XTimer Help - Part B

The Rate Switcher

This is a "Power User" feature. It almost gives XTimer the ability to
manage itself!  To configure the Rate Switcher, select it from the Settings
menu. Two sets of preferences govern how it works. They are available
on separate pages within the same dialog, for easy management.

Configuring the First Page:
This page of preferences tells the Rate Switcher to switch the current
rate to the rate of your choice when a certain application is running in
front.

AOL and CompuServe's MacCIM program are available by default, or you
can choose up to 3 other applications, to tie with a rate number, for the
Rate Switcher to switch the current rate to, when those applications are
running in front.

Example:
  You want XTimer to switch to AOL's rates if AOL's software is in front.

1. Check the box next to where it says, "America Online."
2. Enter the number of the rate you want XTimer to switch to in the next box.

In this case, you would want to set the rate number to the rate you have
set for AOL's FREE time.

What if I'm not using free time? No problem, the second page of the
Rate Switcher settings will take care of that.

If you use more than one rate with an application, set the rate number
to the first rate XTimer should switch to before other rates.

The rates are numbered on the Rate menu, and in the Charge Rates settings.

The Rate Switcher and Claris' Emailer
If you use XTimer Spy to track your time on AOL and CIS when you use the
Claris Emailer program, XTimer will set the rate to the correct rate for
the service being accessed, if you have configured the Rate Switcher for
that service's standard software.  If you have also selected another rate
to switch to when Emailer is in front, such as a rate for an Internet account,
XTimer will set the rate back to that rate after you log off of AOL or CIS.

Configuring the Second Page:
This page of settings will allow XTimer to automatically switch from
one rate to another when the current rate total time (the time currently
on the timer added to what is already in the log, as displayed on the
larger size timer) exceeds a certain amount of time in minutes.

Example:
  Your online service gives you 5 hours of free time, then charges an
    hourly fee for additional time online.
  You need to switch from the FREE rate to the pay rate after 5 hours
    (300 minutes).

1. Check the box next to your service's FREE rate.
2. In the next box, enter the number of minutes allowed for that rate
     (300 in our example).
3. In the last box, enter the rate number you want XTimer to switch to
      (The number of your services pay rate).

Now, XTimer will know when to switch your rate from Free time to
Pay time.

Note: Make sure that your settings for the first page make sense with your
settings on the second page.

There are more variations that can be accomplished with this, but I
advise you to avoid complicating it too much more.  If you set up a cycle
of rates switching one to another haphazardly, you risk creating a mess.
There must be a rate in your cycle that does not switch to another rate,
or you might create an "infinite loop," and XTimer will not be able to stop
switching rates. If that happens, you will have to trash your XTimer
Preferences (located in the Preferences folder, in your System folder)
and start from scratch.

Effects on the General Log:
When the Rate Switcher sees that a Rate has used up its allotted time,
in order to remember that the rate has reached its switch level, XTimer
must save that amount of time in the log for the rate before switching
to the next rate.

Example:  You have a rate set to change from your free rate to a pay rate
at a certain time, let's say after 300 minutes, then when that rate's total
time (time stored in the log added to the time on the timer) exceeds 300
minutes, XTimer must save the time for that rate at 300 minutes in the log.

If XTimer didn't save the time, it would not know that the rate has maxed
out the next time you use it, and wouldn't know to switch to the pay rate.
Also, if you set the Rate Switcher to change the current rate to a specified
rate number when a certain application is in front, it would not know that
the rate has exceeded its limit, so it would not switch to the next rate; and
if the rate were to be switched manually to the correct rate, the Rate
Switcher would set it back again. 

XTimer Session Logging

Need detailed reports of your session activity?  Now, XTimer can log all of
your session activity, continously!

Including These Items:

     The Charge Rate Name            Total Time Charged
     Actual Time Used                Total Time Paused (optional)
     Total Amount of Charges         The Date (optional)
     Start Time (optional)           Stop Time (optional)

Session Logging continuously logs these items to a file, which XTimer
creates in its own folder, called "XT Session Log".  This file will be a
text file with the creator you have selected in your General Preferences.
You can have XTimer create Session logs in standard or tab-delimited
formats.  You can also select to have a new log created every day, every
month, or choose to continuously log to only a single log file.  Session
Logging is independent of XTimer's standard General Log of your rate times
and charge totals.

If you continuously log your sessions to a single file, the file size will
eventually become very large.  If you try to view this file with SimpleText
(TeachText) or your online service's software's built-in text editor, and the
file size is larger than 32K, those applications will not be able to open such
a large file.  You will have to use an application which can view larger text
files, or move the Session Log file out of XTimer's folder, or rename the
file, before it gets that big, and XTimer will create a new Session Log.

Whenever you Stop XTimer, the Session Log is updated, when Session Logging
is turned on.  XTimer expects the current Session Log file to be in its folder.
If you move or rename that file, XTimer will create a new one.  If you have
placed XTimer on your desktop or in your Apple Menu Items folder, in your
System folder, you may want to move it to another location to prevent a
Session Log file from showing up on your desktop or in your Apple Menu.
Make an alias of XTimer (Highlight its icon, then select "Make Alias" from
the File menu in the Finder) and place the alias on your desktop, or in your
Apple Menu Items folder, instead.

To use Session Logging, configure XTimer's Session Logging settings, via
the Settings menu, by selecting the "Session Log..." item.

Example Log Output:

America Online (FREE)         00:01:00     00:00:15     00:00:00     $0.00
1/30/96     8:27:43 PM     8:27:58 PM

In this order, the item above shows: The charge rate name, time charged,
actual time used, total time Paused, Amount of Charges, Date Timer was
Stopped, Start Time, and Stop Time.  Times shown are in the format: HH:MM:SS.
H = Hours, M = Minutes, S = Seconds.

Notice that even though the actual time used was 15 seconds, the time charged
was a full minute, because the seconds were rounded off.  You will really begin
to notice how those short trips online to fetch email eat away at your free
time— or when it's not free time— your budget!

If you configure XTimer to create tab-delimited Session Logs, you can import
this data to database files, to use with your favorite database application.

The fields are output in the same order as above, but separated by tabs instead
of spaces, and there is no carriage return at the end of the first line, as
shown above.

These are the fields:            Format:
Charge Rate Name         TEXT
Time Charged             TIME
Actual Time Used         TIME
Paused Time Total        TIME  (optional)
Amount of Charges        NUMBER
Date                     DATE  (optional)
Start Time               TIME  (optional)
Stop Time                TIME  (optional)

Consult your database application for information about how to import data
from a tab delimited text file into your database file.

Special Note

The Session Log records sessions that reflect when you have Started and
Stopped XTimer.  To help keep your Session Log in sync with your General Log,
XTimer also records an entry in the Session Log when you select the "Modify
Logged Time (Current Rate)" command from the File menu, when Session
Logging is turned on, reflecting the modification.  It records both added times
and subtracted times.

The entry will be the same as other entries, except the Time Charged will be
the amount of time added or subtracted, the Actual Time Used is recorded as
zero, Paused time is recorded as zero, the Amount of Charges is calculated
the same (it will be a negative number if subtracting), and the Start and Stop
times will be recorded as the time that the entry was made.

It is still possible to alter your General Log times with other commands
available, like "Add Time To..." or "Clear Time Of...", and cause your General
Log totals to differ from your Session Log's record; since those commands
do not generate entries into your Session Logs.

XTimer General Preferences

Check This Box:           To:

Launch Minimized              Put up the mini-timer window
                                         when you launch XTimer.

Reset at Launch                 Reset the time on the timer when
                                          you launch XTimer.

Reset after Add/Save        Reset the timer after you Add or
                                          Save times to the log.

Do Not Verify Resets         Stop XTimer from asking if
                                          you're sure you want to Reset
                                          when you click the Reset button.

Auto-Add Time To Log       Make XTimer Add the time on the
                                          timer to the log total for the current
                                          rate every time the timer Stops.

Skip Dialog With Notices   Use Notices which generate an
                                          alert sound, but do not use a dialog.

Use Cash Register Sound    Use a cash register sound as the
With Notices                      alert sound when Notices are sent.

Localize Currency Format  Use your System settings to determine
                                          and set the currency/number format
                                          used by XTimer, to your local format.

Clear Log After Text Saves  Clear charges and times from the
                                             Log, every time a text copy of the
                                             log is saved.
     
Always Round Off Seconds   Round seconds up to next minute
                                            every time the timer is stopped.

Round Before Add/Save       Round seconds up to next minute before
                                           Adding or Saving a time to the Log.

Allow Selection of              Allow more than 1 rate to be
Multiple Rates When            selected, when you Add or Save
Adding/Saving Time            times to the Log.
                                                 
Auto-Tracking Off             Tell XTimer not to use Auto-Tracking.

Prompt To Save Log           Have XTimer prompt you to save
Before Quitting                  a copy of the log before quitting.

Selecting a text file creator:
If you would like text copies of the log to be saved with a creator type
other than SimpleText (TeachText), this will let you select another
program, that can read text files, to be the default creator of those
documents.

Short Cuts

Command Key        Application
         H                   Help
        M                   Minimize/Maximize timer
         T                   Set Time
         G                   View Log
         E                   Save Time As
         R                   Restore Time From
         A                   Add Time To *
         =                   Modify Logged Time
         -                   Clear Time Of
         S                   Save Log as Text
         K                   Append Log To
         `                    Charge Rates Settings
         F                   Notify from First START
         L                   Notify from Last START
         U                   No Notice
       1-7                Set Current Rate
  0 8 9 / * + .       Launch Applications
          D                  Open/Close PPP Connection

Other command key short cuts are standard Mac command keys.

*Command-A is normally used for "Select All."  Since XTimer doesn't use
a "Select All" menu item, I thought it best for users to put Command-A
with the "Add Time To" menu item.

Other Shortcuts & Keyboard Equivalents

Start Timer          <ctrl> + S               
Stop Timer           <ctrl> + X
Reset Timer         <ctrl> + C                
Round Seconds      <ctrl> + Z                  
Add time to current rate & Start      <shift> + <command> + Start                                 
Adds time, but Resets before Start   <shift> + <command> + <option> + Start
Reset without asking confirmation   <option> + Reset
Reset and Start                                  <option> + Start
Toggle window title from "XTimer" to current rate                     <option> + R                               
Add time to current rate, bypass dialog.  (Only when stopped)   <ctrl> + A          
Show/Hide Current Rate Total   <option-click>  timer grow box
Save without log header   <option> + Save or Append Log As Text
Use "D" (or "d") to set a rate's charge preference to the Default rate.
Use <ctrl> + U (or "u") to set a rate to "Unused."
To view the current rate setting on the mini-timer:
          Click on the black part of the stoplight.
To prevent the Auto-Launcher from launching an application:
          Press <option> during launch.

Having a hard time remembering all the shortcuts?
For a Pop-Up Short-Cuts Screen:   Press and hold <spacebar>
(When the timer window is in front.)

System Requirements

XTimer Requires System 7 or greater.

Legal Stuff

XTimer© 1994-96  Eric Long.  All Rights Reserved.
XTimer Spy© 1995-96 Eric Long. All Rights Reserved.
XTimer and XTimer Spy come without warranty expressed or implied.
Use either program solely at your own risk.

XTimer may be distributed freely, so long as it is not sold or modified.

XTimer© Is Shareware!
Send $15 to Eric Long, 4020 Jeffrey Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95820
Upgrades are free!  If this is an older version, it is possible that the
registration fee has increased. Full registration requires full payment.
For Express Registration on CIS:  GO SWREG, XTimer is I.D. #5002

Send E-mail to:
 CompuServe    72764,1072
 Internet           EricMLong@aol.com

If your letter is not answered in a timely fashion, please write again.
Sometimes E-mail disappears into the electronic void!

CompuServe® and MacCIM™ are registered trademarks of CompuServe
Inc., Columbus, OH 43220
America Online and Prodigy are trademarks of their respective holders. 
FileMaker Pro® and Em@iler™ are registered trademarks of the Claris Corporation.

XTimer is not a product of, nor representative of CompuServe Inc.,
America Online Inc., Prodigy, or the Claris Corporation.

MacPPP/FreePPP ©Merit Network Inc. and the Regents of the
University of Michigan.

Special Thanks

Thanks to James Walker for his Help screen code module: Show_help.
Modified here for modeless use and to save the style information.

Thanks to Paul Celestin for his PICTButton CDEF (control definition), used
to make the minimized "stoplight" version of the timer's buttons work.

Thanks to the many who helped me learn the Mac ropes and to create
this program. I really appreciate the assistance.

Thanks to my wife Donna, who made the XTimer icon, and designed the
stoplight used in the minimized timer.

Thanks to the beta testers. Thanks to Mary for moral support.

âŒƒ