Software Vault: The Gold Collection

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Text File | 1993-05-05 | 24KB | 582 lines

Contents INSTALLING THE BRIDEÆS MAID System Requirements Making a Backup Installing the Bride's Maid STARTING THE BRIDEÆS MAID Finding Your Way Around Quitting the Bride's Maid A GUIDED TOUR THE GUEST LIST Adding a Guest Special Fields The Wedding Party View, Modify, or Remove a Guest Record THE SERVICES DATABASE Adding a Service Record Viewing, Deleting or Modifying a Service THE SEATING PLAN Adding Tables Editing Table Information Removing Tables Quick Seat Manual Seating Quick Unseat THE CALENDAR Month-at-a-Glance Daily Agenda REPORTS General List Seating Plan Summary Wedding Gifts Envelopes INSTALLING THE BRIDEÆS MAID System Requirements ------------------- To use the BrideÆs Maid, you require: IBM PC or compatible 8086 or above MS-DOS 3.0 or above 5.25 or 3.5 low density floppy disk drive Hard disk with approximately 1/2 megabyte of space Optional: Dot matrix printer (required for generating reports) HPII compatible Laser printer (required for generating reports and printing envelopes) Making a Backup NOTE: Before you start, itÆs important to make a copy of the BrideÆs Maid. Remember, always backup your files. If your computer has two floppy disk drives, type the following at the DOS prompt: DISKCOPY A: B: [ENTER] You will be asked to Insert Source Disk - the BrideÆs Maid diskette - in drive A: and the Destination Disk - your backup disk - in drive B: then [ENTER]. If your computer has one floppy disk drive, type the following at the DOS prompt: DISKCOPY A: [ENTER] You will be asked to Insert Source Disk - the Bride's Maid - in drive A:, then [ENTER]. Wait a moment while the computer loads the software into memory, and you will be asked to Insert Destination Disk. Remove the Bride's Maid disk, insert your backup disk, and [ENTER]. When the copy is complete, store the Bride's Maid diskette in a safe place and continue using your backup disk. Installing the Bride's Maid --------------------------- Insert the original diskette in drive A: or B: Type: MD BRIDE [ENTER] CD BRIDE [ENTER] COPY <DRIVE LETTER>: *.* [ENTER] Setup [Enter] Type your wedded name as you'd like to see it on Bride's Maid reports, press [Enter]. The Bride's Maid is now installed on your hard disk and registered. STARTING THE BRIDE'S MAID Type the following at the DOS prompt (C:>): BRIDE [ENTER] Wait a moment while the program loads into memory, and you will be greeted by the BrideÆs Maid Main Menu. Note: Each time you start the BrideÆs Maid, you must be in the Bridal directory. Type CD BRIDE at the DOS prompt to enter the directory. Finding Your Way Around ----------------------- Throughout the Wedding Planner, there are two standard methods of moving around and making selections. In the Main Menu, Planner Menu and Reports Menu, simply pressing the number of your selection will automatically enter your selection. Wherever you are within the program, using the arrow keys will direct you through the available options. In any menu, simply move the pointer to your selection and [Enter] to access the function you need. In any function that allows you to enter data (for example records within the guest list or services option) the up, down, left and right arrow keys or [Enter] can be used to maneuver. Quitting the Bride's Maid ------------------------- When you are finished working with the Planner, you can exit to DOS only from the Main Menu. When youÆre sure you want to quit the session, return to the Main Menu from anywhere in the program simply by pressing [Esc]. Each time [Esc] is depressed, you are taken back one step. Once youÆve reached the Main Menu, [Esc] has no effect. From the Main Menu, press [E] or use the up or down arrow key to move the pointer in the options box to the E. Exit option and [ENTER]. For your convenience and security, all changes or updates made during a session are saved automatically. A GUIDED TOUR The quickest way to learn the BrideÆs Maid and make the most of its features is to take a guided tour. Follow the instructions in STARTING THE PLANNER to begin. Select the Guest List and [Enter] and an empty window appears in the foreground. This will be your guest list. As you add records, this window will display the names of your guests alphabetically by last name. THE GUEST LIST The BrideÆs Maid Guest List is an extremely flexible tool. The information you enter in the guest list is used to create mailing lists, seating arrangements, and projected budgets; and track attendance. Therefore, enter information as accurately as possible for the best results. Adding a Guest -------------- LetÆs create a guest list. Press [Ins] and a blank guest record form will appear. If youÆre not ready to begin a true list, use your name and address. Remember, the record can be deleted at any time. You can complete all or part of the record (first and last names must be added), and return later to update the record. The cursor will be set in the title field. Enter a title (Mr. or Mrs. for example) and [Enter]. Your entry will remain in the Title field, and the cursor will move to the next field -- in this case, First Name. Add the appropriate information and [Enter]. Note: To compile an accurate guest list, enter both the first and last name in the appropriate record fields. If these fields are left blank, the record WILL NOT be saved. The guest record form is designed to allow entry of an individual, couple or family; making invitation reports [See REPORTS] simple and efficient. If you make a mistake, don't worry. Using the arrow keys, position the cursor over the error and [Delete], or directly after the error and [Backspace] until the mistype is cleared. If youÆre in the insert mode, typing additional characters will move the characters to the right of the cursor. If youÆre in the overwrite mode, you will type directly over the characters following the cursor. [Ins] to toggle between modes. Note: The action of the insert/overwrite mode is consistent throughout the BrideÆs Maid. If you decide to skip a field, simply [Enter] and the cursor will move to the next data field, leaving the previous field unchanged. Note: After entering data in any field, you must hit [Enter] or up or down arrow to register the entry before leaving the form. Before leaving the record, [F1] to assign the guest(s) to one of the default categories. You can also add your own category by pressing [Ins], typing the title of the category, and [Enter] to add your entry. To delete a category, simply move the pointer to the desired category and [Del]. YouÆll be prompted to confirm your choice. Press [Y]es to continue; [N]o to cancel the command. [Esc] exits the category selection menu. This assignment will allow you to take advantage of the Planner's most powerful feature, the quick seating plan. The software will create an automatic seating plan (See SEATING PLAN) based on the categories you have assigned. To exit the current guest record, [Esc] and your additions/changes will be saved. Note: You must [Enter]after the final field youÆve entered or edited information within, or that field will not be saved when you leave the record. To delete a field entry, follow the procedure you used to make a correction until the field is empty. Special Fields -------------- The Planned Seating Section works differently than the name/address section. The information in this section is important because the Seating Planner utilizes it to create a table seating arrangement. Planned Seating Info: (Seating forecast) Head Table: (See Next Section: The Wedding Party) Adults: Children: Actual Seating Info: (Make sure entries are accurate, as these fields will be used by the AUTOMATIC SEATING PLAN feature) Response Received: (Default is [N]) When you enter [Y]es on receipt of a response, the following fields are enabled: Adults: Children: Table: The default is the planned seating information. If the actual seating differs from planned seating, edit these fields. The Gifts field is accessed by the Planner's BUDGET feature to compile the financial data for your wedding (See REPORTS) The Wedding Party ----------------- To compile an accurate guest list and seating plan, wedding party guests should be added individually. To identify the guest as a wedding party member, type 1 at the Head Table field. Create a separate record for any guests attending with a wedding party member. View, Modify, or Remove a Guest Record -------------------------------------- To view or modify a record in the list, move the pointer to the record and [Enter]. To erase a record, move the pointer to the record and [Del]. To guard against accidental erasure, you will be asked to confirm the command. Press [Y]es or [N]o, then [Enter] to continue. Fast Move: Up to ten names will be displayed in the Main Guest window at any time. The arrow keys will navigate through this display. To move to the next or previous ten records, press [Pg Dn] or [Pg Up] respectively. You can add or delete names and modify a guest record at any time. As your guest list grows, it can become cumbersome to search for records through the entire list. There is a shortcut in searching for and moving to records. Simply press the first letter of the last name of the guest whose record you are looking for, for example [S] for Smith. The pointer will jump to the first entry whose last name begins with S. Use the arrow keys to position the pointer to the appropriate record. Let's go back to the Main Menu to continue the Bride's Maid tour. [Esc] to return. THE SERVICES DATABASE Planning the perfect wedding is like conducting a professional orchestra. Beautiful flowers, strapping tuxedos and flowing gowns. Music to set the mood, and photos that will make the memories last. All this and much more depend on organization and control. The Wedding Planner Services Database makes it manageable. The Services Menu includes a list of the common services you may require. Below each is a space to display the name of the company you choose to provide the service. Following is the BrideÆs MaidÆs default service list: Florist Music Wedding Bands Limousine Cake The main Services window will display up to five services, and the company you choose to provide them, at one time. Scroll through the list individually using the up and down arrow keys. Or display the following or previous or next five service providers with the [Pg Up] or [Pg Dn] keys, respectively. You can customize this list too but first, letÆs get to know this feature using the available options. Adding a Service Record ----------------------- Move the pointer to the FLORIST selection and [Enter] to view the Florist service record form. The cursor will be in the COMPANY NAME field (see Section [ ] FINDING YOUR WAY AROUND). Type "The Flower Shop" and [Enter]. (To edit an incorrect field, see GUEST LIST) Note: After entering data in any field, you must hit [Enter] or up or down arrow to register the entry before leaving the form. To exit the current guest record, [Esc] and your additions/changes will be saved. Note: You must [Enter]after the final field youÆve entered or edited information within, or that field will not be saved when you leave the record. Viewing, Deleting or Modifying a Service ---------------------------------------- Now, add a service. Press [Ins] to open a new service record form. Type "Bellringer" in the SERVICE TYPE Field, [Enter], and press [Esc]. BELLRINGER is now listed in the Services menu. Move the cursor to the BELLRINGER selection, hit [Del] than [Y]es to proceed, or [N]o to reject the command. LetÆs modify a service. Enter the FLORIST selection as you would to complete the service record form. Delete FLORIST in the SERVICE TYPE field and type "Flowers" -- the Planner automatically returns the characters in upper case -- then [Enter] and [Esc]. The Service Menu now lists FLOWERS in Place of FLORIST. "The Flower Shop" remains within the Record, as they are still the service provider. It's time to start planning a seating arrangement for your reception. First, add three or four guest records, including actual seating information. This information can be corrected or deleted later. Return to the Main Menu and select option 3: Seating Plan. THE SEATING PLAN Arranging a seating blueprint for your wedding reception can be the most frustrating and time consuming project of your planning. You'd like to seat family and acquaintances together, but you can't break up a party. You could try dozens of different combinations without success or satisfaction. Or you could start with the Quick Seating Planner and have an arrangement in minutes. Adding Tables ------------- In the seating Plan window, select option 1. Tables. YouÆre greeted with an empty table list menu. [Ins] to add a table. You have the option of naming each table for easier organization. For the tour, we'll number the tables, but you can label them with party names, family names, etc. [Ins] and type Table 1. [Enter] then type the number of seats at the table - in this case 10 and [Enter]. Editing Table Information ------------------------- To edit the table label or number of seats, position the cursor in front of that table and [Enter]. Follow the instructions for adding a table. The Table List window will display the tables you enter, along with number of seats, and available seats at each table. You can enter and remove tables as you wish. Now add 3 more tables with 10 seats at each. The tables you added will appear at the end of the list. Your table should appear. Removing Tables --------------- YouÆve created 4 tables, but you only need 3. Removing a table is simple. Position the cursor in front of the table you wish to remove, in this case Table 4. Press [Del], then [Y] and [Enter], and the table will be removed from view. Note: The Delete Table option can be safely used even if you have already seated guests at a table. They will be returned to the guests not seated menu (see below). The Bride's Maid includes two seating plan procedures for your convenience. The Quick Seat option automatically arranges a seating plan for you. The Planner is so flexible, that you can make changes to, or even undo the Fast Seat arrangement. Or you can create a seating plan from scratch. Return to the Seating Plan Window and select option 2. Seat Guests. On the left of the screen, a new window will display a list of guests who have returned confirmation to attend, but have not yet been seated. The guest parties you added earlier in the tour will be listed. Quick Seat ---------- Press [F1] to begin the Quick Seat arrangement. The computer will seat all unseated parties based on the categories you have assigned them to, (See GUEST LIST: Adding a Guest) and the Guests Not Seated window will display <EMPTY>, unless you have not added enough tables to accommodate anticipated guests. In that case, the unseated parties will remain in that window. You can undo the entire seating arrangement, add more tables, seat guests, or edit the arrangement at any time. Manual Seating -------------- If you decide to create the seating arrangement manually, enter the GUESTS NOT SEATED window. Position the cursor to the front of the name of the party you wish to seat and [Enter]. When the table menu appears, move the cursor to the table for the selected guest, in this case Table 1. The name of the party will be removed from the GUESTS NOT SEATED window, and the number of available seats at Table 1 will be reduced by the number of guests in the party you have seated. If you select a table that will not accommodate the party, the computer will tell you that there are insufficient seats. When you press any key at this stage, the computer will ask if you want to seat the party anyway. If you select [Enter], the party will be seated and the TABLE LIST column displaying available seats will reflect the selection with a negative number. Select [N] and [Enter] to return to the Guests Not Seated window. Seat two or three more parties using the steps above. When youÆve finished, [Esc] to close the Guests Not Seated Window. Note: You can use a combination of both methods but proceed with the manual seating first, as quick seat will seat all remaining guests not seated. Quick Unseat ------------ If you don't like arrangement, you don't have to remove each party individually, you can undo the entire arrangement with the press of a key. In the Guests Not Seated Window, hit [F2] to undo the seating plan. To unseat parties individually, enter the Table List window, position the cursor to the front of the table youÆd like to edit and press [F1]. Note: If you can't remember where you have seated a particular party, you can refer to that guest record, where the table field is automatically updated and displayed, or to the seating plan report (see REPORTS) if you have a printer. The parties currently seated at that table, along with the number of guests in each party, are displayed in a window. To remove a party from the table and return it to the Guests Not Seated menu for later seating, move the cursor to the desired selection and [Del]. THE CALENDAR The calendar tells you what needs to be done, and when to do it. Appointments, calls, services... anything. The BrideÆs Maid Calendar allows both month at a glance, and detailed daily schedule views so you won't miss a deadline. To make sure you remember your appointments and entries, the calendar will display any items youÆve entered for that day when you enter the BrideÆs Maid. Select the Calendar, option 2 of the Main Menu now. Month at a Glance ----------------- The first screen is a view of the current month and the cursor rests on the current date. (If the day or month in this initial screen is incorrect, your computerÆs date setting is incorrect. Return to DOS and refer to the DOS reference manual to make a correction) You can move from month to month by [Pg Up] to move forward, or [Pg Dn] to move back; use the arrow keys to move the cursor over a new day. Note: You can only scroll through the calendar one month at a time. For example, to move forward seven months, you must [Pg Up] seven times. When you exit the Calendar option, the view is reset, in the background, to the default. When you return, the first screen will again be the current month, and the cursor will again highlight the current day. Daily Agenda ------------ Let's enter an appointment. Position the cursor over any date you wish and [Enter]. If the agenda for that day is empty -- and since this is your first calendar entry, the day you selected is open -- the screen displays <None>. Note: Make sure youÆve selected the correct day for agenda entries -- the date appears at the top center of the window. If not, hit [Esc] to return to the month view, and make a new selection. In the day window, [Ins], then type "send invitations", and [Enter]. Calendar entries must be 59 characters (one complete line) or less. A pointer will precede your new entry. To add another item, follow the same procedure. To change or correct an item, position the pointer in front, [Enter], make the correction, and [Enter] again. If you wish to delete an item, press [Del]. You will be prompted to confirm the procedure. Press [N]o and [Enter] to leave the entry unchanged; or [Y]es then [Enter] to proceed. To print a list of tasks for any day, move into that dayÆs agenda view as described above, and [P]rint. If your printer is not connected or enabled, the screen will flash a "Printer not Ready" message. [Esc] aborts the procedure and allows you to check your printer. When you've finished, press [Esc]. YouÆre back in the month at-a-glance view, and the date of the item(s) you've just entered is marked with an "*" to remind you that tasks are assigned. To return to that day, or view the schedule for another, position the cursor over the date and [Enter]. Press [Esc] to return to the Planner Menu. The next stop is the Services Database. Select Option 3 Services to continue. REPORTS Planning a wedding means collecting mountains of information from a host of sources. The BrideÆs Maid helps arrange and manage data comfortably. With the flexible report generator, youÆll have summaries of all the information you need, at your fingertips. You can even use the reports function to address envelopes!! All reports can be printed to a dot matrix or HPII compatible laser printer. If you donÆt have a printer, or just want to browse throught the reports, you can view the reports on screen. When you select the Seating Plan or Gifts report, type N [Enter] when youÆre asked to send output to printer, and the report will be shown on screen. [Esc] to exit the report at any time, or hit any key to view the next screen. Press Y [Enter] to print a hardcopy report. If your printer is off or set incorrectly, you'll get an error message on screen. Hit [Esc] and check your printer. Consult your printer manual to adjust settings. Note: The summary is a screen only report, and an HPII compatible printer is required to print labels on envelopes. General List ------------ The General List report allows you to view lists of guests categorically. Select option 1, and select printer or screen view and [Enter]. The Category List window will appear. Select the guest list category and [Enter] to generate the report. You'll get an alphabetical list of guests, addresses, and number of children and adults expected in each party. Seating Plan ------------ Select option 2 to view a summary of your seating arrangement by table. The report also lists guests not seated. Since the Seating Plan Report is a complete overview of your table arrangement, it's ideal for ensuring the plan you want. Summary ------- The Summary Report, option 3, is a snapshot of your wedding budget. It summarizes anticipated and final financials of your wedding compiled from the guest record gift and service record fields (See GUEST LIST). Wedding Gifts ------------- The Wedding Gift list is a summary of gifts received by guest. Use this report for thank you lists and budget breakdowns. Envelopes --------- If you have an HPII Laser Jet or Laser Jet compatible printer, you can print professional quality envelopes for invitation or thank-you note mailings. Set the height and width of envelopes and enable printing of return addresses. At the print list option, select I to print individual envelopes, G to print envelopes of all invitees who gave gifts, or A to print envelopes for everyone in the guest list. Now that your familiar with the Bride's Maid you're ready to enjoy planning one of life's most memorable events. Good Luck!!!