Welcome to AnyBook!Software: Small Publisher's Business Kit  
Basic Edition Version 6.5  
Copyright (c) 1996-2002 Ron Watters / Great Rift

This file includes helpful information about AnyBook! Basic.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
-----------------
1. General Information
2. Installing the Program 
3. Installation Instructions for Current Anybook Users:
   Protecting Your Existing Data Files.
4. System Requirements
5. Removing the Program
6. On-line Help
7. How to Register the Program
8. Distributing the Program to Others
9. Date Format and Y2K Information 
10. Version 6 Information
11. A Comparison of AnyBook's Three Editions



1. GENERAL INFORMATION
----------------------
AnyBook! is specifically designed for small publishers. It 
prepares invoices, does billings, generates sales reports, and 
keeps track of inventory.  The program also handles book 
returns, prepares mailing lists and monitors activity with 
consignment wholesalers and distributors. 

AnyBook! is a shareware program. That means you're welcome to 
try out the program at no cost and make sure it will work for 
you.  You're also welcome to give the program to others or to 
make it available on your web site. (For more information on 
shareware, see "How to Register the Program," below).

This version of the program is designed for computers running 
Windows 95/98/2000/ME/XP. A special version of the program is
available for Windows 3.1 which may be downloaded from the 
author's web site.

For more program tidbits, special announcements, and upgrade 
information, you are cordially invited to visit the author's 
web site at http://www.ronwatters.com (follow the software 
link).  Additional contact information is included below.



2. INSTALLING THE PROGRAM 
-------------------------
(Note: If you are an existing user of AnyBook be sure to make 
a back-up disk of your data files before installing a new 
version--or reinstalling your current version.  For more 
information, see "Installation Instructions for Current 
AnyBook Users," which follows this section.)

Depending on the download site, AnyBook! comes bundled as 
either a zip file or as a self-extracting zip file.  If you 
receive a zip file (with a .zip extension), first unzip it.  A 
number of different zip utilities are available for this 
purpose.  Once the file is unzipped, RUN SetUp.exe.  This will 
start the setup program and will install the program files.

If you received the self-extracting zip file (with a .exe 
extension), RUN the file as it is.  The program files will be 
unzipped, and the setup program will start automatically.

We suggest that you do not use a program directory name with 
spaces, i.e. "C:\Program Files."  While AnyBook can handle long 
directory names, we've come across some software and operating 
system combinations that will not allow access to AnyBook's 
program directory.  For the best results, use the default 
program directory or a directory name of your choosing without 
spaces.



3. INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR CURRENT ANYBOOK USERS:
   HOW TO PROTECT YOUR EXISTING DATA FILES.
-------------------------------------------
If you are re-installing AnyBook, or if you are installing an 
updated version of the program, it's important that you do 
the following:

1) Make sure you have backed-up your files. (Complete 
details on backing up files is found in the on-line help 
information included with the program.) This normally is done 
every time you exit from the program, but for an install, you 
should give yourself an added measure of security and back-up 
your files on a second disk.  (If you plan to set up a directory 
on your back-up disk, be aware that some software and operating 
system combinations have been known to create file access 
problems when directory names have spaces.  To be safe, don't 
use any spaces.  For example, use "A:\BackUp\" rather than 
"A:\Back Up\.")

2) Once you are certain that your important files have been 
safely backed up, install the new version of the program (or 
re-install the old one).

3) If you have installed AnyBook to a directory which is
different from where your old version was installed, you'll 
see the sample files that come with the program.  To replace 
the sample files with your own files, select FILE and RESTORE 
BACK-UP FILES.  Once the restore process is complete you'll have 
access to all of your own data files.


MANUALLY MAKING A BACK-UP DISK.  If, for some reason, the old 
version of the program is non-operable and you are unable to 
create a back-up disk using the normal method, you can manually 
make one.  In Windows, use "My Computer" or "Explore" and copy 
the following files from the AnyBook program directory to a disk. 
Any type of disk can be used: floppy, Zip, etc.  This will 
become your back-up disk.  Here are the files to copy:

 - Sales.dbf
 - Sales.dbt
 - Orders.dbf
 - SetUp.dbf
 - Cust_num.dbf
 - Cust_num.dbt
 - Cat_no.dbf
 - Cat_no.dbt
 - Contact.dbf (Not necessary for the Basic Edition)
 - Contact.dbt (Not necessary for the Basic Edition)
 - Plus ALL of the following: BALxxEND.dbf, BALxxMID.dbf and 
   INVENDxx.dbf (Note that the xx in the file name means a number, 
   i.e. BAL00END.dbf, BAL01MID.dbf, INVEND01.dbf, etc.) Make sure 
   you get all of these files copies to your disk.

Once the above files are copied, your back-up disk will be 
complete.  With the freshly created back-up disk, you'll be ready 
to re-install the program or install the new version.



4. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
----------------------
HARDWARE:		
a) Pentium or Equivalent Processor
(The program will run on 486-66 computers, but it is 
not recommended because of sluggish performance.)
b) A minimum of 16MB RAM (32 or more is recommended)
c) A hard disk with 10MB of available disk space
d) VGA/SVGA monitor and graphics adapter
e) Mouse

OPERATING SYSTEM:
Windows 95/98/2000/ME/XP
A special version of AnyBook is also available for Windows 3.1 



5. REMOVING THE PROGRAM
-----------------------
The installer for Windows 95/98/2000/ME/XP creates an uninstall 
program which will remove all files associated with AnyBook! 
The uninstall program is listed with the AnyBook program group 
in the Start Menu.  You can also uninstall the program by using 
"Add/Remove Programs" found in the Windows Control Panel. If 
you installed the program for Windows 3.1 and no longer wish to 
use it, you'll need to delete the files.  All program and data 
files are kept in one directory which makes removing the 
program easy. Using the File Manager, go to the AnyBook 
directory.  Delete all the files and then delete the directory. 



6. ON-LINE HELP
---------------
A complete on-line help system has been built into the program.  
It is accessed by selecting HELP from the Menu.  The help 
system has been set up using standard Windows commands and 
procedures. Information on topics of general interest may be 
reached from the Contents page (accessed by selecting HELP and 
CONTENTS from the Menu Bar).  Topics of a more specific nature 
may be located using the Windows Help Search feature.

Special information has also been developed to help you get 
started.  For a quick introduction to the program, select HELP 
and GETTING STARTED from the Menu.  Information on how to 
prepare the program so it is ready to work in your business is 
found in Help under the topic "Preparing the Program for Your 
Use."

Information on which version of the program you are using is 
found in the "About" dialog box.  It is accessed by selecting 
HELP and ABOUT from the Menu. 

Registered users who have specific questions or problems with 
the program are welcome to contact the program's author, Ron 
Watters by phone: 208-232-6857 or via email wattron@isu.edu.



7. HOW TO REGISTER AnyBook!
---------------------------
This is a shareware program.  We invite you to try out the 
program and thoroughly test it for your business environment 
and the type of computer equipment that you use. There is no 
cost for evaluating the program.  You are also welcome to pass 
it on to others who might be interested in it. 

If after evaluating AnyBook!, you find that it isn't what you 
need, simply erase the files.  No registration is necessary.

If, however, you find that it works for you, and you begin to 
use it on a regular basis, we ask that you register AnyBook and 
make a nominal payment for its use.  This program has been 
developed mostly out a labor of love, and the proceeds from 
user registrations are used primarily to clear up bugs and 
develop new features. Once you're registered, we'll provide you 
with information on improvements and software updates. You'll 
also be provided with a registration code which removes the 
"unregistered" status of the program and officially registers 
it under your name. 

There are several ways to register: 

(1) Click on the registration link found in the Important 
Information Dialog Box.  To access this dialog box, select 
HELP and IMPORTANT INFORMATION from the Menu Bar on top of 
AnyBook's screen.

(2) Log on to Ron Watters' website.  Ron is the developer of 
the program.  His website is:  http://www.ronwatters.com  
(Follow the software link)  

(3) Send him an email at wattron@isu.edu  

(4) Call 1-208-232-6857

(5) Write to Ron at 1135 East Bonneville, Pocatello, ID 83201.  
For your convenience, this software package includes an order 
form.  It's found in the file "Order.frm" which can be loaded 
into a word processing program and printed.

The cost of registration is $29.95.



8. DISTRIBUTING THE PROGRAM TO OTHERS
-------------------------------------
You may make as many copies of the evaluation version of this 
software and documentation as you wish; give exact copies of 
the original evaluation version to anyone; and distribute the 
evaluation version of the software and documentation in its 
unmodified form via electronic means.  There is no charge for 
any of the above.  

You are, however, specifically prohibited from charging, or 
requesting donations, for any such copies, however made; and 
from distributing the software and/or documentation with other 
products (commercial or otherwise) without prior written 
permission.



9. DATE FORMAT AND Y2K INFORMATION
----------------------------------
AnyBook has been thoroughly tested and is fully Y2K compliant. 
The program uses the American style of formatting dates, i.e. 
(mm/dd/yy).  As long as you don't mind using the mm/dd 
system, AnyBook can be, and is, used in other countries 
utilizing different date formats.  No adjustment in the 
Regional settings in Windows are necessary.



10. VERSION 6 INFORMATION
--------------------------------
In Version 6, a number of new features were added.  Some
of the more important additions include:  1) Invoice Messages.
A 4-line message can now be added to printed invoices.  The 
message can be drafted in a special dialog box accessed from 
the EDIT menu, or it can be manually created in the Notes area
of the Main Invoice Screen.  2) Filter. The filter feature has been 
enhanced.  Filter statements no longer need to be created from
scratch. Instead, a series of common filter statements are 
included in the filter dialog box and the desired condition is
selected by clicking with the mouse.  3) Shipping Address.  
Typing in "NA" in the shipping name blank eliminates the 
shipping portion of the printed invoice and removes the 
shipping line item.  4) The Customer Information Database 
Screen was enhanced and new selection features added.  
5) List buttons ("L" buttons) were added to the Main Invoice 
Screen making it easier to reach pull-down menus. 6) The ISBN 
field was expanded to 13 digits to be compatible with newly 
accepted standards.  7) The zip field was increased to 8 characters 
for British or other international postal codes.  8) The 
installation program no longer overwrites existing data files 
and it is not necessary to restore backed-up files after 
re-installing the program. 9) Additional dating and term features
have been added which can be accessed through a new pop-up
dialog box.

Version 5 enhancements prior to release of Version 6 (Version 6
includes the following plus the above new features):

In Version 5.9, several new procedures were added to program 
start-up code to provide a more thorough check of the integrity 
of database files prior to the appearance of the Main Invoice 
Screen.  Additional options were added to the Data File 
Diagnostics module which is triggered when AnyBook detects a 
file problem.  Several editorial changes and additions were 
made to program and help system messages. 

Version 5.8 added a number of new features to the program, 
including a Payment Analysis function which provides a report 
of all payments and where they are recorded.  It also flags 
transactions which could be the source of possible payment 
problems such as incomplete payments.  The feature is helpful 
when checking payment records of customers with high levels 
of account activity.  A number of enhancements were made to 
the Mark Paid feature, making it easier to find invoices 
when a customer pays in a lump sum payment.  A sorting 
function was added to the Customer Information database. 
The double-click routine which brings up the pop-up list 
of all past customers now includes an additional option which 
eliminates duplicate names.  The same option was added to 
Billing File functions and Payment Analysis. A safety 
mechanism was added to prevent inconsistencies in the 
interface between the Windows environment and AnyBook from 
causing entry problems when dealing with dates. To help 
speed up the printing of statements, a Quick Print button 
was added to the Billing Statements screen.

The void function was changed slightly so when it prints the 
word "VOID" on top of an invoice, it proceeds "VOID" with four 
CHR(250) characters instead of three dashes.  This has the 
effect of placing all voided invoices at the end of a list 
whenever invoices are arranged alphabetically by billing name. 
It's a very minor change, but it makes alphabetical lists a 
bit easy to use.  Previous users of AnyBook can take advantage 
of the change by searching for voided invoices, temporarily 
removing the voided status and then voiding them again.  Once 
they are voided a second time, the new formatting will be 
picked up.

There is one other change that previous users should be 
aware of. In Version 5.8, the function which makes the 
Invoice Screen moveable--a handy feature for those with 
large screens--is now accessed from the WINDOW menu.  In 
past versions, it was accessed from the INVOICE TOOLS menu. 

More Information. Information on how the program evolved and 
a listing of version numbers and new features can be found in 
History.txt included in the AnyBook software package.



11. A COMPARISON OF ANYBOOK'S THREE EDITIONS
--------------------------------------------

AnyBook is available in three editions including Basic, 
Professional Standard, and Professional Advanced.  You 
have downloaded the Basic Edition. The differences 
between the editions are explained below: 

ANYBOOK BASIC
-------------
AnyBook Basic forms the foundation of the AnyBook 
family. Carefully crafted and well tested, it is the winner of a 
number of shareware awards and it is highly regarded in both the 
publishing and software worlds.  It is particularly useful for 
self-publishers and small publishers.  It generates invoices and 
billing statements, keeps track of inventory, handles book 
returns, produces sales reports, records customer payments, 
tracks consignment items, and creates customer mailing lists.  
The program is efficiently designed and uses compact files.  
(Registration is $29.95)


ANYBOOK PROFESSIONAL STANDARD
-----------------------------
The Professional Standard Edition of AnyBook is for the small 
or self-publisher who needs greater functionality and 
versatility.  It includes all the features of AnyBook Basic 
with many additional features.  Here's a partial listing:  

It has larger field sizes for customer names and addresses.  
It includes a Customer Contact Manager which can be used to write 
notes and keep track of customer names--or the names of 
individuals and departments within a corporate business--along 
with phone numbers, email addresses, etc.  It will automatically 
start your email program or Internet browser should you need to 
write a customer a note or visit their website.  

The Professional Standard version includes additional fields 
on the Main Invoice Screen including the customer's phone number, 
email address, and an invoice code which can be used to provide a 
more refined breakdown of sales data.  A third screen size 
setting allows the screen to be expanded lengthwise and widthwise 
providing a roomier working area.   

This edition also includes more space for catalog numbers and 
product names.  You can assign different discounts to different 
products.  An identifier can be added to product information 
printed on invoices.  The identifier can be an ISBN number for 
books, part number for general items, or even color or size 
depending on your needs.  Products can also be placed in 
different categories by using prefix in the catalog number.  
This allows you to obtain inventory information for each category 
and simplifies product entry on invoices.

A variety of sort options are available for customer and product 
lists, inventory reports, and billing statements.  Search and 
look-up functions are available in all portions of the program.  
This version also includes a feature which calculates the total 
weight of an order.  In addition to the various print routines in 
the Basic version, the Professional Standard version also gives 
you the ability to print a copy of the payment analysis report or 
a summary report of your inventory levels.  

For billing reports, you have the added option of choosing 
between "Date of Invoice" or "End of Month" billing cycles.  
A new counting feature enables you to count invoices.  
Dozens of counting options are available. For example, 
you can determine how many invoices have been issued to 
specified customer, how many invoices are unpaid, or how many 
invoices have been issued for a particular product.

The Professional Standard Version includes an Advanced Search 
feature which allows you to search certain fields or select 
various conditions to narrow down the search.  A search and replace 
feature is also available when catalog number other field changes 
are necessary.  The Filter feature has the added ability to display 
only those invoices with certain products.  You can also filter for 
a sales code, displaying only those invoices with promotional items, 
or only those invoices with returns, etc.   Filtering is also 
available in the mailing list portion of the program.  With this 
feature you can produce a mailing list for customers from a certain 
state, or who have purchased a particular product, among many others.

This version will keep track of shipping expenses including those 
which are charged and those which are not charged to the customer. 
A new pop-up list (which can be customized to your liking) makes it 
easy to enter shipping methods on invoices.  Other features include 
the ability to processes back orders, produce bank deposit reports, 
and export basic information such as invoice and sales data to other 
programs. 

The cost to register the Standard Edition is $49.00.  
Registered users can upgrade from the most recent Basic Edition 
to the Standard Edition for $20.00.  (The cost of upgrading to 
the Standard Edition from older versions of the Basic Edition is 
$35.00)


ANYBOOK PROFESSIONAL ADVANCED
-----------------------------
AnyBook Professional Advanced.  The Professional Advanced Edition 
is a full-featured publishing business software program.  It 
includes all the features of AnyBook Basic and the Professional 
Standard Edition, plus credit card processing, batch printing, 
ability to attach invoices and statements to email messages, 
telephony features including two separate phone dialers (a basic 
and advanced version), invoice to HTML conversion, extensive export 
and import functions, currency conversation, extra emailing 
functions, and one of the easiest-to-use royalty accounting systems 
in the industry.  

With the Advanced Edition, you can click on a button on the 
Main Invoice Screen or within the Customer Contact Manager and 
your computer will dial the phone number.  You can have the phone 
dialer key-in the individual's extension or menu choice numbers 
automatically for you.  If you need to call FedEx (or another 
shipper) to pick up a package, the phone dialer will even input 
your account number.  

It includes batch printing routines for invoices and 
statements.  Instead of printing each invoice (or billing 
statement) individually, you can select from a list and the 
program will print all selected invoices or statements at once, 
freeing you to do other things.  

The Advanced Edition also includes an email export feature 
which allows you to attach a copy of the invoice to an email 
message.  Attachments can be text, Microsoft Word, or an HTML web 
document.   You can also place the entire invoice into the 
clipboard and move it into an email or word processing program.  
You can start your email program from AnyBook and insert the 
billing name or shipping name into the "to" blank.  Additionally, 
you can pick from a series of form letters that you've prepared 
in advance, and via the clipboard, insert the desired letter in 
the text of your email message.

The import and export functions allow you to move information 
from databases, spreadsheets, accounting programs, and word 
processing programs in and out of AnyBook.  One of the nice 
features of the two functions is that you can select which fields 
should be imported or exported.  AnyBook will remember your 
selections for the next time it's needed.  Both functions are 
accompanied with a full range of tools and options, including 
the ability to import or export by use of the clipboard.

The royalty accounting feature is an entire software program 
in itself, fully integrated so it works seamlessly with AnyBook 
and AnyBook's data files.  This portion of the program provides a 
wide range of options.  Royalties can be based on cash or accrual 
accounting.   They can be calculated on a percentage of the 
retail price, net sales, or a flat amount.  Royalties can also be 
set up to change depending on the quantity of books sold and/or 
depending on the discount at which books are sold.  Over 235 
different royalty combinations are available for nearly any 
royalty arrangement.  

A special and innovative royalty statement function is available 
to record and track advances, royalties owed, subsidiary rights, 
and payments.  The neatly printed reports generated by the program 
provide you and your authors and photographers with all the 
important accounting details.  When you are ready to mail 
printed royalty reports, they are designed so that they can be 
folded and inserted in a windowed business envelope. 

The Advanced version also includes credit card processing 
features.  The credit card processing portion of the program can 
be used if you have a small volume of cards--two to five cards a 
day--and you have signed up for voice or touch tone processing 
with your bank.  Note that if you don't use voice or touch tone 
processing or if you have a higher card volume, you'll want to 
use third party credit card processing software. To do so, 
AnyBook has a credit card export feature which allows you to 
export card information to third party software such as 
PCAuthorize and others.  For more information, see Credit Card 
processing in the Professional Advanced Edition.  

The cost to register the Professional Advanced Edition is 
$89.00.  Registered users can upgrade from the most recent Basic 
Edition to Advanced for $60, or from the Standard to Advanced for 
$40. (Add $15 to upgrade to the Advanced Edition from older 
versions of Basic or Standard.)

MORE INFORMATION. Information on how the program evolved and 
a listing of version numbers and new features can be found in 
History.txt included in the AnyBook software package.
 


