This is an excellent BBC version of the ever-present computer filing system. The file structure is standard and very easy to master.

It consists of a collection of records, which in turn contain a number of data fields. These fields cannot be longer than one line in Vu-File but this is not a drawback since there is complete flexibility in how the record is split into fields and on screen presentation will probably be the deciding factor. All is carefully explained in the excellent documentation supplied with the program.

When you first enter Vu-File you select the option to format the record layout. Future use will involve loading an existing file from tape or disc for further processing. At this stage you have complete freedom to move the cursor around the blank screen placing the fixed titles of your choice at any location, using a combination of characters, rulings and boxes to partition the screen and emphasise certain data fields. This is where a little thought has to be applied to the sort of layout required, although the editing facilities allow for a change of mind. Data entry is just as easy using the cursor keys and Return, which moves you on to the next field.

When the relatively hard work of entering information has been completed, it only remains to master the command table which appears at the top of the screen. The commands allow you to scan through the records forwards and backwards. The List command allows a leisurely flip through and Reset takes you back to the first record.

The more complex sorting facilities accessed by Order and Append are explained on the screen and they perform the reordering and addition of further records. The selection of particular records is a formality. Vu-File allows you to search for a match with any string of characters at any position of a string.

The Print command allows you to set up a print layout and then to print the file. Saving your precious records is made easy and all you have to supply is the filename of your choice. Finally, a very useful feature of Vu-File is the ability to check up on how much memory (expressed as a percentage) your file has taken up.

If the management of data files is one of the reasons you bought your BBC then this Psion package has to be a serious contender for your library of software.