Getting Help on BioGraf
BioGraf: the Biorhythm Program for Windows

Get help by clicking on the topic of your choice. You can get context-sensitive help in dialog boxes by pressing F1 or clicking with the right mouse button.

About BioGraf

People

View

Interpret

Print

Registration

Keyboard Commands

Troubleshooting Index

Getting Support

Note	Biorhythms can be very useful in helping you to understand your performance and behaviour from day to day. However, it is important to remember that many other factors come into play, so it would be unwise to place complete dependence on the interpretations that you see in BioGraf. Please read Chapter 3 of the BioGraf User's Guide for more information.


Welcome to BioGraf
Welcome to BioGraf: the Biorhythm Program for Windows

As a new user, you are invited to have a look round at what BioGraf can offer you. But first, please read the following important  information:

DISCLAIMER AND AGREEMENT

Users of BioGraf must accept this disclaimer of warranty. If you do not accept this disclaimer, please do not use BioGraf.

  "BIOGRAF IS SUPPLIED AS IS. THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES,  EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND OF FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

  "THE AUTHOR ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES, DIRECT OR  CONSEQUENTIAL, WHICH MAY RESULT FROM THE USE OF BIOGRAF, EVEN IF THE AUTHOR HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

  "THE LICENCE AGREEMENT AND WARRANTY SHALL BE CONSTRUED, INTERPRETED  AND GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF ENGLAND AND WALES. YOU MAY HAVE OTHER  RIGHTS WHICH VARY FROM ONE STATE TO ANOTHER."

The interpretation texts produced by BioGraf are Copyright © 1992-1993 John A. Napier, and may not be reproduced, distributed or otherwise disseminated without prior approval of the author.

BioGraf is Shareware

BioGraf is a shareware program, and is provided at no charge to users for evaluation. Feel free to share this unregistered version with your friends and colleagues, but please do not give it away altered or as part of another system.

The essence of shareware is to provide personal computer users with quality software without high prices, and at the same time to provide incentive for programmers to continue to develop new products. If you find BioGraf useful and you are continuing to use it after a trial period of 30 days, please do register.

About BioGraf

Main Index

Troubleshooting Index

Getting Support

Registration

BioGraf is Copyright © 1992-1993 John A. Napier. All rights reserved.


About BioGraf

BioGraf is the biorhythm program for Microsoft Windows. It is for anyone who is interested in getting the most out of their best days and avoiding trouble on their worst days. BioGraf contains much more than the average biorhythm program. It not only has interpretations of the biorhythms for any individual day, but also includes the fourth biorhythm - intuitional - of which so many people seem to be unaware.

BioGraf:

-        can vary the biorhythms view from 1 week to 3 months (View command)

-        maintains a list of names and dates of birth (People command)

-        gives you interpretations of the charts (Interpret command)

-        includes the fourth intuitional biorhythm

-        can print out the charts and interpretations - together, or separately (Print command)

-        displays your biorhythm phases even when iconized!


People

Press the People button, or type P, to select a different person, or to add , remove or edit a person's name and date of birth.

You must add at least one person before you can view any biorhythms.

Dialog Box

Name	Select a name from the list by clicking on it. If you wish, you can then edit the name in the edit box above the list. Double click on a name to select it and close the dialog.

Date of birth	Enter the Day, Month and Year of birth in numeric form.

Add	Adds a new person to BioGraf's database. NewName appears in the Name list ready for you to type in the person's real name. Similarly, you should also enter the correct date of birth.

If you press Add after changing a name in the Name edit box, this will be taken as the new person's name.

Remove	Removes the selected person from BioGraf's database.

OK	Makes all changes permanent and closes the dialog.

Cancel	Abandons all changes and closes the dialog.

Note	BioGraf can retain the details of up to 50 people.


View

Press the View button, or type V, to change display settings.

Dialog Box

Legend	Check this if you want the legend to be visible; uncheck it if you don't.

Intuitional	Check this if you want the intuitional biorhythm to be displayed or printed; uncheck it if you don't.

Period visible	Controls how many days are visible in BioGraf's main window, in the range 7 to 90.

Go to	Check the Today box if you want to return to today's date in the main window (the keyboard shortcut for this is the Home key).

Alternatively, type a date into the Day, Month and Year fields, in numeric form.

Thin solid	Check this to display the biorhythm curves as normal thin lines.

Thick solid	Check this to display thicker lines.

Broken	Check this to display thin broken lines--a different pattern for each curve. This is useful for monochrome colour schemes. Note that Windows does not permit thick broken lines.

Colours	Use the combo box to pick a colour for each part of the biorhythm chart.

Default colour	Press this to restore the default colour scheme for colour displays. Your existing colour scheme will be lost.

Default mono	Press this to restore the default colour scheme for monochrome displays. Your existing colour scheme will be lost.

OK	Makes all changes permanent and closes the dialog.

Cancel	Abandons all changes and closes the dialog.


Interpret

Press the Interpret button, or type I, to show BioGraf's interpretation of your biorhythms for the selected day.

You can also get the interpretation by double-clicking on any day shown in the main window.

The interpretation will appear in a new window which you can resize, move or close as you wish. As you select different days in the main window (by clicking, using the keyboard, or using the Go to option in the View dialog), the interpretation window will keep track automatically. Similarly, if you select a different person in the People dialog, the interpretation will change to the new set of biorhythms.


Print

Press the Print button, or type R, to print your biorhythm chart, interpretations, or both.

The printout will cover the same period as shown in BioGraf's main window. You can alter the start date using the scroll bar along the bottom of the window, or the keyboard. You can alter the number of days visible using the View dialog.

BioGraf always prints to the default printer. If you don't have a default printer, set one up in the Windows Control Panel.

Dialog Box

Title	This title will appear at the top of each page of printout. It defaults to 'BioGraf biorhythms for ...', but you can change it to whatever you like (up to 40 characters). If you do change the title, it will be saved when you press 'Print', together with the other data relating to the currently selected person.

Print buttons	Choose whether to print the biorhythm chart only, interpretations only, or both.

Chart format	Controls the size and position of the biorhythm chart on the printed page. You can select full page, half page or quarter page. If you choose to print interpretations as well as the chart, these will wrap around the chart  where possible. See illustration.

Paper size	Indicates the paper size and orientation currently in use. Use the Setup printer button or Windows Control Panel if you need to change this.

Default margins	Check this if you want to use the full paper size for the printout. The margins will be set to the minimum allowed by the printer driver.

Margins	Type in the margin settings for each side of the page. This defines the area within which BioGraf will print the chart and/or interpretations. You cannot set a margin that is smaller than the default margin imposed by the printer driver.

You can use the margin settings to create printout of any size you wish - for example to suit your personal organizer - on standard paper sizes. See illustration.

Units	Choose whether to use inches or centimetres for margins and paper size.

Thin solid	Check this to display the biorhythm curves as normal thin lines.

Thick solid	Check this to display thicker lines.

Broken	Check this to display thin broken lines--a different pattern for each curve. This is useful for monochrome colour schemes. Note that Windows does not permit thick broken lines.

Colours	Use the combo box to pick a colour for each part of the biorhythm chart and interpretation. On monochrome printers, representation of colours by shades of grey is very dependent on your printer's capabilities--you may prefer to use the monochrome colour scheme.

Screen	Press this to make the print colour scheme the same as the one currently in use for the display. Your existing colour scheme will be lost. Note that if you subsequently change the display colours (in the View dialog), the print colours will not be affected - unless of course you press this button again.

Mono	Press this to set the default monochrome colour scheme. Your existing colour scheme will be lost.

Print	Starts printing, and causes the Print Status box to appear. It also saves the current settings.

Setup printer	Starts the standard setup dialog for your default printer, so that you can change the paper size, orientation, resolution, etc. Note that any changes made here are not made permanent. They stay in force only within the current BioGraf session.

Cancel	Abandons all changes and closes the dialog.

Note	There have been reports that some printer drivers supplied with Windows do not accurately reflect the margins and other capabilities of the printers they support. This is unfortunately beyond the control of BioGraf, and you are recommended to experiment until you find a satisfactory solution.

You should also ensure that you are using the very latest Windows 3.1 drivers for your particular printer - ask your dealer, or check on a BBS such as CompuServe.


Print Status

This status box appears when you start printing, and shows which page is currently being processed by BioGraf. This is not necessarily the page that is currently being printed. You can get on with work in other applications whilst printing is in progress.

Press the Cancel button if you want to abandon printing.


Legend

The Legend is your key to the various different biorhythm curves that are shown in BioGraf. It first appears in the lower right-hand corner of the main window. You can move it around by dragging it either to another position within the window, or even outside the window altogether.

You can switch the legend off by double-clicking on it. Alternatively, you can use the View dialog to switch it off or on again.


User's Guide

The BioGraf User's Guide is a 38-page printed and bound manual sent to you when you register the program. It contains information about the following topics:

        Introduction

        Installation

        What are biorhythms?

        Using BioGraf

        Troubleshooting

        More about Shareware


Registration

Shareware means 'try before you buy'. You can evaluate a full, unrestricted copy of BioGraf on your own computer, in the comfort of your own home or office, for up to 30 days. Once you are sure that BioGraf will be useful to you, please register it. Simply print out the registration form in the README.TXT file, fill in the details, and send it with the registration fee (UK£12 or US$25) to the address shown. When you register, you will receive:

-        the latest version of BioGraf, registered in your name

-        a 38-page saddle-wired, printed User's Guide. This gives you full  details about every aspect of BioGraf, including a chapter of information about biorhythms and how they work)

-       reduced registration fees for the next major version of BioGraf

-        90 days' free support.

BioGraf will be shipped on one 3.5" disk unless otherwise requested.

BioGraf is copyrighted software written to professional standards. By registering it, you will be helping to support the shareware concept, which aims to supply high quality software at low prices.

Lost your README.TXT?

If you can't find your README.TXT file, the address to which you should send your registration payment is:

John A. Napier

1 Wayside Green,

Woodcote,

Reading, RG8 0PR

United Kingdom

Please enclose payment by one of the following methods (cheques should be made payable to John A. Napier):

-        Personal cheque for UK$12

-        Eurocheque for UK£12

-        Personal cheque for US$25

-        UK£12 or US$25 in cash (sent at your own risk)

I regret that at the present time I am unable to accept payment by credit card.

CompuServe users

If you have a CompuServe account, you can register on-line. Just GO SWREG and follow the instructions. The registration ID for BioGraf is 195.


Keyboard Commands

BioGraf recognises the following shortcut keys:

KEY	ACTION

P	People command

V	View command

I	Interpret command

R	Print command

H	Help command

Left arrow	Back by one day

Right arrow	Forward by one day

Up arrow	Back by one screenful

Down arrow	Forward by one screenful

Page Up	Back by one year

Page Dn	Forward by one year

Home	Return to today's date

F1	Display help

Alt+Space, A	About BioGraf

Alt+F4	Exit BioGraf


Troubleshooting Index

Click on the topic of your choice. If you can't find the help you need, please see Getting Support.

An internal error has been detected whilst compiling the interpretation text

Application error. Error code = XX

BioGraf ran the first time I used it, but I can't get it to run again

Cannot find help file

Cannot identify default printer

Fonts on my printout don't look right

General Protection Fault

Unrecoverable Application Error

Insufficient free disk space for temporary print files

I want to include a date of birth in the title of the printout

I've got dark shaded bars at the top and bottom of my printout, and the legend is not printing out

Please check the date you have specified

Runtime error NNN at XXXX:YYYY

The combination of paper height, top margin and bottom margin has left no space for printing

The combination of paper width, left margin and right margin has left no space for printing

The left/right/top/bottom margin is smaller than the minimum printer margin set by the driver

The left/right/top/bottom margin setting is incorrect. It should be in the range 0 to 100

The names database is currently full

The page size you have selected is too small to print the interpretation text

This copy of BioGraf has been corrupted

Unable to load printer driver

Unable to open BioGraf interpretation message file BIOGRAF.DAT

Unable to read index from interpretation message file BIOGRAF.DAT

You have a specified a date before ...'s date of birth


Getting Support

If you have read the Troubleshooting section, and still have not found the answer, you may need to request support. Support is offered to registered users for a period of 90 days following registration. (Support beyond this period can be arranged at cost.) The following methods of getting support may be used:

-        telephone, by calling 0491 681478 within the UK, or +44 491 681478 from overseas. You are entitled to a cumulative maximum of one hour 'connect time' for telephone support.

-        electronic mail, to CompuServe Information Service user ID 100023,201 or via Internet address 100023.201@compuserve.com

-        post, by writing to:
        John A. Napier,
        1 Wayside Green,
        Woodcote,
        Reading, RG8 0PR
        United Kingdom

When requesting support, please supply the following information:

-        the product name, version number and release number. You can obtain these from the About command in BioGraf's control menu.

-        the serial number of your copy of BioGraf. This is an 8-character string appearing in the About box.

-        a precise description of the problem, and the circumstances that cause it to occur.

You may also request support if you are an unregistered user, and you cannot get BioGraf to work at all.


Date Formats

You should enter dates into BioGraf in numeric format. The day, month and year go into separate fields in the dialog box.

For example, enter 23 August 1992  as 23  8  92. You can omit the first two digits of the year if it falls within the current century, but type the year number in full if it falls within another century, e.g., 1882.

BioGraf accepts dates from 1800 to 2800.


Printout Illustration

This represents a quarter-page chart printed

in landscape format. The margins have

been shaded.


What are Biorhythms?

Each of the four biorhythm cycles influences different functions or abilities:

Cycle	Length	Affects...

Physical	23 days	stamina, co-ordination, basic body functions, immunity to disease, strength, speed

Emotional	28 days	moods, creativity, mental stability,  sensitivity

Intellectual	33 days	judgement, mental alertness, logic, conceptual ability, decision making, memory recall, ability to learn, analytical functions

Intuitional	38 days	unconscious perception, hunches, instincts, sixth sense

Note	You can read much more about biorhythms in Chapter 3 of the BioGraf User's Guide.


Troubleshooting

This error indicates that the file BIOGRAF.DAT may have been altered. Try re-installing it from your BioGraf distribution disk. If the problem persists, contact your support provider. Also see the Getting Support section.


Troubleshooting

This indicates a resource problem, possibly due to a shortage of free memory. If the problem is repeatable, please make a note of the value that appears in place of XX, and contact your support provider.


Troubleshooting

Did you close BioGraf while it was minimized on your desktop? If you did, it will start up the same way next time you use it. Try <ALT>+<TAB> a few times and you'll probably find it hiding on your desktop somewhere. If you don't want it to start up in its minimized form next time, make sure that you close the program while BioGraf's main window is displayed at the size you normally like to use it.


Troubleshooting

The Windows help system cannot find the help file, BIOGRAF.HLP. This must be in the same directory as BIOGRAF.EXE, and must not be renamed. If the file has vanished, reinstall it from your original distribution diskette.


Troubleshooting

BioGraf can print only to the default printer, that is, the printer identified in the Control Panel Printers dialog as the default. This is also the printer described in the 'device=...' parameter in the [windows] section of WIN.INI. If you do not already have a default printer, you must establish one using Control Panel before you can print from BioGraf.


Troubleshooting

The fonts used by BioGraf to print your chart and/or interpretations will vary according to the way you have Windows set up. We suggest the following settings for ATM.INI if you're using ATM, or WIN.INI if you're using True Type fonts in Windows 3.1:

WIN.INI

[Font substitutes]

Times=Times Roman

Helvetica=Arial

ATM.INI

[Aliases]

Helvetica=Gill Sans

Times=TimesNewRomanPS

Note	Gill Sans and TimesNewRomanPS apply to the versions of ATM that came with these fonts as standard substitutes for Helvetica and Times Roman. If your version of ATM came with fonts other than Gill Sans and TimesNewRomanPS as standard, please insert their names instead.


Troubleshooting

This message can be indicative of many different types of problem, including free memory shortage, and program errors (not necessarily in the program that was active at the time). If the problem is repeatable, please make a note of the exact circumstances, and contact your support provider (see the Getting Support section).


Troubleshooting

Windows needs a certain amount of free disk space (in the directory to which the 'TEMP' environment variable points) when printing. If the free space is insufficient, printing may slow down to the rate at which space is released by the current print job, or may be abandoned altogether. The solution is to make more space available by deleting or archiving files.


Troubleshooting

That's easy! Click on the Print button and change the title line to include the date of birth.


Troubleshooting

The problem is likely to be with the darkness setting of your default printer in the Print Setup options. To change this:

-        click on the Print button

-       click on the Setup Printer button (you are now in the
Windows Printer Setup dialog.

-       click on the Options button

-       change the darkness setting by moving the thumb on the
scroll bar closer to Lighter

OR  You can choose not to have any shading in the Title and Legend boxes at all. To do this you:

-       click on the Print button

-       click on the arrow in the colours box and select
Title/legend background

-       select an appropriate colour (usually white) for the
background


Troubleshooting

You must enter dates as numbers, not words. Where the year is any century other than this one, enter all four digits of the year.


Troubleshooting

This indicates an internal error in BioGraf. Please make a note of the values that appear in place of NNN, XXXX and YYYY, and contact your support provider.


Troubleshooting

You have not left enough space between the top and bottom margins to be able to print anything.


Troubleshooting

You have not left enough space between the left and right margins to be able to print anything.


Troubleshooting

This message will show you what the minimum margins are for your printer according to the Windows printer driver. You cannot stipulate margins of a lower value than the ones given by this message.


Troubleshooting

The value you have given is not numeric, or is not in the range 0-100.


Troubleshooting

There is a limit of 50 people whose names and dates of birth can be retained in BioGraf at any time.


Troubleshooting

Correct this by reducing the margins and/or choosing a larger paper size. Try increasing the size of the page to print on.


Troubleshooting

This message usually means that the BIOGRAF.EXE file has been changed in some way, and cannot be relied upon to function properly. For this reason, the program will exit immediately. You must re-install BioGraf from your original distribution diskette. If you still get this problem, contact your support provider (see the Getting Support section).


Troubleshooting

BioGraf cannot find the driver for the default printer. Try re-installing it in Windows Control Panel.


Troubleshooting

BIOGRAF.DAT must reside in the same directory as BIOGRAF.EXE. If you cannot find the file, try re-installing it from your distribution disk. If you are still having problems, contact your support provider. Also see the Getting Support section.


Troubleshooting

This error indicates that the file BIOGRAF.DAT may have been altered. Try re-installing it from your BioGraf distribution disk. If the problem persists, contact your support provider. Also see the Getting Support section.


Troubleshooting

You cannot display biorhythms for a person before they were born!