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MANUAL.IT
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IDEA TREE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION I - ABOUT IDEA TREE
1. Features
2. Examples Of Use
3. Special Keyboard Commands
3.1. <ENTER>
3.2. <ESC>
3.3. <F3>
3.4. <F4>
3.5. <Alt>-<C>opy
3.6. <Alt>-<M>ove
3.7. <Alt>-<N>ew
3.8. <Ctrl>-<Home>
4. Terms Used In IDEA TREE
4.1. Root
4.2. Parent
4.3. Child
4.4. Page
4.5. Page Root
4.6. Left Sibling
4.7. Right Sibling
4.8. Idea
4.9. Note
4.10. Position
4.11. Junction
4.12. Branch
4.13. Tree
4.14. File
5. The Display
5.1. The Main Menu
5.2. Submenus
5.3. Idea Tree
5.4. Error and Information Messages
SECTION II - GETTING STARTED
1. Hardware And Software Requirements
2. Installing The Program
2.1. Backing Up With Two Floppy Disk Drives
2.2. Backing Up With A Hard Disk Drive
2.3. Creating A Printer File
3. Starting The Program
3.1. Starting Up With One Floppy Disk Drive
3.2. Starting Up With Two Floppy Disk Drives
3.3. Starting Up With A Hard Disk Drive
4. Using The Main Menu And Submenus
4.1. Using The Main Menu
4.2. Using A Submenu
5. Using The Idea Cursor
5.1. The First Level
5.2. The Second Level
5.3. The Third Level
5.4. The Fourth Level And Beyond
6. Ending The Program
7. Getting Help
SECTION III - IDEA TREE FUNCTIONS
1. <G>o to
1.1. <G>o to <M>ark
1.2. <G>o to <C>ursor
1.3. <G>o to <R>oot
1.4. <G>o to <T>ree
1.5. <G>o to <F>irst tree
1.6. <G>o to <E>xit
1.7. <G>o to <V>ersion
2. <T>ree
2.1. <T>ree <D>efine
2.1.1. <T>ree <D>efine <G>o to
1. <B>ranch
2. <E>xit
3. <V>ersion
4. <M>ark
5. <C>ursor
6. <R>oot
2.1.2. <T>ree <D>efine <F>unction
2.1.3. <T>ree <D>efine <T>ype
2.1.4. <T>ree <D>efine <S>witch
2.1.5. <T>ree <D>efine <B>ranch
2.1.6. <T>ree <D>efine <L>evel
2.1.7. <T>ree <D>efine <M>ove and <Alt>-<M>ove
2.1.8. <T>ree <D>efine <C>opy and <Alt>-<C>opy
2.1.9. <T>ree <D>efine <D>elete
2.2. <T>ree <P>lace
2.3. <T>ree <F>ile create
2.4. <T>ree <I>nitiate tree
3. <E>dit
3.1. <E>dit <I>dea
3.2. <E>dit <N>ote
3.3. <E>dit <F>ile title
3.4. <E>dit <T>ree title
3.5. <E>dit <C>opy idea
3.6. <E>dit <P>lace idea
3.7. <E>dit <M>ove idea
4. <R>emove
4.1. <R>emove <I>dea
4.2. <R>move <N>ote
4.3. <R>emove <P>osition
4.4. <R>emove <B>ranch
4.5. <R>emove <T>ree
4.6. <R>emove <F>ile
4.7. <R>emove <A>ll files
4.8. <R>emove <C>lear ideas
4.9. <R>emove <J>unctions
5. <F>ile
5.1. <F>ile <L>oad
5.2. <F>ile <S>ave
5.3. <F>ile <D>irectory
5.3.1. <F>ile <D>irectory <L>oad file
5.3.2. <F>ile <D>irectory <C>reate file
5.3.3. <F>ile <D>irectory <B>ackup file
5.3.4. <F>ile <D>irectory <D>isplay title
5.3.5. <F>ile <D>irectory <E>rase file
5.3.6. <F>ile <D>irectory <N>ew path
5.4. <F>ile <N>ew path
5.5. <F>ile <I>nitiate file
5.6. <F>ile <C>ombine
6. <M>ark
6.1. <M>ark <S>et
6.2. <M>ark <R>emove
7. <N>ew and <Alt>-<N>ew
7.1. <N>ew <U>p
7.2. <N>ew <D>own
7.3. <N>ew <L>eft
7.4. <N>ew <R>ight
8. <P>rint
8.1. <P>rint <I>dea
8.2. <P>rint <S>creen
8.3. <P>rint <P>age
8.4. <P>rint <B>ranch
8.5. <P>rint <T>ree
8.6. <P>rint <F>ile
8.7. <P>rint <S>elect
IDEA TREE MANUAL
SECTION I - ABOUT IDEA TREE
IDEA TREE is a powerful and unique thinking tool. Unlike
"outline" software, IDEA TREE takes a general concept, or
"parent" idea, and allows you to visually separate the concept
into its components, or "children". Each of these components can
then be broken down further. In effect, each child can be a
parent to children of its own, allowing for an immense amount of
detail which is limited only by your computer's memory.
1. Features
This structured approach to idea development is graphically
presented as a tree. A parent or "root" idea occupies the top
position on the display. Its children appear in individual
positions on the level below it. Children of children are
displayed on the next level, and so on. The display can be
scrolled right, left, up or down. An unlimited number of ideas
can appear on any level of the tree. A collection of powerful
functions make tracking your way through the structure and
editing straightforward and rapid.
Any idea and a selected set of its children can be copied,
deleted, saved as a new tree or moved to another position in the
tree.
You may want to give a specific idea a detailed description. The
"note" function allows you to enter a page of descriptive text,
which is attached to a selected idea.
The "print" function provides several printing options. You can
print a single idea, the current screen, one page, a selected
branch, or an entire tree. You can also choose to print notes
associated with individual ideas.
IDEA TREE is easy to use. A Lotus-like pull-down menu at the top
of the display provides an intuitive understanding of the
program. There are few commands to memorize, so that you should
only need to use this manual for reference.
IDEA TREE can organize and document thoughts, books, reports,
procedures, departments, or what-have-you. The "tree" structure
and the ease with which it can be manipulated increases problem
statement clarity and development speed.
IDEA TREE is an unusual and highly useful addition to the
thinking person's toolbox.
2. Examples Of Use
You can apply IDEA TREE to a variety of tasks. Once you have
started IDEA TREE, try loading the files named DEMO1, DEMO2,
DEMO3 and DEMO4. These files contain trees which were designed
to serve different purposes. These files are also used in the
tutorial included on your IDEA TREE diskette. DEMO1 is
especially useful. The tree it contains is a condensed
explanation of all command keys used in IDEA TREE.
3. Special Keyboard Commands
The following keyboard commands are used consistently throughout
IDEA TREE. See I.4. Terms Used In IDEA TREE for more information
about terms used throughout IDEA TREE and this manual.
3.1. <ENTER>
Pressing <ENTER> is like saying "yes". You press the
<ENTER> key to select functions or to continue a function.
Pressing the <ENTER> key also saves your changes when you
have finished an editing function.
3.2. <ESC>
Pressing <ESC> is like saying "no". You press the <ESC> key
when you want to stop what you're doing and return to the
last menu. Pressing <ESC> in the middle of using a function
returns you to the last menu without saving any changes.
3.3. <F3>
The <F3> key is a toggle which allows you to see the left
sibling of a page root.
Pressing <F3> causes the left sibling of a page root to
appear at the left of the page root. Press <F3> again to
make the left sibling disappear. Moving the idea cursor
back up to the previous page also makes the left sibling
disappear.
If the page root has no left sibling, pressing <F3> causes
the message
THERE IS NO LEFT SIBLING FOR THIS IDEA
to appear.
3.4. <F4>
The <F4> key is a toggle which allows you to see the right
sibling of a page root.
Pressing <F4> causes the right sibling of a page root to
appear at the right of the page root. Press <F4> again to
make the right sibling disappear. Moving the idea cursor
back up to the previous page also makes the right sibling
disappear.
If the page root has no right sibling, pressing <F3> causes
the message
THERE IS NO RIGHT SIBLING FOR THIS IDEA
to appear.
3.5. <Alt>-<C>opy
This is a convenient command for copying a branch of the
current tree from one position to another. Use <T>ree
<D>efine, and then define the ideas you want to copy. Now
select <C>opy, and when prompted for the tree title
information, press <ENTER>. This causes the branch you have
defined to be created as the last tree in the current file.
Now move the idea cursor to the position where you want to
insert the branch. Select <T>ree, then press <Alt>-<C>opy.
The branch will be inserted. See III.2.2. <T>ree <P>lace
for more information about placing trees.
3.6. <Alt>-<M>ove
This is a convenient command for moving a branch of the
current tree from one position to another. Use <T>ree
<D>efine, and then define the ideas you want to move. Now
select <M>ove, and when prompted for the tree title
information, press <ENTER>. This causes the the branch you
have defined to be created as the last tree in the current
file. Now move the idea cursor to the position where you
want to insert the branch. Select <T>ree, then press <Alt>-
<M>ove. The branch will be inserted. See III.2.2. <T>ree
<P>lace for more information about placing trees.
3.7. <Alt>-<N>ew
Pressing <Alt> and <N> at the same time pops the <N>ew menu
onto the screen. Any item selected from this menu puts a
blank position on the screen without activating <E>dit
<I>dea. See III.7. <N>ew and <Alt>-<N>ew for more
information.
3.8. <Ctrl>-<Home>
Pressing <Ctrl> and <Home> at the same time moves the idea
cursor to the top of the current page.
4. Terms Used In IDEA TREE
The following terms are used consistently throughout IDEA TREE
and this manual.
4.1. Root
A root is the topmost position of a tree.
4.2. Parent
A parent is any position which has attached positions
occurring at a lower level. For example, a root is the
parent to all positions in the tree below it.
4.3. Child
A child is any position which is attached to a position at a
higher level. For example, all positions below the root
position are children of the root.
4.4. Page
A page consists of the root position, a second level
consisting of one or more positions, and a third level
consisting of one or more positions. A page includes all
positions that you can scroll onto the screen at the second
and third levels.
If you add a position as a fourth level, a new page is
displayed. The third level parent from the original page is
shown as the new page root and the new position appears as
the second level of this new page. See I.4.5. Page Root for
more information about page roots. See III.7. <N>ew and
<Alt>-<N>ew for more information about adding positions.
4.5. Page Root
A page root is the topmost position on the current page.
Unless it is also the tree root, a small upward-pointing
arrow appears at its upper right corner to indicate that
there are positions and pages above it.
4.6. Left Sibling
Positions which occur at the same level of a tree are
"siblings". At the second level of a page, a position to
the left of the current position is called its "left
sibling". At the third level of a page, a position
occurring above the current position is called its "left
sibling".
4.7. Right Sibling
Positions which occur at the same level of a tree are
"siblings". At the second level of a page, a position to
the right of the current position is called its "right
sibling". At the third level of a page, a position
occurring below the current position is called its "right
sibling".
4.8. Idea
An idea is any string of text not more than 45 characters in
length. An idea is displayed at a position in the tree.
4.9. Note
A note is a collection of text not more than 1200 characters
in length. A note is attached to a specific position. Only
one note may be attached to any one position.
4.10. Position
A position is a box on the screen, which may or may not
contain an idea. A tree consists of one or more positions.
4.11. Junction
A junction is a position filled with a pattern. A junction
may be created when you move, delete or copy branches. Its
purpose is to maintain the structure of a tree after you
have copied, moved or deleted some of its positions. You
may edit a junction, replacing the pattern with your own
text. You may also remove all junctions that may have been
created as the result of a copy, move or deletion with
<R>emove <J>unctions.
4.12. Branch
A branch is any position in the tree and its children, if
any. You can use <T>ree <D>efine to define a branch of a
tree in order to copy, move or delete specific ideas or sets
of ideas within it.
4.13. Tree
A tree consists of a root idea and its children, if any.
4.14. File
A file is a collection of one or more trees. A file has two
names - an eight character name which DOS uses when loading
and saving the file, and a "file title" which can be up to
22 characters long. The eight character file name must
conform to all DOS file naming rules. IDEA TREE appends the
extension .TNS for loadable tree files, and the extension
.TNB for backup files. The 22 character file title need not
be unique.
5. The Display
IDEA TREE's display is made up of several components: the main
menu, submenus, an idea tree, and error and information messages.
5.1. The Main Menu
The main menu appears across the top of the display. The
upper left portion of the main menu border always displays
the current drive, directory, and the name of the file whose
tree is currently displayed. If you display a tree from a
different file, the new filename will be displayed. There
are commands to change the drive and/or directory. However,
it is important to remember that any file you save will go
to the drive and directory displayed.
The lower right portion of the main menu border always
displays the title of the currently displayed tree. If you
display a different tree, the new tree's title will be
displayed.
See II.4.1. Using The Main Menu for information about moving
the menu cursor and selecting functions.
5.2 Submenus
Selecting a main menu function causes a submenu to appear.
See II.4.2. Using A Submenu, for information about moving a
submenu cursor and selecting subfunctions.
5.3 Idea Tree
An idea tree is a collection of one or more positions and a
tree title page. An idea tree is displayed once you have
loaded an IDEA TREE file or started a new tree. See II.5.
Using The Idea Cursor for information about moving the tree
cursor through a tree.
5.4 Error and Information Messages
Occasionally, you may try to do something with IDEA TREE
that it cannot do. For instance, you cannot move the idea
cursor up from the root idea because it is the first idea in
the tree. Trying to do this causes a beep to sound.
Usually an error message explaining the error also appears.
Information messages appear in order to remind you of
something, to ask for confirmation that you want to do
something, or to request information from you. For
instance, when you first start IDEA TREE, an information
message appears reminding you to either load a file or start
a new one in order to begin using the program.
SECTION 2 - GETTING STARTED
This section provides all the information you need to get IDEA
TREE up and running.
1. Hardware And Software Requirements
Hardware: IBM or IBM-compatible, 256K RAM, hard disk and one
5.25" floppy disk drive, or two 5.25" floppy disk
drives.
CGA, monochrome or black and white monitor.
Epson, or Epson compatible dot matrix printer, IBM
ProPrinter or compatible, or any printer with an IBM
"all-print" font. If your printer is other than one of
these, see II.2.3. Creating A Printer File.
Software: DOS 2.1 or higher
2. Installing The Program
Your IDEA TREE package includes a manual and a 5.25" floppy
diskette containing the IDEA TREE program. Before using IDEA
TREE, you should make a backup copy of the program.
2.1. Backing Up With Two Floppy Disk Drives
If you have a computer with two disk drives, turn on the
computer and boot the system with your DOS diskette. When
the "A>" prompt appears on the screen, remove the DOS
diskette from Drive A. Put the program diskette into drive
A and a blank diskette into Drive B. Type
COPY A:*.* B:
and press <ENTER>. This command copies all the program and
demo files from the original program diskette to your
backup. When the message
17 files copied
appears on the screen, remove the diskettes from the drives.
Put your original program diskette in a safe place. You
should use the backup copy as your working diskette.
2.2. Backing Up With A Hard Disk Drive
If you have a computer with a hard disk and one floppy disk
drive, we will assume that your hard disk is formatted and
is running DOS Version 2.1 or higher. Turn on your
computer. The "C>" prompt should appear. Place the program
diskette into Drive A. Type
MD\IDEA
and press <ENTER>. This creates a separate directory on the
hard disk called "C:\IDEA". Now type
CD\IDEA
and press <ENTER>. The prompt should now look like this:
C:\IDEA>
This is the directory where your working copy of IDEA TREE
will be stored. Type
COPY A:*.* C:\IDEA
and press <ENTER>. All of the program and demo files are
now copied into the C:\IDEA directory. When the message
17 files copied
appears on the screen, remove the program diskette from
Drive A and put it in a safe place. Use the copy of IDEA
TREE stored in your C:\IDEA directory as your working
program.
NOTE: IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS BACKING UP IDEA TREE,
See II.7. Getting Help in the IDEA TREE manual.
2.3. Creating A Printer File
IDEA TREE allows you to print using an Epson, Epson
compatible, or any printer with an IBM all-print font. If
you have experience in writing batch files or programming,
you can modify IDEA TREE's printer file to include other
printers.
You can use the DOS utility "EDLIN", or other text editor,
as long as the resulting file is straight ASCII code. Load
the file IDEA.PRT into your editor. You will see that there
are already two printer definitions included in this file,
"epson" and "allprint". You should begin your printer
definition at the bottom of this file.
The first line of the definition must be the name of the
printer attached to your computer as LPT1. The name must be
10 characters in length, so abbreviate longer printer names,
and pad out shorter names with spaces. Then enter a
carriage return, line feed. Most text editors do this when
you press <ENTER> or <CTRL>-<Z>.
The second line consists of 10 numbers separated by commas
with no spaces between them, ending with a carriage return,
line feed. These numbers are the line drawing character
codes for your printer, which you can get from your printer
manual. They tell the printer what characters to use to
draw the boxes and lines when printing a tree. The codes
must be typed in the following sequence:
1. upper left corner
2. upper right corner
3. lower left corner
4. lower right corner
5. a "T" on its left side
6. a "T" on its right side
7. an upright "T"
8. an upside down "T"
9. horizontal line
10. vertical line
The third line is the number of lines of printer code
instructions to follow, ending with a carriage return, line
feed. If there are no printer instructions, the number must
be 0. There can be up to 999 lines of instructions in a
printer specification file. These instructions will be
sent, character by character, to the printer before
printing.
The fourth line or group of lines consist of printer code
instructions, which you can get from your printer manual.
Each line of code must end with a carriage return, line
feed. These may initialize, define characters and so on.
When you are ready to print an Idea Tree, select <P>rint
<S>elect, and you will see the name of your printer
displayed in the printer selection menu. See III.8.7.
<P>rint <S>elect for more information.
3. Starting The Program
The way IDEA TREE is started depends on whether you have a system
with one floppy disk drive, two floppy disk drives or a hard disk
with one or more floppy disk drives.
3.1. Starting Up With One Floppy Disk Drive
Turn on your computer and boot up with your DOS diskette in
Drive A as usual. Remove the DOS diskette and place your
working copy of IDEA TREE into Drive A. Now type
IDEA
and press <ENTER>. This loads IDEA TREE, during which it
figures out what type of monitor is on the machine.
However, with certain computers with earlier operating
system versions, this may come out wrong if it is other than
a color monitor. In this case, exit IDEA TREE (press <G>o
to <E>xit) and start again by typing
IDEA B
and pressing <ENTER>.
Do not save files to your IDEA TREE program diskette. If
you want to save a tree file to a different diskette, remove
the IDEA TREE diskette from Drive A. Put a formatted, blank
diskette into Drive A. When you use the <F>ile <S>ave
function, your tree file will be saved to this diskette.
You do not have to put your working copy of IDEA TREE back
into Drive A in order to continue working with the program.
3.2. Starting Up With Two Floppy Disk Drives
Turn on your computer and boot up with your DOS diskette in
Drive A as usual. Remove the DOS diskette and place your
working copy of IDEA TREE into Drive A and a formatted,
blank diskette into Drive B. You must specify Drive B when
you are ready to save an IDEA TREE file. See III.5.2.
<F>ile <S>ave fore more information.
Now type
IDEA
and press <ENTER>. This loads IDEA TREE, during which it
figures out what type of monitor is on the machine.
However, with certain computers with earlier operating
system versions, this may come out wrong if it is other than
a color monitor. In this case, exit IDEA TREE (press <G>o
to <E>xit) and start again by typing
IDEA B
and pressing <ENTER>.
3.3. Starting Up With A Hard Disk Drive
Your working copy of IDEA TREE should now be stored in the
C:\IDEA directory on your hard disk. When you are in this
directory, type:
IDEA
and press <ENTER>. This loads IDEA TREE, during which it
figures out what type of monitor is on the machine.
However, with certain computers with earlier operating
system versions, this may come out wrong if it is other than
a color monitor. In this case, exit IDEA TREE (press <G>o
to <E>xit) and start again by typing
IDEA B
and pressing <ENTER>.
4. Using The Main Menu And Submenus
The initial display you see after starting IDEA TREE is a row of
functions across the top of the display, which is called the main
menu. Each of the main menu functions is associated with an
individual submenu of functions.
4.1. Using The Main Menu
Selecting a function from the main menu calls up a submenu.
There are two ways to select a main menu function:
1. Move the cursor to the function you want to select
by pressing
<TAB>
to move the cursor to the right, or
<SHIFT>-<TAB>
to move the cursor to the left. Then press
<ENTER>.
2. Type the first letter of the function you want.
4.2. Using A Submenu
Selecting a function from a submenu either begins a function
or calls up another submenu. There are two ways to select a
function from a submenu:
1. Use the up and down arrow keys to move the cursor
to the function you want and press <ENTER>.
2. Type the first letter of the function you want.
Press <ESC> to return to the main menu without selecting a
function.
5. Using The Idea Cursor
The idea cursor is the bold outline which appears around the root
position of a tree when you first display it. For more
information about the meaning of any terms used in this section,
see I.4. Terms Used in IDEA TREE.
The left, right, up and down arrow keys move the idea cursor
around a tree. The idea cursor behaves differently at different
levels of a tree.
5.1. The First Level
The root position is the first level of a tree. Use the
down arrow to move the idea cursor to the next level. You
can only move the idea cursor down from the first level of
the first page of a tree. Use <CTRL>-<HOME> to move
directly to the root of the parent page.
5.2. The Second Level
The second level positions appear in a row across the screen
directly below the root idea. Use the right and left arrows
to move the cursor across this level. The screen can only
display four second level positions at one time. A small
arrow appearing at either the leftmost or rightmost second
level position indicates that there are more than four
second level positions.
Use the left and right arrow keys to scroll additional
second level positions onto the screen. Use the Home and
End keys to jump to the leftmost and rightmost positions.
You will see that the root idea continues to be displayed.
Use the down arrow key to move to the third level. Use the
up arrow key or <Ctrl>-<Home> to move back up to the root.
5.3. The Third Level
The third level positions appear in a vertical row directly
below the second level position to which they are attached.
The screen can only display two third level positions at one
time. A small arrow pointing up or down appearing at either
third level position indicates that there are more than two
third level positions.
Use the up and down arrow keys to scroll the additional
third level positions onto the screen. Use the Home and End
keys to jump to the first and last third level positions.
Use the left arrow key to move back up to the second level.
A small right-pointing arrow will appear to the right of a
third level position which has children at the fourth level.
Use the right arrow key to move to the fourth level. Moving
to the fourth level also means that you have moved to a new
page of your tree. The new page displays the third level
parent as the new page root, and its fourth level children
as the second level of the new page.
Use <CTRL>-<HOME> to move directly to the page root.
5.4 The Fourth Level And Beyond
At the fourth level, the third level parent is displayed as
the page root and the fourth level becomes the second level
of a new page.
A small upward pointing arrow at the page root indicates
that there are positions and pages above it. The arrow,
Home and End keys move the idea cursor around the display
exactly as they do on the first page of the tree. Pressing
the up arrow at the page root displays the previous page
with the page root displayed as a third level position.
From here, you can create as many positions and levels for a
tree as your computer has memory to store them.
6. Ending The Program
To end the program, select <G>o to from the main menu. Then
select <E>xit from the <G>o to submenu.
You may have made changes to one or more of the files currently
loaded into memory without saving them. Therefore the message
HAVE ALL TREES IN MEMORY BEEN SAVED?
PRESS <ENTER> TO QUIT WITHOUT SAVING - <ESC> TO RETURN TO IDEA
TREE
appears.
If you are ready to leave IDEA TREE, press <ENTER>. This ends
the program. The screen clears and the DOS prompt appears. Any
unsaved edits are lost.
If you are not ready to leave IDEA TREE, press <ESC>. This
returns you to the program. You can save your changes with the
<F>ile <S>ave function and then exit IDEA TREE. See III.5.2.
<F>ile <S>ave for more information about saving files.
7. Getting Help
Occasionally, you may encounter problems while running IDEA TREE.
If your original program diskette is defective, return it with a
note explaining the problem and your return address and we will
mail you a replacement.
For other problems, call (802) 496-5000, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and a
technician will assist you.
SECTION 3 - IDEA TREE FUNCTIONS
The following section describes each main menu function and its
subfunctions in detail. Submenus only display functions that are
currently available. For instance, the submenu of <G>o to
displays only the <E>xit and <V>ersion subfunctions if no tree
file has been loaded into IDEA TREE. If a file has been loaded
into IDEA TREE, the submenu may also display the subfunctions
<R>oot, <T>ree and/or <F>irst tree.
1. <G>o to
This collection of functions allows you to move from one place in
a tree a another, from one tree to another, and from one file to
another. You can also view an information screen about your
version of IDEA TREE, and a list of all files and trees in
memory.
1.1. <G>o to <M>ark
This function moves the idea cursor to a position within the
current tree where you have previously set a placemark. See
III.6. <M>ark for more information about marks.
Select <G>o to <M>ark. The idea cursor immediately jumps to
the position within the current tree where you have set a
placemark. You can move normally through the tree from the
marked position, and return to your placemark by using <G>o
to <M>ark again.
1.2. <G>o to <C>ursor
This function allows you to move the idea cursor to the last
position it occupied within the current tree before you used
<G>o to <M>ark. See III.1.1. <G>o to <M>ark and III.6.
<M>ark for more information about marks.
Select <G>o to <C>ursor. The idea cursor immediately jumps
to the position it last occupied within the current tree.
You can alternate <G>o to <M>ark and <G>o to <C>ursor to
jump back and forth from different positions in your tree.
If you haven't used <G>o to <M>ark to move to the marked
position, <G>o to <C>ursor has no effect.
1.3. <G>o to <R>oot
This function moves the idea cursor directly to the root
idea of your tree.
Select <G>o to <R>oot. The idea cursor immediately jumps to
the root idea of the current tree.
1.4. <G>o to <T>ree
This function allows you to choose the tree you want to
display from a list of all the trees in all files currently
loaded.
Select <G>o to <T>ree. A list of all of the trees in all
files loaded into memory is displayed. A file's DOS
filename and some information from its file title page
precedes a listing of the trees in a particular file.
Use the up and down arrow keys or the Home and End keys to
move the bar cursor to the tree or filename you want. Use
the PgUp and PgDn keys to page up or down in this list.
To select the tree under the bar cursor, press <ENTER>. You
are returned to the main menu, and the selected tree is
displayed.
If you move the bar cursor to a filename and press <ENTER>,
you are returned to the main menu, and the first tree of
that file is displayed.
To display a tree title page or file title page, press
<D>isplay. The title page of the tree or file under the bar
cursor is displayed.
1.5. <G>o to <F>irst tree
This function allows you to jump to the first tree in the
current file. This function does not appear in the <G>o to
menu if there is only one tree in the current file, or if
you are already in the first tree.
Select <G>o to <F>irst tree. The first tree in the current
file is immediately displayed.
1.6. <G>o to <E>xit
This function allows you to quit IDEA TREE.
Select <G>o to <E>xit. The message
HAVE ALL TREES IN MEMORY BEEN SAVED?
PRESS <ENTER> TO QUIT WITHOUT SAVING - <ESC> TO RETURN TO
IDEA TREE
appears.
If you have already saved any changes to your files, press
<ENTER>. The screen clears and the DOS prompt appears.
If you haven't saved changes you have made to your files,
press <ESC>. You are then returned to the program. Use
<F>ile <S>ave to save your changes and then exit. See 5.2.
<F>ile <S>ave for more information about saving changes to
files.
1.7. <G>o to <V>ersion
This function allows you to display a list of important
information about the version of IDEA TREE you are using.
Select <G>o to <V>ersion. The version information is
immediately displayed.
2. <T>ree
The <T>ree functions allow one or more positions to be defined as
a branch of a tree. This branch can then be copied from one tree
to another, deleted, or moved - either into a new tree or to a
different file. The <T>ree <I>nitiate function will also allow
you to start a new tree within the current file.
2.1. <T>ree <D>efine
Before selecting <T>ree <D>efine, move the idea cursor to
the position which will be the topmost idea or "branch root"
of the branch you are going to define.
Selecting <T>ree <D>efine causes a new screen to appear.
The <T>ree <D>efine menu displays a set of commands which
allow you to specify one or more positoins within the branch
in the currently displayed tree. The specified positions
can then be copied, moved or deleted.
While in the <T>ree <D>efine menu, you may move the idea
cursor anywhere in the displayed tree, but the idea cursor
must be at the branch root position or one of its children
in order to access the <D>efine functions.
2.1.1. <T>ree <D>efine <G>o To
Selecting <T>ree <D>efine <G>o to will pop up a submenu
containing a set of commands similar to those appearing
under the <G>o to command on the main menu. These
commands are:
1. <B>ranch - this moves the idea cursor directly to
the branch root position of the branch you are
defining.
2. <E>xit - this allows you to quit IDEA TREE and
return to the operating system. See III.1.6. <G>o
to <E>xit for more information.
3. <V>ersion - this displays information about IDEA
TREE, including version number, author, etc. See
III.1.7. <G>o to <V>ersion for more information.
4. <M>ark - this moves the idea cursor directly to a
previously marked position within the current
tree. See III.1.1. <G>o to <M>ark for more
information.
5. <C>ursor - if you have jumped to a marked
position, this returns the idea cursor to its
previous position within the current tree. See
III.1.2. <G>o to <C>ursor for more information.
6. <R>oot - this moves the idea cursor directly to
the tree root. See III.1.3. <G>o to <R>oot for
more information.
2.1.2. <T>ree <D>efine <F>unction
Pressing <F>unction toggles back and forth between
INCLUDE and EXCLUDE. See III.2.1.3. <T>ree <D>efine
<T>ype for more information on DEFINE mode. A message
in the upper right corner of the display tells you the
current status of <F>unction.
When <F>unction is set to INCLUDE and the idea cursor
<T>ype is DEFINE, the next position to which you move
the idea cursor is enclosed with a bold outline. This
means the position is defined as "included" and will be
moved, copied or deleted as part of the branch.
When <F>unction is set to EXCLUDE and the idea cursor
<T>ype is DEFINE, the next position to which you move
the idea cursor is now defined as "excluded". If the
position had been previously defined as "included", the
enclosing bold outline now disappears from around the
position.
2.1.3. <T>ree <D>efine <T>ype
Pressing <T>ype toggles back and forth between two
different uses of the idea cursor. A message in the
upper right corner of the display tells you the current
status of the idea cursor.
When the idea cursor type is MOVE, you can move the
idea cursor around the tree without affecting the
definition.
When the idea cursor type is DEFINE, moving the idea
cursor defines ideas as "included" or "excluded". See
III.2.1.2. <T>ree <D>efine <F>unction for more
information about INCLUDE and EXCLUDE.
2.1.4. <T>ree <D>efine <S>witch
Pressing <S>witch toggles an idea definition between
"included" or "excluded". See III.2.1.2. <T>ree
<D>efine <F>unction for more information about INCLUDE
and EXCLUDE. <S>witch operates independently of the
<F>unction and <T>ype commands and is a convenient way
of redefining one idea at a time.
2.1.5. <T>ree <D>efine <B>ranch
Pressing <B>ranch defines as "included" or "excluded"
the position at the idea cursor and all of its
children, if any. These ideas may now be copied, moved
or deleted. See III.2.1.2. <T>ree <D>efine <F>unction
for more information about INCLUDE and EXCLUDE.
2.1.6. <T>ree <D>efine <L>evel
Pressing <L>evel defines as "included" or "excluded"
the position at the idea cursor and its siblings. See
III.2.1.2. <T>ree <D>efine <F>unction for more
information about INCLUDE and EXCLUDE. This level may
now be copied, moved or deleted. The <L>evel function
has no effect when the idea cursor is at the branch
root.
2.1.7. <T>ree <D>efine <M>ove
There are two ways to use this function.
1. Pressing <M>ove displays a new Tree Title page.
See III.3.4. <E>dit <T>ree title for more
information. Type in the information requested
and press <ENTER>. The positions which you have
defined as "included" will be removed from the
current tree and saved as a new tree within the
current file under this new title. The new tree
will appear as the last tree in the file. See
III.2.1.2. <T>ree <D>efine <F>unction for more
information about INCLUDE and EXCLUDE.
Once you have completed the <M>ove operation, you
are returned to the main menu. Use <G>o to <T>ree
to select and display the new tree you have
created.
2. <Alt>-<M>ove is a convenient command for moving a
branch of the current tree from one position to
another. Select <T>ree <D>efine, and then define
the ideas you want to move. Now select <M>ove,
and when prompted for the tree title information,
press <ENTER>. This causes the branch you have
defined to be created as the last tree in the
current file. Now move the idea cursor to the
position where you want to insert the branch.
Select <T>ree, then press <Alt>-<M>ove. The last
tree in this file will be inserted as a branch of
the current tree. See III.2.2. <T>ree <P>lace for
more information about placing trees.
2.1.8. <T>ree <D>efine <C>opy
There are two ways to use this function.
1. Pressing <C>opy displays a new tree title page.
Type in the information requested and press
<ENTER>. The ideas which you have defined as
"included" will be copied from the current tree
and saved as a new tree within the current file
under this new title. See III.2.1.2. <T>ree
<D>efine <F>unction for more information about
INCLUDE and EXCLUDE.
2. <Alt>-<C>opy is a convenient command for copying a
branch of the current tree from one position to
another. Select <T>ree <D>efine, and then define
the ideas you want to copy. Now select <C>opy,
and when prompted for the tree title information,
press <ENTER>. This causes the the branch you
have defined to be created as the last tree in the
current file. Now move the idea cursor to the
position where you want to insert the branch.
Select <T>ree, then press <Alt>-<C>opy. The
branch will be inserted. See III.2.2. <T>ree
<P>lace for more information about placing trees.
2.1.9. <T>ree <D>efine <D>elete
The <D>elete command deletes all positions which you
have defined as "included". See III.2.1.2. <T>ree
<D>efine <F>unction for more information about INCLUDE
and EXCLUDE. Pressing <D> pops a message:
PRESS <ENTER> TO DELETE ALL INCLUDED IDEAS.
PRESS <ESC> TO QUIT.
Pressing <ENTER> deletes all "included" positions and
returns you to the <T>ree <D>efine menu. Pressing
<ESC> returns you to the <T>ree <D>efine menu without
deleting anything.
2.2. <T>ree <P>lace
This function will place any tree in any file in memory into
a specified position in the current tree.
If the idea cursor position in the currently displayed tree
is either blank or a junction and has no child, the root of
the tree being copied or moved is placed in that position.
If the idea cursor position in the currently displayed tree
has no child, and the root of the tree being copied or moved
is either blank or a junction, then this root disappears.
Its children, if any, are placed as children of the current
idea cursor position.
If idea cursor position in the currently displayed tree
contains text and/or has children, and the root of the tree
being copied or moved contains text, this root is placed
into a newly-created position. If the idea cursor is at the
second page level of the current tree, this new position is
created to the right of the idea cursor. If the idea cursor
is at the third page level of the current tree, this new
position is created below the idea cursor.
Move the idea cursor to the position at which or next to
which you want to place a copied or moved tree. Select
<T>ree <P>lace. The list of all files and trees in memory
is displayed. See III.1.4. <G>o to <T>ree for more
information about this list. Move the bar cursor to the
tree you want to move or copy and press <ENTER>.
You are immediately returned to the current tree and
prompted with the message
DO YOU WANT TO MOVE OR COPY SELECTED TREE? (M/C)
Select <M>ove to place the selected tree into the currently
displayed tree, and to remove the selected tree from its
present location.
Select <C>opy to place the selected tree into the currently
displayed tree, and to retain the selected tree in its
current location.
2.3 <T>ree <F>ile create
This function moves the currently displayed tree into a new
file of its own and removes it from the current file. The
function is only available when there is more than one tree
in the current file.
Select <T>ree <F>ile create. The currently displayed tree
is moved into its own new file. The tree title remains the
same. Notice that the status message at the upper left
corner of the main menu no longer shows a file name. You
can name the new file when you save it with <F>ile <S>ave.
See III.5.2. <F>ile <S>ave. You must use <E>dit <F>ile
title if you want title this new file. See III.3.3. <E>dit
<F>ile title for more information.
2.4 <T>ree <I>nitiate tree
Selecting this function clears the screen and displays a new
edit box which will be the root idea of a new tree within
the current file. Use <E>dit <T>ree title if you want to
title this new tree. See III.3.4. <E>dit <T>ree title for
more information.
3. <E>dit
The <E>dit functions are used to edit ideas and their notes, to
title trees and files, and to copy and place one idea at a time.
The following keys can be used in all of the edit functions:
1. <ESC> - Pressing <ESC> ends a function and returns you
to the previous screen without saving your edits.
2. <ENTER> - Pressing <ENTER> saves your edits, ends the
function and returns you to the previous screen.
3. <ARROW> - The blinking edit cursor which appears in a
data entry field is moved around the field with the
left and right arrow keys.
4. <HOME> - Pressing the Home key moves the edit cursor to
the beginning of a data entry field.
5. <END> - Pressing the End key moves the edit cursor to
the end of a data entry field.
6. <BACKSPACE> - Pressing the backspace key erases the
character to the left of the edit cursor and moves the
remaining text over to fill in the space.
7. <INS> - Pressing the insert key toggles between insert
and overtype mode. Overtype mode is represented by a
fat edit cursor. Insert mode is represented by a thin
edit cursor.
8. <DEL> - Pressing the delete key erases the character
under the edit cursor and moves over all the text to
the right of the cursor to fill in the space.
9. <F5> - Pressing <F5> deletes all positions from the
beginning of the field through the first position left
of the cursor, and the position under the cursor and
all positions to its right are moved to the beginning
of the field.
10. <F6> - Pressing <F6> fills all positions in the field
to the right of the cursor with spaces.
11. <CTRL>-<LT> - Pressing the control and left arrow keys
simultaneously moves the edit cursor one word to the
left.
12. <CTRL>-<RT> - Pressing the control and right arrow keys
simultaneously moves the edit cursor one word to the
right.
3.1. <E>dit <I>dea
This function allows you to enter and/or edit text in the
position at the idea cursor.
Select <E>dit <I>dea. A data entry screen with a blinking
edit cursor appears. You may type up to 65 characters into
the data entry screen.
As you type, the text appears simultaneously in the position
under the idea cursor. All word-wrapping is automatic. A
position can display only the first 45 characters typed into
the data entry screen. When you leave the edit function,
any extra characters left in the data entry screen are lost.
Pressing <ENTER> saves the text and returns you to the main
menu.
3.2. <E>dit <N>ote
This function allows you to type a page of text which is
attached to an individual position.
Select <E>dit <N>ote. A large blank box with an edit cursor
in the upper left hand corner is displayed. You may fill
this box with text. You cannot type characters beyond the
end of the last line in the box.
Besides the edit keys mentioned in III.3. <E>dit above, you
can move the edit cursor with the following keys:
1. <ARROW> - You can move the edit cursor around the edit
box with the up, down, left and right arrow keys.
2. <PGUP> - Pressing <PgUp> moves the edit cursor to the
upper left corner of the edit box.
3. <PGDN> - Pressing <PgDn> moves the edit cursor to the
lower right corner of the edit box.
To quit <E>dit <N>ote and save your text, press <ENTER>.
You are immediately returned to the main menu. The position
to which a note is attached displays a small letter "n" in
its lower border.
To see a previously created note, move the idea cursor to
the idea you want and select <E>dit <N>ote.
3.3. <E>dit <F>ile title
Selecting this function displays the File Title page. At
the top of the screen you see information about the file.
1. CURRENT DIRECTORY: this shows the current working
drive and directory. If you save a file, this is
where is will be stored.
2. SOURCE DIRECTORY: this shows the directory from
which the current file was loaded into memory.
3. CREATION DATE: this shows the date when the file
was originally created.
4. CHANGE DATE: this shows the date of the last time
the file was saved to any drive and directory.
The central area of the File Title page displays a number of
fields into which you can type information. These are:
1. FILE TITLE: DOS only allows an eight-character
file name, it is helpful to assign a longer and
more descriptive file title for use within IDEA
TREE. The file title can be up to 22 characters
long.
2. FILE NAME: This is the eight-character file name
(without an extension) that DOS uses to access the
file. If this is a newly created file, the field
is blank. Otherwise, the current file name is
displayed in this field. You may type in a new
file name if you wish.
Be aware that DOS allows you to have two files
with the same name as long as they are in
different directories, but IDEA TREE will not
allow you to have two files with the same name
loaded into memory at the same time.
3. FILE DESCRIPTION: A description of the file's
contents can be up to 45 characters long. If no
file description is entered, a series of asterisks
is displayed in this field.
4. VERSION: A version number of up to six
alphanumeric characters is useful for tracking
changes made to a file.
5. AUTHORS: You can list up to three different
authors. Each field is thirty characters long.
Use the up and down arrow keys to move the bar cursor to the
field you wish to edit. Then type in your text. See III.3.
<E>dit for information about edit keys.
Pressing <ENTER> saves the text and returns you to the main
menu.
3.4. <E>dit <T>ree title
Selecting this function displays the Tree Title page. At
the top of the screen you see information about the file
containing the tree.
1. CURRENT DIRECTORY: this shows the current working
drive and directory. If you save a file, this is
where it will be stored.
2. SOURCE DIRECTORY: this shows the directory from
which the current file was loaded into memory.
3. CREATION DATE: this shows the date when the tree
was originally created.
4. CHANGE DATE: this shows the date of the last time
the tree in this file was saved to any drive and
directory.
The center section of the Tree Title page displays a number
of fields into which you can type information. These are:
1. TREE TITLE - The title of the tree currently being
displayed. The tree title can be up to 22
characters long.
2. TREE DESCRIPTION - A description of the tree
currently being displayed. If no tree description
has been entered, the root idea of the current
tree is displayed in this field. You can enter a
description of up to 45 characters.
3. VERSION - You will want to assign a version number
if you have several versions of the same tree with
the same tree title. Type a version number of up
to six alphanumeric characters.
4. AUTHORS - You can list up to three different
authors for a tree. Each field is thirty
characters long.
Pressing <ENTER> saves the text and returns you to the main
menu.
3.5. <E>dit <C>opy idea
Selecting this function copies the idea at the current idea
cursor position (and its note, if present) into a special
storage area in memory. The copied idea (and its note, if
present) can be placed into this or any tree over and over
again with the <E>dit <P>lace idea function. It will remain
in memory until you either copy something else or quit IDEA
TREE.
See III.3.6. <E>dit <P>lace idea for more information.
3.6. <E>dit <P>lace idea
Selecting this function places a previously copied idea (and
its note, if present) into the position under the idea
cursor.
Select <E>dit <P>lace idea. A previously copied idea (and
its note, if present) will appear at the idea cursor. Any
text already in the position will be written over by the
copied idea, and any note will be replaced.
Once you have copied a particular idea, <E>dit <P>lace idea
can be used to place that same idea repeatedly until you
either copy something else or quit IDEA TREE. If no idea
has been copied, this function has no effect.
See III.3.5. <E>dit <C>opy idea for more information.
3.7. <E>dit <M>ove idea
Selecting this function copies the idea at the current idea
cursor position (and its note, if present) into a special
storage area in memory. The current cursor position is then
removed. See III.4.3. <R>emove <P>osition for information
about how removing an idea affects a tree's structure. The
copied idea (and its note, if present) can be placed into
this or any tree over and over again with the <E>dit <P>lace
idea function. It will remain in memory until you either
copy something else or quit IDEA TREE.
4. <R>emove
The <R>emove functions are used to erase an idea, a position, a
branch of a tree, an entire tree, an entire file of trees, or all
files from the memory. You can also remove all ideas from a
branch while their positions remain in place. The <R>emove
functions simultaneously remove any attached notes.
Finally, you can remove all junctions from a tree. See III.4.9.
<R>emove <J>unctions for more information about junctions.
NOTE: There is no UNDO function in IDEA TREE. The <R>emove
functions can cause major changes to your tree. Be careful!
Remember that any changes made to a tree must be saved to a file
before quitting IDEA TREE. See III.5.2. <F>ile <S>ave for more
information.
4.1. <R>emove <I>dea
<R>emove <I>dea removes the idea at the idea cursor from
your computer's memory. The position is then filled with
spaces.
Move the idea cursor to the idea you want to remove. Select
<R>emove <I>dea. The idea is immediately removed from the
position and replaced with spaces.
4.2. <R>emove <N>ote
<R>emove <N>ote removes the note at the idea cursor from
your computer's memory.
Move the idea cursor to the idea whose note you want to
remove. Select <R>emove <N>ote. The small "n" disappears
from the border of the current position and the note is
immediately removed.
4.3. <R>emove <P>osition
This function removes both the idea and the position at the
idea cursor.
Move the idea cursor to the position you want to remove.
Select <R>emove <P>osition. The position is immediately
removed. Any children of the removed position are moved up
to the level of the removed position.
4.4. <R>emove <B>ranch
This function removes the position at the idea cursor and
all of its children, if any.
Move the idea cursor to the position which will be the root
of the branch you want to remove. Select <R>emove <B>ranch.
The message
REMOVE ALL DEPENDENT POSITIONS
IN THIS BRANCH? (Y/N)
appears.
Pressing <N> is the same as pressing <ESC>. You are
returned to the main menu and the tree is not affected.
Pressing <Y> removes the position at the idea cursor and all
positions depending from it.
4.5. <R>emove <T>ree
This function will remove the currently displayed tree.
Select <R>emove <T>ree. The message
REMOVE THIS ENTIRE TREE? Y/N
will pop up.
Pressing <N> is the same as pressing <ESC>. You are
returned to the main menu and the tree is not affected.
Pressing <Y> removes the entire tree immediately. A list of
all files and trees remaining in memory is then displayed.
This is the same list you see when using <G>o to <T>ree.
See III.1.4. <G>o to <T>ree for more information. Move the
bar cursor to the tree you want and press <ENTER>.
If <R>emove <T>ree removes the last tree so that there are
no other trees left in memory, the start-up message
USE <F>ile <L>oad OR <F>ile <D>irectory
TO LOAD A TREE FILE
OR USE <N>ew TO CREATE A NEW TREE FILE
appears.
4.6. <R>emove <F>ile
This function removes an entire file of trees from the
memory.
Select <R>emove <F>ile. The message
REMOVE THIS ENTIRE FILE? Y/N
appears.
Pressing <N> is the same as pressing <ESC>. You are
returned to the main menu and the file is not affected.
Pressing <Y> removes the entire file immediately. A list of
all files and trees remaining in memory is then displayed.
This is the same list you see when using <G>o to <T>ree.
See III.1.4. <G>o to <T>ree for more information. Move the
bar cursor to the tree you want and press <ENTER>.
If <R>emove <F>ile removes the last file so that there are
no other files left in memory, the start-up message
USE <F>ile <L>oad OR <F>ile <D>irectory
TO LOAD A TREE FILE
OR USE <N>ew TO CREATE A NEW TREE FILE
appears.
4.7. <R>emove <A>ll files
This function removes all files from your computer's memory.
Select <R>emove <A>ll files. The message
REMOVE ALL FILES? <Y/N>
appears.
Pressing <N> is the same as pressing <ESC>. You are
returned to the main menu and no files are removed.
Pressing <Y> removes all files from the computer's memory.
The tree display is cleared and the start-up message
USE <F>ile <L>oad OR <F>ile <D>irectory
TO LOAD A TREE FILE
OR USE <N>ew TO CREATE A NEW TREE FILE
appears.
4.8. <R>emove <C>lear ideas
This function removes all ideas in a branch of the current
tree. The positions are then filled with spaces.
Move the idea cursor to the position which will be the root
of the branch whose ideas you want to remove. Select
<R>emove <C>lear ideas. The message
CLEAR ALL IDEAS IN THIS BRANCH TO SPACES? (Y/N)
appears.
Pressing <N> is the same as pressing <ESC>. You are
returned to the main menu and the tree is not affected.
Pressing <Y> immediately removes all ideas from the idea
cursor position and its dependent positions and replaces
them with spaces.
4.9. <R>emove <J>unctions
This function removes all junctions in a branch of the
displayed tree, starting from the current idea cursor
position. See I.4.11. Junction, for more information about
junctions.
Select <R>emove <J>unctions. The message
REMOVE ALL JUNCTIONS FROM THE CURRENT TREE? <Y/N>
appears.
Pressing <N> is the same as pressing <ESC>. You are
returned to the main menu and no junctions are removed.
Pressing <Y> immediately removes all junctions from the
currently displayed tree.
5. <F>ile
The <F>ile functions control the files in which trees are stored.
A file can contain from one to any number of trees. A file's
size is limited only by the amount of memory your computer has
available.
The <F>ile <L>oad function is a quick way to load a file if you
know its DOS filename. The <F>ile <D>irectory function gives you
specific information about all tree files in the current
directory and provides a set of commands which operate on files.
5.1. <F>ile <L>oad
This function allows you to load a specific file from the
current directory. See III.5.4. <F>ile <N>ew path for more
information about changing directories. See III.5.3. <F>ile
<D>irectory for more information about loading files.
Select <F>ile <L>oad. The message
ENTER FILENAME TO LOAD
appears.
Type the name of the file you want to load and press
<ENTER>. The file is loaded. The filename may have up to
eight characters. This filename should not include a drive
or path specification, or a file extension.
If this is the first file loaded after starting IDEA TREE,
the first tree of the file is displayed. If you have other
files already loaded, the list of all files in memory is
displayed, including the file you have just loaded. You
must move the bar cursor to the tree you wish to display and
press <ENTER>. Pressing <ESC> redisplays the tree which had
been on the screen when you loaded the new file.
If you type the name of a file which does not exist in the
current directory the message
NO SUCH FILE IN THIS DIRECTORY
WOULD YOU LIKE TO RETRY? <Y/N>
appears.
Pressing <N> is the same as pressing <ESC>. You are
returned to the main menu and no file is loaded.
Pressing <Y> redisplays the message
ENTER FILENAME TO LOAD
You can either type a different filename or press <ESC> to
quit the function and return to the main menu.
5.2. <F>ile <S>ave
This function allows you to save either a newly created
file, or the changes you have made to a file. It also
allows you to create or change the information in a file's
title page.
Select <F>ile <S>ave. The message
DO YOU WANT TO EDIT THE
TITLE FOR THIS FILE?(Y/N)
appears.
Press <Y> to edit the file title information. The file
title page is displayed. See III.3.3. <E>dit <F>ile title
for more information. When you have finished editing the
file title page, and have pressed either <ENTER> or <ESC>,
the message
ENTER FILENAME TO SAVE
appears.
Press <N> in response to the edit title prompt if you do not
want to edit the file title information. The message
ENTER FILENAME TO SAVE
then appears.
The current filename is always displayed in the edit field
below this message, unless the file is new and has not yet
been titled or saved. Press <ENTER> to save the currently
displayed tree under the filename displayed below the
message.
You may also type in a different filename and press <ENTER>.
The current file will be saved to this different filename.
If you change the filename the file is saved to, the
filename on the file title page is automatically changed as
well.
5.3. <F>ile <D>irectory
This function calls up a menu of subfunctions that allow you
to load, create, backup and erase files. You can also
display a file's title or change to a different directory.
All IDEA TREE files in the current directory are listed
along with their backup files. An IDEA TREE file which has
no backup is preceded by "*". A backup file which has no
loadable IDEA TREE file is preceded by "/". Each file is
assigned a selection number.
You can move the cursor to the file you want by either using
the arrow keys or typing the file's selection number and
pressing <ENTER>.
5.3.1. <F>ile <D>irectory <L>oad file
This function loads the file at the cursor.
From the main menu, select <F>ile <D>irectory. Move
the cursor to the file you want. Select <L>oad file.
You are returned to the main menu. If this is the
first file loaded into memory, its first tree is
displayed. Otherwise, the list of all trees in memory
is displayed, including those loaded with the selected
file.
Use <G>o to <T>ree to display the newly loaded file.
See III.1.4. <G>o to <T>ree.
5.3.2. <F>ile <D>irectory <C>reate file
This function creates a loadable IDEA TREE file from a
backup.
From the main menu, select <F>ile <D>irectory. Move
the cursor to the backup file you want. The name of a
backup file which has no loadable IDEA TREE file in the
current directory is preceded by "/".
Select <C>reate file. A loadable IDEA TREE file is
created from the backup. The "/" preceding the
filename disappears. This indicates that the current
directory now contains both a loadable IDEA TREE file
and its backup.
If you try to create a loadable file for a backup which
already has a file, the message
FILE AND BACKUP BOTH EXIST
THERE IS NO NEED TO MAKE A LOADABLE FILE
appears.
5.3.3. <F>ile <D>irectory <B>ackup file
This function creates a backup file from a loadable
IDEA TREE file which has no backup.
Saving changes to an IDEA TREE file which has a backup
file is automatic. The old IDEA TREE file is
automatically copied into the backup, and the new
changes are copied into the IDEA TREE file.
From the main menu, select <F>ile <D>irectory. Move
the cursor to the file you want. An IDEA TREE filename
which has no backup is preceded by "*".
Select <B>ackup file. The "*" disappears. This
indicates that the current directory contains both a
loadable IDEA TREE file and its backup.
If you try to make a backup for a loadable file which
already has a backup, the message
FILE AND BACKUP BOTH EXIST
THERE IS NO NEED TO CREATE A BACKUP
appears.
5.3.4. <F>ile <D>irectory <D>isplay title
This function allows you to display a file's title
page. This function is essentially the same as <G>o to
<T>ree <D>isplay title.
From the main menu, select <F>ile <D>irectory. Move
the cursor to the file you want.
Select <D>isplay title. The file's title page is
displayed. Pressing any key returns you to the <F>ile
<D>irectory display.
If you try to display a backup which has no loadable
file, the message
THE FILE DOES NOT EXIST
THIS IS THE TITLE FOR THE BACKUP FILE
appears.
Pressing any key then displays the backup file's title
page. Pressing any key returns you to the <F>ile
<D>irectory display.
5.3.5. <F>ile <D>irectory <E>rase file
This function allows you to erase a file and its
backup.
From the main menu, select <F>ile <D>irectory. Move
the cursor to the file you want.
Select <E>rase file. The message
DO YOU WANT TO DELETE filename.TNS? <Y/N>
appears.
Pressing "Y" deletes the file. Pressing "N" is the
same as pressing <ESC>. You are returned to the <F>ile
<D>irectory menu and the file is not deleted.
If it is a loadable file with a backup, pressing "Y"
also causes the message
DO YOU WANT TO DELETE THE BACKUP AS WELL? <Y/N>
to appear.
Pressing "Y" then deletes the backup. Pressing "N"
returns you to the <F>ile <D>irectory menu. A "/" now
precedes the filename, indicating that the file is a
backup without a loadable IDEA TREE file.
5.3.6. <F>ile <D>irectory <N>ew path
This function allows you to change from the current
directory to a different directory. This function is
essentially the same as the <F>ile <N>ew path command.
If you are changing to a new drive as well as a new
directory, the directory name must be preceded by the
new drive letter and ":\". If you are changing to a
directory on the same drive, the directory name must be
preceded by "\". If you are changing to a subdirectory
of the current directory, you need only type the
subdirectory's name. See your DOS manual for more
information about directories.
Remember, the upper left corner of the display shows
the drive, directory and filename for the currently
displayed tree.
From the main menu, select <F>ile <D>irectory.
Select <N>ew path. The message
ENTER DIRECTORY PATH
appears.
Type the directory name to which you want to change and
press <ENTER>.
If the drive or directory name does not exist, the
message
DIRECTORY PATH IS INCORRECT.
DIRECTORY HAS NOT BEEN CHANGED.
appears.
If the directory does not contain files with the
extension ".TNS" or ".TNB", the message
THERE ARE NO IDEA TREE FILES OR BACKUPS IN THIS
DIRECTORY
appears and you are returned to the <F>ile <D>irectory
menu.
5.4. <F>ile <N>ew path
This function allows you to change from the current
directory to a different directory. If you are changing to
a new drive as well as a new directory, the directory name
must be preceded by the new drive letter and ":\". If you
are changing to a directory on the same drive, the directory
name must be preceded by "\". If you are changing to a
subdirectory of the current directory, you need only type
the subdirectory's name. See your DOS manual for more
information about directories.
Remember, the upper left corner of the display shows the
drive, directory and filename for the currently displayed
tree.
From the main menu, select <F>ile <N>ew path. The message
ENTER DIRECTORY PATH
appears.
Type the directory name to which you want to change and
press <ENTER>.
If the drive or directory name does not exist, the message
DIRECTORY PATH IS INCORRECT.
DIRECTORY HAS NOT BEEN CHANGED.
appears.
If the directory does not contain files with the extension
".TNS" or ".TNB", the message
THERE ARE NO IDEA TREE FILES
OR BACKUPS IN THIS DIRECTORY
appears and you are returned to the main menu.
5.5. <F>ile <I>nitiate
This function allows you to start a new file.
Select <F>ile <I>nitiate. A blank position appears along
with an edit field. See III.3. <E>dit for more information
about editing ideas.
This is the root idea of your new file. Use <E>dit <F>ile
title to title the file. Remember to save the new file
before quitting IDEA TREE.
5.6. <F>ile <C>ombine
This function allows you to combine two files into one.
Use <G>o to <T>ree to display a tree from the file you want
to combine with another file. See III.1.4. <G>o to <T>ree
for more information. Select <F>ile <C>ombine. A list of
all other files in memory is displayed. This is the same
list you see when you use <G>o to <T>ree, except that the
individual tree lines are not shown. Move the cursor to the
file with which the trees of the currently displayed file
will be combined. Press <ENTER>.
The first file you selected has been added to the second
file you selected. The first file no longer exists as a
separate file. The second file is now a combination of both
files. You are returned to the main menu and the tree
originally displayed.
6. <M>ark
This function allows you to either mark a place in the tree, or
remove a placemark. You can jump to a placemark by using <G>o to
<M>ark. See III.1.1 <G>o to <M>ark for more information.
6.1. <M>ark <S>et
This function allows you to mark a place in the current tree
at the idea cursor.
Move the idea cursor to the position you want to mark.
Select <M>ark <S>et. Three asterisks will appear at the top
of the marked position. You may now move the idea cursor
anywhere in the current tree and use <G>o to <M>ark to
return directly to the marked position. The position
remains marked until you either use <M>ark <R>emove or use
<M>ark <S>et at a different position.
6.2. <M>ark <R>emove
This function allows you to remove a placemark. See II.6.1.
<M>ark <S>et for more information about marking a place in a
tree.
Select <M>ark <R>emove. This automatically removes a
previously set placemark from the currently displayed tree.
The idea cursor does not have to be at the marked position.
If a placemark has not been set, <M>ark <R>emove has no
effect.
7. <N>ew and <Alt>-<N>ew
This set of functions allows you to add new positions to your
tree.
<N>ew can be used two ways:
1. <N> - Pressing <N> pops the <N>ew menu onto the screen. Any
item selected from this menu puts a position on the screen
and activates <E>dit <I>dea automatically so you can start
typing text into the position immediately.
2. <Alt>-<N> - Pressing <Alt> and <N> at the same time pops the
<N>ew menu onto the screen. Any item selected from this
menu puts a blank position on the screen without activating
<E>dit <I>dea.
7.1. <N>ew <U>p
This function allows you to insert a position above the idea
cursor.
Move the idea cursor to the position above which a new
position is to be inserted. Select <N>ew <U>p or <Alt>-
<N>ew <U>p. A new position is inserted above the idea
cursor.
If you attempt to insert a position above the tree root, the
message
MOVE DOWN ONE LEVEL TO ADD A NEW POSITION
appears.
7.2. <N>ew <D>own
This function allows you to insert a position below the idea
cursor.
Move the idea cursor to the position below which a new
position is to be inserted.
Select <N>ew <D>own or <Alt>-<N>ew <D>own. A new position
is inserted below the idea cursor.
7.3. <N>ew <L>eft
This function allows you to insert a position to the left of
the idea cursor.
Move the idea cursor to the position to the left of which a
new position is to be inserted.
Select <N>ew <L>eft or <Alt>-<N>ew <L>eft. A new position
is inserted to the left of the idea cursor.
7.4. <N>ew <R>ight
This function allows you to insert a position to the right
of the idea cursor.
Move the idea cursor to the position to the right of which a
new position is to be inserted. Select <N>ew <R>ight or
<Alt>-<N>ew <R>ight. A new position is inserted to the
right of the idea cursor.
At the third level of a screen, using <N>ew <R>ight
automatically displays a new page. The position under the
idea cursor becomes the page root and the newly created
position becomes its second level child.
8. <P>rint
This function allows you several options when printing your tree.
You can print one idea, the current screen, a page, a branch, or
the entire tree.
Before selecting a print function, load your printer with
continuous feed 8 1/2" x 11" paper. Make sure the printer is
turned on and that the print head is lined up with the top of the
paper.
A page root and up to four second level positions and seven third
level positions can be printed on a single 8 1/2" x 11" sheet.
If there are more than four second level positions, the number of
the page on which they are printed appears near the upper right
corner of the right-most level two position. If there are more
than seven third level positions, their presence is indicated by
a down pointing arrow at the lower right corner of the lowest
level three position. These positions will appear on the next
sequentially numbered page. All pages are printed with the
tree's title, filename, file directory, date, time, and page
number.
A position may have children appearing on a different page. The
number which appears above the upper right hand corner of a
printed position tells you on what page its children appear.
A position may have an attached note. If you choose to print
notes, a number appears in the upper right hand border of the
printed position. This number and the idea contained in the
position also appear as a heading to the printed note.
<P>rint <I>dea always prints an idea's note, if one is attached.
All of the other print commands allow for the printing of ideas
and/or notes.
Select any print command (except for <P>rint <I>dea), and the
following menu appears in the center of the screen, with a bar
cursor.
PRINT IDEAS ONLY
PRINT NOTES ONLY
PRINT NOTES AND IDEAS
EXPORT NOTES
Move the bar cursor to the choice you want and press <ENTER>.
Your selected print command will now be executed according to
this choice.
If you choose to EXPORT NOTES, all of the notes of the current
tree are saved to the current directory as an ASCII file under
the DOS file name EXPORT.EXP. This file can then be loaded into
your own word processor for formatting and printing.
The ideas are always printed first. Any notes are printed as a
separately numbered document.
8.1. <P>rint <I>dea
This function allows you to print the idea under the idea
cursor along with its note, if a note is attached.
Move the idea cursor to the position you want. Select
<P>rint <I>dea. The idea is printed first. Its associated
note, if any, is printed on the same page.
8.2. <P>rint <S>creen
This function allows you to print only the tree of ideas
that is currently displayed on the screen.
Select <P>rint <S>creen. The currently displayed screen is
printed on a single page.
8.3. <P>rint <P>age
This function allows you to print the current page. The
current page consists of the page root and all positions at
the second and third levels below it.
Select <P>rint <P>age. The current page is printed. One
IDEA TREE page may come out to several printed pages.
8.4. <P>rint <B>ranch
This function allows you to print a branch of your tree,
starting from the position under the idea cursor.
Select <P>rint <P>age. The branch is then printed with the
branch root at the top of the page. All levels depending
from the branch root are also printed.
8.5. <P>rint <T>ree
This function allows you to print your entire tree.
Select <P>rint <T>ree. The entire tree is printed.
8.6. <P>rint <F>ile
This function allows you to print all trees in the current
file.
Select <P>rint <F>ile. Each tree in the current file is
printed.
8.7. <P>rint <S>elect
This function allows you to tell the computer what type of
printer you are using. IDEA TREE allows you to select
either an Epson (or Epson compatible) or any printer with an
IBM "all-print" font.
If you have experience in writing batch files or
programming, you should be able to write a printer file that
will allow you to use other types of printers with IDEA
TREE. See II.2.3. Creating A Printer File for more
information.
Select <S>elect and the following menu appears in the center
of the screen with a bar cursor:
allprint
epson
Use the up and down arrow keys to move the bar cursor to the
selection you want, then press <ENTER>.
If you have modified the printer file, IDEA.PRT, to include
your printer, the name of your printer will appear in this
menu. See II.2.3. Creating A Printer File for more
information.