Shareware Overload

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ Shareware Overload / ShartewareOverload.cdr / database / ezcard12.zip / EZCARD12.DOC < prev next >

Wrap

Text File | 1991-03-26 | 38KB | 857 lines

Register TODAY and recieve *FREE* upgrades for an entire year! You also get future shareware releases of ALL BOB-KIT Software programs sent FREE! Note: The registered version of EZ-CARDs holds 500 cards in EACH file and YOUR name will be permanently imprinted on the opening screen. T H A N K Y O U ! ! ! (A registration form is attached to these instructions or can be printed from the program by accessing "HELP Screens" and selecting "REGISTRATION". Call TOLL-FREE for VISA/MC orders.) EEEEEEE ZZZZZZZ CCCCCCC AAAAAAA RRRRRRR DDDDDD E ZZ C A A R R D D SSSSS EEEEE ZZZ === C AAAAAAA RRRRRRR D D S E ZZZ C A A R RR D D SSSSS E ZZ C A A R RR D D S EEEEEEE ZZZZZZZ CCCCCCC A A R RR DDDDDD SSSSS -------------- EZ-CARDs v1.2 -------------- Copyright (C) 1991 BOB-KIT Software Company All Rights Reserved +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ | This documentation contains much of the same information | | found in the program's "HELP Screens". If you don't find the | | answer you're looking for there, it "should" be here. If it | | isn't - please call me. | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ EZ-CARDs Instructions ■ Table of Contents Page ----------------------------------------- ---- BOB-KIT Software Company ■ Who are They? .................... 1 A Quick Intro ............................................... 1 System Requirements ......................................... 1 NEW Features ................................................ 2 EZ-CARDs ■ A Shareware Program .............................. 3 Important Facts Regarding This Program ...................... 4 "LINGO" Used In This Program ................................ 5 "LINGO" (cont.), Getting Started ............................ 6 Getting Started (cont.) ..................................... 7 The COMMANDs [ADD, AutoSort, DELETE, EDIT] .................. 8 The COMMANDs [FIND] ......................................... 9 The COMMANDs [LOAD, MEMO, PRINT] ........................... 10 The COMMANDs [PRINT (cont.), QUIT] ......................... 11 The COMMANDs [SORT, VIEW] .................................. 12 VENDOR INFO ................................................ 13 Registration Form .......................................... 14 -- Page i -- BOB-KIT Software Company ■ Who Are They? ---------------------------------------- My name is Bob Smith (it really is!). My wife, Kitty, and I run BOB-KIT Software Company in Detroit, MI. This is currently a home-based operation. I do computer consulting and custom software programming for local businesses while Kitty helps out with incoming calls and takes care of our two (THREE in August '91!) children. I make it a point to be home between 9am and 3pm during the week [unless somebody has *crashed* their computer or some other catastrophe occurs]. I work the consulting hours around those (somehow) and am normally found banging out something on the keyboard. This is our first "shareware" program and we're trying very hard to make it a success. If you have any feedback or questions, please feel free to use our toll-free number --> 1-800-473-3137 This version of EZ-CARDs has been in the works for about two months. It incorporates MANY suggestions from folks just like YOU and will proceed to do so with future releases. A Quick Intro ------------- EZ-CARDs is an extremely EZ-to-use program that allows you to store information on an unlimited number of people you deal with - both professionally and socially. Originally, this program was produced for business owners who had computers, but didn't have the time to learn how to use them or the expensive database programs available. Whether you're in need of a program to track and print thousands of mailing labels or you just want a simple software product to store and retrieve your friends, relatives and business associates, EZ-CARDs will suit those needs (and then some). The only major difference between this and the registered version is that you're limited to 15 cards in any file as opposed to 500. Also, your registered version will bear your name on the opening screen. System Requirements ------------------- EZ-CARDs will run on any IBM or true compatible with a minimum of 256K free memory and DOS 2.1 or higher. RUN-ME!.BAT provides helpful information regarding the use of color or monochrome monitors. Also see the "GETTING STARTED" section. -- Page 1 -- ****************************** | NEW FEATURES | ****************************** The following is a list of major revisions that have been made to EZ-CARDs with version 1.2: - Extensive HELP Screens providing information on 17 subjects. - A four-line "MEMO" card has been added to facilitate the addition of information such as birthdays, meetings, etc. Toggle it's display "ON" or "OFF" with [M]. - Totally re-written screen routines to make the program more appealing to the eyes. - A new "Company" card field which is included on all print options. (Blank lines, however, are NOT printed when the Company field contains no information) - More space in the "Name" field along with the removal of separate "first" and "last" name fields. - A fabulous new function called "AutoSort" which indexes all cards by LAST name! - Elimination of most "sound" including the option to toggle it "ON" or "OFF". (Sorry if you'll miss this, but it wasn't that popular.) - The "FIND" COMMAND now features user-defined "string" searches of all fields (including the four MEMO lines). PLUS, "strings" are retained so you can execute it again and the *NEXT* match will be placed up front! - ALL registered copies of EZ-CARDs will bear the name of the person(s) who registered it on the opening screen. It looks great - as I hope you'll see. - There is no "standard" customizing such as was offered (at additional cost) with previous versions. However, customized features are still available - call me if you're interested. - There are now 10 spaces in the "Zip" field to accomodate those darned "12345-1234" zip codes. -- Page 2 -- EZ-CARDs ■ A Shareware Program ------------------------------ EZ-CARDs is currently released as a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge to the user for evaluation. You are encouraged to share copies of this package with friends and "upload" it to your local Bulletin Board Systems. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT ALL FILES ARE INCLUDED and unmodified in any way. This includes the two files which make up the sample EZ-File: "EZCARD.EZF" & "EZCARD.MEM". If you change any of the information, try to restore them and DO NOT place anything on those cards that might be deemed offensive or obscene. We trust that you're a responsible adult and would never do something that stupid and immature. THANK YOU! "Shareware" is a concept where computer software users have an opportunity to try a program before they buy it. Shareware is comparable to commercial software in quality (there are good ones and bad ones), but not usually in price. Shareware is normally much less expensive because the author has not spent the many thousands, even millions, of dollars on advertising that commercial software companies do. Thus, the overhead is much less, so your cost reflects this. If you use a shareware program for a reasonable period of time and have found it of value, you should register it. EZ-CARDs provides you with many unique "extras" when you become a registered user. Have you ever bought a com- mercial software program and 6 months later a new version is being released? If so, what happened next? Did the company send you a copy of that new version? I didn't think so. With this program, you get those new versions absolutely FREE for a whole year! Once that year is up, you may buy future releases for only $10. You also recieve *free* disks containing shareware releases of our other programs when they become available. Plus, the opening screen of your registered copy of EZ-CARDs will be imprinted with YOUR name and TOLL-FREE technical support is provided at no charge. No matter what you decide - Thank you for trying this program and sharing it with others! -- Page 3 -- +----------------------------------------+ | IMPORTANT FACTS REGARDING THIS PROGRAM | +----------------------------------------+ Files That Are Needed --------------------- There are four files which MUST reside in the same directory as EZCARD.EXE - they are: OPENSCRN.CLR, OPENSCRN.MON, BKGRND.CLR, and BKGRND.MON If any are missing and EZ-CARDs tries to access it, you will recieve a "FATAL ERROR!" message and the program will terminate. If, however, you would like to get rid of the ones that AREN'T being used, here's how: If you run the program on a color monitor, and the opening screen contains a RED border, then "OPENSCRN.MON" can be moved or deleted. The same goes for "BKGRND.MON" - IF the background color for the EZ-CARDs main display is MAGENTA (purple). Once those files are removed from the EZCARD.EXE directory, you CAN NOT use the "M" command line switch to force it to run in black and white. The 2 files with ".MON" extensions are for use with B&W or monochrome monitors while the ".CLR" files are used with color displays. Similarly, if you're POSITIVE that you don't use the .CLR files, feel free to remove them. You would then NOT be able to force it to run in color with the "C" command line switch. PLEASE - ONLY DO THIS WITH YOUR COPY OF THE PROGRAM! Disclaimer ■ Agreement ---------------------- Users of EZ-CARDs must accept this disclaimer of warranty: "EZ-CARDs" is supplied "as is". The author disclaims all warranties, either expressed or implied, including without limitation, the warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose. The author assumes no liability for damages, direct or consequential, which may result from the use of this program. If, for any reason, the user does not agree with this disclaimer, then the software program referred to by the author as "EZ-CARDs" will not be used. Copyrights ---------- The following files are Copyright (C) 1991 BOB-KIT Software Company ■ All Rights Reserved: EZCARD12.DOC, EZCARD.EXE, OPENSCRN.CLR, OPENSCRN.MON, BKGRND.CLR, BKGRND.MON, and all files distributed with this software - with regard to their function but not, necessarily, their name. Please see the "VENDOR INFO" section for distribution details. -- Page 4 -- "LINGO" Used In This Program ---------------------------- Here's a list of words pertaining to EZ-CARDs along with brief definitions of each: COMMAND: An available function to be carried out by EZ-CARDs. You are "COMMAND"ing the program to perform a specific function whenever you type the first letter of your choice. For example, pressing [E] will make EZ-CARDs respond with the EDIT screen and, when you're finished, return to its "Okay, tell me to do something" state. EZ-File: A file on disk that consists of the "cards" and user-supplied information used in the program. Imagine, if you will, that EZ-Files are "boxes" containing "3 X 5" cards. You have one box called "BUSINESS" and another named "PERSONAL". By loading "BUSINESS" into EZ-CARDs, you're opening that "box" to locate a particular card, add cards, print a card, etc. ==============> IMPORTANT NOTES: An EZ-File is actually TWO files. One has a 3-character extension of ".EZF" and the other is tagged ".MEM" - If you like to experiment with files, DO NOT with these. -->Fair Warning<-- If EZ-CARDs tries to load a file that doesn't have a properly matching counterpart, it will terminate with a "FATAL ERROR!" message. Field(s): Each area of the card that can be typed in is a field. There are names for each field on a "card" such as "Name", "Company", "City", etc. The four MEMO fields do not have names. (Well, I call 'em Line 1, Line 2, & so forth) All fields have a limited amount of space to type information in. Although I haven't had a problem with running out of space - you may. If that happens, you'll need to abbreviate your entry. LOAD: This is the same as "opening" as it refers to accessing a file for use with the program. String: A "string" of characters is one or more letter(s), number(s), etc. typed in by the user. (Used with the "FIND" COMMAND.) -- Page 5 -- "LINGO" (cont.) ------- TopCard: Also called the "front card". This is the card on top that is displaying the information con- tained in all its fields. Only the TopCard can be edited or deleted. ========> NOTE: Whenever a card is added or edited, card number one (#1) is placed on top. Cards are numbered only for added visual effect. Their numbers may change anytime cards are added, edited, deleted, or sorted VIEW: As used by this program, it means to get an instant display of all files available for LOADing. GETTING STARTED --------------- To start the program, at the DOS prompt, type: A:\>EZCARD [ENTER] <----- This always means to press your [ENTER] or [CR] key. To force EZ-CARDs to run in color, type: A:\>EZCARD C [ENTER] To force EZ-CARDs to run in black & white, type: A:\>EZCARD M [ENTER] As with all the great features and COMMANDs available in this program, upper- or lower-case letters will produce the same results. Furthermore, typing the whole word ("COLOR" or "MONO") will also work. At the opening screen, you are given a three-choice menu to select from. The quickest way to get into the program is to press [L] to "LOAD an EZ-File". Then when asked to name one, press [ENTER] to automatically access the file named EZCARD.EZF. Now we're in! This is the only screen you'll have to look at until you quit the program - with the exception of "HELP Screens" and "VIEW" since both of those temporarily cover the EZ-CARDs main display. -- Page 6 -- GETTING STARTED (cont.) --------------- At the top is a reminder to "Press letter of COMMAND selection OR choose a card". In the middle your screen is the TopCard with its current number position always shown near the lower left side of your monitor. While we're in the lower left, there's also "H)ELP Screens" and "T)urn AutoSort OFF" indicating that by pressing those first letters, that function will be carried out. On the left, same deal - all available COMMANDs with the first letter showing that by pressing it - THAT happens. Pressing any valid letter will immediately execute its corresponding COMMAND or function. Pressing [ENTER] is not necessary. (Makes it EZ!) In the lower right corner you see a box with a list of the available keys for choosing a card. Here they are and what they do: [Home] - Places card #1 on top [End] - Puts the last card in that file on top [UP] arrow - Moves the cards one UP. For example, from #10 to #11. [DOWN] arrow - Moves the cards DOWN one, like from #30 to #29. [PgDn] & [PgUp] - Moves the cards 10 at a time in that direction (IF there are more than 10 cards in the file) On the right is a unique display called the "NEXT 10 Window" which shows you exactly that - the ten cards behind the TopCard. If the TopCard is number 102, then "NEXT 10" would hold numbers 103 through 112. To add readability and attractiveness to it, ONLY the last name of each is shown! ("AutoSort" in the next section has information regarding filtered character strings) Whenever you need a quick reminder about any of the COMMANDs or functions in this program, press [H] to access "HELP Screens". If the answer you seek does not reside there, then come back here - if you still don't find it, call me! The next section will explain each of the program's COMMANDs. -- Page 7 -- The COMMANDs ■ Telling EZ-CARDs What To Do ------------------------------------------ ADD - This initiates a new card in the current EZ-File. A window appears at the top of the screen and shows the available keys for moving around the card. Use those keys the same as you do any word processor including the ability to toggle the [INS] key to "overstrike" mode. Pressing [F10] tells the program you're finished and, if "AutoSort" is "ON", will index the card. If AutoSort has been turned "OFF", new cards are placed at the end of that file. AutoSort - Although this isn't a COMMAND itself, you can turn it "ON" or "OFF" by pressing [T]. AutoSort is a function I haven't seen in any other program. It will index (alphabetize) all cards by LAST name each time a card is added or edited (provided it's "ON"). The following elements (character strings) are filtered out: JR., SR., and III. If duplicate last names are found, then Auto- Sort will filter MR., MRS., MS., or MR. AND MRS. and index those cards by first name. Like all functions in EZ-CARDs, upper- and lower-case letters are treated equally. Version 1.2 is this feature's introduction into the program and, with future releases, will be able to filter more elements. On a slower machine, you may want to turn it "OFF" when adding many cards at once. Turn it "ON" before adding the last one, and they'll ALL be indexed. NOTE: AutoSort is "ON" when you start the program. DELETE - If a card is no longer needed, then DELETE it. Just remember this: A deleted card CAN NOT be recovered. You will, of course, be asked for confirmation before the card is erased and removed. EDIT - To change any or all of the TopCard's fields, press [E] to edit it. A window appears at the top of the screen and shows the available keys for moving around the card. Use those keys the same as you do any word processor including the ability to toggle the [INS] key to "overstrike" mode. Pressing [F10] tells the program you're finished and, if "AutoSort" is "ON", will index the card. -- Page 8 -- The COMMANDs (cont.) ------------ FIND - This is a super COMMAND that allows you to locate any card in the current EZ-File instantly. I will illustrate its use with an example: I have a card somewhere in the file that contains a friend of mine who lives in West Palm Beach, FL. There's 350 cards in this file, so I could [PgUp] 35 times (and hope I don't miss it) OR I can press [F]. Then I would place the cursor in the "City" field using the [ENTER] key. Now, I type "w" (or "W") and [F10] to have EZ-CARDs place the first card with a "W" as the first character in the "City" field up front. By pressing [F], then [F10] again, the NEXT match would be placed up front. So, if on the first attempt, a card with "Washington" was placed on top, pressing [F], then [F10] might place the one I'm looking for up front. After the first use of FIND in any session with EZ-CARDs, the string of character(s) is retained and will be displayed when the COMMAND is called upon again. To increase the chances of finding a specific card, use more than one field for the search. Using the same example, I could have typed "F" in the "State" field to increase chances of it being the first match. Also, by typing "WEST PALM BEACH" I would insure that ONLY a card with that in its "City" field would be placed on top. NOTE: "space" characters are filtered before the search begins, so "WEST " (with a space after "T") would also yield a card containing "WESTVILLE". Like all functions of EZ-CARDs, upper- and lower-case letters are treated the same. You can also use FIND to "browse" through several cards that you know will match a specific description. Pressing [F], then [F10] will continue to place the NEXT matching card on top - once the last one is found, it rotates BACK through the file again, so you would eventually see the same card again. We tested this on a file with 450 cards and discovered that, even if the desired card was all the way in back, EZ-CARDs took under 2 seconds to place it on top! (80286 machine running at 12mhz) With a little experimenting, you'll see how useful this COMMAND is - just think how handy it'll be with your registered version that holds 500 cards in each file! -- Page 9 -- The COMMANDs (cont.) ------------ LOAD - To work with a different EZ-File or to create a new one, press [L]. You'll be asked to confirm this choice, then (assuming a "Y" response), the current file is saved in its present index order and closed. Next, you'll be asked to name an EZ-File to load. All this is done without ever leaving your main EZ-CARDs screen. MEMO - To suit differing preferences, you can toggle the "MEMO" card to be displayed or NOT be displayed. To accomplish either, press [M]. MEMO is shown automatically when you're adding or editing a card. It will also be brought on screen for SORTing or FINDs. PRINT - EZ-CARDs offers you several pre-formatted print options. Press [P] and you'll be asked which you would like to print: Mailing labels, directly to envelopes, or Page Print. Make your selection, then, for labels and envelopes, you need to tell the program if you want to print the TopCard's information or ALL cards in the current EZ-File. For "Page Print", select "Single sheet feed" or "Continuous feed" to indicate your type of printer. All "Print jobs" can be cancelled any time before they begin by pressing [ESC]. If you change your mind AFTER printing has started, just turn the printer "OFF". You'll recieve an ERROR message and can tell the program to cancel at that time. EZ-CARDs sends the print information to parallel printer port LPT1. If you're one of the few people who has their printer hooked to a different port, refer to your DOS manual on how to redirect calls to LPT1 so they go to the correct port. There are also numerous utilities available (some public domain) that can accomplish this. If you don't have access to the correct one for your needs, contact me and I'll send you one. More than likely, you're hooked to LPT1 and the worst that can happen is............ NOTHING! If the program has any trouble sending print info., you'll get an ERROR message to that effect. (PRINT continues) -- Page 10 -- The COMMANDs (cont.) ------------ (PRINT) Labels and envelopes are formatted in this manner: (Cards which contain a blank "Company" field) +---------------------------+ | Bob and Kitty Smith | | P. O. Box 13717 | | Detroit, MI 48213 | | | +---------------------------+ (Cards with ANY information in the "Company" field) +---------------------------+ | Bob and Kitty Smith | | BOB-KIT Software Co. | | P. O. Box 13717 | | Detroit, MI 48213 | +---------------------------+ Of course, you'll practice with paper first, so you don't waste expensive mailing labels and envelopes aligning these print jobs. (Right?) Mailing labels MUST be 15/16" in height. The width is not as important, although I think they look fine on those that are 3 1/2" wide. In addition, EZ-CARDs currently supports only the "single-row" variety of mailing labels. Using sheets that go 3 and 4 labels across would not be beneficial. When printing all the cards to envelopes, you'll be prompted to load each one before-hand. The Page Print option will send ALL information on the cards to your printer in a uniform manner. Try it - you'll like it! QUIT - To exit the program and return to DOS, press [Q] or [ESC]. -- Page 11 -- The COMMANDs (cont.) -------------------- SORT - Although the magic of AutoSort can keep your cards constantly indexed by last name, you may need to alphabetize them by a different field. You do this by SORTing them. Press [S] to begin the COMMAND, then [TAB] to the field you desire all cards indexed by. Next, press [ENTER] and, in the blink of an eye, all cards will now by in their new order! Generally, EZ-CARDs sorts in the following order: Symbols ("!"), numbers, then letters. This means that a card with "!" as the first character would come before another with "C" as its first letter. Cards are sorted from left to right, so if you SORT the "Name" field - chances are they will no longer be alphabetized by last name. (QUICK FIX: With Auto- Sort "ON", press [E] then [F10]) Specifically, cards are sorted in this order: ! # & ( ) * + - . [numbers] = @ [letters] [ ] ^ { } I realize this isn't all of them, but my intention was to provide you with a bit more insight on how cards get indexed. Try it out - you'll get the idea pretty quick. VIEW - This is a great little feature that produces an INSTANT list in the middle of your screen contain- ing all EZ-Files found in the current directory. Use it whenever you're not sure about the name of a file you'd like to LOAD. (Or just for the heck of it!) ONLY EZ-Files are shown, so don't worry when other files you know are in that directory don't appear (like EZCARD.EXE). The number of available bytes on that disk are also displayed. -- Page 12 -- VENDOR INFO ----------- EZ-CARDs may be freely distributed under these terms: - No fee may be charged (with exception to a reasonable copy and distribution fee) - No files may be changed in any way. - The following files MUST be included: * RUN-ME!.BAT * EZCARD.EXE * EZCARD.EZF * EZCARD.MEM * EZCARD12.DOC * PRINT_EZ.BAT * READ_EZ.BAT * SEE.COM * INSTALL_.BAT * ANYKEY.COM * EZ-INFO.ANS * EZ-INFO.MON * OPENSCRN.CLR * OPENSCRN.MON * BKGRND.CLR * BKGRND.MON These files should all be dated 03/26/91 at 5:00pm (With the exception of EZCARD.EZF and EZCARD.MEM) Shareware vendors must contact BOB-KIT Software Company to let us know they are distributing this software package. This will insure timely notice to distributors when upgrades of EZ-CARDs are released. Write to: +------------------------------+ | BOB-KIT Software Company | | P. O. Box 13717 | | Detroit, MI 48213 | +------------------------------+ Or call 1-800-473-3137 9am-3pm ET -- Page 13 -- +----------------------------------------------------------+ | EZ-CARDs Registration form | | | | | | ___ YES! Please send me the latest *registered* | | version of EZ-CARDs for only $25 (U. S. funds) | | I understand that all upgrades will be sent | | FREE for a full year. | | | | ___ I need this sent on a 5 1/4" diskette. | | | | ___ I need this sent on a 3 1/2" diskette. | | | | | | Name______________________________________ | | | | Address___________________________________ | | | | City__________________ St____ Zip_________ | | | | | | Please send check or money order to: | | | | BOB-KIT Software Company | | P. O. Box 13717 | | Detroit, MI 48213 | | | | Have a question? Call me! 1-800-473-3137 9am-3pm ET | +----------------------------------------------------------+