LetItBe Tutorial

Copyright © 1998 Pascal Goguey. All rights reserved.


This tutorial will explain you how to create a database that looks like the "people" application that comes with BeOS.

1. Start LetItBe

No surprise here: double click LetItBe's green apple or drag a file you have already created (red apple), or double-click an already created file.

Your database GUI starts empty if you start by double click, or with some contents if you have drag & dropped or double-clicked a red apple. We will assume now that you have started from the scratch by double-clicking the green apple and chosing "new".

2. Editing a layout

As sait previously, the layout described here looks like the application "people", but there is a possibility to add control buttons to allow data to be added / removed / searched...

Since some buttons of the layout editor and the buttons described here have similar names and functionalities, sorry to insist, but they are not fully similar. Editor buttons cannot be edited / removed...

There are 6 possible buttons, that we are going to display in a row:

  • "Previous" button. This will allow you to navigate in your data (get the record before the record currently displayed). Click the "layout" tab, and then the "button" tab of the layout view.
    • Set up the geometry: 10,10,40,20 (numbers separated with commas or blanks).
    • The label, a short one, for instance : Prev
    • The command: PREV (in capitals).
    Click "Create". If you go to the database, a first button should be created. Its top-left corner is at 10,10 from the view's top left corner, its with and height are 40 and 20. For the following objects, same scenario. Define the button and click "Create".
  • "Next" button. At this point, you could click "New", which would erase all the fields since almost everything changes. However, it is possible to replace only the changing parts (the first number of the geometry, the label and the command).
    • Geometry = 60,10,40,20
    • Label = Next
    • Command = NEXT
  • Same for the other buttons with the different values in the same order. The New button
    • 110,10,40,20
    • New
    • NEW
  • Store button
    • 160,10,40,20
    • Store
    • STORE
  • Delete button
    • 210,10,40,20
    • Del
    • DEL
  • Find button
    • 260,10,40,20
    • Find
    • FIND
The button commands must be specified in capitals.

In case you make a mistake, you cannot fix it. Delete the wrongly placed / labeled item (by clicking "Delete"), and reconfigure it. I know, this is not the most user-friendly interface, but this will disappear in the near future and be replaced with a graphical interface.

If you delete a field, its characteristics disappear from the editor and are replaced by the next field, except if the current field is the last one. For example, if you have 3 fields A, B, C, and B is currentlt displayed. If you click "Delete", C will be displayed in the editor. If you further click "Delete", the preceding field (A) will be displayed.

Note: if you don't want your database to be altered by other people, first create it by using all the buttons, and then, before releasing the database to the "public", remove the "Store", "New" and "Delete" buttons. Well, I know, other people can add these buttons if they really want to alter your data. A system of passwords and access levels is in the pipeline of features to be added.

Now, let us configure the captions with the following parameters:
  • 1st caption:
    • 10,50,290,20
    • Name
    • 65
    • RIGHT
    • LEFT (Not mandatory, LEFT is the default.).
    Then, only the changing parameters are described:
  • 2nd caption:
    • 10,75,290,20
    • Nickname
  • 3rd caption:
    • 10,100,290,20
    • Company
  • 4th caption:
    • 10,125,290,20
    • Address
  • 5th caption:
    • 10,150,290,20
    • City
  • 6th caption:
    • 10,175,200,20
    • State
  • 7th caption:
    • 210,175,90,20
    • Zip
    • 30 (label width is smaller for the zip code)
  • 8th caption:
    • 10,200,290,20
    • Country
    • 65 (Back to the original label width)
  • 9th caption:
    • 10,225,290,20
    • Home Phone
  • 10th caption:
    • 10,250,290,20
    • Work Phone
  • 11th caption:
    • 10,275,290,20
    • Fax
  • 12th caption:
    • 10,300,290,20
    • E-mail
  • 13th caption:
    • 10,325,290,20
    • URL
  • 14th caption:
    • 10,350,290,20
    • Group

Well, I think it's time to use it. You can now add / remove fields and records. Have fun!

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Copyright © 1998 Pascal Goguey. All rights reserved.