDS text editor document or information sheet then you will have to get rid of the 'CR'. Or you may want to write definition files/letters with vi and use them from within the vet system and, in this case you will want to pad the line and add a CR. These can be done using the standard Unix utilities but the syntax is a bit tricky.

One of the main uses will be the information sheet option, as the BDS editor is limited to a 70 line document you will not be able to create/edit any information sheet longer than this. You can therefore use a Unix editor to edit/create documents of any length then convert/filter the file back so the information sheet option can process it.

Both conversion and filtering is handled from within the BDS text editor, usually by the <V>ert (conVert) option. The options available are: convert, filter or both.

Convert
When a document is loaded into the text editor, the system will automatically convert any files into the correct format e.g. pad (or split) the line to 77 character sections adding a CR if needed - to a maximum document length of 70 lines. This file can then be edited/printed from within the VET system without any problem.

The convert option will take the source file specified and copy it to the destination file. During this process it will remove blank spaces at the end of each line, but leave the CRLF (this is the format needed for the information sheets options).

Filter
The filter option will take the source file specified, copy it to the destination file, and translate one or more characters to another. It will normally be used to add or remove a carriage return but may be expanded in the future to translate other characters. You will be asked:

<1> CRLF to LF, <2> LF to CRLF

Both
This option will use a combination of the methods described above.

When would I use this?
The following examples will give you some idea of when you need to consider using these options.

1. 'I have an information sheet written with the BDS editor and I want to expand it with vi...' - follow the steps below:
   1. Convert and filter the file (using the Both option)
   2. Edit as appropriate
   3. Filter LF back to CRLF

2. 'I have a letter written with vi and want to use it as an information sheet' - see 1c above.

3. 'I want to use the BDS editor to edit a file created with vi' - just load it into the text editor in the normal fashion, the text editor will automatically convert it.

4. 'I want to use the Unix utilities to manipulate a series of letters written with the BDS editor' - use 1a above.

Note: When using the convert, filter, copy and join options within the text editor additional files will be created. Make sure unwanted files are deleted.

Subjects on file : 37          Data sheets : 62

Add a new subject
Access records
Display/Print subjects
Search data files
Reconfigure files
Quit

Add a subject

This option enters subjects onto the system. You are prompted for the subject name. This can be up to 30 characters long and need not be one word. The system will index all words longer than 3 characters e.g.

Dalmatian Bronzing Syndrome

This will be indexed under each of the 3 words so this subject may be found under any of them.

You will then be asked for the category, this should be a letter between 'A' and 'Y'. This is useful for sub dividing the work e.g. 'A' Ophthalmology, 'H' Haematology 'P' Poisons etc.

The system will then return to the subject prompt, either enter a new subject or press return to go to the menu.

Access a record

When selected you will be asked for the category, if you enter 'Z' this will act as a wild-card. Then enter the subject you are looking for (The shorter the answer the more subjects that will be found.). The system will then display on the screen all subjects that match, with the first subject highlighted. Select the subject you require using the arrow keys and then press return to select it (Q - Will return you to the menu).

The system will then display the subject, category and whether there is any data for it. You may edit the name or category at this point. Entering a 'Q' will redisplay the list of subjects. Entering a 'D' will if data is present display it otherwise you will be asked if you would like to add a data sheet.

Demonstration Practice 		 Dermatophytosis

Treatment schedule: topical therapy

- clip hair from lesions (repeat every 2 weeks)
- weekly povidon-iodine or polyakyleneglycol-iodine shampoos
- help prevent spread of lesions and secondary bacterial infection
-  dipping/rinsing with 1:200 )2tblsp/gal.) dilution of 45%  technical 
captan
- twice a week
- "very useful"
- broad-spectrum local fungicides
- miconazole nitrate
- haloprogin
- clotrimazole
- cuprimyxin
- thiobendazole

Efficacy:   helpful,   local  fungicides   especially   effective   in 
conjunction with griseofulvin treatment

<E>dit <P>rint <Q>uit <A>dd, <B>ack [B]

At this prompt line you may:

<P>rint

Allows you to print the data sheet on the printer.

<A>dd

Add a new sheet (Only when the last sheet is displayed).

<F>orward

If another sheet is available for this subject 'F' will display it.

<B>ack

If you are not on the first data sheet this will take you back a sheet.

<Q>uit

Will return you to the subject screen.

<E>dit

Allows you to edit any information on the current screen.
Refer to the text editor section for further information.

Print / display subjects

This is an 'index' for the subjects on file. If category 'Z' is asked for all subjects will be included.

Search data sheets

If you are looking for all occurrences of a specific word or phrase, this option will search all data sheets for that phrase and display them with the requested word highlighted. You may print any of the sheets that are displayed, or alternatively you may <Q>uit at any time.