You can get help at any time either by pressing the F1 key or by clicking on "Help" at the bottom of the screen. d
Help is "context-sensitive", that is, it relates to the part of the program where you are working.
The Help screen may contain highlighted references to other Help topics, which you can select with [Tab] and [Shift-Tab] (or by clicking on them with a mouse) and then pressing [Enter]. You can also double-click with the mouse instead of pressing [Enter]. G
In all help screens, keys to press are enclosed in [square brackets]. 1
Help windows can be moved, zoomed and re-sized. w
Close this window by pressing [Escape] or by clicking on the "go-away" box in the top left-hand corner of the window. Q
Other related Help topics are Windows, Menus, Dialog
boxes and the Status
line.
Low memory
If you get a warning message or error message that an operation could not be completed because of insufficient memory, this could be a temporary or long-term problem.
Before proceeding, try saving the file - but use a new name so that you can go back to the original file in case any of the text has been lost. S
Each open window uses up memory, so try closing any windows that you do not need.
If you still get "insufficient memory" warnings, make sure that you have not taken up large areas of your computer's memory with "Terminate-and-Stay-Resident" programs (TSRs). (See your DOS manual). m
If all else fails, you may simply be trying to write too much text in the Exercise, Intro and Help screens.
Menus
To open a menu-box, click on the menu-item with the mouse or press the Alt key plus the highlighted letter of the menu item. For example, the "File" menu-box is pulled down by [Alt-F].
You can also select a menu-box as follows: press [F10] to highlight the item on the menu-bar that you last used, move the menu highlight to another item (if you want) with the Left or Right arrow keys and then press [Enter].
To select an item from a menu-box with the mouse, click on the item you want, or, from the keyboard, press the highlighted letter of the option. Alternatively, use the up/down arrows to highlight the option, then press [Enter].
With the mouse, you can also open a menu-box and select an item in one operation: position the cursor on the menu-item, press the mouse-button and move the cursor to the item you want; then release the mouse-button.
If you want to close a menu-box without selecting anything from it, press [Escape] or move the mouse off the menu-box and click. :
Some menu-items can also be selected with shortcut
keys. P
Other related Help topics are Help, Windows, Dialog
boxes and the Status
line.
Dialog boxes
A dialog box is a special type of window. You cannot access any other parts of the screen while a dialog is active (except to click on "Help" at the bottom of the screen). l
Dialog-boxes usually have a number of different areas: you can move from area to area using the [Tab] key.
The normal way to leave a dialog is by pressing [Enter] or by clicking on the OK button. Any actions that you have carried out in the dialog (such as setting radio
buttons or check-boxes) will be accepted by the program.
If you want to cancel a dialog, either press [Escape], click on the "Cancel" button, press the "Close Window" shortcut key (F8) or click on the go-away box in the top left corner of the dialog. Any actions that you have carried out in the dialog will then be ignored by the program. I
Other related Help topics are Help, Windows, Menus and the Status
line.
Status Line
The purpose of the Status line at the bottom of the screen is to give useful information. It is used sparingly, as you can always get help by pressing F1.
In the event of a system error (e.g. if you try to save to a write-protected disk), an error message will be displayed on the status line. You will then have the choice of correcting the error (if possible) or cancelling the operation. F
Other related Help topics are Help, Windows, Menus and Dialog
boxes.
Windows
Everything that appears in the main part of the screen is contained in a window. You can often have more than one window open at a time, though only one can be active. Z
The Windows
menu contains commands that allow you to manipulate windows in various ways.
Buttons
Buttons appear in dialogs. 7
To press a button with the mouse, simply click on it.
From the keyboard, hold the [Alt] key down while you type the highlighted letter of the button (e.g. the "O" in "OK"). In some dialogs, it is sufficient simply to type the letter (without [Alt]). x
An alternative in some dialogs is to move to the button you want to press with [Tab] or [Shift-Tab] and press [Enter]. N
The Cancel button has no highlighted letter. Its equivalent key is [Escape]. )
See also Check-boxes and Radio-buttons.
Radio-buttons
Radio-buttons appear in dialogs. r
Radio-buttons always appear in groups. Only one of the radio-buttons in a group can be selected at any one time.
To choose a radio button, click it or its text with the mouse-button. From the keyboard, select the highlighted character or press [Tab] until the group is highlighted and then use the arrow keys to choose a particular radio-button. #
See also Check-boxes and Buttons.
Check-boxes
Check-boxes appear in dialogs. =
You can have any number of check-boxes checked at any time. ,
When you select a check-box, "X" appears in it to show you it's on. An empty box indicates that it's off. You check a check box (set it to "on") by clicking in it or its text, by pressing [Tab] until the check-box is highlighted and then pressing [Spacebar], or by selecting the highlighted letter.
If selecting a check-box in a group, use the arrow keys or highlighted letters to select the item that you want and then press [Spacebar]. m
On monochrome monitors, the active check-box or group of check-boxes has a chevron symbol (
) next to it. %
See also Buttons and Radio-buttons.
Shortcut keys
Some menu options can be selected with "shortcut" keys. If so, the shortcut key is shown next to the menu item (e.g. [Alt-Q] for "Quit" in the File menu). The shortcut key allows you to select the option without first having to open a menu. To leave the program, therefore, you simply need to type [Alt-Q].
Moving around a dialog-box
To move to a particular area of a dialog-box, click on the area with the mouse-button.
From the keyboard, press [Tab] to move to the next area, and [Shift-Tab] to move to the previous area. (In some dialogs this option is not available.)
Alternatively, hold the [Alt] key down while you type the highlighted letter of the area. In some dialogs, it is sufficient simply to type the letter (without [Alt]).
List boxes
Usually, a list box contains a list of items from which you select one.
Highlight an item by using the scrollbar then press [Enter] to select it. You can also pick an item by double-clicking on it with the mouse.
If the list is in alphabetical order, you can normally move to an item by pressing its first letter. If there are several items starting with the same letter, the highlight will circle around them on each keypress.
Open a File Dialog Box
The Open a File dialog box is called up by selecting Open from the File
menu. l
The dialog contains a list of the data files in the current directory and the usual OK and Cancel buttons.
Select a file by moving the highlight over it with the Up, Down, Home, End, PageUp or PageDown keys, then press the OK button. a
If you have a mouse, you can select a file using the scrollbar or you can "double-click" on it. O
You can change to another directory with the File
Change
Directory Command.
The File Menu
This menu offers commands for working with files, changing directories, and quitting the program.
The options are: d
Open
again
Restore
saved
Save
Change
directory
Quit
Open a file
This command is in the File
menu. ]
The Open command displays the Open a File dialog
box so that you can select a file to load.
Use the same file again
This command is in the File
menu. =
Use this command if you want to do the same exercise again.
Restore a saved file
This command is in the File
menu. m
Use this command if you have saved an exercise on a previous occasion and want to continue working with it. b
Before selecting this option, you may need to change
directory where your file is stored. \
Select the file you want to restore from the list of saved files in the current directory. ]
When you open the file, you will be returned to the position you were at when you saved it.
Save the file
This command is in the File
menu.
Use this command if you want to save your work to disk. You can restore the file later if you wish to continue working with it. ^
In order to save the file, you must give it a name. The name can be up to 8 characters long. d
If you want to change directory or drive before saving the file, use the Change
Directory command.
Change Directory
This command is in the File
menu. |
The Change Directory command brings up the Change
Directory dialog box, which you can use to change the current directory. :
The current directory is where your data files are kept.
Quit
Shortcut key: [Alt-Q]
This command is in the File
menu. *
The Quit command terminates the program.
The Change Directory dialog box
The Change Directory dialog box consists of a list box containing a Directory Tree, the standard OK and Cancel buttons, and an Expand button.
Directory Tree
Drives
C:\
ENGLISH
BEGINNER
The Directory Tree list box enables you to navigate directories by using either the keyboard or the mouse.
From the keyboard, select a directory using the up/down arrows, and press [Alt-E] to expand it (that is, show any subdirectories it may contain). With a mouse, click on a directory and then click on the Expand button (or simply double-click on the directory). R
When you have highlighted the directory to want to work in, press the OK button.
Changing drives works in the same way: highlight "Drives" at the top of the tree, and Expand it to show a list of available drives. x
Pressing the Cancel button leaves you in the directory and drive that you were in before you called up the dialog box.
Function keys
Shortcut key: [Alt =]
Use this command to bring up a list of all the special characters (usually accented characters). O
To type one of the characters in the list, click on it with the mouse-button.
From the keyboard, either press the function key combination indicated (e.g. [Shift-F1], [Ctrl-F7], [Alt-F2]) or [Tab] down to the character and press [Enter]. :
If the character you want is not in the list, you can type it by holding down the [Alt] key and typing in its ASCII number on the numeric keypad (NOT the numbers along the top of the keyboard). For example, to type the letter
, hold down the [Alt] key, type 129 on the numeric keypad, and release the [Alt] key.
The Windows menu
The Windows menu contains commands to manipulate windows. W
Most of the windows in this program have all the standard window features, including: j
scroll
move
resize
zoom
tile
cascade
close
transfer to the previous and next window
Size/Move
Shortcut key: [F4]
This command is in the Windows
menu. G
Choose Size/Move to change the size or position of the active window.
Size
If you press [Shift] while you use the arrow keys, you can change the size of the active window. Once you've adjusted its size or position, press [Enter]. m
If a window has a Resize corner (bottom right), you can drag that corner with a mouse to resize the window. J
If you press [Escape], the window will be restored to its original size.
Move
When you choose the Size/Move command, the active window moves in response to the arrow keys. Once you've moved the window to where you want it, press [Enter]. F
You can also move a window by dragging its title bar with the mouse. N
If you press [Escape], the window will be restored to its original position.
Zoom
Shortcut key: [F5]
This command is in the Windows
menu.
Choose Zoom to resize the active window to the maximum size. If the window is already zoomed, you can choose this command to restore it to its previous size.
With a mouse, click in the zoom box [
] in the top right hand corner of the window. You can also double-click anywhere on the window's title bar (except where an icon appears) to zoom or unzoom the window.
Tile
This command is in the Windows
menu. 1
Choose Tile to tile all windows on the desktop. L
Tiled Windows
Cascade
This command is in the Windows
menu. 5
Choose Cascade to stack all windows on the desktop. Z
Cascaded Windows
Next window
Shortcut key: [F6]
This command is in the Windows
menu. C
Choose Next to cycle forwards through the windows on the desktop. D
You can also activate any window by clicking on it with the mouse.
Previous window
Shortcut key: [F7]
This command is in the Windows
menu. H
Choose Previous to cycle backwards through the windows on the desktop.
Close window
Shortcut key: [F8]
This command is in the Windows
menu. *
Choose Close to close the active window. R
You can also click the Close box [
] in the upper left corner to close a window.
Scrollbars
Scrollbars control the text or list to which they are connected. d
Up arrow
Page Up
Slider
Page Down
Down arrow
You can operate a scrollbar either from the keyboard or with a mouse. a
Click on the scrollbar's up/down arrows or press the Up/Down arrow keys to move up/down a line. l
Click in the scrollbar's Page Up/Page Down areas or press the PageUp/PageDown keys to move up/down a page. 7
Keep the mouse button pressed to scroll continuously. >
Drag the slider with the mouse to move it to a new position. u
If the scrollbar controls a list, you can also press the Home and End keys to move to the start or end of the list. ?
For other window manipulation commands, see the Windows
menu.
The Configure menu
Shortcut key [Alt-C]
The Configure menu leads to dialogs that let you change: H
colours
mouse default settings
the number of screen
lines displayed
Mouse set-up
This command is in the Configure
menu. |
The Mouse command brings up the Mouse
Options dialog box, where you can set the options that control how your mouse works: R
how fast a double-click is
which mouse button (right or left) is
active
Colours
This command is in the Configure
menu. `
It brings up the Colours
dialog box, which allows you to customise the colours of the display.
Screen lines
This command is in the Configure
menu.
If your computer is equipped with a EGA or VGA card, you can change the display from the default mode of 25 lines to 43 lines (EGA) or 50 lines (VGA). If the program does not detect a EGA or VGA card, this option cannot be accessed from the menu.
This will let you see more text in variable-size windows. Fixed-sized windows (such as dialogs) will remain the same size (although on a smaller scale). i
If your computer uses a non-standard graphics adapter, selecting 43/50 line mode may not work properly.
The Mouse Options dialog box
This dialog box appears if you select Mouse from the Configure menu. J
It consists of one check box, one slider bar, and OK and Cancel buttons.
Mouse Double Click
Slow Medium Fast
The Mouse Double Click slider bar adjusts the double click speed of your mouse. ^
[X] Reverse Mouse Buttons
Reverse Mouse Buttons makes the right mouse button take on the normal functions of the left mouse button, and vice versa.
The Colours dialog box
This dialog box appears if you select Colours from the Configure menu, and allows you to change the colours of different parts of the program. u
It consists of two list boxes, a text display area, three buttons (OK, Reset and Cancel), and one of the following: ?
- On colour and black-and-white systems, two colour palettes. 2
- On monochrome systems, a set of radio buttons.
Group
Desktop
Menus
Dialogs
Text
Help
The Group list box contains the names of the different regions of the program that you can customise. L
Item
Colour
When you select a group from the Group list, the Item list box displays the names of the different elements of that region.
Foreground
Background
On colour and black-and-white systems, you use the Foreground and Background palettes to change colours.
Style
) Mono low
( ) Mono high
( ) Mono underline
( ) Mono inverse
On monochrome systems, you use the Style set of radio buttons to change the character attributes. Q
Text Text Text
Text Text Text
On all systems, the display text (above the Cancel button) shows the current colour or style settings. |
In Teacher programs, you can make the colour changes permanent with the "Save configuration" option in the Configure
menu.
The Reset button will reset all of the colours to their standard default values. If you decide not to use those colours, the Cancel button will restore the colours as they were before you entered the dialog box. To use the default colours in the program, press/click the OK button.
The See menu
Shortcut key: [Alt-S]
You can use the See menu to get various kinds of information. The commands are: 6
Introduction
Help 1, 2 and 3
Matched
pairs
Score
Introduction
Shortcut key: [Alt-I]
This command is in the See
menu, and is available at all times.
Use this command to have another look at the Introduction screen. (If there is no Introduction screen, the command is not available). ?
If the Introduction is a long one, you can scroll through it. .
You can move/resize the Introduction window.
Help Screens
Shortcut keys: [Alt-1]
[Alt-2]
[Alt-3]
These commands are in the See
menu, and are available at all times.
Use these commands to see any of the three Help screens. (You can only call up a Help screen if there is something written in it!) >
If the Help screen is a long one, you can scroll through it. &
You can move/resize the Help window.
See your score
Shortcut key: [Alt-R]
This command is in the See
menu. 2
The score window is available in all activities.
In Matchit, it gives you a rating based on the number of matches found, the number of mismatches, and the number of times you have used the help features.
In Memory, it tells you your average number of tries per match found (one-player game) or the scores of each player (two-player game). \
In Snap, it gives the scores of each player (or you vs the computer in a one-player game). )
You can call up your score at any time.
Matched pairs
This command is in the See
menu. H
In Matchit, this shows you all the pairs that you have matched so far. N
In Memory and Snap, it lists all the pairs currently in use in the activity.
If there are more pairs than can be shown on the screen at once, you can move up and down through the columns in the same way as in Matchit.
The Options menu
Shortcut key: [Alt-O]
The Options menu contains two options:
Stop
Resume
See also Working
Matchit, Working
Memory and Working
Snap
Stop
This command is in the Options
menu.
Use the Stop command when you want to finish an activity. An alternative is to close the window containing the exercise items. R
After stopping, you can always use the Resume command to return to the activity.
Resume
This command is in the Options
menu. j
Use this command if you have stopped working on and activity, and you want to go back and continue work.
Working with Matchit
Use [Tab] or [Shift-Tab] to select the information you want, then press [Enter]. Or you can double-click with the mouse. l
Matching
pairs
Moving
Getting
"find"
option
Options
Choosing an activity
When you open a file, the Introduction screen (if any) is displayed. There are also four buttons: "
Matchit Memory Snap Cancel
Press a button to choose an activity. U
If you change your mind and want to choose another file, press the "Cancel" button.
Matching the pairs
See also Working
Matchit. `
The items are shown in two columns. The two items in the centre of the screen appear in boxes. [
You have to move the items in each column up and/or down until the two boxed items match. \
When you think the items in the centre boxes form a matching pair, press the Match button.
If you're right, you will be told "A match". When you press the OK button, the two matching items disappear, leaving only unmatched items in each column. `
If you wrong, you get the message "No match". Again, press the OK button to carry on matching. b
If you want to look over the pairs you've already found, choose Matched
pairs from the See menu. {
If you're stuck, see if any of the items have Hints attached to them. Alternatively, you may want to use the Find option. ]
You can stop the activity whenever you like, whether you have matched all the pairs or not.
Moving up and down
See also Working
Matchit.
To move a column up or down, click above or below the column you want to move (or press the appropriate key on the keyboard).
NOTE: If you are using the keyboard instead of a mouse, you must first choose the column you want to move. Do this by pressing the left or right arrow key. The active column is the one with a DOUBLE BOX. $
This is how the columns will move: %
up all the way
PageUp key
up one place
Up arrow key
down one place
Down arrow key
down all the way
PageDown key
Getting a hint
See also Working
Matchit. l
If either boxed item has a hint associated with it, its Hint button will be highlighted (i.e. not dimmed).
To see a Hint, press the hint button of your choice. (From the keyboard, first select the item with the left/right arrows, then press [H]). X
The hint will appear directly below the box. To dismiss the hint, press the OK button.
The "find" option
See also Working
Matchit. Z
If you click on one of the Find buttons, the program moves that column to find a match. H
From the keyboard, select the column you want to move, then press [F].
Working with Memory
Use [Tab] or [Shift-Tab] to select the information you want, then press [Enter]. Or you can double-click with the mouse. R
Setting
Playing
Memory
Options
Setting up
See also Working
Memory T
Before the game starts, use the radio-buttons to select a one- or two-player game.
If you select a two-player game, type their names in the two boxes. Click in the box you want, or press the [Tab] key to move between boxes. /
When you've finished, click on the OK button.
The aim of the game
See also Working
Memory l
Memory is a guessing game for one or two players, who try to find matching pairs by turning playing cards.
Up to 20 playing cards are displayed, representing up to 10 pairs of items. (If the file you have chosen has more than 10 pairs, the program chooses 10 pairs at random.)
Players turn two cards at a time, to reveal the item on the other side. If the items form a matching pair, the two cards disappear. If not, the cards are turned face down again.
The aim, in a one-player game, is to find all the pairs in as few turns as possible, and in a two-player game, to find more pairs than your opponent.
See also Working
Memory x
To start the game, turn your first card. In a two-player game, the program decides randomly which player should start.
To turn the first card, click on it, or, from the keyboard, use the arrow keys to highlight the card you want to turn and press [enter]. l
The card turns, displaying the number 1, and the corresponding item is printed on the right of the screen. ,
Now turn your second card in the same way.
You will be told whether your cards match. If you have a match, press the OK button to make the two cards disappear, and select your next pair of cards. In a two-player game, a player who finds a match has another turn.
If the cards don't match, press OK to turn them face down again - but remember to make a mental note of the items and their positions first! b
If you want to see the pairs you are working with, use the Matched
pairs option in the See menu. W
You can Stop the activity at any time, whether you have matched all the pairs or not.
Working with Snap
Use [Tab] or [Shift-Tab] to select the information you want, then press [Enter]. Or you can double-click with the mouse. d
Setting
One-player
Two-player
Options
The aim of the game
See also Working
Snap ;
Snap is an animated matching game for one or two players.
During play, it displays two randomly selected items, one from each "column"; these two items change, alternately, at a speed determined beforehand by the player(s). _
The aim of the game is to click the mouse (or press a key) when a matching pair is displayed.
Setting up
See also Working
Snap C
First, use the radio-buttons to select a one- or two-player game.
If you select a two-player game, type the names of the players in the two boxes. To move from one name to the next, click in the box you want or press the [Tab] key. W
You then use the first scrollbar to select the speed at which the items will change. [
Speed 1 is very slow, and speed 16 is very fast. A speed of 10-12 will suit most players.
Finally, use the second scrollbar to select a target score. The game ends when a player (or the computer in a one-player game) reaches the target score. W
So for a short game, select 5, and for a game of reasonable length, select around 10. ,
When you've finished, press the OK button.
One-player Snap
See also Working
Snap
When you press the Play button, there is a short countdown and the game begins. Keep a finger on the mouse button or a number/letter key ready to "catch a match". *
If you catch a match, you score a point. 3
If you miss a match, the computer scores a point. ^
If you click or press at the wrong time and "catch a mismatch", the computer scores a point. F
To win, you have to reach the target score before the computer does. k
Whenever a match (or mismatch) occurs, the animated display stops until the Play button is pressed again. q
If you want to study the pairs of items the activity is using, select the Matched
pairs option in the See menu. Z
You can Stop the activity at any time, whether you have reached the target score or not.
Two-player Snap
See also Working
Snap
When you press the Play button, there is a short countdown and the game begins. Keep a finger on the mouse button or a key ready to "catch a match", as follows: @
PLAYER 1: press the left [Shift] key or any letter/number key. >
PLAYER 2: press the right [Shift] key or click on the mouse. 8
The player who (first) catches a match scores a point. V
If both players miss a match, they both lose a point (down to a minimum score of 0). l
If a player clicks or presses at the wrong time and "catches a mismatch", the other player scores a point. ;
The first player to reach the target score wins the game. k
Whenever a match (or mismatch) occurs, the animated display stops until the Play button is pressed again. q
If you want to study the pairs of items the activity is using, select the Matched
pairs option in the See menu. Z
You can Stop the activity at any time, whether you have reached the target score or not.
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