Starting BTC
Btrieve Commander can be started in two different ways.
With no parameters
BTC will start with a list of all files defined in you data dictionary.
Typing the first few characters of a file's dictionary name will cause
the cursor to move to the first entry matching what is typed. If the file
you select doesn't exist you will be given the option of creating it or
selecting another file. To open a file with a non-standard file name or
an owner name use Alt-O to access the Open Options dialog.
With a file name
Giving a file name on the command line for BTC causes that file to be opened
using a data definition that matches the file's name. If no data definition
matches the named file you will be asked to select an appropriate definition.
Once you've selected the file you want to view with one of the above
methods you will be presented with a record list.
Data Dictionary files
Btrieve Commander requires access to data dictionary files (DDFs) that
describe the Btrieve file you want to view. By default BTC will look in
the directories described by the search path ".;ddf;..\ddf;..\..\ddf".
You can override the DDF search path by defining the environment variable
DDFPATH or by using a -d switch on the command line followed by the required path.
The DDFPATH value can be a list of semicolon separated absolute or relative directories.
If BTC can't find a set of DDFs it will ask you to enter a directory
where they can be found. The actual files required are file.ddf,
field.ddf and index.ddf.