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Monster Media 1994 #1
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PERSONAL
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WAPS.ZIP
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WAPSHELP.TXT
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1994-01-06
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Product Description
===================
WAPS helps you (or a committee) compare the features
shared by different options and select the option that meets
your needs the best. Options could be something you want to
buy such as a car or a sterio or even a house. You decide
how important different features are and you rate each
option according to how well it supports each feature. WAPS
crunches the numbers and suggests the best option.
System Requirements:
+ IBM PC or compatable
+ 64K RAM
+ 5 1/4" Disk
About WAPS
----------
WAPS stands for Weighted Averages Processing System.
This system helps you select an option among a group of
options. You describe the options by listing their
features. You describe each feature by listing its sub-
features. For each feature you assign a weight between 1
and 100 (using WAPSWGT) to describe its relative importance.
IMPORTANT: The weights of a feature's sub-features MUST
total to EXACTLY 100. For each feature that has no sub-
features you assign a value between 0 and 100 (using
WAPSVAL) for each option according to how well that option
supports that feature. Then WAPSCALC calculates each
option's overall rating. You should take the option that
gets the best score.
Using WAPS
----------
WAPS is designed for use by committees but you can use
it by yourself simply by performing each step yourself in-
stead of delegating responsibilities to a committee. The
following steps will maximize WAPS's effectiveness.
Step 1. Identify as many options as you can.
Step 2. Let a research team gather and summarize
information on each option. Don't be sur-
prised if they find a few more options in
the process.
Step 3. Let someone create the features outline
using WAPSWGT. WAPSWGT creates a file
with a .WGT extension in the default dir-
ectory.
Step 4. Let a team of voters assign a weight to
each feature using WAPSWGT as a group.
Step 5. Let each voter assign the values inde-
pendantly using WAPSVAL. IMPORTANT: Give
each voter a copy of the features outline
created by WAPSWGT (the .WGT file) and
their own copy of WAPSVAL. WAPSVAL cre-
ates a file with a .VAL extension in the
default directory.
Step 6. Calculate which option gets the best over-
all score using WAPSCALC. IMPORTANT:
Collect each voter's values file (the .VAL
files) and the features outline (the .WGT
file) into the same directory that
WAPSCALC is in.
Helpful Hints
-------------
Put WAPSWGT in it's own directory. Give each voter
their own directory. Put a copy of the .WGT file created by
WAPSWGT into each voter's directory. Give each voter their
own copy of WAPSVAL. Give WAPSCALC it's own directory. Put
a copy of the .WGT file into the WAPSCALC directory along
with the .VAL files that each voter created.
Use Alt-N in WAPSWGT to add notes to your outline. You
can give each feature a note like "Bad = 40; Good = 60;
Excellent = 100" and you can give each option a note for
each feature like "Option #1: Small"; "Option #2: Large".
Use Alt-V in WAPSVAL to edit all the options' values
for one feature. The down arrow advances you to the next
feature's set of values. Alt-V also shows you all the notes
that were created by WAPSWGT.
WAPS limits the number of options to 9. To evaluate
more than 9 options evaluate 9 at a time and keep the high-
est scoring option for the next set of 9. Use WAPSWGT to
delete the 8 options that didn't make it and add 8 that
haven't been evaluated yet.
When editing text or numbers you can use the Home and
End keys to move the cursor directly to the begining or end
of the text or number. Also, you can use the left and right
arrow keys to move the cursor one letter or number at a
time. You can also toggle between Insert and Overwrite
modes using the Insert key. Backspace and Delete both
function as well. Additionally, when you are editing text
(not a number) you can move the cursor by a word at a time
by holding down the Ctrl key and pressing either the left or
right arrow keys.