The missing Amstrad DBase II discs... Can you solve the mystery of DO MENU?

[simulant]

Hey guys, I was looking at the dBASE II listing on the CPC Wiki page here: https://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/DBase_II

A scan of an Amstrad Action page is included, which makes an interesting read as it mentions that the PCW disc from 1986 includes a DO MENU command once dBASE is started. An onscreen message suggests using this command "unless you are a programmer".

The dBASE menu then allows the user to set up a database really easily through menu options (much like many of the other Amstrad database programs also do).

Was this feature unique to the Amstrad version?

All of the disc images I've tried of dBase II which I've found online do not include this command. The nearest thing I can find is the normal menu generator, which is just not the same thing.

Now, there could be a copy which is the right version and has DO MENU on CPC Power here: https://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&onglet=dumps&num=4186

Check out the second listing down the page, the one from 1987 which includes a serial number in its file name! The problem is I can't check these disc images due to the link being broken.

Does anyone know anything about which PCW/CPM+ version of dBase has DO MENU and where to get hold of a copy? I'd love to use this on my 6128 without having to set everything up with dot commands from the prompt.

Thanks for any help or if anyone can PM me to assist. Cheers

[zhulien]

There was one on ebay about a year ago and I didn't win the auction - so someone has it.  Of course I have a copy of the generic CP/M one, but I'd love the Amstrad version for my collection too.

[simulant]

Let's hope someone can share this version if it turns up one day so it doesn't get lost forever. 🤞

[zhulien]

the CPCDecade CD that I uploaded before has dBase II on it that we used to use on the CPC in the 80s/early 90s.  Not sure if it is the same or different to the actual CPC release - would it be different?

[Gryzor]

the CPCDecade CD that I uploaded before has dBase II on it that we used to use on the CPC in the 80s/early 90s.  Not sure if it is the same or different to the actual CPC release - would it be different?

Hmm? Any links? 

[simulant]

Found the link guys: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AmUqQamwNH_fpwvZac1c7tIrJwzp

Now, just need to check if the Amstrad specific DBase II is included...

[simulant]

Hi,

OK I may have figured something out from the CPC Decade CD-ROM (but I'm not sure!).

There's a DBaseII on the collection for CP/M 2.2

This one does contain a file called MENU.OVR which might be that extra DO MENU command. However I'm having trouble loading up this version of DBase.

I got CPM2.2 up no problem from Disc 4 of my 6128 System Discs (very handy they include the older 2.2 on those as well as CPM Plus!).

But I can't load DBase II. The disc files from the Decade CD-ROM are .cpm files rather than .com files?! This seems really weird, as when you're in CPM you normally load .COM files up as the executables/programs

If I rename the .CPM files to be .COM then DBase does load. But all the other files on the disc also have strange extensions like .def or .ovr - so I can't get the program doing much.

Is this something to do with the ARC compression perhaps? thanks for any help.

the CPCDecade CD that I uploaded before has dBase II on it that we used to use on the CPC in the 80s/early 90s.  Not sure if it is the same or different to the actual CPC release - would it be different?

[zhulien]

I will see if I can put it into a dsk for you and get back to you...

there is instructions in the CD how to put them back into a CPC - and hopefully I can do it in an emulator 

[simulant]

I will see if I can put it into a dsk for you and get back to you...

there is instructions in the CD how to put them back into a CPC - and hopefully I can do it in an emulator

Great thanks for the help!  😀

[JohnElliott]

The renaming of .COM to .CPM was done by some CP/M -> MSDOS transfer utilities (such as 22DISK) to prevent x80 .COM files being accidentally run on an x86 processor.

[simulant]

The renaming of .COM to .CPM was done by some CP/M -> MSDOS transfer utilities (such as 22DISK) to prevent x80 .COM files being accidentally run on an x86 processor.

This is great to know, thank you!

[GeoffB17]

Hello,

Looking at the file for MENU.CMD, this shows that the code was written for A-T June 84, and later modified for A-T (UK) May 85.  These dates are very late in the life of dbase II, so the MENU system would appear on system disks later that this, i.e. v. 2.41 or 2.43.   On top of this, it would be dependant on disk capacity as there are a number of files making up the MENU system.

If you get the code for MENU from a later version, this may well run fine on an earlier version even though MENU was not normally supplied with that version.  MENU is just standard dBASE II code.

If you're still looking for the MENU code (there are some .DBF files as part of the system) then they could be put into a separate image.  Not sure if you want a CF2 or a CF2DD image.  If you're using a CF2 image then you cannot get the system files AND the MENU files on the same disk.

Geoff

[simulant]

Hello,

Looking at the file for MENU.CMD, this shows that the code was written for A-T June 84, and later modified for A-T (UK) May 85.  These dates are very late in the life of dbase II, so the MENU system would appear on system disks later that this, i.e. v. 2.41 or 2.43.  On top of this, it would be dependant on disk capacity as there are a number of files making up the MENU system.

If you get the code for MENU from a later version, this may well run fine on an earlier version even though MENU was not normally supplied with that version.  MENU is just standard dBASE II code.

If you're still looking for the MENU code (there are some .DBF files as part of the system) then they could be put into a separate image.  Not sure if you want a CF2 or a CF2DD image.  If you're using a CF2 image then you cannot get the system files AND the MENU files on the same disk.

Geoff

Thanks Geoff, this would line up with the 1986 Amstrad Action magazine tutorial/review, it mentions a PCW re-release for a now affordable price.

[GUNHED]

Use dBase 2.5, here comes a presentation about it. In German.