Fast start

This chapter is for those of you who can't wait to start.  Here are the bare bones instructions.

Auto load

In the "Defaults" window there is an option "Load words automatically when program starts." If you have selected this option, and if your data file is named "FlashWorks Data" (spelled exactly that way) and is in the same folder as the program, FlashWorks will run steps #2 through #4 automatically. All you will have to do is start either the automatic or manual mode.

Step #1: Load the font

If you are using a foreign language font, like the "Greek" or "Hebrew" that is included with FlashWorks or some other commercial font, you must first load the font into your system.  Then when the program starts, go to the "Defaults" screen and enter the name of the font.  If you do not, then the foreign word will appear in Geneva.

Step #2: Load words

Under the "FlashWorks" menu, select the second menu line to load all the words from a word list.

Step #3: Search

Under the "FlashWorks" menu, go to the search screen.  It will be set to your default settings.  Select the parameters for the words you want to study.  If you always want to use the default settings, you do not need to open this screen.

Step #4: Get the words

This sequence goes through all the words loaded into memory with the "load" sequence, compares them to the search parameters, and remembers which words passed the search.

The "FlashWorks" screen must be showing when you do this, otherwise the buttons will not be activated.  (The "FlashWorks" screen is the main screen that is activated when you start the program.  It can also be shown by selecting the "FlashWorks" menu item under the main menu.)

Step #5: Mix the words

This step is optional.  It will randomly mix all the words that were selected by the "Get words" sequence.

Step #6: FlashWorks

1. Manual.   There are two modes of looking at the words.  "Manual" means that you click the button [Begin manual] to see the first word.  When you do this the button changes to [See meaning].  When you click on it again, you see the word's meaning and the button changes to [See next word].

If you are using manual mode, when you show the word and then show the meaning, these two buttons [I'm right] and [I'm wrong] become active.  If you were right about the word's meaning, click [I'm right].  Not only will FlashWorks advance you to the next word as if you had clicked on [See next word], but it remembers that you got it right.  After three correct answers, FlashWorks will automatically lower your difficulty setting one number.  Conversely, if you were wrong, click [I'm wrong] and after three errors the difficulty rating will be raised one number.  If you get it wrong twice, it will take five correct answers to lower the difficulty setting one number.

All this assumes that you have clicked the check box in the "Defaults" screen "Set difficulty automatically" as well as checked the check box on the "FlashWorks" screen "Set difficulty automatically for this word".  If you want the difficulty set automatically in general, but you do not want it to change the difficulty for any one particular word, then uncheck the check box "Set difficulty automatically for this word" on the "FlashWorks" screen.

2. Automatic.   "Automatic" mode means that once you click on the [Begin auto] button, FlashWorks will show the first word, wait the number of seconds set in the "Defaults" screen, show the meaning, wait the same number of seconds, show the next word, etc.  Once you have clicked on this button, the button changes to [Pause].  If you click on the button then, the automatic flashing stops and the button changes to [Resume].  If you click the [Resume] button, the automatic flashing begins again and the button changes to [Pause].

You can switch back and forth between manual and automatic as you wish.  When FlashWorks has gone through the list, it will beep and start over again.

Step #7: Changing settings

Each word can have its own difficulty.  "1" is the easiest and "5" is the most difficult.  As you learn a word, you will want to lower the difficulty rating for that one word.  Decide on some sort of scheme such as:

     Difficulty 5: review every day.
     Difficulty 4: review every other day.
     Difficulty 3: review once a week.
     Difficulty 2: review once a month.
     Difficulty 1: don't waste your time reviewing.

You can also tell FlashWorks not to change the diffiiculty automatically for any one word by unchecking the "Set difficulty automatically for this word" check box.

If you change either of these settings while only the word is showing, the change will not be saved.  The change must be made while the meaning is shown, and in fact it is when the meaning is cleared and the next word is shown that the change is remembered.

Step #8: Saving changes

Changes are remembered only as long as the program is running, unless you save those changes to the word file on the disk.  This is done through the "Save" or "Save as" menu items under the File menu.

                     Be sure to back up your word list often!