home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- XTimer Help - Part B
-
-
- The Rate Switcher
-
- This is a "Power User" feature. It almost gives XTimer the ability to
- manage itself! To configure the Rate Switcher, select it from the Settings
- menu. Two sets of preferences govern how it works. They are available
- on separate pages within the same dialog, for easy management.
-
- Configuring the First Page:
- This page of preferences tells the Rate Switcher to switch the current
- rate to the rate of your choice when a certain application is running in
- front.
-
- AOL and CompuServe's MacCIM program are available by default, or you
- can choose up to 3 other applications, to tie with a rate number, for the
- Rate Switcher to switch the current rate to, when those applications are
- running in front.
-
- Example:
- You want XTimer to switch to AOL's rates if AOL's software is in front.
-
- 1. Check the box next to where it says, "America Online."
- 2. Enter the number of the rate you want XTimer to switch to in the next box.
-
- In this case, you would want to set the rate number to the rate you have
- set for AOL's FREE time.
-
- What if I'm not using free time? No problem, the second page of the
- Rate Switcher settings will take care of that.
-
- If you use more than one rate with an application, set the rate number
- to the first rate XTimer should switch to before other rates.
-
- The rates are numbered on the Rate menu, and in the Charge Rates settings.
-
- The Rate Switcher and Claris' Emailer
- If you use XTimer Spy to track your time on AOL and CIS when you use the
- Claris Emailer program, XTimer will set the rate to the correct rate for
- the service being accessed, if you have configured the Rate Switcher for
- that service's standard software. If you have also selected another rate
- to switch to when Emailer is in front, such as a rate for an Internet account,
- XTimer will set the rate back to that rate after you log off of AOL or CIS.
-
- Configuring the Second Page:
- This page of settings will allow XTimer to automatically switch from
- one rate to another when the current rate total time (the time currently
- on the timer added to what is already in the log, as displayed on the
- larger size timer) exceeds a certain amount of time in minutes.
-
- Example:
- Your online service gives you 5 hours of free time, then charges an
- hourly fee for additional time online.
- You need to switch from the FREE rate to the pay rate after 5 hours
- (300 minutes).
-
- 1. Check the box next to your service's FREE rate.
- 2. In the next box, enter the number of minutes allowed for that rate
- (300 in our example).
- 3. In the last box, enter the rate number you want XTimer to switch to
- (The number of your services pay rate).
-
- Now, XTimer will know when to switch your rate from Free time to
- Pay time.
-
- Note: Make sure that your settings for the first page make sense with your
- settings on the second page.
-
- There are more variations that can be accomplished with this, but I
- advise you to avoid complicating it too much more. If you set up a cycle
- of rates switching one to another haphazardly, you risk creating a mess.
- There must be a rate in your cycle that does not switch to another rate,
- or you might create an "infinite loop," and XTimer will not be able to stop
- switching rates. If that happens, you will have to trash your XTimer
- Preferences (located in the Preferences folder, in your System folder)
- and start from scratch.
-
- Effects on the General Log:
- When the Rate Switcher sees that a Rate has used up its allotted time,
- in order to remember that the rate has reached its switch level, XTimer
- must save that amount of time in the log for the rate before switching
- to the next rate.
-
- Example: You have a rate set to change from your free rate to a pay rate
- at a certain time, let's say after 300 minutes, then when that rate's total
- time (time stored in the log added to the time on the timer) exceeds 300
- minutes, XTimer must save the time for that rate at 300 minutes in the log.
-
- If XTimer didn't save the time, it would not know that the rate has maxed
- out the next time you use it, and wouldn't know to switch to the pay rate.
- Also, if you set the Rate Switcher to change the current rate to a specified
- rate number when a certain application is in front, it would not know that
- the rate has exceeded its limit, so it would not switch to the next rate; and
- if the rate were to be switched manually to the correct rate, the Rate
- Switcher would set it back again.
-
-
- XTimer Session Logging
-
- Need detailed reports of your session activity? Now, XTimer can log all of
- your session activity, continously!
-
- Including These Items:
-
- The Charge Rate Name Total Time Charged
- Actual Time Used Total Time Paused (optional)
- Total Amount of Charges The Date (optional)
- Start Time (optional) Stop Time (optional)
-
- Session Logging continuously logs these items to a file, which XTimer
- creates in its own folder, called "XT Session Log". This file will be a
- text file with the creator you have selected in your General Preferences.
- You can have XTimer create Session logs in standard or tab-delimited
- formats. You can also select to have a new log created every day, every
- month, or choose to continuously log to only a single log file. Session
- Logging is independent of XTimer's standard General Log of your rate times
- and charge totals.
-
- If you continuously log your sessions to a single file, the file size will
- eventually become very large. If you try to view this file with SimpleText
- (TeachText) or your online service's software's built-in text editor, and the
- file size is larger than 32K, those applications will not be able to open such
- a large file. You will have to use an application which can view larger text
- files, or move the Session Log file out of XTimer's folder, or rename the
- file, before it gets that big, and XTimer will create a new Session Log.
-
- Whenever you Stop XTimer, the Session Log is updated, when Session Logging
- is turned on. XTimer expects the current Session Log file to be in its folder.
- If you move or rename that file, XTimer will create a new one. If you have
- placed XTimer on your desktop or in your Apple Menu Items folder, in your
- System folder, you may want to move it to another location to prevent a
- Session Log file from showing up on your desktop or in your Apple Menu.
- Make an alias of XTimer (Highlight its icon, then select "Make Alias" from
- the File menu in the Finder) and place the alias on your desktop, or in your
- Apple Menu Items folder, instead.
-
- To use Session Logging, configure XTimer's Session Logging settings, via
- the Settings menu, by selecting the "Session Log..." item.
-
- Example Log Output:
-
- America Online (FREE) 00:01:00 00:00:15 00:00:00 $0.00
- 1/30/96 8:27:43 PM 8:27:58 PM
-
- In this order, the item above shows: The charge rate name, time charged,
- actual time used, total time Paused, Amount of Charges, Date Timer was
- Stopped, Start Time, and Stop Time. Times shown are in the format: HH:MM:SS.
- H = Hours, M = Minutes, S = Seconds.
-
- Notice that even though the actual time used was 15 seconds, the time charged
- was a full minute, because the seconds were rounded off. You will really begin
- to notice how those short trips online to fetch email eat away at your free
- time— or when it's not free time— your budget!
-
- If you configure XTimer to create tab-delimited Session Logs, you can import
- this data to database files, to use with your favorite database application.
-
- The fields are output in the same order as above, but separated by tabs instead
- of spaces, and there is no carriage return at the end of the first line, as
- shown above.
-
- These are the fields: Format:
- Charge Rate Name TEXT
- Time Charged TIME
- Actual Time Used TIME
- Paused Time Total TIME (optional)
- Amount of Charges NUMBER
- Date DATE (optional)
- Start Time TIME (optional)
- Stop Time TIME (optional)
-
- Consult your database application for information about how to import data
- from a tab delimited text file into your database file.
-
- Special Note
-
- The Session Log records sessions that reflect when you have Started and
- Stopped XTimer. To help keep your Session Log in sync with your General Log,
- XTimer also records an entry in the Session Log when you select the "Modify
- Logged Time (Current Rate)" command from the File menu, when Session
- Logging is turned on, reflecting the modification. It records both added times
- and subtracted times.
-
- The entry will be the same as other entries, except the Time Charged will be
- the amount of time added or subtracted, the Actual Time Used is recorded as
- zero, Paused time is recorded as zero, the Amount of Charges is calculated
- the same (it will be a negative number if subtracting), and the Start and Stop
- times will be recorded as the time that the entry was made.
-
- It is still possible to alter your General Log times with other commands
- available, like "Add Time To..." or "Clear Time Of...", and cause your General
- Log totals to differ from your Session Log's record; since those commands
- do not generate entries into your Session Logs.
-
-
- XTimer General Preferences
-
- Check This Box: To:
-
- Launch Minimized Put up the mini-timer window
- when you launch XTimer.
-
- Reset at Launch Reset the time on the timer when
- you launch XTimer.
-
- Reset after Add/Save Reset the timer after you Add or
- Save times to the log.
-
- Do Not Verify Resets Stop XTimer from asking if
- you're sure you want to Reset
- when you click the Reset button.
-
- Auto-Add Time To Log Make XTimer Add the time on the
- timer to the log total for the current
- rate every time the timer Stops.
-
- Skip Dialog With Notices Use Notices which generate an
- alert sound, but do not use a dialog.
-
- Use Cash Register Sound Use a cash register sound as the
- With Notices alert sound when Notices are sent.
-
- Localize Currency Format Use your System settings to determine
- and set the currency/number format
- used by XTimer, to your local format.
-
- Clear Log After Text Saves Clear charges and times from the
- Log, every time a text copy of the
- log is saved.
-
- Always Round Off Seconds Round seconds up to next minute
- every time the timer is stopped.
-
- Round Before Add/Save Round seconds up to next minute before
- Adding or Saving a time to the Log.
-
- Allow Selection of Allow more than 1 rate to be
- Multiple Rates When selected, when you Add or Save
- Adding/Saving Time times to the Log.
-
- Auto-Tracking Off Tell XTimer not to use Auto-Tracking.
-
- Prompt To Save Log Have XTimer prompt you to save
- Before Quitting a copy of the log before quitting.
-
-
- Selecting a text file creator:
- If you would like text copies of the log to be saved with a creator type
- other than SimpleText (TeachText), this will let you select another
- program, that can read text files, to be the default creator of those
- documents.
-
-
- Short Cuts
-
- Command Key Application
- H Help
- M Minimize/Maximize timer
- T Set Time
- G View Log
- E Save Time As
- R Restore Time From
- A Add Time To *
- = Modify Logged Time
- - Clear Time Of
- S Save Log as Text
- K Append Log To
- ` Charge Rates Settings
- F Notify from First START
- L Notify from Last START
- U No Notice
- 1-7 Set Current Rate
- 0 8 9 / * + . Launch Applications
- D Open/Close PPP Connection
-
- Other command key short cuts are standard Mac command keys.
-
- *Command-A is normally used for "Select All." Since XTimer doesn't use
- a "Select All" menu item, I thought it best for users to put Command-A
- with the "Add Time To" menu item.
-
-
- Other Shortcuts & Keyboard Equivalents
-
- Start Timer <ctrl> + S
- Stop Timer <ctrl> + X
- Reset Timer <ctrl> + C
- Round Seconds <ctrl> + Z
- Add time to current rate & Start <shift> + <command> + Start
- Adds time, but Resets before Start <shift> + <command> + <option> + Start
- Reset without asking confirmation <option> + Reset
- Reset and Start <option> + Start
- Toggle window title from "XTimer" to current rate <option> + R
- Add time to current rate, bypass dialog. (Only when stopped) <ctrl> + A
- Show/Hide Current Rate Total <option-click> timer grow box
- Save without log header <option> + Save or Append Log As Text
- Use "D" (or "d") to set a rate's charge preference to the Default rate.
- Use <ctrl> + U (or "u") to set a rate to "Unused."
- To view the current rate setting on the mini-timer:
- Click on the black part of the stoplight.
- To prevent the Auto-Launcher from launching an application:
- Press <option> during launch.
-
- Having a hard time remembering all the shortcuts?
- For a Pop-Up Short-Cuts Screen: Press and hold <spacebar>
- (When the timer window is in front.)
-
-
- System Requirements
- XTimer Requires System 7 or greater.
-
-
- Legal Stuff
-
- XTimer© 1994-96 Eric Long. All Rights Reserved.
- XTimer Spy© 1995-96 Eric Long. All Rights Reserved.
- XTimer and XTimer Spy come without warranty expressed or implied.
- Use either program solely at your own risk.
-
- XTimer may be distributed freely, so long as it is not sold or modified.
-
- XTimer© Is Shareware!
- Send $15 to Eric Long, 4020 Jeffrey Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95820
- Upgrades are free! If this is an older version, it is possible that the
- registration fee has increased. Full registration requires full payment.
- For Express Registration on CIS: GO SWREG, XTimer is I.D. #5002
-
- Send E-mail to:
- CompuServe 72764,1072
- Internet EricMLong@aol.com
-
- If your letter is not answered in a timely fashion, please write again.
- Sometimes E-mail disappears into the electronic void!
-
- CompuServe® and MacCIM™ are registered trademarks of CompuServe
- Inc., Columbus, OH 43220
- America Online and Prodigy are trademarks of their respective holders.
- FileMaker Pro® and Em@iler™ are registered trademarks of the Claris Corporation.
-
- XTimer is not a product of, nor representative of CompuServe Inc.,
- America Online Inc., Prodigy, or the Claris Corporation.
-
- MacPPP/FreePPP ©Merit Network Inc. and the Regents of the
- University of Michigan.
-
-
- Special Thanks
-
- Thanks to James Walker for his Help screen code module: Show_help.
- Modified here for modeless use and to save the style information.
-
- Thanks to Paul Celestin for his PICTButton CDEF (control definition), used
- to make the minimized "stoplight" version of the timer's buttons work.
-
- Thanks to the many who helped me learn the Mac ropes and to create
- this program. I really appreciate the assistance.
-
- Thanks to my wife Donna, who made the XTimer icon, and designed the
- stoplight used in the minimized timer.
-
- Thanks to the beta testers. Thanks to Mary for moral support.
-
-
- ⌃