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4.1 System Overview MINFILE/pc is a modular-based system with sub-systems consisting of search, report, data entry, data transfer, utility and code table maintenance modules. The flexibility of the system allows for easy upgrading, replacing with new technology, or adding new modules. The strength of the MINFILE/pc system is its ability to efficiently and easily search, sort and manipulate the data entered into the various information fields. These include location, tectonic belt, commodity, mineralogy, host rock name and age, deposit type, lithology, production, and reserves. An expanded geological description in text form is in the "capsule geology" and information sources are included in the "bibliography". MINFILE/pc has twelve search screens allowing interrogation of the above fields. In addition to the searching capability of MINFILE/pc, the program is able to report on the search results. Reports include sorted tabular reports, a capsule geology and bibliography report, a master report and a production report. MINFILE information can be plotted using computer aided mapping systems and integrated with conventional geographic information systems. Editing, updating and appending new mineral occurrences is possible with the data entry module, using pull-down menus and pop-up windows. The revised information may be easily transferred to other computers.
MINFILE/pc is a stand-alone, menu-driven program, operating in the MS-DOS environment of IBM-compatible microcomputers. The program requires at least 640 kilobytes of RAM, MS-DOS Version 3.21 or higher, a 3 1/2 inch drive, and a hard-disk drive with sufficient space to accommodate required sets of distributed data files and its subsequent configuration. The following table shows the minimum and recommended configurations to run MINFILE/pc.
The MINFILE/pc program is written in dBASE III PLUS and FoxBASE+ and compiled using a runtime version of FoxBASE+. R&R Relational Report Writer is used to generate the reports. These programs are delivered as stand alone runtime versions. A program called Friendly Finder (purchased separately from Proximity Technology Inc.) may be used with MINFILE/pc to import the MINFILE codes directly into the search screen. Three other components to the MINFILE/pc System are the guide to operations, entities and data diskettes. The guide to operations diskette contains three information documents and an installation program. The 'readme' file describes installation procedures for the MINFILE/pc system and how to load MINFILE data. The dictionary document lists the structure of all 69 files used in MINFILE, 22 of which are searchable in MINFILE/pc. The user document is a manual describing how to use the MINFILE/pc program. The installation program is an executable file used for automatically loading the MINFILE/pc system and/or MINFILE data onto the hard disk. The entities diskette contains 28 files of all MINFILE codes and their descriptions. The entities, also referred to as tables or codes, apply to the entire Province of British Columbia. These codes, versus full text, save computer file space and result in substantial improvements in database access and file management. 5.1 General Overview and Features MINFILE/pc has the ability to interrogate the provincial mineral database and break it down into a variety of manageable subsets. Searches are conducted by inputting parameters into the simple, user-friendly screen menus. Information files are then created which can be saved for future reference and to produce mineral occurrence distribution plots or generate reports on the search results. Imagine the variety of queries possible from thousands of mineral occurrences. For example, search on occurrences representative of Kuroko-style stratiform, volcanogenic, massive sulphide deposits; or, find occurrences similar to a deposit described as an epithermal deposit, containing quartz, dolomite and pyrite as alteration minerals within tuff, limestone and breccia of Permian age; or, prepare a file to plot gold occurrences on geological or geochemical maps; or finally, extract production and reserve data for all major deposits.
The MINFILE/pc program has 12 search screens. The first search criterion is location, which allows searches on latitude/longitude, UTM coordinates, NTS map sheets, mining divisions, tectonic belts, physiographic regions or terranes. Other search criteria are commodity, development status, deposit name, MINFILE number, mineralogy, host rock or mineralization age, deposit character, deposit classification, lithology, formal/informal host rock, deposits with production and deposits with reserves. On most of the screens, search parameters are entered into the program using Boolean algebra (AND, OR, NOT) expressions.
Reports resulting from a MINFILE/pc search include standard data format (SDF) files, tabular reports, capsule geology and bibliography reports, a master report and a production report. An SDF file may be used in a plotting program known as MINGRAPH PC or QUIKMap or other graphics packages. This file includes MINFILE number, primary name, commodities, status, latitude/longitude, UTM coordinates and NTS map number. The tabular reports may be sorted by commodity, name, NTS map sheet and MINFILE number. A capsule geology and bibliography report provides a summary of the information on an occurrence, the master report displays the complete data, and the production report displays production by year and a production summary. These reports are generated using a runtime module of R&R Relational Report Writer and may be printed to screen, file or printer. ASCII files and EPSON and HP Laser printers are supported.
MINFILE/pc utilities include the ability to configure the data base, control search results, and parcel data sets. Distribution of the MINFILE database in ASCII format allows flexibility for use in many database management systems. In the case of MINFILE/pc, the data is configured into dBASE format. The import/export or retrieve/save feature of MINFILE/pc permits control of searches and transfer of information to other programs. The export option saves searches as an SDF file or standard data format file, with name, commodity, status and location information. This file may be used for later processing (importing) or use in report, graphic, or plotting programs. SDF files may also be combined and imported back into MINFILE/pc to solve complex search examples or generate more comprehensive reports. Reinitializing the database, after the completion of a search, starts the search routine from the original data set. The parcel utility allows a customized data set to be created on any of the search parameters of MINFILE/pc. For example, if you want all data on copper in B.C., then copper is searched and subsequently parceled. This parceled subset may be loaded and configured with MINFILE/pc, which becomes the default (or starting) data set for further searching and reporting.
6.1 General Overview and Features The purpose of the MINFILE/pc Data Entry system is to allow users to enter or alter mineral occurrence data in the MINFILE database. It is similar to the MINFILE/vax Data Entry system, but more user-friendly. The major functions of the system include Selecting a Deposit, Selecting a Screen, Selecting an Edit Mode, Obtaining Help, Printing Reports, and Comparing Updates. The primary users of MINFILE/pc's Data Entry system will be research geologists, typically employees of the Geological Survey & Development Branch, who update the MINFILE database. The system may also be distributed to geologists working in the field and clients in the mining industry for their own use. The MINFILE/pc Data Entry system is integrated into the MINFILE/pc Search and Report system. The system boasts a user-friendly interface with pull-down menus, pop-up windows, and non-ambiguous error messages. Using pop-up windows one may browse, append, revise, delete, move, and insert data on fields containing multiple entries, otherwise the screen displays only the first-ranked item in the multiple field list. An efficient text searching system, using a software engine from Proximity Technology Inc., allows automatic input of codes to the database. The text fields (capsule geology and bibliography) are revised or added using an editor of the user's choice.
This option is used to compare the currently displayed screen with data on the same occurrence previously imported from other users' diskettes. When the compare routine runs, it highlights fields to show differences between the occurrences. This function aids the user in detecting changes to the data and is used in conjunction with the master and production report print function. 7.1 Proximity-Scan and Friendly Finder Proximity-Scan is a pop-up code finding utility built into the data entry system. The user enters part of the full field description of the code and the program will find the closest matches. Codes are therefore invisible to the user and automatically incorporated into the system. An end-user license agreement is necessary. Proximity-Scan is the software engine behind another program called Friendly Finder, which may be purchased separately and customized to work with the MINFILE/pc database. It is useful for looking up codes during the searches and quick searches directly on the database file can be achieved. Other uses include incorporating dictionaries for spell checking and direct searches for keywords on capsule geology and bibliographic text fields. MINFILE/pc also has several help screens on how to use the system. 7.2 UTM - Long./Lat. Conversion Although location information in MINFILE is in both Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates and Longitude/Latitude, the user needs only to enter one or the other. A program converts one to the other.
Supporting documents for MINFILE/pc include: a Coding Manual, which details the characteristics, editing factors, and limitations of each data field; a User Manual describes the search and report systems of MINFILE/pc, Version 4.5 and provides detailed information on the procedures involved in the data entry process on MINFILE/pc, Version 4.5. 8.1 MINFILE/pc The MINFILE/pc Search and Report program, Version 4.5 is available free of charge to purchasers of MINFILE datasets and CD-Roms. It can also be downloaded from our website for free at http://www.em.gov.bc.ca/mining/GeolSurv/MINFILE/PRODUCTS.HTM 8.2 MINFILE Data and Maps The MINFILE data was previously sold on a
commercial basis in hard copy as maps and printouts and in computer
format as floppy diskettes. It is now strictly available on
CD-Rom or downloadable from the web.
MINFILE maps
(last updated January 1997) show the
location of known mineral occurrences on a physiographic,
topographic and geological base map. The number labels refer
to the MINFILE number within a 1:100,000 or 1:250,000 scale National
Topographic System (NTS) map. The symbols class the occurrence
according to showing, prospect, developed prospect, producer or past
producer. A legend shows MINFILE number, occurrence name and
mineral commodities. Indices are provided which sort the
occurrences by primary commodity, primary name and NTS area.
Various commodity studies, including silica, magnesite, magnetite, talc, chromite, nickel, platinum and barite have been released as Open Files. 8.4 MINFILE Distribution and Client Sales Over 1400 copies of MINFILE/pc have been distributed to clients within Canada and other countries. Along with sales and distribution of MINFILE products, the MINFILE team has responded directly to many client inquiries via the telephone, email, etc. 8.5 Order Information Requests for MINFILE information, MINFILE Coding Manual, and MINFILE/pc system disks are available through our website below or from: MINFILEBC Geological Survey Ministry of Energy, Mines & Petroleum Resources P.O. Box 9333 STN PROV GOV'T VICTORIA BC CANADA V8W 9N3 Office location: 5th Floor, 1810 Blanshard Street Contacts:
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