How to Use this Tutorial
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Polaris PackRat 5.0 Tutorial

Congratulations on your choice of Polaris PackRat 5.0 and welcome to the PackRat On-line Tutorial!

How to use this Tutorial

The best way to go through this tutorial is screen by screen.  Use the Next and Previous buttons located at the top of each screen to advance to the next screen or return to the previous screen.  At the end of each topic the PackRat Tutorial Topics screen appears and indicates the topics you've covered and the topics remaining.  If you want to skip a topic, simply click on the following topic.  Continue to use the Next and Previous buttons from there.

If you want to return to a previous topic, click on it on the Topics screen.  If you want go to a different topic than the one you are currently in, click the Contents button at the top of any tutorial screen, and click on the topic you wish to view.

The PackRat 5.0 tutorial should take you about thirty minutes.  So take your time and you'll get the most out of it.

But enough of my yakkin' - on with the tutorial!


Introduction
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Polaris PackRat 5.0

Introduction

The PackRat 5.0 Tutorial will give you a guided tour of the PackRat 5.0 environment.  Whether you are a newcomer to the highly organized world of PackRat or a veteran user of previous versions, we believe that you will be pleased with the exciting new interface we have created for you.  Once you start using PackRat you will wonder how you ever survived without it!


Customizable Workspaces
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Polaris PackRat 5.0

Customizable Workspaces

With PackRat 5.0 you can have an infinite number of workspaces each dedicated to the tasks that you perform every day.  These workspaces, called folders, contain the objects you will use to assist you in performing your everyday tasks.  With PackRat 5.0 you will become more efficient at nearly everything you do short of making the coffee (actually, a PackRat alert, a sound board, and a Clapper™ will even help you do that!)


Object-oriented
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Polaris PackRat 5.0

Object-oriented

PackRat 5.0 contains over 30 highly customizable objects that you can place on your folders to assist you with your everyday tasks.  Each of these objects can be customized, moved, or sized by simply placing the mouse pointer directly on an object and right-clicking.  This displays the object's Instant Options Menu, which is always a "right-click away".


SmartStart
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Polaris PackRat 5.0

SmartStart™

SmartStart™ gets you up and running quickly, with a choice of different workspaces tailored to a wide variety of professions.  SmartStart gives you predefined folders, objects, and forms, all designed specifically for your field of work.  If you find it necessary or desirable, you can change anything or everything using Instant Options™ and the PackRat Form Editor.


PackRat 5.0 Basics
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PackRat Tutorial Topics

PackRat 5.0 Basics

Mouse Operations

Folders

Objects

Instant Options

Categories

Forms

Records

PackRat 5.0 Operations

Adding a Record

Searching

Editing and Deleting Records

Contact Management

Scheduling

Document Tracking

Attachments

Other PackRat 5.0 Features

Backing Up

Before You Exit...


Mouse Operations
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Mouse Operations

The mouse controls a pointer on the screen.  Moving the mouse causes the pointer, or cursor, to move on the screen.  PackRat requires the use of at least a two button mouse.  If a three button mouse is being used, the center button remains inactive.  PackRat can use any mouse that Windows supports.


Point, Click, Right-click, Double-click
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Point, Click, Right-click, Double-click

Point:

To move the mouse until the mouse pointer on the screen rests on the item of choice.

Click:

Right-click:

Double-click:


Grab, Drag, Drop
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Grab, Drag, Drop

Grab:

Place the mouse pointer over a record or object and hold down the left mouse button.  This is the first step of Drag and Drop mouse movements.  You must "grab" the item before you can drag it.

Drag:

Hold down the left mouse button while you move the mouse.

Drop:

Release the left mouse button; this term is used in conjunction with drag, known as the Drag-and-Drop method of moving text or objects.


Right-click Features of PackRat
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Right-click Features of PackRat

In PackRat, the right-click is especially important.  Clicking the right mouse button will display the PackRat Instant Options Menu.

By right-clicking on an object, you can edit, move, resize, get a description about, or minimize any object on your screen.   The Instant Options Menu will vary slightly from object to object.

By right-clicking on a folder you can customize the folder, change the tab's font, edit, add  objects, add folders or get a description of a folder.


PackRat 5.0 Basics
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PackRat Tutorial Topics

PackRat 5.0 Basics

Mouse Operations

Folders

Objects

Instant Options

Categories

Forms

Records

PackRat 5.0 Operations

Adding a Record

Searching

Editing and Deleting Records

Contact Management

Scheduling

Document Tracking

Attachments

Other PackRat 5.0 Features

Backing Up

Before You Exit...


Folders
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Folders

PackRat folders resemble the dividers in a filing cabinet.  Like a file folder, each PackRat folder has a unique tab name and color for quick referral -- just click on a tab to switch to that folder, and start working.  Each folder is a dedicated workspace where you can place numerous PackRat objects to assist you with you everyday tasks.  You can create as many folders as you desire.

The View button at the top of this screen will access a sample PackRat desktop.  After glancing at these folders, click on the large Return to Main Tutorial Screen button at the top of the window to continue with the Tutorial.

Click on the View button now to view the sample folders.


Active Folder
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Active Folder

The active folder is the top folder on the desktop.  Only one folder can be active at a given time. To make a folder active, click on the folder's tab.  When a folder is active you can access the objects it contains and perform actions within that folder.   Switching between folders (clicking on the folder tabs) closes the current folder and makes a new one active.   The inactive folders on your PackRat desktop are filed behind the active folder.

The active folder on the sample PackRat screens is labeled "Phone Book".  Notice how its folder tab appears in relation to the other folder tabs.  Click on the View button now to look at the active folder.  When you're done click on the large Return to Main Tutorial Screen button at the top of the window to continue with the Tutorial.


Switching Between Folders
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Switching Between Folders

To switch between PackRat folders, place your mouse pointer on any one of the folder tabs and click.  The folder on which you clicked instantly appears so you can see its contents and start working.  The folder on top is called the active folder.

You can switch between folders by clicking on the sample PackRat desktop.  Click on the View button now and try switching folders.  When you feel confident switching folders, click on the large Return to Main Tutorial Screen button at the top of the window to continue with the Tutorial.


Creating a New Folder
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Creating a New Folder

There are two different ways you can create a new folder:

Click on the Folder Menu and select Folders.

-or-

Right-click to display the Instant Options Menu and select New Folder


PackRat 5.0 Basics
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PackRat Tutorial Topics

PackRat 5.0 Basics

Mouse Operations

Folders

Objects

Instant Options

Categories

Forms

Records

PackRat 5.0 Operations

Adding a Record

Searching

Editing and Deleting Records

Contact Management

Scheduling

Document Tracking

Attachments

Other PackRat 5.0 Features

Backing Up

Before You Exit...


The PackRat Objects
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The PackRat Objects

Click on the icons to view a short description.  This will familiarize you with all of the objects.


Action Bars

Action Bars contain related groups of Action Buttons that you use to perform daily tasks. Action Bars are primarily used to run Macros, Macro Commands, or Scripts and perform common functions.  Action Bars are also used to access and edit the information in your forms in a quick and simple fashion.

Action Bars can be placed either directly on the desktop, on certain objects (List Viewer for example), or on a Folder as a freestanding PackRat object.  Action Bars are easily customized allowing you to arrange your Action Buttons in the way that best suits you.


Action Button

An Action Button is a PackRat object that can be placed either on folders or Action Bars.  Action Buttons can run Macros, Macro,  Commands, or Scripts. You can place text or a graphic bitmap on an Action Button to help you remember what it does.  You can place Action Buttons in functional groups on Action Bars.

PackRat includes a number of predefined buttons for the most commonly used macros.  You can, however, edit, replace, or delete any of these predefined buttons.   Predefined Action Buttons can help you perform common daily tasks such as:

Open/close a new PackRat file

Open a form for data entry

Place a phone call

Create a new document

Print or fax a document

Send an electronic mail message

and many more.


Action List

The Action List is a PackRat object containing lists of information you commonly use.  For example, you may create a list of states, countries, company names, magazines, scripts, macros, or any other information that's pertinent to the type of work you do.

To some degree, Action Lists keep you from having to retype commonly used information during the course of your day by providing that information in lists.


Application Icon

The Application Icon is a PackRat object which allows you to add a Windows, DOS, or PIF application to a folder.  The application is easily opened by double-clicking on the icon, thus allowing you instant access to other applications from within PackRat.


Application Window

The Application Window is a PackRat object that allows you to run an application within a window on your folder.  Unlike the Application Icon object which only places the application's icon on your folder, you may keep an application open at all times in the Application Window while simultaneously using other PackRat features.

Note:  The Application Window is compatible with most Windows Applications, however, there may be some instances (Windows Clock for example) where it is not compatible.


Bitmap Viewer

The Bitmap Viewer is a PackRat object which displays a bitmap of your choice on a folder.  A bitmap is a graphical image saved with a   *.bmp file extension.  You can size the viewer to your preference.

You can drag a .bmp file from the Windows File Manager to a Bitmap Viewer and that bitmap will appear in the Bitmap Viewer.


Calendar

The Calendar is a PackRat object that displays monthly calendars in a variety of formats. You can define a one to twelve month Calendar of virtually any size and select the starting month and year, the number of months to display, and the orientation of the Calendar on your folder.


Clock

The Clock is a PackRat object that displays the date and time in several customizable formats.


Commitments

Commitments is a PackRat object which graphically displays your time related information.  It does not display what the scheduled item is -- it simply indicates that you have some event scheduled during that time.

This enables you to check your schedule at a glance and see when you're available for meetings and appointments.


Contact List

The Contact List is a PackRat object which displays the names of people you need to contact.  Names can be dragged directly from a List Viewer to the Contact List.  You can drag names from a List Viewer to a date on a Calendar object and that name will appear on your Contact List on that date.  Items on the Contact List can be specified as High Priority and removed from the Contact List when completed.  Contacts are easily called by selecting the name and clicking the Phone Call Action Button.

Although primarily used with the Phone Book, other records can be dragged to the Contact List.  For example, you can drag a record from a "Document" form to the Contact List.  The Contact List form would display and prompt you for the Name to be associated with the record.  You now have a reminder to call someone concerning that document.


Day View

The Day View is a PackRat object which displays up to seven days on the screen at once allowing you to quickly review your scheduled, time-related items for those days.


Document Manager

The Document Manager handles all document tracking.  The Document Manager object can be placed on a folder to act as your control center for keeping track of and manipulating documents.  You can use the Document Manager's Action Bar to perform the following actions:

Add a document to PackRat

Edit a document's record

Create a new document from PackRat

Print a document from PackRat

Fax a document from PackRat

Launch a document from PackRat.


Fax Machine

The Fax Machine is a PackRat object that can be added to a folder to assist you with faxing documents.  With this object, faxing is as simple as dragging a file from File Manager, Document Manager, or a List Viewer to the Fax Machine.  To do this, simply locate the document you wish to fax and drag it the Fax Machine object.  Your fax software will be launched and you may enter the phone number where you are sending the fax.  The document will be faxed on your default fax printer.


Financial Journal

The Financial Journal object is a List Viewer dedicated strictly to viewing Financial Accounts.  With the Financial Journal you can access your financial accounts and quickly review all financial activity.  You can enter transactions and reconcile any financial account from the Financial Journal Action Bar.


Gantt Chart

The Gantt Chart object is a graphical representation of the time commitments of items.  The vertical axis lists the commitment items and the horizontal axis displays an increment of time.  Gantt Charts will display in hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly increments.  A colored bar represents the duration of a commitment.


Information Bar

The Information Bar is a PackRat object which creates an area on your folder that can be customized to display a message.

The Information Bar can also be tied to a macro that runs at specified intervals (i.e. every 30 minutes) which is capable of updating its message.  You could, for example, write a macro to affix to an Information Bar that will display the amount of free Windows memory available on your system.  You could set it up to run every ten minutes.


List Viewer

The List Viewer is the "central" PackRat object because it allows you to display the information that has been entered into your PackRat Forms.  For example, you add information to your PackRat Phone Book using a Phone Book form, but you need a List Viewer to view that information.  The List Viewer is generic until you configure it to display a specific type of information.  You can customize your List Viewer to display whichever fields you desire (name, company, address, etc.).

List Viewers are probably the most important object in PackRat.  Several other objects (Contact List, Document Manager, Things To Do List, Financial Journal) are simply specialized List Viewers pre configured for a specific purpose.  List Viewers allow you to view and interact with the information centered in your PackRat file.  You will use List Viewers to:

Add information to PackRat

Edit information in PackRat

Delete Information from PackRat

View your PackRat information

Print PackRat records

Export or transfer records from PackRat.


Macro Runner

The Macro Runner is a PackRat object that can be placed on a folder for quick access to all of your macros.  You simply select the macro from the drop box and click Run.


Memo Pad

The Memo Pad object allows you to type free form notes.  The notes that you type into the Memo Pad remain there until you delete them.  Any notes you type at a later date are simply added to the end of your current notes.  If you delete the Memo Pad object using Edit  - Cut,  you will lose the notes you have saved.  If you want to delete text, simply select it with the mouse pointer and press the [Delete] key on your keyboard.

You can use the Spell Checker and the Thesaurus on any selected words in the Memo pad.  You can cut, copy, and paste text.  You can also find and replace text in the Memo Pad by clicking the Find or Replace buttons.  The Action Bar on the Memo Pad is customizable just like any other Action Bar.


Month View

The Month object view creates a large one month calendar on your folder where you can review all of your time related commitments for the month.  The Month View displays the same range of information as the Commitments object, except rather than viewing the specific time-of-day an event is scheduled, you see a summary of the item instead.

Double-clicking on any cell accesses the Day View Object for that day, enabling you to schedule items and information in any form.

When you close the Day View, the new information displays on the Month View calendar.


OLE Client

The OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) Client contains Linked and Embedded items from other applications.  This capability enables you to open the server application and edit the item by double-clicking on it in PackRat.  The OLE Client is ideal when you are using charts or documents that must be updated regularly.

OLE Client objects offer easy access to their server applications.


Printer

By placing the Printer object on a folder, you can print one or more documents by simply dragging them from the Windows File Manager or from your Document Manager to the Printer.  The number of steps involved in the printing process is greatly decreased with the use of this object.


Quick-Dial List

The Quick-Dial List is a PackRat object that contains a list of your most frequently called names.  With this object you can place a call by simply clicking on a particular name.


Spell Checker

The Spell Checker object can be placed on a folder where you do a great deal of writing and editing.  It is available to check the spelling of single words only.

If you use the spelling feature of PackRat regularly, you should add a Spell Checker object on the same folder as your Word Processing tools.


System Information

System Information is a PackRat object which displays information about the computer system being used.  It lists the amount of free memory, the percentage of free resources, the number of tasks (the applications currently running), and available disk space for one or more drives.


Thesaurus

The Thesaurus assists to broaden the writer's vocabulary and  displays words with the same or similar meanings to the selected word.  You may want to place the Thesaurus object on any folder where you do a great deal of writing or editing.


Things To Do List

The Things To Do List is a PackRat object that displays all your task items.  It contains an Action Bar, a column on the left to indicate completed tasks, and a number column to allow you to view tasks numbered according to priority.


Time Manager

The Time Manager object lets you keep track of the amount of time that you spend on certain tasks throughout your day.  For instance, if you wanted to know how much of your time is dedicated to "marketing research" versus "sales calls", you could use a Time Manager object.

A Time Manager object appears as a list of the Time Accounts that you created.  When you begin doing a certain type of work, say, making Sales calls, you simply double-click on the "Sales Calls" account and it changes color to indicate that it is running.  When you finish making your calls, double-click on "Sales Calls" again to stop the timer.  When you stop the Time Account , a form displays so you can make notes about your work session;  perhaps a reminder of where you left off, or an idea that a client gave you.


Trash Can

The Trash Can is a PackRat object that allows the user to "throw away" unwanted files and records by dragging them from a PackRat object or the File Manager onto this object.

Once an item is thrown away, it cannot be retrieved by PackRat.


The PackRat Desktop
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The PackRat Desktop

Now that you've become familiar with both folders and objects, you're ready to explore the entire PackRat desktop.  The sample folders you will see are designed to let you explore the PackRat environment and get a feel for what each part of the PackRat screen does.  The folders you see will look very much like the folders that were created for you with the PackRat SmartStart™.  Click on any part of the sample PackRat Desktop and a description will appear.  Each button, control, object, and menu is described in detail.

Click the View button now to explore the PackRat environment.

You can go back to these sample folders at any time throughout the tutorial by clicking the View button from any tutorial screen.


PackRat 5.0 Basics
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PackRat Tutorial Topics

PackRat 5.0 Basics

Mouse Operations

Folders

Objects

Instant Options

Categories

Forms

Records

PackRat 5.0 Operations

Adding a Record

Searching

Editing and Deleting Records

Contact Management

Scheduling

Document Tracking

Attachments

Other PackRat 5.0 Features

Backing Up

Before You Exit...


PackRat Instant Options
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PackRat Instant Options™

The most important thing you need to remember as you begin to use PackRat is to use the right button on your mouse.  Almost everything you will need is just a

away.

There are two different Instant Options Menus.  One appears when you right-click on objects and the other when you right-click on a folder or desktop.


Instant Options Menu for Folders
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Instant Options Menu for Folders

When your mouse pointer is on a folder (and not an object) you can press the right mouse button to access the Instant Options Menu for Folders.

Click directly on the graphic for further description of the menu entries.


Customize

This command allows you to modify the Name or Tab Color of the active folder.


Font

This command opens the Font dialog box which enables you to change the font, font size, and font style used on the folder's tab.


Edit

The Edit command opens up a sub-menu containing the Cut, Copy, Paste, and Undo commands, which will perform the standard Windows cut and paste functions.  You can cut or copy an object from one folder and paste it on another folder.


Add Objects

This command opens the Objects dialog box so a new object can be added to the active folder.


New Folder

This command adds a new folder to the desktop.


Description

This command displays a folder description and provides access to On-line Help.


Instant Options Menu for Objects
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Instant Options Menu for Objects

When your mouse pointer is on a PackRat object and you click the right mouse button, the Instant Options Menu for objects displays.

Note:  The options may vary for objects, some objects have specialized Instant Options Menu commands.


Customize

This command displays a screen that allows you to customize the object.  For example, if you created an Action Button, but later decided to change its name , you could select this command and make those changes.  Note:  Not all objects are customizable.


Search

Search opens the Search dialog box which enables you to select the fields for which you want to retrieve information (name, company, city, phone #, and such).

Note:  Search options only appear in the Instant Options Menu for objects that can utilize them, such as a List Viewer or Gantt Chart.


Search All

Search All finds and displays every item entered in a form.

Note:  Search options only appear in the Instant Options Menu for objects that can utilize them, such as a List Viewer or Gantt Chart.


Search Attaches

Search Attaches will display all the items that have been attached to the specified item(s) in the form.

Note:  Search options only appear in the Instant Options Menu for objects that can utilize them, such as a List Viewer or Gantt Chart.


Sort

Sort displays the Sort dialog box where you can set how your List Viewer will sort displayed information.  This option only appears on the Instant Options Menu of objects with sorting capabilities.


Edit

The Edit command displays a sub-menu containing the Cut, Copy, Paste, and Undo commands which will perform the standard Windows edit functions.


Font

This command opens the Font dialog box, enabling you to change the font, font size, and font style used by that object, if applicable.


Minimize

This command instantly reduces the object to an icon at the bottom of the screen.  Double-clicking on the icon restores the object to its regular size and position.  Use this feature to preserve desktop space, possibly with objects you don't often use.


Maximize

Select this command to maximize the object.


Float

This options displays a "cascading" menu with the three options:

On Folder:  Selecting this option enables your object to be moved simply by putting your mouse pointer anywhere over the object, pressing the left mouse button, and dragging the object to its new location on the folder.

Across Folders:  This option has the same characteristics as the On Folder option but the object will also "float" or stay on the active folder.  When you change folders, the object will appear on the new active folder.

Caption Bar:  This option places a solid bar (called a "caption bar" or "title bar") on top of the object.  The object can be moved  "grabbing" the caption bar with the mouse pointer and dragging the object to its new location.


Move/Size

The Move/Size command allows you to relocate and resize an object.  When active, a check mark displays next to this command and "handles" appear on the perimeter of the object.  These handles can be grabbed to stretch or shrink the object to the desired size.  To move an object without resizing, click inside the perimeter and drag the object.  Select this command again to take the object out of Move/Size mode.  When Move/Size is active (a check mark appears before this option in the Instant Options Menu) you are not able to use the object.  Take the object out of Move/Size mode to use it.

Note:  Use [Ctrl] + right-click to quickly activate and deactivate the Move/Size mode of an object.


Title

The Title command allows you to place a Title Bar with text of your choice on the object.


Description

The Description command opens a dialog box containing a description of the active object.  If more information is needed, click the More button to connect with PackRat's On-line Help.


PackRat 5.0 Basics
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PackRat Tutorial Topics

PackRat 5.0 Basics

Mouse Operations

Folders

Objects

Instant Options

Categories

Forms

Records

PackRat 5.0 Operations

Adding a Record

Searching

Editing and Deleting Records

Contact Management

Scheduling

Document Tracking

Attachments

Other PackRat 5.0 Features

Backing Up

Before You Exit...


Categories
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Categories

Categories are fundamental to PackRat and serve as an organizational tool for many PackRat components.

Categories are used to organize PackRat items and make it easier for you to retrieve information.  For instance, you could have a Category named "Contacts" where you would place all of the forms, macros, Action Buttons, and such that pertain to contact management.

Depending upon your SmartStart setup, the following are a few of the categories that you might have:

Alerts

Contacts

Documents

Financial

Miscellaneous

Schedule

System

Tasks

Time Management

You can create as many categories as you need to organize your information.  When you create a Category from anywhere in PackRat, it becomes available to all of PackRat's components that utilize Categories.


PackRat 5.0 Basics
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PackRat Tutorial Topics

PackRat 5.0 Basics

Mouse Operations

Folders

Objects

Instant Options

Categories

Forms

Records

PackRat 5.0 Operations

Adding a Record

Searching

Editing and Deleting Records

Contact Management

Scheduling

Document Tracking

Attachments

Other PackRat 5.0 Features

Backing Up

Before You Exit...


Forms
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Forms

Whenever you add information to PackRat, such as names to your Phone Book, you will need to fill out a form.

Forms prompt you for a specific type of information, depending on how or where it is going to be used.  These prompts are called "Fields".  For instance, your Phone Book form might contain the following fields:   Name, Company, Address, City, State, Phone Number, and so forth.  PackRat lets you customize your fields so that they will apply to your specific situation.   If you don't need a Company field, you can remove it or replace it.  If you need multiple address fields, you can add them.

After you fill out a form, the information is added to your user files, where it can be readily accessed by conducting a search.

Unlike dialog boxes, which configure objects, forms are used strictly to add information to your user files.

When the information is needed again, the Phone Book List Viewer can search for it .  The List Viewer can be configured to display whichever fields you desire, and the column headings can also be customized to your liking.

You can customize and create forms using the PackRat Form Editor.  To access the form editor, click on the Tools menu and select Forms.  From the Forms dialog box that appears you can create, edit, or delete forms.


Sample Forms
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Sample Form

The following is a sample Document form.  A Document form would be part of the Documents category,and be accessible from your Documents folder (if your particular SmartStart setup gave you a Documents folder).


PackRat 5.0 Basics
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PackRat Tutorial Topics

PackRat 5.0 Basics

Mouse Operations

Folders

Objects

Instant Options

Categories

Forms

Records

PackRat 5.0 Operations

Adding a Record

Searching

Editing and Deleting Records

Contact Management

Scheduling

Document Tracking

Attachments

Other PackRat 5.0 Features

Backing Up

Before You Exit...


Records
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Records

A record is a collection of related fields containing information, or the contents of any individual form.  Your PackRat information files contain all of your records.  A record might be a person's Phone Book entry, any entry into your schedule, an item on your Things to Do List, or any number of other things.  PackRat organizes your records into logical groups so that you can retrieve any record you might need as quickly as possible.  You can add new records, edit records, delete records, and search for records at any time in PackRat.


PackRat 5.0 Basics
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PackRat Tutorial Topics

PackRat 5.0 Basics

Mouse Operations

Folders

Objects

Instant Options

Categories

Forms

Records

PackRat 5.0 Operations

Adding a Record

Searching

Editing and Deleting Records

Contact Management

Scheduling

Document Tracking

Attachments

Other PackRat 5.0 Features

Backing Up

Before You Exit...


Adding a Record
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Adding a Record

There are two ways to add records to PackRat:

Click the [image] button on an Action Bar anywhere in PackRat.  This button will already be linked with a form associated with the Action bar it is on.

-or-

Click on the Edit menu and select Add.  Then select the form you wish to use to add.


PackRat 5.0 Basics
Click Next to continue to the next screen, or Previous to go back one screen

PackRat Tutorial Topics

PackRat 5.0 Basics

Mouse Operations

Folders

Objects

Instant Options

Categories

Forms

Records

PackRat 5.0 Operations

Adding a Record

Searching

Editing and Deleting Records

Contact Management

Scheduling

Document Tracking

Attachments

Other PackRat 5.0 Features

Backing Up

Before You Exit...


Searching
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Searching

Now that you know how to add information to PackRat, you need to know how to find it when you need it.

There are three ways to initiate a search in PackRat:

Click the [image], [image], or the [image] button on an Action Bar anywhere in PackRat.

-or-

Right-click on a List Viewer and select one of the search commands:  Search, Search All, or Search Attaches.

-or-

Click on the Edit menu and select Search.

Performing any of these operations will initiate PackRat's powerful searching capabilities, allowing you to find as many or as few records as you currently need to view.


Alphabetic Search Bar
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Alphabetic Search Bar

You can quickly search a List Viewer by letter using the Alphabetic Search Bar near the top of the List Viewer.  Just click on a letter and every record beginning with that letter will be displayed.  You can select more than one record by holding down the [ctrl] or [shift] keys while selecting a letter.  If a List Viewer does not have an Alphabetic Search Bar you can add one by right-clicking on the List Viewer and selecting Customize.  Then click the Options button and select Alphabetic Search Bar.

List Viewer with Alphabetic Search Bar


Form Searches
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Form Searches

The Form Search capability provides you with a quick method of locating specific records within forms.  The standard way to search your forms is to use the Alphabetic Search Bar available on the List Viewer, but this is only useful when you are narrowing down your information by letter.   What if you have several business contacts working at Polaris Software that you need to contact?  Using a Form Search, you can search just the Company field of your Phone Book form to find those specific contacts.

Also, if you wanted to conduct a search by phone number for all the people you know that live in Lincoln, Nebraska, you could enter the area code, 402, in the Phone Number field and conduct a search returning just the numbers beginning with 402.

Just click the [image] button to initiate a Form Search.


PackRat 5.0 Basics
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PackRat Tutorial Topics

PackRat 5.0 Basics

Mouse Operations

Folders

Objects

Instant Options

Categories

Forms

Records

PackRat 5.0 Operations

Adding a Record

Searching

Editing and Deleting Records

Contact Management

Scheduling

Document Tracking

Attachments

Other PackRat 5.0 Features

Backing Up

Before You Exit...


Editing and Deleting Records
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Editing and Deleting Records

To edit a record:

Highlight the record you wish to edit and click the [image] button.

-or-

Double-click on a record.

-or-

Highlight the record you wish to edit and press [Enter].

To delete a record

Highlight the record(s) you wish to delete and click the [image] button.

-or-

Highlight the record(s) you wish to delete and press the [delete] key on your keyboard.


PackRat 5.0 Basics
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PackRat Tutorial Topics

PackRat 5.0 Basics

Mouse Operations

Folders

Objects

Instant Options

Categories

Forms

Records

PackRat 5.0 Operations

Adding a Record

Searching

Editing and Deleting Records

Contact Management

Scheduling

Document Tracking

Attachments

Other PackRat 5.0 Features

Backing Up

Before You Exit...


Contact Management
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Contact Management

PackRat's Contact Management features make organizing and making contacts easy.   With PackRat's contact management capabilities, you can:

Add a Name to your Contact List

Place a Phone Call

Answer a Phone Call

Set a contact to appear on the Contact List on a specific date


The List Viewer
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The List Viewer

Any List Viewer associated with one of your Contact forms can be your control center for managing your contacts.  You can use the Action Buttons on the List Viewer Action Bar to help you with your phone calling.

Note:  Name, Company, and Phone Number are just three of the fields you can display on your Phone Book List Viewer.  You can select how many and what fields display using the Instant Options - Customize command.


Adding a Name to Your Contact List
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Adding a Name to Your Contact List

The Contact List is a PackRat object that shows the people you need to contact today.

To add a name to your Contact List:

Select the name you want to place on your Contact List and click the Contact List button.

-or-

Simply drag the name from your Phone Book List Viewer and drop on the Contact List.

In either case a Contact form will appear.  You can enter what the call will be regarding and change the date if you wish.  When you've completed this form, simply click OK and the name will appear on your Contact List.


Setting a Contact to Appear on a Specific Date
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Setting a Contact to Appear on a Specific Date

You can easily set a contact to appear on your Contact List on a specific date using drag and drop.  You must have a Calendar on the same folder as your List Viewer.  Simply drag the name of the person you wish to place on your Contact List, and drop the record on the appropriate date on the Calendar.  The person's name will appear on the Contact List on that date.


Placing a Phone Call
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Placing a Phone Call

You can make and log calls using PackRat.  The active folder must contain a Phone Book List Viewer or your Contact List to make a call.  Placing a call is very simple.

To place and log a call:

1.	Highlight the name of the person you wish to call, and click the [image] button.

A Call dialog box will appear in which you can select the correct phone number to dial.

2.	Select the number and click OK.

3.	If PackRat is set up to auto-dial your phone for you, follow the directions that appear.  Otherwise, pick up your phone and dial the number.  You can now enter notes about the phone call in a Conversation form that will appear.

4.	Click OK when you have finished your notes about the call, and the information will be saved for later use.

Note:  You must have Hayes-compatible modem to utilize PackRat's autodialing features.  You will need set up your modem in PackRat by selecting Modem from the Setup menu.


Answering a Phone Call
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Answering a Phone Call

You can answer and log calls using PackRat.  The active folder must contain a Phone Book List Viewer or your Contact List to answer and log a call.  Once you have initiated the call you can switch folders or look at any other information in PackRat that you may need for your conversation, such as past conversations.

When you answer the phone:

If the person calling is in your phone book:

1.	Search your Phone Book for the name of the person calling.

2.	Highlight the name and click the [image] button.

3.	Click Yes when you are prompted to confirm the name of the person calling

A form will appear for you to enter notes about the call.

If the person calling is not in your phone book:

1.	Click the [image] button.

2.	If you are prompted to confirm a name, click No.

A form will appear for you to enter the name of the person calling and notes about the call.

When the call is finished you will be given the chance to automatically enter that person's name into your Phone Book.


PackRat 5.0 Basics
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PackRat Tutorial Topics

PackRat 5.0 Basics

Mouse Operations

Folders

Objects

Instant Options

Categories

Forms

Records

PackRat 5.0 Operations

Adding a Record

Searching

Editing and Deleting Records

Contact Management

Scheduling

Document Tracking

Attachments

Other PackRat 5.0 Features

Backing Up

Before You Exit...


Scheduling
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Scheduling

PackRat 5.0 has powerful scheduling features.  There are several objects to help you keep track of your daily, weekly, and monthly schedule, as well as the tasks you need to accomplish.  PackRat also has intuitive repetitive scheduling features allowing you to set an item to appear regularly on your schedule.


Things To Do List
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Things To Do List

The Things To Do List is a PackRat object that displays all your "things to do" items.  It contains an Action Bar, a column indicating completed tasks, and a number column to allow you to view tasks numbered according to priority.


Commitments Object
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Commitments Object

Commitments is a PackRat object which graphically displays your time related information.  It does not display what the scheduled item is -- it simply indicates that you have some event scheduled during that time.

The Commitments object automatically charts and displays any record that contains a Start Date and an End Date field.  This enables you to check your schedule at a glance and see when you're available for meetings and appointments.


The Day View
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The Day View

The Day View is a PackRat object which displays up to seven days on the screen at once allowing you to quickly review your scheduled, time-related items for those days.  You can schedule items directly on the Day View object, dragging it and dropping it on the new time and day.


The Month View
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Month View

The Month object view creates a large one month calendar on your folder where you can review all of your time related commitments for the month.  You can double-click on any day to view a Day View for that day.


Repetitive Scheduling
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Repetitive Scheduling

PackRat 5.0 has powerful yet intuitive scheduling features.  Simply click on the Options menu and select Scheduling or click the Sched button from any form in which one appears, and you will be able to repetitively schedule an item.

This feature saves you from entering regular commitments more than once.  For example, if you have a meeting every Monday morning at 10:00, you can simply enter the meeting into your schedule once and schedule it to appear every Monday.  If you take lunch every day from 12:00 - 1:00 PM, you can schedule that also.  Almost any time-related item can be repetitively scheduled.

There are two different types of repetitive scheduling:  periodic scheduling and custom scheduling.  You would use periodic scheduling if the item occurred regularly:  every Monday, every business day, every week.  You would use custom scheduling if the item is not periodic:  the third Thursday of every month, the first business day of the quarter, the last business day of the month.


PackRat 5.0 Basics
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PackRat Tutorial Topics

PackRat 5.0 Basics

Mouse Operations

Folders

Objects

Instant Options

Categories

Forms

Records

PackRat 5.0 Operations

Adding a Record

Searching

Editing and Deleting Records

Contact Management

Scheduling

Document Tracking

Attachments

Other PackRat 5.0 Features

Backing Up

Before You Exit...


Document Tracking
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Document Tracking

PackRat's powerful Document Tracking features are designed to assist you with many common tasks.  Document Tracking lets you:

Keep track of documents and files on your hard drive

Create new documents

Print a document

Fax a document

Launch the proper application with your document loaded

The Document Manager is your control center for keeping track of and manipulating all your documents.  By using the Document Manager's Action Bar you can perform all of the operations detailed in the topics listed above.


Adding a Document to PackRat
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Adding a Document to PackRat

To add a document to PackRat:

1.	Switch to the Documents folder or to the folder containing your Document Manager.

2.	Click the Add button on the Document Manager Action Bar.

Your Document form displays.

3.	In the Description field, enter a description of the document's contents.

4.	In the Document field, enter the path and file name of the document or click the Browse button to find the file.

5.	Enter any keywords that will help you locate this record later in any of the eight Key fields.

6.	Click OK.

The document is added to PackRat.


Editing a Document's Record
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Editing a Document's Record

1.	Open your Documents folder or the folder containing your Document Manager object.

2.	Search for and select the record you wish to edit.

3.	Click the Edit button on the Document Manager Action Bar.

The record appears.

4.	Make your changes.

5.	When you are finished click OK.

The record is updated.


Creating a New Document from PackRat
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Creating a New Document from PackRat

You can create new documents from PackRat in any OLE compatible Windows application.

To create a new document:

1.	Switch to the Documents folder or to the folder containing your Document Manager.

2.	Click the New button on the Document Manager Action Bar.

The Select Document Type Dialog Box displays.

This dialog box contains a list of OLE compatible documents that you can create.  Note:  You must have the proper applications installed on your system.

3.	Select the type of document you wish to create.

4.	Click OK on the Select Document Type dialog box.

The application will open with a new file created in it.  You can use it and save it as you would any document.


OLE

OLE stands for Object Linking and Embedding.  OLE allows PackRat to contain information that was created in other applications, and it also allows you to create new documents in other applications from PackRat


Printing a Document from PackRat
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Printing a Document from PackRat

1.	Switch to the Documents folder or to the folder containing your Document Manager.

2.	Search for and highlight the record you wish to print.

3.	Click the Print button.

-or-

Drag the document and drop it on the Printer object

The document will print on your default printer.


Faxing a Document from PackRat
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Faxing a Document from PackRat

Note:  To fax from PackRat you must have the proper fax software and hardware installed on your system.  Currently PackRat integrates with Eclipse FAX™ and WinFax PRO™.

1.	Switch to the Documents folder or to the folder containing your Document Manager.

2.	Search for and select the record you wish to fax.

3.	Click the Fax button.

-or-

Drag the document and drop it on the Fax Machine object.

PackRat will open your fax software application.  You must fill in the number where you are sending the document, select cover sheet and notes options, then you may send the fax.


Launching a Document from PackRat
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Launching a Document from PackRat

1.	Switch to the Documents folder or to the folder containing your Document Manager.

2.	Search for and highlight the record you wish to view.

3.	Click the Launch button.

The appropriate application will open with the document loaded.


PackRat 5.0 Basics
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PackRat Tutorial Topics

PackRat 5.0 Basics

Mouse Operations

Folders

Objects

Instant Options

Categories

Forms

Records

PackRat 5.0 Operations

Adding a Record

Searching

Editing and Deleting Records

Contact Management

Scheduling

Document Tracking

Attachments

Other PackRat 5.0 Features

Backing Up

Before You Exit...


Attachments
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Attachments

PackRat enables you to attach related items together.  You can attach any record in PackRat to any other record.  For instance, you can attach a document (in your Document Manager) to the author's name (in your Phone Book).  Once items are attached, you can search for the items based upon the Attachments.  In this example, this enables you to quickly find all the items associated with the author, or with the document.

You can make an unlimited number of attachments in PackRat.  For instance, you can highlight all the attendees at a meeting and attach them to each other, or attach them all to other items associated with the meeting.


Creating an Attachment
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Creating an Attachment

To attach items you must have a [image] button on your folder or Action Bar.

1.	Select the target item(s) that you wish to attach to one or more other items.

2.	Click on the [image] button.

The Attach dialog box displays.

3.	Click on the items that you wish to attach to the target item(s).  The items display on the Attach dialog box.

Note:  You can switch folders or perform a search without disturbing the Attach screen.

4.	When you have selected all the items that you wish to attach to the target item(s), click the Attach button on the dialog box.

The items are attached.


Searching for Attachments
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Searching for Attachments

The advantage of attachments is the time they save in finding related groups of information.  To search for the attachments to an item:

1.	Select the target record for which you wish to find the attachments.

2.	Right-click on the object containing the record.

The Instant Options Menu displays.

3.	Select the Search Attaches Instant Option.

All items attached to the target one(s) display.


PackRat 5.0 Basics
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PackRat Tutorial Topics

PackRat 5.0 Basics

Mouse Operations

Folders

Objects

Instant Options

Categories

Forms

Records

PackRat 5.0 Operations

Adding a Record

Searching

Editing and Deleting Records

Contact Management

Scheduling

Document Tracking

Attachments

Other PackRat 5.0 Features

Backing Up

Before You Exit...


Other PackRat Features
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Other PackRat Features

Alerts

Applications and Integration

Financial Management

Hot Keys

Lists

Macros

Reports

Scripts

Spelling and Thesaurus

Time Management


Alerts
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Alerts

Alerts enable you to set reminders for yourself, such as to call a client, prepare for an appointment, or remember an anniversary.  Once set, an Alerts Window will "pop up" on top of any Windows application as long as PackRat is running at least as an icon.

When setting Alerts for scheduled items, you can adjust the "lead time" so you can decide how long before the event you want the Alert to pop-up.  This can range from minutes to days.  Alerts can be scheduled repetitively to remind you of regularly occurring events.

To set an alert:

Click on the Options menu and select Alerts.

-or-

Click the Alerts button from any PackRat Form that contains one.


Other PackRat Features
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Other PackRat Features

Alerts

Applications and Integration

Financial Management

Hot Keys

Lists

Macros

Reports

Scripts

Spelling and Thesaurus

Time Management


Applications and Integration
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Applications and Integration

PackRat 5.0 has the capability to launch applications, run applications on folders, act as an OLE Client, and seamlessly exchange information other Windows applications via the PackRat Integration Library.


Application Icon
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Application Icon

The Application Icon object allows you to place any Windows, DOS, or PIF application's icon on any folder.  By double-clicking on the icon you can launch the application.  For example:  you might place a Microsoft Word for Windows icon on your "Word Processing" folder.  You can then access Microsoft Word at any time by just clicking on that folder tab and double-clicking on the Word icon.  You do not need to close or minimize PackRat and hunt for the Word icon in the Windows Program Manager.

You can add an Application Icon object to a folder by right-clicking on that folder and selecting the Add Objects Instant Option.


Application Window
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Application Window

The Application Window is a PackRat object that allows you to run an application within a window on your folder.  Unlike the Application Icon object which only places the application's icon on your folder, you may keep an application open at all times in the Application Window while simultaneously using other PackRat features.

You can add an Application Window object to a folder by right-clicking on that folder and selecting the Add Objects Instant Option.

Note:  The Application Window is compatible with most Windows Applications, however, there may be some instances (Windows Clock for example) that are not compatible.


OLE Client
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OLE Client

PackRat 5.0 supports Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) via the OLE Client Object.  PackRat will act as the client application and will contain linked and embedded objects from any OLE compatible server application.  This capability enables you to open the server application and edit the item by double-clicking on it in PackRat.  It's ideal when using charts or documents that must be updated regularly.

You can add the OLE Client object to a folder by right-clicking on that folder and selecting the Add Objects Instant Option.


PackRat Integration Library
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PackRat Integration Library

The PackRat Integration Library is a collection of macros that enable you to seamlessly exchange information between PackRat and several other common Windows applications:

Microsoft Word for Windows 2.0

Microsoft Excel 4.0

Lotus Ami Pro 3.0

WinFax Pro

Eclipse FAX

WordPerfect for Windows


Other PackRat Features
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Other PackRat Features

Alerts

Applications and Integration

Financial Management

Hot Keys

Lists

Macros

Reports

Scripts

Spelling and Thesaurus

Time Management


Financial Managment Capabilities
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PackRat's Financial Management Capabilities

Financial Management with PackRat is made simple with the use of the Financial Journal object.   The Financial Journal is a List Viewer dedicated strictly to viewing your financial accounts.  With it your financial accounts can be accessed and you can quickly review all financial activity.  You must create at least one financial account in order to use the Financial Journal.

Once you have established an account, you can double-click on any Financial Journal item to display the full contents of the record.  For example, to view a "Pay to the order of" field of a checking item, you need only double-click on the item;  the full record displays in the associated financial form.

To make use of this feature, simply add a Financial Journal object to a folder.  To do so, simply right-click on the folder, select Add Objects from the Instant Options Menu.  In the Objects dialog box, select Financial Journal and click OK.  Customize the Journal to your liking and you are on your way to simplified financial management!


Other PackRat Features
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Other PackRat Features

Alerts

Applications and Integration

Financial Management

Hot Keys

Lists

Macros

Reports

Scripts

Spelling and Thesaurus

Time Management


Hot Keys
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Hot Keys

Hot Keys serve as keyboard shortcuts.  For example, you could assign the Hot Key sequence of [Ctrl] + [Shift] + M to send electronic mail, or [Ctrl] + [Shift] + S to initiate the Speller.  Hot Keys are completely customizable in PackRat so you may assign any sequence you desire.  Combinations of Hot Keys can then be assigned to specific folders.  This allows you to have a different set of Hot Keys for every folder, thus expanding the time-saving convenience of keyboard shortcuts to its highest level.

Just click on the Tools menu, select Hot Keys, and you'll be off and running with keyboard shortcuts.


Other PackRat Features
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Other PackRat Features

Alerts

Applications and Integration

Financial Management

Hot Keys

Lists

Macros

Reports

Scripts

Spelling and Thesaurus

Time Management


Lists
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Lists

Information that you commonly enter into your PackRat forms can be made into lists.  PackRat makes managing that information simple with the List Manager feature.  You can use lists of States, Titles, or Holidays to help you complete forms quickly and easily.  Use the List Manager to add or delete lists, list entries, or categories associated with your lists.

PackRat also makes use of the Action List object which contains user-defined lists of information you commonly use.  For example, you may create a list of states, countries, company names, magazines, scripts, macros, or any other information that's pertinent to the type of work you do.   You can place an Action List on a folder, form, or on an Action Bar which makes adding information or completing forms simple by putting information just a click away.

Click on the Tools menu and select Lists to access the List Manager dialog box where you can access all your lists and their entries.


Other PackRat Features
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Other PackRat Features

Alerts

Applications and Integration

Financial Management

Hot Keys

Lists

Macros

Reports

Scripts

Spelling and Thesaurus

Time Management


Macro
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Macro

A macro is a predefined or user-created program that runs inside PackRat and can perform simple or complex tasks.  PackRat comes equipped with PackRatBASIC, a fully-functional and extremely powerful macro language.  Using PackRat in conjunction with PackRatBASIC is the ultimate way to increase your productivity.  You can customize PackRat even further with PackRatBASIC.

You can assign macros to Action Buttons or Hot Keys for added convenience.  PackRat also provides the Macro Runner object that contains a list of all your macros.  Simply select a macro and click Run on the Macro Runner and the macro will be executed.

Click on the Tools menu and select Macros to create, edit, delete or run macros.  From there you can access the PackRatBASIC Editor, a fully-functional macro editor which allows you to create, step through, and trace your macros.


Other PackRat Features
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Other PackRat Features

Alerts

Applications and Integration

Financial Management

Hot Keys

Lists

Macros

Reports

Scripts

Spelling and Thesaurus

Time Management


Reports
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Reports

PackRat 5.0 offers powerful and flexible report capabilities that enable you to print the information in any PackRat object.  PackRat's report features allow you to create custom reports providing you with report objects and "tools" that can be placed on the report.  The PackRat Report Writer is a WYSIWYG report generator.  You can save custom reports to have them available for future use.   If there is a great deal of information to be printed, the report generates additional pages until all the requested information is printed.

Creating a report screen is very easy.  To access PackRat's Report option, click on the Tools menu and select Reports.  When you create a new report, you will simply add report objects to the report screen, customize them to your liking, and print the report.

PackRat makes printing your information easy and customizable, so your information is displayed the way you want!


WYSIWYG

What You See is What You Get.


Other PackRat Features
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Other PackRat Features

Alerts

Applications and Integration

Financial Management

Hot Keys

Lists

Macros

Reports

Scripts

Spelling and Thesaurus

Time Management


Scripts
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Scripts

Scripts are a set of key strokes or mouse operations you perform that are remembered by PackRat and can be played back.  You could record a script that would access the New Folder dialog box.  By assigning this script to an Action Button, you'll have a button on your folder that will let you quickly create a new folder.  Scripts are an easy way to automate common tasks.

You can create your scripts so that they can be played back at the speed they were recorded at, or at Full Speed.  With Full Speed, your tasks are finished faster, while normal speed is better for instructional-type activities.

You can access the Script Recorder by select Scripts from the Tools menu.


Other PackRat Features
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Other PackRat Features

Alerts

Applications and Integration

Financial Management

Hot Keys

Lists

Macros

Reports

Scripts

Spelling and Thesaurus

Time Management


Spelling and Thesaurus
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PackRat Spelling and Thesaurus

PackRat's spelling feature is used to assist you with maintaining proper spelling throughout any written documentation.  Single words or entire documents may be checked, depending on the spelling option you choose.

You can select Spelling from the Tools menu or add the Spelling Checker object to a folder.

The Thesaurus assists to broaden the writer's vocabulary and  displays words with the same or similar meanings to the selected word.

You can select Thesaurus from the Tools menu or add the Thesaurus object to a folder.


Other PackRat Features
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Other PackRat Features

Alerts

Applications and Integration

Financial Management

Hot Keys

Lists

Macros

Reports

Scripts

Spelling and Thesaurus

Time Management


Time Management
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Time Management

PackRat's Time Management feature allows you to keep track of the amount of time you spend on certain tasks throughout the day.  For instance, if you wanted to know how much of your time is dedicated to working on the "Griffin Housing Account" you would use PackRat's Time Manager object to assist you.

The Time Manager object appears as a list of Time Accounts that you have created.  When you begin a task for which you need to track time worked, say, working on that Griffin Housing Account, you simply double-click on Griffin Housing Account and it changes color to indicate that the timer is running.  When you finish your work, double-click on Griffin Housing Account again to stop the timer.  A form displays so you can make notes about your work session,  perhaps a reminder of where you left off, or an idea that a client gave you.

First, you need to set up your Time Accounts by selecting Time Accounts from the Setup menu.  Then, add a Time Manager object to a folder by right-clicking on the folder and selecting Add Objects from the Instant Options menu.  Select Time Manager from the Objects dialog box and customize it to your liking.

Use this feature to make managing your time with PackRat simple and time efficient!


PackRat Tutorial Topics
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PackRat Tutorial Topics

PackRat 5.0 Basics

Mouse Operations

Folders

Objects

Instant Options

Categories

Forms

Records

PackRat 5.0 Operations

Adding a Record

Searching

Editing and Deleting Records

Contact Management

Scheduling

Document Tracking

Attachments

Other PackRat 5.0 Features

Backing Up

Before You Exit...


Backing Up
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Backing Up

Backing up your PackRat files is a crucial step in preventing the loss of any information should a file or drive problem occur.   Although Polaris Software, Inc. will do everything we can to help you through any difficulties you may encounter, backing up your files is the most effective step you can take.

We strongly recommend that you backup all of your data files regularly by copying them to another directory.  The following is a complete list of the PackRat data files:

*.prd, *.pri

These files are your PackRat data and index files.  This is where your data records are stored.

alerts.prl

This is the alerts file.  It keeps track of any alerts that you have set in PackRat.

attaches.pra

This your PackRat attachments file.  It keeps track of all of your attachments.

config.pdb

This file stores your entire PackRat desktop configuration.  Therefore, this is a very important file and should be backed up regularly.  If you want to have multiple desktop configurations, you may back up this file and swap it around with other config files.

Upon installation,  your working directory will be the directory to which you installed PackRat.  If you change your working directory, be sure to copy all of these files into the new working directory, otherwise PackRat will not be able to access your files.


PackRat 5.0 Basics
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PackRat Tutorial Topics

PackRat 5.0 Basics

Mouse Operations

Folders

Objects

Instant Options

Categories

Forms

Records

PackRat 5.0 Operations

Adding a Record

Searching

Editing and Deleting Records

Contact Management

Scheduling

Document Tracking

Attachments

Other PackRat 5.0 Features

Backing Up

Before You Exit...


Congratulations - and welcome to PackRat 5.0!
Click Previous to go back one screen

Polaris PackRat 5.0 Tutorial

Congratulations!

You have just completed the PackRat 5.0 Tutorial.

If there are any features that you think you skipped over or would like to read about again, simply click the Contents button and select that feature.

If you would like to browse through the Sample PackRat Desktop again, click the View button to display the sample desktop.

If you are ready to begin working with PackRat 5.0 now, click the Exit button to end the tutorial.

Enjoy!


Action Bars Button

The Action Bars button displays the Action Bars Dialog Box where you can edit, create, show, or delete Action Bars or create and edit Categories associated with Action Bars.


Add Button

The Add button allows you to add items, information, or objects depending on where you are in PackRat.  For example, in adding objects to a folder, you click the Add button and a relevant dialog box or the object itself would appear on the screen.


Browse Button

Clicking the Browse button displays the Select File Dialog Box which allows you to select a file, an application's path, and an application's name.


"Buttons" Button

Click Buttons to display the Select Action Button Dialog Box where you can create, edit, or delete the actual Action Buttons.


Cancel Button

The Cancel button will exit the current dialog box with no changes or updates.


Categories Button

Use the Categories button to display the Categories Dialog Box where you can create, edit, or delete your Categories.


Close Button

The Close button exits the current dialog box.  Changes or actions performed within the dialog box will still be in effect.


Collapse Button

The Collapse button (used in conjunction with the Expand button) is used to reduce the views or branches of your fields.  Clicking Expand shows all branches off a specific field.  Collapse shows just the original field with no branches.  (Think of Windows File Manager and how files are displayed within directories you've created.)


Colors Button

The Colors button displays the Colors Dialog Box allowing you to create, edit, or delete color choices in the color list box.


Connect Button

The Connect button is used in the Hot Links dialog box to link a selected application with PackRat.


Create Button

Click the Create button in the various dialog boxes to create new items.


Delete Button

Click the Delete button to delete a selection.


Description Button

If you are uncertain of a particular object's function, highlight the object then click the Description button and a box displays with an explanation of the highlighted object.


Disconnect Button

The Disconnect button is used in the Hot Links dialog box to disconnect a selected application with PackRat.


Edit Button

Click the Edit button to update and change the selected item.


Expand Button

The Expand button (used in conjunction with the Collapse button) is used to expand the views or branches of your fields.  Clicking Expand shows all branches off of a specific field, Collapse shows just the original field with no branches.  (Think of Windows File Manager and how files are displayed within directories you've created.)


Focus Button

Click the Focus button and follow the instructions that appear to determine which window will have the focus when you start recording


Font Button

Clicking the Font button displays the Font Dialog Box, where you can choose text font, font style, font size, and font color.


Forms Button

Click the Forms button to display the Forms Dialog Box where you can create or delete Categories and edit, create, or delete Forms.


Handhelds Button

Click the Handhelds button in the Transfer dialog box to display the handheld options you have.


Help Button

Click the Help button to display PackRat's On-line Help screens.


Icon Button

The Icon button allows you to change the icon displayed for an Application Window or Application Icon.


Ignore Button

The Ignore button in the Speller dialog box lets you skip over a word the Speller recognizes as misspelled.


Load Button

Click the Load button in the Keymaps dialog box to load the selected group of Hot Keys.


Look Up Button

The Look Up button in the Speller dialog box will initiate a search for the correct spelling of a word.


Macros Button

The Macros button accesses the Macros Dialog Box where you can run, create, edit, or delete macros.


Make Button

The Make button initiates the install extension.  The Make Install option with PackRat allows you to transfer any tools you have created, for example an Action Bar, Form, Action Button, Macro, Report, or Template.  You can transfer this information to other systems by means of the Install Disk.


Merge Button

Click the Merge button to display the Merge Dialog Box where you can edit or correct mistakes in existing Keywords.


New Button

Click the New button to create new items relevant to the dialog box you are using.


OK Button

The OK button confirms the information in the dialog box and carries out the specific task of the dialog box.


Options Button

The Options button displays the List Viewer Options Dialog Box where you can select options pertaining to the List Viewer.


Play Button

Click the Play button in the Scripts dialog box to play a selected Script.


Record Button

Click the Record button in the Scripts dialog box to begin recording a Script.


Replace Button

The Replace button in the Speller dialog box replaces the highlighted word with one properly spelled.


Run Button

The Run button is used to initiate or carry out the functions of the selected macro.


Scripts Button

The Scripts button accesses the Scripts Dialog Box where you can run, create, edit, or delete Scripts.


Select Button

Highlight a folder name in the Folders dialog box, then click the Select button to switch to that folder.


Sort Button

The Sort button displays the Sort Dialog Box where you may determine the order (ascending or descending) of the sort.


Templates Button

The Templates button displays the Templates Dialog Box where you can edit, create, or delete Templates and access the Categories Dialog Box for editing or deleting Categories.


Totals Button

Click this button to display the List Viewer Totals Dialog Box where you have viewing options related to financial lists.


>> Button

Click this button to move the selected field from the Available Box to the end of the list in the Selected Box


<< Button

Click this button to move the selected field from the Selected Box back to the Available Box


Insert Button

1.	Highlight the desired item in the Available box.

2.	Highlight the item in the Selected box you wish to place the selected Available item before.

3.	Click Insert to insert the item there.


Phone Book Folder


Schedule Folder


Documents Folder


Finances Folder


System Menu

The System Menu is a standard Windows menu that all Windows applications contain.

Click directly on the graphic for further descriptions of the System menu options.


Restore

Selecting Restore will restore the PackRat window to its previous size.


Move

Selecting Move will change the mouse pointer to a four-way arrow so you can move the PackRat window around on your screen.


Size

Selecting Size will allow you to size the PackRat window.


Minimize

Selecting Minimize will reduce PackRat to an icon at the bottom of your screen


Maximize

Selecting Maximize will cause PackRat to completely fill your screen.


Close

Selecting Close will exit PackRat.


Switch To

Selecting Switch To will call up the Windows Task List and allow you to switch to a different application.


File Menu

The File menu, accessed from the Menu Bar, displays a menu with the following options:

Click directly on the graphic for further descriptions of each File menu entry.


New

Selecting New opens the File New dialog box where a new *.prd file can be created, and a Password and directory assigned to the new file.


Open

This selection displays the Select File dialog box, where the file name and directory are entered to open an existing file.


Close

This option opens the File Close dialog box that lists all the files currently open in PackRat.  You may select which files you wish to close from this dialog box.


Save As

This selection opens the Save As dialog box where the file name and directory path are entered to save a file.  This option is used when you want to save a file under a different name than the original one.


Password

Use this option to add or change the password for a data file.


Print

Select Print to display the Reports dialog box.  From this selection you can print, define, edit, and delete reports.


Import/Export

The Import/Export option allows you to exchange (import or export) information between PackRat and other applications.  Select this option to display the Import/Export dialog box where you can set up your information exchange.


Handheld Transfer

Handheld Transfer is used to exchange information between a handheld device (Sharp Wizard Electronic Organizer™ for example) and PackRat.


Convert

This option displays the Select File dialog box.  Use it to Convert your PackRat 4.1 files to 5.0.  If you have a PackRat version prior to 4.1, you cannot convert directly to 5.0.  Contact Polaris Software for information about how to upgrade earlier versions of PackRat.


Install

Use this option to install PackRat tools or extensions (forms, lists, reports and such).


Make Install Disk

Use the Make Install Disk option to export information such as forms, scripts, or macros.  By selecting this option, the Make Extension Disk dialog box displays to assist you in this process.


Run

Use the Run option to run an  .exe,  .com,  .pif, or  .bat  file.


Exit

Exit closes PackRat and brings you back to your main Windows environment or exits Windows if PackRat acts as your shell.


Edit Menu

The Edit menu contains commands that enable you to move items between PackRat and other programs, add information to a form, and search for information.

Click directly on the menu entries for descriptions.


Undo

This command reverses (un-does) a previous PackRat edit command.


Cut

The Cut command removes the selected text (you must select the text or object prior to cutting it) from PackRat and places it on the Clipboard.  When PackRat objects are cut, they are placed in the PackRat Clipboard.


Copy

This command copies selected text from the program to the Clipboard.

Note:  When objects are cut or copied they are stored in the PackRat Clipboard.  When text is cut or copied it is stored in the standard Windows Clipboard.

When objects are copied, the copy is stored in the PackRat Clipboard.


Paste

This command pastes (copies) the items in the Clipboard to the program's window.


Add

Select Add to display the Select Form dialog box where you can open the form to which want to add information.


Search

This option displays the Search dialog box.  All open PackRat user files will be searched.  If the search is successful, the results are displayed in a "global" List Viewer.


Tools Menu

The Tools menu displays the following options:

Click directly on the menu graphic for further descriptions of the menu entries.


Spelling

Use the Spelling option to check documents for proper spelling.


Thesaurus

The Thesaurus assists in broadening the writer's vocabulary and will display words with the same or similar meanings to the selected word.


Keyword Manager

By selecting Keyword Manager you are able to manage your Key fields.  You can display the Key field's values and globally modify them.


Categories

This selection accesses the Categories dialog box where you can modify and create categories.  Categories are fundamental to PackRat and serve as an organizational tool for all your forms, action bars, and macros.  You will see categories throughout PackRat, providing a structure so you can easily distinguish between different facets of your work.


Forms

The Forms dialog box displays when you select Tools menu - Forms.    With this dialog box you are able to edit, create, or delete associated forms and categories.


Reports

This entry accesses the Reports dialog box which allows you to print, create, modify, and design PackRat reports.


Action Bars

Use this Tools menu selection to access the Action Bars dialog box where you can create, edit, or delete Action Bars.  Action Bars contain related groups of Action Buttons and Action Lists that you use to perform daily tasks. Action Bars are primarily used to access and edit your Forms.


Action Buttons

This option access the Select Action Button dialog box where you can create, edit, or delete Action Buttons.

An Action Button is a PackRat object that can be placed on folders or on Action Bars.  Action Buttons will run macros and commands, or run scripts when clicked. You can place text or a graphic bitmap on an Action Button.


Data Templates

Data Templates assist you in moving information to and from the Windows Clipboard to a PackRat form.  By using a Data Template, you are able to set up fields of your choice in a particular order, therefore directing the order and layout of incoming information.


Lists

By selecting Lists you access the List Manager Dialog Box where you can add lists or list elements,  delete entries, or copy entries.


Macros

This selection displays the Macros dialog box where you can run, create, edit, or delete PackRat BASIC macros.

A macro is a predefined or user-created "mini" program that can perform simple tasks.  You can assign a macro to an Action Button  or a Hot Key then place it on a folder.


Scripts

This menu option displays the Scripts dialog box where you can access categories and play, record, or delete scripts.

Scripts are a set of actions you perform that are recorded by the computer for future play back.   For example, you could record a script that would access the New Folder dialog box.  By assigning this script to an Action Button, you'll have a button on your folder that will let you quickly create a new folder.


Hot Links

Hot Links are associated with Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) which enables applications to communicate with each other, thus allowing  you to exchange information between Windows' applications.

By selecting Hot Links from the Tools menu, the Hot Links dialog box displays.   Use this dialog box to create, edit, connect, disconnect, or delete Hot Links, thus enabling applications to communicate with PackRat.


Hot Keys

Hot Keys serve as keyboard shortcuts.  You can assign a combination of Hot Keys to your folders.  For example, you could assign the Hot Key sequence of [Ctrl] + [Shift] + M to send electronic mail, or [Ctrl] + [Shift] + S to initiate the Speller for a document.  By selecting Hot Keys from the Tools menu, you access the Hot Keys dialog box.  From here you can edit, load, create, or delete Hot Keys.


Setup Menu

Click directly on the menu graphic for further descriptions of the menu entries.


Financial Accounts

This option displays the Financial Accounts Dialog Box where you can create a new account and edit, obtain a summary, reconcile, or  delete an existing account.


Time Accounts

This option accesses the Time Accounts Dialog Box where you can edit, create, or delete time accounts.


Colors

This option accesses the Colors dialog box where you can create, edit, or delete custom colors that are used for folder tabs, text, objects, and many more PackRat features.


Printer

This option access the Print Setup dialog box where you set options for printing.


Fax

With this option, you access the Select Fax Printer dialog box where you select the compatible fax printer for your system.


Handheld

This option displays the Handheld Devices dialog box where you can install and select the default handheld device.


Modem

This option displays the Modem Setup dialog box.  Modems are used to connect a computer to a remote computer system.  To use communication services, such as CompuServe, the computer must include a modem that connects the computer via phone line to the remote system.  PackRat's autodialing capabilities are set to work with Hayes-compatible modems.  Use this option to setup your modem autodialing features.


Dialing

Use this option to select PackRat's phone dialing options and default values.


Options Menu

Select Options from the menu bar for the following features:

Click directly on the menu graphic for a further description of the menu entry.


Desktop

This selection displays the Desktop Preferences Dialog Box where you can change folder tab locations, change the active folder's tab color, select startup and terminating macros, and select to display or hide the PackRat caption and menu bars.


Folder Menu

The Folder menu allows you to create a new folder, switch between existing folders, and access the Folders dialog box.

Click directly on the graphic for further descriptions.


New Folder

This option displays the Add Folder dialog box where you can add a new folder to your desktop.


Phone Book, Schedule, Documents, Finances

These numbered options are the current folders on your desktop (these will vary per desktop).  You may switch between folders by highlighting the name of the folder.  The selected folder becomes the top (active) folder.


Folders

This option displays the Folders dialog box where you can edit an existing folder's name, create a new folder, add objects, move between folders, delete folders, or create and assign Hot Keys to a folder.


Help Menu

Click directly on the menu entries for further descriptions.


Index

Selecting Index will take you to an alphabetical index containing every topic contained in PackRat's On-line Help.  You can then "jump" to any of these simply by clicking on the topic you wish to view.


Search

Selecting Search will take you to the On-line Help Search dialog box.  From this dialog box you can quickly locate the topic you wish see.


Contents

Selecting Contents will take you to an On-line Help Table of Contents that lists Help screens by topic and function.  You can then "jump" to any of these screens simply by clicking on the topic you wish to view.


Using Help

Selecting Using Help will take you to the standard Windows Help screen for instructions on navigating through the On-line Help environment.


Context-Sensitive

Selecting Context-Sensitive will change your mouse pointer to a question mark.  Place the question mark on any item in PackRat and click the left mouse button to get a Help description of that item.


Tutorial

Selection Tutorial will open the PackRat On-line Tutorial.


About

Selecting About will display the PackRat version number and copyright information.


PackRat Title Bar

Every Windows Application has a title bar across the top that displays the name of the application.   The title bar is used to indicate the active window.  If your desktop contains many open windows, you can easily tell which window is currently active; the active window's title bar looks different.  The Window's default color for the active title bar is blue, while other title bars are white.


Minimize Button

Clicking the [image] button will reduce PackRat to an icon at the bottom of your screen.


Maximize Button

Clicking the [image] button will cause PackRat to fill your entire screen.  When PackRat is maximized this button will appear like this: .  It can be clicked to reduce PackRat so that it does not fill the entire screen.


Main Menu Bar

The PackRat Main Menu Bar appears at the top of the screen directly below the title bar.  It contains PackRat's menus.  You simply click on a menu title to access that menu's commands.


Desktop

The PackRat desktop occupies the entire area of the screen if maximized and contains:  the Menu Bar, Action Bar, Folders Scroll Box, Objects, and Folders.


Active Folder

The Active Folder appears as the top folder on the desktop.  Only one folder can be active at a time. To make a folder active, click on the folder's tab.  When a folder is active you can access the objects it contains and perform actions within that folder.  Switching between folders (clicking on the folder tabs) closes the current folder and makes a new one active.   The inactive folders on your PackRat desktop are filed behind the active folder.

You can click the right mouse button on the Active Folder itself (not on an object) to access the Folder Instant Options Menu.  Using the Folder Instant Options Menu you can:  change the name of the Active Folder, change the color of the Active Folder, add an object to the Active Folder, create a new folder on the desktop, or read a folder description.


Folder Scroll Bar

The Folders Scroll Bar appears in the upper-right corner of your desktop when folder tabs are displayed on top.  It appears on the lower-left corner when the Left-Tab option is used for your folder option.  The scroll bar appears when you have more folders than can be displayed clearly on the desktop.  Click on the scroll bar arrows to browse through your folders.


Object Title Bars

The Title Bar option can be placed on any object and appears as a solid bar (with text if you prefer) across the top of the object.  This bar allows you to easily grab the object with the mouse and drag it to another location on the folder.  You can put a Title Bar on an object by accessing the Instant Options Menu, selecting Float, then selecting Caption Bar or by clicking the Title button located throughout various PackRat dialog boxes.  Take the Title Bar off the object by simply deselecting the Title Bar option.   A check mark will appear to the left of an option that is active.

Note:  The Title Bar option is often referred to as the Caption Bar option.  These are not to be confused as different options, they are identical and function in the same fashion.


Application Icon

The Application Icon is a PackRat object which allows you to add a Windows, DOS, or PIF application to a folder.  The application is easily opened by double-clicking on the icon, thus allowing you instant access to other applications from within PackRat.


Document Manager

The Document Manager handles all document tracking.  The Document Manager object can be placed on a folder to act as your control center for keeping track of and manipulating documents.  You add, create, launch, fax, and print documents right from the buttons on the Document Manager's Action Bar.


Action Bar

Action Bars contain related groups of Action Buttons that you use to perform daily tasks. Action Bars are primarily used to run Macros, Macro Commands, or Scripts that perform common functions.  Action Bars are also used to access and edit the information in your Forms in a quick and simple fashion.

Action Bars can be placed either directly on the desktop, on certain objects (List Viewer for example), or on a Folder as a freestanding PackRat object.

All of the Action Bars in this Tutorial are placed on objects, and contain buttons related to the objects they are associated with.


Completed Button

Highlight the item and click this button to mark it as completed.  A check mark will appear in the column next to the item.


Raise Priority Button

Highlight an item and click this button to raise its priority.


Lower Priority Button

Highlight an item and click this button to lower its priority.


New Button

Click the New button to create a new document in any OLE compatible application you have on your system.


Print Button

Highlight a document on the Document Manager and click the Print button to print the document on the default printer.


Fax Button

Highlight a document on the Document Manager and click the Fax button to load that document into your fax software.


View Button

Highlight a document on the Document Manager and click the View button to open the appropriate application with that document loaded.


Things To Do List

The Things To Do List is a PackRat object that displays all your "things to do" items.  It contains a button bar, a column on the left which indicates completed tasks, and a number column showing tasks numbered according to priority.


Add Button

Click the Add button on the Things To Do List Action Bar to add another item to the Things To Do List.  A Task form will display for you to enter the "things to do" item.


Edit Button

Highlight a task and click the Edit button on the Things To Do List Action Bar to edit that item.  The form will appear and you can modify any information pertaining to that task.


Add Button

Click the Add button on the Document Manager Action Bar to add a document to PackRat.  A Document form will display for you to enter the path and file name as well as a description of the document.


Edit Button

Highlight a document on the Document Manager and click the Edit button to edit that document's record in PackRat.


Delete Button

Highlight the document(s) you wish to delete on the Document Manager and click the Delete Button.


Search Button

Click the Search Button on the Document Manager Action Bar to search PackRat for one or more documents.


Search All Button

Click the Search All Button on the Document Manager Action Bar to search PackRat for every document record.  All records found will display on the Document Manager.


Edit Button

Highlight an item on the Financial Manager and click the Edit button to modify that record.


Delete Button

Highlight the item(s) you wish to delete on the Financial Manager and click the Delete button.


Deposit Button

Click the Deposit button on the Financial Manager Action Bar to add a Deposit/Credit record to the displayed account.


Withdraw Button

Click the Withdraw button on the Financial Manager Action Bar to add a Withdraw/Debit record to the displayed account.


Reconcile Button

Click the Reconcile button on the Financial Manager Action Bar to compare your cleared transactions against your bank statement.


Summary Button

Click the Summary button on the Financial Manager Action Bar to display a summary of the displayed account.


Financial Account Action List

You can quickly change which account is displayed on the Financial Journal by selecting it from the Action List contained on the Financial Journal Action Bar.  Simply click on the Action List drop box and select an account.


Month Scroll Arrows

The scroll arrows on the left edge of the calendar scroll the calendar forward and backward one month at a time.


Year Scroll Arrows

The scroll arrows on the right edge of the calendar scroll the calendar forward and backward one year at a time.


Call Button

Highlight a name on the Contact List and click the Call button on the Contact List Action Bar to place a call to that person.  The Call form displays to let you select the number to be dialed, and then the Conversation form displays so you can take notes on your conversation.

The number will be dialed for you if you have a Hayes-compatible modem and PackRat is set to autodial.  Otherwise, you will need to dial the number manually and PackRat will help you log the call.


Answer Button

Click the Answer button when you answer a phone call.   The Conversation form appears where you can take notes on the phone call.


Edit Button

Highlight a Contact List entry and click the Edit button to change the contact information.


Delete Button

Highlight a Contact List entry and click the Delete button to remove it from your Contact List.


Priority Button

Highlight a Contact List entry and click the Priority button to raise or lower the priority of that contact.


Alphabetic Search Bar

The Alphabetic Search Bar displays an alphabetical bar on your List Viewer so you may conduct a quick search by letter. Simply click on the letter you wish to view and all the records (in this case Phone Book entries) starting with that letter will display.  You can select more than one letter by holding down the [ctrl] or [shift] key while clicking the mouse button.


Add Button

Click the Add button on the Phone Book List Viewer's Action Bar to add a new record to your Phone Book.


Edit Button

Highlight a record and click the Edit button on the List Viewer's Action Bar to edit that record.


Delete Button

Highlight a record and click the Delete button on the List Viewer's Action Bar to edit that record.  You may select and delete more than one record at a time by holding down the [Ctrl] or [Shift] keys while selecting records.


Search Button

Click the Search button to initiate a search.  A Search form will appear where you can enter the search criteria for your information.


Search All Button

Click the Search All button to view every Phone Book record in the open PackRat file.


Search Attachments Button

Highlight a record and click the Search Attachments button to find all records attached to this record.


Call Button

Highlight a person's name and click the Call Button on the List Viewer's Action Bar to place a phone call to that person.  The Call form displays to let you select the number to be dialed, and then the Conversation form displays so you can take notes on your conversation.

The number will be dialed for you if you have a Hayes-compatible modem and PackRat is set to autodial.  Otherwise, you will need to dial the number manually and PackRat will help you log the call.


Answer Button

Click the Answer button when you receive a phone call.  The Conversation form displays so that you can take notes on the phone call.


Attach Button

Highlight a record or group of records and click the Attach button to attach them together or to other records.  This allows you to link related information across folders and search for the information based on those links.


Contact List Button

Highlight a record and click the Contact List button to add that person to your Contact List.


History Button

Highlight a record and click the History button.  This will call up records of all previous conversations with that person for you to review.


Phone Book List Viewer

This List Viewer is configured to display Phone Book records.  You can use the Action Bar to perform functions using these records.


Minimized Object

This is a minimized Month View object.  You can reduce PackRat object to icons (i.e. minimize them) to conserve folder space while still allowing easy access to the minimized objects.


Day Scroll Arrows

The scroll arrows on the left side of the Day View object scroll the Day View forward or backward by single days


Week Scroll Arrows

The scroll arrows on the right side of the Day View object scroll the Day View forward or backward by one week.


Week Scroll Arrows

The scroll arrows on the top right edge of the Commitments object scroll the object forward or backward by one week.


Time Scroll Arrows

The scroll arrows on the lower right edge of the Commitments object scroll the object forward or backward by one hour.


Add Button

Click the Add button on the Day View Action Bar to add another item to your schedule.


Search Button

Click the Search button on the Day View Action Bar to search for particular items on the Day View.


Edit Button

Highlight an item and click the Edit button on the Day View Action Bar to make changes to the record.


Delete Button

Highlight an item and click the Edit button to remove it from the Day View and delete it from PackRat.


System Menu

The System Menu is a standard Windows menu that all Windows applications contain.

Click directly on the graphic for further descriptions of the System Menu options.


File Menu

The File menu, accessed from the Menu Bar, displays a menu with the following options:

Click directly on the graphic for further descriptions of each File Menu entry.


Edit Menu

The Edit menu contains commands that enable you to move items between PackRat and other programs, add information to a form, and search for information.

Click directly on the menu entries for descriptions.


Tools Menu

The Tools menu displays the following options:

Click directly on the menu graphic for further descriptions of the menu entries.


Setup Menu

Click directly on the menu graphic for further descriptions of the menu entries.


Options Menu

Select Options from the menu bar for the following features:

Click directly on the menu graphic for a further description of the menu entry.


Folder Menu

The Folder menu allows you to create a new folder, switch between existing folders, and access the Folders dialog box.

Click directly on the graphic for further descriptions.


Help Menu

Click directly on the menu entries for further descriptions.


System Menu

The System Menu is a standard Windows menu that all Windows applications contain.

Click directly on the graphic for further descriptions of the System Menu options.


File Menu

The File menu, accessed from the Menu Bar, displays a menu with the following options:

Click directly on the graphic for further descriptions of each File Menu entry.


Edit Menu

The Edit menu contains commands that enable you to move items between PackRat and other programs, add information to a form, and search for information.

Click directly on the menu entries for descriptions.


Tools Menu

The Tools menu displays the following options:

Click directly on the menu graphic for further descriptions of the menu entries.


Setup Menu

Click directly on the menu graphic for further descriptions of the menu entries.


Options Menu

Select Options from the menu bar for the following features:

Click directly on the menu graphic for a further description of the menu entry.


Folder Menu

The Folder menu allows you to create a new folder, switch between existing folders, and access the Folders dialog box.

Click directly on the graphic for further descriptions.


Help Menu

Click directly on the menu entries for further descriptions.


System Menu

The System Menu is a standard Windows menu that all Windows applications contain.

Click directly on the graphic for further descriptions of the System Menu options.


File Menu

The File menu, accessed from the Menu Bar, displays a menu with the following options:

Click directly on the graphic for further descriptions of each File Menu entry.


Edit Menu

The Edit menu contains commands that enable you to move items between PackRat and other programs, add information to a form, and search for information.

Click directly on the menu entries for descriptions.


Tools Menu

The Tools menu displays the following options:

Click directly on the menu graphic for further descriptions of the menu entries.


Setup Menu

Click directly on the menu graphic for further descriptions of the menu entries.


Options Menu

Select Options from the menu bar for the following features:

Click directly on the menu graphic for a further description of the menu entry.


Folder Menu

The Folder menu allows you to create a new folder, switch between existing folders, and access the Folders dialog box.

Click directly on the graphic for further descriptions.


Help Menu

Click directly on the menu entries for further descriptions.