Sample Chapters from QueryCalc's Manual The chapters in the opposite column are presented in PDF format, thus they require an Adobe Acrobat Reader to be viewed. If you don't yet have Version 3.0 on your PC or Mac, download it here. Tips on using Acrobat Reader When in Adobe Acrobat, the Home and End keys advance the text to the first and last pages of the document, respectively. Similarly, the Arrow keys advance you a page at a time, but it is the Page Up and Page Down keys that advance you only a screen at a time, making on-screen text much easier to read. If you wish to search the document's text for a specific word or phrase, do not use your browser's Find function. Rather, click on the binoculars at the top of the Acrobat Reader — and then on the smaller binoculars for the next and all subsequent finds of the same word. Printing the Chapters If you wish to print the chapters as faithfully as possible to their original format, and you have duplexing capabilities in your printer, set your printer to duplexing before beginning to print. The pages will alternate appropriately if you begin with the first page or any odd-numbered page. A PostScript printer is recommended, if possible.

Chapter 1: An Introduction (51K) (PDF) At the heart of every HP3000 lies a very simple idea. The HP3000's database, IMAGE, was designed to be no more than an electronic filing cabinet, and it was originally meant to be just as easy to use use.    Chapter 2: The Database (106K) (PDF) QueryCalc is a combination of the two procedures most common to every office: filing cabinets and spreadsheets. Thus, if you are to use QueryCalc effectively, it will be important to understand how the filing cabinet is put together.    Chapter 3: The 3-D Spreadsheet (49K) (PDF) The electronic spreadsheet makes an ideal report generating platform. If you're not familiar with spreadsheets, two attributes account for much of their value: the first is the ease by which columns and rows may be inserted, deleted, and reformatted (while automatically adjusting all relevant cell references). The second is its easy capacity to replicate and edit blocks of cells.    Chapter 6: Query Questions (131K) (PDF) The query question that summarizes data from a single dataset is the heart of QueryCalc. The query question in QueryCalc is always formed using a simple, stylized English and will always look something like this: @Using invoices, (get me the) sum of amount when category is 501 and date > 981001    Chapter 10: Search Sets (125K) (PDF) It is possible to define records in QueryCalc as search sets on the basis of common attributes. This is one of the more powerful features in QueryCalc, and yet quite simple to use.    Chapter 13: Detail List Reports (242K) (PDF) The second form of report is the indefinite (detail) list report. The indefinite nature of the detail list report is due to the fact that initially you don't have any idea of how long a list you're going to generate. That indefinite nature is in direct contrast to the fixed row/column format of a financial spreadsheet report where summaries occur in specific, preassigned locations. If you were the manager of a library, you might want to create a list report like this: "Print a list of all of the students who have books overdue. List the books for each of the students and calculate the fine for that book. Summarize the fines for each student and give me a total for all of the students."

QueryCalc home page