This is the WHATS.NEW file for Q&A 5.0 for DOS

This file summarizes the new features of Q&A 5.0 for DOS.

Please refer to the following files for more information:

     READ.ME        Information on the new features in Q&A
                    5.0 and corrections to the manuals.
     README.1ST     Information on the office application
                    included with Q&A 5.0
     PRINTER.TXT    Summary of the new printer drivers
     README.WIN     Instructions for installing the
                    interoperability files for Q&A for
                    Windows
     
     
Version 5.0 boasts a number of key new features requested by
users world-wide including an XPOST facility to write data
to and set up relations between external Q&A databases.  It
also supports a number of new programming functions that
improve the user interface of Q&A applications.


NEW PROGRAMMING COMMANDS

Q&A 5.0 for DOS give users greater control and flexibility
in programming databases with an additional 20 programming
commands. These new commands can be used to:

     Enhance the user interface-- Users can add sound to
     fields as messages, add color to backgrounds and text or create
     list boxes, option boxes, and yes/no boxes.
     
     Exchange information between databases-- Q&A 5.0 lets
     users modify fields in other databases with many new Lookup
     commands.
     
The new programming capabilities cover context, text, user,
and lookup  functions:

CONTEXT FUNCTIONS:

     @MODIFIED      Indicates if changes have been made to
                    the current record.


TEXT FUNCTIONS

     @INSERT        Loads a Q&A or ASCII text file into a
                    database field.


USER FUNCTIONS

     @PLAY          Used to generate acoustic signals on the
                    PC's internal speaker.
     
     @COLOR         Temporarily changes the text and
                    background colors of a field.
     
     @MSGBOX        Displays a three-string message.
     
     @ASKUSER       Displays a three-string message and asks
                    user for a response.
     
     @SAVE          Saves the current record and moves on to
                    the next record.
     
     @EXIT          Saves changes in the current record and
                    exits the data entry function.
     
     @FEDIT         Starts the field editor for the current
                    field.
     
     @SHELL         Starts a file that runs under DOS or an
                    internal DOS command.
     
     @MACRO         Runs a macro.
     
     REM            Comments on the Q&A program for
                    documentation purposes.
     
     
LOOKUP FUNCTIONS

     USERSELECT     Displays a selection list of character
                    strings; assigns the selected entry to a
                    target field.
     
     @USERSELECT    Displays a selection list of character
                    strings and returns the selected entry.
     
     XUSERSELECT    Displays a selection list of the
                    contents of a field in an external
                    database; assigns the selected entry to
                    a target field.
     
     XUSERSELECTR   Displays a selection list of the
                    contents of a field in  an external
                    database, allowing a specified value
                    range.  If an entry  is selected, the
                    contents of the external data field is
                    assigned to a target field.
     
     @XUSERSELECT   Displays a selection list of the
                    contents of a field in an external
                    database, returning the selected entry
                    or a blank string.
     
     @XUSERSELECTR  Displays a selection list of the
                    contents of a field in an external
                    database, allowing a specified value
                    range.  Returns the selected entry or a
                    blank string.
     
     XPOST          Allows a value to be entered in a field
                    in a record in an external database.
                    The value can be linked with the current
                    value of the target field using the
                    operations ADD, SUB, MUL, or DIV.
     
     XPOSTR         Allows a value to be entered in a field
                    in a record in an external database.  If
                    no records contain the key word, the
                    statement edits the record containing
                    the nearest key word. The value can be
                    linked with the current value of the
                    target field  using the operations ADD,
                    SUB, MUL, or DIV.
     

OTHER NEW FEATURES

The Start Menu

     The new Start Menu makes it easy to launch Q&A and
     start from where the user left off in the last session.
     This is useful if the user regularly works in the same
     database or wants to continue working on the last-
     opened document.

The Clipboard and Calculator

     Q&A's new Clipboard makes it easy to transfer text
     between the database, word processor and calculator.
     Users can also copy and paste information between the
     fields in the database.  With the Calculator, users can
     perform manual calculations and paste numbers to and
     from the database.

Color

     The new color support in Q&A 5.0 for DOS gives users
     greater flexibility in designing the look of their
     databases.   Color can be applied to each field in the
     form as well as to background text and field labels.
     There are many opportunities for using color
     effectively.  For example, the consistent use of color
     can define functional blocks on standard company forms.

Launching External Programs

     Users can now launch other programs from within Q&A
     including other applications or DOS commands such as
     TYPE or DIR.   In previous versions of Q&A, users could
     not call external programs from outside the Main menu,
     nor could they call normal DOS commands or features.
     Now, in addition to the Main Menu, external programs
     are available from within the database and the word
     processor.  It also supports DOS commands and special
     parameters for transferring information between Q&A and
     the command.

Using images with Q&A 5.0

     Q&A 5.0 supports a new field type: Bitmap. This allows
     you to store graphic images in a Q&A database.

Help for visually impaired users

     Q&A 5.0 for DOS has a start-up mode especially for
     vision-impaired users.  If required, all screens
     including on-line help can carry a flashing cursor for
     driving single-line Braille output.

Rows in cross-tab reports increased

     In Q&A 4.0, cross-tabs with a maximum size of 100 rows
     and 100 columns could be created. In Q&A 5.0, this
     maximum setting has been increased to 500 rows with 100
     columns each, depending on the amount of memory
     available.

Header and footer programming

     In Q&A 5.0, you can now incorporate programming
     commands into the three-line headers and footers that
     are printed, for example, with columnar reports and
     cross-tab reports.

     You can also access derived columns in columnar
     reports. When you define a report, you can define up to
     16 derived columns. You can incorporate the data from
     these columns in headers and footers.


Interoperability with Q&A for windows

     Q&A 5.0 for DOS includes an update for Q&A for Windows.
     The update will modify Q&A for Windows so that it can
     access the databases updated or created by Q&A 5.0 for
     DOS.

New keystroke combinations

     Q&A now supports the keystrokes Ctrl-PgUp and Ctrl-PgDn
     in columnar and cross-tab report displays to enable you
     to move to the beginning or end of the report.
