Email Notification:
If we have your Email Address we will notify you whenever a new version of the program is posted to this web site. If you wrote your Email address on the registration card and returned it to us you need do nothing, otherwise let us have your name and Email address and we will add you to our mailing list.
Register here

Version 2 (release history)

Change release title now changes it for all releases of that title.

Change musician name prompts user to allow change of all entries for that musician.

Auto Update option added to preferences - automatically displays tracks and musicians when cursor stops.

Auto Upper Case option added to preferences (Updates first Character of text as entered).

Dates entered incorrectly now trapped and message returned.

Backup option improved - now allowed from within tracks window.

Space available and Space required displayed on backup screen.

Title bar of window now shows "adding new title" (or release) when appropriate.

Export data screen shows number of items not yet exported.

Fixed bug which stopped printing of any album with over 100 tracks - up to 250 tracks now allowed.

Fixed bug which in some circumstances could prevent instrument search.

Changed text colour to black to prevent status bar disappearing when windows colour scheme changed.

V2.14 (21/02/98)

Quick "Owned" function key and icon added - if you have a notes field called "Owned" or "Have I Got It" you can press F5 to change the field to "Y" to indicate that you own the release (if already marked with a "Y" then the Y is replaced by a space.

Quick access to the add tracks screen by using F8 or the add musicians screen using F9 avoiding the need to go via the corrections screen.

Created "Backup additions and corrections file" option - no excuses for losing your data any more! You can back up to hard disk or providing the file will fit on a floppy then you can backup to floppy.

When adding tracks to a release you can now use the "Duplicate Release Title" button to copy the title for a release into the track field - particularly useful when adding singles where track one is almost always the same as the release title.

Increased the number of releases that can be printed out at one time from 1,500 to 15,000 to allow users with large collections to print a complete list at once.

When adding a new release or a new title the window heading changes to show which is being added.

Now enters the users address information into the additions & corrections file so that if you need to send it to me for any reason I now know where to return it.

No longer checks to see that the CD is in the drive if you have used the serious user install to install the complete program to a hard disk.

Improved export routine to show how many releases have not yet been exported. Also displays please wait message so that you know it's doing something.

Improved help screens.

Improved start up procedure to check for links to temporary tables and delete them if found. Where users had aborted the program it was possible for these temporary tables to stop the ability to search for tracks or musicians in previous versions.

Improved adding of new releases to avoid the possibility that index numbers could get re- used. In rare cases this could lead to the wrong tracks being displayed when adding a new release. (Thanks to Michael Coppin and Ken Pulley for pointing this out).

Changed method for changing artist name to avoid possible duplicate entries. (David Kemp suggestion).

V2.13 (15/11/97)

Fixed a small bug which meant the number of items exported could be mis-reported. Resets the hour glass cursor after doing a quick print of selected data (thanks to Harry Hampson for spotting this). Search slected data is no longer available before doing a search of the full database (thanks to Kieth Mason).

Improved printing so that tracks are now listed in the order you have specified not the order that they were originally entered.

Custom sort amended to stop users entering information in fields 1,2 & 4 but not 3 (courtesy of Glyn Forster).

Export function improved so that when you add tracks to a release that you have already exported the release will now be re-exported.

V2.12 (12/04/97)

Loads of new features in this version.

We have introduced a saved search feature which allows you to recall the last 99 search parameters - just press the down arrow when in any search dialogue screen to pick from the previous entries.

Improved handling of grid display after making amendments / additions to data - grid is now displayed with new or amended entry highlighted - used to redisplay the grid at the top of the list. ESC key no longer moves to the top of the grid. Quick find function introduced to allow fast access to a point in the displayed list - click once on the column to search within (default is title column) then press a letter e.g. "S" the grid will be re-displayed with the first title starting with the letter "S" at the top of the screen, press "S" again to see the next title starting with "S".

Improved amend / add release screens, Notes, Musicians, Release and Title buttons all now disabled after changing a release until the save button has been pressed. When save button changes to "Exit" ESC now also exits from this screen (it used to ask if you wanted to delete the changes made). Widened the amend musician entry screen so that there is no horizontal scroll bar needed (this could cause the musician name to disappear off the screen when amending an existing musician entry). Improved handling of forms for amending an existing release - now locks file before loading form, previously, users who entered data very quickly could get the error "object variable not set"

New start up menu screen with quick search facilities for new users - can be switched off for more experienced users. Now automatically checks and if necessary repairs the file rbadd.dat when starting the program - this means that even where users have amended the file and subsequently got the "duplicate key" error message this file will now be correctly rebuilt. Improved treatment of "rockbase.mdb" when loaded to hard disk - now sets and unsets read only flag when required - allowing users own data to be connected more efficiently.

Re-written export routine with new feature which shows export history of how many entries exported on each date - double click on a date to re-export the items for just that one date, useful when diskettes have got lost in the post or your email did not arrive properly.

Revised the spelling of several instruments in the instrument table. Re-categorised all EP's as Singles, some were originally set as albums (these features only available on CD-ROM version)

V2.11 (04/03/97)

In fixing the printing problem in version 2.10 we inadvertently introduced a different printing problem - this has now been fixed in 2.11.

V2.10 (21/02/97)

Now checks to see whether the links from Rockmain.mdb (the additions / corrections file) to the main database file are still valid - if not allows the user to specify where to find the main database file. This allows users who wish to move the data from CD to hard disk after adding their own data or who wish to install a new hard disk, (thus changing the letter for the CD Drive), to do so. This could also help users trying to run RockBase under Windows NT (so far not possible).

Printing a report following a search for a string containing a single quote (e.g. fred's mother) caused the program to error with the message "error in formula" - now prints following these searches.

Also stops access to search selected data immediately after starting RockBase (which caused crash). Thanks to David Kemp for pointing that one out.

V2.09 (15/01/97)

(Labelled 2.08b in the program title bar) - New track search now speeded up again. Still searches your corrections and additions

V2.08 (10/01/97)

Tracks you have added to existing releases or to new titles are now included when searching for a track by name or when you double click on a track on a displayed release. They are also included in searches of selected data as well as cumulative searches and search all tracks for an artist. They are not yet included in a "Show all tracks" search on selected data. If you download this copy of the program and find any inconsistencies with track data retrieved then please let me know.

Other fixes include stopping the message "1 parameters were expected but only 0 were supplied" which could occur after displaying tracks for a release by double clicking on release - then double clicking on a track - then setting one line per title.

After searching for a track then setting one line per release didn't always redraw screen - does now Also made some small additions to help file

Warning: being a beta test of the track search facilities within data added or corrected by the user means that the track searches now take a lot longer than they did. Do not download this version of RockBase if you do a lot of track searches. (or at least save version 2.07) - a search for track starts with "Hello" took 0:27 on version 2.07 but a whopping 9:01 on version 2.08. We are looking into ways of speeding this up considerably.

V2.07 (24/12/96)

Fixes bug introduced in version 2.06 which resulted in problems when double clicking on a track in the bottom half of the display window. This action should result in all tracks of that name being displayed. It does now!

V2.06 (20/12/96)

Shows track numbers from database in track title display window - also allows editing of existing track numbers in corrections screen - also creates track numbers when adding new tracks (add them in order please).

Improved adding of notes; Enter key now keeps going beyond last field and saves notes (avoids having to use mouse on exit button), let me know if you like this.

Fixed bug where after searching for all tracks for an artist then pressing one line per title button, track title used to disappear - no more! No longer writes artist id to corrections database for a new artist. Improved country search drop down, now searches ahead when key pressed.

V2.05 (06/12/96)

Improved adding of notes - now remembers which release the cursor was on before entering notes screen and returns to it after updating notes. Doesn't yet work after adding a new release or title but hopefully will soon.

Fixed bug introduced in a recent version which caused duplicate key error when entering notes on a second release - Thanks to Ken Pulley for pointing out this bug and suggesting the improvements above.

When searching for an artist containing "&" e.g. Simon & Garfunkel, no longer displays an "_" character in status line or report heading.

V2.04 (27/11/96)

Finally found the cause of and fixed the bug which could cause error message "object variable not set" after adding a track and musician to new titles.

Also a minor annoyance has been cured - when adding a new title or release and tabbing through the fields, the country field is tabbed past just like the others thus avoiding the need to use the mouse to go to format field.

Corrected Web address in help file and added notes about status bar.

V2.03 (25/11/96)

Added Alt/I (Identical to), Alt/S (Starts with), Alt/C (Contains), Alt/B (Comes Before), Alt/A (Comes After), Alt/= (equal to/not equal) & Alt/N (Null toggle) to new search screen.

Can now access notes directly from corrections screen again.

After adding new release the notes were sometimes remembered from a previously added release - No longer.

Added Alt/D (Delete), Alt/C (Cancel) & Alt/E (Exit) to buttons on Notes screen.

V2.02 (15/11/96)

Fixed bug which caused error message "object variable not set" after adding a track to the second new title added in a session. This then caused an error "can't have duplicate key" after restarting RockBase and attempting to add another track.

Fixed bug when using cumulative search mode with entries from corrections / additions database which could give error message "Table main already exists".

Fixed bug which meant that stopped "Export Now" button working (displayed after more than 100 new additions had been added to corrections file).

Fixed bug which sometimes meant musicians in lower right of screen were not all displayed and were not sorted alphabetically.

Enter key now moves to next field in Add Notes screen.

New titles now given 5 numeric character key in place of 4 in rockmain.mdb

Added Alt/T (New Title) and Alt/R (New Release) to corrections / additions screen (F12).

Cursor now changed to egg timer (or equivalent on your system) when search started - sometimes used to stay as pointer.

Version 2.02 has a new bug which prevents the use of the Notes button direct from the Additions / Corrections screen (if you use this feature a lot then perhaps you would be better waiting for version 2.03) Notes can still be added via the F11 key or from the menu - sorry for the inconvenience but this was only spotted in late testing after the programmer had gone home for the weekend!

V2.01 (07/11/96)

New improved search screen, also strips leading and trailing spaces from text before searching.

Main display now shows all four digits for year of release (so does amendments screen). Amendments screen no longer deletes label, catalogue number info etc. when adding new release (makes for faster entering where info is unchanged between releases).

Print preview screen now stays on top even when cursor is moved over tool bar.

Bug when trying to correct a musician name for a release now fixed (used to give error message "0" then further message"can't have null value in index") - No longer possible to add notes to a release after searching for track title (used to crash). - When printing details for a release with no tracks after printing details for a release with tracks the same track information used to be printed for both releases, not anymore!

Version 1 (release history)
V1.07 (07/06/96)

Search for a Musician from full data had become very very slow after previous changes. The method of searching has now been changed to improve the speed again. The down side of this is that it is no longer possible to save a Musician search as a Macro. If you feel this a great hardship please let me know on 01747 858012 (Chris Stanbury).

V1.06 (01/06/96)

Added the Search All Tracks for Artist and Search all Musicians for Artist options to the Search Full Data menu.

Also added Show all Tracks and Show All Musicians options to Search Selected data menu. Added Show One Line Per Musician and Show One Line Per Track options to preferences screen.

Added new reports to allow printing of the data including musician or track. Added Print Reports Portrait or Print Reports Landscape options to the preferences screen. Updated help file to incorporate new features.

Printing reports to anything other than the main tray of a laser printer seems to be ignored, if this is causing you problems or if it works on your printer please let me know on 01747 858012 (Ch ris Stanbury).

V1.05 (13/04/96)

Added the ability to sort by Musician Name, Instrument or Track if displayed in top half of screen.

Added Custom Sort option.

Improved help file relating to sort option to incorporate new features.

Fixed Export Data option bug when no tracks or no musicians present.

Fixed bug when trying to minimise 2nd or subsequent window.

V1.04 (31/03/96)

Added the ability to add completely new albums and singles. Sadly they still don't appear in the results from searches, (were trying to make it work). All amendments are saved to a data file (CORRECTN.DAT) held in the main RockBase directory, the layout of this file has changed slightly again. If you were already using this feature in version 1.03 you will need to print out then clear the currently saved corrections using the relevant options under the file menu.

Added Export Data option to corrections menu to allow data to be saved to file for later use in future versions of RockBase.

Added Instrument name to display after musician searches. Added Musician Name to display after Instrument searches.

Changed method of determining unique title for "One line per title" option. Now shows four albums called "Peter Gabriel" as it should - he released four different albums with the same title. (Thanks to Mr Brun of Switzerland for pointing that out).

Added nicknames table to view menu, added country table to view menu. Added rolling demo to help menu (if available on your hard disk).

Changed Artist "Last Name" to "Last Name / Band Name" on search dialogue box. Changed "Instrument" to "Instrument Code" on search dialogue box. Fixed bug when trying to minimise a RockBase window.

Fixed bug making selection of Macro file awkward.

Substantially updated help file to reflect all changes so far.

V1.03 (11/02/96)

Added the ability to add new tracks & musicians to an existing album or single. All amendments are saved to a data file (CORRECTN.DAT) held in the main RockBase directory, the layout of this file has changed slightly. If you were already using this feature in version 1.02 you will need to print out then clear the currently saved corrections using the relevant options under the file menu.

A bug found when trying to search for a musician with a specified instrument has now being fixed. This search used to give no finds. It now works!!

V1.02 (04/02/96)

Added the ability to amend an existing album, tracks & musicians. All amendments are saved to a data file (CORRECTN.DAT) held in the main RockBase directory. These amendments can then be printed out, with all changes marked with an asterisk (*). After printing, the user can clear the data file using the option from the File/Corrections menu, this will rename the existing data file to CORRECTN.xxx, where xxx is the next available number (i.e 001, 002 etc).

The user now has the ability to turn off the Exit message box at the end of the program, as it was felt that heavy users would find it annoying. This can be found in the Preferences dialogue.

Typing mistake in Help Contents now fixed.

Error on printed corrections sheet now fixed

V1.01 (12/09/95)

Added a few more short cut keys, e.g. Instrument search can now be accessed by pressing Ctrl + I