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- ==========================================================
- !RiscTimer
- A utility for assessing computer use
-
- Version 1.14 (19 October 1993)
-
- by Gareth Boden
- © Copyright HeadFirst Public Domain 1993
- ==========================================================
-
- —————————————————
- CONDITIONS OF USE
- —————————————————
- This software may be freely copied provided all the following
- files are included unchanged in any way (including this file)
- and the copying is not done for a profit (PD libraries can
- charge a nominal fee [£2 or less] to cover costs):
-
- !RiscTimer
- |_______ !Help
- | |_________ !Run
- | |_________ !RunImage
- | |_________ HelpText
- | |_________ Templates
- |_______ !Run
- |_______ !RunImage
- |_______ !Sprites
- |_______ !Sprites22
- |_______ !Sprites23
- |_______ Resources
- | |_________ HFText
- | |_________ Sprites
- | |_________ Sprites22
- | |_________ Sprites23
- | |_________ Templates
- |
- |_______ RMStore
- |_________ RiscTimer
- |_________ WimpExt
-
- In addition, the file TimeLog may be present — this file is a
- record of computer usage. If this file is not present, a blank
- one will be created when !RiscTimer is run (hence you can reset
- the times by deleting this file).
-
- This program originally came from:
- HeadFirst Public Domain
- 45 Cedar Street
- SOUTHPORT
- PR8 6NQ
-
- For a full list of our programs, please send an SAE to the
- above address.
-
- If you are distributing !RiscTimer (ie you run a PD library or
- a BBS) then you must contact me (send a disc of PD and an SAE)
- so that I can send you the most recent version. My address is
- at the end of this help file.
-
- ——————————
- DISCLAIMER
- ——————————
- In no circumstances shall the authors or HeadFirst PD be liable
- for any damage, loss of profits, time or data or any indirect
- or consequential loss arising out of the use of this software
- or inability to use this software, even if they have been
- advised of the possibility of such damages. This software is
- supplied "as is"; no warranty, express or implied, of the
- merchantability of this software or its fitness for any
- particular purpose is given.
-
- Having said that...
-
- ————————
- PROBLEMS
- ————————
- We always want to hear of any problems you may have with any of
- our software, so that we can correct it as soon as possible.
- Send full details of the problem, together with a disc
- containing the program and an SAE, to the above address.
-
- ———————
- CREDITS
- ———————
- This program was written by Gareth Boden, using an Acorn A4000
- with !Edit, !StrongEd, !Zap, !Dissi, !FormEd, BASIC V, Jive and
- the RISC OS 3 PRMs. (I got them on 27/5/93 — can anyone beat
- this?). It is not guaranteed to work on anything else (it needs
- RISC OS 3, by the way), but should do.
-
- The WimpExtension module was written by Jon Ribbens.
-
- The HelpView program was written by Graham Jones.
-
- !RiscTimer was written at the request of Mr P Halsall, Christ
- the King School for the purpose of justifying the purchase of
- an A4!
-
- ———————————
- THE PROGRAM
- ———————————
- !RiscTimer was written for a simple purpose — to keep track of
- how much a computer is used. Basically, it records the time the
- computer is switched on and the amount of this time it is
- actually being used. It keeps track of the last 28 days' usage
- and displays the information in a window. Use both off and on
- the desktop is recorded.
-
- The program is simple to use. Simply make sure your hard disc
- !Boot file loads !RiscTimer when you switch on, and that you
- always use the desktop Exit or Shutdown before switching off. I
- would also recommend having some font cache memory (a very
- small amount is sufficient, but the windows use fonts and may
- be very slow otherwise).
-
- To find out how much the computer has been used, simply click
- on the !RiscTimer icon, on the icon bar, with SELECT or ADJUST.
- A window will appear giving details of the computer usage.
- Click OK to remove it.
-
- The usual icon bar menu is available by clicking MENU over the
- icon. The Quit option quits the !RiscTimer application, the
- Info option leads to a window giving details about the program.
- Note that quitting !RiscTimer does not quit the part of the
- program which registers usage so if !RiscTimer is later loaded,
- the time used in-between will still be recorded. However, the
- usage will not be saved without the !RiscTimer application
- program present.
-
- The usage is checked by noting key presses and mouse clicks.
- Every time one of these occurs, the program reads the system
- clock. If it is more than two minutes since the last key press
- or mouse click, the program assumes that the computer has not
- been in use over this period (I think this is a reasonable
- assumption — if you don't, let me know).
-
- Always make sure you exit the desktop "cleanly" when switching
- off or before a Ctrl-Break ie by quitting all applications
- using either the menu option Quit or the desktop Exit or
- Shutdown facilities. If you don't do this, then Risc Timer
- won't know to save its log file and so the computer usage will
- not be recorded. As a safety precaution, Risc Timer saves the
- log file every ten minutes while in the desktop, but you should
- not rely on this. You should always exit "cleanly" anyway, to
- avoid accidentally wiping out unsaved work.
-
- ——————————
- KNOWN BUGS
- ——————————
- None, unless you know different! (Drop me a line if you do!)
-
- ———————
- HISTORY
- ———————
- A list of the different versions of !RiscTimer (in reverse
- chronological order):
-
- 1.14 - Program now conforms to July 1993 RISC OS Style
- Guide.
- - Now uses built in RISC OS 3 icon borders.
- 1.13 - HeadFirst has changed address!
- - Removed HeadFirst information window, address now in
- Program info window.
- 1.12 - First public release.
- - Found that log was updated incorrectly if more than
- one copy of !RiscTimer was loaded. Now checks for
- multiple invocations.
- - Removed DIMs on local variables as I found that BASIC
- did not de-allocate the space afterwards. This caused
- crashing due to memory overflow. Space now allocated
- via OS_Module.
- 1.11 - Messages and menus now internationalised using
- MessageTrans. Simply alter the Resources.Messages
- file to provide a different language. If you do
- produce a new one, please send it to me.
- - Jive Talk message file provided. To use this instead
- of the normal one, simply rename the Messages file to
- something else and rename the MessJive file to
- Messages. Voila!
- - Jive Talk HeadFirst information file provided. Use is
- similar to the message file - just rename the HFText
- and JiveHFText files.
- - Help now more comprehensive and on menus too.
- 1.01 - Added help via Acorn's Interactive Help.
- 1.00 — Original version.
-
- ———————————————————
- FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS
- ———————————————————
- I may add the following features in the future, and am more
- likely to do if you encourage me by asking...
-
- • Output of graphs of usage
- • Recording of usage of different applications
- • Output of a text log file
- • Restriction of computer usage (?)
- • Automatic pencil sharpener (?!)
-
- ——————————
- THE AUTHOR
- ——————————
- Any comments ( good :—) or bad :—( ), bug reports, suggestions
- for improvement (surely not!), nice letters, offers of cash,
- gold bars, etc to:
-
- Gareth Boden
- 45 Cedar Street
- SOUTHPORT
- PR8 6NQ
-
- If you send me a disc of PD (or some cash) I will send you the
- latest versions of any software I have written (with a bit of
- PD to fill the disc).
-
- ——————
- BYEEE!
- ——————
- Well, that about wraps it up. The program was designed for a
- simple task and it does it adequately (I don't want to say
- "well").
-
- !RiscTimer will install happily on a hard disc (indeed, it is
- best used from one), and uses very little memory (~32k), so it
- should work on any RISC OS 3 machine.
-
- If you want to print out these instructions, they can be found
- in !RiscTimer.!Help.HelpText.
-
- Remember: Life is like a bar of soap - it gradually wears away
- until it goes all soft and breaks when you try to use it. Oh
- well, maybe life isn't like a bar of soap after all.
-
- ————————————————————————————————————————
- !RiscTimer by Gareth Boden
- © Copyright HeadFirst Public Domain 1993
- ————————————————————————————————————————