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============================= Note: ============================ This remarkable shareware program, Service Plus [TM], is creating a lot of excitement because it saves business people time and money. You will love this program! It combines unprecedented speed, power, and ease of use into one highly focused system. Try it before you buy! If you like the program, you can elect to become a registered user. If you don't like it, throw it away. There is no 'demo' version of the program. You'll have the full-blown system, into which you can begin inputting your data. After this note is the Table of Contents for the documentation for Service Plus [TM], then the documentation itself. As you browse through it, you'll observe the scope and power of this breakthrough program. Feel free to call me or to send E-mail. I am the author and will be happy to answer your questions. Paul Sax ACS P.O. Box 850427 Richardson, Texas 75085-0427 voice: (214) 690-6017 fax: (214) 690-4782 BBS: (214) 690-5819 E-mail: paulsax@aol.com Once you register this program, you will receive unlimited telephone or E-mail support and professionally printed documentation --over 80 pages! My ten years of experience as a database designer will help make this program functional for you much quicker if you become registered and avail yourself over the telephone or through E-mail of my free insights into your particular application. 7,000 hours of my time have gone into development of this magnificent program (Hence, version '7'). I've been here for four years providing free telephone and E-mail support. For those of you who become registered, my program is a highly focused solution to some longstanding administrative or informational problem. Software updates and all support documents for this powerful tool are always available free to you at the high speed ACS Software BBS: (214) 690-5819. With this program, you have a clear path of migration into networks. The Local Are Network upgrade, if required, will operate in either a Peer-to-Peer or Client-Server network. Service Plus [TM] is not free or public domain software. The author owns the intellectual property, though the distributor or bulletin board where you acquired this program has had the physical possession of it. Product overview: Service Plus [TM] =====The Ultimate Maintenance and Service Call Tracking System!===== Invaluable for these businesses or functions: heating/air conditioning repair, electrical maintenance, auto repair, computer/copier rental and repair, any equipment tracking or maintenance, plant preventive maintenance, plumbing, bus or taxi maintenance, any repair business with a service bay, any department that provides product service and support Everything is on-line! Fast search capability Appointments: Ticker File Appointment schedules and graphics Billings/Expense Reports "Layer-in" ability of data ALL reports fit into a standard briefcase! Inventory Tracking ability Be in control of your Maintenance. This program includes: Appointments, Billings/Expenses, Graphics image of your load of commitments/appointments, Free-form data search, and Reports! with the ability to customize all screens to reflect the terminology specific to your industry. Can clock and cost each activity in real time. Create an 'Industry-specific' Help screen, with up to 15,000 characters of text about your industry accessible ANYWHERE in the program with one single keystroke. Create Service Tickets, Work Orders, or Invoices. This program standardizes your Maintenance and Service Call information and converts forgotten verbal commitments into a focused, daily appointments and callback list that nets you extra business! To become a registered user for this software, bring up the program, SERVICE.EXE, with GO.BAT go to the Main Program Menu, Other Options Menu. Select option 1, Register Software Service Plus [TM] Version 7.000 Table of contents Contents Pages User License Agreement................................................. Benefits of using Service Plus [TM]...................................I Questions answered by this program..................................III Installation.........................................................VI Preface to the Tutorials............................................... Tutorial Chapters contained in the self-running, interactive, tutorial. [See Main Program Menu, Option T) Interactive Tutorial: 12 chapters] 1) Examining 3 existing records in the Master File Menu 2) Look at existing activity records 3) Using Custom Options to modify the screen 4) Adding one record to the Master File 5) Placing 2 records to the activity file, with Billings data 6) Creating a Billings report 7) Generate Activity reports from Test Data 8) Two records to the activity file, with appointments 9) Making reports 10) Fast Search Capabilities 11) Other features: Up to 99,999,999 layers 12) Default values and create multiple custom screens. Definition of Shareware................................................. Service Agreement............................................Appendix A [unlimited FREE support to Registered Users!] Installation Procedures Menu.................................Appendix B Time and Billing Stopwatch subsystem.........................Appendix C [time and bill every activity, with up to 9 labor rates] New feature to create future activities automatically........Appendix D Base Station/Remote Site Consolidation feature...............Appendix E Importing external data into the program.....................Appendix F Service Plus [TM], Version 7.000 Table of contents [continued] Contents Pages Grouping your data: .........................................Appendix G [Categories versus Defining your own fields:] WordStar/MailMerge[TM]/Basica/Output Sequential File.........Appendix H [also: WordPerfect[TM], and dBASE III [TM] ] Foreign Credit Card Registration.............................Appendix I [how to register this program if you are outside of U.S.A. or Canada] Overview of Memo Options: Every Master file and activity record has its own word processor! Master File Memos......................................Appendix J-I Activity Memos........................................Appendix J-II Printit v3.5, Print functions offered in memos and VIEW.TXT..Appendix K Create your own industry-specific Help/Data Screen...........Appendix L Automatic Data Back-up upon exiting the program..............Appendix M User Beware !................................................Appendix N [Tips for database survival] Using the CALLBACK feature in the Activity file..............Appendix O Consolidating Multiple Categories in your reports............Appendix P Assigning priorities to Master File Records..................Appendix Q Act Now! [TM]................................................Appendix R [create 'Activity Now' from the Master File automatically] Create your own fields.......................................Appendix S [track and retrieve data using your unique industry-specific codes!] Logic behind Comments/1st ID/2nd ID/3rd ID selection.........Appendix T [select out records in 4 different places in program] Strategy for Relating Customers to records in either the Master or Activity files:....................Appendix U Strategy for creating Service Tickets, Work Orders, or Invoices from memos in the Activity files:.......................Appendix V Methodology for tracking units of inventory.................Appendix W [using activity records to reflect unit changes] Service Plus [TM], Version 7.000 Table of contents [continued] Contents Pages The Flash Report [TM] .......................................Appendix X Quick Stats [TM].............................................Appendix Y 'Background' Options.........................................Appendix Z Fast Runner [TM] Options...................................Appendix A-1 Open or Pending Activities.................................Appendix A-2 [unfinished or unresolved activities go into 'bucket'] Potential problems with DOS 'Environment' space............Appendix A-3 Billings Menu: Overview and Options........................Appendix A-4 Inserting Memos into reports...............................Appendix A-5 Your Expert Helper [TM]....................................Appendix A-6 ACS User License Agreement: ACS P.O. Box 850427 Richardson, TX 75085 You may: March 1, 1987 a. Use the program on a single microcomputer on which the package was designed to operate. b. Copy the documentation or object code in whole and distribute it to any other user who wishes to evaluate this software prior to their becoming a Registered User. c. Become a Registered User by paying for this with a credit card for the current asking price, as shown on the program screen, to ACS. Warranty Disclaimer: Limitation of Liability Limit of Liability: Neither ACS, Paul Sax, nor Juskovitch Corporation shall have any liability or responsibility to you, the customer, or any other person or entity with respect to any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the ACS Service Plus [TM] Maintenance and Service Call Activity tracking system provided by Juskovitch Corporation, ACS, or Paul Sax, including, but not limited to interruption of service, loss of business or anticipatory profits or consequential damages resulting from the use or operation of Service Plus [TM]. Neither Juskovitch Corporation, ACS, nor Paul Sax make any warranty, express or implied, with respect to the enclosed documentation, including, without limitation, any user's manual, reference manual, software program, or software disks, or their performance, merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. Proprietary Notice: This document and the software described herein are the proprietary and trade secret information of ACS, Paul Sax, and Juskovitch Corporation. They have been provided pursuant to this agreement containing restrictions on its use. The program documentation, program design, and design of program screens are also protected by federal copyright and trademark law. None of these items may be incorporated into any other program or programs, in part or whole, without the express prior written permission of ACS. Trademark: Service Plus [TM], ACT NOW! [TM], and Your Expert Helper [TM] are trademarks of ACS and Juskovitch Corporation. Service: All service and user support are provided as per the ACS Service Agreement. Acknowledgment by user and acceptance of liability: You acknowledge that you have read this agreement and understand it and agree to be bound by its terms and conditions. You further agree that it is the complete and exclusive statement of the agreement between us which supersedes any proposal or prior written agreement, oral or written, and any other communications between us relating to the subject matter of this agreement. Registered trademarks used in this program: Lotus 1-2-3 (C) is a registered trademark of Lotus Development Corp. WordPerfect [TM] is a registered trademark of WordPerfect Corporation Microsoft [TM] and Word 4.0 are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation dBASE III [TM] is a registered trademark of Ashton-Tate. CompuServe [TM] is a registered trademark of CompuServe Incorporated. Trademarks used in this program: WordStar [TM] is a trademark of MicroPro International dBXL [TM] is a trademark of WordTech Systems, Inc. The Norton Utilities, UnErase, Format Recover, and Speed Disk are trademarks of Peter Norton Computing Incorporated. Service Plus [TM] is a trademark of Paul Sax and ACS Quick Memo [TM] is a trademark of Paul Sax and ACS Act Now! [TM] is a trademark of Paul Sax and ACS The Flash Report [TM] is a trademark of Paul Sax and ACS Your Expert Helper [TM] is a trademark of Paul Sax and ACS PRINTIT v3.5, Corp. 1987 by Jack A. Orman, Armada Sound Lab Automenu [TM] and Magee Enterprises logo are trademarks of Magee Enterprises ARCA 1.29, Copyright (c) 1986,1987, Wayne Chin and Vernon D. Buerg. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ARCE 4.0c, Copyright (c) 1986-89, Wayne Chin and Vernon D. Buerg. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PKUNZIP Copyright PKWARE, Inc. LHA version 2.12, Copyright (c) Haruyasu Yoshizaki, 1988-91 Within this program, LHA.EXE is renamed LHARC.EXE BENEFITS of Using Service Plus [TM] BENEFITS: 1) On line documentation: EVERYTHING IS ON-LINE! This is a powerful system, but all information you need is on-line. At every main level or menu, there is a HELP screen. 2) Speed of data search: FAST SEARCH CAPABILITY ***FAST SEARCH OPTION--lets you retrieve maintenance activities, service tickets, service calls, or status of parts or messages by any word or words that you entered into the comments section--from last week or 5 years ago! Other search options include second or third ID. FAST! FAST! FAST! You can retrieve summary information on 10 consecutive service calls out of 1,000,000,000 in 8 seconds! 3) Rotary card features ***An electronic master rotary card card file with information on parts or serialized objects: 3 serial numbers and comments--for up to 1,000,000,000 of them! The Master File contains all of those names that you would normally put into a file system. From this list you can generate reports sorted by ID. 4) Appointments: Ability to annotate appointments before and after the fact. A reminder of todays' appointments and commitments, with full notes made at the time of information input. Ability to annotate billings and chargebacks and keep a billings log for all activity and appointments. APPOINTMENT SCHEDULES AND GRAPHICS 5 different Appointment schedules, as well as an on-line graphics display of appointments for any 14 day period (any monitor). benefits - page I 5) Keep "layers" of data separate. "LAYER-IN" ABILITY ***This feature allows you to "layer-in" lists of names from other sources, and still keep all reports separate! This means that if you have 1,000 trucks in the electronic rotary card file and you acquire a list of trucks from another source that has 10,000 trucks in it, you can enter them into the program and yet keep them separate from the original 1,000 when generating reports or schedules. All told, you can "layer-in" 99,999,999 different layers or groups of objects, without one layer overlapping the other when you produce reports or schedules! In this way, the program is flexible enough so that it will have multiple uses for you. 6) Other: DISPATCHER OR MECHANIC INPUT In your absence , he or she can input into your appointment system. Later you can create appointment schedules. ALL REPORTS FIT INTO A STANDARD BRIEFCASE! All of the reports are printed out on standard 8 1/2" by 11" computer paper (at 10cpi) , so that you can carry this information with you. This frees you from having to be tied to your computer in order to retrieve data. Specifications: Compiled (stand alone product, nothing extra required) 1,000,000,000 records in the maintenance activities file related to 1,000,000,000 records in the master main file grouped by up to 99,999,999 categories or "layers" of data permitted Plus you can design your own custom data entry screen for any category, for a range of categories, or all categories. Once designed, these screens become disk resident-- up to 99,999,999 of them!--and are called up by the program as you had defined them. benefits - page II QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK: Business people ask questions about performance and Specific Applications Maintenance and Service People Ask: "Does a menu-driven system exist that meets my needs?" The answer to all of the following questions is: "Yes, yes, yes: Service Plus [TM] does." RENTS COMPUTERS "I rent computers and I needed an automated system that would allow me to: -- identify the location of my machines (customer site, warehouse, service location) -- identify the maintenance activity for any one computer or all computers and the associated costs. -- establish Preventive Maintenance Schedules and remind me to perform that maintenance. Service Plus [TM] gives me the information I need through its flexible reporting and on-line inquiry capabilities. It also lets me maintain multiple serial numbers for each computer, and gives me the option to search for a computer against any one of those serial numbers --and it does this in just a couple of seconds. Service Plus [TM] has put me in control of my maintenance business. It has saved me money by reducing the down-time of my machines by automating my preventive maintenance schedule, and by identifying problem computers that were eating me up in service costs. And best of all, my customers are much happier with the quality of service that they are now getting." RENTS COPIERS: "I rent copies. Once I acquire the individual copiers for rental, I have a hard time identifying where they have gone: to my customer, to inventory, or to service. Also, once the machines are out in the field, I perform maintenance on a crisis basis, without having a clear understanding of what maintenance has already been performed on any single machine. I need a simple way to identify each copier, and then create a record for every maintenance activity, along with a cost item for each activity. From this I need reports that show all maintenance activities that have occurred for any one copier, for any period of time that I select, and the cumulative costs for that period of maintenance, for one copier or for all copiers. Also, I need to identify each copier with 2 serial numbers and one model number. Each of them is about 30 characters long. At some point, I need to be able to search for any one of the three numbers and cross reference to the other two in less than 5 seconds. Finally, as a review the reports that show maintenance activity for the copiers, I may elect to perform preventive maintenance on some of them. Is there an easy way to automatically generate an unlimited number of activities in the future for any one copier, and then have those commitments appear on future appointment or maintenance schedules. Can all of this be done from menu-driven system?" MAINTENANCE DISPATCHER: I'm a dispatcher in a heating/air-conditioning maintenance company. We have 6 mechanics, each with his own truck. When the calls come in, we create a 'service ticket'. From these I schedule the trucks and create an appointment schedule for each one. Keeping the work load 'level' is a real problem because of the callbacks we have. At the end of the day, a customer may call in and complain that the mechanic failed to complete the assignment. Let's say the mechanic has left open a pipe and it drains water into a restaurant. We have to then send the mechanic back the next morning on the callback, without being able to bill the customer. We know that we have a problem with the callbacks, but we can't quantify how big a problem it is or what mechanic is generating them. I would like to see a program that can create schedules for each of my mechanics, and also combine those schedules into one master schedule for the company. After each job is completed, I would like to show what the outcome of the call was and enter that into the record for the call. In this way, I could look at historical reports that would show what happened in the past-- for any mechanic, for any customer, or for any period of time. This would help me with 'load leveling' and in spotting trends as to the actual outcome of the service calls, such as identifying extraordinary callbacks. Also, if the service calls could be grouped by customers called, with the most recent one first, any one of us could answer such questions as: what service calls have we made to the board of education over the last 6 months, and what was the outcome for each one? I would also like to identify billings per service call on the same record. If I could enter a negative number, then I would later know that this was a callback and would reduce the cumulative bills. Later, I would like to show cumulative charges for any mechanic, for any period of time, including chargebacks. Finally, I would like to have the ability to 'link' service calls. At the end of each service ticket, I would like to have a space for a future appointment, if required. Let's say, for example, we determined after an emergency call that we needed to make a preventive maintenance call 6 months from now. If that future call was the direct outcome of an emergency call today, I would like to 'link' one to the other and have the program create that appointment automatically 6 months from now without any future involvement from me. MULTIPLE COMMITMENTS MADE TO ANY SITE OR COMPONENT: "I am a supervisor in a maintenance area, with responsibility for multiple buildings or sites. Some of my sites require multiple commitments. In effect, I have to create an individual schedule for each one that shows what I committed to do. This process is time consuming, difficult to update, and prone to error. Also, each employee has his or her own way of doing this. For example, one maintenance person identifies a service problem that requires we commit to sending a technician to a specific site every third Thursday for 4 months starting this Christmas. Another site may require service every seventh Wednesday for 6 months, beginning next September 1. Yet another site may need service on a date of the month instead of day of the week, such as on the 1st, 3rd, 9th, and 21st of every month beginning in next June and continuing for 18 months." "Is there a system that will automatically generate the activities and appointments for any one site for any period of time, for either the day of the week or the date of the month, and will give me the choice of any sequencing, such as every week, every 3rd week, or every 15th week? Does any system exist that will do all of this with less than 10 typewritten words of direction from me?" ROUTINE VERSUS CRISIS SERVICE: "I work in the maintenance area for a company that builds aircraft components. Our plant is adjacent to an airport and we perform maintenance around the clock. Some equipment requires crisis maintenance over and over again. Since so many people are involved in performing this crisis maintenance, we have no way of identifying the problem areas. Partly, we have a problem of communication and of standardizing the way we keep data. Is there a simple way, for example, to summarize and show the time we have spent on all Drill Presses for the last six months, then show each one individually, with an analysis of each activity for each press?" TRACKING EXPENSE DATA: "After I set up my maintenance schedule, is there a simple way to go back to those records, enter an expense item and then later summarize those expenses by assembly, for any period of time, by customer support person? Does a menu-driven program exist that can do this for me?" CAR DEALERSHIP: FOLLOW UP We have no problem performing service on cars, but a ton of priceless information is slipping through our fingertips. The same screen occurs every day. A customer brings in a car with a problem. Later in the day the service manager discusses the diagnosis, the repair, and suggests a follow up in 6 months for major repairs. The customer nods his or her head, pays the bill, and is never hear from again. We need a simple way to take down those comments that the service manager makes for each repair along with a recommended future repair date. Then, as those dates become due, turn over a daily list of follow up calls to the lowest paid person in the building, the secretary, who then calls all these people whose cars were serviced in the past. Along with the daily follow up list would be shown the comment uttered 6 months ago about the specific problem and now repeated over the phone 6 months later. Does a system like this exist that will move us beyond maintenance and into 'marketing' our services? INSTALLATION: Instructions for Installing Service Plus [TM] All Installation procedures are now defined externally by: GO.BAT and GO2.BAT or GO.BAT [on a 1.2 meg or 1.44 meg disk] [If you purchased this program from a shareware distributor] -----------------Help Screen------------------- HELP SCREENS Many of the menus have a HELP option. To access these, just push the "H" key (no quotes, no [RETURN] key). By using your arrows and [Pg Up], [Pg Dn] keys, you can move around the HELP file. When you are finished looking at the HELP screen, enter [ESC] to return to the main program menu. Almost every menu has a HELP screen. One menu may branch down to a number of other menus. Think of these as branches on a tree. Regardless of how far down the tree you go, you can always return to the next higher level by typing an "R" or [ESC]. By typing an "R" or [ESC] repeatedly, you can always return back to the beginning, the Main Program Menu. Preface to the Tutorials This program relates service or maintenance activities to parts, objects, or serialized items. With this method, you could look at all maintenance done to a printing press, a lathe, or a hotel room for any period of time. Service Plus [TM] allows you to select either method and lets you design your own screens to customize this program to your business. With this feature, you can identify how each screen would look for any one piece of equipment, say a Bus, or for any person, such as a mechanic. Service Plus [TM] not only lets you custom design a screen, it encourages you to create multiple screens, up to 99,999,999 of them. The program then remembers what screen you want to see and can flip back and forth, in effect creating a new system for every screen. For example, let's say you are tracking maintenance for 3 groups of plant equipment: fire extinguishers, plant refrigerators, and vending machines. You would create a unique screen for each group, including screen title, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd IDs, and unit of service. You might create a screen for vending machines that would say: 'Employee Vending Machine Maintenance System', 'Asset ID Number', 'Compressor ID Number', 'Model Number', and 'Service Call'. These terms would then appear throughout the program on menus, reports, and data searches. You would then assign a 'Category' number to this definition, say 100. You would likewise assign a category number to your definitions for the other two screens you create: fire extinguishers and plant refrigerators, say 110 and 120. From that point on, you can bring back these program-wide screen definitions just by entering the category number. If you entered 110, the program would then appear to be dedicated to fire extinguishers. You can define a screen by category or by range of categories, up to 99,999,999 of them. Once defined, the program will remember all of them and can switch back and forth with just one entry from you. This program will also summarize dollars spent or received for any activity or group of activities, for any part, for any period of time. Thus it is ideal for tracking expense data on a part, but it can also be used to summarize billings, chargebacks, or any monies received for any one part or group of parts. Before entering an activity record, you must first create one record in the Master File. From this record will be related all activities about that part or object. Stated another way, you cannot enter an activity into the Activity file unless you first have an entry in the Maintenance file. There is one exception, though. If someone is using the program in your absence, such as a secretary, the program will allow him or her to enter an unlimited number of activities for a person or part called 'NEW'. This exception is intended to be used intermittently in your absence and allows you to identify those activities that were recorded while you were gone. Observing how the program shows appointments: Bring up the program (SERVICE.EXE, with GO.BAT) the first time with this command: GO. This will take you through the system installation process and will then present you with the Main Program Menu. Once you see this, exit the program with an 'X'. After you have left the program , set the system date to January 2, 1986, with the following command: C>DATE <====== enter this command Current date is Mon 12-01-1986 Enter new date: 1-02-1986 <==== enter this date A number of appointment records are in the Test Data that reflect appointments made during the 2 weeks following January 2, 1986. Now invoke Service Plus [TM] by entering: SERVICE. The program will then give you an analysis of the appointments for that day, as well a graphics presentation of all appointments for the next two weeks. (It does this if you have at least one appointment for today.) Preface to the Tutorials Continued A Preview of the options that customize this system: Accessing the Custom Options: Let's say that you don't want the program to show you the appointments every time you bring up the program. Once you arrive at the Main Program Menu, you will observe Option 2, Other Options. Enter a '2' (without quotes), and you will then be at the Other Options Menu. At this menu, you have a number of options. Later you can come back to this part and explore the meaning of the various options by reading through the 'Help' file. For now, enter 'C' to access: C) Special features to customize this system to your needs You will then see the Custom Options Menu. For now, we are only interested in option 4, 4) Toggle initial graphics image for Appointments Before selecting option 4, let's go to the Help file to understand exactly what this option does. Do this by entering an 'H' for Help. Once you have done this, you will be in the Help file for the Custom Options Menu. Using the Up and Down arrows on your keyboard, scroll through the Help file until you come to the explanation for Option 4. After you have understood what Option 4 will do for you, select the 'ESCAPE' key to exit from the Help file. You will then be back at the Custom Options Menu. For now, enter '4' once and watch the screen. The message to the right of Option 4 will change from [now on] to [now off]. After you have observed this change, select '4' once more so that [now off] becomes [now on], thereby restoring the original setting. Later on, when you become more proficient with the program, come back to the Custom Options Menu and experiment with the various options available to you. (You can, for example, change the name used throughout the program for Billings to Collections or Revenues. Many of the names and titles used throughout this program can be modified through the Custom Options menu.) For the time being, return to the Main Program Menu by entering 'R' twice. Then exit the Main Program Menu by entering an 'X'. Once you have returned to your default drive, change the DATE back to the true current date with the DATE command. Preface to the Tutorials Continued "Light bars" Each selection on any menu is highlighted with a light bar. As you scroll up or down the light bar, explanatory text appears on the bottom line of the screen, explaining the highlighted option. Each light bar selection has different explanatory text. Simplified Logic of accessing records in the Activity file: The tutorials describe the process of adding records into the activity file from the Activity file menu, Add screen, and will help you in understanding the flow of logic in the program. Over time, however, some new functions have been added into the program that make access into the activity file much more streamlined. From the Master file, Get option, you will observe these 2 functions: F6 for Act Now F7 for Flash Report After you have identified and isolated your single record in the Master file using this 'S' option, then enter the 'F7' function key. In a few seconds Flash Report will appear and will display to you all associated activity records for the part. The most recent activity will appear first. If, for example, you have entered 50 activities for that part over the last three years, then you will be looking at all of those activities, and can scroll up or down to see the entire listing of comments that you had entered at the time you originally created the activity. At that point, you enter function key 'F6' for Act Now, or Activity Now. This single function key sets up a blank record in the activity file, partly filled out with that part's information but waiting on you for any comment specific to that activity as well as any future commitment date. If you enter a commitment or callback date, then in a few seconds a window appears and displays to you all associated activities on that date. In this way, you can level your work load without leaving the record. Definition of Shareware Service Plus [TM] is NOT a public domain or free program! It is being distributed as Shareware. The Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP) offers the following definition of Shareware: "Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue using it, you are expected to register. Individual programs differ on details -- some request registration while others require it, some specify a maximum trial period. With registration, you get anything from the simple right to continue using the software to an updated program with printed manual. Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software, and the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific exceptions as stated below. Shareware authors are accomplished programmers, just like commercial authors, and the programs are of comparable quality. (In both cases, there are good programs and bad ones!) The main difference is in the method of distribution. The author specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the software, either to all and sundry or to a specific group. For example, some authors require written permission before a commercial disk vendor may copy their Shareware. So, Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You should find software that suits your needs and pocketbook, whether it's commercial or Shareware. The Shareware system makes fitting your needs easier, because you can try before you buy. And because the overhead is low, prices are low also. Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee -- if you don't use the product, you don't pay for it." Definition of Shareware Appendix A: Service Agreement U.S.A. and Canada This service agreement is designed to help you with any questions as to the operation of Service Plus [TM]. AGREEMENT TERMS: With the ACS SERVICE AGREEMENT, you have UNLIMITED FREE support if you: 1) are a Registered User. 2) call the ACS Support Line between 9 AM and 4 PM Central Standard time any week day. Our phone number is: (214) 690-6017. AGREEMENT CONDITIONS: YOU PAY FOR THE COST OF THE TELEPHONE CALL. Because of the breakthrough price of Service Plus [TM], we cannot offer an 800 toll free number for service as other packages might offer. If our lines are not available or you reach an answering machine, we will return the call on a collect basis. Support policy for Registered Users outside of the U.S.A. and Canada: Support is available to you in 2 ways: 1) by FAX at ANY hour. Our FAX number: 2146904782 Our United States FAX number is (214) 690-4782. The '214' is our area code or STD. To reach us, you must use whatever international dialing codes your telephone system requires, including any U.S.A. outbound codes specific to your country. This number, 2146904782, is treated as a normal phone line and can be reached in the same way that you would dial any phone number in the United States. 2) call the ACS Support Line between 9 AM and 4 PM Central Standard time any week day. Our phone number is: 2146906017. Our direct dial business\voice line: 2146906017 Between 9 AM and 4 PM Central Standard United States time, you can always reach the ACS Support person through 2146906017. The same international dialing codes apply to this business\voice line as apply to the FAX number above. Communication Charges for Support for Registered Users outside of the U.S.A. and Canada: For any support responses we make to you through FAX, we will invoice you for the direct communication charges we incur in responding to your inquiry. In the case of FAX, those charges are AT&T 'per minute' international dialing charges to your country. Minimum charges for FAX responses: The minimum Communication Charge made to you will be U.S. $10. If you paid for the original Registration fee with your credit card, then the Communication Charges, subject to the $10 minimum, will be made against your original credit card. Appendix B: Installation Procedures Menu When you first invoke the program, SERVICE.EXE, with GO.BAT, SERVICE PLUS [TM] presents you with this screen: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Maintenance and Service Call Activity Tracking System | | Install Program | ------------------- | Please Choose One | ------------------- 1) Install program for a hard disk 2) Install program for a floppy disk-based system [1 or 2 drives] 3) For Monitor, select B/White or Color Palette [now black & white] H) Help B) Turn off system 'BELL', reduces beeping [ Bell OFF ] C) Turn on billing/stopwatch subsystem [Timer system OFF ] First time installation: Observe the options above. You must select either| options 1 or 2 LAST. To select an option, enter one key, without a Return.| --------------------------------------------------------------------------- As you review the installation procedures, observe that you must select 1 or 2 LAST, and that once inside the program you can return to this menu anytime by entering the Other Options Menu, Install option. This menu will respond to one keystroke. ============== | OPTION 1: | ============== 1) Install program for a hard disk Option 1 will install the program for a hard disk. It performs some system maintenance. If the program detects the presence of a 'CONFIG.SYS' file, it will append two commands to it: FILES=20 BUFFERS=15 If not, Service Plus [TM] will create a CONFIG.SYS file from scratch. ============== | OPTION 2: | ============== 2) Install program for a floppy disk-based system [1 or 2 drives] Option 2 sets up the program for a floppy disk system. Once you select this option, Service Plus [TM] will, in turn, ask you if you have 1 or 2 disk drives in your computer. ============== | OPTION 3: | ============== 3) For Monitor, select B/White or Color Palette [now black & white] Just prior to this menu, Service Plus [TM] attempts to discern if you have a monochrome or a color screen. If yours is color, you can select from any one of 10 color palettes. At any time in the future, you can come back to this option and change the color settings! ============== | OPTION H: | ============== H) Help The Help option is the on line 'Help' screen. ============== | OPTION B: | ============== B) Turn off system 'BELL', reduces beeping [ Bell ON ] Option B turns the system bell 'on' or 'off'. As you become more conversant with this program through its tutorial, you may elect to turn this bell 'off'. ============== | OPTION C: | ============== C) Turn on billing/stopwatch subsystem [Timer system OFF ] This option branches to a powerful billing/stopwatch subsystem, explained in: Time and Billing Stopwatch subsystem.........................Appendix C [time and bill every activity, with up to 9 labor rates] Appendix C: Time and Billing Stopwatch Subsystem This menu driven feature has the ability to clock each activity and to assign a cost or labor rate [up to 9 of them] to each record in the Master File. It will give you a detailed financial analysis of every timed activity. Beyond merely accumulating time per activity, it can manipulate charges in such a way as to reflect the way you do your business, with optional minimums, maximums, or fixed fees. Finally, the program will create an audit trail in every timed activity. This feature is turned on in the Install Menu, selection 'C': C) Turn on billing/stopwatch subsystem Observe that the default value of the Billing Class is '0', but that you must place a value in there corresponding to the labor rates you define: rates 1 - 9. Appendix D: Automatically Create Future Activities Overview: This feature is useful is scheduling preventive maintenance for individual parts that require frequent and regular appointments. Observe option 6 on the Master File Menu: automatically creating future Activities Once you select option 6, you will see this menu: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Automatically Create Future Activities | ========================================================== | | Tuesday, August 9, 1988 | | ---------------------------------------------------------- | | | 1) Create future activities | | [by day of week or day of month] | | | | 2) Create future activities by yearly date | | | | H) Help | | | | | | | | R) Return to prior menu | | | | | ========================================================== | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ============== | OPTION 1: | ============== This option will allow you to create multiple activities in the future. From this menu, you can generate one activity every 3 weeks for 18 months for one part. Another possibility is to make activities every day for a 3 week period. A third example would be to create activities on alternating Thursdays for one part for 24 months. You can elect to make those activities on a day of the week, such as every third Thursday, or on a date of the month, such as making activities on the 1st, 5th, and 18th of every month for one part. This option will automatically create for you activities in the future, based on your input. You can input the following variables: 1) Start Date of your activity period. 2) End date of your activity period. 3) Day of week or date of month on which activity will occur. 4) Cycle of activities (weekly, every 2nd week, every 3rd week). You can also delete a set of prior activities that you had created automatically with this option. ============== | SCREEN 1: | ============== ============ Add/Delete Option ============ At this menu, you can elect to either add records automatically or to delete former activity records that you had created automatically. If you elect to delete former activity records, you can think of this procedure as the reverse of adding them. You will be prompted for most of the same information as you were when you originally created them. The program can sense the different between records that you manually enter into the activity file and those created automatically in this module. If it finds two of these records having been created on the same day, you will be notified at the screen and neither will be deleted. ============== | SCREEN 2: | ============== Now select the day of the week on which you wish the activity to occur. Use the following codes: 1 = Monday 2 = Tuesday 3 = Wednesday 4 = Thursday 5 = Friday 6 = Saturday 7 = Sunday 8 = Everyday (7 days a week) 9 = Day of week not relevant, select future activities by date of month. [You can select up to 10 different dates during any one month, such as scheduling an activity for the 10th, 15th, and 25th.] As the program creates your activity records automatically, it can also enter a 60 character message from you into the comments field. ============== | SCREEN 3: | ============== If you selected option 9 in Screen 2, then this screen would appear. From it, you can select up to 10 days from which to generate activities. As those days occur during the period you have selected earlier, this program will generate an activity record on that date. For example, if you enter '1, '2', and '6', then you will automatically create an activity on the 1st, 2nd, and 6th of every month that falls within your range. ============== | SCREEN 4: | ============== If you had selected option 1 through 7 on Screen 2, then you would branch to Screen 4. At this menu, you select the weekly frequency at which your future activities will be scheduled. If you input a '1', then an activity will be scheduled every week. A '2' means every two weeks; a '3' means an activity will be scheduled every three weeks. You can enter any number. If you enter '13', then the program will schedule your activities every 13 weeks. ============== | OPTION 2: | ============== 2) Create future activities by yearly date With option 2, you can elect to create an activity on any date in the future, for as many years as you wish. If, for example, you want to create an activity record that occurs every '06/28', then option 2 will do this for you. ============== | SCREEN 1: | ============== At this screen, you would enter the number of years into the future that you want this activity scheduled. ============== | SCREEN 2: | ============== At this screen, you would select the calendar date on which you wish the activities to occur. Appendix E: Base Station/Remote Site Consolidation Feature See Main Program Menu, Option 5 This feature gives you the ability to consolidate data from different stations onto one master station. You can think of the individual stations as 'Remote Sites' and the master as the 'Base Station'. This feature was implemented because many users of this program have asked for the ability to have a roving feature. One manager has many people working for him in the field using this program on their individual laptop portables. He asked if he could consolidate everyone's data onto his desktop computer. With this Consolidation Feature, he now can. Each Remote Site goes to the menu for Base Station/Remote Site Consolidation. This menu has 4 selections: 1) Output records [used from a Remote Site] 2) Input records [used from the Base Station] 3) Change Start/Stop date of Consolidation [used only with outputting records, Option 1] 4) View 'Log File' for Base Station The Remote Site then selects the range of records that he/she wants outputted to the consolidation disk. These are the dates that the records for the Master File and Activity file were originally entered into the system. With the ability to select out records by date of entry into the system, you can make incremental consolidations, say every 2 or 4 weeks. An unlimited number of Remote Sites can output their records onto their individual consolidation disks. The Base Station, in turn, takes all of consolidation disks and inputs them one at a time using option 2, Input records. If the program detects that it is importing a duplicate record into the Master File, it will stop, display the questionable duplicate records to you, and then ask you for a decision: to overwrite the original record with the newly imported one, or to abort the consolidation of that one record into the file. All activity records from the consolidation disks, of course, are added as is, without any validation. The Base Station must have a hard disk, but the Remote Sites can have a hard disk or be floppy-based. This feature can also be thought of as providing the functionality of a Local Area Network without the bother and uncertainty of being dependent on a network. Let's say that 4 data entry people are using this program to take information over the phone. If their supervisor wants access to the consolidated records of all 4 people, each person could submit a weekly consolidation disk to the supervisor. The supervisor, in turn, would have a fifth system that functioned as the Base Station and contained only those records brought in using option 2, above. Note on Log File: Every time you use option 2 as the Base Station to import data, the program keeps a log of each procedure, 'LOG.DBF', in this form: -------------------------------------------------------------- Base Station Importing performed on 06/28/1989 | Start Date: 01/01/1901 End Date: 12/12/2999 | Category Selected: ALL | Number of records imported from Master file: 5 Number of records imported from activity file: 178 Data imported for Ed Zung, technician for the Bay area Base Station Importing performed on 06/30/1989 Start Date: 01/01/1901 End Date: 12/12/2999 Category Selected: ALL Number of records imported from Master file: 3 | Number of records imported from activity file: 288 | Data imported for Southern District tech, Phil Smith | -------------------------------------------------------------- When you import data as the base station, the program will create a six line entry, starting with 'Base Station Importing...' and ending with your comment. The program creates the first five lines automatically, while you enter your comment for line six. 'LOG.DBF' is an ASCII file that you can manipulate externally with an external word processor, if so desired. Appendix F Instructions for Importing External Data This must be done manually since the program has no way of verifying the validity of external data. You must do this yourself by examining the work file that you will be creating, TESTFILE.DBF, until you are satisfied that it is meaningful (ie, the data fields match up between new and old files). If meaningless data is imported, then the existing data faces corruption. As a safeguard for your original files, create a new subdirectory, \CONVERT, and move over all files from \SERVICE to it. Perform all of the following steps in \CONVERT until you are satisfied that the conversion is successful, then bring back all files from \CONVERT to \SERVICE. These are the steps to import data. First, acquire a copy of dBASE III [TM], dBASE III Plus [TM] (from Ashton-Tate Corp.), dBXL [TM] (from Wordtech Systems), or any interpreter that is compatible with these. Secondly, make a copy of the structure of the Master file, PART.DBF, with these commands: bring up your file --> USE PART copy the structure --> COPY STRUCTURE TO TESTFILE invoke test structure --> USE TESTFILE bring in records --> APPEND FROM OLDDATA.TXT DELIMITED WITH , from the old data This assumes that you have OLDDATA.TXT set up in a 'comma delimited' format. Comma delimited data looks like this: "John","Doe","Dallas","TX" Observe in this example that four fields are separated (or delimited) by commas, and each field is surrounded by double quotes. You do not need spaces between any one comma and the double quotes that are adjacent to it. Structure for database : part.dbf Field Field name Type Width Dec 1 DATE_SYS Date 8 2 FNAME Character 20 3 LNAME Character 20 4 PROSPECT Character 40 5 COMMENT1 Character 60 6 COMMENT2 Character 60 7 SUM_DATE Date 8 8 TIME_SYS Character 8 9 SUMEXP Numeric 12 2 10 LABELS Numeric 1 11 INTEREST Numeric 8 12 PARTCOST Numeric 12 2 13 CLASS Numeric 2 14: RANDOM2 Numeric 15: VALID1 Numeric 16 PROSPMEMO Memo 10 17 VAL1 Numeric 12 2 18 VAL2 Numeric 2 19 VAL3 Date 8 20 VAL4 Numeric 12 2 21 VAL5 Date 8 22 VAL6 Numeric 4 ** Total ** 329 Definition of fields. You must enter a value for fields 1,4,11 1: DATE_SYS, date main record first came into system. For external data, you can use today's date for all records. 2: FNAME, Third ID 3: LNAME, Second ID 4: PROSPECT, Primary ID. 5: COMMENT1, the first comments field. 6: COMMENT2, the second comments field, a continuation of the first. 7: SUM_DATE, date billings were summarized last. 8: TIME_SYS, time of last billing summarization. 9: SUMEXP, the amount of the most recent billing summarization for this master file record. 10: LABELS, ignore this. 11: INTEREST, category of master file. Must be set to 1 (the default value), or above. Cannot be set to zero. 12: PARTCOST, ignore this 13: CLASS, ignore this. (if timer function is selected, this is used for labor rate) 14: RANDOM2, ignore this 15: VALID1, ignore this 16 PROSPMEMO Memo memo field 17 VAL1 Numeric - 18 VAL2 Numeric \ 19 VAL3 Date | used internally, ignore 20 VAL4 Numeric / 21 VAL5 Date / 22 VAL6 Numeric - After you are satisfied that TESTFILE.DBF has your data, execute these commands: USE PART APPEND FROM TESTFILE QUIT These delete all files that end in .NTX. Upon completing this, execute the program: SERVICE The program will then automatically reindex all files once it senses that *.NTX files are missing. Grouping your data: Appendix G [Categories versus Defining your own fields:] Categories are used for grouping blocks of records in the Master File. Let's say that you are tracking maintenance performed on assemblies located in 8 different buildings. Each building has a different number of these items. Additionally, each assembly can have up to 5 different types of maintenance performed on it, such as Preventive Maintenance, Crisis Maintenance, and so on. Let's say, further, that one assembly in one building is called 'FE10'. The natural grouping of data in this application are items grouped by buildings. Hence, you could assign a category to each building. In this way, whenever you wanted reports specific to one building, you could have this by selecting the category that corresponds to the building. If you use categories for the physical sites where each assembly is contained, then how are you going to identify what type of maintenance was performed on each assembly? Easy. This program has the ability to create reports based on codes or phrases you enter into the comments field. As you create activity records for 'FE10', for example, you would enter into each comment field the code for that type type of maintenance activity. Let's say that your code for Preventive Maintenance is 'PM'. Every time, then, that you have Preventive Maintenance occur for 'FE10', you would create a new activity record and enter 'PM' into the comments field. Later, you could go to the Service Call and Activity Reports Menu and select out 'PM' or any other code. You can select out up to 4 comments for your reports. This feature to select out up to 4 comments gives you the ability to define your own fields. As you do this, however, the burden is on your shoulders to define each code and then to enter that code consistently. Appendix H: WordStar/MailMerge[TM]/Basica/Output Sequential File [also: WordPerfect[TM] Merge and dBASE III [TM] ] When you first bring up Service Plus [TM], you will see this Main Program Menu: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------- Maintenance and Service Call Activity Tracking System------ | | ACS --------------- --------------------- --------------- | 10/08/1988 | | Please Choose one | | 06:08:16 | --------------- --------------------- ---------------- Main Program Menu for Saturday, October 8, 1988 1) Master file options 2) Other Options 3) Select Category 4) Output to external word processor/merge/data file [Wordstar[TM], Wordperfect[TM], dBASE III [TM] 5) Base Station/Remote Site Consolidation 6) Create an on-line Help/Data screen [ now Off] T) Go to interactive Tutorial: 12 chapters | | X) Exit System | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Upon selecting option 4), Output to external word processor/merge/data file, you will see: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------- Maintenance and Service Call Activity Tracking System-------| | Output for word processing/merge/data Menu | =================== |========================================================= | Saturday, October 8, 1988 | |--------------------------------------------------------| | 1) Select output criteria for merge file | | [no criteria selected] | | 2) Output records to Wordstar/Mailmerge[TM] | | 3) Output records to WordPerfect[TM] | | 4) Output records to dBASE III [Registered TM] | | | | | | | | H) Help | | R) Return to prior menu | | | | |========================================================| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- OVERVIEW These options create either a WordStar/MailMerge[TM], WordPerfect[TM], or dBASE III [TM] data file using the data from your Master File/dBASE III file. The newly created file ends in the letters: '.DAT', '.SF' or '.DBF'. If used with Wordstar[TM], the .DAT file can be used to print form letters in MailMerge[TM]. All character fields are trimmed of trailing blanks to accommodate your form letters. Along with this data file, the Wordstar option creates the beginning of your form letter and puts it in a file ending in the 3 letters '.DEF' (containing all the MailMerge[TM] commands you need at the start of a form letter). If used with WordPerfect[TM], the .SF file is the 'Secondary File' that WordPerfect uses for merge letters, where each field is delimited with CONTROL-R, and each record is delimited with CONTROL-E.] If used with dBASE III [TM], the '.DBF' file format is becoming a standard data file format that many other programs are using for their respective data import function. These options will allow you to output the key fields in your master file to an external text file that can, in turn, be used by a word processor to create 'boilerplate' or form letters for you automatically. Based on your selection criteria, if any, the program will output these fields: Primary ID, Secondary ID, 3rd ID, Comments ============== | OPTION 1: | ============== Selection Process: At option 1, you can input up to 7 search criteria as the basis for your word processor merge file: Primary ID, Secondary ID, 3rd ID, Comments You can select whether you want only those records to be selected that have all of criteria in every record or select out records regardless of the number of matches made per record, as long as at least one match is made in any one record that is selected. True [or T] means all matches have to be made in any one record for it to be selected. False [or F] means that as long as one match is made in a record it will be selected. Search Criteria Selection: Option 1: You can enter any word, phrase, or code on which to base your selection. If left blank, all records will be selected out. If you make an entry here, the program will search through the Master File and select out only those records that meet your search criteria. [Note that you can have up to 7 different codes or phrases entered here and all records will be pulled which have any one of them or any combination of them] ============== | OPTION 2: | ============== 2) Output records to Wordstar/Mailmerge[TM] This option is used to get data from the Master File file and output it to a file that can be used by WordStar/MailMerge[TM]. This file can also be used by BASIC and other languages and products. In short, any product that accepts "comma delimited" files for input may accept the file created by this option. From the WordStar option, you will create two files. The first file name ends in .DEF and is a file that can be turned into a form letter just by calling it up in WordStar and matching it to your form letter. It already contains all of the commands needed by WordStar to read the Master File/dBASE III data file (.DAT). The other file is the .DAT file, which contains all data that you want to read into WordStar. It is formatted sequential file, with all fields in quotes and separated by commas. ============== | OPTION 3: | ============== 3) Output records to WordPerfect[TM] The .SF file is the 'Secondary File' that WordPerfect uses for merge letters, where each field is delimited with CONTROL-R, and each record is delimited with CONTROL-E.] Be sure to retrieve the 'Secondary File' into WordPerfect, at which time WordPerfect will insert its printer codes. Then, while inside WordPerfect, save the file under that same name. At this point, the 'Secondary File' will be usable for purposes of mail merging. ============== | OPTION 4: | ============== 4) Output records to dBASE III [Registered TM] With option 4, the '.DBF' file format is becoming a standard data file format that many other programs are using for their respective data import function. Once you assign a name to the dBASE III [TM] file you are outputting, the structure of that file is: Field Field Name Type Width Dec 1 FNAME Character 20 <======== 3rd ID 2 LNAME Character 20 <======== 2nd ID 3 PROSPECT Character 40 <======== Primary ID 4 COMMENT1 Character 60 5 COMMENT2 Character 60 ** Total ** 201 Appendix I Registration Procedure: ----- Foreign Registration ----- If you elect to become a registered user of this commercial grade software, then you can pay for this program over the telephone with a credit card by calling U.S.A (214)690-6017. In the next screen, the program will ask for a validation number from you. You will receive this number over the telephone from the ACS Credit Card Registration Hot Line. This number changes every time you go through this process. Make sure that you leave the validation number screen in place until you receive the validation number back from ACS. You must pay for this program with a credit card. If you do not have one, go to a friend or colleague, write a personal check to them, and then use their card for this purchase. ACS is not set up to process checks for purchases made through our ACS Credit Card Registration Hot Line. The ACS Credit Card Registration Hot Line will accept either of these credit cards in payment for this great program: MasterCard, Visa, Diners Club, Carte Blanche, and American Express. 'Request to Purchase': When you call, indicate that this is a 'Request to Purchase' and provide this information: your 'Random Generated Number', as displayed on the next screen the credit card name, the amount in United States dollars, the credit card number, the expiration date, your name, your WORK and HOME phone number. including area code or STD Invoice generating module: Once you input the registration number successfully, this program will prompt you for the information that it needs for an invoice and will them print out a two part invoice. The first sheet will be for your records, while the second one is required for the credit card people and should be sent back to us, signed. Our direct dial business\voice line: 2146906017 Between 8 AM and 10 PM Central Standard United States time, you can always reach the ACS Credit Card Registration Hot Line person through 2146906017. The same international dialing codes apply to this business\voice line as apply to the FAX number below. Our FAX number: 2146904782 Our United States FAX number is (214) 690-4782. The '214' is our area code or STD. To reach us, you must use whatever international dialing codes your telephone system requires, including any U.S.A. outbound codes specific to your country. This number, 2146904782, is treated as a normal phone line and can be reached in the same way that you would dial any phone number in the United States. Appendix J-I: Overview of Memo Options: Every Master File and Activity record has its own word processor! This exciting new feature allows you to create a second screen behind any individual Master File or Activity record with free-form text of up to 15,000 characters PER MASTER RECORD, given a 640K system memory. In this second screen, you can scroll up and down and enter text as though you were in a word processor. Indeed, you can think of this second screen as your own word processor, embedded behind each Master File record. In addition to entering text, you can also import external text files, such as contracts or formal bids, into the relevant record associated with that text. In this way, you can browse through the contract for a Master File six months after the fact and long after you have forgotten what the content was. If you wish to export the memo to an external text file, you can do that too. The memo option presents itself in one of two ways. When you are in the Add option for the Master File file, the program asks you after you have finished entering all data into the first screen if you wish to create a memo. If you elect to do so, then the program will go into the Add/Edit memo mode. If you are in the Get option for the Master File file, you will see this option on the lower left: "F4 Memo Option". Upon selecting that, you will be presented with a comprehensive menu entitled "Memo Option Menu". Each Master File record has its own memo menu. It contains these options [the Master File name appears on top after "Custom Memo"]: ===Custom Memo for STW366 == Memo Options Menu =============== ========================================================== | Tuesday, September 22, 1987 | ---------------------------------------------------------- | 1) Edit the existing memo or create a new one | | 2) Output the memo to a text file | | 3) Input a text file into this memo | | [overwrite existing memo] | | 4) Input an external text file into this memo | | [append to existing memo] | | 5) Set Left and Right Margins: | | 5 75 | | 6) Toggle Edit Screen Code Help [Now On ] | | 7) Print options [Printit v3.5 [TM]] | | 8) Create Quick Memo [TM] | | | | R) Return to the Master File record | ========================================================== [Current character length of this memo = 0] This menu will tell you at a glance the number of characters in the memo, the current margins, and today's date. You can input an existing text file into the memo with options 3 or 4. As your memo begins to grow and accumulate different items, you can output it to an external text file using option 2. Option 1 puts you into the edit mode. In this option you are presented with a full screen word processor with the following message on the bottom of the screen: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Edit Screen Codes: Up arrow = move up 1 line, Down arrow = move down 1 line, Left Arrow = move left 1 character, Right arrow = move right 1 word, HOME = start of current line, END = end of current line, [CONTROL] HOME= start of memo, [CONTROL] END = end of memo, PgUp = Next edit window up, PgDn = Next edit window down, [CONTROL] W = Finished editing and save, ESC = abort editing. Use [INS] key for inserting text, [DEL] to delete, [CONTROL] B to reformat ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- This message gives you the codes that you can use in the full screen word processor. Immediately above these codes you will observe your cursor. You can type as long as you wish, just as in any other word processor. When finished entering text, you can save it by entering [CONTROL] W, as per the instructions. After you become conversant with the codes, you can replace the six lines of the above instructions with this one line: -------------------------------------------------------------- Edit Screen Codes: [CONTROL] W to save, ESC to abort -------------------------------------------------------------- To toggle back and forth between these 2 different Screen Code help screens, enter option 6 on the Memo Options Menu. 6) Toggle Edit Screen Code Help [Now Off] Appendix J-II: Memo Options: Activity File Each Master File record has one Master File memo associated with it. Each activity record now has one Activity memo also. Why two sets of memos? Prior to version 2.646, this program had only Master File memos, not any activity memos. All activity records shared one common Master File memo and could access that one memo from any activity record created in the future. Let's say, for example, you established a Master File record for "UTR399" and then imported a 10,000 character proposal into the Master File memo for "UTR399". Later on, as you created many activity records for "UTR399", you could view the large proposal that you had originally imported into the Master File memo from ANY activity that you had created for "UTR399". Memo options accessible from the Activity File: From the Activity File you can access two memos for any one activity record: the ONE Master File memo that all activities for one Master File record share together; and the UNIQUE activity memo that each activity record has, regardless of how many activities any one Master record has. ----- Activity File: Add option ----- Every time you add a record in the Add option, you will see these options available to you on the bottom of the screen: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Enter "1" to ignore this entry; enter F2 for Activity Memo | | F4 for Master File Memo, any other key to continue | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you enter 'F2', you will branch to the unique memo for this activity. If you enter 'F4', you will branch to the Master File Memo that ALL activities for this company share in common. The Memo Options Menu looks that same for both. If you look close, after you enter 'F2' you will see this on the bottom of the Memo Options Menu: R) Return to Activity record If you enter 'F4', you will see this Return statement on the bottom of the Memo Options Menu: R) Return to Master File record If you are not sure whether you are in the Master or Activity file memo, the Return statement on the bottom of the Memo Options Menu will tell you. ----- Activity File: Get option ----- Your access to memos at the Add option is similar to the Get screen. Once you enter the Get option from the Activity File, you will see these commands on the bottom of your screen: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ENTER N FOR NEXT, P FOR PREVIOUS F2 Activity Memo | RETURN Exit S FOR SEARCH, M FOR MORE COMMANDS | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Again, as in the activity Add option, entering 'F2' will take you to the memo unique to this activity. Appendix K: Printit v3.5, Print functions provided in memos and VIEW.TXT [Note: The documentation below is supplied by the author of the print functions used in memo and VIEW.TXT, Jack A. Orman. The 'Running PRINTIT' instructions can be used for printing an external file, such as SERVICE.DOC.] PRINTIT v3.5, Copr. 1987 by Jack A. Orman Armada Sound Lab, Box 858 Southaven, MS 38671 This special version of PRINTIT was written for exclusive distribution with Service Plus [TM] by Paul Sax of ACS Consultants. It is not to be distributed except as part of Service Plus [TM] and must not be altered in any manner. PRINTIT v3.1 is a standalone version for shareware distribution and is available on many commercial BBSs or directly from the author at the above address. Running PRINTIT The proper format to use this program to print an ASCII file is to enter the program name on the command line followed by a space and then the name of the file to be printed. Example: PRINT35 filename <ENTER> The filename can be any legitimate MS-DOS name including optional drive or path designations. If the file cannot be found, a message will appear on the screen briefly and then it will return to DOS. If the file can be found, a window will open and you will be prompted to enter the following information: Top Margin default= 5 Bottom Margin default= 5 Lines/page default=56 Left Margin default= 2 Number pages 0= no numbers Header String <ENTER>= no header Hitting ENTER at any menu selection will use the default values. The header string is limited to 48 characters and the current date is automatically printed at the end of the header. Most printers default to a 6 line per inch vertical spacing which gives 66 total lines per page on a standard 8 1/2 by 11 sheet. Therefore, the top margin + bottom margin + Lines/page must equal 66 for the printout to be produced in the proper format. For 8 lines per inch spacing, 5 + 5 + 78 would be good starting values. Make certain that the printer is powered up and on-line before running this program to avoid hanging up the system. No checks are performed to test printer readiness. PRINTIT is furnished without liability or guarantee of fitness and suitability for any specific purpose. It is up to the user to determine appropriateness for each application. Jack A. Orman 11/01/1987 Appendix L: Create your own on-line Help/Data Screen! This option allows you to define your own industry-specific Help/Data screen and then view it anytime throughout the program by entering 'F1'. Some applications require that you have detailed lists or codes nearby as you do data entry into the program. This would be particularly true if you are trying to enter codes specific to your industry into the Comments field of the Master or Activity records. This Help/Data screen can contain a few entries or up to 15,000 characters. You can either input this industry specific information at the keyboard or, if already typed, import an external text file in place of your manual typing. Observe this option on the Main Program Menu: 6) Create an on-line Help/Data screen [ now Off] After you select '6', you will then see this menu: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | Memo Options Menu | =============== | ---------------------------------------------------------- | Monday, November 9, 1987 | ---------------------------------------------------------- | 1) Edit the existing memo or create a new one | | 2) Output the memo to a text file | | 3) Input a text file into this memo | | [overwrite existing memo] | | 4) Input a text file into this memo | | [append to existing memo] | | 5) Set Left\Right Margins: 5 75 | | 6) Toggle Edit Screen Code Help [Now On ] | | 7) Print options [Printit v|.5 [TM]] | | 8) Activate Help\Data option [Now On ] | | R) Return to the Main Program Menu | ---------------------------------------------------------- | [Current character length of this memo = 0 ] | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------| Note that this menu is similar in function to the one described in Appendix J, Memo Options, with one exception: at this menu, you have option 8. This allows you to turn 'On' or 'Off' the Help/Data screen. The memo you create here is accessible throughout the entire program just by entering the 'F1' function key! Appendix M: Automatic data back-up As you exit the program, you will be asked if you wish to back up all of your data. If you elect to do so, the program will take all data and memo files, place them into one archived file, and compress them. Dialogue from the program: [assuming that today's date was November 9] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Enter the disk drive where your back up disk is located: | [Please include a colon following the letter, as in 'A:' or 'B:'] | | A: | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Receiving your data later: | | All of your data files will be saved into one archive file and | 'date'stamped' to help you later in determining which of the archives has the most recent data. The data today, for example was stored in this file: B:1109ACS.ARC The first two letters stand for the month, while the last two identify the date during the month on which this backup was made. Let's say that you see '0804ACS.ARC' on your data disk. This means month '8', day '4', or August 4. If you saw '1123ACS.ARC', this file was created on month '11', day '23', or December 23rd. The purpose for this numbering scheme is so that you can have multiple back up files on one disk, space permitting, and yet tell at a glance which is the most recent one. Later on, if you need to restore archived data, enter a command in the form: ARCE B:1109ACS.ARC /R Use the ARCE command on the archive file with the most current date. After finishing this, make sure that delete all files ending in | 'NTX' and 'MEM' BEFORE you execute SERVICE.EXE or 'GO'. | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Also, for an understanding of the two-disk rotating backup strategy, see: User Beware !..............................................Appendix N [Tips for database survival] Appendix N User Beware - Caveat Cliente ! Tips for database survival: Steps to maintain your sanity and the high level of performance of this program: 1) Back up your data periodically. Using the Automatic backup option contained in this program, you are guaranteed restoring your data should the operating system or hard drive fail. For more information on this process, see: Appendix M: Automatic Data Back-up upon exiting the program 2) Adopt a strategy for your backup disks. A simple two-disk, rotating procedure will save you grief later if you experience a hard drive crash. Format two disks and label them 'Backup 1' and 'Backup 2'. Place a write-protect tab on 'Backup 2' and put that disk into your software vault. Use the other disk, 'Backup 1', for your routine automatic backups. Periodically, examine that disk with a 'DIR' command to see if it is filling up with your data. You could make a mental note that the backup disk WITHOUT a write- protect tab is the 'Production Backup Disk'. As it becomes full, place a write-protect tab on that disk and put it into the software vault. Take the disk that had the write-protect tab and remove it. Then reformat that disk and begin using it as the 'Production Backup Disk'. You need not keep any elaborate lists of what data is on which disk. As long as you see a disk WITH a write protect-tab, you will know that this one belongs in the software vault. The disk WITHOUT the write- protect tab is the 'Production Backup Disk'. The data, by the way, is squeezed together on each date on which you make a backup. If, for example, you backed up data on September 15, 1986, then you would observe this file on your backup disk: 0915ACS.ARC. The '09' reflects the month of the backup, while the '15' shows you the date. 'ACS' is my company name, while 'ARC' shows that this is an Archive file. The program does not perform an incremental backup. Every 'ARC' file is a self-contained image of ALL the progam's data on that date. Why are multiple backups necessary? Experience has shown that when a hard drive goes down, its' controller is often bad PRIOR to the last backup. If this happens, the most recent backup may be corrupted and you would then be forced to use the backup prior to that one. 3) Anticipate hard drive problems. If a bad sector exists on your hard drive, the operating system has no way of avoiding doing read/write to the corrupted area. Any database program will, by definition, access much data during the execution of its main program. If a bad sector resides on your hard drive, the operating system may periodically and at random write to that area. Corrupted data, indexes, and memory files often come from this one cause. A number of utilities exist that will test every sector on your hard drive for corruption. Once identified, those sectors are 'marked' inactive in the directory and will not be accessed anymore. The best among this group is Peter Norton's [TM, Peter Norton Computing, Inc.] DISKTEST.COM. You will find this utility when you purchase his Norton Utilities - Advanced Edition [TM, Peter Norton Computing, Inc.]. Any active database user should use this utility at least every month, if not every week. Let's say your hard drive is C:. The syntax to check for bad sectors is: DISKTEST C: If the utility asks you for 'Disk test or File test', indicate that you want a 'Disk test' by entering a 'D'. [note that DISKTEST.COM is sometimes identified by its' short name of DT.COM.] For more information on this product, call Peter Norton Computing, Inc., at: End User Sales: (800) 365-1010 (213) 319-2030 FAX (213) 458-2048 4) Do not use any 'front end' program that branches to Service Plus [TM] and then returns back once Service Plus [TM] is finished. This type of program resides in memory. It may conflict with Service Plus [TM] and it will reduce the amount of memory available for Service Plus [TM]. An example of a 'front end' program is AUTOMENU [TM]. 5) Maintain a clean File Allocation Table [FAT] in your directory. The operating system is continually opening and closing files. In a large database program, this activity is intensified. If you restart the computer while the operating system has some files open, it 'forgets' to close them. These 'forgotten' file closings can cause a problem when you later continue the cycle of opening and closing files. The command to 'close' these files is: CHKDSK /F Good directory and FAT hygiene dictates that you do this weekly if you use a database program often. Definition of 'System Error': A Service Plus [TM] System Error occurs when, in the course of running the program, you see this error on the top right of the screen: Continue? Procedure for dealing with a 'System Error': First, enter an 'N' to quit. This will return you to the drive where the program is located. Second, delete the 'DEFAULT5.MEM' file. This will clear out all memory variables and will force re-installation. Third, delete all files ending 'NTX'. These are indexes and will be rebuilt automatically when the program senses that they are missing. Fourth, make sure that no memory resident or 'front end' programs are loaded into memory. If they are, remove them from the 'AUTOEXEC.BAT' file and re-start the computer. Once these four steps are performed, restart SERVICE.EXE with 'GO'. 'GO.BAT' resides in \SERVICE and, in turn, invokes SERVICE.EXE. You will be greeted with the Installation menu. Follow its' instructions and restart the computer as per the instructions of the Installation menu. After bringing up SERVICE.EXE the second time, the program will sense that the indexes are missing and will, accordingly, rebuild all of them. After you arrive at the Main Program Menu, select Option 2, Other Options. Once at this menu, select number 4: Repack and Reindex files. These steps will complete the 'System Error' recovery procedure. If your data is corrupted at this point, then you must restore the most recent backup as per: Appendix M: Automatic Data Back-up upon exiting the program Memory issues: You cannot branch into this program from another program or menuing system. If you are using any kind of front end menu, such as Automenu[TM], the program will be unable, in time, to read its files. Go into \SERVICE and execute this utility: CD \SERVICE MEMORY <========= you enter this program responds with this =====> Machine is 14 % full. 555 bytes are free. Observe the '% full' number. It should be between 8 and 16%. If higher than that, you have something loaded into memory that is conflicting with the program. Remove it until the '% full' number is reduced to between 8 and 16. To rebuild corrupted indexes: Let's say that you are entering data and your power circuit has a voltage surge, thereby locking up your computer. When you power up again, your indexes may have become corrupted and either you cannot go into the program or the data files become unreadable. If that happens, use this procedure in \SERVICE: DEL *.MEM <===== you enter these DEL *.NTX <====== GO <====== 'GO' invokes SERVICE.EXE At this point, the Installation menu will appear, indicate that you are on a hard drive and follow the instructions. The program will then recreate all the old indexes and attempt to read the old registration files. Alternate methodology to rebuild corrupted indexes: Look in \SERVICE and execute this command: DIR *.BAT If you see a file named "CRISIS.BAT", then invoke this file instead of the prior procedure. It accomplishes the same thing. CRISIS <========= you enter this Hard drive issues: It takes 10 to 15 minutes for the hard drive and controller to warm up. If you power the computer on and off every day, eventually you will have read/write problems. Either give the computer at least 15 minutes to warm up before going in the program, or leave the computer running around the clock, but turn off the monitor when you leave at night. If left on day and night, the hard drive and mother board will actually run better and longer. Appendix O Using the CALLBACK feature in the Activity file In the early development of this program, some users would go through this process to create a daily follow up list: 1) Create 'Today's Appointments' report from the Appointments Menu. 2) Place 'Today's Appointments' next to the computer. 3) Go to the Activity file, ADD option and add one activity record for the name of every ID on the 'Today's Appointments' printout. After a while, my customers began asking me to streamline this process. From these requests came the CALLBACK feature. Let's say that you had committed to 15 callbacks on a given Monday. Instead of having a printed 'Today's Appointments' report in front of you, the program will automatically 'stack up' those 15 callbacks [or any appointment/commitment] behind the CALLBACK option. Once you select this feature, the program go into a loop 15 times until all callbacks are processed. This loop consists of: 1) Identifying the name of the current ID being processed in this 'stack' of 15. 2) Displaying the date when the original commitment for today's callback/commitment was made in a prior activity record . 3) Showing the comments entered in the prior activity record that had created today's callback/appointment. 4) Creating a new activity record for THAT ID as though you had gone into the ADD option for the activity file. Observe that if you are unsuccessful in competing the callback and you identify that you wish to 'ignore this record', the program will keep that callback in its 'stack' until you have successfully processed it today. If you want to go to lunch, you can abort the processing of the 'stack' of 15 at any time. Once you leave this CALLBACK routine, the program remembers how many were in the original 'stack' [15], and how many remain unprocessed. After lunch, if you re-enter the CALLBACK option, the program will remember where in the 'stack' you left off. Appendix P: Consolidating Multiple Categories in your reports As you become knowledgeable in the use of the Category function, you'll notice that the Select, Move, Delete, and Undelete Category' feature [Main Program Menu, option 3] allows you to mix either all categories together or split out any one. Once you have selected a single category, then all functions in the program--reports, labels, new activities--are accessible to only those records with your designated category. In other words, once a category is selected, ALL other records in the program will disappear until you select another category or elected to 'jumble' all categories together. Over time, users have asked for a way to consolidate multiple categories in their reports, though not necessarily all at the same time. For those users wanting SELECTIVE consolidation of categories, this feature is available in the 'Service Call and Activity Reports' menu [Option 5, Master File Menu]. Once in this reports menu, observe option #5, 5) Category Consolidation Feature: [Consolidation OFF] After you have selected option 5, you will see this screen: =========================================================================| Category Consolidation: | | At this menu, you can base your reports on either a range of categories or a list of non-continuous individual categories . For example, if you had selected a range, then you could combine all records from categories 1 through 50. You can select any size range, from a range of 50 to a range of 50,000 categories. If you had selected to input a non-continuous list of categories, then you could enter up to 200 categories for consolidation, such as to combine categories 10, 11, 15, and 20. Enter your selection now: '1' will allow you to select a range of | categories, '2' will be for a non-continuous list of categories. | | ======================================================================== This menu gives you the choice of selecting your consolidation based on ONE range of categories or on a list of up to 200 non-continuous ones. An example of range would be those records that fall in the range of category '200' to category '400'. With the 'range' option, those categories are consecutive. When you select a 'non-continuous list', they can be in any random order you want, up to 200 of them. After you have selected your option, the program will prompt you for the data it needs to continue the consolidation. Once you return to the 'Service Call and Activity Reports' menu, any report option you then select will be consolidated as per your request. Remember that this category 'Consolidation' feature works only in the 'Service Call and Activity Reports' menu. Appendix Q: Assigning priorities to Master File records As you accumulate Master File records, you'll see that beyond scheduling future appointments and splitting out data by categories, you may also want to assign individual priorities to some or all of the Master File records. This feature gives you the flexibility of assigning a priority code of your choice, from 1 to 9999, to each Master File. The default is '0', and you can change this value anytime in the Master File just by going back into the Edit mode. Your assignment is arbitrary and can be all inclusive or mutually exclusive. That is, different Master File records can share one priority code or, if you wish, each Master File record can have its own code. You assign this code in the lower right corner of each Master File record. Observe this line on the Add or Get screen, Master File: Priority, if any: You enter your code, if any, to the right of 'Priority'. To extract out those records to which you have assigned a priority code, observe option 4 on the Master File Menu: 4) Appointments and List of Priorities Appendix Q: [continued] Once you select this option, you'll see this Appointments menu: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -------Maintenance and Service Call Activity Tracking System----- | | Appointments Menu | --------------------- | Please Choose One | --------------------- 1) List out all prior Appointments (Occurring prior to today) 2) Produce today's Appointments 3) Print all future Appointments, excluding today's 4) Print all future Appointments, including today's 5) Display a graphics image of any 14 day period of Appointments 6) Select your start/stop date for Appointments, then print out 7) Similar to option 6, but identifies only UNPROCESSED Appointments [Used with CALLBACK option, Activity Menu] 8) List of Priorities, if any [by date] 9) Show tomorrow's Appointments H) Help Screen for Appointments Menu | | R) Return to prior menu | --------------------------------------------------------------------- Option 8 gives you the flexibility of selecting those records from the Master File to which you have assigned a priority code. Also, you can indicate that date range, if any, for your selection of priorities. This date range refers to that date when each prioritized Master File record was first ENTERED into the system. Appendix R Act Now! [TM] feature: Act Now! [TM] is a new feature that creates an activity record, if requested, directly from the Master File Add or Get function. The need for this has become clear in feedback from my customers. Prior to version 2.645, all Master File records were added into the Master file through the Master File Add or Get option. Once in the Master file file, you could then add an unlimited number of activities into the Activity file for any one record in the Master File. To add the first activity record, though, required that you leave the Master file Add or Get function, exit the Master File, and then go to the Activity Add screen. Over time, users began mentioning how cumbersome this process was when that were adding many Master File records, each with an initial activity. The reason these functions are separate is because of a programming practice used throughout Service Plus [TM], modular programming. These modules or 'blocks' of program code account for the discrete functionality of each menu and screen. In any case, with Act Now! [TM], you can now add an initial activity record for a new Master File record WITHOUT LEAVING the Master File Add or Get option! Observe below the options that appear on the bottom of the screen when you are adding a Master File record: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- '1' to go to next record; '2' to create a new memo for this record, | Enter a '3' to 'ACT NOW!' or Activity Now, 1st activity record | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- If you enter '3', Act Now! [TM] will immediately branch to the first activity record. You would then be presented with the blank activity screen for the Primary ID that you had just entered into the Master File. After you finish entering the activity data, you will then branch back AUTOMATICALLY to the Master file Add or Get function. Appendix S: Create your own fields Entering codes specific to your application and then creating reports based on those codes: ----- Defining your own codes: ----- This feature gives you the ability to enter codes specific to your industry or application and then create reports on those specific codes. These codes are then entered into COMMENT1 or COMMENT2 of each record in the Master file. Let's say, for example, that you have an inventory of unsold homes and that you had identified these criteria in your real estate prospects: 1) Size of home wanted 2) Amount prospect wants to spend on home 3) Preference, if any, for location, by zip or postal code 4) Number of floors of home desired Let's say further that you had developed these codes: 1) SIZE=1500SF SIZE=2000SF SIZE=2500SF SIZE=3000SF This first criteria shows the size home, in square feet, that the buyer is looking for. 2) AMT=100K AMT=125K AMT=150K AMT=200K Criteria 2 shows the amount, in thousands of dollars, that the buyer is willing to spend. 3) LOC=75081 LOC=75082 LOC=75083 LOC=75084 Criteria 3 shows the location preference, by zip or postal code, that your buyer has. 4) FLOORS=1 < one floor, no basement FLOORS=1A < one floor, one basement FLOORS=2 < 2 floors, no basement FLOORS=2A < 2 floors, one basement This criteria tells you the number of floors preference, if any, that this buyer has. You could then set up records for the houses in the Master, file along with their associated codes. Observe that as you develop codes for all buyers, you do NOT have to use every code for every buyer. If one buyer has no location code preference, then omit this criteria. It does matter, though, that you enter the codes CONSISTENTLY into the Master file, COMMENT1 or COMMENT2. Otherwise, you will not be able to extract them later. ----- Selecting Reports: ----- Once you select option 3 from the Main Program Menu, you will see this Reports menu: --------------------------------------------------------------------- | Start Date Service Call and Activity Reports End Date | | 01/01/1901 Please Choose one 12/12/2999 1) Do report from the Master file 2) Generate ONE report from the Activity file 3) Set start/stop date of these Reports 4) Select out any comment for report[s] [no criteria selected] 5) Category Consolidation Feature: [now OFF] H) Help for reports R) Return to prior menu | Category of Maintenance [defaults to ALL]: ALL | | --------------------------------------------------------------------- Option 4 will allow you to select out any code or combination of codes from the COMMENTS fields. When you select this option, you will first see this menu: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Exclusivity of Selection: | | | False = All Inclusive Record included if meeting at least ONE search criteria. True = Mutually Exclusive Record included only if meeting ALL search criteria at the same time. | Enter T or F : [F] | | --------------------------------------------------------------------- In this menu, "Exclusivity of Selection", you must select whether you want only those records to be selected that have all sets of codes in every record or select records regardless of the number of matches made per record, as long as at least one match is made in any one record that is selected. True [or T] means all matches have to be made in any one record for it to be selected. False [or F] means that as long as one match is made in that record, it will be selected. After making your selection at this "Exclusivity of Selection" menu, you can make your specific selections at this menu: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Enter those values you wish to select out. | Any field left blank will include all records in that field. | | ___________________ Third ID ___________________ Second ID __________________________ Primary ID _____________________________ [comments, first selection] _____________________________ [comments, second selection] _____________________________ [comments, third selection] | _____________________________ [comments, fourth selection] | | [COMMENT1 and COMMENT2 are searched together] | | --------------------------------------------------------------------- At this screen, you can input up to 4 sets of codes or phrases. You can enter any word, phrase, or code on which to base your selection. If left blank, all records will be printed out. If you make an entry there, the program will search through the comments and select out only those records that have your word or phrase in the comments section. You can also select by any combination of Primary, Secondary, or Third ID. [Note that you can have up to 4 different codes or phrases entered here and all records will be pulled which have any one of them or any combination of them]. In this real estate example, let's say that the following house became available on the market: 2000 square feet, $125,000 price, located in zip/postal code '75083, and has two floors, without a basement. These codes would then correspond to that information. SIZE=2000SF AMT=125K LOC=75083 FLOORS=2 If you entered those values or codes into the 'comments' entries in the above menu and set "Exclusivity of Selection" to True, the program would then select out those records in the Master file that contained these criteria. ----- Accessing this logic from the word processor/merge Menu:----- Observe this option on the Main Program Menu: 4) Output to external word processor/merge/data file: Once you select that option, you will see this menu: --------------------------------------------------------------------- | Output for word processing/merge Menu | | Thursday, April 21, 1988 1) Select output criteria for merge file [no criteria selected] 2) Output records to Wordstar/Mailmerge[TM] 3) Output records to WordPerfect[TM] 4) Output records to dBASE III [TM] | | | R) Return to prior menu | --------------------------------------------------------------------- Selection 1 contains the same logic as the reports menu. That is, you can select records for output to your word processor based on codes you entered into the comments fields in the Master file. ----- Creating your own Help screen for these codes: ----- Instead of writing down the codes for your specific application, a place exists in the program to contain that data. Also, you can display those codes and their definitions at any time throughout the program just by entering one function key! This industry-specific Help screen can have up to 15,000 characters in it. To see how this works, examine: Appendix L Create your own industry-specific Help/Data Screen Appendix T Logic behind Comments/1st ID/2nd ID/3rd ID selection This feature will SELECT out data for you using a powerful search criteria. This function should not be confused with options 3 and 4 on the 'Search Through Data' menu, which only DISPLAYS data to you. You can select out records from four key locations in the program with this powerful selection criteria. The mechanics of how you do this are explained in: Appendix S: Create your own fields In summary and recapitulating Appendix S, you go through a two step process when you access this selection logic. First, you respond to this 'Exclusivity of Selection' menu: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Exclusivity of Selection: | | | False = All Inclusive Record included if meeting at least ONE search criteria. True = Mutually Exclusive Record included only if meeting ALL search criteria at the same time. | Enter T or F : [F] | | --------------------------------------------------------------------- Once you do that, you are then offered these selection choices: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Enter those values you wish to select out. | Any field left blank will include all records in that field. | | ___________________ Third ID ___________________ Second ID __________________________ Primary ID _____________________________ [comments, first selection] _____________________________ [comments, second selection] _____________________________ [comments, third selection] | _____________________________ [comments, fourth selection] | | [COMMENT1 and COMMENT2 are searched together] | | --------------------------------------------------------------------- You can select any one criteria or any number of them in combination with each other. The 'Comments' field is ideal for entering industry specific code in your application, as explained in Appendix S, Create your own fields. This powerful logical selection feature is offered in four locations: ----- First location: ----- Service Call and Activity Reports, option 4: 4) Select by any Comment for reports [no criteria selected] ----- Second location: ----- [accessed from the Main Program Menu:] B) Output to external word processor/merge/data file Output for word processing/merge Menu, selection 1: 1) Select output criteria for merge file [no criteria selected] ----- Third location: ----- [accessed from the Main Program Menu:] selection 3 Category Options Menu, option 5: 5) Change category based on COMMENTS: [merge multiple categories into 1 with this criteria] ----- Fourth location: ----- Billings Menu: 5) Select out any Activity file comment for report Regardless of where you access this SELECTION criteria, the logic is that same behind each of these four menus. With it, you have nearly unlimited versatility in selecting out data for reports. Appendix U: Strategy for Relating Customers to records in either the Master or Activity files: Let's say that you are trying to relate customers to records in either the Master of Activity files. One strategy is to assign a unique number to each customer and then enter that number in the comments section of the applicable records. The comment could be of the form: CUST=1005 Here you are saying that this is customer '1005'. Once that number is entered, you can then retrieve ALL records entered into the program with that number. The mechanics of the selection criteria logic is outlined in these appendices: Create your own fields.......................................Appendix S [track and retrieve data using your unique industry-specific codes!] Logic behind Comments/1st ID/2nd ID/3rd ID selection.........Appendix T [select out records in 3 different places in program] You could build the customer list by entering all customers into their unique category in the Master file in this format: Primary ID: Customer ID Number Secondary ID: Last Name Third ID: First Name of Customer COMMENTS1/2: Address of customer If you enter the customer data in this format, then all cross reference functions of the program will allow you to check either first or last name against his or her Customer ID. In particular, when you are in the 'Search through data' menu, option 1 will cross reference all three. By entering all customers as, say, category '100', you could then select out all category 100 records on the Select Category Menu. If you want the list of customers and their IDs available to you at all times, you can load that information into the Industry Specific Help screen. Once done, all of their names and customers numbers will be available to you by entering 'F1'. For a detailed explanation of how you would do this, see: Create your own industry-specific Help/Data Screen...........Appendix L Note that the data available to you in the Industry Specific Help screen could be created from reports that Service Plus [TM] will create for you. Appendix V: Strategy for creating Service Tickets, Work Orders, or Invoices from memos in the Activity file Overview: Using the Memos available to you in each activity record, you can create printed Service Tickets or Invoices for your customers signatures. Later, you can recall and review any Service Ticket or Invoice or group of Service Tickets from the historical activity records. == Procedures == Using your word processor, create a Service Ticket or Invoice Template that contains the skeleton of your Service Ticket or Invoice. Included in this Template should be a signature block for your customer, if required in your business. All information specific to that Service Call should in a 'fill-in-the-blanks' format that you can complete later once you create the activity memo. Once complete, convert this Service Ticket or Invoice Template to an ASCII file if it is not already in this format. Move the Service Ticket or Invoice Template into the \SERVICE subdirectory. Let's say that you have assigned this name to it: 'SCTMP', for Service Ticket Template. When you create a new Activity record, go to the Memo Options menu. Observe option 3: 3) Input a Text file into this memo. After you select this option, enter 'SCTMP' as the text file that you wish to Input into this memo. Once this operation is complete, observe option 1: 1) Edit the existing memo or create a new one Select this option and you will then see your Service Ticket or Invoice Template spread out before you. Using the PgUp and PgDn keys, navigate around this memo and fill in the blanks of this Service Ticket or Invoice Template until you are satisfied that it is complete. Once the Service Ticket or Invoice Template in this memo is finished, exit the memo with CONTROL-W. These keystrokes will save those additions that you have added to the Service Ticket or Invoice Template in this specific memo. After saving your additions to the memo, observe this option on the Memo Options Menu: 7) Print options Select option 7 to then print out this completed Service Ticket or Invoice. Appendix W: Methodology for tracking units of inventory [using activity records to reflect unit changes] Overview: Service Plus [TM] can track your inventory and will display a trail of activities that show your starting values, any additions, and subsequent depletions. By default, Service Plus [TM] will summarize Master File Billings from individual billing entries made into the activity file. By using the custom options, you can change the summary from dollars to units. Implementation: First, go the Master File Menu. Observe option 3: 3 for Billings reports. Once you select option 3, you will arrive at the Billings Summary Menu. At this Menu, enter option 3: 3) Summarize and Post all Billings from the Activity file Upon select the Summarizing option, you will then see this test data: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- All detail Billings records from the Activity File | | STW366, Category is : 1 | $ 350.00, occurred on 08/23/1984 $ 55.00, occurred on 05/26/1983 $ 35.00, occurred on 12/30/1982 Total Billings= $ 440.00 WRX332, Category is : 1 $ 850.00, occurred on 06/28/1984 $ 50.00, occurred on 05/28/1984 $ 450.00, occurred on 01/02/1983 Total Billings= $ 1350.00 | | Grand total = $ 1790.00 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Go back to the Main Program Menu, and select the Other Options Menu. Once there, go to the Custom Options Menu. Observe option 1: 1) Change description of category, title for Billings, style [Select how Billings is presented: Dollars, hours, or blank] When you select option 1, you will see this menu: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | Category of Maintenance | | Default name for expenses/revenues title (plural), 15 characters (for example: Expenses, Collections, Hours or Revenues) If you input Hours, enter your values in the activity file as decimals, ie 10.75 =10 hours, 45 minutes Billings How Billings reports presented: [1= dollars, 2=hours, 3=screen displays/report headings left blank] | | 1 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Change 'Billings' to 'Units'. On the bottom line, change '1' to '3' so that the screen displays and report headings are then left blank. After you have finished at the Custom Options Menu, go back to the Master File Menu. You will observe that option 3 will have changed from '3 for Billings reports' to: 3 for Units reports. Enter option 3 of the Master File Menu and you will see: 3) Summarize and Post all Units from the Activity file Once you select option 3 to summarize, you will then see this test data: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- All detail Units records from the Activity File | | STW366, Category is : 1 | 350.00, occurred on 08/23/1984 55.00, occurred on 05/26/1983 35.00, occurred on 12/30/1982 Total Units= 440.00 WRX332, Category is : 1 850.00, occurred on 06/28/1984 50.00, occurred on 05/28/1984 450.00, occurred on 01/02/1983 Total Units= 1350.00 | | Grand total = 1790.00 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- If you enter an activity record with a negative value, then that activity will be deducted from the 'Total Units'. If you precede your negative value with a '-', Service Plus [TM] will correctly deduct that value from the 'Total Units' it displays later. In summary, enter all additions to inventory of this item as a positive value. Withdrawals from inventory should be preceded with a '-'. Appendix X: The Flash Report [TM] The Flash Report [TM] is a powerful new feature that displays to you all associated activities for any one part while at the Part Get screen. Prior to version 3.0, you might locate a part record in the Part file, Get option. You might then exit the Part Menu, go to the activity file and then look up all corresponding activities. Now, you can acquire all of this information without ever leaving the Part file, Get option. While looking at the part record, you will observe 'F7 The Flash Report [TM]' on the bottom of this screen: =========================================================================== --------- Maintenance and Service Call Activity Tracking System ------ | | | Primary ID STW366 Secondary ID 55823WSE90321 Priority, if any: 0 Third ID Mack Truck, #R-685 COMMENTS Billing Class 1 Conventional Truck purchased in 1982 from Mack Trucks, 3611 Irving Blvd, Dallas, TX (214)631-4770, from Bill Smith Summary of Billings for this Service Call: 440.00 Category of Maintenance: Date of Summary: 1 03/08/1987 Enter N for Next, P for Previous F6 Act Now[TM] S for Search, M for More commands F7 Flash Report [TM] F4 Memo Options Return Exit | ========================================================================== | If you enter 'F7' all activities associated with this record in the Activity file will be presented to you in a report in about 2 seconds! This report is called 'The Flash Report [TM]' and allows you to see all activities as well as browse through them before returning to the screen above. Appendix Y: Quick Stats [TM] This remarkable new option will give you a quick statistical overview of your records. Once selected at the 'Fast Search through Data' menu, this option will display the occurrence of each unique type of record for these criteria: 1 = 3rd ID 2 = 2nd ID 3 = Category In the test data, for example, if you selected Quick Stats [TM] for 3rd ID, you would then see: --------------------------------------------------------------------- 3rd ID Kenworth K100 is contained in 2 records. | 3rd ID Mack Truck, #R-685 is contained in 1 record. | 3rd ID Peterbilt, #362 is contained in 1 record. | --------------------------------------------------------------------- If you select Quick Stats [TM] for 2nd ID, you would see: --------------------------------------------------------------------- 2nd ID 3356UST217431 is contained in 1 record. | 2nd ID 55823WSE90321 is contained in 1 record. | 2nd ID GR45339264T50 is contained in 2 records. | --------------------------------------------------------------------- Appendix Z: 'Background' Options Overview The 'Background' Options are available to you anywhere in the program by entering 'F1'. Regardless of where you are, the 'Background' Options are always 'in the background', awaiting your next request. Once you enter 'F1', you will see the 'Background' Options Menu: ========================================================================== 'Background' Options: | ------------------- | ========================================================== | | Friday, September 22, 1989 | ---------------------------------------------------------- | | | 1) Industry-specific Help Screen [ now Off] | | 2) Fast Runner [TM] options [ now Off] | | 3) Calendar Options Menu | | 4) Calculator | | 5) Exit to DOS | | 6) View most recent VIEW.TXT | | | | H) Help | | | | R) Return to prior menu | | | | | ========================================================== | =========================================================================== ============== | OPTION 1: | ============== 1) Industry-specific Help Screen [ now Off] The Industry-specific Help Screen is covered in: Create your own industry-specific Help/Data Screen...........Appendix L In order for option 1 to be accessible, you must observe if it is turned on. This is evidenced by [ now On] appearing on the far right of its line. If you see that it is [ now Off], go to the Main Program Menu and look at option 6: 6) Create an on-line Help/Data screen [ now Off] Appendix Z: 'Background' Options [continued] After you select option 6, you will observe: 8) Activate Help\Data option [Now Off] Make sure that you have selected number 8 to be [Now On]. ============== | OPTION 2: | ============== 2) Fast Runner [TM] options [ now Off] If you observe that Option 2 is [ now Off], go to the Main Program Menu, and select Option E: E) Fast Runner [TM] Options [ now Off] At the Fast Runner [TM] Options Menu, you will see Option 4: 4) Turn Fast Runner [TM] on or off: [ now Off] Toggle this option until [ now Off] becomes [ now On]. ============== | OPTION 3: | ============== Calendar Options Menu: Contains two types of calendars: day of the week for any 4 week period or perpetual calendar, with holidays. ============== | OPTION 4: | ============== 4) Calculator This on-line calculator looks like a modern day ten key, with memory. Appendix Z: 'Background' Options [continued] ============== | OPTION 5: | ============== 5) Exit to DOS This selection will drop you into the operating system. Be sure to enter 'EXIT' to return to that point where you first invoked 'Background Options.' ============== | OPTION 6: | ============== 6) View most recent VIEW.TXT This option allows you to look at the last report you sent to a disk file, 'VIEW.TXT'. When you are at the various report menus, you have the option, just as you are about to print out the report, of sending that report to a disk file instead. Option 2, Other Options Menu, and selection 6 on this menu, the Background Options Menu, are the two places where you look at the most recent report that you sent to the disk. Appendix A-1: Fast Runner [TM] Options Overview: This option gives you the functionality of a multi-tasking environment without incurring any extra expense or having any headaches or hassle. Many multi-tasking or windowing-like operating systems will not let you run most standard DOS programs. Among those programs that will run, you can experience significant loss of performance. With Fast Runner [TM], you can build a menu with up to 20 of your own stand alone programs, such as a spreadsheet, word processor, or a communications program. At any time thereafter, you can invoke Fast Runner [TM] by entering 'F1'. Once invoked, your Fast Runner [TM] menu will present you with 20 options. Selecting any one of them will cause Service Plus [TM] to open a 450KB 'window', run your program, and then return to the point where you originally invoked Fast Runner [TM]. As your program is run through the Fast Runner [TM] menu, you will observe no degradation in its performance. At the Main Program Menu, observe option E) Fast Runner [TM] Options: Once option E is selected, you will observe the Fast Runner [TM] Options Menu: =========================================================================== Fast Runner [TM] Options: | ------------------- | ========================================================== | | Thursday, September 21, 1989 | ---------------------------------------------------------- | | | 1) Look at existing Fast Runner [TM] selections | | | | 2) Add to or Modify your selections | | | | 3) Delete any single Fast Runner [TM] option | | | | 4) Turn Fast Runner [TM] on or off: [ now Off] | | | | H) Help | | R) Return to prior menu | | | | | ========================================================== | =========================================================================== ============== | OPTION 1: | ============== 1) Look at existing Fast Runner [TM] selections Once option 1 is selected, you will observe these fields: OPTION MENU_TITLE OFF_ON DRIVE DIRECTORY EXE_COM OPTION = Selection #, MENU_TITLE = Fast Runner [TM] menu title, OFF_ON = whether option is turned off or on, DRIVE = disk drive for program, DIRECTORY = directory of program, EXE_COM = name of '.EXE' or '.COM' file The partial display below will show these fields for all 20 of your selections. You are not required to avail yourself of every option, only those that you want to use. =========================================================================== Use arrows to browse. When finished, enter either 'ENTER' or 'ESCAPE': | | OPTION MENU_TITLE OFF_ON DRIVE | ========================================================================= 1 | Communications | T | E: 2 | Word processing | T | D: 3 | Spreadsheet | T | C: 4 | | F | 5 | | F | 6 | | F | 7 | | F | 8 | | F | 9 | | F | 10 | | F | 11 | | F | | 12 | | F | | 13 | | F | | =========================================================================== ============== | OPTION 2: | ============== 2) Add to or Modify your selections Once option 2 is selected, Fast Runner [TM] goes through these six steps: A) Do you want to add to or modify an existing option in Fast Runner [TM] [enter 'T' for true; 'F' for false, or when finished adding/modifying] B) Enter selection you wish to modify: C) Enter disk drive where your application resides: [for drive 'D', enter 'D:' D) Enter subdirectory where your application resides: [for subdirectory 'WORD', enter '\WORD'; include all backslashes] E) Enter the name of the executable file located in that subdirectory. [for WORD.EXE, enter 'WORD'; drop any 'EXE' or 'COM' ending F) Enter the title you want assigned internally to this selection: ============== | OPTION 3: | ============== 3) Delete any single Fast Runner [TM] option This option will prompt you for the Fast Runner [TM] selection or option that you want deleted from your list of 20. ============== | OPTION 4: | ============== 4) Turn Fast Runner [TM] on or off: [ now Off] By repeating '4' on your keyboard, Option 4 will toggled either [ now Off] or [ now On]. Appendix A-2: Overview: This set of options gives you the ability to set aside activities into a 'bucket' that you designate as still open or pending. Some activities may not have a future commitment date but are unresolved pending some other follow up. You can think of these 'Open' activities as existing in an 'Open' or 'Pending' folder. By default, all activity records are 'Closed'. You can elect to make any single activity record 'Open' by entering the 'F10' key on either the Activity Add or Activity Get screen. Once the 'F10' key is pressed, you will see this message on the top of the activity record: ======================= Open or Pending Activity ==================== ============== | OPTION 1: | ============== 1) Examine or modify Pending Activities This selection will allow you to browse through all of your Open or Pending Activities. Optionally, you can elect to remove any one of them from the Open list. To remove an activity from the Open or Pending file, change OFF_ON to 'T'. DEL_DATE is the future commit date, if any. To process your changes, enter <ESC>. DATE_SYS is date of first entry. If you modify COMMENT1 and close the record, the Activity file is updated. ============== | OPTION 2: | ============== 2) Create report for Open Activities This report will show you those Open or Pending Activities that are left after you have gone through selection 1. ============== | OPTION 3: | ============== 3) Restore ALL activity records to Closed This option will restore ALL activity records, current selected category, to a 'Closed' condition. ============== | OPTION 4: | ============== 4) Insert memo into reports: [now Off] This option is functionally similar to the Master File Menu, Option 5, Service Call and Activity Reports, selection 6: 6) Insert memo into reports: [now Off] Appendix A-3: Potential problems with DOS 'Environment' space Overview: excerpted from Jan Fagerholm, Compuserve [TM] 75755,376 "Every time you boot DOS, one of the things it does is to reserve some memory space for itself and for the programs it (you) are going to run. a large part of this space it reserves is named "environment", and as the name implies, its purpose is to allow DOS to tell the program something about items in the computer that the program has available to work with (i.e. keyboard, screen, printer, modem, etc.) as well as what changes that the user (that's you) has specified. (i.e. send printer output to the serial port instead of the parallel port, etc.)" "Specifically, anything that you have set with the SET command, the PATH command, PROMPT, COMSPEC, and SHELL (and some other goodies) as well as some information that DOS needs by default as well as some information that it thinks any program may need to know are all kept in the environment. Every time you load and run a program, DOS ties this environment to it so the program will know what devices it can talk to as well as where they are (and also what changes we have made to where we want things to go)." "...when DOS loads a program, it really doesn't care what kind of program it is - *.COM, *.EXE, *.SYS, *.DEV, - DOS always attaches a copy of the environment to the program, so that the program knows where to find things all by itself. The main reason that it does this is that it cannot anticipate what we will do with the program - move it elsewhere in memory (relocatable, an *.EXE file) load it in memory without running it (TSR), run it from another program (SHELL command), run another program within it (also SHELL command) or just load and run it. In all cases, though, the program in question MAY need to know the environment, and DOS is built to take care of this by attaching a copy of the environment to each and every program that is brought into memory. Normally, that environment is released when a (normal) program is ended, to release the memory space, but a TSR stays resident WITH THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WAS LOADED WITH IT." Specific 'Environment' problem with Service Plus [TM]: Jan's discussion then continues with the treatment of memory resident programs, and minimizing the amount of 'Environment' space occupied with each one. Since memory resident programs will not run with Service Plus [TM], given the current memory requirements of the program, this specific issue is irrelevant. Appendix A-3: [continued] If your operating system is displaying a message that you are out of 'environment' space or you suspect you are experiencing this problem, here is how you would check. First, observe that starting with version 3.1 of Service Plus [TM], GO.BAT now drives the program and passes on this command to the operating system: SET CLIPPER= v018;r038;e000; The execution of this command is critical to the proper functioning of the program. As you exit the program, enter 'SET' from the DOS prompt: C:\SERVICE\SET <====== you enter 'SET' Upon entering this command you should see the following message displayed to you: CLIPPER= v018;r038;e000; If portions of the message are omitted or the command is not visible, 'GO.BAT' has failed to pass on this critical 'environment' variable to the operating system. Correction of the problem: Bring up your word processor and edit GO.BAT in \SERVICE. Add these two lines to its beginning: SET PROMPT= SET PATH= This will have the effect of removing the 'PATH' and 'PROMPT' variables from the 'environment', thereby allowing the critical 'SET CLIPPER' command to be passed on. Second, observe that a duplicate copy of GO.BAT resides in the root directory of your hard drive where \SERVICE is located. Delete that file in the root directory, then return to \SERVICE to execute GO.BAT. At the point, GO.BAT will sense that the root directory is missing a duplicate GO.BAT and will make a copy of itself in the root directory. Appendix A-4: Billings Menu: Overview and Options Overview You can summarize all revenue/expenses or billings you have incurred for any period of time, for any category of service call, mechanic, or phyisical location. Once you are at the Master File Menu, observe Option 3: "3 for Billings reports." After selecting option 3, you will see this Billings Summary Menu: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ========= Maintenance and Service Call Activity Tracking System ======| | Start Date Billings Summary Menu End Date | --------------- --------------------- ---------------- | 01/01/1901 | | Please Choose one | | 12/12/2999 | --------------- --------------------- ---------------- 1) Change Start/Stop date of summary 2) Select Service Call being summarized : [defaults to ALL, meaning all Service Calls are summarized] 3) Summarize and Post all Billings from the Activity file 4) Generate Summary report to printer 5) Select out any Activity file comment for report [no criteria selected] H) Help Screen R) Return to prior menu Date of most recent posting: 12/15/1989 | Service Call to be summarized: ALL | Category of Maintenance [defaults to ALL]: ALL | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This screen summarizes the revenue/expenses or billings, but the Activity file is the original source of entry for the individual revenue/expenses or billings. Original Entry into the Activity File Whenever you make an entry into the Activity file, you will see this item on the screen: "Billings from the Activity:" If you have any revenue/expense or billings associated with an activity, then enter the amount on the screen for that activity while you are in the Activity file. Later on, you can summarize all of the revenue/expenses or billings per record in the Master File by going to the Billings Summary Menu. ****OPTIONS***** ============== | OPTION 1: | ============== Option 1 is to change the start or stop date of the summary. It defaults to these dates: START DATE :'01/01/1901' STOP DATE :'12/12/2999' This means that any summaries that you generate will be for a 2,098 year period. Let's say that you would like to examine revenue/expenses or billings for a two week period. In that case, go to option 1 and enter the date on which the two week period began as the START date, and the date on which the two week period ended as the END date. Now your reports and summarized revenue/expense data will reflect just that two week period. ============== | OPTION 2: | ============== Option 2 allows you to choose the record from the Master File being summarized. This option defaults to ALL, which means that all records in the Master File that have revenue/expense items represented in the Activity file will be summarized. Let's say, though, that you wish to summarize those revenue/expenses or billings for just one record over some period of time. By invoking this option, you can select one specific record on which to summarize data. ============== | OPTION 3: | ============== Option 3 summarizes those activity records that meet the criteria you entered in options 1 and 2. Then the program takes the summarized revenue/expenses or billings and posts them permanently into these fields in the Master file: 'Summary of billings for this Service Call:' This means that any time you summarize revenue/expenses or billings from this menu, you can go back to the Master File and examine the totals for each record. Of course, you can print out the SUMMARY REPORT, option 4, and see what those summaries were. ============== | OPTION 4: | ============== Option 4 prints the SUMMARY REPORT for all these activities summarized in Option 3. ============== | OPTION 5: | ============== 5) Select out any Activity file comment for report This will allow you to select any word or phrase as a basis for summarizing specific activity records in Option 3. Whatever comment you select, this criteria will be applied to Option 3. Appendix A-5: Inserting Memos into reports Overview: If you wish to enter extended text behind either the Master File or Activity records, you can use the Memo options to record up to 15,000 characters per record. This is covered in the SERVICE.DOC documentation in: Overview of Memo Options: Every Master file and activity record has its own word processor! Master File Memos......................................Appendix J-I Activity Memos........................................Appendix J-II In addition to a Print option available on each Memo Options Menu, you can print out memos in these three locations in the program: Reports Menu: Appointments Menu: 'Open' or 'Pending' Activities Menu: The Reports Menu is accessible from the Master File Menu, selection 5. To go to the Appointments Menu, observe selection 4 on the Master File Menu. The 'Open' or 'Pending' Activities Menu is located on the Activity File Menu, selection 'O' (for 'Open'). The Activity File Menu, in turn, can be found as selection 1 on the Master File Menu. ========== Location 1: ========== Reports Menu: 6) Insert memo into reports: [now Off] ============== | OPTION 6: | ============== This option will insert the memo field into the reports generated by options 1 and 2. Once selected, you can specify the number of characters brought into the report from each memo. ========== Location 2: ========== Appointments Menu B) Insert memo into reports: [now Off] ============== | OPTION B: | ============== B) Insert memo into reports: This option will insert the memo field into the reports generated by the report options on this menu. Once selected, you can specify the number of characters brought into the report from each memo. ========== Location 3: ========== 'Open' or 'Pending' Activities Menu: 4) Insert memo into reports: [now Off] ============== | OPTION 4: | ============== 4) Insert memo into reports: [now Off] This option is functionally similar to the Master File Menu, Option 5, Service Call and Activity Reports, selection 6: 6) Insert memo into reports: [now Off] Appendix A-6: Your Expert Helper [TM] This Expert System, Your Expert Helper [TM], allows you to establish up to one Billion queries. Each query can have up to 20 answers. Each answer can have up to fifteen thousand characters of text associated with it. Along with this copious text, every single answer can have one 'GIF', 'PIC, or 'PCX'image attached to it also. As a diagnostic tool in Service Plus [TM], Your Expert Helper [TM] will give you a level of power and precision unknown in off-the-shelf microcomputer software. When used as a scripting language, Your Expert Helper [TM] can reflect the subtleties and nuances of your informational processes. The Expert System achieves "logical sphericality" in its ability to branch over, under, around, and through the queries. Unlike the mechanistic, stair- step logic of a traditional decision tree, this feature processes its relationships without any presumed priorities and, therefore, closely echoes the spatial relations that characterize the abstract thought processes of human beings. To see this feature, please go the Main Program Menu. Once there, enter selection '1' for the Master file. On the Master File Menu, observe selection 'G': G to GET/EDIT data--Master file As you enter 'G' for Get, you will then observe this on the bottom left: F4 Memo Options, I to view Image, E = Expert System As you enter 'E' for the Expert System, you will see: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Menu for the Expert System: | Your Expert Helper [TM] | ------------------- | ========================================================== | 1) Display queries | | 2) Create queries | | 3) Delete queries | | 4) Create answers | | 5) Display Truth Table | | 6) Edit Truth Table | | 7) Paging preview | | 8) Launch | | 9) History | | A) Override | | B) Sound [now On ] | | C) Truth Table Logic [now Off] | | D) Edit Truth Table | | | | H) for Help | | | | R) to Return | | ========================================================== | Return to prior menu | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Starting with the first query that you have defined in option 4, option 8 presents the 20 answers associated with that query as you launch the Expert System. If the answer you select has an associated 'Action' as per option 4, then the Expert System branches to that query. Otherwise, it interprets the '0' in the 'Action' field as a termination of the launch process. Thereafter, this option performs its processing by relying on the relationships you have defined between 'Answers' and 'Actions'. In each answer, you can enter the following information into the Edit screen: Description: Picture: Memo: Action: 'Description' is the 50 character descriptive text that appears with its associated answer. 'Picture', if used, is the 10 character title of the image associated with this answer. Each answer can have one unique image associated with it. 'Memo' is the free-form text you could enter into each answer. If so selected, each memo can have up to 15,000 characters of text. To signify that you wish memo to be associated with that answer, include '*' in the 'Memo' field. Finally, 'Action' is that Query where you wish the answer to branch if selected. If you leave 'Action' blank, then once you select that answer, the program will terminate its launch. Selection 6, if used allows you to edit the Truth Table. This selection gives you a light-bar display of the 400 'truths' you define, if used, in the truth table. It appears in this order: "Truth Query Answer" As you traverse the Expert System in option 8, the program is keeping track of all your Query-Answer combinations in the History file, as per option 9. Within one second of sensing a match between the History file and the Truth Table, the Expert System invokes additional logic specific to the congruence of these two files. Your Expert Helper [TM] is a trademark of Paul Sax and ACS