Program Description for Attend v4.1a Employee Attendance Database
Copyright January 1996 Robert J. Manning, author. All rights reserved.

ATTEND v4.1a is a database program specifically designed for tracking 
employee attendance. Offering ease of use and versatility for even the 
mid-sized business, ATTEND helps automate and simplify the complicated 
task of tracking and updating employee vacation, sick leave, glitches, 
and other attendance chores. 
      
Main program functions:
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The program keeps a running record of attendance incidents, as well
as vacation and sick leave. Excused and unexcused incidents can be recorded,
and a running total of unexcused leave time is also shown. The program keeps
a seperate dataset of imported incidents in the form of timeclock punches,
and can be used to total time worked and calculate pay, if data is entered 
consistently. Time clock punches can be imported from an external program, 
or from the enclosed timeclock utility. Lengthy comment files can be kept 
on each employee for those really interesting excuses.

ATTEND is configurable for a variety of employee types and updates,
manual and automatic. The Import utility in version 4.1a has been improved. 
You can now perform a query search of the import dataset for time worked 
by your employees. A handy feature for determining payroll amounts. 
Searches can be performed on one employee, status type, or all employees, 
over any period within a calendar year. Query results can be printed or 
saved to ASCII text files. Some features reserved for the Registered 
version.

ATTEND can track about 200 employees per working directory. Sets of
directories can be used, to seperate employees by department, project,
division, status type, and so forth. Individual updates can be set to
Anniversary or Calendar year, performed manually, as well as manual
mass updating by status type, length of employment, or both. Datasets
for both attendance incidents and comment entries are maintained for
each employee.

Features and updates in version 4.1a include:
--------------------------------------------

- TimeClock function to enable computerization of manual timekeeping
  functions. Text based export of data, or automatic saving in the
  Import dataset. Text based and graphical clocks, password security.
  Codes included for clockin/out, two breaks and lunch. Other codes
  for special clockout exceptions include personal leave, injury, comp
  time, emergency family medical leave, company errands, more. Individual
  passwords optionally assignable to each employee.

- Import utility for tracking and entering attendance incidents to the
  main database. Text based import, or automatic import from TimeClock.
  Simple structure allows small import files using three fields, with
  date of occurrence based on filename. Configures using ATTEND master
  file and timeclock punch hours, with extra information for pay data.
  Its seperate dataset can be printed and maintained externally from
  ATTEND, for holding entries while informing employees of incidents.
  ATTEND dataset employee comment files can be updated with the import
  data, even when no incident occurred.

  Version 4.1a adds a query feature, for totaling hours worked by your
  employees, as well as calculating unadjusted pay. Minor improvements 
  have also been made.

- Special Mass Update feature, to manually update available leave
  time for one or all status types. Can also be keyed on length of
  employment with company.

- Master file sort, print, and search functions improved. View master
  without printing, and search on six key fields. Prints sorted file
  including key sort field. Performs sorts on whichever master file is
  in current directory path.

- Status Type configuration functions improved and simplified. Updates
  based on Calendar year, Anniversary, as well as manual/group updates.

- Can be run on a network (requires DOS 3+, and SHARE.EXE installed).

- Master Passcode feature for system administrators - allows access 
  when normal password is unknown, password forgotten, or to lock 
  out normal usage. Registered version passcodes are unique, though
  the shareware version passcode is not.

- Can be run on any IBM or compatible PC, XT to Pentium, using DOS 3 to 
  Windows 95.

- Text file (.TXT) / documentation viewer with search function.

- Automatic anniversary update checking upon startup. Automatic vacation
  and sick leave updating on anniversary. Various automatic print options, 
  including upon file deletion.

- Extended comment files for making notes pertaining to specific dates 
  or entries. Comment files can also be appended from the Import utility.

- Automatic file saving. Backup and restore. Network file locking.

- Statistics calculations on attendance occurrences. Keeps records of
  employee personal information.

- Screen saver, automatic or manual.

And many more features.

The program will work with data and comment files created with 
version 3.0 and up. Please view the README.TXT file before installing
this new version.

This version includes a number of upgrades & fixes to version 4.1.
Some features reserved for the registered version only.

To run, enter: ATTEND

Documentation: DESCRIPT.TXT, README.TXT and some online help.