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REFERENC.DOC
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1990-06-09
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^T - A TASK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
REFERENCE MANUAL
VERSION 1.11
Copyright (C) 1989
Steve Starsinic
Hummelstown, Pennsylvania
All Rights Reserved
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Calculations.................................................. 4
Calendar................................................. 4
Project Costs............................................ 4
Project Start And End Date............................... 4
Resource Scheduled Task Efficiency....................... 4
Task Adjusted Hours...................................... 5
Task Costs............................................... 6
Task Start And End Dates................................. 7
Command Line.................................................. 7
Conflicts..................................................... 8
Age...................................................... 8
Commitment Date.......................................... 8
Priority................................................. 9
Data Entry Screens............................................ 9
Add/Subtract Hours....................................... 9
Custom Calendar..........................................10
Default Calendar.........................................10
File Details.............................................11
General Defaults.........................................12
Load File Details........................................12
Printer Driver Configuration.............................13
Printer Options..........................................14
Project Details..........................................15
Project Details (Edit)...................................16
Project Fields Displayed In Outline......................17
Resource Details.........................................18
Resource Fields Displayed In Outline.....................19
Task Classifications.....................................19
Task Details (Add).......................................20
Task Details (Edit)......................................22
Task Fields Displayed In Outline.........................24
Video Configuration......................................25
Files.........................................................26
Archive (.RCV)...........................................26
ASCII Data (.ASC)........................................27
Configuration (.CFG).....................................28
Print Buffer (PRINT.BUF).................................28
Printer Driver (.DRV)....................................28
Print File (.PRN)........................................29
- 2 -
Task Outline (.TSK)......................................29
Keyboard......................................................30
Main Screen Keys.........................................30
Data Entry Keys..........................................31
Quick Access Keys........................................32
Main Screen...................................................33
Menus.........................................................34
Add......................................................34
Configure................................................35
Delete...................................................36
Edit.....................................................36
File.....................................................37
Print....................................................38
Rearrange................................................39
Reports.......................................................39
Fields Displayed In Reports..............................39
Appendixes....................................................40
A. Requirements/Limits...................................40
B. Error Messages........................................41
C. Video Handling........................................45
D. Freeing Memory........................................46
- 3 -
CALCULATIONS
CALENDAR
^T maintains a 5-year calendar. The calendar starts on January 1
of the year of the earliest resource start date, and ends on
December 31 of the 4th following year. Working days and Holidays
are determined from the Custom Calendar.
CALCULATIONS
PROJECT COSTS
Project costs are the sums of all the costs for the tasks
currently linked to the project.
CALCULATIONS
PROJECT START AND END DATES
The project Start Date is the earliest Start Date of all the
tasks linked to the project.
The project End Date is the latest End Date of all the tasks
linked to the project.
CALCULATIONS
RESOURCE SCHEDULED TASK EFFICIENCY
The Scheduled Task Efficiency for a resource is the factor used
to expand the calculated working hours required to complete a
task into a span of time on the calendar. For example, if a task
requires 10 working hours to complete, and the Scheduled Task
Efficiency is 50%, the time used to plan the task on the calendar
is 10 / .5 or 20 hours.
Scheduled Task Efficiency is calculated as follows.
((Hours Per Work Week - Total Unscheduled Hours) /
Hours Per Work Week) * 100
- 4 -
CALCULATIONS
TASK ADJUSTED HOURS
Adjusted Hours are displayed in the 'Adj. Hrs. Remaining' field
of each task record as a calculated, non-entry, field. Adjusted
hours are defined as the working hours remaining in the task
adjusted for the resource's Scheduled Task Efficiency. This
number reflects the actual span of time on the calendar that will
be required to complete the task. Adjusted Hours are calculated
as follows.
1a. If no Act. Working Hours or O.T. Working Hours have been
entered,
Time Remaining = Est. Working Hours.
1b. If Act. Working Hours or O.T. Working hours have been
entered,
a. Total Hours = Act Working Hours + O.T. Working Hours
b. Time Remaining = Total Hours / (Percent Complete / 100)
c. Time Remaining = Remaining Hours - Total Hours
2a. If Adjust Working Days is set to 'YES'
Adj. Hours Remaining = Time Remaining /
(Scheduled Task Efficiency / 100)
2b. If Adjust Working Days is set to 'NO'
Adj. Hours Remaining = Time Remaining
- 5 -
CALCULATIONS
TASK COSTS
Three costs are calculated for each task: Predicted Cost,
Incurred Cost, and Est. Final Cost. Calculations for Predicted
Cost and Incurred Cost are performed as follows:
a. Rate = Hr. Rate (from resource)
b. Predicted Cost = Rate X Est. Working Hours
c. Incurred Cost = Rate X
(Act. Working Hours + O.T. Working Hours)
Est. Final Cost calculation is slightly more complicated, and is
performed as follows
1a. If no Act. Working Hours or O.T. Working Hours have been
entered,
Total Hours = Est. Working Hours.
1b. If Act. Working Hours or O.T. Working hours have been
entered,
a. Total Hours = Act Working Hours + O.T. Working Hours
b. Total Hours = Total Hours / (Percent Complete / 100)
2. Est. Final Cost is then based on Total Hours:
Est. Final Cost = Total Hours X Rate
- 6 -
CALCULATIONS
TASK START AND END DATES
The Start Date for the first task assigned to a resource is equal
to the Start Date for the resource. For all remaining tasks, the
Start Date is equal to the Ending Date of the preceding task.
The End Date is determined by adding the remaining days left in
the task (Adj. Hours Remaining / Calendar Hours Per Work Day) to
the Start Date. Non-work days and Holidays (as specified in your
Calendar) are skipped over.
Notice that the remaining days left in the task can include
fractional days (for example, 5.36 days). ^T keeps track of
fractional days internally, but does not display the fractional
parts. For example, if a task starts on 6/15 (+.00) and has .75
days remaining, the End Date is 6/15 (+.75). The next task will
have a Start Date of 6/15 (+.75).
Tasks that have End Dates exactly equal to the number of hours in
a working day display the following date (.00) as the End Date.
For example, if a task starts on 6/15 (+.75) and has .25 days
remaining, the End Date is 6/16 (+.00).
COMMAND LINE
Version 1.0 of ^T allows only one parameter on the command line:
the name of the task file to automatically open. Simply follow
the program name (^T) with the name of the file, separated by a
space. For example, if you've created a task file called
MYTASKS, to have ^T automatically open that file issue the
following command:
^T MYTASKS
^T will load into memory and load the MYTASKS file.
- 7 -
CONFLICTS
AGE
The age of a task is the difference in calendar days (including
weekends and holidays) between the current date and the date the
task was entered in ^T.
A task is considered Active if the task Status field is marked
Active. When Actual or O.T. hours are entered a task
automatically becomes Active. You can also manually change a
task's status to Active.
An Age conflict occurs when an Active task's Age exceeds the
number of days entered into the Age Warning field in the General
Defaults Screen.
When an Age conflict occurs, an 'A' appears next to the task and
the Conflict warning is turned on.
Age conflicts can be removed by (1) changing the task to Active
status or by raising the General Defaults Age Warning Level to a
number exceeding the age. Note however that the second solution
is global and affects all tasks.
The Age conflict is a warning only and does not affect
calculations or dates.
- 8 -
CONFLICTS
COMMITMENT DATE
A commitment date conflict occurs when the Est. End Date of a
task is later than either (1) the Commit Date for that task or
(2) the Commit Date for a project to which it is linked.
Commitment date conflicts are marked with a letter 'C' to the
left of the task.
To remove a commitment date conflict, (1) move the task higher in
the outline so that calculated End Date precedes commit date, (2)
change the commit date to a date later than the End Date, or (3)
remove the Commit Date altogether. Note that solutions (2) and
(3) could also apply to a project Commit Date.
If you elect to move the task to a higher position in the outline
it is implied that this task becomes higher priority, or
emphasized, in importance. In other words, to complete this task
on time, a certain amount of attention must be given it over the
tasks following it in the outline.
CONFLICTS
PRIORITY
A priority conflict occurs when a task with a higher priority
(lower number) precedes a task with a lower priority (higher
number). For example, if a task with priority 50 precedes, or is
higher than, a task with priority 40, the task with priority 50
is marked as being in conflict.
Priority conflicts are marked with a letter 'P' to the left of
the task. To remove a priority conflict, (1) move tasks so that
the task with higher priority (lower number) precedes the task(s)
with lower priority (higher number), or (2) change the priority
numbers so that there is no conflict.
- 9 -
DATA ENTRY SCREENS
ADD/SUBTRACT HOURS
PURPOSE: To allow incremental additions to or subtractions from
the Act. Working Hours or O.T. Working Hours fields on the Task
Details (Edit) screen.
ACCESS: With the cursor positioned in either the Act. Working
Hours or O.T. Working Hours fields on the Task Details (Edit)
screen. press either the '+' or '-' keys.
FIELDS:
1. Unnamed. Enter a number from -999.99 to 9999.99. This
amount will be added to or subtracted from the original field.
DATA ENTRY SCREENS
CUSTOM CALENDAR
DEFAULT CALENDAR
PURPOSE: Customize working calendar for a specific task outline.
or the default calendar which is used to "seed" custom calendars
when new task outlines are created.
ACCESS: For the Custom Calendar, Select Edit on the main menu and
Calendar on the Edit menu. For the Default Calendar, select
Configure on the main menu and Default Calendar on the Configure
menu.
FIELDS:
1. Working Week. 7 fields, one for each day of the week. Enter
a 'Y' to mark the day as a working day, or 'N' to mark it as a
non-working day.
2. Hours Per Working Day. Enter the number of hours that make
up the work day, typically 8.00.
3. Scheduled Holidays. 20 Sets of fields to describe specific
non-working days. For each Holiday, enter a description up to 20
characters and a date. The dates need not follow any particular
order.
- 10 -
DATA ENTRY SCREENS
FILE DETAILS
PURPOSE: Provide a name and description for a task outline file.
ACCESS: Select File from the main menu and Rename from the File
menu, or select Edit from the main menu and File Description from
the Edit menu.
FIELDS:
1. Description. Enter a general description of the task
outline. This description will appear as a header for all
reports.
2. Path. Enter the MS-DOS file path where the file is, or will
be, located. Do not include the filename in the path.
3. File Name. Enter an 8 character file name for the task
outline. The extension .TSK will be automatically appended.
- 11 -
DATA ENTRY SCREENS
GENERAL DEFAULTS
PURPOSE: Set general system defaults.
ACCESS: Select Configure from the main menu and General Defaults
from the Configure menu.
FIELDS:
1. Manual Recalc. YES/NO field. YES indicates that
recalculations are to be performed only at the command of the
user. NO indicates that recalculations are performed
automatically when changes occur.
2. Auto Update. If auto update is set to Yes, then all resource
start dates are automatically set to the current date when a task
outline is loaded. It is not recommended that this be done,
since resource Start dates should generally only be changed when
task data is updated.
3. Age Warning Level. Enter a number of days up to 999. If an
Inactive task's Age exceeds this number, an Age conflict occurs.
4. Printer Driver. A choice field. Select the printer driver
from the displayed table. This driver becomes the installed
driver for the system.
DATA ENTRY SCREENS
LOAD FILE DETAILS
PURPOSE: Specify the path and file name for the task outline file
to be loaded.
ACCESS: Press F3, or select File from the main menu and Load from
the File menu.
FIELDS:
1. Path. Enter the MS-DOS path where the file is located.
2. File Name. Choice field. Select the task file listed in the
table.
- 12 -
DATA ENTRY SCREENS
PRINTER DRIVER CONFIGURATION
PURPOSE: Configure either an existing or a new printer driver.
ACCESS: Select Configure from the main menu and Setup Printer
from the Configure menu.
FIELDS:
1. Name. Enter file name for the driver. The extension .DRV
will automatically be appended when the file is saved.
2. Port. Choice field. Select parallel or serial port where
the printer is attached.
3. Speed. Choice field. For serial printers, select the bps
(bits per second) speed. For parallel printers, this field is
ignored.
4. Char Format. Choice field. For serial printers, select the
character format. Table choices represent data-parity-stop
values. For parallel printers, this field is ignored.
5. Out Device. Choice field. Select the device to which output
is sent. 'Printer' results in normal printed output. 'Screen'
will cause the output, formatted as though for a printer but
minus special control codes, to be sent to the screen instead.
'Print File' will cause the output, formatted as though for a
printer but minus special control codes, to be sent to the disk
file specified in the Out File field. The Out File name will
have the extension .PRN appended. 'ASCII Data' will result in
the records being recorded in an ASCII Data file with fixed
length records and no printer control codes or other formatting
included. The ASCII file will be the disk file specified in the
Out File field with .ASC appended. See FILES-ASCII for an
explanation of the file format.
6. Out File. The filename to be used when the Out Device is set
to either Print File or ASCII Data.
7. Lines/Page. Enter the number of physical lines that can be
printed on your paper. This would typically be 66 for dot matrix
printers and 60 for laser and some ink jet printers, assuming
that 6 lines per inch vertical spacing is used.
8. Left Margin. Enter the left margin size in number of
characters.
- 13 -
9. Top Margin, and
10. Bottom Margin. Enter the margin in numbers of lines.
11. Page Number. Choice field. Select the horizontal position
of the page number. Page number is always printed at the bottom
of the page.
12. Lines/inch. Enter the vertical lines per inch as either 6 or
8. Entering depending on the setting of this field, either the
control codes for the '6 lines/inch' or those for the '8
lines/inch' fields will be sent to the printer.
13. Title, and
14. Headings, and
15. Detail. Choice fields. Select the font or characteristic
for each area from the table. The control codes for the fonts
selected will be sent to the printer.
16. CONTROL CODES. For all fields in this area, enter the
printer control codes, in hex. The last two lines are reserved
for custom fonts. You may enter both the name and the control
codes. If either or both of these are entered, they will appear
in the choices table for fields 13, 14, and 15 above.
DATA ENTRY SCREENS
PRINTER OPTIONS
PURPOSE: Make temporary changes to printer information
immediately prior to printing a report.
ACCESS: Displays automatically when any report is selected.
FIELDS:
See details of fields with same name under DATA ENTRY SCREENS,
PRINTER DRIVER CONFIGURATION above.
- 14 -
DATA ENTRY SCREENS
PROJECT DETAILS
PURPOSE: Add a new project to the task outline.
ACCESS: Select Add from the main menu and Project from the Add
menu.
FIELDS:
1. Description. A text description of the project.
2. Label. A short (10 character) description of the project.
The label is a required field and must be unique for each project
(^T will enforce uniqueness). The label fields make up an index
to project records in that when adding or editing a task record,
the project labels are used to make up a choice table.
3. Number. Optional. Project id numbers or any other data
desired by the user. ^T makes no use of this field.
4. Commit Date. Optional. A committed end date for the project.
This commit date will be imposed on all tasks linked to the
project.
- 15 -
DATA ENTRY SCREENS
PROJECT DETAILS (EDIT)
PURPOSE: Edit an existing project record.
ACCESS: Project records can be edited under two conditions. (1)
If the outline pointer is positioned on a task that is linked to
a project, select Edit from the main menu and Project from the
edit menu. (2) If the outline is in Project outline mode (as a
result of a Rearrange-Project command) and the outline pointer is
positioned on a project, either press Enter, or select Edit from
the main menu and Project from the edit menu.
FIELDS:
1. Description. A text description of the project.
2. Label. A short (10 character) description of the project.
The label is a required field and must be unique for each project
(^T will enforce uniqueness). The label fields make up an index
to project records in that when adding or editing a task record,
the project labels are used to make up a choice table.
3. Number. Optional. Project id numbers or any other data
desired by the user. ^T makes no use of this field.
4. Commit Date. Optional. A committed end date for the
project. This commit date will be imposed on all tasks linked to
the project.
5. Est Start Date. Derived, non-entry. The earliest start date
for any task assigned to the project.
6. Est End Date. Derived, non-entry. The latest end date for
any task assigned to the project.
7. Act Completion. Derived, non-entry. The latest completion
date for any task assigned to the project.
8. Predicted Cost. Derived, non-entry. The sum of the
Predicted Costs for all tasks assigned to the project.
9. Incurred Cost. Derived, non-entry. The sum of the Incurred
Costs for all tasks assigned to the project.
10. Est. Final Cost. Derived, non-entry. The sum of the Est.
Final Costs for all tasks assigned to the project.
- 16 -
DATA ENTRY SCREENS
PROJECT FIELDS DISPLAYED IN OUTLINE
PURPOSE: Configure the display of project records in the screen
outline and in reports.
ACCESS: Select Configure from the main menu and Project Fields
from the configure menu.
FIELDS:
All fields are Yes/No fields. There is a matching field for each
field in a project record, including derived non-entry fields.
If a YES appears in the fields, that field will be displayed in
the outline. If NO, the field is not displayed.
- 17 -
DATA ENTRY SCREENS
RESOURCE DETAILS
PURPOSE: Add a new resource to the task outline.
ACCESS: Select Add from the main menu and Resource from the add
menu.
FIELDS:
1. Name. A text description of the resource.
2. Label. A short (10 character) description of the resource.
The label is a required field and must be unique for each
resource (^T will enforce uniqueness). The label fields make up
an index to resource records in that when adding or editing a
task record, the resource labels are used to make up a choice
table.
3. Number. Optional. Resource id numbers or any other data
desired by the user. ^T makes no use of this field.
4. Start Date. A starting date for the tasks assigned to the
resource. The first task in the outline assigned to this
resource will have a start date equal to the date in this field.
5. Hourly Rate. The hourly rate for this resource at which task
costs will be calculated.
6. Unsch. Task Descs. Enter a description for each of the
unscheduled, unplanned, or unexpected activities performed by
this resource. Typical entries would be for supervisory,
administrative, phone, and non-work time.
7. Unsch. Task Hours. Enter the number of hours per week
performed in each of these activities.
8. Total Unsch. Hours. Derived, non-entry. The sum of all the
weekly unscheduled hours.
9. Sch. Task Eff. Derived, non-entry See CALCULATIONS, PROJECT
SCHEDULED TASK EFFICIENCY for explanation of the calculation.
This factor is used to adjust working hours to calendar duration
hours.
- 18 -
DATA ENTRY SCREENS
RESOURCE FIELDS DISPLAYED IN OUTLINE
PURPOSE: Configure the display of resource records in the screen
outline and in reports.
ACCESS: Select Configure from the main menu and Resource Fields
from the configure menu.
FIELDS:
All fields are Yes/No fields. There is a matching field for each
field in a resource record, including derived non-entry fields.
If a YES appears in the fields, that field will be displayed in
the outline. If NO, the field is not displayed.
DATA ENTRY SCREENS
TASK CLASSIFICATIONS
PURPOSE: Configure the table of classifications that can be
entered in a task record.
ACCESS: Select Configure from the main menu and Classifications
from the configure menu.
FIELDS:
All fields are text fields. There can be up to 20 classes of the
user's choice. When editing a task record, a class from this
table can be entered.
- 19 -
DATA ENTRY SCREENS
TASK DETAILS (ADD)
PURPOSE: Add a new task to the task outline.
ACCESS: Select Add from the main menu and Task from the Add menu,
or press F9.
FIELDS:
1. Description. A text description of the task.
2. Label. Optional. A short (10 character) description of the
task. The label can be used for display purposes, but ^T make no
other use of it.
3. Number. Optional. Task id numbers or any other data desired
by the user. ^T makes no use of this field.
4. Classification. Optional, Choice field. Select an
appropriate classification from the table.
5. Resource. Required Choice field. Link this task to a
resource by selected a resource from the table.
6. Project. Optional Choice field. If this task is to be
linked to a project, select a project from the table. Note that
if no projects have yet been entered, the cursor will skip over
this field.
7. Chargeback. Optional. This field is intended for users who
need to keep track of chargeback information. ^T does not make
use of this field.
8. Priority. Enter a priority from 0 to 99. The lower the
number, the higher the priority (more important). The higher the
number, the lower priority (less important). The default is 50.
If tasks of lower priority are moved to outline positions
preceding tasks of higher priority, Priority Conflicts result.
9. Commit Date. If you wish to be warned if a task's calculated
End Date is later than a specific target date, enter the target
date in this field. If the End Date of a task is later than the
Commit Date, a Commit Date Conflict results.
10. Adjust Working Hrs?. Yes/No field. Should the Scheduled
Task Efficiency factor from the resource be used to adjust
working hours to calendar duration hours? Under normal
circumstances this should be left to the default of YES.
- 20 -
However, some types of tasks should be set to NO. For example,
if this task is a trip that is going to last 3 days (or 24
working hours), the calendar duration is equal to working hours.
11. Date Entered. Defaults to the current system date, but can
be changed to any date. The Date Entered is used to calculate
the Age of the task.
12. Est. Working Hours. The estimated number of working hours
required to complete the task. Once the task record is entered,
this number cannot be changed.
- 21 -
DATA ENTRY SCREENS
TASK DETAILS (EDIT)
PURPOSE: Edit an existing task.
ACCESS: With the outline pointer positioned on an existing task,
press Enter, or Select Edit from the main menu and Task from the
edit menu.
FIELDS:
1. Description. A text description of the task.
2. Label. Optional. A short (10 character) description of the
task. The label can be used for display purposes, but ^T makes
no other use of it.
3. Number. Optional. Task id numbers or any other data desired
by the user. ^T makes no use of this field.
4. Classification. Optional, Choice field. Select an
appropriate classification from the table.
5. Resource. Required Choice field. Link this task to a
resource by selected a resource from the table. If the resource
is changed, the task will be reassigned to the new resource and
automatically moved.
6. Project. Optional Choice field. If this task is to be
linked to a project, select a project from the table. Note that
if no projects have yet been entered, the cursor will skip over
this field. If the project is changed, the task will be
reassigned to the new project.
7. Chargeback. Optional. This field is intended for users who
need to keep track of chargeback information. ^T does not make
use of this field.
8. Priority. Enter a priority from 0 to 99. The lower the
number, the higher priority (more important). The higher the
number, the lower priority (less important). The default is 50.
If tasks of lower priority are moved to outline positions
preceding tasks of higher priority, Priority Conflicts result.
9. Act. Working Hours. Periodically enter the actual time spent
working on this task. It is critical that the number you enter
is the actual working hours, not the duration or span of time.
Entering data in this field causes the task to become Active (see
below). If either Act. Working Hours or O.T. Working Hours are
- 22 -
entered, the Percent Complete is required.
10. O.T. Working Hours. Enter the overtime hours spent working
on this task. ^T does not apply special cost rates to overtime.
The field is included so that you may keep track of the overtime
hours. To determine the total hours worked on a task, ^T simply
adds Act. and O.T. hours. If either Act. Working Hours or O.T.
Working Hours are entered, the Percent Complete is required.
11. Percent Complete. Enter an estimate of the percentage of the
total task that is already completed. If Percent Complete is
entered, the Act. Working Hours and/or O.T. Working hours must be
entered.
12. Commit Date. If you wish to be warned if a task's calculated
End Date is later than a specific target date, enter the target
date in this field. If the End Date of the task is later than
the Commit Date, a Commit Date Conflict results.
13. Adjust Working Hrs?. Yes/No field. Should the Scheduled
Task Efficiency factor from the resource be used to adjust
working hours to calendar duration hours? Under normal
circumstances this should be left to the default of YES.
However, some types of tasks should be set to NO. For example,
if this task is a trip that is going to last 3 days (or 24
working hours), the calendar duration is equal to working hours.
14. Status. Type 'A' to make the task ACTIVE, or 'I' to make it
INACTIVE. When Act. or O.T. hours are entered, the task
automatically becomes ACTIVE. Task status is used to determine
Age Conflicts. If a task's age exceeds the Age Warning Level, it
will be considered a conflict only if it is in ACTIVE status.
15. Actual Completion. Enter the date that the task was actually
completed.
16. Date Entered. Non-entry. The date the task was entered into
^T.
17. Est. Working Hours. Non-entry. The estimated number of
working hours required to complete the task.
18. Adj Hrs. Remaining. Non-entry, calculated. This represents
the number of hours remaining to complete the task, adjusted to
represent duration. See CALCULATIONS, ADJUSTED HOURS for an
explanation of the calculation.
19. Age (in Cal. Days). Non-entry, calculated. The number of
days from the date the task was entered into ^T to today's date.
The age is actual calendar days, including non-working days.
20. Est. Start. Non-entry. The start date of the task. See
- 23 -
CALCULATIONS, TASK START AND END DATES.
21. Est. End. Non-entry. The end date of the task. See
CALCULATIONS, TASK START AND END DATES.
22. Predicted Cost. Non-entry, calculated. The cost of the
project based on the original estimated number of hours to
complete it. See CALCULATIONS, TASK COSTS.
23. Incurred Cost. Non-entry, calculated. The cost of the
project based on the number of Act. and O.T. hours actually
worked so far. See CALCULATIONS, TASK COSTS.
24. Est. Final Cost. Non-entry, calculated. The estimated final
cost of the project derived from the number of Act. and O.T.
hours actually worked so far and the percentage complete. See
CALCULATIONS, TASK COSTS.
DATA ENTRY SCREENS
TASK FIELDS DISPLAYED IN OUTLINE
PURPOSE: Configure the display of task records in the screen
outline and in reports.
ACCESS: Select Configure from the main menu and Task Fields from
the configure menu.
FIELDS:
All fields are Yes/No fields. There is a matching field for each
field in a task record, including derived non-entry fields. If a
YES appears in the fields, that field will be displayed in the
outline. If NO, the field is not displayed.
- 24 -
DATA ENTRY SCREENS
VIDEO CONFIGURATION
PURPOSE: Configure the video display for color or monochrome and
customize colors.
ACCESS: Select Configure from the main menu and Video from the
configure menu.
FIELDS:
1. Mode. Type 'C' to select the color table and 'M' to select
the monochrome table.
2. FGND. Choice field. For each area, choose a foreground color
from the table.
3. BGND. Choice field. For each area, choose a background color
from the table.
4. BRIGHT. Yes/No field. Determines if the foreground color is
hi intensity.
5. BLINK. Yes/No field. Determines if the character should
blink.
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FILES
ARCHIVE
.RCV
PURPOSE: To store deleted task and project records. IMPORTANT
NOTE: At present, ^T only archives records in this file. It
provides no facility for accessing those records once they're
stored. Depending on demand, future versions may provide access
facilities.
NAMING CONVENTION: When you delete a task or a project and
indicate that it is to be archived, a file is created (or opened
if it already exists) with a name identical to the task outline
file name but with a .RCV extension. For example, if your task
outline is called MYTASKS.TSK, the associated archive file will
be MYTASKS.RCV.
RECORD LAYOUT:
Archived task and project records are added to the file in the
order in which they are deleted from the task outline. The first
character of each record is either a 'T' for a task record or a
'P' for a project record. Each record ends with a CRLF sequence,
so records may be read in "line" or text mode.
The archive task record layout is as follows:
FIELD LENGTH START END FORMAT
-------------------- ------ ----- ----- ----------
Identifier 1 1 1 "T"
Description 40 2 41 text
Label 10 42 51 text
Number 10 52 61 text
Classification 15 62 76 text
Resource 10 77 86 text
Project 10 87 96 text
Chargeback 10 97 106 text
Priority 2 107 108 99
Act. Working Hours 7 109 115 9999.99
O.T. Working Hours 7 116 122 9999.99
Percent Complete 3 123 125 999
Commit Date 8 126 133 MM/DD/YY
Adjust Work Days 1 134 134 "Y" or "N"
Status 1 135 135 "A" or "I"
Actual Completion 8 136 143 MM/DD/YY
Date Entered 8 144 152 MM/DD/YY
Est. Working Hours 7 153 159 9999.99
Adj. Hours Remaining 7 160 166 9999.99
Age 3 167 169 999
- 26 -
Est. Start 8 170 177 MM/DD/YY
Est. End 8 178 185 MM/DD/YY
Predicted Cost 8 186 193 99999.99
Incurred Cost 8 194 203 99999.99
Est. Final Cost 8 204 211 99999.99
Resource name 40 212 251 text
Project Description 40 252 291 text
CRLF 2 292 293 CRLF
The archive project record layout is as follows:
FIELD LENGTH START END FORMAT
-------------------- ------ ----- ----- ----------
Identifier 1 1 1 "P"
Description 40 2 41 text
Label 10 42 51 text
Number 10 52 61 text
Commit Date 8 62 69 MM/DD/YY
Est Start Date 8 70 77 MM/DD/YY
Est End Date 8 78 85 MM/DD/YY
Act Completion 8 86 93 MM/DD/YY
Predicted Cost 8 94 101 99999.99
Incurred Cost 8 102 109 99999.99
Est. Final Cost 8 110 117 99999.99
CRLF 2 118 119 CRLF
FILES
ASCII DATA
.ASC
PURPOSE: An ASCII data file is created when you print one of the
reports and specify ASCII Data as the output device.
NAMING CONVENTION: The ASCII Data file name is taken from the Out
File field in Print Options and the extension .ASC is
automatically appended.
CONTENTS: There is one record in the file for each task in the
outline. If the outline is in Resource orientation (Rearrange-
Resource), the task data is preceded by the resource data for
that task. If outline is in Project orientation (Rearrange-
Project), the resource and task data is preceded by the project
data for that task. Only the fields displayed on the screen are
included in the ASCII data file. Each field is formatted in the
file as it is formatted on the screen. As on the screen, there
is a single blank space separating each field. Finally, each
record is terminated with a CRLF sequence, so the records may be
read by another program in "line" or text mode.
- 27 -
FILES
CONFIGURATION
^T.CFG
PURPOSE: Holds current configuration data for all the screens
that are accessed via Configuration on the main menu except
Printer Driver Configurations.
NAMING CONVENTION: The configuration file is named ^T.CFG.
FILES
PRINTER BUFFER
PRINT.BUF
PURPOSE: All print output intended for either the Printer or the
Screen is written into this file before being sent to the device.
NAMING CONVENTION: The printer buffer file is named PRINT.BUF.
CONTENTS: The PRINT.BUF file contains the complete output from
the printing of a report, including printer control codes if the
output is intended for a printer. At present, ^T does not print
multiple copies of a report. However, after printing a report,
you can shell to DOS (using File-DOS Shell) and use the DOS Print
(e.g. PRINT PRINT.BUF) or Type (e.g TYPE PRINT.BUF > LPT1)
commands to send the file repeatedly to the printer.
FILES
PRINTER DRIVER
.DRV
PURPOSE: Store configuration info and control codes for a
printer.
NAMING CONVENTION: Each printer driver is stored in an separate
file with a user-specified file name and the automatically
appended extension .DRV.
- 28 -
FILES
PRINT FILE
.PRN
PURPOSE: A print file is created when you print one of the
reports and specify Print File as the output device.
NAMING CONVENTION: The print file name is taken from the Out File
field in Print Options and the extension .PRN is automatically
appended.
CONTENTS: A print file contains the output of a report formatted
as though for a printer but containing no control codes.
FILES
TASK OUTLINE
.TSK
PURPOSE: Stores all information for a task outline, including the
custom calendar information.
NAMING CONVENTION: Each task outline is given a user specified
filename (via the File-Rename function). The extension .TSK is
automatically appended.
- 29 -
KEYBOARD
MAIN SCREEN KEYS
MOVEMENT IN OUTLINE
Up Arrow - Up one line
Down Arrow - Down one line
Left Arrow - Scroll left
Right Arrow - Scroll right
Page Up - Up 21 lines
Page Down - Down 21 lines
Ctl-Home - Go to line 1
Ctl-End - Go to last line
Enter - Edit current line
USING MENUS
Select menus - press highlighted letter
alone or in combination
with Alt key
Select menu item - press highlighted
letter or press Enter to
select current item
Left Arrow - Show menu to left
Right Arrow - Show menu to right
Up Arrow - Move up one menu item
Down Arrow - Move down one menu item
Enter - Select current item
Esc - Return to outline mode
OTHER
Esc - Quit from program
F1 - Help
- 30 -
KEYBOARD
DATA ENTRY KEYS
FIELD-TO-FIELD MOVEMENT
Up Arrow - Previous field
Down Arrow - Next field
Tab - Next field
Backtab - Previous field
Page Up - First field
Page Down - Last field
Enter - Next field
FIELD EDITING
Left Arrow - Previous character
Right Arrow - Next character
Del - Delete current character
Ins - Toggle insert/typeover modes
Backspace - Delete previous character
Home - Beginning of field
End - End of field
+ or - - Add/subtract working days
CHOICE TABLE MOVEMENT
Up Arrow - Next choice
Down Arrow - Previous choice
Enter - Select choice
OTHER
F1 - Help
F2 - End editing, process changes
Esc - Quit editing, discard changes
- 31 -
KEYBOARD
QUICK ACCESS KEYS
F1 - Help
F2 - End editing and proceed (during data-entry only)
F3 - Load new task outline file (same as File-Load)
F4 - Save outline file to disk (same as File-Save)
F5 - Perform recalc on outline (same as File-Calc)
F6 - Update all resources to current date (same as Edit-
Update)
F7 - Move current task (same as Rearrange-Move)
F8 - Print outline report (same as Print-Outline)
F9 - Add a new task (same as Add-Task)
F10 - Delete current task (same as Delete-Task)
- 32 -
MAIN SCREEN
Below is a schematic view of the ^T main screen.
.---- 1. Main Menu
| 2. Help Key ---,
| |
File Edit Add Delete Rearrange Configure Print F1 Help
+--------------------------filename-----------------------------+
| Resource 1 | |
| Task 1 | |
| PCA Task 2 `--- 3. Current Filename |
| | |
| `--- 4. Conflicts |
| |
| |
| 5. Outline Area |
| |
| |
| |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
R50 P100 T500 | date/time | Conflict | Calc | Num | Caps | Ins
| | | | |
| | | | |
6. Capacity | | 9. Recalc 10. Toggle Key
| | Pending Indicators
7. Current Date And Time |
|
8. Conflict Warning
1. Main Menu. Top level menu items. When selected, each
displays a drop-down menu. Main menu items can be selected by
typing the first letter of the menu name, either alone or in
combination with the Alt key. For example, to select the File
menu, press either F or Alt-F.
2. Help Key. To obtain help, press F1. The help system in
version 1.0x is made up of several screens documenting the use of
the keyboard.
3. Current Filename. If no file has been selected, the filename
will appear as '????????'. Otherwise, the full pathname of the
current file is displayed.
4. Conflicts. P = Priority conflict, C = Commitment date
conflict, A = Age conflict.
- 33 -
5. Outline Area. Area of the screen in which the task outline is
displayed.
6. Capacity. Shows the space remaining for new resources (R),
projects (P), and tasks (T). ^T's maximums are 50 resources, 100
projects, and 500 tasks.
7. Current Date And Time. Shows the day of the week, the current
date, and the current time according to the system clock.
8. Conflict Warning. If the default colors have not been changed,
the word Conflict is displayed in black if there are no Priority,
Commitment Date, or Age conflicts or violations. It will become
bright white when a conflict exists for any task in the outline.
9. Recalc Pending. If ^T is configured to Manual Recalc, and
changes were made that require recalculation, the word Calc will
display in bright white.
10. Toggle Key Indicators. Whenever the Caps Lock, Num Lock, or
Insert keys are activated the corresponding indicator will light
up.
MENU
ADD
Add-Task. Add a new task after the current task. Tasks cannot
be added until at least one resource has been added.
Add-Resource. Add a new resource after the current resource.
Add-Project. Add a new project.
- 34 -
MENU
CONFIGURE
Configure-Default Calendar. Configure the default calendar. The
default calendar is used to "seed" the custom calendar
for each new task outline.
Configure-Classifications. Configure the table of task
classifications.
Configure-General Defaults. Configure general defaults.
Configure-Setup Printer. Configure the current printer driver or
add a new driver.
Configure-Task Fields. Setup the task fields that are displayed
in the outline.
Configure-Resource Fields. Setup the resource fields that are
displayed in the outline.
Configure-Project Fields. Setup the project fields that are
displayed in the outline.
Configure-Video. Configure color or monochrome mode and
customize colors.
- 35 -
MENU
DELETE
Delete-Task. Delete the current task. After selecting this
function, you'll be given a choice to Archive or Discard the
record. Archive results in the record being written to the
archive (.ARC) file, Discard results in the record simply
being erased. If the task is assigned to the project, a
warning is given. If the task is deleted, its data is no
longer included in the project summaries.
Delete-Resource. Delete the current resource. A resource can
only be deleted when there are no tasks assigned to it.
Delete-Project. Delete the current project. A project record
can be Archived or Discarded. Archive results in the record
being written to the archive (.ARC) file, Discard results in
the record simply being erased. If the project has tasks
assigned to it, a warning will be given. If the record is
deleted anyway, the project summary is lost but there is no
other affect on the associated tasks.
MENU
EDIT
Edit-Task Data. Edit the current task.
Edit-Resource Data. Edit the current resource. If a task is
currently highlighted, the resource associated with that
task will be edited without having to move the pointer to
that resource.
Edit-Project Data. Edit the current project. If a task is
currently highlighted, and that task is linked to a project,
the linked project will be edited.
Edit-File Description. Edit the current file description, path,
and filename.
Edit-Calendar. Edit the custom calendar that is associated with
the current task outline.
Edit-Update Resources. This function results in the Start Date
for each resource being set to the current date. This is
typically used when task data is updated on a regular basis (e.g.
after a weekly status meeting) and all the resources need to be
changed.
- 36 -
MENU
FILE
File-Load. Load a new task outline.
File-New. Clear the current task outline from memory.
File-Save. Save the current task outline to disk. If the
current outline has not yet been named, do a File-Rename and
then save again.
File-Rename. Give the current outline a new description, path,
or filename.
File-Calc. If the system is configured to manual recalc mode,
this function will recalculate the outline.
File-DOS Shell. Passes control to DOS. When finished with DOS,
typing 'exit' and pressing return will give control back to
^T.
File-Pgm Info. Display an informational screen. The program
version number is found on this display.
File-Exit. Quit from ^T.
- 37 -
MENU
PRINT
Print-Outline. Print the outline exactly as it appears on the
screen.
Print-Resource Assignments. Print separate reports showing only
the tasks for a given resource. You have a choice to select
am individual resource or have all resources printed. If
you select 'All' resources, each one will be started on a
new page. This report is intended to produce a task
assignment list for distribution to individual resources.
Print-Project Assignments. Print separate reports showing only
the resources and tasks for a given project. You have a
choice to select am individual project or have all projects
printed. If you select 'All' projects, each one will be
started on a new page.
Print-Cancel Print Job. Printing in ^T takes place in
background. To cancel the print job, select this function. Note
that this does not erase data already in the printer's buffer.
- 38 -
MENU
REARRANGE
Rearrange-Move Task. After selecting this function, the system
is placed in "move" mode. Note the message in the lower
left corner. Use the arrow keys to move the task up or down
in the outline. Tasks can be moved across resource
boundaries but not across project boundaries.
Recalculations take place as the task is moved. Move is
much quicker in manual calc mode. To end move mode, press
Esc or Enter.
Rearrange-Copy Task. Make a copy of the current task. ^T
displays an Add Task screen in which all data is initialized
to the values of the current task.
Rearrange-Hide Tasks. Hide tasks from being displayed in the
task outline. This would typically be done to allow quick
movement between resources or projects.
Rearrange-Display Tasks. Redisplay tasks in the outline after
they were hidden.
Rearrange-Resource Outline. Place the outline into Resource
orientation. In this view, resources are the top level of
the outline, with tasks immediately below. Projects are not
displayed.
Rearrange-Project Outline Place the outline into Project
orientation. In this view, projects are the top level of
the outline, with resources and the next level, and tasks
below resources.
REPORTS
FIELDS DISPLAYED IN REPORTS
The fields displayed for task, resource, and project records in
all reports is determined by the configuration settings. To
customize reports showing different fields use the Configuration
menu and Task Fields, Project Fields, and Resource Fields
functions to turn fields on and off.
- 39 -
APPENDIX A
REQUIREMENTS/LIMITS
Maximum Tasks............................500
Maximum Resources.........................50
Maximum Projects.........................100
Free Memory Required For Maximum Items...384 KB
If less memory is available, ^T will reduce the maximum number of
tasks in an attempt to fit. If fewer than 25 tasks will fit in
available space, ^T will not run. The counters in the lower left
corner of the main screen report how many resources (R), projects
(P), and tasks (T) can be added.
Minimum Disk/File Requirements
Main program (^T.EXE)...............192 KB
Printer Driver (.DRV)............... 8 KB
Additional disk space will be required for task outlines, archive
files, and a print buffer. These files will tend to grow in
size, but an additional 64K of space will provided for an average
application.
^T can run very well from a 360KB floppy disk.
- 40 -
APPENDIX B
ERROR MESSAGES
Most ^T error messages are clearly stated and occur under
circumstances that make solutions obvious. However the following
messages might not be so clear and require additional
explanation.
AT LEAST ONE RESOURCE MUST BE ADDED FIRST
Tasks cannot exist in ^T without being related to a
resource. Therefore, at least one resource record must be
added before you can add a task.
CONFIGURATION FILE ^T.CFG NOT FOUND
^T looks for the configuration file in the current
directory. Make sure that the ^T directory is the current
directory and that the ^T.CFG file is in that directory.
DOS SHELL FAILED
This message occurs when there is insufficient free memory
to load a secondary command processor. You cannot shell to
DOS, but otherwise the operation of ^T is not affected in
any way. No data has been lost and you can continue
working.
ERROR ON CALLOC IN FUNCTION PUSH_WINDOW
There is insufficient free memory to create a buffer to
store a window area. Free up additional memory and run ^T
again.
FILE TOO LARGE FOR AVAILABLE MEMORY
The number of tasks, resources, and/or projects stored in
the outline fit cannot fit in available memory. This can
occur if the outline was created under maximal memory
conditions, and now ^T is being run under more restrictive
memory conditions. Free up additional memory and run ^T
again.
INVALID FILENAME
The filename entered is an invalid DOS filename. The
filename cannot contain the characters listed below:
. \ " / [ ] : | < > + = ; , space
- 41 -
LABEL IS REQUIRED
For both projects and resource the label field is a required
field. To link tasks to resources and/or projects, ^T
requires the label (presented via a choice table) to be
entered in the appropriate field in the task records.
LABEL MUST BE UNIQUE
Project and resource labels must be unique within the record
type. In other words, each resource label must be unique
among all resource labels, each project label must be unique
among all project labels. A resource and a project can both
have the same label.
LIST MEMORY ALLOCATION FAILED
Insufficient memory is available for ^T to allocate required
memory buffers. Free up additional memory and run ^T again.
MUST HIGHLIGHT TASK TO BE COPIED
Before a task can be copied, the outline pointer must be
positioned on an existing task.
NO CONNECTION TO EXISTING PROJECT
You attempted to edit a project while the pointer was
positioned on a task that is not linked to an project.
Either edit the task record to link to a project, or do a
Rearrange-Project Outline to get a clearer view of which
tasks are connected to projects.
NO FILES ARE STORED
No outline files have yet been created and saved. Create an
outline by (1) editing the calendar, (2) adding some
resources, (3) adding some tasks, (4) performing a File-
Rename, (5) and saving the file. Also, it is possible that
the are no outline files in the path you specfied. Make
sure the path is correct.
NULL POINTER T_FILE.C: OPEN_READ_PRINT_FILE()
^T is having a problem accessing the PRINT.BUF file. The
most likely causes are (1) insufficient disk space, or (2)
shelling to DOS and tampering with the PRINT.BUF file before
a report is finished printing.
PROJECT LIST FULL
- 42 -
The maximum number of projects has already been added. The
maximum number of projects is 100. Try deleting some unused
or obsolete projects. Also, if a job is essentially made up
of a single task, do not use a project record for that job.
PROJECT MEMORY ALLOCATION FAILED
Insufficient memory is available for ^T to allocate required
memory buffers. Free up additional memory and run ^T again.
RESOURCE LIST FULL
The maximum number of resources has already been added. The
maximum number of resources is 50.
RESOURCE LIST IS EMPTY
No resources have yet been added. You must add a resource
before you can edit one.
RESOURCE MEMORY ALLOCATION FAILED
Insufficient memory is available for ^T to allocate required
memory buffers. Free up additional memory and run ^T again.
RESOURCE STILL HAS TASKS ASSIGNED
A resource cannot be deleted while there are still tasks
assigned to it. Either delete the tasks or reassign them to
another resource.
RESOURCE TABLE MEMORY ALLOCATION FAILED
Insufficient memory is available for ^T to allocate required
memory buffers. Free up additional memory and run ^T again.
TASK DURATION EXCEEDED INTERNAL CALENDAR CAPACITY
The ending date of a task will be later than the last date
in ^T's internal calendar. The internal calendar is 5 years
long, starting on January 1 of the year of the earliest
start date of any resource, and ending on December 31 of the
fourth following year.
TASK LIST FULL
The maximum number of tasks has already been added. The
maximum number of tasks is 500. However, if available
memory is restrictive, ^T may not have enough room for 500
tasks. When starting ^T, if some number less than T:500 is
shown in the lower left corner, you may be able to gain more
- 43 -
task space by freeing up additional memory and running ^T
again.
TASK MEMORY ALLOCATION FAILED
Insufficient memory is available for ^T to allocate required
memory buffers. Free up additional memory and run ^T again.
WARNING: TASK IS LINKED TO A PROJECT
You are attempting to delete a task that is linked to a
project. This is a warning only. If you proceed to delete
the task, that task's data will no longer be including in
the project's totals.
WARNING: THERE ARE STILL TASKS LINKED TO THIS PROJECT
You are attempting to delete a project that still has tasks
attached. This is a warning only. If you proceed to delete
the project, all project data will be lost, and any linked
tasks will be automatically unlinked from the project.
Other that being unlinked, the tasks records will not be
affected in any way.
- 44 -
APPENDIX C
VIDEO HANDLING
^T attempts, at startup, to determine the type of video adapter
attached to the system. If ^T detects the IBM Monochrome/Printer
Adapter (MPA), the base address for direct screen accesses is set
to segment hex B000. Any other adapter detected (including CGA,
EGA, VGA, or unknown) will result in segment hex B800 being used.
^T uses BIOS Video mode 7 with MPA systems, and mode 3 on all
other systems.
^T can be configured as to color by selecting Configure from the
main menu and Video from the Configure menu. With the cursor in
the Mode field, type 'C' to select the color table, and 'M' to
select the monochrome table. The colors can then be individually
customized.
- 45 -
APPENDIX D
FREEING MEMORY
There are several ways to free memory. Here is a list of things
to look for.
1. Remove RAM-resident programs. These could include keyboard
macro programs, DOS shells, printer utilities, terminal
emulators, desktop organizers, etc. Make sure that what is being
loaded is really needed. Remember that for each program loaded,
regardless of size, DOS also reserves space for the Program
Segment Prefix (256 bytes) and a copy of the environment
(anywhere from 127 bytes to 32,767 bytes). Check your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file. You might be surprised to find that a RAM-
resident program you were "just checking out" a few months ago is
still being loaded.
2. Check your CONFIG.SYS file for any unnecessary device drivers.
Many users have obsolete device drivers installed. Also, don't
set variables like BUFFERS, FILES, and STACKS to extremes. Set
them to what you need, and no more.
3. Keep your environment size down to what is required. Keep
environmental variables as small as possible. For example, don't
have a PATH set to 20 directories when you only need it set to 4
or 5.
4. If you're running ^T from a menu system, try running it from
DOS instead.
5. If ^T was running fine and suddenly there's not enough memory
to run, you may have loaded a RAM-resident program in the
interim, or you may have forgotten that you are shelled out of a
program that is still in memory (I do this frequently).
6. If you shell out of ^T, type EXIT to return. DO NOT run ^T a
second time. Also, when shelled out of any program, it is
generally unwise to change files or run RAM-resident programs.
- 46 -
