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============================= Note: ============================
This remarkable shareware program, Service Plus [TM], is creating a lot
of excitement because it saves business people time and money. You will
love this program! It combines unprecedented speed, power, and ease of
use into one highly focused system.
Try it before you buy! If you like the program, you can elect to become
a registered user for $99. If you don't like it, throw it away.
There is no 'demo' version of the program. You'll have the full-blown
system, into which you can begin inputting your data. After this note
is the Table of Contents for the documentation for Service Plus [TM],
then the documentation itself. As you browse through it, you'll
observe the scope and power of this breakthrough program.
Feel free to call me. I am the author and will be happy to answer your
questions.
Paul Sax
ACS
P.O. Box 850427
Richardson, TX 75085
Product queries and support:
Phone: (214) 690-6017
Credit Card Registration:
(800) 473-6017
==== A Statement on 'Registration' from the Author: ====
Paul Sax
This registration procedure is a $99 credit card purchase of my
software.
For credit card purchases only:
(800) 473-6017
For product queries or technical support:
(214) 690-6017
[9AM to 5 PM, CST]
Once you register this program, you will receive unlimited telephone
support at (214) 690-6017 and professionally printed documentation.
My ten years of experience as a database designer will help make this
program functional for you much quicker if you become registered and
avail yourself over the telephone of my free insights into your
particular application.
4,000 hours of my time have gone into development of this magnificent
program. I've been at this phone for three years providing free
support.
For those of you who become registered, my program is a highly focused
solution to some longstanding administrative or informational problem.
Service Plus [TM] is not free or public domain software. The author
owns the intellectual property, though the distributor or bulletin board
where you acquired this program has had the physical possession of it.
Product overview: Service Plus [TM]
=====The Ultimate Maintenance and Service Call Tracking System!=====
Invaluable for these businesses or functions:
heating/air conditioning repair,
electrical maintenance, auto repair, computer/copier rental and repair,
any equipment tracking or maintenance,
plant preventive maintenance, plumbing, bus or taxi maintenance,
any repair business with a service bay,
any department that provides product service and support
Everything is on-line!
Fast search capability
Appointments: Ticker File
Appointment schedules and graphics
Billings/Expense Reports
"Layer-in" ability of data
ALL reports fit into a standard briefcase!
Inventory Tracking ability
Be in control of your Maintenance. This program includes:
Appointments, Billings/Expenses,
Graphics image of your load of commitments/appointments,
Free-form data search, and Reports!
with the ability to customize all screens to reflect the terminology
specific to your industry.
Can clock and cost each activity in real time.
Create an 'Industry-specific' Help screen,
with up to 15,000 characters of text about your industry
accessible ANYWHERE in the program with one single keystroke.
Create Service Tickets, Work Orders, or Invoices.
This program standardizes your Maintenance and Service Call information
and converts forgotten verbal commitments into a focused, daily
appointments and callback list that nets you extra business!
To become a registered user for this software,
bring up the program, SERVICE.EXE, with GO.BAT
go to the Main Program Menu, Other Options Menu.
Select option 1, Register Software
The registration fee for this fantastic program is only $99!
Service Plus [TM]
Version 6.000
Table of contents
Contents Pages
User License Agreement.................................................
Benefits of using Service Plus [TM]...................................I
Questions answered by this program..................................III
Installation.........................................................VI
Preface to the Tutorials...............................................
Tutorial Chapters contained in the self-running, interactive, tutorial.
[See Main Program Menu, Option T) Interactive Tutorial: 12 chapters]
1) Examining 3 existing records in the Master File Menu
2) Look at existing activity records
3) Using Custom Options to modify the screen
4) Adding one record to the Master File
5) Placing 2 records to the activity file, with Billings data
6) Creating a Billings report
7) Generate Activity reports from Test Data
8) Two records to the activity file, with appointments
9) Making reports
10) Fast Search Capabilities
11) Other features: Up to 99,999,999 layers
12) Default values and create multiple custom screens.
Definition of Shareware.................................................
Service Agreement............................................Appendix A
[unlimited FREE support to Registered Users!]
Installation Procedures Menu.................................Appendix B
Time and Billing Stopwatch subsystem.........................Appendix C
[time and bill every activity, with up to 9 labor rates]
New feature to create future activities automatically........Appendix D
Base Station/Remote Site Consolidation feature...............Appendix E
Importing external data into the program.....................Appendix F
Service Plus [TM], Version 6.000
Table of contents
[continued]
Contents Pages
Grouping your data: .........................................Appendix G
[Categories versus Defining your own fields:]
WordStar/MailMerge[TM]/Basica/Output Sequential File.........Appendix H
[also: WordPerfect[TM], and dBASE III [TM] ]
Foreign Credit Card Registration.............................Appendix I
[how to register this program if you are outside of U.S.A. or Canada]
Overview of Memo Options:
Every Master file and activity record has its own word processor!
Master File Memos......................................Appendix J-I
Activity Memos........................................Appendix J-II
Printit v3.5, Print functions offered in memos and VIEW.TXT..Appendix K
Create your own industry-specific Help/Data Screen...........Appendix L
Automatic Data Back-up upon exiting the program..............Appendix M
User Beware !................................................Appendix N
[Tips for database survival]
Using the CALLBACK feature in the Activity file..............Appendix O
Consolidating Multiple Categories in your reports............Appendix P
Assigning priorities to Master File Records..................Appendix Q
Act Now! [TM]................................................Appendix R
[create 'Activity Now' from the Master File automatically]
Create your own fields.......................................Appendix S
[track and retrieve data using your unique industry-specific codes!]
Logic behind Comments/1st ID/2nd ID/3rd ID selection.........Appendix T
[select out records in 4 different places in program]
Strategy for Relating Customers to records in either
the Master or Activity files:....................Appendix U
Strategy for creating Service Tickets, Work Orders, or Invoices
from memos in the Activity files:.......................Appendix V
Methodology for tracking units of inventory.................Appendix W
[using activity records to reflect unit changes]
Service Plus [TM], Version 6.000
Table of contents
[continued]
Contents Pages
The Flash Report [TM] .......................................Appendix X
Quick Stats [TM].............................................Appendix Y
'Background' Options.........................................Appendix Z
Fast Runner [TM] Options...................................Appendix A-1
Open or Pending Activities.................................Appendix A-2
[unfinished or unresolved activities go into 'bucket']
Potential problems with DOS 'Environment' space............Appendix A-3
Billings Menu: Overview and Options........................Appendix A-4
Inserting Memos into reports...............................Appendix A-5
Your Expert Helper [TM]....................................Appendix A-6
ACS User License Agreement: ACS
P.O. Box 850427
Richardson, TX 75085
You may: March 1, 1987
a. Use the program on a single microcomputer on which the package was
designed to operate.
b. Copy the documentation or object code in whole and distribute it to
any other user who wishes to evaluate this software prior to their
becoming a Registered User.
c. Become a Registered User by paying for this with a credit card for
the current asking price, as shown on the program screen, to ACS.
Warranty Disclaimer: Limitation of Liability
Limit of Liability: Neither ACS, Paul Sax, nor Juskovitch Corporation
shall have any liability or responsibility to you, the customer, or
any other person or entity with respect to any liability, loss, or
damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the ACS
Service Plus [TM] Maintenance and Service Call Activity tracking system
provided by Juskovitch Corporation, ACS, or Paul Sax, including, but
not limited to interruption of service, loss of business or
anticipatory profits or consequential damages resulting from the use or
operation of Service Plus [TM].
Neither Juskovitch Corporation, ACS, nor Paul Sax make any warranty,
express or implied, with respect to the enclosed documentation,
including, without limitation, any user's manual, reference manual,
software program, or software disks, or their performance,
merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose.
Proprietary Notice:
This document and the software described herein are the proprietary and
trade secret information of ACS, Paul Sax, and Juskovitch Corporation.
They have been provided pursuant to this agreement containing
restrictions on its use. The program documentation, program design,
and design of program screens are also protected by federal copyright
and trademark law. None of these items may be incorporated into any
other program or programs, in part or whole, without the express prior
written permission of ACS.
Trademark:
Service Plus [TM], ACT NOW! [TM], and Your Expert Helper [TM]
are trademarks of ACS and Juskovitch Corporation.
Service:
All service and user support are provided as per the ACS Service
Agreement.
Acknowledgment by user and acceptance of liability:
You acknowledge that you have read this agreement and understand it and
agree to be bound by its terms and conditions. You further agree that
it is the complete and exclusive statement of the agreement between us
which supersedes any proposal or prior written agreement, oral or
written, and any other communications between us relating to the
subject matter of this agreement.
Registered trademarks used in this program:
Lotus 1-2-3 (C) is a registered trademark of Lotus Development Corp.
WordPerfect [TM] is a registered trademark of WordPerfect Corporation
Microsoft [TM] and Word 4.0 are registered trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation
dBASE III [TM] is a registered trademark of Ashton-Tate.
CompuServe [TM] is a registered trademark of CompuServe Incorporated.
Trademarks used in this program:
WordStar [TM] is a trademark of MicroPro International
dBXL [TM] is a trademark of WordTech Systems, Inc.
The Norton Utilities, UnErase, Format Recover, and Speed Disk are
trademarks of Peter Norton Computing Incorporated.
Service Plus [TM] is a trademark of Paul Sax and ACS
Quick Memo [TM] is a trademark of Paul Sax and ACS
Act Now! [TM] is a trademark of Paul Sax and ACS
The Flash Report [TM] is a trademark of Paul Sax and ACS
Your Expert Helper [TM] is a trademark of Paul Sax and ACS
PRINTIT v3.5, Corp. 1987 by Jack A. Orman, Armada Sound Lab
Automenu [TM] and Magee Enterprises logo are trademarks
of Magee Enterprises
ARCA 1.29, Copyright (c) 1986,1987, Wayne Chin and Vernon D. Buerg.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ARCE 4.0c, Copyright (c) 1986-89, Wayne Chin and Vernon D. Buerg.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
PKUNZIP Copyright PKWARE, Inc.
LHA version 2.12, Copyright (c) Haruyasu Yoshizaki, 1988-91
Within this program, LHA.EXE is renamed LHARC.EXE
BENEFITS
of
Using Service Plus [TM]
BENEFITS:
1) On line documentation:
EVERYTHING IS ON-LINE!
This is a powerful system, but all information you need is on-line. At
every main level or menu, there is a HELP screen.
2) Speed of data search:
FAST SEARCH CAPABILITY
***FAST SEARCH OPTION--lets you retrieve maintenance activities,
service tickets, service calls, or status of parts or messages by any
word or words that you entered into the comments section--from last
week or 5 years ago! Other search options include second or third ID.
FAST! FAST! FAST!
You can retrieve summary information on 10 consecutive service
calls out of 1,000,000,000 in 8 seconds!
3) Rotary card features
***An electronic master rotary card card file with information on
parts or serialized objects: 3 serial numbers and comments--for up to
1,000,000,000 of them!
The Master File contains all of those names that you would normally
put into a file system. From this list you can generate reports
sorted by ID.
4) Appointments:
Ability to annotate appointments before and after the fact. A reminder
of todays' appointments and commitments, with full notes made at the
time of information input.
Ability to annotate billings and chargebacks and keep a billings log
for all activity and appointments.
APPOINTMENT SCHEDULES AND GRAPHICS
5 different Appointment schedules, as well as an on-line graphics
display of appointments for any 14 day period (any monitor).
benefits - page I
5) Keep "layers" of data separate.
"LAYER-IN" ABILITY
***This feature allows you to "layer-in" lists of names from other
sources, and still keep all reports separate! This means that if you
have 1,000 trucks in the electronic rotary card file and you acquire
a list of trucks from another source that has 10,000 trucks in it,
you can enter them into the program and yet keep them separate from
the original 1,000 when generating reports or schedules. All told,
you can "layer-in" 99,999,999 different layers or groups of objects,
without one layer overlapping the other when you produce reports or
schedules!
In this way, the program is flexible enough so that it will have
multiple uses for you.
6) Other:
DISPATCHER OR MECHANIC INPUT
In your absence , he or she can input into your appointment system.
Later you can create appointment schedules.
ALL REPORTS FIT INTO A STANDARD BRIEFCASE!
All of the reports are printed out on standard 8 1/2" by 11" computer
paper (at 10cpi) , so that you can carry this information with you.
This frees you from having to be tied to your computer in order to
retrieve data.
Specifications:
Compiled (stand alone product, nothing extra required)
1,000,000,000 records in the maintenance activities file
related to
1,000,000,000 records in the master main file
grouped by up to
99,999,999 categories or "layers" of data permitted
Plus
you can design your own custom data entry screen for any category, for
a range of categories, or all categories. Once designed, these screens
become disk resident-- up to 99,999,999 of them!--and are called up by
the program as you had defined them.
benefits - page II
QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK:
Business people ask questions about performance
and
Specific Applications
Maintenance and Service People Ask:
"Does a menu-driven system exist that meets my needs?"
The answer to all of the following questions is:
"Yes, yes, yes: Service Plus [TM] does."
RENTS COMPUTERS
"I rent computers and I needed an automated system that would allow me
to:
-- identify the location of my machines (customer site,
warehouse, service location)
-- identify the maintenance activity for any one computer or all
computers and the associated costs.
-- establish Preventive Maintenance Schedules and remind me to
perform that maintenance.
Service Plus [TM] gives me the information I need through its flexible
reporting and on-line inquiry capabilities. It also lets me maintain
multiple serial numbers for each computer, and gives me the option to
search for a computer against any one of those serial numbers --and it
does this in just a couple of seconds.
Service Plus [TM] has put me in control of my maintenance business. It
has saved me money by reducing the down-time of my machines by
automating my preventive maintenance schedule, and by identifying
problem computers that were eating me up in service costs. And best of
all, my customers are much happier with the quality of service that
they are now getting."
RENTS COPIERS:
"I rent copies. Once I acquire the individual copiers for rental, I
have a hard time identifying where they have gone: to my customer, to
inventory, or to service. Also, once the machines are out in the
field, I perform maintenance on a crisis basis, without having a clear
understanding of what maintenance has already been performed on any
single machine. I need a simple way to identify each copier, and then
create a record for every maintenance activity, along with a cost item
for each activity. From this I need reports that show all maintenance
activities that have occurred for any one copier, for any period of
time that I select, and the cumulative costs for that period of
maintenance, for one copier or for all copiers.
Also, I need to identify each copier with 2 serial numbers and one
model number. Each of them is about 30 characters long. At some
point, I need to be able to search for any one of the three numbers and
cross reference to the other two in less than 5 seconds.
Finally, as a review the reports that show maintenance activity for the
copiers, I may elect to perform preventive maintenance on some of them.
Is there an easy way to automatically generate an unlimited number of
activities in the future for any one copier, and then have those
commitments appear on future appointment or maintenance schedules. Can
all of this be done from menu-driven system?"
MAINTENANCE DISPATCHER:
I'm a dispatcher in a heating/air-conditioning maintenance company. We
have 6 mechanics, each with his own truck.
When the calls come in, we create a 'service ticket'. From these I
schedule the trucks and create an appointment schedule for each one.
Keeping the work load 'level' is a real problem because of the
callbacks we have. At the end of the day, a customer may call in and
complain that the mechanic failed to complete the assignment. Let's
say the mechanic has left open a pipe and it drains water into a
restaurant. We have to then send the mechanic back the next morning on
the callback, without being able to bill the customer. We know that we
have a problem with the callbacks, but we can't quantify how big a
problem it is or what mechanic is generating them.
I would like to see a program that can create schedules for each of my
mechanics, and also combine those schedules into one master schedule
for the company. After each job is completed, I would like to show
what the outcome of the call was and enter that into the record for the
call.
In this way, I could look at historical reports that would show what
happened in the past-- for any mechanic, for any customer, or for any
period of time. This would help me with 'load leveling' and in
spotting trends as to the actual outcome of the service calls, such as
identifying extraordinary callbacks. Also, if the service calls could
be grouped by customers called, with the most recent one first, any one
of us could answer such questions as: what service calls have we made
to the board of education over the last 6 months, and what was the
outcome for each one?
I would also like to identify billings per service call on the same
record. If I could enter a negative number, then I would later know
that this was a callback and would reduce the cumulative bills. Later,
I would like to show cumulative charges for any mechanic, for any
period of time, including chargebacks.
Finally, I would like to have the ability to 'link' service calls. At
the end of each service ticket, I would like to have a space for a
future appointment, if required. Let's say, for example, we determined
after an emergency call that we needed to make a preventive maintenance
call 6 months from now. If that future call was the direct outcome of
an emergency call today, I would like to 'link' one to the other and
have the program create that appointment automatically 6 months from
now without any future involvement from me.
MULTIPLE COMMITMENTS MADE TO ANY SITE OR COMPONENT:
"I am a supervisor in a maintenance area, with responsibility for
multiple buildings or sites. Some of my sites require multiple
commitments. In effect, I have to create an individual schedule for
each one that shows what I committed to do. This process is time
consuming, difficult to update, and prone to error.
Also, each employee has his or her own way of doing this. For example,
one maintenance person identifies a service problem that requires we
commit to sending a technician to a specific site every third Thursday
for 4 months starting this Christmas. Another site may require service
every seventh Wednesday for 6 months, beginning next September 1. Yet
another site may need service on a date of the month instead of day of
the week, such as on the 1st, 3rd, 9th, and 21st of every month
beginning in next June and continuing for 18 months."
"Is there a system that will automatically generate the activities and
appointments for any one site for any period of time, for either the
day of the week or the date of the month, and will give me the choice
of any sequencing, such as every week, every 3rd week, or every 15th
week? Does any system exist that will do all of this with less than 10
typewritten words of direction from me?"
ROUTINE VERSUS CRISIS SERVICE:
"I work in the maintenance area for a company that builds aircraft
components. Our plant is adjacent to an airport and we perform
maintenance around the clock. Some equipment requires crisis
maintenance over and over again. Since so many people are involved in
performing this crisis maintenance, we have no way of identifying the
problem areas. Partly, we have a problem of communication and of
standardizing the way we keep data. Is there a simple way, for
example, to summarize and show the time we have spent on all Drill
Presses for the last six months, then show each one individually, with
an analysis of each activity for each press?"
TRACKING EXPENSE DATA:
"After I set up my maintenance schedule, is there a simple way to go
back to those records, enter an expense item and then later summarize
those expenses by assembly, for any period of time, by customer support
person? Does a menu-driven program exist that can do this for me?"
CAR DEALERSHIP: FOLLOW UP
We have no problem performing service on cars, but a ton of priceless
information is slipping through our fingertips. The same screen occurs
every day. A customer brings in a car with a problem. Later in the
day the service manager discusses the diagnosis, the repair, and
suggests a follow up in 6 months for major repairs. The customer nods
his or her head, pays the bill, and is never hear from again. We need
a simple way to take down those comments that the service manager makes
for each repair along with a recommended future repair date. Then, as
those dates become due, turn over a daily list of follow up calls to
the lowest paid person in the building, the secretary, who then calls
all these people whose cars were serviced in the past. Along with the
daily follow up list would be shown the comment uttered 6 months ago
about the specific problem and now repeated over the phone 6 months
later. Does a system like this exist that will move us beyond
maintenance and into 'marketing' our services?
INSTALLATION:
Instructions for Installing
Service Plus [TM]
All Installation procedures are now defined externally by:
GO.BAT and GO2.BAT
[If you purchased this program from a shareware distributor]
-----------------Help Screen-------------------
HELP SCREENS
Many of the menus have a HELP option. To access these, just push the
"H" key (no quotes, no [RETURN] key). By using your arrows and [Pg
Up], [Pg Dn] keys, you can move around the HELP file. When you are
finished looking at the HELP screen, enter [ESC] to return to the main
program menu. Almost every menu has a HELP screen.
One menu may branch down to a number of other menus. Think of these as
branches on a tree. Regardless of how far down the tree you go, you can
always return to the next higher level by typing an "R" or [ESC]. By
typing an "R" or [ESC] repeatedly, you can always return back to the
beginning, the Main Program Menu.
Preface to the Tutorials
This program relates service or maintenance activities to parts,
objects, or serialized items. With this method, you could look at all
maintenance done to a printing press, a lathe, or a hotel room for any
period of time. Service Plus [TM] allows you to select either method
and lets you design your own screens to customize this program to your
business. With this feature, you can identify how each screen would
look for any one piece of equipment, say a Bus, or for any person, such
as a mechanic.
Service Plus [TM] not only lets you custom design a screen, it
encourages you to create multiple screens, up to 99,999,999 of them.
The program then remembers what screen you want to see and can flip
back and forth, in effect creating a new system for every screen. For
example, let's say you are tracking maintenance for 3 groups of plant
equipment: fire extinguishers, plant refrigerators, and vending
machines. You would create a unique screen for each group, including
screen title, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd IDs, and unit of service. You might
create a screen for vending machines that would say: 'Employee Vending
Machine Maintenance System', 'Asset ID Number', 'Compressor ID Number',
'Model Number', and 'Service Call'. These terms would then appear
throughout the program on menus, reports, and data searches. You would
then assign a 'Category' number to this definition, say 100. You would
likewise assign a category number to your definitions for the other two
screens you create: fire extinguishers and plant refrigerators, say 110
and 120. From that point on, you can bring back these program-wide
screen definitions just by entering the category number. If you entered
110, the program would then appear to be dedicated to fire
extinguishers. You can define a screen by category or by range of
categories, up to 99,999,999 of them. Once defined, the program will
remember all of them and can switch back and forth with just one entry
from you.
This program will also summarize dollars spent or received for any
activity or group of activities, for any part, for any period of time.
Thus it is ideal for tracking expense data on a part, but it can also be
used to summarize billings, chargebacks, or any monies received for any
one part or group of parts.
Before entering an activity record, you must first create one record in
the Master File. From this record will be related all activities about
that part or object. Stated another way, you cannot enter an activity
into the Activity file unless you first have an entry in the Maintenance
file. There is one exception, though. If someone is using the program
in your absence, such as a secretary, the program will allow him or her
to enter an unlimited number of activities for a person or part called
'NEW'. This exception is intended to be used intermittently in your
absence and allows you to identify those activities that were recorded
while you were gone.
Observing how the program shows appointments:
Bring up the program (SERVICE.EXE, with GO.BAT) the first time with this
command: GO. This will take you through the system installation process
and will then present you with the Main Program Menu. Once you see
this, exit the program with an 'X'.
After you have left the program , set the system date to January 2,
1986, with the following command:
C>DATE <====== enter this command
Current date is Mon 12-01-1986
Enter new date: 1-02-1986 <==== enter this date
A number of appointment records are in the Test Data that reflect
appointments made during the 2 weeks following January 2, 1986. Now
invoke Service Plus [TM] by entering: SERVICE. The program will then
give you an analysis of the appointments for that day, as well a
graphics presentation of all appointments for the next two weeks. (It
does this if you have at least one appointment for today.)
Preface to the Tutorials
Continued
A Preview of the options that customize this system:
Accessing the Custom Options:
Let's say that you don't want the program to show you the appointments
every time you bring up the program. Once you arrive at the Main Program
Menu, you will observe Option 2, Other Options. Enter a '2' (without
quotes), and you will then be at the Other Options Menu. At this menu,
you have a number of options. Later you can come back to this part and
explore the meaning of the various options by reading through the 'Help'
file. For now, enter 'C' to access:
C) Special features to customize this system to your needs
You will then see the Custom Options Menu. For now, we are only
interested in option 4,
4) Toggle initial graphics image for Appointments
Before selecting option 4, let's go to the Help file to understand
exactly what this option does. Do this by entering an 'H' for Help.
Once you have done this, you will be in the Help file for the Custom
Options Menu. Using the Up and Down arrows on your keyboard, scroll
through the Help file until you come to the explanation for Option 4.
After you have understood what Option 4 will do for you, select the
'ESCAPE' key to exit from the Help file. You will then be back at the
Custom Options Menu. For now, enter '4' once and watch the screen. The
message to the right of Option 4 will change from [now on] to [now off].
After you have observed this change, select '4' once more so that [now
off] becomes [now on], thereby restoring the original setting. Later
on, when you become more proficient with the program, come back to the
Custom Options Menu and experiment with the various options available to
you. (You can, for example, change the name used throughout the program
for Billings to Collections or Revenues. Many of the names and titles
used throughout this program can be modified through the Custom Options
menu.)
For the time being, return to the Main Program Menu by entering 'R'
twice. Then exit the Main Program Menu by entering an 'X'. Once you
have returned to your default drive, change the DATE back to the true
current date with the DATE command.
Preface to the Tutorials
Continued
"Light bars"
Each selection on any menu is highlighted with a light bar. As you
scroll up or down the light bar, explanatory text appears on the bottom
line of the screen, explaining the highlighted option. Each light bar
selection has different explanatory text.
Simplified Logic
of accessing records in the Activity file:
The tutorials describe the process of adding records into the activity
file from the Activity file menu, Add screen, and will help you in
understanding the flow of logic in the program. Over time, however,
some new functions have been added into the program that make access
into the activity file much more streamlined.
From the Master file, Get option, you will observe these 2 functions:
F6 for Act Now
F7 for Flash Report
After you have identified and isolated your single record in the Master
file using this 'S' option, then enter the 'F7' function key. In a few
seconds Flash Report will appear and will display to you all associated
activity records for the part. The most recent activity will appear
first. If, for example, you have entered 50 activities for that part
over the last three years, then you will be looking at all of those
activities, and can scroll up or down to see the entire listing of
comments that you had entered at the time you originally created the
activity.
At that point, you enter function key 'F6' for Act Now, or Activity Now.
This single function key sets up a blank record in the activity file,
partly filled out with that part's information but waiting on you for
any comment specific to that activity as well as any future commitment
date.
If you enter a commitment or callback date, then in a few seconds a
window appears and displays to you all associated activities on that
date. In this way, you can level your work load without leaving the
record.
Definition of Shareware
Service Plus [TM] is NOT a public domain or free program! It is
being distributed as Shareware. The Association of Shareware
Professionals (ASP) offers the following definition of Shareware:
"Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software
before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and
continue using it, you are expected to register. Individual
programs differ on details -- some request registration
while others require it, some specify a maximum trial
period. With registration, you get anything from the
simple right to continue using the software to an updated
program with printed manual.
Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial
software, and the copyright holder retains all rights,
with a few specific exceptions as stated below. Shareware
authors are accomplished programmers, just like commercial
authors, and the programs are of comparable quality. (In
both cases, there are good programs and bad ones!) The main
difference is in the method of distribution. The author
specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the
software, either to all and sundry or to a specific group.
For example, some authors require written permission before a
commercial disk vendor may copy their Shareware.
So, Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of
software. You should find software that suits your needs
and pocketbook, whether it's commercial or Shareware. The
Shareware system makes fitting your needs easier, because
you can try before you buy. And because the overhead is
low, prices are low also. Shareware has the ultimate
money-back guarantee -- if you don't use the product, you
don't pay for it."
Definition of Shareware
Appendix A: Service Agreement
U.S.A. and Canada
This service agreement is designed to help you with any questions as to the
operation of Service Plus [TM].
AGREEMENT TERMS:
With the ACS SERVICE AGREEMENT, you have UNLIMITED FREE support if you:
1) are a Registered User.
2) call the ACS Support Line between 9 AM and 4 PM Central Standard time any
week day. Our phone number is: (214) 690-6017.
AGREEMENT CONDITIONS:
YOU PAY FOR THE COST OF THE TELEPHONE CALL. Because of the breakthrough
price of Service Plus [TM], we cannot offer an 800 toll free number for
service as other packages might offer. If our lines are not available or you
reach an answering machine, we will return the call on a collect basis.
Support policy
for Registered Users outside of the U.S.A. and Canada:
Support is available to you in 2 ways:
1) by FAX at ANY hour.
Our FAX number:
2146904782
Our United States FAX number is (214) 690-4782. The '214' is our area code
or STD. To reach us, you must use whatever international dialing codes your
telephone system requires, including any U.S.A. outbound codes specific to
your country. This number, 2146904782, is treated as a normal phone line
and can be reached in the same way that you would dial any phone number in
the United States.
2) call the ACS Support Line between 9 AM and 4 PM Central Standard time
any week day. Our phone number is: 2146906017.
Our direct dial business\voice line:
2146906017
Between 9 AM and 4 PM Central Standard United States time, you can always
reach the ACS Support person through 2146906017. The same international
dialing codes apply to this business\voice line as apply to the FAX number
above.
Communication Charges for Support
for Registered Users outside of the U.S.A. and Canada:
For any support responses we make to you through FAX, we will invoice you
for the direct communication charges we incur in responding to your
inquiry. In the case of FAX, those charges are AT&T 'per minute'
international dialing charges to your country.
Minimum charges for FAX responses:
The minimum Communication Charge made to you will be U.S. $10. If you paid
for the original Registration fee with your credit card, then the
Communication Charges, subject to the $10 minimum, will be made against your
original credit card.
Appendix B:
Installation Procedures Menu
When you first invoke the program, SERVICE.EXE, with GO.BAT, SERVICE
PLUS [TM] presents you with this screen:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Maintenance and Service Call Activity Tracking System |
|
Install Program |
-------------------
| Please Choose One |
-------------------
1) Install program for a hard disk
2) Install program for a floppy disk-based system [1 or 2 drives]
3) For Monitor, select B/White or Color Palette [now black & white]
H) Help
B) Turn off system 'BELL', reduces beeping [ Bell OFF ]
C) Turn on billing/stopwatch subsystem [Timer system OFF ]
First time installation: Observe the options above. You must select either|
options 1 or 2 LAST. To select an option, enter one key, without a Return.|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As you review the installation procedures, observe that you must select
1 or 2 LAST, and that once inside the program you can return to this
menu anytime by entering the Other Options Menu, Install option.
This menu will respond to one keystroke.
==============
| OPTION 1: |
==============
1) Install program for a hard disk
Option 1 will install the program for a hard disk. It performs some
system maintenance. If the program detects the presence of a
'CONFIG.SYS' file, it will append two commands to it:
FILES=20
BUFFERS=15
If not, Service Plus [TM] will create a CONFIG.SYS file from scratch.
==============
| OPTION 2: |
==============
2) Install program for a floppy disk-based system [1 or 2 drives]
Option 2 sets up the program for a floppy disk system. Once you select
this option, Service Plus [TM] will, in turn, ask you if you have 1 or
2 disk drives in your computer.
==============
| OPTION 3: |
==============
3) For Monitor, select B/White or Color Palette [now black & white]
Just prior to this menu, Service Plus [TM] attempts to discern if you have
a monochrome or a color screen. If yours is color, you can select from any
one of 10 color palettes. At any time in the future, you can come back to
this option and change the color settings!
==============
| OPTION H: |
==============
H) Help
The Help option is the on line 'Help' screen.
==============
| OPTION B: |
==============
B) Turn off system 'BELL', reduces beeping [ Bell ON ]
Option B turns the system bell 'on' or 'off'. As you become more conversant
with this program through its tutorial, you may elect to turn this bell
'off'.
==============
| OPTION C: |
==============
C) Turn on billing/stopwatch subsystem [Timer system OFF ]
This option branches to a powerful billing/stopwatch subsystem,
explained in:
Time and Billing Stopwatch subsystem.........................Appendix C
[time and bill every activity, with up to 9 labor rates]
Appendix C:
Time and Billing Stopwatch Subsystem
This menu driven feature has the ability to clock each activity and to
assign a cost or labor rate [up to 9 of them] to each record in the
Master File. It will give you a detailed financial analysis of every
timed activity.
Beyond merely accumulating time per activity, it can manipulate charges
in such a way as to reflect the way you do your business, with optional
minimums, maximums, or fixed fees. Finally, the program will create an
audit trail in every timed activity.
This feature is turned on in the Install Menu, selection 'C':
C) Turn on billing/stopwatch subsystem
Observe that the default value of the Billing Class is '0', but that
you must place a value in there corresponding to the labor rates you
define: rates 1 - 9.
Appendix D:
Automatically Create Future Activities
Overview:
This feature is useful is scheduling preventive maintenance for
individual parts that require frequent and regular appointments.
Observe option 6 on the Master File Menu:
automatically creating future Activities
Once you select option 6, you will see this menu:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Automatically Create Future Activities |
========================================================== |
| Tuesday, August 9, 1988 | |
----------------------------------------------------------
| |
| 1) Create future activities |
| [by day of week or day of month] |
| |
| 2) Create future activities by yearly date |
| |
| H) Help |
| |
| |
| |
| R) Return to prior menu | |
| | |
========================================================== |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
==============
| OPTION 1: |
==============
This option will allow you to create multiple activities in the future.
From this menu, you can generate one activity every 3 weeks for 18
months for one part. Another possibility is to make activities every
day for a 3 week period. A third example would be to create activities
on alternating Thursdays for one part for 24 months. You can elect to
make those activities on a day of the week, such as every third
Thursday, or on a date of the month, such as making activities on the
1st, 5th, and 18th of every month for one part.
This option will automatically create for you activities in the future,
based on your input. You can input the following variables:
1) Start Date of your activity period.
2) End date of your activity period.
3) Day of week or date of month on which activity will occur.
4) Cycle of activities (weekly, every 2nd week, every 3rd week).
You can also delete a set of prior activities that you had created
automatically with this option.
==============
| SCREEN 1: |
==============
============ Add/Delete Option ============
At this menu, you can elect to either add records automatically or to
delete former activity records that you had created automatically.
If you elect to delete former activity records, you can think of this
procedure as the reverse of adding them. You will be prompted for most
of the same information as you were when you originally created them.
The program can sense the different between records that you manually
enter into the activity file and those created automatically in this
module. If it finds two of these records having been created on the
same day, you will be notified at the screen and neither will be
deleted.
==============
| SCREEN 2: |
==============
Now select the day of the week on which you wish the activity to
occur. Use the following codes:
1 = Monday
2 = Tuesday
3 = Wednesday
4 = Thursday
5 = Friday
6 = Saturday
7 = Sunday
8 = Everyday (7 days a week)
9 = Day of week not relevant,
select future activities by date of month.
[You can select up to 10 different dates during
any one month, such as scheduling an activity
for the 10th, 15th, and 25th.]
As the program creates your activity records automatically, it can also
enter a 60 character message from you into the comments field.
==============
| SCREEN 3: |
==============
If you selected option 9 in Screen 2, then this screen would appear.
From it, you can select up to 10 days from which to generate
activities. As those days occur during the period you have selected
earlier, this program will generate an activity record on that date.
For example, if you enter '1, '2', and '6', then you will automatically
create an activity on the 1st, 2nd, and 6th of every month that falls
within your range.
==============
| SCREEN 4: |
==============
If you had selected option 1 through 7 on Screen 2, then you would
branch to Screen 4. At this menu, you select the weekly frequency at
which your future activities will be scheduled. If you input a '1',
then an activity will be scheduled every week. A '2' means every two
weeks; a '3' means an activity will be scheduled every three weeks.
You can enter any number. If you enter '13', then the program will
schedule your activities every 13 weeks.
==============
| OPTION 2: |
==============
2) Create future activities by yearly date
With option 2, you can elect to create an activity on any date in the
future, for as many years as you wish. If, for example, you want to
create an activity record that occurs every '06/28', then option 2 will
do this for you.
==============
| SCREEN 1: |
==============
At this screen, you would enter the number of years into the future
that you want this activity scheduled.
==============
| SCREEN 2: |
==============
At this screen, you would select the calendar date on which you wish
the activities to occur.
Appendix E:
Base Station/Remote Site Consolidation Feature
See Main Program Menu, Option 5
This feature gives you the ability to consolidate data from different
stations onto one master station. You can think of the individual
stations as 'Remote Sites' and the master as the 'Base Station'.
This feature was implemented because many users of this program have
asked for the ability to have a roving feature. One manager has many
people working for him in the field using this program on their
individual laptop portables. He asked if he could consolidate
everyone's data onto his desktop computer. With this Consolidation
Feature, he now can.
Each Remote Site goes to the menu for Base Station/Remote Site
Consolidation. This menu has 4 selections:
1) Output records
[used from a Remote Site]
2) Input records
[used from the Base Station]
3) Change Start/Stop date of Consolidation
[used only with outputting records, Option 1]
4) View 'Log File' for Base Station
The Remote Site then selects the range of records that he/she wants
outputted to the consolidation disk. These are the dates that the
records for the Master File and Activity file were originally entered
into the system. With the ability to select out records by date of
entry into the system, you can make incremental consolidations, say
every 2 or 4 weeks.
An unlimited number of Remote Sites can output their records onto their
individual consolidation disks. The Base Station, in turn, takes all
of consolidation disks and inputs them one at a time using option 2,
Input records. If the program detects that it is importing a duplicate
record into the Master File, it will stop, display the questionable
duplicate records to you, and then ask you for a decision: to
overwrite the original record with the newly imported one, or to abort
the consolidation of that one record into the file. All activity
records from the consolidation disks, of course, are added as is,
without any validation.
The Base Station must have a hard disk, but the Remote Sites can have a
hard disk or be floppy-based. This feature can also be thought of as
providing the functionality of a Local Area Network without the bother
and uncertainty of being dependent on a network. Let's say that 4
data entry people are using this program to take information over the
phone. If their supervisor wants access to the consolidated records of
all 4 people, each person could submit a weekly consolidation disk to
the supervisor. The supervisor, in turn, would have a fifth system
that functioned as the Base Station and contained only those records
brought in using option 2, above.
Note on Log File:
Every time you use option 2 as the Base Station to import data, the
program keeps a log of each procedure, 'LOG.DBF', in this form:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Base Station Importing performed on 06/28/1989 |
Start Date: 01/01/1901 End Date: 12/12/2999 |
Category Selected: ALL |
Number of records imported from Master file: 5
Number of records imported from activity file: 178
Data imported for Ed Zung, technician for the Bay area
Base Station Importing performed on 06/30/1989
Start Date: 01/01/1901 End Date: 12/12/2999
Category Selected: ALL
Number of records imported from Master file: 3 |
Number of records imported from activity file: 288 |
Data imported for Southern District tech, Phil Smith |
--------------------------------------------------------------
When you import data as the base station, the program will create a six
line entry, starting with 'Base Station Importing...' and ending with
your comment. The program creates the first five lines automatically,
while you enter your comment for line six.
'LOG.DBF' is an ASCII file that you can manipulate externally with an
external word processor, if so desired.
Appendix F
Instructions for Importing External Data
This must be done manually since the program has no way of verifying
the validity of external data. You must do this yourself by examining
the work file that you will be creating, TESTFILE.DBF, until you are
satisfied that it is meaningful (ie, the data fields match up between
new and old files). If meaningless data is imported, then the existing
data faces corruption.
As a safeguard for your original files, create a new subdirectory,
\CONVERT, and move over all files from \SERVICE to it. Perform all of
the following steps in \CONVERT until you are satisfied that the
conversion is successful, then bring back all files from \CONVERT to
\SERVICE.
These are the steps to import data.
First, acquire a copy of dBASE III [TM], dBASE III Plus [TM] (from
Ashton-Tate Corp.), dBXL [TM] (from Wordtech Systems), or any
interpreter that is compatible with these.
Secondly, make a copy of the structure of the Master file, PART.DBF,
with these commands:
bring up your file --> USE PART
copy the structure --> COPY STRUCTURE TO TESTFILE
invoke test structure --> USE TESTFILE
bring in records --> APPEND FROM OLDDATA.TXT DELIMITED WITH ,
from the old data
This assumes that you have OLDDATA.TXT set up in a 'comma delimited'
format. Comma delimited data looks like this:
"John","Doe","Dallas","TX"
Observe in this example that four fields are separated (or delimited)
by commas, and each field is surrounded by double quotes. You do not
need spaces between any one comma and the double quotes that are
adjacent to it.
Structure for database : part.dbf
Field Field name Type Width Dec
1 DATE_SYS Date 8
2 FNAME Character 20
3 LNAME Character 20
4 PROSPECT Character 40
5 COMMENT1 Character 60
6 COMMENT2 Character 60
7 SUM_DATE Date 8
8 TIME_SYS Character 8
9 SUMEXP Numeric 12 2
10 LABELS Numeric 1
11 INTEREST Numeric 8
12 PARTCOST Numeric 12 2
13 CLASS Numeric 2
14: RANDOM2 Numeric
15: VALID1 Numeric
16 PROSPMEMO Memo 10
17 VAL1 Numeric 12 2
18 VAL2 Numeric 2
19 VAL3 Date 8
20 VAL4 Numeric 12 2
21 VAL5 Date 8
22 VAL6 Numeric 4
** Total ** 329
Definition of fields.
You must enter a value for fields 1,4,11
1: DATE_SYS, date main record first came into system. For external
data, you can use today's date for all records.
2: FNAME, Third ID
3: LNAME, Second ID
4: PROSPECT, Primary ID.
5: COMMENT1, the first comments field.
6: COMMENT2, the second comments field, a continuation of the first.
7: SUM_DATE, date billings were summarized last.
8: TIME_SYS, time of last billing summarization.
9: SUMEXP, the amount of the most recent billing summarization for
this master file record.
10: LABELS, ignore this.
11: INTEREST, category of master file. Must be set to 1 (the default
value), or above. Cannot be set to zero.
12: PARTCOST, ignore this
13: CLASS, ignore this. (if timer function is selected, this is used for
labor rate)
14: RANDOM2, ignore this
15: VALID1, ignore this
16 PROSPMEMO Memo memo field
17 VAL1 Numeric -
18 VAL2 Numeric \
19 VAL3 Date | used internally, ignore
20 VAL4 Numeric /
21 VAL5 Date /
22 VAL6 Numeric -
After you are satisfied that TESTFILE.DBF has your data, execute these
commands:
USE PART
APPEND FROM TESTFILE
QUIT
These delete all files that end in .NTX. Upon completing this,
execute the program:
SERVICE
The program will then automatically reindex all files once it senses
that *.NTX files are missing.
Grouping your data: Appendix G
[Categories versus Defining your own fields:]
Categories are used for grouping blocks of records in the Master File.
Let's say that you are tracking maintenance performed on assemblies
located in 8 different buildings. Each building has a different number
of these items. Additionally, each assembly can have up to 5 different
types of maintenance performed on it, such as Preventive Maintenance,
Crisis Maintenance, and so on. Let's say, further, that one assembly
in one building is called 'FE10'.
The natural grouping of data in this application are items grouped by
buildings. Hence, you could assign a category to each building. In
this way, whenever you wanted reports specific to one building, you
could have this by selecting the category that corresponds to the
building.
If you use categories for the physical sites where each assembly is
contained, then how are you going to identify what type of maintenance
was performed on each assembly? Easy. This program has the ability to
create reports based on codes or phrases you enter into the comments
field. As you create activity records for 'FE10', for example, you
would enter into each comment field the code for that type type of
maintenance activity. Let's say that your code for Preventive
Maintenance is 'PM'. Every time, then, that you have Preventive
Maintenance occur for 'FE10', you would create a new activity record
and enter 'PM' into the comments field. Later, you could go to the
Service Call and Activity Reports Menu and select out 'PM' or any other
code. You can select out up to 4 comments for your reports.
This feature to select out up to 4 comments gives you the ability to
define your own fields. As you do this, however, the burden is on your
shoulders to define each code and then to enter that code consistently.
Appendix H:
WordStar/MailMerge[TM]/Basica/Output Sequential File
[also: WordPerfect[TM] Merge and dBASE III [TM] ]
When you first bring up Service Plus [TM], you will see this Main
Program Menu:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
--------- Maintenance and Service Call Activity Tracking System------ |
|
ACS
--------------- --------------------- ---------------
| 10/08/1988 | | Please Choose one | | 06:08:16 |
--------------- --------------------- ----------------
Main Program Menu for Saturday, October 8, 1988
1) Master file options
2) Other Options
3) Select Category
4) Output to external word processor/merge/data file
[Wordstar[TM], Wordperfect[TM], dBASE III [TM]
5) Base Station/Remote Site Consolidation
6) Create an on-line Help/Data screen [ now Off]
T) Go to interactive Tutorial: 12 chapters |
|
X) Exit System |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Upon selecting option 4), Output to external word processor/merge/data
file, you will see:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------- Maintenance and Service Call Activity Tracking System-------|
|
Output for word processing/merge/data Menu |
===================
|=========================================================
| Saturday, October 8, 1988 |
|--------------------------------------------------------|
| 1) Select output criteria for merge file |
| [no criteria selected] |
| 2) Output records to Wordstar/Mailmerge[TM] |
| 3) Output records to WordPerfect[TM] |
| 4) Output records to dBASE III [Registered TM] |
| |
| |
| |
| H) Help |
| R) Return to prior menu |
| | |
|========================================================| |
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
OVERVIEW
These options create either a WordStar/MailMerge[TM], WordPerfect[TM],
or dBASE III [TM] data file using the data from your Master File/dBASE
III file. The newly created file ends in the letters: '.DAT', '.SF' or
'.DBF'.
If used with Wordstar[TM], the .DAT file can be used to print form
letters in MailMerge[TM]. All character fields are trimmed of
trailing blanks to accommodate your form letters. Along with this
data file, the Wordstar option creates the beginning of your form
letter and puts it in a file ending in the 3 letters '.DEF' (containing
all the MailMerge[TM] commands you need at the start of a form letter).
If used with WordPerfect[TM], the .SF file is the 'Secondary File' that
WordPerfect uses for merge letters, where each field is delimited with
CONTROL-R, and each record is delimited with CONTROL-E.]
If used with dBASE III [TM], the '.DBF' file format is becoming a
standard data file format that many other programs are using for their
respective data import function.
These options will allow you to output the key fields in your master
file to an external text file that can, in turn, be used by a word
processor to create 'boilerplate' or form letters for you
automatically.
Based on your selection criteria, if any, the program will output these
fields:
Primary ID, Secondary ID, 3rd ID, Comments
==============
| OPTION 1: |
==============
Selection Process:
At option 1, you can input up to 7 search criteria as the basis for
your word processor merge file:
Primary ID, Secondary ID, 3rd ID, Comments
You can select whether you want only those records to be selected
that have all of criteria in every record or select out records
regardless of the number of matches made per record, as long as at
least one match is made in any one record that is selected.
True [or T] means all matches have to be made in any one record for it
to be selected. False [or F] means that as long as one match is
made in a record it will be selected.
Search Criteria Selection:
Option 1:
You can enter any word, phrase, or code on which to base your
selection. If left blank, all records will be selected out. If you
make an entry here, the program will search through the Master File
and select out only those records that meet your search criteria.
[Note that you can have up to 7 different codes or phrases entered here
and all records will be pulled which have any one of them or any
combination of them]
==============
| OPTION 2: |
==============
2) Output records to Wordstar/Mailmerge[TM]
This option is used to get data from the Master File file and output it
to a file that can be used by WordStar/MailMerge[TM]. This file can
also be used by BASIC and other languages and products. In short, any
product that accepts "comma delimited" files for input may accept the
file created by this option.
From the WordStar option, you will create two files. The first file
name ends in .DEF and is a file that can be turned into a form letter
just by calling it up in WordStar and matching it to your form letter.
It already contains all of the commands needed by WordStar to read the
Master File/dBASE III data file (.DAT).
The other file is the .DAT file, which contains all data that you want
to read into WordStar. It is formatted sequential file, with all
fields in quotes and separated by commas.
==============
| OPTION 3: |
==============
3) Output records to WordPerfect[TM]
The .SF file is the 'Secondary File' that WordPerfect uses for merge
letters, where each field is delimited with CONTROL-R, and each record
is delimited with CONTROL-E.]
Be sure to retrieve the 'Secondary File' into WordPerfect, at which
time WordPerfect will insert its printer codes. Then, while inside
WordPerfect, save the file under that same name. At this point, the
'Secondary File' will be usable for purposes of mail merging.
==============
| OPTION 4: |
==============
4) Output records to dBASE III [Registered TM]
With option 4, the '.DBF' file format is becoming a standard data file
format that many other programs are using for their respective data
import function.
Once you assign a name to the dBASE III [TM] file you are outputting,
the structure of that file is:
Field Field Name Type Width Dec
1 FNAME Character 20 <======== 3rd ID
2 LNAME Character 20 <======== 2nd ID
3 PROSPECT Character 40 <======== Primary ID
4 COMMENT1 Character 60
5 COMMENT2 Character 60
** Total ** 201
Appendix I
Registration Procedure:
----- Foreign Registration -----
If you elect to become a registered user of this commercial grade
software, then you can pay for this program over the telephone with a
credit card by calling U.S.A (214)690-6017.
In the next screen, the program will ask for a validation number from you.
You will receive this number over the telephone from the ACS Credit
Card Registration Hot Line.
This number changes every time you go through this process. Make sure that
you leave the validation number screen in place until you receive the
validation number back from ACS.
You must pay for this program with a credit card. If you do not have one,
go to a friend or colleague, write a personal check to them, and then use
their card for this purchase. ACS is not set up to process checks for
purchases made through our ACS Credit Card Registration Hot Line.
The ACS Credit Card Registration Hot Line will accept either of these
credit cards in payment for this great program: MasterCard, Visa, Diners
Club, Carte Blanche, and American Express.
'Request to Purchase':
When you call, indicate that this is a 'Request to Purchase' and provide
this information:
your 'Random Generated Number', as displayed on the next screen
the credit card name,
the amount in United States dollars,
the credit card number,
the expiration date,
your name, your WORK and HOME phone number.
including area code or STD
Invoice generating module:
Once you input the registration number successfully, this program will
prompt you for the information that it needs for an invoice and will them
print out a two part invoice. The first sheet will be for your records,
while the second one is required for the credit card people and should be
sent back to us, signed.
Our direct dial business\voice line:
2146906017
Between 8 AM and 10 PM Central Standard United States time, you can always
reach the ACS Credit Card Registration Hot Line person through 2146906017.
The same international dialing codes apply to this business\voice line as
apply to the FAX number below.
Our FAX number:
2146904782
Our United States FAX number is (214) 690-4782. The '214' is our area code
or STD. To reach us, you must use whatever international dialing codes your
telephone system requires, including any U.S.A. outbound codes specific to
your country. This number, 2146904782, is treated as a normal phone line
and can be reached in the same way that you would dial any phone number in
the United States.
Appendix J-I:
Overview of Memo Options:
Every Master File and Activity record has its own word processor!
This exciting new feature allows you to create a second screen behind
any individual Master File or Activity record with free-form text of up
to 15,000 characters PER MASTER RECORD, given a 640K system memory.
In this second screen, you can scroll up and down and enter text as
though you were in a word processor.
Indeed, you can think of this second screen as your own word processor,
embedded behind each Master File record. In addition to entering text,
you can also import external text files, such as contracts or formal
bids, into the relevant record associated with that text. In this way,
you can browse through the contract for a Master File six months after
the fact and long after you have forgotten what the content was. If
you wish to export the memo to an external text file, you can do that
too.
The memo option presents itself in one of two ways. When you are in
the Add option for the Master File file, the program asks you after you
have finished entering all data into the first screen if you wish to
create a memo. If you elect to do so, then the program will go into
the Add/Edit memo mode. If you are in the Get option for the Master
File file, you will see this option on the lower left: "F4 Memo
Option". Upon selecting that, you will be presented with a
comprehensive menu entitled "Memo Option Menu". Each Master File
record has its own memo menu.
It contains these options [the Master File name appears on top after
"Custom Memo"]:
===Custom Memo for STW366 ==
Memo Options Menu
===============
==========================================================
| Tuesday, September 22, 1987 |
----------------------------------------------------------
| 1) Edit the existing memo or create a new one |
| 2) Output the memo to a text file |
| 3) Input a text file into this memo |
| [overwrite existing memo] |
| 4) Input an external text file into this memo |
| [append to existing memo] |
| 5) Set Left and Right Margins: |
| 5 75 |
| 6) Toggle Edit Screen Code Help [Now On ] |
| 7) Print options [Printit v3.5 [TM]] |
| 8) Create Quick Memo [TM] |
| |
| R) Return to the Master File record |
==========================================================
[Current character length of this memo = 0]
This menu will tell you at a glance the number of characters in the
memo, the current margins, and today's date. You can input an existing
text file into the memo with options 3 or 4. As your memo begins to
grow and accumulate different items, you can output it to an external
text file using option 2.
Option 1 puts you into the edit mode. In this option you are presented
with a full screen word processor with the following message on the
bottom of the screen:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edit Screen Codes:
Up arrow = move up 1 line, Down arrow = move down 1 line, Left Arrow = move
left 1 character, Right arrow = move right 1 word, HOME = start of current
line, END = end of current line, [CONTROL] HOME= start of memo, [CONTROL]
END = end of memo, PgUp = Next edit window up, PgDn = Next edit window down,
[CONTROL] W = Finished editing and save, ESC = abort editing.
Use [INS] key for inserting text, [DEL] to delete, [CONTROL] B to reformat
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This message gives you the codes that you can use in the full screen
word processor. Immediately above these codes you will observe your
cursor. You can type as long as you wish, just as in any other word
processor. When finished entering text, you can save it by entering
[CONTROL] W, as per the instructions.
After you become conversant with the codes, you can replace the six
lines of the above instructions with this one line:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Edit Screen Codes: [CONTROL] W to save, ESC to abort
--------------------------------------------------------------
To toggle back and forth between these 2 different Screen Code help
screens, enter option 6 on the Memo Options Menu.
6) Toggle Edit Screen Code Help [Now Off]
Appendix J-II:
Memo Options: Activity File
Each Master File record has one Master File memo associated with it.
Each activity record now has one Activity memo also.
Why two sets of memos? Prior to version 2.646, this program had only
Master File memos, not any activity memos. All activity records shared
one common Master File memo and could access that one memo from any
activity record created in the future. Let's say, for example, you
established a Master File record for "UTR399" and then imported a
10,000 character proposal into the Master File memo for "UTR399".
Later on, as you created many activity records for "UTR399", you could
view the large proposal that you had originally imported into the
Master File memo from ANY activity that you had created for "UTR399".
Memo options accessible from the Activity File:
From the Activity File you can access two memos for any one activity
record: the ONE Master File memo that all activities for one Master
File record share together; and the UNIQUE activity memo that each
activity record has, regardless of how many activities any one Master
record has.
----- Activity File: Add option -----
Every time you add a record in the Add option, you will see these
options available to you on the bottom of the screen:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Enter "1" to ignore this entry; enter F2 for Activity Memo |
|
F4 for Master File Memo, any other key to continue |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you enter 'F2', you will branch to the unique memo for this
activity. If you enter 'F4', you will branch to the Master File Memo
that ALL activities for this company share in common. The Memo Options
Menu looks that same for both. If you look close, after you enter 'F2'
you will see this on the bottom of the Memo Options Menu:
R) Return to Activity record
If you enter 'F4', you will see this Return statement on the bottom of
the Memo Options Menu:
R) Return to Master File record
If you are not sure whether you are in the Master or Activity file
memo, the Return statement on the bottom of the Memo Options Menu will
tell you.
----- Activity File: Get option -----
Your access to memos at the Add option is similar to the Get screen.
Once you enter the Get option from the Activity File, you will see
these commands on the bottom of your screen:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ENTER N FOR NEXT, P FOR PREVIOUS F2 Activity Memo |
RETURN Exit S FOR SEARCH, M FOR MORE COMMANDS |
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Again, as in the activity Add option, entering 'F2' will take you to
the memo unique to this activity.
Appendix K:
Printit v3.5, Print functions provided in memos and VIEW.TXT
[Note: The documentation below is supplied by the author of the print
functions used in memo and VIEW.TXT, Jack A. Orman. The 'Running
PRINTIT' instructions can be used for printing an external file, such
as SERVICE.DOC.]
PRINTIT v3.5, Copr. 1987 by Jack A. Orman
Armada Sound Lab, Box 858
Southaven, MS 38671
This special version of PRINTIT was written for exclusive distribution
with Service Plus [TM] by Paul Sax of ACS Consultants. It is
not to be distributed except as part of Service Plus [TM] and must not
be altered in any manner. PRINTIT v3.1 is a standalone
version for shareware distribution and is available on many
commercial BBSs or directly from the author at the above address.
Running PRINTIT
The proper format to use this program to print an ASCII file is to
enter the program name on the command line followed by a space and
then the name of the file to be printed. Example:
PRINT35 filename <ENTER>
The filename can be any legitimate MS-DOS name including optional
drive or path designations. If the file cannot be found, a message
will appear on the screen briefly and then it will return to DOS. If
the file can be found, a window will open and you will be prompted to
enter the following information:
Top Margin default= 5
Bottom Margin default= 5
Lines/page default=56
Left Margin default= 2
Number pages 0= no numbers
Header String <ENTER>= no header
Hitting ENTER at any menu selection will use the default values. The
header string is limited to 48 characters and the current date is
automatically printed at the end of the header.
Most printers default to a 6 line per inch vertical spacing which
gives 66 total lines per page on a standard 8 1/2 by 11 sheet.
Therefore, the top margin + bottom margin + Lines/page must equal 66
for the printout to be produced in the proper format. For 8 lines per
inch spacing, 5 + 5 + 78 would be good starting values.
Make certain that the printer is powered up and on-line before running
this program to avoid hanging up the system. No checks are performed
to test printer readiness.
PRINTIT is furnished without liability or guarantee of fitness and
suitability for any specific purpose. It is up to the user to
determine appropriateness for each application.
Jack A. Orman 11/01/1987
Appendix L:
Create your own on-line Help/Data Screen!
This option allows you to define your own industry-specific Help/Data
screen and then view it anytime throughout the program by entering
'F1'.
Some applications require that you have detailed lists or codes nearby
as you do data entry into the program. This would be particularly true
if you are trying to enter codes specific to your industry into the
Comments field of the Master or Activity records.
This Help/Data screen can contain a few entries or up to 15,000
characters. You can either input this industry specific information at
the keyboard or, if already typed, import an external text file in
place of your manual typing.
Observe this option on the Main Program Menu:
6) Create an on-line Help/Data screen [ now Off]
After you select '6', you will then see this menu:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
Memo Options Menu |
=============== |
----------------------------------------------------------
| Monday, November 9, 1987 |
----------------------------------------------------------
| 1) Edit the existing memo or create a new one |
| 2) Output the memo to a text file |
| 3) Input a text file into this memo |
| [overwrite existing memo] |
| 4) Input a text file into this memo |
| [append to existing memo] |
| 5) Set Left\Right Margins: 5 75 |
| 6) Toggle Edit Screen Code Help [Now On ] |
| 7) Print options [Printit v|.5 [TM]] |
| 8) Activate Help\Data option [Now On ] |
| R) Return to the Main Program Menu |
----------------------------------------------------------
|
[Current character length of this memo = 0 ] |
|
----------------------------------------------------------------------|
Note that this menu is similar in function to the one described
in Appendix J, Memo Options, with one exception: at this menu, you
have option 8. This allows you to turn 'On' or 'Off' the Help/Data
screen.
The memo you create here is accessible throughout the entire program
just by entering the 'F1' function key!
Appendix M:
Automatic data back-up
As you exit the program, you will be asked if you wish to back up all
of your data. If you elect to do so, the program will take all data
and memo files, place them into one archived file, and compress them.
Dialogue from the program:
[assuming that today's date was November 9]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enter the disk drive where your back up disk is located: |
[Please include a colon following the letter, as in 'A:' or 'B:'] |
|
A: |
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Receiving your data later: |
|
All of your data files will be saved into one archive file and |
'date'stamped' to help you later in determining which of the
archives has the most recent data. The data today, for example was
stored in this file: B:1109ACS.ARC
The first two letters stand for the month, while the last two
identify the date during the month on which this backup was made.
Let's say that you see '0804ACS.ARC' on your data disk. This means
month '8', day '4', or August 4. If you saw '1123ACS.ARC', this file
was created on month '11', day '23', or December 23rd. The
purpose for this numbering scheme is so that you can have multiple
back up files on one disk, space permitting, and yet tell at a glance
which is the most recent one.
Later on, if you need to restore archived data, enter a command in the
form:
ARCE B:1109ACS.ARC /R
Use the ARCE command on the archive file with the most current date.
After finishing this, make sure that delete all files ending in |
'NTX' and 'MEM' BEFORE you execute SERVICE.EXE or 'GO'. |
|
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Also, for an understanding of the two-disk rotating backup strategy,
see:
User Beware !..............................................Appendix N
[Tips for database survival]
Appendix N
User Beware - Caveat Cliente !
Tips for database survival:
Steps to maintain your sanity and the high level of performance of this
program:
1) Back up your data periodically. Using the Automatic backup option
contained in this program, you are guaranteed restoring your data
should the operating system or hard drive fail. For more information
on this process, see:
Appendix M:
Automatic Data Back-up upon exiting the program
2) Adopt a strategy for your backup disks. A simple two-disk,
rotating procedure will save you grief later if you experience a hard
drive crash.
Format two disks and label them 'Backup 1' and 'Backup 2'. Place a
write-protect tab on 'Backup 2' and put that disk into your software
vault. Use the other disk, 'Backup 1', for your routine automatic
backups. Periodically, examine that disk with a 'DIR' command to see
if it is filling up with your data.
You could make a mental note that the backup disk WITHOUT a write-
protect tab is the 'Production Backup Disk'. As it becomes full, place
a write-protect tab on that disk and put it into the software vault.
Take the disk that had the write-protect tab and remove it. Then
reformat that disk and begin using it as the 'Production Backup Disk'.
You need not keep any elaborate lists of what data is on which disk.
As long as you see a disk WITH a write protect-tab, you will know that
this one belongs in the software vault. The disk WITHOUT the write-
protect tab is the 'Production Backup Disk'.
The data, by the way, is squeezed together on each date on which you
make a backup. If, for example, you backed up data on September 15,
1986, then you would observe this file on your backup disk:
0915ACS.ARC. The '09' reflects the month of the backup, while the '15'
shows you the date. 'ACS' is my company name, while 'ARC' shows that
this is an Archive file. The program does not perform an incremental
backup. Every 'ARC' file is a self-contained image of ALL the progam's
data on that date. Why are multiple backups necessary? Experience has
shown that when a hard drive goes down, its' controller is often bad
PRIOR to the last backup. If this happens, the most recent backup may
be corrupted and you would then be forced to use the backup prior to
that one.
3) Anticipate hard drive problems. If a bad sector exists on your
hard drive, the operating system has no way of avoiding doing
read/write to the corrupted area. Any database program will, by
definition, access much data during the execution of its main program.
If a bad sector resides on your hard drive, the operating system may
periodically and at random write to that area. Corrupted data,
indexes, and memory files often come from this one cause.
A number of utilities exist that will test every sector on your hard
drive for corruption. Once identified, those sectors are 'marked'
inactive in the directory and will not be accessed anymore. The best
among this group is Peter Norton's [TM, Peter Norton Computing, Inc.]
DISKTEST.COM. You will find this utility when you purchase his Norton
Utilities - Advanced Edition [TM, Peter Norton Computing, Inc.]. Any
active database user should use this utility at least every month, if
not every week.
Let's say your hard drive is C:. The syntax to check for bad sectors
is:
DISKTEST C:
If the utility asks you for 'Disk test or File test', indicate that you
want a 'Disk test' by entering a 'D'. [note that DISKTEST.COM is
sometimes identified by its' short name of DT.COM.]
For more information on this product, call Peter Norton Computing,
Inc., at:
End User Sales:
(800) 365-1010
(213) 319-2030
FAX (213) 458-2048
4) Do not use any 'front end' program that branches to Service Plus
[TM] and then returns back once Service Plus [TM] is finished. This
type of program resides in memory. It may conflict with Service Plus
[TM] and it will reduce the amount of memory available for Service Plus
[TM]. An example of a 'front end' program is AUTOMENU [TM].
5) Maintain a clean File Allocation Table [FAT] in your directory.
The operating system is continually opening and closing files. In a
large database program, this activity is intensified. If you restart
the computer while the operating system has some files open, it
'forgets' to close them. These 'forgotten' file closings can cause a
problem when you later continue the cycle of opening and closing files.
The command to 'close' these files is:
CHKDSK /F
Good directory and FAT hygiene dictates that you do this weekly if you
use a database program often.
Definition of 'System Error':
A Service Plus [TM] System Error occurs when, in the course of running
the program, you see this error on the top right of the screen:
Continue?
Procedure for dealing with a 'System Error':
First, enter an 'N' to quit. This will return you to the drive where
the program is located. Second, delete the 'DEFAULT5.MEM' file. This
will clear out all memory variables and will force re-installation.
Third, delete all files ending 'NTX'. These are indexes and will be
rebuilt automatically when the program senses that they are missing.
Fourth, make sure that no memory resident or 'front end' programs are
loaded into memory. If they are, remove them from the 'AUTOEXEC.BAT'
file and re-start the computer.
Once these four steps are performed, restart SERVICE.EXE with 'GO'.
'GO.BAT' resides in \SERVICE and, in turn, invokes SERVICE.EXE. You
will be greeted with the Installation menu. Follow its' instructions
and restart the computer as per the instructions of the Installation
menu. After bringing up SERVICE.EXE the second time, the program will
sense that the indexes are missing and will, accordingly, rebuild all
of them. After you arrive at the Main Program Menu, select Option 2,
Other Options. Once at this menu, select number 4: Repack and Reindex
files.
These steps will complete the 'System Error' recovery procedure. If
your data is corrupted at this point, then you must restore the most
recent backup as per:
Appendix M:
Automatic Data Back-up upon exiting the program
Memory issues:
You cannot branch into this program from another program or menuing system.
If you are using any kind of front end menu, such as Automenu[TM], the
program will be unable, in time, to read its files. Go into \SERVICE and
execute this utility:
CD \SERVICE
MEMORY <========= you enter this
program responds
with this =====> Machine is 14 % full. 555 bytes are free.
Observe the '% full' number. It should be between 8 and 16%. If higher
than that, you have something loaded into memory that is conflicting with
the program. Remove it until the '% full' number is reduced to between 8
and 16.
To rebuild corrupted indexes:
Let's say that you are entering data and your power circuit has a voltage
surge, thereby locking up your computer. When you power up again, your
indexes may have become corrupted and either you cannot go into the program
or the data files become unreadable. If that happens, use this procedure
in \SERVICE:
DEL *.MEM <===== you enter these
DEL *.NTX <======
GO <====== 'GO' invokes SERVICE.EXE
At this point, the Installation menu will appear, indicate that you are on
a hard drive and follow the instructions. The program will then recreate
all the old indexes and attempt to read the old registration files.
Alternate methodology to rebuild corrupted indexes:
Look in \SERVICE and execute this command:
DIR *.BAT
If you see a file named "CRISIS.BAT", then invoke this file instead of the
prior procedure. It accomplishes the same thing.
CRISIS <========= you enter this
Hard drive issues:
It takes 10 to 15 minutes for the hard drive and controller to warm up. If
you power the computer on and off every day, eventually you will have
read/write problems. Either give the computer at least 15 minutes to warm
up before going in the program, or leave the computer running around the
clock, but turn off the monitor when you leave at night. If left on day
and night, the hard drive and mother board will actually run better and
longer.
Appendix O
Using the CALLBACK feature in the Activity file
In the early development of this program, some users would go through
this process to create a daily follow up list:
1) Create 'Today's Appointments' report from the Appointments Menu.
2) Place 'Today's Appointments' next to the computer.
3) Go to the Activity file, ADD option and add one activity record for
the name of every ID on the 'Today's Appointments' printout.
After a while, my customers began asking me to streamline this process.
From these requests came the CALLBACK feature.
Let's say that you had committed to 15 callbacks on a given Monday.
Instead of having a printed 'Today's Appointments' report in front of
you, the program will automatically 'stack up' those 15 callbacks [or
any appointment/commitment] behind the CALLBACK option. Once you
select this feature, the program go into a loop 15 times until all
callbacks are processed.
This loop consists of:
1) Identifying the name of the current ID being processed in this
'stack' of 15.
2) Displaying the date when the original commitment for today's
callback/commitment was made in a prior activity record .
3) Showing the comments entered in the prior activity record that had
created today's callback/appointment.
4) Creating a new activity record for THAT ID as though you had gone
into the ADD option for the activity file.
Observe that if you are unsuccessful in competing the callback and you
identify that you wish to 'ignore this record', the program will keep
that callback in its 'stack' until you have successfully processed it
today.
If you want to go to lunch, you can abort the processing of the 'stack'
of 15 at any time. Once you leave this CALLBACK routine, the program
remembers how many were in the original 'stack' [15], and how many
remain unprocessed. After lunch, if you re-enter the CALLBACK option,
the program will remember where in the 'stack' you left off.
Appendix P:
Consolidating Multiple Categories in your reports
As you become knowledgeable in the use of the Category function, you'll
notice that the Select, Move, Delete, and Undelete Category' feature
[Main Program Menu, option 3] allows you to mix either all categories
together or split out any one. Once you have selected a single
category, then all functions in the program--reports, labels, new
activities--are accessible to only those records with your designated
category. In other words, once a category is selected, ALL other
records in the program will disappear until you select another category
or elected to 'jumble' all categories together.
Over time, users have asked for a way to consolidate multiple
categories in their reports, though not necessarily all at the same
time. For those users wanting SELECTIVE consolidation of categories,
this feature is available in the 'Service Call and Activity Reports'
menu [Option 5, Master File Menu].
Once in this reports menu, observe option #5,
5) Category Consolidation Feature: [Consolidation OFF]
After you have selected option 5, you will see this screen:
=========================================================================|
Category Consolidation: |
|
At this menu, you can base your reports on either a range of categories or
a list of non-continuous individual categories . For example, if you had
selected a range, then you could combine all records from categories 1
through 50. You can select any size range, from a range of 50 to a range
of 50,000 categories. If you had selected to input a non-continuous list
of categories, then you could enter up to 200 categories for consolidation,
such as to combine categories 10, 11, 15, and 20.
Enter your selection now: '1' will allow you to select a range of |
categories, '2' will be for a non-continuous list of categories. |
|
========================================================================
This menu gives you the choice of selecting your consolidation based on
ONE range of categories or on a list of up to 200 non-continuous ones.
An example of range would be those records that fall in the range of
category '200' to category '400'. With the 'range' option, those
categories are consecutive. When you select a 'non-continuous list',
they can be in any random order you want, up to 200 of them.
After you have selected your option, the program will prompt you for
the data it needs to continue the consolidation. Once you return to
the 'Service Call and Activity Reports' menu, any report option you
then select will be consolidated as per your request.
Remember that this category 'Consolidation' feature works only in the
'Service Call and Activity Reports' menu.
Appendix Q:
Assigning priorities to Master File records
As you accumulate Master File records, you'll see that beyond
scheduling future appointments and splitting out data by categories,
you may also want to assign individual priorities to some or all of the
Master File records. This feature gives you the flexibility of
assigning a priority code of your choice, from 1 to 9999, to each
Master File. The default is '0', and you can change this value anytime
in the Master File just by going back into the Edit mode.
Your assignment is arbitrary and can be all inclusive or mutually
exclusive. That is, different Master File records can share one
priority code or, if you wish, each Master File record can have its own
code.
You assign this code in the lower right corner of each Master File
record. Observe this line on the Add or Get screen, Master File:
Priority, if any:
You enter your code, if any, to the right of 'Priority'.
To extract out those records to which you have assigned a priority
code, observe option 4 on the Master File Menu:
4) Appointments and List of Priorities
Appendix Q:
[continued]
Once you select this option, you'll see this Appointments menu:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
-------Maintenance and Service Call Activity Tracking System----- |
|
Appointments Menu |
---------------------
| Please Choose One |
---------------------
1) List out all prior Appointments
(Occurring prior to today)
2) Produce today's Appointments
3) Print all future Appointments, excluding today's
4) Print all future Appointments, including today's
5) Display a graphics image of any 14 day period of Appointments
6) Select your start/stop date for Appointments, then print out
7) Similar to option 6, but identifies only UNPROCESSED Appointments
[Used with CALLBACK option, Activity Menu]
8) List of Priorities, if any [by date]
9) Show tomorrow's Appointments
H) Help Screen for Appointments Menu |
|
R) Return to prior menu |
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Option 8 gives you the flexibility of selecting those records from the
Master File to which you have assigned a priority code. Also, you can
indicate that date range, if any, for your selection of priorities.
This date range refers to that date when each prioritized Master File
record was first ENTERED into the system.
Appendix R
Act Now! [TM] feature:
Act Now! [TM] is a new feature that creates an activity record, if
requested, directly from the Master File Add or Get function.
The need for this has become clear in feedback from my customers.
Prior to version 2.645, all Master File records were added into the
Master file through the Master File Add or Get option. Once in the
Master file file, you could then add an unlimited number of activities
into the Activity file for any one record in the Master File. To add
the first activity record, though, required that you leave the Master
file Add or Get function, exit the Master File, and then go to the
Activity Add screen.
Over time, users began mentioning how cumbersome this process was when
that were adding many Master File records, each with an initial
activity. The reason these functions are separate is because of a
programming practice used throughout Service Plus [TM], modular
programming. These modules or 'blocks' of program code account for the
discrete functionality of each menu and screen.
In any case, with Act Now! [TM], you can now add an initial activity
record for a new Master File record WITHOUT LEAVING the Master File Add
or Get option! Observe below the options that appear on the bottom of
the screen when you are adding a Master File record:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
'1' to go to next record; '2' to create a new memo for this record, |
Enter a '3' to 'ACT NOW!' or Activity Now, 1st activity record |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
If you enter '3', Act Now! [TM] will immediately branch to the first
activity record. You would then be presented with the blank activity
screen for the Primary ID that you had just entered into the Master
File.
After you finish entering the activity data, you will then branch back
AUTOMATICALLY to the Master file Add or Get function.
Appendix S:
Create your own fields
Entering codes specific to your application
and then creating reports based on those codes:
----- Defining your own codes: -----
This feature gives you the ability to enter codes specific to your
industry or application and then create reports on those specific
codes. These codes are then entered into COMMENT1 or COMMENT2 of each
record in the Master file.
Let's say, for example, that you have an inventory of unsold homes and
that you had identified these criteria in your real estate prospects:
1) Size of home wanted
2) Amount prospect wants to spend on home
3) Preference, if any, for location, by zip or postal code
4) Number of floors of home desired
Let's say further that you had developed these codes:
1) SIZE=1500SF
SIZE=2000SF
SIZE=2500SF
SIZE=3000SF
This first criteria shows the size home, in square feet, that the buyer
is looking for.
2) AMT=100K
AMT=125K
AMT=150K
AMT=200K
Criteria 2 shows the amount, in thousands of dollars, that the buyer is
willing to spend.
3) LOC=75081
LOC=75082
LOC=75083
LOC=75084
Criteria 3 shows the location preference, by zip or postal code, that
your buyer has.
4) FLOORS=1 < one floor, no basement
FLOORS=1A < one floor, one basement
FLOORS=2 < 2 floors, no basement
FLOORS=2A < 2 floors, one basement
This criteria tells you the number of floors preference, if any, that
this buyer has. You could then set up records for the houses in the
Master, file along with their associated codes.
Observe that as you develop codes for all buyers, you do NOT have to
use every code for every buyer. If one buyer has no location code
preference, then omit this criteria. It does matter, though, that you
enter the codes CONSISTENTLY into the Master file, COMMENT1 or
COMMENT2. Otherwise, you will not be able to extract them later.
----- Selecting Reports: -----
Once you select option 3 from the Main Program Menu, you will see this
Reports menu:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
|
Start Date Service Call and Activity Reports End Date |
|
01/01/1901 Please Choose one 12/12/2999
1) Do report from the Master file
2) Generate ONE report from the Activity file
3) Set start/stop date of these Reports
4) Select out any comment for report[s]
[no criteria selected]
5) Category Consolidation Feature: [now OFF]
H) Help for reports
R) Return to prior menu
|
Category of Maintenance [defaults to ALL]: ALL |
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Option 4 will allow you to select out any code or combination of codes
from the COMMENTS fields. When you select this option, you will first
see this menu:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Exclusivity of Selection: |
|
|
False = All Inclusive
Record included if meeting at least ONE search criteria.
True = Mutually Exclusive
Record included only if meeting ALL search criteria at the same time.
|
Enter T or F : [F] |
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------
In this menu, "Exclusivity of Selection", you must select whether you
want only those records to be selected that have all sets of codes in
every record or select records regardless of the number of matches made
per record, as long as at least one match is made in any one record
that is selected.
True [or T] means all matches have to be made in any one record for it
to be selected. False [or F] means that as long as one match is made
in that record, it will be selected.
After making your selection at this "Exclusivity of Selection" menu,
you can make your specific selections at this menu:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Enter those values you wish to select out. |
Any field left blank will include all records in that field. |
|
___________________ Third ID
___________________ Second ID
__________________________ Primary ID
_____________________________ [comments, first selection]
_____________________________ [comments, second selection]
_____________________________ [comments, third selection] |
_____________________________ [comments, fourth selection] |
|
[COMMENT1 and COMMENT2 are searched together] |
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------
At this screen, you can input up to 4 sets of codes or phrases. You
can enter any word, phrase, or code on which to base your selection. If
left blank, all records will be printed out. If you make an entry
there, the program will search through the comments and select out only
those records that have your word or phrase in the comments section.
You can also select by any combination of Primary, Secondary, or Third
ID.
[Note that you can have up to 4 different codes or phrases entered
here and all records will be pulled which have any one of them or any
combination of them].
In this real estate example, let's say that the following house became
available on the market:
2000 square feet, $125,000 price, located in
zip/postal code '75083, and has two floors, without
a basement.
These codes would then correspond to that information.
SIZE=2000SF
AMT=125K
LOC=75083
FLOORS=2
If you entered those values or codes into the 'comments' entries in the
above menu and set "Exclusivity of Selection" to True, the program
would then select out those records in the Master file that contained
these criteria.
----- Accessing this logic from the word processor/merge Menu:-----
Observe this option on the Main Program Menu:
4) Output to external word processor/merge/data file:
Once you select that option, you will see this menu:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
|
Output for word processing/merge Menu |
|
Thursday, April 21, 1988
1) Select output criteria for merge file
[no criteria selected]
2) Output records to Wordstar/Mailmerge[TM]
3) Output records to WordPerfect[TM]
4) Output records to dBASE III [TM] |
|
|
R) Return to prior menu |
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Selection 1 contains the same logic as the reports menu. That is, you
can select records for output to your word processor based on codes you
entered into the comments fields in the Master file.
----- Creating your own Help screen for these codes: -----
Instead of writing down the codes for your specific application, a
place exists in the program to contain that data. Also, you can
display those codes and their definitions at any time throughout the
program just by entering one function key!
This industry-specific Help screen can have up to 15,000 characters in
it. To see how this works, examine:
Appendix L
Create your own industry-specific Help/Data Screen
Appendix T
Logic behind Comments/1st ID/2nd ID/3rd ID selection
This feature will SELECT out data for you using a powerful search
criteria. This function should not be confused with options 3 and 4 on
the 'Search Through Data' menu, which only DISPLAYS data to you.
You can select out records from four key locations in the program with
this powerful selection criteria.
The mechanics of how you do this are explained in:
Appendix S:
Create your own fields
In summary and recapitulating Appendix S, you go through a two step
process when you access this selection logic. First, you respond to
this 'Exclusivity of Selection' menu:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Exclusivity of Selection: |
|
|
False = All Inclusive
Record included if meeting at least ONE search criteria.
True = Mutually Exclusive
Record included only if meeting ALL search criteria at the same time.
|
Enter T or F : [F] |
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Once you do that, you are then offered these selection choices:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Enter those values you wish to select out. |
Any field left blank will include all records in that field. |
|
___________________ Third ID
___________________ Second ID
__________________________ Primary ID
_____________________________ [comments, first selection]
_____________________________ [comments, second selection]
_____________________________ [comments, third selection] |
_____________________________ [comments, fourth selection] |
|
[COMMENT1 and COMMENT2 are searched together] |
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------
You can select any one criteria or any number of them in combination with
each other. The 'Comments' field is ideal for entering industry specific
code in your application, as explained in Appendix S, Create your own fields.
This powerful logical selection feature is offered in four locations:
----- First location: -----
Service Call and Activity Reports, option 4:
4) Select by any Comment for reports
[no criteria selected]
----- Second location: -----
[accessed from the Main Program Menu:]
B) Output to external word processor/merge/data file
Output for word processing/merge Menu, selection 1:
1) Select output criteria for merge file
[no criteria selected]
----- Third location: -----
[accessed from the Main Program Menu:]
selection 3
Category Options Menu, option 5:
5) Change category based on COMMENTS:
[merge multiple categories into 1 with this criteria]
----- Fourth location: -----
Billings Menu:
5) Select out any Activity file comment for report
Regardless of where you access this SELECTION criteria, the logic is
that same behind each of these four menus. With it, you have nearly
unlimited versatility in selecting out data for reports.
Appendix U:
Strategy for Relating Customers to records in either
the Master or Activity files:
Let's say that you are trying to relate customers to records in either
the Master of Activity files. One strategy is to assign a unique number
to each customer and then enter that number in the comments section of
the applicable records. The comment could be of the form:
CUST=1005
Here you are saying that this is customer '1005'. Once that number is
entered, you can then retrieve ALL records entered into the program
with that number. The mechanics of the selection criteria logic is
outlined in these appendices:
Create your own fields.......................................Appendix S
[track and retrieve data using your unique industry-specific codes!]
Logic behind Comments/1st ID/2nd ID/3rd ID selection.........Appendix T
[select out records in 3 different places in program]
You could build the customer list by entering all customers into their
unique category in the Master file in this format:
Primary ID:
Customer ID Number
Secondary ID:
Last Name
Third ID:
First Name of Customer
COMMENTS1/2:
Address of customer
If you enter the customer data in this format, then all cross reference
functions of the program will allow you to check either first or last
name against his or her Customer ID. In particular, when you are in
the 'Search through data' menu, option 1 will cross reference all
three.
By entering all customers as, say, category '100', you could then
select out all category 100 records on the Select Category Menu. If
you want the list of customers and their IDs available to you at all
times, you can load that information into the Industry Specific Help
screen. Once done, all of their names and customers numbers will be
available to you by entering 'F1'. For a detailed explanation of how
you would do this, see:
Create your own industry-specific Help/Data Screen...........Appendix L
Note that the data available to you in the Industry Specific Help
screen could be created from reports that Service Plus [TM] will create
for you.
Appendix V:
Strategy for creating Service Tickets, Work Orders, or Invoices
from memos in the Activity file
Overview:
Using the Memos available to you in each activity record, you can
create printed Service Tickets or Invoices for your customers
signatures. Later, you can recall and review any Service Ticket or
Invoice or group of Service Tickets from the historical activity
records.
== Procedures ==
Using your word processor, create a Service Ticket or Invoice Template
that contains the skeleton of your Service Ticket or Invoice. Included
in this Template should be a signature block for your customer, if
required in your business. All information specific to that Service
Call should in a 'fill-in-the-blanks' format that you can complete
later once you create the activity memo.
Once complete, convert this Service Ticket or Invoice Template to an
ASCII file if it is not already in this format.
Move the Service Ticket or Invoice Template into the \SERVICE
subdirectory. Let's say that you have assigned this name to it:
'SCTMP', for Service Ticket Template.
When you create a new Activity record, go to the Memo Options menu.
Observe option 3:
3) Input a Text file into this memo.
After you select this option, enter 'SCTMP' as the text file that you
wish to Input into this memo. Once this operation is complete, observe
option 1:
1) Edit the existing memo or create a new one
Select this option and you will then see your Service Ticket or Invoice
Template spread out before you. Using the PgUp and PgDn keys,
navigate around this memo and fill in the blanks of this Service Ticket
or Invoice Template until you are satisfied that it is complete.
Once the Service Ticket or Invoice Template in this memo is finished,
exit the memo with CONTROL-W. These keystrokes will save those
additions that you have added to the Service Ticket or Invoice Template
in this specific memo.
After saving your additions to the memo, observe this option on the
Memo Options Menu:
7) Print options
Select option 7 to then print out this completed Service Ticket or
Invoice.
Appendix W:
Methodology for tracking units of inventory
[using activity records to reflect unit changes]
Overview:
Service Plus [TM] can track your inventory and will display a trail of
activities that show your starting values, any additions, and
subsequent depletions.
By default, Service Plus [TM] will summarize Master File Billings from
individual billing entries made into the activity file. By using the
custom options, you can change the summary from dollars to units.
Implementation:
First, go the Master File Menu. Observe option 3:
3 for Billings reports.
Once you select option 3, you will arrive at the Billings Summary Menu.
At this Menu, enter option 3:
3) Summarize and Post all Billings from the Activity file
Upon select the Summarizing option, you will then see this test data:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
All detail Billings records from the Activity File |
|
STW366, Category is : 1 |
$ 350.00, occurred on 08/23/1984
$ 55.00, occurred on 05/26/1983
$ 35.00, occurred on 12/30/1982
Total Billings= $ 440.00
WRX332, Category is : 1
$ 850.00, occurred on 06/28/1984
$ 50.00, occurred on 05/28/1984
$ 450.00, occurred on 01/02/1983
Total Billings= $ 1350.00
|
|
Grand total = $ 1790.00 |
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Go back to the Main Program Menu, and select the Other Options Menu.
Once there, go to the Custom Options Menu. Observe option 1:
1) Change description of category, title for Billings, style
[Select how Billings is presented: Dollars, hours, or blank]
When you select option 1, you will see this menu:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
Category of Maintenance |
|
Default name for expenses/revenues title (plural), 15 characters
(for example: Expenses, Collections, Hours or Revenues)
If you input Hours, enter your values in the activity file as
decimals, ie 10.75 =10 hours, 45 minutes
Billings
How Billings reports presented:
[1= dollars, 2=hours, 3=screen displays/report headings left blank] |
|
1 |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Change 'Billings' to 'Units'. On the bottom line, change '1' to '3' so
that the screen displays and report headings are then left blank.
After you have finished at the Custom Options Menu, go back to the
Master File Menu. You will observe that option 3 will have changed
from '3 for Billings reports' to:
3 for Units reports.
Enter option 3 of the Master File Menu and you will see:
3) Summarize and Post all Units from the Activity file
Once you select option 3 to summarize, you will then see this test
data:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
All detail Units records from the Activity File |
|
STW366, Category is : 1 |
350.00, occurred on 08/23/1984
55.00, occurred on 05/26/1983
35.00, occurred on 12/30/1982
Total Units= 440.00
WRX332, Category is : 1
850.00, occurred on 06/28/1984
50.00, occurred on 05/28/1984
450.00, occurred on 01/02/1983
Total Units= 1350.00
|
|
Grand total = 1790.00 |
----------------------------------------------------------------------
If you enter an activity record with a negative value, then that
activity will be deducted from the 'Total Units'. If you precede your
negative value with a '-', Service Plus [TM] will correctly deduct that
value from the 'Total Units' it displays later.
In summary, enter all additions to inventory of this item as a positive
value. Withdrawals from inventory should be preceded with a '-'.
Appendix X:
The Flash Report [TM]
The Flash Report [TM] is a powerful new feature that displays to you
all associated activities for any one part while at the Part Get
screen. Prior to version 3.0, you might locate a part record in the
Part file, Get option. You might then exit the Part Menu, go to the
activity file and then look up all corresponding activities.
Now, you can acquire all of this information without ever leaving the
Part file, Get option. While looking at the part record, you will
observe 'F7 The Flash Report [TM]' on the bottom of this screen:
===========================================================================
--------- Maintenance and Service Call Activity Tracking System ------ |
|
|
Primary ID
STW366
Secondary ID
55823WSE90321
Priority, if any: 0
Third ID
Mack Truck, #R-685
COMMENTS Billing Class 1
Conventional Truck purchased in 1982 from Mack Trucks,
3611 Irving Blvd, Dallas, TX (214)631-4770, from Bill Smith
Summary of Billings for this Service Call: 440.00
Category of Maintenance: Date of Summary:
1 03/08/1987
Enter N for Next, P for Previous F6 Act Now[TM]
S for Search, M for More commands F7 Flash Report [TM]
F4 Memo Options Return Exit |
========================================================================== |
If you enter 'F7' all activities associated with this record in the
Activity file will be presented to you in a report in about 2 seconds!
This report is called 'The Flash Report [TM]' and allows you to see all
activities as well as browse through them before returning to the
screen above.
Appendix Y:
Quick Stats [TM]
This remarkable new option will give you a quick statistical overview
of your records. Once selected at the 'Fast Search through Data' menu,
this option will display the occurrence of each unique type of record
for these criteria:
1 = 3rd ID
2 = 2nd ID
3 = Category
In the test data, for example, if you selected Quick Stats [TM] for
3rd ID, you would then see:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd ID Kenworth K100 is contained in 2 records. |
3rd ID Mack Truck, #R-685 is contained in 1 record. |
3rd ID Peterbilt, #362 is contained in 1 record. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------
If you select Quick Stats [TM] for 2nd ID, you would see:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
2nd ID 3356UST217431 is contained in 1 record. |
2nd ID 55823WSE90321 is contained in 1 record. |
2nd ID GR45339264T50 is contained in 2 records. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Appendix Z:
'Background' Options
Overview
The 'Background' Options are available to you anywhere in the program by
entering 'F1'. Regardless of where you are, the 'Background' Options are
always 'in the background', awaiting your next request.
Once you enter 'F1', you will see the 'Background' Options Menu:
==========================================================================
'Background' Options: |
------------------- |
========================================================== |
| Friday, September 22, 1989 |
----------------------------------------------------------
| |
| 1) Industry-specific Help Screen [ now Off] |
| 2) Fast Runner [TM] options [ now Off] |
| 3) Calendar Options Menu |
| 4) Calculator |
| 5) Exit to DOS |
| 6) View most recent VIEW.TXT |
| |
| H) Help |
| |
| R) Return to prior menu | |
| | |
========================================================== |
===========================================================================
==============
| OPTION 1: |
==============
1) Industry-specific Help Screen [ now Off]
The Industry-specific Help Screen is covered in:
Create your own industry-specific Help/Data Screen...........Appendix L
In order for option 1 to be accessible, you must observe if it is turned
on. This is evidenced by [ now On] appearing on the far right of its
line. If you see that it is [ now Off], go to the Main Program Menu and
look at option 6:
6) Create an on-line Help/Data screen [ now Off]
Appendix Z:
'Background' Options
[continued]
After you select option 6, you will observe:
8) Activate Help\Data option [Now Off]
Make sure that you have selected number 8 to be [Now On].
==============
| OPTION 2: |
==============
2) Fast Runner [TM] options [ now Off]
If you observe that Option 2 is [ now Off], go to the Main Program Menu,
and select Option E:
E) Fast Runner [TM] Options [ now Off]
At the Fast Runner [TM] Options Menu, you will see Option 4:
4) Turn Fast Runner [TM] on or off: [ now Off]
Toggle this option until [ now Off] becomes [ now On].
==============
| OPTION 3: |
==============
Calendar Options Menu:
Contains two types of calendars: day of the week for any 4 week period
or perpetual calendar, with holidays.
==============
| OPTION 4: |
==============
4) Calculator
This on-line calculator looks like a modern day ten key, with memory.
Appendix Z:
'Background' Options
[continued]
==============
| OPTION 5: |
==============
5) Exit to DOS
This selection will drop you into the operating system. Be sure to enter
'EXIT' to return to that point where you first invoked 'Background
Options.'
==============
| OPTION 6: |
==============
6) View most recent VIEW.TXT
This option allows you to look at the last report you sent to a disk file,
'VIEW.TXT'. When you are at the various report menus, you have the option,
just as you are about to print out the report, of sending that report to a
disk file instead. Option 2, Other Options Menu, and selection 6 on this
menu, the Background Options Menu, are the two places where you look at the
most recent report that you sent to the disk.
Appendix A-1:
Fast Runner [TM] Options
Overview:
This option gives you the functionality of a multi-tasking environment
without incurring any extra expense or having any headaches or hassle.
Many multi-tasking or windowing-like operating systems will not let you run
most standard DOS programs. Among those programs that will run, you can
experience significant loss of performance.
With Fast Runner [TM], you can build a menu with up to 20 of your own stand
alone programs, such as a spreadsheet, word processor, or a communications
program. At any time thereafter, you can invoke Fast Runner [TM] by
entering 'F1'. Once invoked, your Fast Runner [TM] menu will present you
with 20 options. Selecting any one of them will cause Service Plus [TM] to
open a 450KB 'window', run your program, and then return to the point where
you originally invoked Fast Runner [TM].
As your program is run through the Fast Runner [TM] menu, you will observe
no degradation in its performance.
At the Main Program Menu, observe option E) Fast Runner [TM] Options:
Once option E is selected, you will observe the Fast Runner [TM] Options
Menu:
===========================================================================
Fast Runner [TM] Options: |
------------------- |
========================================================== |
| Thursday, September 21, 1989 |
----------------------------------------------------------
| |
| 1) Look at existing Fast Runner [TM] selections |
| |
| 2) Add to or Modify your selections |
| |
| 3) Delete any single Fast Runner [TM] option |
| |
| 4) Turn Fast Runner [TM] on or off: [ now Off] |
| |
| H) Help |
| R) Return to prior menu | |
| | |
========================================================== |
===========================================================================
==============
| OPTION 1: |
==============
1) Look at existing Fast Runner [TM] selections
Once option 1 is selected, you will observe these fields:
OPTION MENU_TITLE OFF_ON DRIVE DIRECTORY EXE_COM
OPTION = Selection #, MENU_TITLE = Fast Runner [TM] menu title,
OFF_ON = whether option is turned off or on, DRIVE = disk drive for program,
DIRECTORY = directory of program, EXE_COM = name of '.EXE' or '.COM' file
The partial display below will show these fields for all 20 of your
selections. You are not required to avail yourself of every option, only
those that you want to use.
===========================================================================
Use arrows to browse. When finished, enter either 'ENTER' or 'ESCAPE': |
|
OPTION MENU_TITLE OFF_ON DRIVE |
=========================================================================
1 | Communications | T | E:
2 | Word processing | T | D:
3 | Spreadsheet | T | C:
4 | | F |
5 | | F |
6 | | F |
7 | | F |
8 | | F |
9 | | F |
10 | | F |
11 | | F | |
12 | | F | |
13 | | F | |
===========================================================================
==============
| OPTION 2: |
==============
2) Add to or Modify your selections
Once option 2 is selected, Fast Runner [TM] goes through these six steps:
A) Do you want to add to or modify an existing option in Fast Runner [TM]
[enter 'T' for true; 'F' for false, or when finished adding/modifying]
B) Enter selection you wish to modify:
C) Enter disk drive where your application resides:
[for drive 'D', enter 'D:'
D) Enter subdirectory where your application resides:
[for subdirectory 'WORD', enter '\WORD'; include all backslashes]
E) Enter the name of the executable file located in that subdirectory.
[for WORD.EXE, enter 'WORD'; drop any 'EXE' or 'COM' ending
F) Enter the title you want assigned internally to this selection:
==============
| OPTION 3: |
==============
3) Delete any single Fast Runner [TM] option
This option will prompt you for the Fast Runner [TM] selection or option
that you want deleted from your list of 20.
==============
| OPTION 4: |
==============
4) Turn Fast Runner [TM] on or off: [ now Off]
By repeating '4' on your keyboard, Option 4 will toggled either
[ now Off] or [ now On].
Appendix A-2:
Overview:
This set of options gives you the ability to set aside activities into a
'bucket' that you designate as still open or pending. Some activities may
not have a future commitment date but are unresolved pending some other
follow up. You can think of these 'Open' activities as existing in an
'Open' or 'Pending' folder.
By default, all activity records are 'Closed'. You can elect to make any
single activity record 'Open' by entering the 'F10' key on either the
Activity Add or Activity Get screen. Once the 'F10' key is pressed, you
will see this message on the top of the activity record:
======================= Open or Pending Activity ====================
==============
| OPTION 1: |
==============
1) Examine or modify Pending Activities
This selection will allow you to browse through all of your Open or Pending
Activities. Optionally, you can elect to remove any one of them from the
Open list.
To remove an activity from the Open or Pending file, change OFF_ON to 'T'.
DEL_DATE is the future commit date, if any. To process your changes, enter
<ESC>. DATE_SYS is date of first entry. If you modify COMMENT1 and close
the record, the Activity file is updated.
==============
| OPTION 2: |
==============
2) Create report for Open Activities
This report will show you those Open or Pending Activities that are left
after you have gone through selection 1.
==============
| OPTION 3: |
==============
3) Restore ALL activity records to Closed
This option will restore ALL activity records, current selected category,
to a 'Closed' condition.
==============
| OPTION 4: |
==============
4) Insert memo into reports: [now Off]
This option is functionally similar to the Master File Menu, Option 5,
Service Call and Activity Reports, selection 6:
6) Insert memo into reports: [now Off]
Appendix A-3:
Potential problems with DOS 'Environment' space
Overview:
excerpted from Jan Fagerholm, Compuserve [TM] 75755,376
"Every time you boot DOS, one of the things it does is to reserve some
memory space for itself and for the programs it (you) are going to run.
a large part of this space it reserves is named "environment", and as
the name implies, its purpose is to allow DOS to tell the program
something about items in the computer that the program has available to
work with (i.e. keyboard, screen, printer, modem, etc.) as well as what
changes that the user (that's you) has specified. (i.e. send printer
output to the serial port instead of the parallel port, etc.)"
"Specifically, anything that you have set with the SET command, the
PATH command, PROMPT, COMSPEC, and SHELL (and some other goodies) as
well as some information that DOS needs by default as well as some
information that it thinks any program may need to know are all kept in
the environment. Every time you load and run a program, DOS ties this
environment to it so the program will know what devices it can talk to
as well as where they are (and also what changes we have made to where
we want things to go)."
"...when DOS loads a program, it really doesn't care what kind of
program it is - *.COM, *.EXE, *.SYS, *.DEV, - DOS always attaches a
copy of the environment to the program, so that the program knows where
to find things all by itself. The main reason that it does this is
that it cannot anticipate what we will do with the program - move it
elsewhere in memory (relocatable, an *.EXE file) load it in memory
without running it (TSR), run it from another program (SHELL command),
run another program within it (also SHELL command) or just load and run
it. In all cases, though, the program in question MAY need to know the
environment, and DOS is built to take care of this by attaching a copy
of the environment to each and every program that is brought into
memory. Normally, that environment is released when a (normal) program
is ended, to release the memory space, but a TSR stays resident WITH
THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WAS LOADED WITH IT."
Specific 'Environment' problem with Service Plus [TM]:
Jan's discussion then continues with the treatment of memory resident
programs, and minimizing the amount of 'Environment' space occupied
with each one. Since memory resident programs will not run with
Service Plus [TM], given the current memory requirements of the
program, this specific issue is irrelevant.
Appendix A-3:
[continued]
If your operating system is displaying a message that you are out of
'environment' space or you suspect you are experiencing this problem,
here is how you would check. First, observe that starting with version
3.1 of Service Plus [TM], GO.BAT now drives the program and passes on
this command to the operating system:
SET CLIPPER= v018;r038;e000;
The execution of this command is critical to the proper functioning of
the program.
As you exit the program, enter 'SET' from the DOS prompt:
C:\SERVICE\SET <====== you enter 'SET'
Upon entering this command you should see the following message
displayed to you:
CLIPPER= v018;r038;e000;
If portions of the message are omitted or the command is not visible,
'GO.BAT' has failed to pass on this critical 'environment' variable to
the operating system.
Correction of the problem:
Bring up your word processor and edit GO.BAT in \SERVICE. Add these
two lines to its beginning:
SET PROMPT=
SET PATH=
This will have the effect of removing the 'PATH' and 'PROMPT' variables
from the 'environment', thereby allowing the critical 'SET CLIPPER'
command to be passed on.
Second, observe that a duplicate copy of GO.BAT resides in the root
directory of your hard drive where \SERVICE is located. Delete that
file in the root directory, then return to \SERVICE to execute GO.BAT.
At the point, GO.BAT will sense that the root directory is missing a
duplicate GO.BAT and will make a copy of itself in the root directory.
Appendix A-4:
Billings Menu: Overview and Options
Overview
You can summarize all revenue/expenses or billings you have incurred
for any period of time, for any category of service call, mechanic, or
phyisical location.
Once you are at the Master File Menu, observe Option 3:
"3 for Billings reports."
After selecting option 3, you will see this Billings Summary Menu:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
========= Maintenance and Service Call Activity Tracking System ======|
|
Start Date Billings Summary Menu End Date |
--------------- --------------------- ----------------
| 01/01/1901 | | Please Choose one | | 12/12/2999 |
--------------- --------------------- ----------------
1) Change Start/Stop date of summary
2) Select Service Call being summarized :
[defaults to ALL, meaning all Service Calls are summarized]
3) Summarize and Post all Billings from the Activity file
4) Generate Summary report to printer
5) Select out any Activity file comment for report
[no criteria selected]
H) Help Screen
R) Return to prior menu
Date of most recent posting: 12/15/1989 |
Service Call to be summarized: ALL |
Category of Maintenance [defaults to ALL]: ALL |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This screen summarizes the revenue/expenses or billings, but the
Activity file is the original source of entry for the individual
revenue/expenses or billings.
Original Entry into the Activity File
Whenever you make an entry into the Activity file, you will see this
item on the screen:
"Billings from the Activity:"
If you have any revenue/expense or billings associated with an
activity, then enter the amount on the screen for that activity while
you are in the Activity file. Later on, you can summarize all of the
revenue/expenses or billings per record in the Master File by going to
the Billings Summary Menu.
****OPTIONS*****
==============
| OPTION 1: |
==============
Option 1 is to change the start or stop date of the summary. It
defaults to these dates:
START DATE :'01/01/1901'
STOP DATE :'12/12/2999'
This means that any summaries that you generate will be for a 2,098
year period. Let's say that you would like to examine revenue/expenses
or billings for a two week period. In that case, go to option 1 and
enter the date on which the two week period began as the START date,
and the date on which the two week period ended as the END date. Now
your reports and summarized revenue/expense data will reflect just that
two week period.
==============
| OPTION 2: |
==============
Option 2 allows you to choose the record from the Master File being
summarized. This option defaults to ALL, which means that all records
in the Master File that have revenue/expense items represented in the
Activity file will be summarized. Let's say, though, that you wish to
summarize those revenue/expenses or billings for just one record over
some period of time. By invoking this option, you can select one
specific record on which to summarize data.
==============
| OPTION 3: |
==============
Option 3 summarizes those activity records that meet the criteria you
entered in options 1 and 2. Then the program takes the summarized
revenue/expenses or billings and posts them permanently into these
fields in the Master file:
'Summary of billings for this Service Call:'
This means that any time you summarize revenue/expenses or billings
from this menu, you can go back to the Master File and examine the
totals for each record. Of course, you can print out the SUMMARY
REPORT, option 4, and see what those summaries were.
==============
| OPTION 4: |
==============
Option 4 prints the SUMMARY REPORT for all these activities summarized
in Option 3.
==============
| OPTION 5: |
==============
5) Select out any Activity file comment for report
This will allow you to select any word or phrase as a basis for
summarizing specific activity records in Option 3. Whatever comment
you select, this criteria will be applied to Option 3.
Appendix A-5:
Inserting Memos into reports
Overview:
If you wish to enter extended text behind either the Master File or
Activity records, you can use the Memo options to record up to 15,000
characters per record. This is covered in the SERVICE.DOC
documentation in:
Overview of Memo Options:
Every Master file and activity record has its own word processor!
Master File Memos......................................Appendix J-I
Activity Memos........................................Appendix J-II
In addition to a Print option available on each Memo Options Menu, you
can print out memos in these three locations in the program:
Reports Menu:
Appointments Menu:
'Open' or 'Pending' Activities Menu:
The Reports Menu is accessible from the Master File Menu, selection 5.
To go to the Appointments Menu, observe selection 4 on the Master File
Menu. The 'Open' or 'Pending' Activities Menu is located on the
Activity File Menu, selection 'O' (for 'Open'). The Activity File
Menu, in turn, can be found as selection 1 on the Master File Menu.
========== Location 1: ==========
Reports Menu:
6) Insert memo into reports: [now Off]
==============
| OPTION 6: |
==============
This option will insert the memo field into the reports generated by
options 1 and 2. Once selected, you can specify the number of
characters brought into the report from each memo.
========== Location 2: ==========
Appointments Menu
B) Insert memo into reports: [now Off]
==============
| OPTION B: |
==============
B) Insert memo into reports:
This option will insert the memo field into the reports generated by
the report options on this menu. Once selected, you can specify the
number of characters brought into the report from each memo.
========== Location 3: ==========
'Open' or 'Pending' Activities Menu:
4) Insert memo into reports: [now Off]
==============
| OPTION 4: |
==============
4) Insert memo into reports: [now Off]
This option is functionally similar to the Master File Menu, Option 5,
Service Call and Activity Reports, selection 6:
6) Insert memo into reports: [now Off]
Appendix A-6:
Your Expert Helper [TM]
This Expert System, Your Expert Helper [TM], allows you to establish up to
one Billion queries. Each query can have up to 20 answers. Each answer can
have up to fifteen thousand characters of text associated with it. Along
with this copious text, every single answer can have one 'GIF', 'PIC, or
'PCX'image attached to it also.
As a diagnostic tool in Service Plus [TM], Your Expert Helper [TM] will give
you a level of power and precision unknown in off-the-shelf microcomputer
software. When used as a scripting language, Your Expert Helper [TM] can
reflect the subtleties and nuances of your informational processes.
The Expert System achieves "logical sphericality" in its ability to branch
over, under, around, and through the queries. Unlike the mechanistic, stair-
step logic of a traditional decision tree, this feature processes its
relationships without any presumed priorities and, therefore, closely echoes
the spatial relations that characterize the abstract thought processes of
human beings.
To see this feature, please go the Main Program Menu. Once there, enter
selection '1' for the Master file. On the Master File Menu, observe
selection 'G':
G to GET/EDIT data--Master file
As you enter 'G' for Get, you will then observe this on the bottom left:
F4 Memo Options, I to view Image, E = Expert System
As you enter 'E' for the Expert System, you will see:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Menu for the Expert System: |
Your Expert Helper [TM] |
------------------- |
==========================================================
| 1) Display queries |
| 2) Create queries |
| 3) Delete queries |
| 4) Create answers |
| 5) Display Truth Table |
| 6) Edit Truth Table |
| 7) Paging preview |
| 8) Launch |
| 9) History |
| A) Override |
| B) Sound [now On ] |
| C) Truth Table Logic [now Off] |
| D) Edit Truth Table |
| |
| H) for Help |
| |
| R) to Return | |
========================================================== |
Return to prior menu |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starting with the first query that you have defined in option 4, option 8
presents the 20 answers associated with that query as you launch the Expert
System.
If the answer you select has an associated 'Action' as per option 4, then the
Expert System branches to that query. Otherwise, it interprets the '0' in the
'Action' field as a termination of the launch process.
Thereafter, this option performs its processing by relying on the
relationships you have defined between 'Answers' and 'Actions'. In each
answer, you can enter the following information into the Edit screen:
Description: Picture: Memo: Action:
'Description' is the 50 character descriptive text that appears with its
associated answer.
'Picture', if used, is the 10 character title of the image associated with
this answer. Each answer can have one unique image associated with it.
'Memo' is the free-form text you could enter into each answer. If so
selected, each memo can have up to 15,000 characters of text. To signify
that you wish memo to be associated with that answer, include '*' in the
'Memo' field.
Finally, 'Action' is that Query where you wish the answer to branch if
selected. If you leave 'Action' blank, then once you select that answer, the
program will terminate its launch.
Selection 6, if used allows you to edit the Truth Table. This selection gives
you a light-bar display of the 400 'truths' you define, if used, in the truth
table. It appears in this order:
"Truth Query Answer"
As you traverse the Expert System in option 8, the program is keeping track
of all your Query-Answer combinations in the History file, as per option 9.
Within one second of sensing a match between the History file and the Truth
Table, the Expert System invokes additional logic specific to the congruence
of these two files.
Your Expert Helper [TM] is a trademark of Paul Sax and ACS
