Precision Software Appli…tions Silver Collection 1/Precision Software Applications Silver Collection Volume One (PSM) (1993).iso/tutor/tttwin1.exe/MANUAL.DOC

Text File | 1992-08-31 | 22KB | 522 lines

=============================================================================
===========================|                      |==========================
===========================|   Touch Type Tutor   |==========================
===========================|     for Windows      |==========================
===========================|                      |==========================
=============================================================================


        Copyright 1992, David P. Gray, Gray Design Associates

                  All Rights Reserved


        Member, Association of Shareware Professionals





============================[  C O N T E N T S  ]============================


        1.    Specification
        2.    System requirements
        3.    Files distributed

        4.    USER GUIDE
              4.1   Quick install
              4.2   Starting program
              4.3   Menu selection
              4.4   File menu
              4.5   Speed menu
              4.6   Tutorial menu
              4.7   Game menu
              4.8   Options menu
              4.9   Help menu
              4.10  Notes on typing
              4.11  How Touch Type Tutor works

        5.    Revision history
        6.    Program self-check
        7.    Association of Shareware Professionals





===========================[  1.  SPECIFICATION  ]===========================


    SPEED MODE
    Is designed for typists and companies to measure typing speeds.

    TUTORIAL MODE
    Has eight graduated lessons and adapts itself automatically to the users
    skill level.  Bar graphs showing progress are automatically available
    after each set of lessons.

    GAME MODE
    Presents a random series of characters in the form of a game, forcing the
    user to type faster and faster to win.





========================[  2.  SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS  ]========================


Touch Type Tutor requires an IBM PC with Windows 3.0 or later.  Memory and
disk space usage is minimal.





=========================[  3.  FILES DISTRIBUTED  ]=========================


    CUSTOM.TTX ...... Custom speed test file
    GENERAL.TTX ..... General style speed test file
    LEGAL.TTX ....... Legal style speed test file
    MANUAL.DOC ...... This file
    MEDICAL.TTX ..... Medical style speed test file
    README.DOC ...... Important information
    TECHNO.TTX ...... Computer style speed test file
    TTTWIN.EXE ...... Touch Type Tutor executable file
    TTTWIN.HLP ...... Online help file

    RESULTS ......... User's speed test results produced by Touch Type Tutor
    @@xxxxxx ........ User's history file produced by Touch Type Tutor





========================[  4.  U S E R   G U I D E  ]========================



==========================[  4.1  QUICK INSTALL  ]===========================


To install and start Touch Type Tutor:

1.  Use the Windows File Manager to create a directory called TTTWIN and copy
    the contents of the distribution disk into it.  (If you downloaded TTTWIN
    from a bulletin board, unzip the archive file into the TTTWIN directory).

2.  In the Windows Program Manager create an icon as follows:
    Click on whichever group into which you wish to place TTTWIN, usually the
    "Windows Applications" group.  Select "File/New" from the Program Manager
    main menu.  Select "Program item" and hit OK. Enter the description as,
    say "Touch Type Tutor" and the command line as "C:\TTTWIN\TTTWIN.EXE".
    Hit OK.

3.  The TTTWIN icon will now appear in the group you selected and you can
    start Touch Type Tutor by double clicking on this icon.

4.  On starting Touch Type Tutor, read the HELP OVERVIEW to get to know the
    three modes of operation, namely SPEED test, TUTORIAL and GAME mode.  You
    will need to select FILE/NEW in the Touch Type Tutor main menu before
    you can use the TUTORIAL mode.





=========================[  4.2  STARTING PROGRAM  ]=========================


Install Touch Type Tutor following the directions under QUICK INSTALL above.
To start the program, double click on the Touch Type Tutor icon.





==========================[  4.3  MENU SELECTION  ]==========================


The program may be operated with or without a mouse.  Each menu item has an
underlined character for selection without a mouse.  Certain menu items also
have "accelerator" keys for quick selection without a mouse.  These are
FILE/OPEN, OPTION/BEEPER and OPTION/STATUS BAR.  The accelerator keys can be
found alongside the relevant menu items.





============================[  4.4  FILE MENU  ]=============================


NEW ................. create a new personal history file for a student. You
are prompted for your name which can be any text up to 30 characters.  The
history file is used primarily to record the results of lessons completed in
TUTORIAL mode and is written to after the final screen of a lesson is
completed.  It also stores the current environment selected in Touch Type
Tutor.  The environment consists of whether the beeper is enabled, whether
the status bar is visible, the number of screens in a lesson, the words per
minute threshold to advance to a new lesson and the currently selected skill
level in GAME mode.  The environment is written to the history file when
Touch Type Tutor is closed or a new history file is opened.


OPEN ................ open an existing student history file.  All files must
have previously been created with NEW (see above).


TIDY ................ allows you to rename or delete a student file.  You can
change a student name, for example to correct a spelling mistake.  The delete
function allows for the temporary creation of a history file for the purpose
of storing the student name for a speed test.  This would be useful for, say,
personnel companies who wish to test many typist applicants and store their
speed results with their name for later retrieval using the RESULTS DISPLAY
feature.  After the test, the temporary history file can be deleted.


EXIT ................ close Touch Type Tutor.  If you have opened or created
a new history file your current environment will be saved automatically and
restored next time you start Touch Type Tutor and open your existing history
file.  For a description of the environment contents, see NEW above.





============================[  4.5  SPEED MENU  ]============================


SPEED test is an easy way of measuring the speed of a typist using selectable
styles of text in various categories.  This mode does assume some basic
proficiency at touch typing.  The typist is allowed to practice with a few
lines of text before the proper measurement takes place.

On completion of the test your results will be displayed in a dialog box and
also saved to disk in a file called RESULTS.  This file is overwritten after
each completed speed test.

Before selecting START TEST select from the following styles:

GENERAL ............. general style of text to test your speed.
LEGAL ............... legal style of text to test your speed.
MEDICAL ............. medical style of text to test your speed.
TECHNO .............. computer style of text to test your speed.
CUSTOM .............. custom style of text for you to define.


DEFINE .............. this option allows you to modify the contents of the
custom style file.  A simple editor appears which allows you either to type
in new text from scratch or paste in text from some other file you may wish
to use.

The name of the custom style file is CUSTOM.TTX and you may edit this file
using another editor of your choice, for example the Windows Notepad editor,
if you wish.  If you use a word processor to edit this file, remember to save
it as straight ASCII with no embedded word processing commands.  The Touch
Type Tutor built-in editor has the advantage automatically wrapping words to
keep an appropriate line length.  The text will be reformatted before it is
presented for typing so there is no need to add new lines, unless blank lines
are required. To add a new line press Control-M.  See your Windows user guide
for instructions on how to cut and paste text from the clip board or Notepad.


RESULTS DISPLAY ..... you can review all the previous speed test results
in reverse date order.  Speed, accuracy and the date and time of the test
are displayed, together with the student name if a history file was open.
(See the discussion under FILE/TIDY above for the creation of temporary
student files for the purpose of recording names in the speed test results).





===========================[  4.6  TUTORIAL MENU  ]==========================


TUTORIAL mode presents a graduated series of lessons to enable anyone to
learn to touch type. It does not assume any prior skill but will adapt itself
to the proficiency of the user.  Before you can select the TUTORIAL mode you
must either create a new student history file or open an existing one.  See
the description for NEW in the FILE MENU above.

You will be presented with a series of lessons which gradually introduce more
keys from the keyboard.  The computer assesses your progress at the end of
each session and decides whether it is time to promote you to the next
lesson.  The SHIFT key is not introduced until lesson 8.  Until then all
characters are presented in lower case. After lesson 8 you must use the SHIFT
key as needed.

During any particular lesson the computer assesses your performance with each
character and starts feeding you sentences designed to give you more practice
with your slowest and most error-prone keys.  In this way you will always be
practicing in the most efficient way (i.e. by practicing your worst keys).
The downside of this is that you may not feel you are progressing, indeed
your speed may get worse during the lesson.  In the long run, however, your
typing should improve faster than if you just practised random sentences.

The results of previous tutorial lessons, referred to as HISTORY FILE are
available from the OPTIONS menu.  You can review your progress to date using
Touch Type Tutor which shows your lesson, speed, accuracy and the date you
completed the lesson.

A bargraph is shown after each screen showing your relative performance on
each key.  Only keys which take part in the lesson are highlighted. One block
is shown for each mistake made for a key, and also as a measure of the time
taken to press the key.  At the end of a lesson a chart is drawn showing your
performance in words per minute throughout each screen of the lesson.

The mistakes and timings for each key are averaged out since most keys will
be used more than once in a screen.  The blocks used to show relative timing
among the keys are normalized and do not indicate any specific time value.


WPM THRESHOLD ........... this option allows you to change the speed needed
to progress to the next lesson in the tutorial.  If your speed matches or
exceeds this value after completing all the screens of a lesson then you will
be promoted to the next lesson. A value of 30 words per minute has been found
appropriate to provide a challenging goal for a fast learner, however you may
select a higher or a lower value to suit your own pace.  The lower the value,
the faster you will progress.  If you set the value too high, you may become
frustrated by not seeming to progress fast enough. On the other hand, setting
the value too low may give you a false sense of achievement and cause you to
complete the course without actually learning to touch type properly.  Your
selection will be remembered next time you start Touch Type Tutor.


NUMBER OF SCREENS ....... changes the number of screens that make up a lesson
in the Tutorial Menu.  When you have completed all the screens for a lesson
the results will be written to your history file on the disk.  The value is
not critical and can be adjusted to suit the amount of time you wish to spend
per session.  A low value may give a false sense of achievement, however.  A
value of six screens per lesson has been found suitable for most attention
spans. Your selection will be remembered next time you start Touch Type Tutor.


FORCE LESSON NUMBER ..... allows you to change the lesson number currently
set for you in the TUTORIAL mode. Forcing the lesson number will disrupt your
learning progression but is provided for completeness.

If you are unable to reach the required speed to progress through the
lessons, a better way is to change the speed required for promotion to the
next lesson.  (See the WPM THRESHOLD option above).


FINGER PLACEMENT ........ three sub-menu items are available to help with
finger placement on the keyboard.  These can be called up at any time.  If
you have a tutorial screen in progress, press Space, Enter or Escape to
dismiss the picture and return to your typing. Alternatively, you can select
a new menu item.

    HOME KEYS ........... shows a picture of the keyboard with the home keys
    highlighted.  The home keys are so-called because while typing your
    fingers should always return to rest on these keys.  The picture includes
    a description of how to place your fingers on the home keys.

    THIS LESSON ......... shows a picture of the keyboard with the new keys
    for this lesson highlighted. A list of keys with finger positions is also
    presented.  This option is grayed if tutorial mode is not active.

    ANY KEY ............. this provides a handy reminder for which finger
    should be used to press which key.  Again, a picture of the keyboard is
    shown with keys and instructions highlighted as you press a key.


HISTORY DISPLAY ......... prints your history file on the screen. The history
file is written every time you complete all the screens of a lesson.  It
shows the lesson number, the speed and accuracy you attained and the date for
each completed lesson, starting with the latest.

Your lesson results are only written at the completion of all the screens of
a lesson.  This option is grayed if tutorial mode is not active.





=============================[  4.7  GAME MENU  ]============================


GAME mode is designed to help you familiarize with finger placement as well
as provide some light hearted relief.

This simple game is designed to teach both familiarity with the positions of
keys and also to encourage consistency of typing speed.  The key to winning
this game is to type consistently while gradually increasing your speed.

The object of the game is to move the person who seems to be trapped on a
moving conveyor belt heading toward a rather fearsome looking spear.  You
notice a white letter appear above the person and that typing the letter
allows the person to jump away from the spear.  As more letters take its
place, you can type them until the person makes it all the way to the left
end of the belt and thus to safety.  You may also notice, however that the
belt seems to get faster too, and the spear gets closer and closer.

Select a suitable skill level that provides a reasonable challenge.





===========================[  4.8  OPTIONS MENU  ]===========================


BEEPER .................. this toggles the state of the beeper used to signal
when you make a mistake.  The current state of the beeper is on if this menu
item is checked.  You can toggle the state of the beeper at any time either
by selecting the menu with a mouse or by pressing the accelerator key F2.


STATUS BAR .............. this toggles the state of the status bar line at
the bottom of the screen.  The status bar will be visible if this menu item
is checked.  You can toggle the state of status bar at any time either by
selecting the menu with a mouse or by pressing the accelerator key F3.  The
status bar is not shown in GAME mode.  The status bar shows the current
lesson (if tutorial mode is currently in progress), the current speed and
accuracy and the state of the beeper.





============================[  4.9  HELP MENU  ]=============================


The HELP menu offers various topics for quick reminders of how to operate
Touch Type Tutor.  Help is available at all times by selecting this menu.
Some of the topics from the HELP menu are also presented in context via a
HELP button which appears on several dialog boxes.





=========================[  4.10  NOTES ON TYPING  ]=========================


In both the SPEED mode and TUTORIAL mode the clock will not start timing your
responses until you type the first character.  On making a mistake, you must
re-type the correct character before you will be allowed to continue.  If the
BEEPER is enabled a beep will sound whenever you type an incorrect character.
Do not use the DELETE or BACKSPACE key to correct your mistake, simply type
the correct character.

At the end of a line you may hit Enter, as if using a typewriter, or the
Spacebar, as if using a word processor.  Do not hit space or Enter after the
last sentence; your results will be processed as soon as the last character
is typed correctly.

The Touch Type Tutor window can be resized as appropriate, however do not
make the width much less than the default width or some of the sentences may
be cut off.  The height of the window can be changed at will since any
sentences off-screen will be scrolled automatically as you reach them.

While typing you can optionally switch the beeper ON or OFF quickly using the
F2 function key.  You may abort a session early by hitting the ESC key at any
time but if you do so your speed will not be calculated.

The status bar at the bottom of the screen shows your current speed and
accuracy as you are typing. If you find this distracting, hit F3 at any time
to remove it.





===================[  4.11  HOW TOUCH TYPE TUTOR WORKS  ]====================


There are several ways to check your typing against the sentences generated.
One is to simply match letter for letter what you type versus what you should
have typed.  This can prove disastrous if you get "out of sync" with the
sentence.  For example if you type an extra letter such as in "commputer"
when you should have typed "computer", your text will appear wrong for every
letter typed after that until you happen to notice what happened and get back
in sync.  The same thing can happen if you type too few letters.  Other
computer typing tutors adopt this approach which proves annoying and less
than satisfactory.

Another way is to try to automatically re-synchronize the matching up of
letters and words that you typed after you make a mistake.  This would be the
ideal, however it is not foolproof and can just as easily go wrong,
especially if characters, a whole word or even a whole sentence were
accidently missed.  This is one area where a human operator will be able to
spot where the mistake was made far more easily than a computer program.

The method Touch Type Tutor adopts is to force the synchronization.  In other
words, you can't continue after a mistake until you type the correct letter.
Only one mistake is counted for each occurrence however, so the total number
of mistakes will be correct.  Although the flow of typing is interrupted by
this approach, this was felt to be preferable to presenting possibly
incorrect statistics by method two above, and the annoying run-on problem of
method one.





=========================[  5.  REVISION HISTORY  ]==========================


1.0   Sep 01 1992 ....... Baseline version.





========================[  6.  PROGRAM SELF-CHECK  ]=========================


Touch Type Tutor provides a measure of protection for itself against
accidental corruption during downloads from bulletin boards or in the event
of disk malfunction.  A self-check is performed when the program starts up
and will notify the user upon failure.  Note that the program must be run
from the directory where it resides or the self-check will fail.  Following
the directions for QUICK INSTALL will ensure correct start up operation.

Possible causes of the self-check error message include the following:
1.  Defective distribution disk.  A certain percentage of disks are damaged
    in the mail due to poor handling or magnetic fields.  Results of poor
    handling, e.g. bending or sleeve damage are usually visible.

2.  Bad download from a BBS.  This is usually apparent when the program files
    are de-compressed, e.g. using ZIP format, since the ZIP itself will
    detect any corruption during de-compression.

3.  Virus infection.  There may already be a virus on your machine which
    infects any new programs as soon as they are run.  There are numerous
    shareware virus detection and prevention packages available and their use
    is highly recommended.





===============[  7.  ASSOCIATION OF SHAREWARE PROFESSIONALS  ]==============


This software is produced by David P. Gray who is a member of the Association
of Shareware Professionals (ASP).  ASP wants to make sure that the shareware
principle works for you.  If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related
problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able
to help.

The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP
member, but does not provide technical support for members' products.  Please
write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442, USA or
send a CompuServe message via Easyplex to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.





===========================[  END OF MANUAL.DOC  ]===========================