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v1.2 CAL94E (TM) Copyright 1994 Brian E. Paquin All rights reserved. 0.0 DISCLAIMER ========== BY ACCEPTING THIS SOFTWARE THROUGH USING IT FOR ANY PERIOD OF TIME, YOU HAVE BECOME SUBJECT TO THE TERMS OF THIS WARRANTY. THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES RELATING TO THIS SOFTWARE, WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND ALL SUCH WARRANTIES ARE EXPRESSLY AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMED. NEITHER THE AUTHOR NOR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREATION, PRODUCTION OR DELIVERY OF THIS SOFTWARE SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM THE USE, THE INABILITY TO USE, THE LACK OF COMPATIBILITY WITH ANY EQUIPMENT, HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE, OR FROM THE LANGUAGE OR INSTRUCTIONS OF THIS SOFTWARE, OR FROM ANY BUSINESS INTERRUPTION ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF THE AUTHOR HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. IN ADDITION, THE AUTHOR IS NOT LIABLE TO DAMAGES BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, WARRANTY OR ON ANY OTHER LEGAL OR EQUITABLE GROUNDS. IN THE EVENT THAT ANY LIABILITY SHOULD ARISE AT LAW, THE ACCEPTER OF THIS SOFTWARE AGREES THAT SUCH LIABILITY, IF ANY, SHALL BE LIMITED TO AND IN NO EVENT SHALL EXCEED, THE PRICE PAID BY THE LICENSEE REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF THE CLAIM. THE PERSON USING THE SOFTWARE BEARS ALL RISK FOR THE INSTALLATION, USE AND RESULTS OBTAINED FROM THE PROGRAM. THE AUTHOR RETAINS ALL RIGHTS TO THE PROGRAM. This software and the disks on which it is contained is licensed to you, for your own use. This is copyrighted software. You are not obtaining title to the software or any copyright rights. You may not sublicense, rent, lease, convey, modify, translate, convert to another programming language, decompile, or disassemble the software for any purpose. You may make as many copies of this software as you need for backup purposes. You may use this software on more than one computer, provided that there is no chance that it will be used simultaneously on more than one computer. This agreement shall be construed, interpreted and governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario. Any action or proceeding brought by either party against the other arising out of or related to this agreement shall be brought only in a court of competent jurisdiction located in Frontenac County, Ontario Canada. CAL94E VERSION 1.2 USER GUIDE ------------------------------ CAL94E (TM) Copyright 1994 Brian E. Paquin All rights reserved. CAL94E is a straightforward and intuitive program that will assist you in managing personal information. It does this by providing: - A calendar / scheduler. - Storage of names and addresses. - Storage of quick (brief) notes. - A calculator (program ICALC). CAL94E provides a wide variety of support functions to help you create, maintain, view and print the data that you need on a day-to-day basis. When did you last change the batteries in your smoke detector? Do you already have something planned for next Wednesday? What birthdays are coming up next month? What is the name and phone number of the plumber who did such good work for you? Get control of this information by storing it with CAL94E! ***** There are no additional license fees required for those who have registered a previous version of CAL94E. ******************************************** * * * WHAT'S NEW IN VERSION 1.2 (Aug 1994) * * * ******************************************** 1. Calendar Event Categories can now be customized to suit your requirements. Refer to Section 7.5.8. 2. New Calendar Event Frequencies have been added. The "Every Month, .. " frequencies can be further defined as "Every 'n' Mths, .. ". Refer to Section 7.5.9. 3. Name and Address printing is now oriented towards printing labels. Refer to Section 7.5.10. CHANGES THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY MADE IN VERSION 1.1 (May 1994) - Some users of Version 1.0 experienced a 1-second delay before a pop-up menu appeared on the screen. This delay has been eliminated. - An Autodialer has been added for Hayes-compatible modems. Refer to Section 7.5.7 for details. - The Instant Calculator that was part of CAL94E Version 1.0 is now a separate program: ICALC.EXE. (There is no separate registration fee.) TABLE OF CONTENTS ================= Legal Matters .......................... 1.0 Suggestions / Warnings ................. 2.0 Registration ........................... 3.0 Support ............................... 4.0 System Requirements .................... 5.0 Program Setup .......................... 6.0 Description of CAL94E ................... 7.0 The Calendar / Scheduler ............... 7.1 Names and Addresses ................... 7.2 Quick Notes ........................... 7.3 The Calculator ......................... 7.4 Miscellaneous Points ................... 7.5 Use of the Keyboard ..................... 8.0 Use of a Mouse .......................... 9.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.0 LEGAL MATTERS ============= The author grants permission for the program and its associated files to be copied and distributed freely, provided that no fee is charged. SHAREWARE DISTRIBUTORS: Refer to file VENDOR.DOC for terms and conditions for charging distribution fees. You may give only complete and unmodified copies of the program, associated data files and documentation to others for their evaluation. If you use this software for more than 30 days, you are required to register it, as described in the section on registration. TRADEMARK ACKNOWLEDGMENT: ------------------------ All brand and product names mentioned are trademarks of their respective companies. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.0 SUGGESTIONS / WARNINGS ====================== CAL94E files are not encrypted or hidden. They could be viewed, changed or deleted by anyone who has access to them. Do not rely on this program (or any other single means) to remind you of important events, to store important notes or important name and address information. Computer systems can fail for various reasons. Ensure that the disk(ette)s containing your datafiles have enough space available on them for the addition of new data. There is nothing in CAL94E designed to detect viruses or to correct the damage that can be done by viruses. Back up computer files on a regular basis to protect from loss of data. The Standard Events in the base calendar event files have been selected by the author. They contain common holidays and other observed days, as well as selected historical days. The accuracy of this information is not guaranteed. Many standard holidays are observed on different dates in different locations, and so you should 'check your local listings'. Most of the standard events are set to start in 1980, regardless of the actual date on which they were first observed. Standard events that have irregular dates (such as Easter) do not go past the year 2020. Section 7.5.6 describes some problems that you might encounter, and their solutions. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.0 REGISTRATION ============ CAL94E is distributed as shareware, which is a marketing concept that allows you to "try before you buy" a program. CAL94E is copyright protected, and the author retains all rights to the program. The registration fee entitles you to use the program on one computer at any given time. Note that this is a FULLY FUNCTIONAL PROGRAM - it is not a demonstration version, and it will not quit working after a certain period of time or a certain number of uses. The shareware industry depends on your honesty in order to continue providing an inexpensive alternative to buying software off the store shelf, sight unseen. You are allowed to use this program for your evaluation for a period of 30 days without registering it. After 30 days, you must either register this program or cease using it. It is not public domain software, and it is not free. No additional license fees are required from those who have registered a previous version of CAL94E. THE BENEFITS OF REGISTERING CAL94E ARE: ====================================== 1. You will be entitled to receive support (see the next section). 2. You will receive a dot-matrix printed list of 94 examples of personal information that you might want to store using CAL94E. You might find that this particular piece of literature is worth the price of registration by itself. It is amazing how much information is necessary these days in order to stay organized and out of trouble! 3. You will receive a letter from the author thanking you for your registration. 4. You will be notified of significant new releases of the software. There will be no additional license fees for minor upgrades. Major upgrades will be available at a reduced fee for registered users. 5. Your comments and suggestions for changes will be considered for a future release of the software. 6. You will be supporting the shareware industry. 7. You will avoid violating the author's copyright of CAL94E. 8. You will enjoy guilt-free use of the program for years to come. HOW TO REGISTER: =============== File REGISTER.FRM contains information on how to register. The first copy that you register costs $23. For site licenses, a sliding scale is appied to the cost of additional copies, as explained in that file. The registration fee for CAL94E is low because you have already been provided with everything that you need to use the program. When you send in your registration fee, you will not receive a registered (better) version of the program or a printed manual. If you register multiple copies, you will have to make the copies yourself from the files that you already have. These saved expenses are passed along to you. The contact for registration and for any questions or comments is: Brian Paquin P.O. Box 1724 Kingston, Ont. K7L 5J6 Canada ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.0 SUPPORT ======= Support from the author is offered: 1. Through the mail. Send questions and/or comments to the address noted in the Registration Section. 2. Through Compuserve (73654,1166). Your questions will be answered during your 30 day trial period, and for 3 months after you have registered. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.0 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS =================== - An IBM PC or compatible system. - A color or monochrome video card. - MS-DOS Operating System, Version 3.0 or greater. - Approximately 246k of available memory. The amount of available memory on your system will depend on the total amount of conventional memory that is installed on your machine, and the amount that is being used for other purposes, such as the operating system, device drivers, TSR's, etc. CAL94E does not use extended or expanded memory. A HARD DISK is highly recommended. It is much faster than a diskette, and you are less likely to run out of disk space. A MOUSE makes the program easier to use, but it is not required. A PRINTER is helpful if you need hardcopy information, such as printed calendars, names and addresses, or quick notes. CAL94E can only deal with printers connected through a parallel port. However, if you have a serial connection, or if you have any problems with printing from this program, you always have the option of "printing" to a disk file. After you exit the program, you can then print the disk file using whatever method that works for you. As an alternative, you could consider redirecting LPTn (parallel) to COMn (serial) using the DOS 'MODE' command, if your printer is connected to a serial port. The "Instant Calculator" program (ICALC) will detect the presence of a NUMERIC COPROCESSOR (8087). It is possible that your computer might give ICALC incorrect information about the presence of a coprocessor, saying that it has one when it doesn't. If you experience problems with the Instant Calculator, then key: SET 87=N from the DOS prompt before running the program. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.0 PROGRAM SETUP ============= 6.1 Installation ------------ For those who have previously installed CAL94E ---------------------------------------------- Good practise requires that you should test out new versions of software before you delete the equivalent old version. Be sure to make at least one backup of your existing CAL94E files before proceeding to install v1.2. The data files (*.EVT, *.NAM, *.NOT) that you created under previous versions of CAL94E are usable under v1.2 without the need for file conversion. All other files must be replaced with the new versions (CAL94E.EXE, HELP.CAL, README.CAL, etc.). **NOTE: Some software distributors include their own procedures for program installation. If you have received such a procedure with the program (often called INSTALL.EXE or INSTALL.BAT ), and that procedure installs the software to your hard drive, then proceed to Section 6.2. ---------------------------------------------------------- The most common way to install this program and its associated files is to copy them from the 'A' diskette drive to the 'C' hard drive. Here is the sequence of MS-DOS commands needed to do so. After keying each command, press the ENTER key. C: { changes to the 'C' drive } CD \ { changes to the root directory of 'C' } MD \CAL94E { makes a directory on 'C' called 'CAL94E', if you do not already have this directory } CD \CAL94E { changes to that directory } COPY A:\*.* { copies all files on the diskette in the } { 'A' drive to C:\CAL94E } It is not necessary to call the new directory 'CAL94E'. Continue reading for more information on completing the initial setup. 6.2 Files ----- After installation, you should have the following files: Programs - CAL94E.EXE - ICALC.EXE - README.EXE Program files - CTRL.CAL - HELP.CAL - MACRO.CAL Data files - BASECN12.EVT (base Calendar Events file for Canada) - BASEUS12.EVT (base Calendar Events file for the USA) - BASE12.NAM (base Name and Address file) - BASE12.NOT (base Notes file) (The above-mentioned "base" files are files that are in the format needed by CAL94E.) Documentation files - WHATS.NEW (changes in Version 1.2) - README.CAL (the file that you are now reading) - CALDOC.NOT (Additional documentation for this program, accessible through the 'QUICK NOTES' function of CAL94E. - ABOUT.CAL (an overview of CAL94E) - SHORT.DOC (a short summary of CAL94E) - VENDOR.DOC (information for shareware distributors) - FILE_ID.DIZ (information for BBS postings) - FILES.CAL (a list of all files) Registration form - REGISTER.FRM (includes prices for volume discounts) Commands - PRINTME.BAT (print README.CAL) - PRINTREG.BAT (print REGISTER.FRM) Optional files (might not be present) - {SDA.ID} (similar to ABOUT.CAL) - other files may be included, but only as allowed by the standards of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). When giving this program to others for their evaluation, all of the files listed above must be included in their original state, without any changes made to the content. Not only is this a requirement, but it is also a good idea, since you will probably be storing information of a personal nature on your files. For your own use, you should copy the appropriate "BASE" files. Refer to Section 7.5.5 for a description of how to do this. 6.3 Running the Program ------------------- Method #1 - The simple (and best) way to run the program. --------- CAL94E will look for some of its files in the current directory (the one to which DOS is currently pointing). The simple approach is to store the program and those files in the same directory. For example, if you followed the installation procedure suggested in Section 6.1, then CAL94E.EXE (the program), and files CTRL.CAL, HELP.CAL and MACRO.CAL will be in directory 'CAL94E' on your 'C' drive. From the DOS prompt, key: C: <Enter> { changes to the 'C' drive } CD\CAL94E <Enter> { makes 'CAL94E' the current directory } You can then start the program by keying: CAL94E <Enter> If you have an old CGA video card that gives problems with snow on the screen, then key: CAL94E SNOW <Enter> instead. When snow checking is invoked, the screen display speed is considerably slower. Note that the datafiles containing Calendar Events, Names/Addresses, and Quick Notes do not have to be stored in the current directory because you will be able to tell CAL94E to go looking for them from the "File Selection Menu". However, for the purposes of simplicity, you should consider storing them in the same directory with the program and the program files. Method #2 - Another way to run the program. --------- Alternatively, if you have stored the three program files in directory 'CAL94E', but have stored the program in directory 'PROGS', then the sequence will be: C: <Enter> { changes to the 'C' drive } CD\CAL94E <Enter> { makes 'CAL94E' the current directory } \PROGS\CAL94E <Enter> { runs CAL94E from directory 'PROGS' } or \PROGS\CAL94E SNOW <Enter> One more point: if your computer has a color graphics card but not a color monitor (as is the case with many laptop computers), then you might find that the screen is easier to read if you key the MS-DOS command: MODE BW80 from the DOS prompt, before running the program. If you wish, you can return to color mode after exiting the program by keying MODE CO80 from the DOS prompt. When the program starts, you will be presented with several screens of instructions and comments - read them carefully the first few times that you use the program. ** ALWAYS WATCH THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN FOR INSTRUCTIONS ** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 7.0 DESCRIPTION OF CAL94E ===================== CAL94E was designed to provide a straightforward and intuitive means of performing several functions that are needed to manage personal information. They include: 1. A calendar / scheduler. 2. Storage of names and addresses. 3. Storage of quick (brief) notes. 4. A calculator (program ICALC). In order to gain an appreciation of the importance of personal information, try this quick quiz: - When did you last change the batteries in your smoke detector or the filters in your furnace? - When was your chimney last cleaned? - How many sick days have you taken from work this year? - When does the warranty on your exhaust system expire? - When did you get your last raise, and how much was it? - What is the name and phone number of the plumber who responded quickly and effectively to your last emergency call? - Do you already have a meeting scheduled for next Wednesday that will prevent you from going out for lunch on that day? - How many speeding tickets have you had in the last three years? - What exactly was it that your accountant advised you to do as soon as you get the opportunity? - When does your parking permit have to be renewed? By using CAL94E, you will be able to store and access all types of information that you need. You only have to remember to use the program regularly, and allow it to work for you. 7.1 The Calendar / Scheduler ------------------------ The CALENDAR / SCHEDULER provides a means of storing 'events' that you wish to keep track of. Events can be anything, such as birthdays, doctor appointments, scheduled oil changes, lunches, or even 'do list' items such as remembering to buy dog food. There are a variety of support functions in the program, such as viewing and printing a selected month or year, searching for text occurrences, and finding overlaps (conflicts) in scheduling. It is a simple matter to change, view, add and delete events from your files. You can also maintain various event files for different purposes. The 'base' event files that are provided with CAL94E already contain common holidays and observed days so that you don't have to create them yourself. However, you might have to customize them to meet local requirements. There are a wide variety of frequencies available for calendar events, such as: once every day every month, 2nd Tuesday every 3 months, last Friday every year, 3rd Sunday in June etc. There is even an option to handle the unusual frequency of U.S. Election Day, which occurs on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November (which is not always the first Tuesday). It can also handle Victoria Day in Canada, which occurs on the Monday before May 25th. (Both events are contained in the standard events provided in the base files, so you should not have to be concerned with these particular options.) You select a category for every event, such as: Holiday Social Event Meeting Day in History etc. The categories that are provided with CAL94E can be customized to suit your requirements. Refer to Section 7.5.8 for details. The one-character category indicator that precedes the category name (e.g. 'H' with Holiday) will be displayed on the 'View Month' screen in the boxes for all days that have event occurrences. Note that the color of that indicator is part of the customization noted above. The category 'PESTER' has a special meaning in CAL94E. These events always show up under today's date (e.g. when you are viewing a month). This is particularly useful for 'do list' items, because the program will 'pester' you with these items until you either delete them or change the category to something else. When you select the 'PESTER' category for a new or existing event, CAL94E will always set the Event Date and Closing Date to today's date (from your system), and it will set the Frequency to 'Once'. Note that the description 'PESTER' can be customized to something else such as 'Do list Item', but the indicator 'P' cannot be changed because of its special meaning. The date range allowed for calendar functions is January 1, 1800 through December 21, 2099. A function is provided to do date arithmetic, which will tell you the difference in days between two dates, as well as date span between those dates in terms of the number of years, months and days. It is worth noting that CAL94E never displays a month value in numeric format - the months of the year have names, and CAL94E always uses them! 7.2 Names and Addresses ------------------- The NAMES AND ADDRESSES function provides a means of storing, viewing and printing text data about people and/or companies that you deal with. You can create any number of different files for different purposes. The support functions (for searching, printing, etc.) are similar to those provided with the calendar / scheduler. The Name and Address 'Print' function is oriented towards printing labels - refer to Section 7.5.10. 7.3 Quick Notes ----------- The QUICK NOTES function is very similar the NAMES AND ADDRESSES. It can be used to store any piece of information in which you have an interest. When you store miscellaneous information in a CAL94E Quick Note, you will always know where to look for it. 7.4 The Calculator -------------- The calculator is a separate program called ICALC. It is distributed with CAL94E. The CALCULATOR function allows you work with two numeric fields, 'A' and 'B'. It is referred to as an 'Instant Calculator' because after every keystroke, various results are automatically displayed, such as A * A, A * B, A / B, etc. You can scroll down into the results area and move the selected value into 'A' or 'B' (whichever one is 'current'), again with an automatic recalculation of new results. 7.5 Miscellaneous Points -------------------- Rather than giving a blow-by-blow description of every detail about CAL94E, the following is a list of specific topics that you might find to be helpful. In addition to the documention that you are now reading, there are a variety of notes and suggestions contained in CALDOC.NOT, as mentioned earlier. CALDOC.NOT is accessible through the 'Quick Notes' function of the program. Always pay attention to the context-sensitive instructions that are found at the bottom of almost every screen in CAL94E. If you have any questions, you can contact the author (Refer to Section 4). 7.5.1 Selection Versus Keying ----------------------- This is one of the major features of CAL94E that makes it easy to use: with the exception of text information, almost everything is selected rather than keyed. For example, when you create a calendar event for your birthday, you do not key your birth date on a screen, and risk getting the wrong format (02/04/1960 ? 04/02/60 ?). Instead, you select the year, month, and day from screens containing all possible values. (Month values are always displayed in alphabetic format, e.g. 'Jan' or 'January'.) The idea of selection also applies when you are selecting a datafile, such as a Calendar Events File. Refer to Section 7.5.5. 7.5.2 Scrolling --------- In addition to the methods for scrolling that are noted on the screens, you can also scroll downwards using the spacebar. You can scroll upwards using: alt + spacebar, ctrl + spacebar or shift + spacebar. In the 'View Month' screen under the Calendar option, the arrow keys and mouse movement will normally change the day. There are a number of ways to scroll the list of events for the highlighted day: - Use the Tab key to switch sides, then use the arrows or mouse. You can also switch sides by holding down the left mouse button and moving the mouse to the left or right. or - Set Num Lock on, then use the arrow keys on the numeric keypad. or - Hold down the right mouse button and move the mouse up or down (away from you or towards you). 7.5.3 The Options Menu ---------------- A menu of options will be available at various points in the program, wherever your see: - <Enter>: Options Menu at the bottom of the screen. In addition to pressing <Enter>, these menus can be accessed in a number of ways, depending on your preference: - Press the left mouse button - Press F1 (the standard 'Help' key) - Press '/' - Press '\' 7.5.4 Calendar User Events and Standard Events ---------------------------------------- A CAL94E Calendar Events File is in a specific format required by the program. It must contain ONE OR MORE User events followed by ONE OR MORE Standard events, and all records must be in the format required by CAL94E. The 'base' calendar event files have multiple entries for certain standard events. For example, Remembrance Day (Canada) has entries that designate it as a: 1. 'Observed Day', 2. 'Holiday (here)' and 3. 'Holiday (elsewhere)'. You should select the "List Events" option from the Calendar Menu, scroll to these events, activate the choice that applies to you, and deactivate the other entries. It is possible to change, add or delete user events, but standard events can only be activated or deactivated. An inactive standard event will not show on the monthly calendar that you view or print. (To answer your question, the author did not want to be blamed if you were to accidentally move Thanksgiving to the middle of the summer. That is why you can't change Standard Events.) Most standard events are set to start in 1980, regardless of the year in which they were first observed. If you wish to store such events with a date that is prior to the one in the standard events list, create your own user event, and then deactivate the standard event. Most of the standard events that have irregular dates (such as Easter) have an end date in the year 2020. 7.5.5 Program Files and Data Files ----------------------------- CAL94E uses two types of files when it is running, program files and data files. The program files are: CTRL.CAL MACRO.CAL HELP.CAL CAL94E uses these files for its own purposes. As mentioned earlier, it will look for them in the current directory. Data files are used to store your personal information. They are: (anything).EVT Calendar Event files " NAM Name and Address files " NOT Quick Notes CAL94E requires that these files be in a specific format, and so you should only create new files by copying files that you know to be in the correct format. To start, you should copy the appropriate "BASE" files that came with the program. For example, you might copy "BASECN12.EVT" to "BARNEY.EVT", and use "BARNEY.EVT" to store your own calendar events (if your name is Barney, and you live in Canada). If you require additional event files for different purposes, e.g. home and office, you can repeat this process. You should also copy: "BASE12.NOT" to (e.g.) "BARNEY.NOT" and "BASE12.NAM" " " "BARNEY.NAM". File copying can be done on the "File Selection Menu" that appears as soon as you invoke one of the major functions of the program (Calendar, Names/Addresses and Quick Notes). You will be able to copy any existing file (e.g. a "base" file) to a new file, with a name of your own choice. However, this approach only allows you to do copying within a given DOS directory. If you wish to copy a file from one directory to another, you must do this outside the program, using a DOS command. You should also consider creating a set of the data files for your own training purposes. Any time that you want to experiment with certain program functions, you can use and abuse those files without fear of destroying valuable data. Every time that you invoke a major function in CAL94E, it will 'remember' the file that you selected the last time that you used it, and it will prime the File Selection Menu accordingly. When you want to select a different file, then go through the drive/directory/file hierarchy as needed: - Select a disk drive from the list of all drives that are available on your system. - Select a directory from the list of all those directories on the selected drive that contain any appropriate files. - Select a file from the list of all Event files that are in the selected directory. There is no need (and no opportunity) to key in something like: C:\CAL94E\BARNEY.EVT in order to select the file that you want to use. 7.5.6 Troubleshooting --------------- Please note that CAL94E has only been tested with the MS-DOS operating system. The author has made no attempt to ensure that it will function correctly under competing operating systems. CAL94E could occasionally refuse to do something that you request of it, but it will normally give an indication of the problem. The following is an elaboration on a few of the problems that you might encounter. - Printer problems CAL94E performs simple text printing. Printers are not standardized throughout the industry, and if you encounter problems, it might be necessary to select the option of printing to a disk file instead of LPTn. After you exit the program, you can then use you own method of printing the disk file. Printers can occasionally have problems because of loose connections, low humidity causing static electricity, or general malfunctions. Also, be sure that the printer is plugged in, turned on, and connected! Before you attempt to print Name and Address information either on labels or on regular paper, carefully read through Section 7.5.10. - Mouse problems If your mouse is not responding, it is possible that you have removed the connection in order to use the port for something else, such as your modem. Also, make sure that the mouse driver software has been installed correctly - refer to the documentation that came with it. - Problems with disk files CAL94E cannot update files that have been flagged as "read-only", and it will reject them. Use the DOS "ATTRIB" command to allow those files to be updated. When creating a new file, you cannot choose a file name that is the same as an existing DOS device name, such as LPT1, AUX, etc. - Problems with the "Instant Calculator" program. As mentioned earlier, you might own a computer system that "lies" about the presence of a numeric coprocessor (8087). If you experience problems when using the Instant Calculator, then key: SET 87=N from the DOS prompt before running the program. 7.5.7 The Autodialer -------------- If you have a Hayes-compatible modem, you can use CAL94E to autodial telephone numbers. Note that this function does not allow you to connect to computer bulletin board systems: it is used only for dialing your telephone. - Setup Before you first use the facility, you will need to set the Autodialing Method and the Modem Port. This is done from the Main Menu of the program. Once you set these values, CAL94E will remember them the next time that you run the program. Autodialing Method, "Tone" or "Pulse". The choice depends on how your local telephone exchange is set up. For most users, "Tone" will be the correct choice. If you find that autodialing will not place the call for you (after hearing the musical tones in the handset), go back to the Main Menu and switch to "Pulse". The Modem Port, COM1 through COM4. If you have only one serial card in your computer, then CAL94E will only allow you to select "COM1" as the Modem Port. If you have more than one card, then CAL94E will allow you to select from the available ports. If you are not sure which one to choose, you can refer to the technical documentation that came with your computer. Serial connections are used for a mouse, a modem, and sometimes a printer. You should note that if you accidentally select COM1 as the modem port, and your MOUSE is actually connected to COM1, then an attempt to autodial will not work (of course) and your mouse might be temporarily disabled. In order to get the mouse working again, you will have to exit back to DOS and then reactivate it. Depending on how your system is set up, keying the command "mouse" from the DOS prompt will probably do the trick. - Invoking the Autodialer Note that it is easy to 'play around' with the following options for autodialing without actually placing a call, because CAL94E will always ask you to confirm that you wish to proceed with dialing. Autodialing From a Calendar Event You can create Calendar Event entries with telephone numbers in the Description field. Since these are not really "events", you might want to set both date fields to Jan 1, 1800 (use <Ctrl + Home>). You can autodial the number from the 'list events' screen. Either pop up the Option Menu and select "Autodial", or key <Alt + p> directly ('p' is for 'phone'). As well, if you have selected 'view/change' for a particular event, you can select the Autodial function from any of the available pop-up menus. The third method for autodialing from the description of an event is slightly more flexible. You can arrow down to the Event Description and then move the cursor to the spot where you want CAL94E to start looking for a phone number. You must then key <Alt + p> to dial. Autodialing From a Name and Address Entry. The options here are similar to those of a Calendar Event. However, when you autodial from the screen that contains the list of entries, CAL94E will attempt to autodial from the line within the entry that is labeled as "Tel#1". If this is not what you want to do, then go into the entry, position the cursor at the spot where you want CAL94E to start looking for a phone number, and key <Alt + p>. Autodialing From a Quick Note Entry. This is almost identical to autodialing from a Name and Address entry, except when you autodial from the screen that contains the list of entries, CAL94E will attempt to autodial from the Title Line. - Telephone Number Formats A simple phone number can be dialed, or you can enter the number in such a way that separate dialing sequences occur, with prompts between each sequence. The latter approach is similar to what you would do when you dial a number on a touch-tone phone, and a computer voice prompts you with options. Dialing sequences are separated with the character '@'. Valid dialing characters are '0' through '9', '*', and '#'. Here are some examples of numbers, and the results obtained from autodialing. The examples assume that CAL94E is starting its search from column #1 of the text, but as mentioned, you can position the cursor to the spot where you want the search to begin. (Obviously, these phone numbers are intended to be fictitious.) 234-5678 One dialing sequence, '234-5678'. 234 5678 Same result as above. 234 5678 One dialing sequence, '234'. The two spaces following '234' end the sequence. 9 @234 @5678 Three dialing sequences: '9', then '234', then '5678'. 9 @234 @5678 Same result as above. The spaces following '9' ended the first sequence, but CAL94E continues to look for '@' to find another sequence. 9 x @234 @5678 One dialing sequence, '9'. When CAL94E encounters the 'x', which is not a valid dialing character, it stops its search for more dialing sequences. Barney: 234-5678 One dialing sequence, '234-5678'. Although 'Barney' does not contain valid dialing digits, CAL94E will skip over them when looking for the first dialing sequence. In other words, the first dialing sequence begins with the first valid dialing character. Note that if the number you want to dial begins with '9' (meaning that you are requesting an outside line), then '9' should be its own dialing sequence. The pause after '9' is necessary. 7.5.8 Customizing Calendar Event Categories ------------------------------------- The Event Categories that are defined within CAL94E can be customized to your own preferences. An option exists on the Calendar Menu for doing this. The customization screen shows the number of entries in the current calendar event file that are using each category. It also indicates which ones have already been customized. If you ever wish to return to the default value for any customized entry, key <Alt + o> (original value). You should note that the customization that you create is stored in the file "CTRL.CAL", and not in the Calendar Event File itself. There are three components to customization: - The Color of the Indicator The selected color will be used on the "View Month" screen. For example, you might wish to make holidays or vacation days stand out on that screen by selecting a bright color/background combination. - The Indicator Most of the characters that can be displayed on a screen can be selected as the indicator for a category. However, the "PESTER" indicator cannot be changed from 'P', since it has special meaning in CAL94E. - The Text of the Category Description Any text can be keyed to your preference. You might wish to change the "PESTER" description to "Do List Item", or change "Holiday (here)" to (e.g.) "Holiday (Canada)". 7.5.9 Additional Calendar Event Frequencies (Version 1.2) ------------------------------------- There are 7 different monthly frequencies that can be chosen on the "Frequency of Event" screen. These can be further defined for a particular event as being every 2, 3, 4, or 6 months. Scroll into one of the 7 entries and follow the instructions that appear on the screen. This option is useful for creating events that occur on a quarterly or semiannual basis. 7.5.10 Printing Name and Address Labels -------------------------------- CAL94E is oriented towards printing name and address data on continuous form labels on an Epson-compatible dot matrix printer, with one label across the form. If you have more elaborate label printing requirements, then you might consider purchasing a separate program that specializes in this function. You can save three different formats of labels to correspond to different sizes of labels that you might use. Before printing labels, select "Label Dimensions" from the "Name/Address Options" screen and select the appropriate format so that CAL94E makes full use of the label, and also so that it does not print outside the boundaries of the label. You should set up one of the three formats for printing on a regular page instead of on a label, since you will probably want to do that on occasion. Format #1 is already set up for this purpose when you receive CAL94E. Here are the steps to take when establishing the label dimensions for a particular format: - Measure the width of the label (not the entire form on which the label is attached). Dot-matrix printing is usually done at 10 characters per inch, and so if your label measures 4 inches across, then the number of characters per line is 40 (so far: read on). - Printers normally use a 5 character left margin, so subtract 5 from the width, giving 35 characters per line in this example. (For some labels that you might purchase, the label is already indented on the form, and so you won't have to do the subtraction in these cases). - Measure the height using the distance between the perforations. Dot-matrix printing is usually done at 6 lines per inch, and so if your label form measures 1.5 inches between the perforations, then the number of lines per label is 9 in this example. When CAL94E actually does the printing, it uses a 3 character right hand margin of its own, and it will not print on the last line. Therefore, in the above example, a name and address label will only be printed if the longest line in the entry is less than or equal to 32 characters in width, and less than or equal to 8 lines in height. If a particular entry won't fit within these dimensions, then the title line is printed, followed by "*** Doesn't Fit". You can avoid this situation by keeping the entries compact, and by buying labels of a sufficient size! After requesting label printing, you will be asked if you want to do continuous printing. When you are doing regular printing on pages that are 8.5" * 11", the printer will skip several lines every 11" in order to avoid printing on the perforation. When you have labels mounted on the printer, you will want to avoid this automatic skip, and so you should respond "Yes" to this prompt. One final point: when you are asked how the printing is to be centered, you should normally respond with 'Vertical Only', since horizontal centering is not usually needed because of the 5 character left margin that was previously mentioned. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 8.0 USE OF THE KEYBOARD =================== You can avoid using the keyboard for almost everything by invoking the Options Menu, as described earlier (especially if you have a mouse). However, you might prefer to use the keyboard for commonly used functions. Keyboard functions that require two keystrokes are denoted on the screens with a plus sign between them. For example, 'ctrl + rightarrow' is used to add 1 to the value of a a year. Hold down either 'ctrl' key, and press the right arrow key. 8.1 Miscellaneous Keys ------------------ Enter Move forward through the program. Invoke the Options Menu, where applicable. Accept data changes that have been keyed. (The left mouse button is equivalent to the 'Enter' key in CAL94E.) Esc (Escape) Move backwards through the program. Remove the Options Menu. Abandon data changes that have been keyed. (The right mouse button is equivalent to the 'Escape' key in CAL94E.) Arrow keys (up, down, left, right) Used in a variety of places, with predictable results. Ctrl + Leftarrow Subtract 1 from the value of the year. Ctrl + Rightarrow Add 1 to the value of the year. Ctrl + Pageup 1. Set the 'Find Text' direction to 'upwards'. 2. Set the height of a Name and Address label to the minimum value on the "Label Dimensions" Screen. Ctrl + Pagedn 1. Set the 'Find Text' direction to 'downwards'. 2. Set the height of a Name and Address label to the maximum value on the "Label Dimensions" Screen. Backspace Delete the character to the left of the cursor on a text line. Tab 1. Move 8 spaces to the right on a text line. 2. Switch sides on the "View Month" Calendar Screen. 3. Switch formats on the "View Year" Calendar Screen. 4. Add 8 characters to the width of a Name and Address label on the "Label Dimensions" Screen. Shift + Tab 1. Move 8 spaces to the left on a text line. 2. Switch sides on the "View Month" Calendar Screen. 3. Switch formats on the "View Year" Calendar Screen. 4. Subtract 8 characters from the width of a Name and Address label on the "Label Dimensions" Screen. Insert Switch between Insert mode and Typeover mode for keying text. Delete 1. Delete the file that is named on the File Selection Menu. (You will be asked for confirmation.) 2. Delete a Calendar Event, a Name/Address entry or a Note. (You will be asked for confirmation.) 3. Delete the character highlighted by the cursor on a text line. 4. Delete the time from an event, which makes time 'not applicable' to the event. Home 1. Move to the first entry on the screen. 2. Move to the first entry in a list. 3. Move to the first position in a text line. 4. Set the width of a Name and Address label to the minimum value on the "Label Dimensions" Screen. Ctrl + Home 1. Set the highlighted date to the lowest possible value, which is January 1, 1800. 2. Set the highlighted time to the lowest possible value, which is 12:01 a.m. End 1. Move to the last entry on the screen. 2. Move to the last entry in a list. 3. Move to the last position in a text line. 4. Set the width of a Name and Address label to the maximum value on the "Label Dimensions" Screen. Ctrl + End 1. Set the highlighted date to the highest possible value, which is December 31, 2099. 2. Set the highlighted time to the highest possible value, which is 11:59 p.m. Page Up 1. Scroll upwards in a list by one screen. 2. Subtracts 8 lines from the height of a Name and Address label on the "Label Dimensions" Screen. Page Down 1. Scroll downwards in a list by one screen. 2. Adds 8 lines to the height of a Name and Address label on the "Label Dimensions" Screen. Spacebar Scroll downwards in a list by one entry. Shift + Spacebar or Ctrl + Spacebar or Alt + Spacebar Scroll upwards in a list by one entry. '1' Change all "Every n Mths, .." frequencies to "Every Month, .." on the "Frequency of Event" Screen. '2' Change all "Every Month, .." frequencies to "Every 2 Mths, .." on the "Frequency of Event" Screen. '3' Change all "Every Month, .." frequencies to "Every 3 Mths, .." (quarterly) on the "Frequency of Event" Screen. '4' Change all "Every Month, .." frequencies to "Every 4 Mths, .." on the "Frequency of Event" Screen. '6' Change all "Every Month, .." frequencies to "Every 6 Mths, .." (semiannually) on the "Frequency of Event" Screen. 'a' Change the month to the next one that begins with 'a' (April, August). 'd' Change the month to December. 'f' Change the month to February. 'j' Change the month to the next one that begins with 'j' (January, June, July). 'm' - Change the month to the next one that begins with 'm' (March, May). - Change all "Every n Mths, .." frequencies to "Every Month, .." on the "Frequency of Event" Screen. 'n' Change the month to November. 'o' Change the month to October. 'q' Change all "Every Month, .." frequencies to "Every 3 Mths, .." (quarterly) on the "Frequency of Event" Screen. 's' - Change the month to September. - Change all "Every Month, .." frequencies to "Every 6 Mths, .." (semiannually) on "Frequency of Event" Screen. ';' Set the size of the scrolling window to the default value. '>' Set the size of the scrolling window to the maximum value. '<' Set the size of the scrolling window to the minimum value. '.' Increase the size of the scrolling window by 1. ',' Decrease the size of the scrolling window by 1. '/' or '\' Invoke the Options Menu, where applicable. 8.2 Function Keys ------------- F1 Invoke the Options (Help) Menu F2 Edit (Make a change to data) F3 Exit (same as <Esc> ) F4 1. Find text within a list of entries. 2. Find text within a Quick Note or a Name/Address entry. F5 1. Continue finding text in the list of entries. 2. Redisplay 'found' text within a Quick Note or a Name/Address entry. F6 Erase the remainder of the text line, from the cursor. F7 Page Up F8 Page Down F9 1. Create a new file (from the File Selection Menu). 2. Add a new file entry (calendar, name/address or note). F10 Accept the screen Alt + F1 Print full list to LPT1. Alt + F2 Print full list to LPT2. Alt + F3 Print full list to LPT3. Alt + F7 Print full list to disk. Ctrl + F1 Retrieve Format #1 of Name and Address labels for selection and possible change. Ctrl + F2 Retrieve Format #2 of Name and Address labels for selection and possible change. Ctrl + F3 Retrieve Format #3 of Name and Address labels for selection and possible change. Shift + F1 Copy the text character from the line immediately above, if there is such a line ( or use <Alt + s> ). Shift + F3 Copy the text line immediately above, if there is such a line. Shift + F7 Find date overlaps for the highlighted calendar event. Shift + F8 Find date and time overlaps for the highlighted calendar event. This applies only to events that have a time associated with them. 8.3 'Alt' Key Combinations ---------------------- Alt + 0 (20xx) Set the century portion of a year to '20'. (Also see 'Alt + 8' and 'Alt + 9'.) Alt + 1 Print individual entry to LPT1. Alt + 2 Print individual entry to LPT2. Alt + 3 Print individual entry to LPT3. Alt + 4 Go to the top of a list. Alt + 5 Go to the first entry in the Standard Events (Calendar). Alt + 6 Go to the bottom of a list. Alt + 7 Print individual entry to a disk file instead of a printer. Alt + 8 (18xx) Set the century portion of a year to '18'. Alt + 9 (19xx) Set the century portion of a year to '19'. Alt + a Activate an inactive standard calendar event. Alt + c (century, color) 1. Advance century: 18 -> 19, 19 -> 20, 20 -> 18. 2. Change color on the "Customize Event Category" Screen. Alt + d (downwards movement) 1. Move entry (e.g. a Calendar Event) down 1 position in the list. 2. Move a text line down 1 position on the screen. 3. In the 'Instant Calculator' move the 'A' value down to the 'B' value (and move 'B' up to 'A'). Note that the same effect can be achieved by holding down the left mouse button and moving the mouse towards you. ('Alt + u' is the opposite of 'Alt + d'). Alt + f (full day) Set the 'start time' and 'end time' to 12:01 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. respectively, which is a full day. Note that it is not possible to set the time to 12 midnight. This is because it is ambiguous as to whether a day begins or ends at midnight. Alt + i (indicator) Change indicator on the "Customize Event Category" Screen. Alt + m Select a month in the 'View Month' calendar screen. Alt + n (now) Insert the current date and time into a line of text, beginning at the cursor, for a length of 32 characters. Alt + o (original value) Change the Event Category to its original (default) value on the "Customize Event Category" Screen. Alt + p (phone) Autodial the modem. Refer to Section 7.5.7 for details. Alt + s (same value) 1. Set the highlighted date to the same value as the other date on the screen (in cases where there is one). 2. Set the highlighted time to the same value as the other time field on the screen. 3. Copy the text character from the line immediately above, if there is such a line (same as Shift + F1). 4. In the 'Instant Calculator', set the highlighted number ('A' or 'B') to the same value as the other one. Alt + t (today, text) 1. Set the highlighted date to today's date (taken from the system). 2. Change text on the "Customize Event Category" Screen. Alt + u (upwards movement) This is the opposite of 'alt + d' as described earlier. Alt + x (exit) This is the equivalent to the Escape key, described earlier. Alt + y Select a year in the 'View Month' calendar screen. Alt + z Deactivate an active standard calendar event. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 9.0 USE OF A MOUSE ============== If you do not currently own a mouse, you should seriously consider getting one, especially if you do not have strong typing skills. It is a major asset when using a program such as CAL94E, because you can navigate through the program without the need to constantly look up and down between the screen and the keyboard. CAL94E does not recognize the middle mouse button, if you have one. However some mouse driver software does not recognize it either, and considers the middle button to be the same as the left button. Here are the mouse functions in CAL94E: 9.1 Pressing the left mouse button = 'ENTER' on the keyboard. In most cases you will click the button. At other times you hold it down, such as when you as scrolling using the flashing arrow, or when you are 'dragging' the mouse (see below). 9.2 Pressing the right mouse button = 'ESC' (Escape) on the keyboard. 9.3 Pressing the left and right mouse buttons at the same time = function key 'F2' on the keyboard. (Give them a sharp click together.) F2 is used for selecting or changing data, e.g. changing an existing calendar event, or changing a date value within an event. Many programs recognize a 'double click' of the left mouse button to indicate selection or change. It is hoped that you will find CAL94E's 'simultaneous click' of both buttons to be easier. 9.4 Mouse movement = the arrow keys on the keyboard. Note that there are some cases where this is not true. For example, when changing or adding a new calendar event, date fields can be changed directly on the screen by using the left and right arrow keys, without the need to invoke the 'Full Screen Selection'. They cannot be changed by moving the mouse to the left or right because it would be too easy to accidentally make a change with the mouse. 9.5 'Dragging' with the left mouse button. (Note that the term 'dragging' means holding down one of the mouse buttons while moving the mouse.) -You can move a table entry (such as a calendar event) by holding down the left mouse button and moving the mouse towards you or away from you. You can do the same thing to move a text line within a Name and Address entry or a Note entry. This method can also be used to swap the 'A' and 'B' values in the Instant Calculator. -On the 'View Month' screen under the Calendar option, you can easily switch sides on the screen by holding down the left mouse button and moving the mouse to the left or right. When you are on the left side of the screen, ordinary movement of the mouse (without holding either button down) will change the day. When you are on the right side, movement of the mouse will scroll the list of the day's events. -On the "Label Dimensions" Screen (Names and Addresses), you can change the dimensions by dragging the mouse with the left mouse button. 9.6 'Dragging' with the right mouse button. In the 'View Month' screen, you can scroll the day list that appears on the right side of the screen without the need to switch to that side. This can be done by holding down the right mouse button and moving the mouse towards you or away from you. ------------------------ End of README.CAL --------------------------