Software Vault: The Gold Collection/Software Vault - The Gold Collection (American Databankers) (1993).ISO/cdr02/wvh22q.zip/WVH.HLP

Text File | 1993-07-02 | 18KB | 298 lines

Tutorial TopicsThis first set of topics (up to Ending the Programme) explains
 concepts to give you an understanding of how WVH works. The topics from File
 on down through Help give you information on how to use a specific item
 on WVH's menus.


Ending the programme (return to DOS)When you are finished using WVH and
 want to end the programme just select the E|x|it option under the |F|ile
 menu. If all menus are closed, just press |Fx|, or you can highlight the
 File menu then use the down arrow to highlight Exit then press ─┘Enter.


How to registerIt's easy to get the latest Registered Edition of WVH.~~ |1.|
 Enter "TYPE ORDER.FRM > PRN" at the DOS prompt (without the quotation marks)
 to print the order form.~~|2.| Fill in and send it with payment to 28
 Mulberry Street, Clinton, NY USA 13323-1506. Your Registered Edition disk
 with automated installation will arrive in 1-4 weeks.


Menu UsageThe menu you see near the top of your screen is my informal
 understanding of an SAA- or CUA-compliant menu. It is the same type of menu
 you will find in Windows, Gem, QuickBASIC, and "Mac" computers.~~WVH's menu,
 which is on the second line of your screen, is two-dimensional: there are
 |menu headings| horizontally and under each of these are the actual |menu
 items|. There are two ways to choose a menu item:~~1. Use the right, left,
 up, and down arrows to highlight the item you want then press |─┘Enter|,
 or~~2. Press the highlighted letter of the menu item~~For example, you can
 press |F| then |x| to exit WVH, or highlight |File| then press the down arrow
 and highlight |Exit| then press |─┘Enter|.~~|NOTES|~~To pull-down (|open|) a
 menu just highlight it then press |─┘Enter| or the |down-arrow| key.~~To
 |close| a menu just press the |Esc| key. It is not necessary to close a menu.
 You can use the right/left arrows with the menus opened to browse all of the
 options. Usually the only reason to close a menu is so you can use the
 letters instead of arrows (e.g., if you had the File menu open and wanted to
 use the Help Index you could press Esc to close the File menu then press
 |H|-|I| to jump to the Help Index).


Printing the documentationThere are four documentation files which came with
 your copy of WVH:~~1. |READ.ME| ── Things to know before using WVH and tips
 to help get you started~2. |WVH.TXT| ── ASCII text file of the shareware
 manual (which differs from the more in-depth printed manual)~3. |WVH.WP| ──
 WordPerfect 5 file of the shareware manual~4. |ORDER.FRM| ── A blank invoice
 for ordering all of my software (an invoice & registration form is included
 in the WVH.TXT and WVH.WP files).~~Go to the DOS prompt and change to your
 WVH directory (e.g., "cd \wvh"). Now, to |display| one of the ASCII
 files:~~|| Type "|LIST filename|" - If you have LIST in your computer you
 will see the file appear almost instantly~~|| If you don't have LIST (the
 computer said 'bad command or file name') then use "|MORE < filename|"~~To
 |print| a file enter "|TYPE filename > PRN|"~~If you have WordPerfect just
 load WVH.WP. You will see instructions in a comment inside the file.


Status LineWVH has a status line at the bottom of the screen which looks
 like this:~~|Vehicles│Div/Dept/Owners│Codes│Maint. Records│01-01-1980|~~From left to
 right the items are:~ 1. Total records in the open file~ 2. Total records
 selected for printing~ 3. Total records bad or excluded from mailings~ 4. The
 word |Pack| if there are entries to be erased~ 5. Index in use (name,
 company, address, or zip)~ 6. To-day's date (so far as the computer knows).

FileIn general, using the File menu is like going over to your paper filing
 cabinet. Under this menu are options to work with the files stored on your
 disk.~~You can select options in one of two ways:~~|| Use the up- and
 down-arrow keys to highlight the item you want then press |═╛Enter|, or~~||
 press the highlighted letter for the item.


Back-upMakes a back-up copy of your data files. You must have a formatted
 floppy disk ready. You can use the same back-up disk over and over again (the
 new copy will over-write the old one), but it may be a good idea to alternate
 at least three back-up copies.~~|NOTES|~~Use a rotating back-up scheme with
 at least three sets of disks or tapes.~~When the work you've done since your
 last back-up becomes too much to lose, it's time to make another
 back-up.~~See Preferences Back-up for information on selecting a back-up
 method. Using compression software for back-ups requires more memory than
 DOS. |Use Help/About| to see your free memory.~~|| ARJ 2.30 needs at least
 |242k| free while WVH is running~~|| LHARC 2.13 needs at least |189k|
 free~~|| PKZip 1.1 needs at least |119k| free


RestoreUse this to recover your data files from a back-up copy ── this is
 the opposite of the Back-up function ── if data files become damaged or are
 accidentally erased.~~|CAUTION|~~Restoring data files |replaces| the existing
 files with the ones on the back-up disk.~~If you want to restore only |some|
 of the files and not others, you must do so manually from the DOS prompt.


Format FloppiesWVH first tries to find WFF.EXE in your DOS search path. If
 found, What Floppy Format? is run; otherwise, you will be asked to specify a
 drive and the DOS FORMAT command will be used.~~|CAUTION|~~Formatting
 completely erases any information which may be on a disk.~~|NOTES|~~Your DOS
 |path| must point to |format.com| (which is probably in your DOS directory).
 If it does not you will see 'Bad command or file name' flash on your screen
 and disks will not be formatted.~~No parameters are passed to FORMAT ── your
 drive's highest density will be used.


ExitEnd WVH (which will return you to DOS or your menu). Always exit the
 programme before turning your computer's power off.

Data EntryThese screens let you enter information about the vehicles your
  company has, the divisions or departments in your company, and the types of
  service (usually 3,000 mile service, 6,000 mile service, etc.). Once you
  have set-up your vehicles, divisions, and service codes, you can use the
  Maintenance option to enter service information.


MaintenanceThis is where you enter the actual service performed on a
 vehicle, including parts used. The steps in this process are:~~ |1.| Select
 a vehicle~|2.| Select a service code~|3.| Select a date or "new"~|4.| Enter
 the service information.~~Step 4, entering the service information, has three
 windows. You can |jump| between the windows by pressing the |F6| key.~~If
 you need to change to tax rate or set it to zero just use the |F3| key. You
 will notice as the function of the F3 key changes the description near the
 bottom of the screen changes as well. See the bottom of your screen for other
 special action keys.


Divisions/OwnersThis portion of the WVH data base is to keep track of the
 owners of each vehicle, or the department or division within your company
 which is reponsible for maintaining each one. WVH uses these Divisions to
 print billing statements, which can also be used to separate the costs of
 maintaining different categories of equipment.~~|EXAMPLES|~~|Within a
 Large Company|~~If your company has a large fleet of vehicles, each owned
 by different departments or divisions within the company, you will want to
 define each department or division. As you enter each vehicle into the
 data base, specify the responsible department/division for the vehicle. At
 regular intervals (monthly, quarterly, or whatever your schedule is), you
 can print billing statements for each division so the accounting
 department knows whose budgets are being used for what and also so each
 department can keep track of what their vehicles are costing them to
 maintain.~~|An Independent Contractor|~~Another example might be if you
 are a contractor performing maintenance for many different companies. In
 this case you would want to use the divisions as "Owner codes." Set up
 each of your customers with a code and then specify that code for each of
 their vehicles. At regular intervals you can then print billings for each
 of your customers~~|A Diverse Company|~~Let's say that you maintain a wide
 range of vehicles, from tractors, to big rigs, to company cars. You might
 want to have separate listings for the maintenance costs for each type of
 vehicle. So you could set up a division code for cars, one for excavation
 equipment, one for tractor/trailers, etc. and then define each vehicle
 with the appropriate code. Then you can print out billing statements
 which would give you a summary of the costs to maintain each type of
 vehicle.


VehiclesUse this to enter & edit information about the vehicles your company
 owns. This screen has two windows:~~|| a code window showing the codes for
 each vehicle defined, and~~|| a data window showing the information for
 that vehicle code.~~You start out in the code window (you will see a
 highlighted code to indicate your position; this is the computer's
 |cursor|). You can move the cursor with the arrow keys and the PgUp and
 PgDn keys on your keyboard. You can also locate codes by pressing a letter
 or number and the window will "jump" to the codes which begin with that
 letter or number.~~|Editing Existing Codes|~~To change information for an
 existing vehicle code just highlight the code (as explained above) and
 press ─┘Enter. The cursor will "jump" to the right-hand window where you
 can modify the information. You can use the arrow keys in the right-hand
 data window just like in the code window. Notice the function keys at the
 bottom of the screen. To save your changes press the |F7| key.~~|Inserting
 New Vehicles|~~Adding new vehicles is done by simply pressing the |Ins|
 (insert) key on your keyboard. WVH will jump to the bottom of the code
 window and wait for you to enter a vehicle code. Your codes can be
 anything that makes sense to you ── a company ID number, the first letter
 of the manufacturer followed by a number, etc. Enter the code and press
 ─┘Enter and the cursor will jump to the data window. Enter whatever is
 needed here and press |F7| to save.~~|Deleting Vehicles|~~Removing a
 vehicle from the data base is simple: Highlight it's code and press the
 |Del| (delete) key. WVH will warn you that the vehicle is about to be
 erased from the data base and ask your permission to continue.


Service CodesThis allows you to enter service codes you will use to identify
 the type of service given to a vehicle (e.g., 3,000 mile service, 6,000 mile
 service, etc.). Special function keys are displayed at the bottom of the
 screen.


MechanicsUse to enter a code, hourly rate, and department for each mechanic
 or Place of Service. While on the Division/Owner field you can press «F3» to
 open a window of choices. When maintenance information is entered you will
 be able to select a mechanic code for the job.


Schedule MaintenanceAllows you to schedule vehicles for maintenance. Once
 scheduled, you can print a Maintenance Schedule from the Reports menu. |NOT
 YET FUNCTIONAL|

ReportsThis menu lets you display or print the information on file. You will
 be asked if you want the report to go to the screen, a printer, or a disk
 file.


Division ListA list of divisions/departments on file.


Vehicle ListA list of vehicles on file.


Service Code ListA list of the service codes on file.


Mechanic ListA list of Mechanic codes on file. This report was formerly
 called the Place Of Service/Employee list.


Maintenance HistoryThis report is a detailed maintenance history for one or
 all vehicles. You may select a single vehicle or press the F10 key to
 report on all vehicles.


Billing by DivisionThis report is a billing summary for each division/owner.
 A separate page is printed for each division/owner, showing each type of
 service performed with parts & labour totals.


Employee ProductivityThis report shows the work done by an employee over a
 given period of time. This report is |not yet functional|.


Tickler (Vehicles Due for Svc)List of vehicles which have not been serviced
 in a given time interval which you specify before printing the report.


Maintenance ScheduleLists the vehicles scheduled for maintenance between two
 dates. This is useful for printing a list of vehicles due to be services
 today, this week, etc. This report is |NOT YET FUNCTIONAL|.

PreferencesThis menu lets you change various settings, such as the printer
 you are using, etc.


Back-upThis gives you a menu of choices for backing up your information
 to floppy disk: using the DOS COPY command, using ARJ compression
 software, using LHARC compression software, or PKZIP compression software.
 (copyright trademark patent etc. by the respective owners...)  You must
 have compression software available via your |DOS PATH|.


CountrySet the country who's standards of measurement & expression you
 wish to use. This setting currently has no function in WVH. Soon it will
 control the date and numerical formats.


PrinterPref_PtrsThis screen lets you set the printer you will be using and
 the fonts for reports so that WVH can control it properly.~~|NOTES|~~You
 must define a printer & fonts before you can print anything.

Setting Printer ModelPref_PtrSetYou must define the printer you will be
 using so that WVH knows how to control it properly. Many printers, even
 different brands, use the same control codes. If your printer is not on the
 list look in your manual to find a model it emulates. Dot matrix printers are
 usually Epson or IBM compatible.~~To set this field:~~|1.| Press the |F3| key
 or double-click with a mouse. A window of printer choices will "pop up" on
 your screen.~~|2.| Use the up/down/PgUp/PgDn keys to highlight your choice
 then press ─┘Enter.

Printer PortPref_PtrPortThis is the "channel" WVH will use to access your
 printer ── LPT1, LPT2, or LPT3. If you only have one printer it is probably
 connected to LPT1.

PCL Soft Font DirectoryPref_SoftDirIf you use a PCL laser printer you can
 use soft fonts (fonts stored on disk which are sent to the laser printer as
 needed. When you choose the |Select a Soft Font| option when setting a PCL
 font you will be given the chance to specify the drive and path on which your
 font files reside. Any new information you enter here will be saved as the
 new default soft font directory.

Titles FontPref_TFontSelect the font you would like to use to print report
 titles. Proportionally-spaced fonts work well for titles. Titles will also
 use bold and underlining to stand out from the body of the report, so it's
 okay if you use the same font for both the titles & body of reports.~~To set
 this field:~~|1.| Press the |F3| key or double-click with a mouse. A window
 of font choices will "pop up" on your screen.~~|2.| Use the up/down/PgUp/PgDn
 keys to highlight your choice then press ─┘Enter.~~|3.| If the font is
 scalable you will be asked to enter the size of print you would like to
 use.~~|LASER PRINTER NOTES|~~Reports are printed in portrait orientation. A
 soft font will have to end in .SFP to be used for report titles.

"Normal" FontPref_NFontSelect the font you would like to use to print the
 body of reports. If often looks best if you pick a fixed-pitch font, such as
 "Courier 10cpi." Avoid fonts larger than 10cpi except for titles. Experiment
 with different fonts to get the best results.~~To set this field:~~|1.| Press
 the |F3| key or double-click on the field with a mouse. A window of font
 choices will "pop up" on your screen.~~|2.| Use the up/down/PgUp/PgDn keys to
 highlight your choice then press ─┘Enter.~~|3.| If the font is scalable you
 will be asked to enter the size of print you would like to use.

Lines per pagePref_LPPEnter the number of lines (maximum) you would like
 printed on a page. Most printers have a total of 66 lines on an 11" long
 sheet of paper except for lasers which have 60. You will probably have a top
 margin, however, which will reduce the number of printable lines, and you
 will probably want a bottom margin, too. For printers with 66 lines per page
 a setting of 55 is good. For laser printers with 60 lines per page a setting
 of 50 may be better.


Tax & LabourPref_TaxLbrThis screen lets you set:~~1. Whether or not to allow
 entry of a labour rate on the Maintenance Data Entry screen~~2. Sales tax
 rate (if any) for parts (but not labour)~~|NOTES|~~Set the sales tax rate as
 a percentage. For example, if your sales tax rate is 6-1/4% then enter
 "6.25".

Allow labour...Pref_LbrThis field indicates whether you would like to enter
 labour rate ($/hour) on the maintenance data entry screen and is provided to
 accommodate for larger companies where the person doing data entry has
 nothing to do with setting the rate charged for labour. This lets you operate
 two ways:~~1. If you and/or your employees always use the same labour rate
 then it is easier if you set this field to |No| and set up each service
 provider with that hourly rate (on the Mechanics data entry screen).~~2. If
 the labour rate varies (e.g., for different types of service) then set this
 field to |Yes| so you can enter the appropriate labour rate at the time you
 enter the other service information.

Sales TaxPref_TaxHere is where you set your sales tax rate for your area.
 This can be the rate you charge your customers or the rate that you get
 charged by your service centres ── it works the same either way.~~Enter
 fractions as decimals:~1/2 is .5~1/4 is .25~1/8 is .125~~For other fractions
 just take a calculator and punch in the division. For example, for 7-3/4%
 sales tax punch in "3" divided by "4" and you'll get ".75", so 7-3/4% is
 7.75% in decimal form.~~The sales tax rate you enter is the default ── the
 one which will apply to most of your entries. When you need a different tax
 rate (or zero tax) you can use the F3 toggle shown at the bottom of the
 Maintenance Data Entry screen.