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A P P T R A K Applicant Tracker User Documentation (c) Copyright 1989 Archer Software All Rights Reserved Table of Contents Introduction ...................................... 1 System Requirements ............................... 2 Installation ...................................... 3 Input Applicants .................................. 5 Edit Applicants ................................... 6 Delete Applicants ................................. 7 Editing and Printing Letters ...................... 8 Report Writer ..................................... 9 APPTRAK Q & A ..................................... 10 Special Keys for Letter Edit Screen ............... APDX A Registration Form ................................. APDX B Introduction ------------ APPTRAK is an applicant tracking database system designed to compliment your paper file system. APPTRAK allows you to track all personal information such as; name, address, telephone number and social security number. You can track EEO information also, such as; age, sex, race, and handicap. Other data you can track include: position applying for, department codes, current status codes, applicant's source of information and application date. Each applicant's file is easily accessible for instant information. APPTRAK allows you to create and save your own customized reports. You may also create and save up to three different letters which can be personally addressed to any applicant on file. ******************* DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY *************************** THE APPTRAK SOFTWARE AND DOCUMENTATION IS OFFERED "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES AS TO PERFORMANCE OR MERCHANTABILITY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. BECAUSE OF THE DIVERSITY OF CONDITIONS AND HARDWARE UNDER WHICH THIS PROGRAM MAY BE USED, NO WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE IS OFFERED. THE USER IS ADVISED TO TEST THE PROGRAM THOROUGHLY BEFORE RELYING ON IT. THE USER MUST ASSUME THE ENTIRE RISK OF USING APPTRAK. ********************************************************************** APPTRAK System Requirements --------------------------- IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2 or compatible computer 512K RAM Color or monochrome monitor DOS 2.0 or later A hard disk is recommended for optimum perfmormance but is not required. APPTRAK supports most printers. 1 Installation ------------ Diskette based systems You need to have a file called config.sys on the DOS diskette with which you boot your system. There should be two lines in this file similar to the following: Files=20 Buffers=8 These are suggested settings for optimal performance. Your settings may vary although we recommend a Files setting of at least 20 and a Buffers setting of at least 8. If you already have a "Config.sys" file check to see what the settings are by using the following procedure: 1. Place Boot Diskette in drive A. 2. Type the following at the A> prompt: "Type config.sys" The contents of the Config.sys file will be displayed on the screen. If the Files and Buffers settings need to be changed you may do so with any text editor or with a word processor that reads and writes DOS text files. Included with APPTRAK is a file called config.app. You may use this file as your config.sys file if do not already have one or if you wish to replace the config.sys file you currently have. Use the following procedure: Two Disk Drives: 1. Place your boot diskette in drive A and the APPTRAK diskette in drive B. 2. Type "copy b:config.app a:config.sys". One Disk Drive: 1. Place the APPTRAK diskette in the drive and type "copy config.app b:config.sys". At this point drive A will temporarily be treated as two drives. You will be prompted to replace APPTRAK with your boot diskette when necessary. 2 Hard Disk Systems Config.Sys ---------- You need to have a file called config.sys in the root (main) directory of the drive which you boot your system from. There should be at least two lines in this file similar to the following: Files=20 Buffers=8 These are suggested settings for optimal performance. Your settings may vary although we recommend a Files setting of at least 20 and a Buffers setting of at least 8. If you already have a "Config.sys" file check to see what the settings are by following these steps: 1. Go to your root directory by typing "cd ..". 2. Type the following at the C> prompt: "Type config.sys" The contents of the Config.sys file will be displayed on the screen. If the Files and Buffers settings need to be changed you may do so with any text editor or with a word processor that reads and writes DOS text files. Included with APPTRAK is a file called config.app. You may use this file as your config.sys file if you do not already have one or wish to replace the one you currently have. Use the following procedure: 1. If you are not already in the root directory of your boot drive type "cd .." to get there. 2. Place the APPTRAK disk in drive A. 3. Type "copy a:config.app c:config.sys". Installing APPTRAK on your hard drive: Use the following procedure to install APPTRAK on your hard disk: 1. Create a directory on your hard drive by typing "mkdir\APPTRAK" and pressing <Enter> 2. Make "APPTRAK" your current directory by typing "chdir\APPTRAK" and pressing <Enter>. 3. Place the APPTRAK diskette in drive A. 4. Copy the contents of the APPTRAK disk onto your hard disk by typing "copy a:*.*". * Note: Some printers have difficulty printing the character above which immediately follows "mkdir" and "chdir". This should be a slash. If you are unsure of this character view the contents of APPTRAK.DOC on your computer screen. 3 Input Applicants ---------------- Input Applicants is for inputing new applicants into your database. whenthis is selected the menu will be replaced on the screen by an input inout form. On the bottom right corner of the screen is a record counter which displays the number of applicants currently in the database. Before you can input any data a valid application date must be entered. Below are examples of valid and invalid dates. Valid: 01/09/88 Invalid: 1 / 9/88 , 12/33/88 , 10/10/XX Once a valid date has been input entry fields for the rest of the data will appear on the screen. Press <Return> after each field to move on to the next field. While most fields are self explanatory, the following fields may need some description: Source - Where did the applicant learn of your company or job opening (e.g. newspaper, school, personal referral, etc.) Handicap - Only true/false (T/F) or answers will be accepted in this field Position - Job title applying for. Dept - Department code in which job is located. Status - Status code of applicant (e.g. A= new applicant, B= interviewed once, C= rejected, etc.) The Status and Dept fields accept codes which identify the different departments and status'. To use these fields properly you should assign these codes carefully and make sure all users understand the meaning of each code and the importance of entering each exactly the same. For example, APPTRAK will treat dept codes "1 " and " 1" and "01" as three different departments in report filtering. The Letter field is a special field for determining whether the applicant has had a letter addressed to him/her. This field may not be input or deleted but is automatically updated each time a letter is printed. After the last field has been input the record will be entered into the database and a new blank form will appear for the next application. Pressing the escape key at any time while inputing will also enter the record. When finished inputing, press <Enter> or <Esc> at the date prompt to return to the APPTRAK main menu. IMPORTANT: Do not re-boot or turn off the computer without first exiting APPTRAK. Doing so may cause damage to the database files. 4 Edit Records ------------ Any applicant's file may be called up for editing or viewing by selecting Edit Records on the APPTRAK main menu screen. Doing so bring up the record search screen. Input the social security number of the applicant to edit. If the social security number is not available, enter the letter 'N' and press <Enter> to search by name. You will be prompted for the appli- cants first and last name (the names must be spelled EXACTLY as they appear in the database for APPTRAK to find them). Since APPTRAK will find the file much more quickly if searching by social security number you should search by name only when necessary. The Edit screen is identical in appearance to the Input screen. Any information on the screen may be changed with the exception of the Letter field. (Please see Input Applicants on page 4 for an explana- tion of the Letter field.) Press <Esc> when finished editing or viewing the file, any changes made to the file will be saved and the record search screen will return. To return to the APPTRAK main menu press <Enter> at the social security prompt on the record search screen. 5 Delete Applicants ----------------- Apptrak can help you keep your paper and computer files clean and up to date by providing the option of deleting applicants files in three, six, nine, and twelve month increments. Or, you may choose to delete all applicants in the database. To delete files select "Delete Applicants" from the APPTRAK main menu. This will pop the delete menu up to the screen. Use the arrow keys to highlight the age of files you wish to delete. Make your selection by pressing <Enter>. A message bar will appear at the bottom of the screen asking for confirmation of your delete request. You must answer either "Y" (yes- proceed with deletion), or "N" (no- cancel delete request and return to the original menu). If "Y" is selected a prompt will appear asking if a printout of deleted files will be necessary. A printout is usually helpful for the purging of all the paper files which correspond to the computer files deleted. (Remember that your applicant tracking system will be much more efficient if you keep your paper files identical to your APPTRAK files.) If all applicants are deleted from the database nothing will print out. Before APPTRAK prints the deletion list it will check to see if your printer is ready to receive data. If it is not turned on, or not online, an error message will occur. You will then be given the option of aborting the printout by pressing <Spacebar> or retrying by pressing any other key. NOTE: this printer test will work only with 100% IBM BIOS compatible computers. If your printer is not 100% IBM BIOS compatible trying to print while the printer not online may cause an internal error which would require restarting APPTRAK. 6 Editing and Printing Letters ---------------------------- Apptrak provides the capability of sending personalized letters to any applicant on file. Three letters can be stored within APPTRAK to provide the flexibilty of selecting the letter which best suits a given situation. To print or edit these letters select "Letter Writer" from the main menu. The Letter Writer menu will appear with options as follows: Edit Letters Print Letters Return to Main Menu To edit a letter select Edit Letters from the menu. You must then select which letter (1,2 or 3) you would like to edit (with the left/right arrow keys). Press <Enter> and the letter you chose will appear on the screen for editing. At the bottom of the letter edit screen is a small chart detailing some of the keys used while editing. For example, CTRL-Y = Delete Line. This means that the <Ctrl> key should be held down while the Y key is pressed. In Appendix B is a complete list of all commands which can be used while editing letters. Letters may be edited as often as you like. Please note that any letter changes must be saved with the <Ctrl>-W key combination. Pressing <Esc> will abort the edit. If <Esc> is pressed any changes made will not be saved. To print a letter select Print Letters from the menu. As in editing, options will appear at the bottom of the menu from which one of the three letters may be selected for printing. You will then be prompted for a social security number. Pressing <Return> at this prompt without entering a number will cancel the print order and return you to the main menu. If a social security number is entered the name of the applicant will appear below along with a prompt asking for confirmation of the name. If "Y" (yes) is selected a letter addressed to the applicant will be printed. If the social security number is not on file you will be prompted to re-enter it. Before APPTRAK prints the letter it will check to see if your printer is ready to receive data. If it is not turned on or not online an error message will occur. You will then be given the option of aborting the printout by pressing <Spacebar> or retrying by pressing any other key. NOTE: this printer test will work only with 100% IBM BIOS compatible computers. After the letter is printed a field called "Letter" will be updated showing that the applicant has received a letter. This may be useful in some of the reports that you create later. 7 Report Writer ------------- When you select "Report Writer" from the APPTRAK main menu. A second menu will appear which has five selections as follows: Social Security Name /Position Current Status Create New Report Return to Main Menu The APPTRAK report writer has been designed for maximum flexibility. Since there are no permanent reports, Social Security, Name /Position and Current Status are merely examples to get you started. Any report may replaced with a new one at any time by selecting Create New Report from the menu. Creating Reports: Select "Create New Report" from the Report Writer menu. A list will appear down the left side of screen of all the fields which may be chosen for your report. Use the arrow keys to select any five. In the lower right corner of the screen your selections will appear in the order you choose them. This is the same order which the fields will appear on the final report. Your report will be sorted in the order of the first two fields you select. For example, if the following fields are chosen in order; Application Date, Last Name, First Name, Position and Telephone - the report will be sorted first by Application Date then by Last Name. The maximum number of fields which may be selected is five. If less than five are desired press <Spacebar> after the last field is selected. This will terminate the selection process and take you to the next step. After you have finished selecting the fields for your report you will be prompted for a name for your report. This is the name which will appear on the Report Writer menu should you decide to save this report for later use. APPTRAK will not proceed until a name is entered. Next, you will prompted for the first and second title lines which will appear on top of the report. After naming your report you will have three choices as as follows: 1. Execute and Save Report - Print report and save for later use. 2. Execute Report - Print report, but do not save it. 3. Return to menu - Leave Report screen and return to main menu. 8 If "Execute and Save Report" is selected you must choose a report which will be replaced since only three may be saved at any one time. The reports that you save can be replaced as often as you wish so experiment with different reports until you find the three that best fit your needs. If you get to this point and decide that you do want to replace any of the current reports simply select "Exit - No Changes" to return to the main menu. One last menu will appear before the report is actually generated. Using this menu you may filter out certain parts of your database which you do not want to be reported. You may report on a specific department code, a specific position, or a range of application dates. Or, of course, you may report on all applicants in your database. Once the content of your report is finalized you may choose whether to direct the output to your printer or the screen. To do this, just follow the instructions on the screen by pressing <Spacebar> to select your choice of destinations. Press <Enter> and your report will be printed. If at this point your printer is not online you will be asked to correct and press a key. To abort the print request press the <Spacebar>. NOTE: The printer test will work only with 100% IBM BIOS compatible computers. If your printer is not 100% IBM BIOS compatible trying to print while the printer not online may cause an internal error which would require restarting APPTRAK. 9 APPTRAK Q & A Q. How can I view the applicant database in order to look up a social security number ? A. Create a report using the APPTRAK report writer which lists the applicants' names and social security numbers. You may then print this report to your computer screen for quick scanning. Remember, you can save this report for later use also. For more detailed information on the Report Writer see page 8 of this manual. Q. I make changes to my saved letters using the Letter Writer but later when I print the letter those changes are not there. Why ? A. Make sure you press <Ctrl>-W to save any changes you make. Q. Why does the cursor skip over the Letter field when I am inputing or editing applicant records ? A. The Letter field will always be "F" (false) until a letter is printed to the applicant when it will automatically update to "T" (true). To insure accuracy of this field it may not be changed. Q. Sometimes the cursor will not move when I'm trying to make a menu selection. Why ? A. The most likely cause of this problem is that NUM-LOCK is toggled "on". Make sure NUM-LOCK is off so that the keypad is not entering numbers. 10 Appendix A Special Keys Used While Editing Letters Movement Keys: Up Arrow............Move up one line Down Arrow..........Move down one line Left Arrow..........Move left one character Right Arrow.........Move right one character <Ctrl>-Left Arrow...Move left one word <Ctrl>-Right Arrow..Move right one word <Home>..............Go to beginning of current line <End>...............Go to end of current line <PgDn>..............Go down one screen (longer letters) <PgUp>..............Go up one screen <Ctrl>-PgDn.........Go to end of letter <Ctrl>-PgUp.........Go to beginning of letter <Enter> or <Return>.Go to beginning of next line Editing Keys: <Delete>............Delete character at cursor <Backspace>.........Delete character left of cursor <Ctrl>-Y............Delete the current line <Ctrl>-T............Delete word right <Tab>...............Insert tab spaces <Ins>...............Toggle insert mode <Ctrl>-W............Save letter <Esc>...............Exit letter edit with no changes A A P P T R A K R E G I S T R A T I O N Last name:________________________ First name:______________________ Ini:_____ Title:___________________ Department:______________________________ Company Name:______________________________________________________ Company Address:___________________________________________________ Number of employees: 1-50 ___ 50-100 ___ 100-500 ___ 500-1000 ___ 1000+___ Type of business: _________________________________________________ City:_______________________________ State:________ Zip:___________ Telephone:(_____)________________________ Method of payment: Check______ Money Order _______ Comments:________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ************************************************************************* ---------------------------------------------------------------- / Quantity / / Amount ---------------------------------------------------------------- / / x $ 70.00 / ---------------------------------------------------------------- /Ohio residents add 5.5 % sales tax / ------------------------------------------------ / Total / ------------------------------------------------ ************************************************************************* Send completed registration form and check or money order to: Archer Software P.O. Box 1022 Westerville, Ohio 43081 B