¢SOFTWARE SCENE¢Futura Issue 11¢¢¢SWIFT SPREADSHEET¢ACPC / Audiogenic¢Disk 9.95 (7.99 for ACPC members)¢Cassette release to follow¢¢ACPC,¢Pen-Tyddyn,¢Capel Coch,¢LLangefni,¢Anglesey,¢Gwynedd¢LL77 7UR,¢WALES.¢¢Reviewed by S. J. Murray, NOSAUG.¢¢¢ One thing led to another and before I knew it I was the one reviewing the new software release from the Atari Classic Programmer's Club (ACPC). Although I am in no way a spreadsheet wizard (far from it!) I thought it was about time I sat down for a few hours and worked my way through one of the many packages available for the Atari 8-bit. With the recent November 1993 release of Swift Spreadsheet by ACPC the time had come for me to enter the strange world of financial modelling.¢¢ Swift Spreadsheet (Swift from now on) is the first major release from ACPC. As a flagship it is crucial to the future success of David Davies' adventurous project to support the Atari XL/XE. He has taken the plunge with what he believes is a program upon which the success of ACPC can be built.¢¢ Programmed by M.D.L. and released by Audiogenic Software Limited in 1986, Swift was never aggressively marketed in the UK. Like so many British software titles for the XL/XE in the 1980s, the parent company never gave it the same level of support as similar releases for the Commodore 64. As many of you will know, a large percentage of ads in the computer press during the mid-1980s didn't even mention the availability of Atari 8-bit versions of certain titles.¢¢ ACPC have brushed off the dust and re-released Swift with professional packaging and a C64 Manual c/w a "Swift for the Atari" information sheet and XL/XE Quick Reference Card to correct any disparities in the C64 key operations.¢¢ With anticipation of an onslaught of columns, rows, cells, calculations, etc., I took my first serious step into spreadsheets and booted the disk.¢¢ I was greeted by a simple title screen with brief information on the options available within the program. A quick press of the Spacebar and I was soon presented with a standard spreadsheet layout, i.e. a coloured border (sky blue) with a sheet area of 4 x 21 cells visible on the screen (A to D across the top and 1 to 21 down the left hand side. (A cell is a box of definable size into which the figures and formulae are entered. The sheet area is made up of cells; kind of like a large grid without the vertical and horizontal lines).¢¢ You can use the CONTROL and arrow keys to scroll the cursor through each cell along to Z (BL on a 130XE) and down to 254. This, I thought to myself, would be more than enough space to keep me going for a while.¢¢ After moving the cursor around and bringing up some pop-up menus with the function keys I decided it was time to read the documentation before progressing any further.¢¢ I began with the "Swift for the Atari" info-sheet. It thanks you for buying Swift (good start!) and proceeds to tell you how to load the disk (there is an 800XL and a 130XE version of Swift provided on the same disk - the boot program will automatically detect which model you are using).¢¢ The info-sheet also gives information on the spreadsheet sizes for each computer (given above), how to change the screen colour from the 'Worksheet Commands' pop-up menu (handy for colour-coding spreadsheets, i.e. blue = household accounts; red = business expenses). There are eight colours to choose from. Other information given is how to use the pound sign (CONTROL-H), aborting a file save or load and printer configuration.¢¢ Hmm? So far so good! After a glance over the Quick Reference Card (QRC) it was onto the Swift Instruction Manual. This manual is slightly smaller than A5 in size and is 16 pages in length. After reading through it I can say that it is reasonably well written and quite easy to follow... if you own a Commodore 64! The manual is written for the C64 and C128. The many references to C64 key presses force you to constantly flick back and forth between the manual and the QRC. You are warned about this in the info-sheet but it doesn't make it any less annoying! The manual would be satisfactory if it were re-written with the Atari key presses inserted into the text.¢¢ In the manual you are taken quickly through all aspects of using Swift: Getting Started, Formulae, Editing a Cell, Swift Commands, Formatting Numbers (negative values, currency and % signs, etc), Range Commands (linking groups of cells), Worksheet Commands (formatting and using the sheet area itself), Column Width, Split Screen (you can display two different sections of the spreadsheet side by side), Re-Calculation Options (calculation methods after entries are changed), Disk Commands, Error Messages, Functions (allow you to create formulae), and Programmed Recalculation (you can enter 'programs' in the last column of the spreadsheet which will execute one at a time). As you can see, there is much more to a spreadsheet than simple arithmetic!¢¢ It took me about an hour to carefully work my way through all sections of the manual. As I've said already, some time is wasted by constantly having to switch attention to the QRC! I spent a reasonable length of time using each option described as I prefer a hands-on approach to using software. Everything was reasonably well described and I worked my way through formatting the entry of data (left, right or centred in the cell), using formulae and functions (e.g. @SUM(A2,D2) will add together A2, C2 and D2), altering and deleting data within a cell, using the pop-up menus (which are the heart of the program's operation), entering currency signs, changing the amount of decimal places (default is 2), linking a range of cells together, creating a work disk and saving my spreadsheet (well, it looked more like a screen of junk numbers and text at this stage!), printing my spreadsheet (yes, I decided to print the junk!), changing the background colour of the sheet, clearing the sheet, altering the column width, creating a split screen (nice option!), etc.¢¢ By the time I reached the last couple of pages, things were beginning to get a little complicated! I mean, some of the functions are pretty heavy, e.g. @LOCKUP(cell1, range, cell2, cell3). Now this may sound like a good song title to some but for me it was time to flick to the end (missing out the rather dodgy looking Programmed Recalculation page)... Ah ha! Now this looks more like it... A 2-page Appendix with which you can "create your own simple spreadsheet in about ten minutes!" That sounded like a good idea to me!¢¢ With the QRC at hand I worked my way through the example. In it you are guided through the formation of a small spreadsheet which displays three rows x four columns of entries and places the sum totals in a fifth column. After about 20 minutes (double the time stated due to continually having to refer to the QRC) I had created my simple spreadsheet. Not just a mess of junk figures but an actual working spreadsheet! Now it was time to attack the manual again so I worked my way through it a second time.¢¢ After using Swift for a few hours now I can say that despite my initial reservations (due mainly to inexperience and an annoying manual) I found Swift to be versatile, reasonably easy-to-use and, most importantly, useful! I can see myself using spreadsheets on a regular basis from now on.¢¢ I like the vast array of options available. Alright, I can't compare this with other spreadsheet programs (yet!) but Swift seems to have everything I could wish for. The system of pop-up menus allows quick access to the main options (although it took me a while to get used to using the Help key to scroll down the pop-up menus - I would have preferred using the arrow keys or Select and Option).¢¢ This pop-up menu system is crying out for the addition of an ST-mouse driver. Also, the use of an ST-mouse would greatly enhance the movement across the spreadsheet area. However, I did like the ease with which you can move to any single cell, i.e. to move to cell X6 you just press Start twice, enter X6 and press Start again. Woosh, and your down to X6! Still, a mouse would be easier.¢¢ As I've mentioned already, Swift is a programmable spreadsheet. This allows you to create mini programs containing formulae which can be executed one by one. A good example of this in use is to prompt the user for data input which can then be stored in any predetermined place on the sheet area. You could also load, save or print data of any size at any time. In other words, during or after the creation of your spreadsheet you can add programs to assist in the entry, calculation and output of data. A bit of work on the programs and you will be able to run your spreadsheet with ease. I've entered a few simple programs so far (there are a couple of sample programs provided on page 14 of the manual) and they all worked fine.¢¢ "OK, but what would I use a spreadsheet for", I hear you say. Well, its uses are only really limited by your own needs. The obvious use is home business - with Swift you will be able to create a large spreadsheet area to cover all your business needs, e.g. sales, costs, profits and losses, expenses, travel, advertising, wages, commission, bank charges, quotations, etc, etc.¢¢ Outside of business you can set up a spreadsheet area for household accounts, savings, repayment plans, charity funds, club dues, etc. In fact, you can use it for absolutely any task where the manipulation of numbers is involved.¢¢ I am in the process of creating a spreadsheet for NOSAUG business. So far so good. Now, all I need are the orders (grin).¢¢ If you don't already own a quality spreadsheet package then I would certainly recommend that you take a look at Swift. It was originally priced at 24.95 and is now available for only 9.95 (or 7.99 to ACPC members - send a SAE to the address above for details of joining). David Davies must be congratulated for releasing Swift at this price of under ten pounds!¢¢ OK, so the Swift Instruction Manual annoyed me but this could be (and hopefully will be) easily rectified. I'd also suggest the future inclusion of an index in the manual. However, thanks to ACPC we at least have the opportunity to purchase this quality program once again! Swift is a comprehensive spreadsheet package and a powerful flagship for ACPC (I'm looking forward to Menu Print which is due for release soon).¢¢ I think I can take it for granted that you understand how important a successful first release is for ACPC so I won't labour the point. You certainly won't be disappointed with Swift and with the low price tag it is good value for money. You'll soon discover the many uses you can put a spreadsheet to and perhaps save yourself a lot of time and bother along the way. The days of calculators, paper pads and pencils are well and truly dead; for me anyway.¢
