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The Register (tm)
Copyright (c) 1986 All rights reserved
Denis L. Latkowski
417 Tantallion Court
Baltimore, Maryland 21212
301-435-1544
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I wish to thank the following for ideas and/or routines incorporated into
THE REGISTER and without whose assistance it could not have been written as
it is.
1. Borland International for the menu system and screen routines from their
product "Turbo Editor Toolbox."
2. Bela Lubkin for the article "INT24.PAS: A Critical Error Handler for Turbo
Pascal" from THE PROGRAMMER'S JOURNAL, Volume 4, Number 3, May/June, 1986. I
had been bothered that I had been unable to trap DOS errors in the program
and Turbo Pascal offers no help in this area; the routines written by Bela
Lubkin helped solve the problem.
3. The book TURBO PASCAL -- TIPS, TRICKS, AND TRAPS by Tom Rugg and Phil
Feldman, published by Que Corporation, 1986, should be required reading for
any Turbo Pascal programmer; the book is filled with invaluable tips and
tricks to be used and traps to avoid.
TABLE OF CONTENTS / INDEX -- THE REGISTER
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ......................... 4
GENERAL INFORMATION ......................... 4
FILES ON DISK ............................... 5
INSTALL.COM ............................. 5
GRADE.COM ............................... 5
GRADE.000 ............................... 5
READ.ME ................................. 5
MANUAL.DOC .............................. 5
NAMES.11 ................................ 5
GRADES.111 .............................. 5
HARD.BAT ................................ 5
FLOPPY.BAT .............................. 5
PRINTMAN.COM ............................ 5
IMPORTANT NOTE .............................. 5
GETTING STARTED ............................. 6
batch files ................................. 6
INSTALL.COM ................................. 6
TEACHER'S NAME .......................... 7
SCHOOL NAME ............................. 7
SCHOOL PHONE # .......................... 7
ABSENCES ................................ 7
MINIMUM PASSING GRADE ................... 7
PRINTER SELECTION ....................... 7
NUMLOCK STATUS .......................... 7
PHONE NUMBER entry ...................... 7
AUTOEXEC.BAT file ....................... 7
Required files .............................. 7
LEVEL ....................................... 7
QUARTER ..................................... 8
CLASS NAME .................................. 8
information line ............................ 8
MAIN menu ................................... 9
move along the menu ..................... 9
menu and submenu selection............... 9
ESC (warning) ............................... 10
grade book .................................. 10
disk activity ............................... 10
RAM disk .................................... 10
ERROR MESSAGES .............................. 10
MENU INFORMATION ............................ 11
Names ....................................... 11
Create -- n / c ....................... 11
NAME .................................... 11
COUNSELOR ............................... 11
HOMEROOM ................................ 11
PHONE # ................................. 11
NOTE .................................... 11
"dummy" students ........................ 11
Add to, Delete from n / a OR n / d ....... 11
WARNING ................................. 11
page 2
cHange -- n / h ............................ 12
number .................................. 12
CHANGE MENU ............................. 12
HINT .................................... 12
Print -- n / p ............................. 13
Show -- n / s .............................. 13
phoNe # -- n / n ............................ 13
Grades ...................................... 13
three categories ........................ 13
long list ............................... 14
--- ..................................... 14
MAKE NO ENTRY ........................... 14
Create -- g / c ....................... 14
50% grades ...................... 14
30% grades ...................... 14
20% grades ...................... 14
absences ........................ 14
"9" escape ...................... 15
Add to -- g / a ....................... 15
NOTE ............................ 15
cHange -- g / h ....................... 15
checK -- g / k .......................... 16
Quarter ..................................... 16
Compute -- q / c ....................... 16
check for ........................... 16
failures ............................ 16
NOTE ................................ 16
Print -- q / p ........................ 16
top of the page ..................... 16
cancel .............................. 17
error message ....................... 17
EXAMPLE ............................. 17
Stats ................................... 17
Print ....................................... 17
Reports -- p / r ....................... 17
message ............................. 17
individual messages ................. 18
EXAMPLE ............................. 18
Name listing -- p / n ................. 19
nuMber listing -- p / m ............... 19
SPOOLING PROGRAM ........................ 19
Finals ...................................... 19
Exams -- f / e .......................... 19
1/5 (20%) of the final grade ........ 19
20% of the 4th quarter grade ........ 19
No exams -- f / n ..................... 19
FINAL GRADE ............................. 20
summary ................................. 20
page 3
Level ....................................... 20
change Level -- l / l ................. 20
change Dir -- l / d ................... 20
CAUTION ............................. 20
*save Names -- l / n .................. 21
*save Grades -- l / g .................. 21
CAUTION ............................. 21
Miscellaneous ............................... 21
Erase file -- m / e ................... 21
Rename file -- m / r .................. 21
Directory -- m / d .................... 21
eXit -- m / x .......................... 21
Help h / ? ................................. 22
overlay file GRADE.000 .................. 22
EXAMPLES OF PRINTOUTS ....................... 22
Names / Show (screen) ................... 22
Names / phoNe # (screen) ............... 22
Compute / Print quarter ................. 23
Print / Reports ......................... 24
Quarter / Compute errors ................ 24
Progress and Deficiency ................. 24
Print / print Name ...................... 25
NOTE ........................................ 25
RAM disk, CACHE ............................. 26
DEFAULT ENTRIES ............................. 26
KEY USE SUMMARY ............................. 27
PRINTER CODES (hint) ........................ 27
Error Messages explained .................... 28
ESCAPE WARNING - 9 escape ................... 30
PATH NAMING LIMITATIONS ..................... 31
hint on use of PRINTMAN.COM ................. 31
(Need IBM or compatible printer for sample screens)
Can use a product like IMAGEPRINT by Image Computer
Systems to print on an Epson or compatible printer.
MUST CHANGE all single "\" to "\\" for printing to
be correct if using ImagePrint.
SAMPLE SCREENS .................... file SAMPLES.DOC
Information Line and Main Menu
Menu and Submenus
Level / Level
Names / Create
Names / cHange
Grades / Create (screen one)
Grades / Create (screen two)
Finals / Exams (1/4 4th quarter)
Miscellaneous / Directory
Print / Progress reports (indiv message)
Error message (printing)
full screen (Level / Level)
page 4
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
PC/XT/AT or true compatible
DOS 2.xx or higher
1 DSDD drive
192 K
mono or color graphic card
RGB monitor recommended
printer (dot matrix recommended)
(IBM compatible to print last 5 pages of manual
in file SAMPLE.DOC; otherwise, any ASCII printer)
The file SAMPLES.DOC can be printed on any Epson or compatible printer
using the program IMAGEPRINT by Image Computer Systems (available from the
company for a minimal charge or from many BBS's). However, before printing
using ImagePrint, use your word processor (ASCII format) and edit the file
SAMPLES.DOC -- must change all backward slashes -- "\" -- to double
backward slashes "\\" for printing to be correct. Use the Find/Replace
option to find all occurrences of "\" and replace with "\\".
GENERAL INFORMATION
Written in Turbo Pascal (tm of Borland International Inc.), version 3.0
(IBM (tm International Business Machines)).
Written by a teacher for teachers and tested in the classroom.
Grades are entered as NUMBERS only. The program is not prepared to work with
letter grades. If you work with letter grades, you will have to translate the
numeric averages into letter grades yourself.
******************************* NOTE ********************************
This Shareware version of The Register (v 2.1) will work only with systems
that are set up for FOUR quarters.
The registered version, currently 2.3, contains two separate grades programs:
4GRADE.COM -- works in 4 grading periods
6GRADE.COM -- works in 6 grading periods.
Both programs contain exactly the same functions except that the final grade
computations are, of course, different and there are 6 periods for inputting
grades in one and 4 in the other.
******************************* NOTE ********************************
page 5
FILES ON DISK
INSTALL.COM ............. installation program; run this first
before any other program; will create
file GR.ADE to be used by the main program.
GRADE.COM ............... main grade program
GRADE.000 ............... overlay file that must be in current
directory or subdirectory for HELP to
be available
READ.ME .............. information on program and its use
MANUAL.DOC .............. manual
can use your word processor to print
this file out since it's stored on disk
in ASCII format, or use the TYPE
command to send it to the screen or add
> PRN for printing: TYPE MANUAL.DOC > PRN
(printer need NOT be IBM compatible)
SAMPLES.DOC ............. sample screens from program; need IBM
compatible printer for printing; to view
on screen, type TYPE SAMPLES.DOC
NAMES.11 ................ list of student names and information
to learn and test the program
*** There are some deliberate ERRORS in
averages (over 100) to test the error
checks in the program. Change to correct.
GRADES.111 .............. list of grades for above students
*** change errors in grades!
HARD.BAT................. batch file to install on HARD disk
usage: HARD [drive letter:] <RET>
e.g.: HARD d: <RET>
FLOPPY.BAT............... batch file to install on FLOPPY disk
put formatted disk in B:, ORIGINAL in A:
PRINTMAN.COM ..............will print the manual either to the screen or
to the printer. Follow instructions in the
program. Will also work with READ.ME or
SAMPLES.DOC. (see page 31 for hints on use)
IMPORTANT NOTE
It may take some getting used to, but grades must be entered as three digit
numbers which will require that you add a 0 at the beginning of a two digit
number; therefore, an 80 would be entered as 080, 66 as 066, 0 as 000. Secondly
these three-digit grades are entered in one long stream WITHOUT SPACES. In most
cases (except for 100), add a 0 to the beginning of a grade. Example,
GRADES: 76 55 0 99 92 78 55 100 Inc
BECOME: 076 055 000 099 092 078 055 100 ---
ENTERED AS: 076055000099092078055100---
You will find that entering grades in one long stream to be easier since you
won't have to press return after each grade but only at the end of one line.
You must therefore be careful to enter a zero as the first digit, unless the
grade is 100 -- don't add anything. If a student's grade computes at higher
than 100, you have probably entered a digit other than zero or one. You will be
warned whenever an average computes to over 100. Use the Grade / cHange program
to check if an error has been made. (Remember, a zero must be entered as 000.)
page 6
GETTING STARTED
1. DO NOT USE ORIGINAL DISK TO WORK FROM.
Format a new disk with the FORMAT B:/S/V command for a 2 drive system. At the
volume name prompt, type in 'GRADES'. Put the original disk in drive A: and the
newly formatted disk in drive B:. OR use file FLOPPY.BAT to automate process.
Type COPY A:*.* B: and press return. This will give you a working copy of the
program and files. Store the original disk.
If you are working with a hard disk, you can also run the program from the hard
disk. Create a subdirectory on the hard disk called \GRADE.
MD C:\GRADE (assuming hard disk is C:)
Then copy all files to the \GRADE subdirectory:
Put disk in drive A:
To copy files to hard disk:
COPY A:\*.* C:\GRADE
C:
CD \GRADE
INSTALL (will create file GR.ADE)
There are two batch files provided for installation of the program. The file
HARD.BAT will install all necessary programs on your hard disk in a directory
called \GRADE, will run the INSTALL program, and then run the GRADE program
using files provided for testing the program.
usage: HARD [hard disk letter:] <RETURN> <-- note colon
example: hard c: <RETURN> <-- letters may by small OR capital
The file FLOPPY.BAT will install the program on a disk in drive B: with the
ORIGINAL in drive A:. After the necessary files have been copied to drive A:,
the INSTALL program will be run and then the GRADE using the NAMES and
GRADES files provided for you to begin testing and learning the program.
2. If working from a floppy, place the copy in drive A: and type INSTALL. The
INSTALL.COM will prompt you for information to be used in the GRADE
program. If using a hard drive, change to the GRADE directory (CD \GRADE
<RET>), and then run INSTALL. If you use the batch files provided this will be
done automatically for you.
page 7
INSTALL program: You will be prompted for
1. TEACHER'S NAME -- maximum of 25 characters
2. SCHOOL NAME -- maximum of 35 characters
3. SCHOOL PHONE # -- limited to xxx-xxxx (x is a number from 0 to 9)
4. ABSENCES -- (explained fully when INSTALL is run)
for use in printing progress/deficiency reports
5. MINIMUM PASSING GRADE -- a number, usually 70
6. PRINTER SELECTION -- select yours if listed
NOTE SMALL AND CAPITAL LETTERS!
(if your printer is not listed, select the NOT LISTED
option and enter the ASCII codes for ELITE print.)
7. NUMLOCK STATUS -- During entry of grades ONLY, you have the choice of
having the NumLock ON or OFF. If ON is selected, then
you can use the numeric keypad on the right of the
keyboard for number entry and ^S to move the cursor
RIGHT or ^D to move the cursor right. NumLock status
will be returned to OFF (the normal status) when you're
finished entering grades.
8. PHONE NUMBER entry -- When entering student information, you will have a
choice of entering phone numbers or not. If you want to
enter phone numbers, press y and you will be prompted
for the numbers. If you press n, phone entry will be
skipped unless you rerun the INSTALL program.
Before running the GRADE program, you must remember when first starting your
computer to either set the correct TIME and DATE yourself or to have it done in
the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. This information is used by the program in its printouts
and for screen display. If you do not set the correct date and time, your
printouts will contain a date that is not current, and the wrong time and date
will appear on the screen.
3. Running the GRADE program -- required files:
GRADE.COM main program
GRADE.000 overlay HELP file
GR.ADE file created by INSTALL program
(GRADE.000 is not required for the program to run but is required
for HELP to be available.)
Type GRADE and press return. After "The Register" (tm) logo and copyright are
displayed, the screen will clear and you will be prompted for the following
information:
LEVEL 2 characters
QUARTER 1 character (1,2,3,4)
CLASS NAME maximum of 20 characters
LEVEL: 2 digits, letters, or combination.
This will allow you to distinguish between classes.
1. 1st class is 11th grade: LEVEL might be < 11 > < 01 > < AA >
2. 4th class is 8th grade: LEVEL might be < 08 > < 04 > < DD >
page 8
QUARTER:
the quarter you're working on -- 1, 2, 3, or 4. A GRADES file is created
and used EACH quarter; so at the end of the year, you'll have four
different GRADES files. You may erase the file at the END of each
quarter if you want. The program will accept ONLY 1, 2, 3, or 4 for
QUARTER.
CLASS NAME:
the name of the class you're teaching
< English 4 > < Chemistry 3 > < Algebra > < Cabinet Making >
If you change to another level and are prompted for a new CLASS NAME, you can
simply press return if the name is the same, instead of retyping it.
The files created by the program are named this way:
After entering LEVEL as 09 and QUARTER as 1
student file = NAMES. + [LEVEL] = NAMES.09
grade file = GRADES. + [LEVEL + QUARTER] = GRADES.091
The screen will clear and an information line will appear at the top of the
screen, consisting of the following information:
-DIR: [ DIR: E:\GRADES\] current directory
-CLASS: [ CLASS: Chemistry 3 ] current class
-L: [ L: 11 ] current LEVEL
-Q: [ Q: 1 ] current QUARTER
-DIR: E:\GRADES\ -CLASS: Chemistry 3 -L: 11 -Q: 1
OPTIONAL STARTING PROGRAM
You can provide the program with the same information -- LEVEL, QUARTER,
and CLASS -- from the DOS prompt when first starting the program. At the
DOS level, after typing the name of the program GRADE, you can then
continue typing in the LEVEL, the QUARTER, and the CLASS you will be
working on. If you do not enter "1,2,3, or 4" for quarter, you will be
informed of a parameter error and quarter will be changed to "1". If this is
not correct, use Level/Level to change.
examples:
A> GRADE 11 1 English 2 <RETURN> (drive A:)
B> GRADE aa 4 Chemistry <RETURN> (drive B:)
C> GRADE 9A 2 Journalism <RETURN> (drive C:)
When using this optional command line start, CLASS is limited to only two words
as in the first example. If you type in the wrong information on the DOS level,
use the Level / Level part of the program to change to the correct information.
page 9
The MAIN menu will then appear with the first, NAMES, highlighted:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|[Names] Grades Compute Print Finals Level Miscellaneous Help |
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can move along the menu and make a selection in any of three ways:
1. Use the LEFT or RIGHT arrow keys on the right of the keyboard to
move along the menu. When your selection is highlighted, press
return. The submenu options will then appear.
2. Use ^D to move RIGHT or ^S to move left. See #1 above to continue.
3. The easiest is to simply press the CAPITAL letter in the
selection you desire. For example, if you want to use the Print
option, press P and the submenu will appear immediately. You do not
have to press the CAPITAL letter; the small letter will be sufficient.
The complete menu and submenu selections are:
Names Grades Quarter Print Finals Level Misc Help
| | | | | | | |
Create | | | | | | |
Add to | | | | | | |
Delete | | | | | | |
cHange | | | | | | |
Print | | | | | | |
Show | | | | | | |
phoNe | | | | | | |
Create | | | | | |
Add to | | | | | |
cHange | | | | | |
checK | | | | | |
Compute | | | | |
Print quarter | | | | |
Stats | | | | |
Reports | | | |
nuMber list | | | |
Name list | | | |
Exams | | |
No exams | | |
Level change | |
Moving along the submenus: Dir change | |
Use UP or Down arrow keys and then *save Names | |
press RETURN *save Grades | |
Use ^X for down or ^E for up and then Erase file |
press RETURN Rename file|
Press the CAPITAL letter in the Directory |
the selection you desire eXit |
Names
To select the 'Reports' option Grades
under 'Print', the easiest way is to Compute
press p in the MAIN menu and then p Print
in the SUBMENU. You do not have to Finals
use capital letters! Level
Misc
Keys
page 10
Once you make a selection and a window opens, you can cancel the option by
pressing ESC (the escape button) at the first prompt. This way, if you make the
wrong selection, you can back out of it. WARNING: Once you start entering
information in the program, if you press the ESC button when prompted for the
FIRST piece of information, the selection WILL BE CANCELLED. Therefore, after
entering information, do not press ESC or all work will be lost.
The program is designed to be used in conjunction with your grade book. After
you have entered the student information in your book, somewhere, sometime,
student names are added or dropped or they are changed, which usually makes the
book resemble a mass of colored lines or a calamity.
After filling out the record book, you can begin entering information using the
GRADE program. You will need STUDENT'S FULL NAME, COUNSELOR, HOMEROOM, and
PHONE NUMBER (optional). Later you can add new students or delete any of the
old students simply and effortlessly.
You will notice disk activity each time you start from a submenu and also when
you leave a submenu. You do not have to save your files yourself. The program
automatically does this so files are constantly updated and will contain the
latest information. For this reason, I recommend using a RAM disk drive or a
CACHE program to speed disk access.
ERROR MESSAGES
If you make an error either in data entry, changing to a directory or
subdirectory that doesn't exist, an error line will appear at the very top of
the screen replacing the information line. After reading the message, press ESC
(the escape button), the information line will reappear and you can continue
with the program.
File/Directory does not exist Read error or directory not found
Write protected disk Drive not ready
DOS error Write error
Invalid Directory Path Cannot seek beyond end of file
Unexpected end of file Print/Write error
No entries Error; 3 digits each
File missing. Use Grade / Create GRADE.000 missing/bad;no HELP
File missing. Use Names / Create Maximum entries
All choices are NO WARNING! 22 entries for grades
Entry over 100 not allowed Disk write error
Directory is full. File has disappeared
Computing error for: [# name] No grades for [name]
Missing parameter: 11 1 Chemistry
page 11
MENU INFORMATION
I Names
1. Create -- n / c
first program that must be used. You will be prompted to enter the full name,
the counselor,the homeroom, and the phone number of each student in your class
or classes. If a student has NO phone number, use a dash '-' OR a slash '/'.
NAME -- maximum of 25 characters, spaces, punctuation, etc.
COUNSELOR -- maximum of 11
HOMEROOM -- maximum of 4
PHONE # -- maximum of 8 (optional entry) '/' OR '-' for none
When you're finished entering all the names, enter the number <1>
when prompted for FULL NAME and the data will be recorded on disk.
NOTE: If you attempt to Create a names file that you've already worked on, the
program will prompt you if you wish to continue or not. If you answer y (yes),
the file you've worked on WILL BE ERASED to make room for the new one. The
prompt is a safety catch to make sure you don't mistakenly erase a file.
HINT: If you're going to enter all your classes at one time, I recommend
entering two "dummy" students at the end of each class. Enter '----' for each
entry. When you add new students to your grade book, they are always entered at
the bottom of the list. Without these dummy entries, you would have to enter
them at the very end of this long list; so when it comes time to enter grades,
you have to remember as you're following your grade book that the new students
will be at the end of the computer program's list and not where they appear in
your gradebook.
When a student is added to your class, use the Names / cHange option to replace
the '----' with the student's correct information. If you leave the '----'
entries unchanged, be forewarned that the statistics given at the end of each
printout will be slightly inaccurate since the computer will see '----' as a
real student and include its grades in statistical computations. You can always
delete these "dummies" before running any of the print options; but once
deleted, you cannot add them BETWEEN CLASSES.
2, 3. Add to, Delete from n / a OR n / d
You MUST have entered grades for students BEFORE using these options. To enter
grades, press g / c. AFTER entering grades, you may then ADD names or DELETE
names from your class list. After using either of these options, you should
PRINT out a new listing (n / p). The added students will be placed at the END
of your current students.
WARNING: Once you have added or deleted a student, NEVER go back to a previous
quarter to recompute grades. The name and grades have been deleted from the
current quarter and if you go back to a previous quarter and recompute grades,
they WILL BE WRONG!
page 12
4. cHange -- n / h
Use this option to correct any information about a student. You may have
misspelled a name; counselor or homeroom may have changed. You can change or
correct the name, counselor, homeroom, phone #, or any of the four quarter
grades.
When the window opens, you will be prompted for the number of the student to
change. Consult your printed list of names and enter the number you want to
change. If you enter a number larger than the number of students in your class,
the entry will be refused and the computer will wait for a new entry. DO NOT
USE THE THREE DIGIT ID NUMBER.
If you make an error and select this option by mistake, cancel the option by
pressing ESC. This will work only the first time the window opens.
CHANGE MENU:
p - phone 1 - quarter 1
n - name 2 - quarter 2
c - counselor 3 - quarter 3
h - homeroom 4 - quarter 4
Enter NUMBER to change: 1 ( <-- default #)
Using these options for change, press the letter/# you desire and enter the new
information. The corrected information will replace the old and you will be
prompted to make another change for the SAME student. Check that you entered
the information correctly. If you did not, press y and redo. If there are no
further errors, press n and you can make corrections for ANOTHER student. If
you have no further corrections, press n and the file will be updated to disk.
When you request to change the name or the counselor, you will be given the
current spelling to correct. DO NOT TYPE ANY LETTER AT THIS POINT. If you do,
the entire line will be erased. Use the left arrow (or ^S) to move to the
error, delete the error, and then type in the correct information, and press
RETURN.
If a student has been added in, say, the third quarter, you can use
this option to enter the missing QUARTER grades which the computer will
initially assign as zeroes.
page 13
5. Print -- n / p
Use this option to print out a listing of student information. The information
will be:
# NUM NAME COUNSELOR HOME PHONE #
# a number starting at 1 and counting up -- you will need
this number for cHange, Delete options.
NUM student ID number, used for printed lists for posting.
NAME -- COUNSELOR -- HOME -- PHONE # <-- student information.
6. Show -- n / s
When this option is used, the screen will clear and you will be given a list of
your students, their counselors, homerooms and four quarter grades. The CURRENT
quarter grade is highlighted. After 23 names are presented, the screen is
frozen for your inspection until you press any LETTER key.
7. phoNe # -- n / n
This option will give you a listing on the screen of number, student ID number,
name, homeroom, and phone number for each student in your NAMES file.
II Grades
The program uses three categories of grades:
50% 30% 20%
(tests) (quizzes) (homework) <-- or your own designations
50% -- average of these grades will be 50% of the FINAL quarter grade
30% -- average of these grades will be 30% of the FINAL quarter grade
20% -- average of these grades will be 20% of the FINAL quarter grade
50% grades 30% grades 20% grades
75 89 25
88 77 91
100 66 100
86 88 ----
98 ----
----
total 447 (/ 5) 320 (/ 4) 216 (/ 3)
avg 89.4 80.0 72.0
* .5 = 44.7 * .3 = 24.0 * .2 = 14.4
FINAL average = 44.7 + 24.0 + 14.4 = 83.1
page 14
************************************************************
* Grades are entered in one long list WITHOUT SPACES. *
* Each grade MUST BE 3 digits. *
* *
* Example: If you have the following grades, *
* 25 98 88 0 100 34 76 Inc *
* 025 098 088 000 100 034 076 --- *
* Enter the above 8 grades as : 025098088000100034076--- *
* Press RETURN to continue. *
************************************************************
NOTE: If a student has NOT done an assignment use three dashes (---) for the
grade. This will make it easier if you have to change it when and if the
student makes it up. The computer will automatically count any grade entered as
'---' to be a zero (0) until and unless you change it. When entering grades,
the program will ONLY accept the numbers 0 to 9 and the dash ( - ). The dash is
equivalent to an Incomplete grade that counts as a zero if not made up.
Remember that you must use three dashes '---' and you may NOT mix the dash and
numbers (e.g. '-89'; this the computer will compute as a zero.)
IF YOU DO NOT WANT A GRADE OR GRADES TO COUNT AT ALL FOR A STUDENT, MAKE NO
ENTRY AT ALL. THE COMPUTER USES THE GRADES ENTERED TO COMPUTE THE AVERAGE; SO
IT MATTERS NOT IF ONE STUDENT OR EVEN AN ENTIRE CLASS HAS FEWER GRADES THAN THE
REST.
1. Create -- g / c
Enter 50% grades? (press y or n)
Enter 30% grades? (press y or n)
Enter 20% grades? (press y or n)
Enter absences? (press y or n)
After entering student information, use this to enter the grades you have. You
will be asked first, if you want to enter 50%, 30%, 20% grades, or absences.
Simply press y for YES or any other LETTER for NO. You do not have to record
all of the categories at one time. You will NOT be allowed to use the Quarter /
Compute option if there are no entries in any of the grade categories (50, 30,
20) since that would cause division by zero, not allowed in mathematics nor by
many computers.
Enter absences to date; the computer will keep a cumulative total for you. If
you enter NO for absences, you must remember the NEXT time to enter absences
from the LAST time you recorded absences. I recommend entering absences EACH
TIME you enter grades since you may forget when you last entered them.
You can use a keyboard enhancer (Superkey (tm) or ProKey (tm)) to make
grade entry easier -- assign the gray + key by the keypad to '000' for a
zero entry and the gray - key to '---' for incomplete grades.
page 15
If you make an error entering grades, you can either use the backspace key to
erase everything up to the error and then retype, or use the LEFT arrow key to
go back to the first character of the error, press the DELETE key to erase the
error, then type in the correct number, press the RIGHT arrow to return to the
end of the grades and then continue.
It might be to simpler to take note of the student you made the error for,
continue entering information, and when finished, use the Grade / cHange
option to correct.
If you make a monumental error in entering grades, and it would be ridiculous
to store so much bad information on disk, if you enter "9" for the grade
and press RETURN, the selection will immediately be cancelled and you'll be
returned to the main menu. No data will be saved! This also applies to #2
below, Adding to a grades list.
2. Add to -- g / a
After entering grades for your students, you can add more grades to the list at
any time. At the questions of entering 50%, 30%, and 20% grades, or absences,
answer y or n. You will then be asked to enter the new grades. If you answer n
to ALL questions, this selection will be cancelled after notifying you.
The space to enter further grades will be smaller. This way you will know how
much room you have left for new grades. Remember, you are not allowed to enter
more than 22 grades in each category.
NOTE: The program will SKIP any name that has the maximum grades (22). You must
be aware of those names that already have 22 grades. You will be warned that a
student has the maximum grades but not in which category.
ESCAPE OPTION: While entering grades, if you make a monumental error, and it
would be ridiculous to continue entering grades and then storing so much bad
data on disk, you can cancel entering grades at any time by entering the
number '9' as the grade and pressing return. If you do enter '9', any data
already entered will be lost.
3. cHange -- g / h (INSERT mode only)
You can change, correct, or even add to the grades already entered. You will be
asked for the NUMBER to change. Enter the number of the student you want to
change. Do NOT use the three digit student ID number. Use the printed list
number; if the student is the fifth name on the list, enter 5 and then press
RETURN. You'll be shown the number of absences so far. To correct, press y,
and you will be prompted for the new information. Then you will be shown the
50% grades. If you want to change any, press y.
DO NOT ENTER ANY NUMBER at this point! If you do, the entire line will be
erased. RATHER, use the left arrow key to move, type in the change, AND use the
DELETE key to erase the old grade. The other grades will move over to make
room. Or use the backspace key to erase to the left; THEN make any changes.
Press RETURN when you're finished. You do NOT have to return the cursor to the
end of the line. Simply make your changes and press RETURN. Follow the same
procedure for the 30% and the 20% grades. REMEMBER TO ERASE THE OLD OR
INCORRECT GRADE.
page 16
You will then have the chance to correct another student or to end. If you
have no further changes, the grades will be recorded.
WordStar(tm) users can also use ^S and ^D to move right or left.
4. checK -- g / k
Use this option BEFORE computing the grade averages to make sure that each
student has at least one entry for each of the three categories of grades. You
will be informed on the top line of the students who do NOT have an entry. This
allows you to check if there are any students missing a grade.
It's not necessary to use this option yourself, since the program will use this
check automatically when computing or printing.
III Quarter
1. Compute -- q / c
The program will automatically compute your quarter grades based on the entries
made for each student. When finished, you will be shown a list of your students
and their current quarter grades highlighted. If a quarter grade computes to
over 100, you will be notified at the top of the screen; you'll be given the
name of the student; press ESC to continue computing. The grade is NOT changed.
You have probably entered a grade incorrectly unless extra credit work sent the
average over 100. You should check the student's grades at the end of the
computations.
You will then be asked if you want the program to check for failures because of
absences. If you do NOT want the program to check, press n for NO. If you do
want to check, you will be prompted only for those students whose absences
exceed the limit you set in the INSTALL program. Press y if you want the
student to fail; any other letter will leave the grade untouched. If you press
y, the program will subtract the points you picked in the INSTALL program from
your school's minimum grade.
e.g. quarter average is 77.1
student's been absent 11 times
school policy is set at 8 absences
school minimum passing grade is 70
you elected to subtract 4 points from minimum
If you press y, the student's grade will be 65 (70 - 4 = 66)
NOTE: If there are NO grades for any of the categories (e.g., 50%), the program
will stop COMPUTING or PRINTING REPORTS at that point. Therefore, make sure you
have entered at least one grade for each student before selecting Quarter /
Compute OR any of the Print options.
2. Print -- q / p
Make sure your printer is turned on and then press 'y' to print. If you use a
print spooling program, you will not have to wait very long to regain use of
your computer. Make sure your paper is set at the top of the page since 45
names will be printed on a single sheet.
page 17
If your printer is not ready or you change your mind, press <ESC> or any letter
EXCEPT 'y' to cancel the printing.
If your printer isn't turned on, and you give the go-ahead ('y') to begin
printing (we're all familiar with Murphy's Law), DOS may interrupt the program
with its "Abort,Retry,Ignore" message even though there is a built in error
trap for this situation. MAKE SURE YOU WILL NOT RUN OUT OF PAPER BEFORE
PRINTING IS FINISHED OR TURN THE PRINTER OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF PRINTING.
If the printer is off when you ask the program to print, an error message
should appear at the top of the screen almost immediately. If, however, the
printer has been turned on but is off line when the call to print is made, it
may appear that the program is doing nothing for a long period of time.
This is because DOS makes several attempts at printing before giving up and
giving the Abort message. If the wait seems unusually long (over 5 or 10
seconds), try waiting a bit longer. If nothing happens, you will probably have
to reboot.
If you get the "Abort,Retry,..." message, press 'A' for Abort if your printer
is not on line or turned on. If the printer was off line, turn it on and then
press 'R'. To get the screen back to normal, press n / s. It is also possible
that this may halt the program or freeze the computer; so if you're planning on
printing any information, be sure the printer is ready and on line BEFORE
running the program.
At the end of the printout, you will be given a summary of the number of grades
given in a set range, the percent, and the total students.
EXAMPLE:
QUARTER 1 AVERAGES 78.1 0.0 0.0 0.0
QUARTER 1 count
90 -- 100 2 7.14%
80 -- 89 4 14.29
70 -- 79 11 39.29
60 -- 60 9 32.14
below 60 2 7.14
total students = 28
3. Stats -- q / s
This will print out on the SCREEN the statistics given directly above. This is
provided for a quick reference as to how the students are doing as a group
without having to print anything out.
IV Print
1. Reports -- p / r
Before printing progress / deficiency reports, you will be asked:
a. "Do you want a message to appear on ALL reports?"
Answer y if you have a message that you want all the parents
to be aware of, e.g., date a novel must be read, homework
due, date of P.T.A. meeting, etc.
page 18
You are limited to a total of 76 characters/spaces for your
message. Do not add a period at the end since the program
will automatically provide the period. Therefore, you cannot
ask a question in this message area.
The long, highlighted line is the space that you have for the
message. You will be able to visually see how much space is left
while you're typing.
b. "Do you want individual messages printed?"
Answer y if you do. You will be prompted for each student
in your class. If you have a message, press y and enter it.
Each individual message will begin with the student's
first name; YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ENTER THE NAME. The program
will do it for you. You are limited to 76 characters per message.
EXAMPLE: for John Smith, you pressed y to enter a message.
"John" will automatically appear above the space to type
You might then enter:
[has been doing very well on tests but poorly on homework]
You would have typed everything in brackets above.
John has been doing very well on tests but poorly on homework.
The above will appear on the report.
(You can use a macro program like SuperKey (tm) or ProKey(tm) to make entry of
these individual messages easier.)
If a student's average is one point above your minimum for passing, 71, you
will get one copy of the progress report. If the average is below that, you
will receive two copies of the deficiency. In either case, the student can take
the one home, have his/her parent(s) sign it, and return it to you. In the case
of a deficiency, the second copy is for your records, for the counselor, etc..
The computer uses whatever number you entered in the INSTALL program for
the absence policy; for example, you entered the number 8.
If a student has that number of absences or above, a warning will be printed
that "too many absences can affect the quality of school work." If a student
has fewer than that number, nothing will be printed.
Not all comments made by the program are negative. If a student has above a 90
average or above, the message "FIRST should be commended for such good
work." will be printed. If a student has zero absences, the message "FIRST NAME
should be commended for such good attendance." will be printed. You can
also add your own positive or negative statements in the individual message.
If a student has too many absences in a quarter (determined by the responses
in the INSTALL program), the statement "Please note that too many absences
can affect the quality of school work." will be printed.
page 19
2. Name list -- p / n
This will produce a listing for you to use for parent conferences or for your
own information. Each student will have four lines of information.
1. full name . . 4 quarter grades . .absences for current quarter
2. listing of all 50% grades .. average of grades .. points (avg * .5)
3. same as above for 30% grades -- points (avg * .3)
4. same as above for 20% grades -- points (avg * .2)
At the end of the list, the average of all the QUARTER grades for each
quarter will be printed. This information will be printed without any
any break -- one continuous listing on the paper (#3 below also).
3. nuMber list -- p / m
The same information as above will be presented EXCEPT for one item. Instead of
the students' names being used, the 3 digit ID numbers will be used. Therefore,
you can post this list in the classroom for the students to inspect. Of course,
you must give each student his/her number beforehand.
I STRONGLY RECOMMEND USING A SPOOLING PROGRAM SINCE THESE PRINTOUTS CAN TAKE A
VERY LONG TIME -- the more names, the longer. I recommend using a dot matrix
printer since a daisy wheel can take forever to print this much material;
don't use NLQ mode since that will also increase the amount of time to print.
V Finals
1. Exams -- f / e
You will be asked to enter the exam score for each of your students. If, by
chance, a student has earned a zero on the exam, simply press return. When you
have entered all of the scores, you will then be asked how the computer should
average the final grade for the year:
<1> the final exam will count 1/5 (20%) of the final grade.
FINAL GRADE = (quarter 1 + quarter 2 + quarter 3 + quarter 4 + exam) / 5
<2> the final exam will count 20% of the 4th quarter grade.
quarter 4 = (quarter 4 * .8) + (final exam * .2)
FINAL GRADE = (quarter 1 + quarter 2 + quarter 3 + quarter 4) / 4
After you press 1 or 2, the computer will compute the final averages.
YOU then determine the final grades -- see next page.
2. No exams -- f / n
The program will compute the final average:
FINAL GRADE =
(quarter 1 + quarter 2 + quarter 3 + quarter 4) / 4
YOU will then determine the final grade for each student.
page 20
VI FINAL GRADE
The program will now give you the following information for EACH student:
quarter grades *** -- final exam grade (if any) -- final average
*** If you elected the final exam to count 20% of the fourth quarter grade, the
fourth quarter grade will INCLUDE the final exam grade and "exam included" will
appear above the 4th quarter grade.
You now decide what final grade will be given each student. Type in the final
grade, press RETURN, and move on to the next. Each time you press RETURN, the
information is sent to the printer for a hardcopy. Therefore, you must make
sure your printer is on and press any LETTER at the printer prompt. Pressing
ESC will cancel the selection and NO PRINTING will be done. Set the page at the
top before printing.
The final exam grades and the final grades will NOT be saved on disk. You will
be given a printed list of this information. At the end of the printout, you
will be given a summary of the final grades given:
FINAL GRADES AVERAGE 73.2
FINAL GRADES count
90 -- 100 2 7.14%
80 -- 89 4 14.29
70 -- 79 11 39.29
60 -- 60 9 32.14
below 60 2 7.14
total students = 28
VII Level
1. Level change -- l / l
Use this option to change to a different class for entering information.
2. Dir change -- l / d
Use this option to change to a different drive, subdirectory, etc.
You will be requested to confirm that you want to change; press "y" to
change, any other letter to retype information. This request insures that
you do not mistakenly change to a non-existent drive or directory.
********************
CAUTION: this will NOT create a subdirectory for you. The subdirectory MUST
have been created before using this option. If you try to change to a
non-existent drive (D: or E:), the Command Line at the top of the screen MAY
indicate that all files will be sent to the bad drive; however, the program
will inform you of the error. YOU MUST USE Level / Level AGAIN TO CHANGE TO
THE CORRECT DRIVE BEFORE GOING ON! You will not get DOS' usual "Abort, Retry,
Ignore" message, nor will the program terminate.
*******************
If you're going to change to a directory named GRADE22, the correct response
to type in at the prompt would be: "\GRADE22" -- do NOT include a backwards
slash "\" at the end of \GRADE22 ("\GRADE22\" would be WRONG).
page 21
If the change is successful, all further disk activity will occur in the new
directory. If you need a NAMES and/or GRADES file, you must make sure they are
already in the new directory or else create them. The file GRADE.000 MUST be in
the new directory/drive or the program will ignore any HELP calls if it cannot
find the file in the new drive/directory.
3. * save Names -- l / n / * save Grades -- l / g
CAUTION: USE THESE OPTIONS ONLY IF THERE IS A DISK WRITE ERROR.
It's possible your disk might be full and there's no room for a NAMES or GRADES
file you just created.
DON'T PANIC. Follow these steps:
a. check directory of disk -- m / d
b. note any file(s) you can erase from the disk. Press any key.
c. press m / e to erase one file at a time.
d. THEN use this option -- information is still in memory and
this MAY save the NAMES or GRADES file or possibly both.
If there is a write error again, try inserting a BLANK, FORMATTED disk in the
drive you're using, and try this option again. If this doesn't work either,
you'll have to begin anew. Sorry.
DO NOT USE THIS OPTION IF THERE IS NO WRITE ERROR.
Files are constantly and automatically saved.
VII Miscellaneous
1. Erase file -- m / e
This will allow you to erase a file on disk. You will be asked if you are sure
if you want the file erased. You will be told if the erasure was successful OR
You will given an error message if there is no such file.
2. Rename file -- m / r
This will allow you to rename a file on disk. You will be prompted to enter the
old file name and the new. If the renaming was successful, you will be returned
to the main menu; otherwise, you will be given an appropriate error message.
3. Directory -- m / d
This will give you a directory listing for any drive you specify. The wild
cards '*' and '?' may be used. For example, c:\*.pas will list all files with
the extension .PAS in root directory of drive C:.
4. eXit -- m / x
Use this when you're finished and wish to quit the program and return to DOS.
page 22
VIII Help h / ???
This is the HELP facility built into the program which can be accessed only
through the main menu. All of the help screens are contained in the overlay
file GRADE.000 which must be on the directory, subdirectory, drive you're
working on. If this file is not, you will be given an error message that the
file is missing and all subsequent calls to Help will be ignored.
When you press Help from the main menu, you will be offered eight choices from
the submenu. The first seven correspond to the seven parts of the main menu
(Names Grades Quarter Print, etc.). The last is Keys which will explain the
various ways to move through the main menu and the submenus. At the conclusion
of the help screens, you will be returned to the main menu.
EXAMPLES OF PRINTOUTS
**** Names / Show (screen only)
highlighted if quarter 1
|
# 1 155 Roger Bakersville Williams 909 72.6 0.0 0.0 0.0
# 2 160 Joyce Callings Price 910 52.3 0.0 0.0 0.0
# 3 161 Henry Frier Groons 901 76.8 0.0 0.0 0.0
# 4 164 George Gallsworthy Williams 920 75.1 0.0 0.0 0.0
# 5 169 Betty Kims /aka Akers Price 902 34.5 0.0 0.0 0.0
# 6 170 Herman Killinsworth Price 918 78.1 0.0 0.0 0.0
# 7 175 Steven Mollins Groons 911 77.9 0.0 0.0 0.0
# 8 176 Henrietta Nance Price 914 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
# 9 178 Victor Petty Williams 907 73.2 0.0 0.0 0.0
# 10 179 Charles Robbinson Price 907 67.9 0.0 0.0 0.0
# 11 181 Henry Stimanski Williams 918 84.8 0.0 0.0 0.0
# 12 185 Karen Wise Price 920 80.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
# 13 188 Dummy Data End 000 93.8 0.0 0.0 0.0
Press a letter to continue.
<------------------------------------------------------>
**** Names / phoNe (screen only)
# 1 203 Denise Harvey Price 909 111-0000
# 2 207 Roger H. Thomasinon Wills 901 435-1544
# 3 211 Joyce Hershell Griner 908 333-1212
# 4 212 Henry Higgins Price 918 234-1546
<------------------------------------------------------>
page 23
**** Compute / Print
TEACHER NAME
CLASS DATE QUARTER 1
NAME/HOMEROOM QUARTER GRADES ABS AVG
Roger Bakersville 909 72.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 72.6
Joyce Callings 910 52.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 52.3
Henry Frier 901 76.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 76.8
George Gallsworthy 920 75.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 75.1
Betty Kims /aka Akers 902 34.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 34.5
Herman Killinsworth 918 78.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 78.1
Steven Mollins 911 77.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 77.9
Henrietta Nance 914 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 0.0
Victor Petty 907 73.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 73.2
Charles Robbinson 907 67.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 67.9
Henry Stimanski 918 84.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 84.8
Karen Wise 920 80.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 79.9
Dummy Data 000 93.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 93.8
QUARTER AVERAGES: 66.68 0.0 0.0 0.0
90 -- 100 1 7.69%
80 -- 89 2 15.38%
70 -- 79 6 46.15%
60 -- 69 1 7.69%
below 60 3 23.08%
# students = 13
<------------------------------------------------------>
**** Quarter / Statistics (screen only)
LEVEL: 11 QUARTER: 1
--> over 100 2 8.00 <-- indicates probable ERROR
90 -- 100 0 0.00% |
80 -- 89 5 20.00 |
70 -- 79 17 68.00 |
60 -- 69 1 4.00 |
below 60 0 0.00 |
|
total students = 25 quarter average: 96.51
Press any letter to continue.
<------------------------------------------------------>
page 24
**** Print / Reports -- example of a progress report; one copy printed
Your High School Current Date, 19XX
Progress Report Quarter 1
To the parents of Karen Wise
Homeroom: 920 Counselor: Price
Karen has an average of 80.0 in CLASS NAME for quarter 1.
QUARTER AVERAGES:
1st: 80.0 2nd: 0.0 3rd: 0.0 4th: 0.0
Cumulative final average as of CURRENT DATE: 80.0
Grades for quarter 1
4 50% 79 80 81 81 avg: 80.25 pts: 40.1
3 30% 80 80 79 avg: 79.67 pts: 23.9
4 20% 79 80 80 81 avg: 80.0 pts: 16.0
+ NOTE: first novel to be read by 10/15/86.
++ Karen needs to concentrate more on homework.
Thus far Karen has been absent 0 time(s) this quarter.
Karen should be commended for such good attendance.
TEACHER'S NAME, CLASS NAME
Name/Date_____________________Name/Date________________________
[please sign and return]
+ message added to ALL reports at your option
++ individual message added at your option
<--------------------------------->
Differences between printed Progress and Deficiency reports
a. deficiency given if grade equals or is below minimum passing grade.
b. Statement is printed for deficiency: "Perhaps a conference is
indicated. The school phone number is PHONE #."
c. Statement is printed for progress if grade is 90 or better:
"'FIRST NAME' should be commended for such good work."
d. 2 copies printed of deficiency
In the third and fourth quarters, if the cumulative average (thinking
of the FINAL GRADE) is equal to or below the minimum passing grade,
the following is printed: * POSSIBLE FAILURE FOR THE YEAR *
<------------------------------------------------------>
Quarter / Compute error
COMPUTING error for:
3 Vincent Crane 6 Nancy Frester
25 Dummy Data
Press any letter
page 25
**** Print / Name list
CLASS NAME TEACHER NAME Quarter 2 March 19, 1986
Henry Jones 76.0 66.6 0.0 0.0 3
7 50% -- 88 99 77 44 88 89 avg: 69.3 pts: 34.6
4 30% 100 88 76 56 avg: 80.0 pts: 24.0
5 20% -- -- 00 100 100 avg: 40.0 pts: 8.0
Sally Smith 76.0 66.6 0.0 0.0 3
7 50% -- 88 99 77 44 88 89 avg: 69.3 pts: 34.6
4 30% 100 88 76 56 avg: 80.0 pts: 24.0
5 20% -- -- 00 100 100 avg: 40.0 pts: 8.0
(same information for rest of students in class)
<------------------------------------------------------>
**** Print / nuMber list
CLASS NAME TEACHER NAME Quarter 2 March 19, 1986
163 ...... 76.0 66.6 0.0 0.0 3
7 50% -- 88 99 77 44 88 89 avg: 69.3 pts: 34.6
4 30% 100 88 76 56 avg: 80.0 pts: 24.0
5 20% -- -- 00 100 100 avg: 40.0 pts: 8.0
165 ...... 76.0 66.6 0.0 0.0 3
7 50% -- 88 99 77 44 88 89 avg: 69.3 pts: 34.6
4 30% 100 88 76 56 avg: 80.0 pts: 24.0
5 20% -- -- 00 100 100 avg: 40.0 pts: 8.0
(same information for rest of students in class)
<------------------------------------------------------>
NOTE: Some printouts are printed continuously. This was done to minimize paper;
a class of 40 students could use anywhere from 40 to 80 pages of paper if
printed one to a page. You will have to cut the progress/deficiency reports
yourself with a ruler. Enough space is given between each to make this an easy
task.
HINT: If your NAMES file contains many names, the disk activity can take a long
time. Remember that files are saved continuously. To make the delay as little
as possible, I recommend using a RAM disk for storing the NAMES and the GRADES
file(s). You could even have GRADE.COM on the ram disk and start the program
from there. You should also have the file GRADE.000 on the RAM disk to use the
Help screens and the file GR.ADE. You must also remember to copy the NAMES and
GRADES files to disk after exiting the program.
A CACHE program can also be used in place of a RAM disk to speed disk access.
page 26
Sample batch file to create a RAM disk as drive C: and run the program from
the ram disk (C:) using the SUPERDRV.COM program provided by AST (tm).
GRADE.BAT
superdrv c: (create RAM disk of about 320K)
copy GR.ADE C:
copy GRADE.* C: (copy GRADE.COM and GRADE.000)
copy NAMES.* C: (copy any NAMES files to RAM disk)
copy GRADES.* C: (copy any GRADES files to RAM disk)
C: (make RAM drive current directory)
grade (run GRADE program)
copy C:NAMES.* [drive]: (after exiting program, files will be saved
copy C:GRADES.* [drive]: on [drive]: -- substitute your drive letter)
After entering the level, the quarter, and the class to work on, use the
Level / change Directory command to use the C:\ RAM disk to all input and
output of files.
DEFAULT ENTRIES
Whenever you are prompted to enter some information (name, grade, choice), you
will sometimes be given a DEFAULT entry. To accept the entry given, simply
press RETURN. To refuse the entry, type in the new answer or information. You
do NOT have to erase or delete the default entry first.
e.g.
When prompted for final exam grades, a grade of 0 is the default:
FINAL ==> 0_ to accept 0, press RETURN
to refuse, type new number, RETURN
-- You need not BACKSPACE to erase 0
When prompted for number of absences, 0 is the default:
Absence: 0_ to accept 0, press RETURN
to refuse, type new number, RETURN
-- You need not BACKSPACE to erase 0
If the space to enter information is blank, there is no default entry and
you must, therefore, type in the information.
page 27
MOVEMENT KEYS
MAIN MENU
RIGHT or LEFT arrow keys --
OR ----> press RETURN
^S for LEFT ^D for RIGHT --
OR
press CAPITAL letter for selection
SUBMENU
UP or DOWN arrow keys --
OR ----> press RETURN
^E for UP ^X for DOWN --
OR
press CAPITAL letter for selection
[^S, ^D, ^E, ^X will be familiar to WordStar (tm) users.]
NOTE: After making your selection from the MAIN menu and the SUBMENU and after
the window opens and prompts for information, if you press ESC, the selection
will be cancelled.
Right or Left arrow keys OR ^S or ^D can be used to move the cursor right
or left to correct information when so requested in the program.
PRINTER CODES (hint)
The spacing for all printouts is 6 lines per inch. When printing the
def/progress reports, you may want to save paper by having them printed
8 lines to an inch. To do this, run the INSTALL program again, complete all
information as usual, but for the printer use NOT LISTED as your choice. You'll
be prompted for the codes to set ELITE print and will be asked for 6 numbers.
You can use the first two numbers to set ELITE mode and the next two numbers to
set 8 LINES PER INCH. You can even set CONDENSED mode instead of elite.
For example these would be the codes for an EPSON printer for ELITE mode, 8
LINES PER INCH:
27 77 27 48 0 0
If your printer doesn't support ELITE mode, you can use the codes for
CONDENSED mode instead; entries for EPSON condensed would be 18 0 0 0 0 0.
When the reports are printed, run the INSTALL program again after exiting the
program and select your printer. This will set ELITE mode; then turn your
printer OFF and then ON to cancel the 8 LINES PER INCH.
You can use this method for 8 lines per inch and condensed print for Print /
Names, Print / nuMber, Print / Print reports.
page 28
ERROR MESSAGES EXPLAINED
1. File / Directory does not exist.
files NAMES or GRADES not found on disk. Use Names / Create to create or use
Level / change Dir to change to correct directory or subdirectory. You may be
attempting to change to a directory or subdirectory that does not exist.
If you attempt to change to a drive that doesn't exist, the program will
proceed as usual and will not terminate nor give DOS' "Abort, Retry, Ignore"
message. The Command Line will show the bad drive and appropriate error
messages will be given. Immediately check the command line; if the -DIR:
listing is for the bad drive, you must use Level/Level to change to a correct
drive / directory. If the -DIR: has not changed, test using Names / Show that
you are still logged into the correct directory.
2. writing on protected disk
You are attempting to save a NAMES or GRADES files on a disk that has the
write protect tab on it; cannot write on a disk that is write protected.
3. disk drive open
You are attempting to read or write a file on a disk while the disk drive door
is open; the save or write is cancelled. Close door and try using the Level /
* save Names or * save Grades option to store on disk.
4. error; bad disk
While attempting to write to or read from a disk, DOS has encountered a bad
sector and has cancelled the write or read.
5. Cannot seek beyond EOF (end of file)
will find this if, after deleting names from a file in quarters 2, 3, or 4,
you go back and try to access grades from quarter 1. Once you delete names
from a file, DO NOT go back to a previous quarter!
6. Unexpected EOF (end of file)
see #5 above
7. Print/Write error
Once you give the go-ahead to the printer to begin printing, if the printer
is turned off, printing will be cancelled. Make sure printer is turned on
and is on-line BEFORE selecting print options.
8. No entries at all!
An attempt was made using the Level / * save Names or the Level / * save
Grades option when there are no entries to be saved.
9. Error in entry -- 3 digits each -> 75 = 075
grades must be entered as three digits each; you have entered at least one
of the grades as only one or two digits.
EXAMPLE: 09908809 will cause this error since the last grade entered is
only two digits (09) 99 88 [9] -- should be entered as 099088009
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10. File missing. Use Grade / Create.
You're attempting to add or change grades when no grades have been entered yet.
Use Level / Level to correct or Grade / Create to create file.
11. Cannot find GRADE.000. HELP turned off.
When GRADE is first run, it looks in the current directory for GRADE.000.
If it cannot find the file, HELP is turned off and you are informed of this
with this error message. You will also get this message if you attempt to
change to a different directory while in the program and the file GRADE.000
is not in the new directory or if the file GRADE.000 is bad.
12. File missing. Use Names / Create.
You're attempting to add or change names in a NAMES file that has not been
created yet. Use Level / Level to correct or Names / Create to create file.
13. Maximum entries (150). Can add no more.
You're attempting to add names beyond the maximum of the program. You'll
have to break up your entries into smaller sections to fit the 150 maximum.
14. All choices are NO. Cancelling GRADES entry.
You've answered no to all the possible entry choices; so the selection has
been cancelled since there's nothing to do.
15. WARNING! 22 entries for grades.
A student already has the maximum of 22 grades and thus no more can be added;
so that category of grades (50%, 30%, or 20%) will be skipped.
16. Entry over 100 not allowed.
Cannot enter an exam grade greater than 100.
17. Disk write error.
error encountered in writing to disk.
18. Directory is full.
no further room for additional entries.
19. File has disappeared.
may be encountered if you change disks while GRADE if running.
20. Computing error for [name(s)]
Check all three categories of grades for a grade over 100. The quarter
average MAY look correct (under 100) but the average for 50%, 30%, or 20%
grades is wrong, thus making the final average wrong.
If a grade is entered over 100, an error flag is set and at the end of
the computations, you will be informed of those students with grade(s) over
100. NO GRADE OR AVERAGE IS CHANGED! You can accept the higher grade and
continue. In most cases, you should use the Grade/cHange option to check the
grades for each student listed, change if necessary, and then recompute.
(It's possible, through bonus points, that you may enter a grade higher than
100; remember that even though an error flag is set, no grade will be
changed. You can ignore the flag for that grade.)
page 30
21. No grades for [name]
When checking that each student has at least one grade entered in each
category of grade (50%, 30%, and 20%), no grades were entered for [name].
Use Grade / cHange to enter grade for student.
22. Parameter error: 11 1 Math
If you're starting the program using LEVEL, QUARTER, and CLASS NAME on the
command line, all THREE parameters are needed. If missing one, this message
will appear. The correct way to begin the program from DOS is:
------SPACE--------
| | |
C> GRADE [level] [quarter] [class name] <RET>
C> GRADE 12 4 Algebra I <RET>
If you enter anything except "1, 2, 3, 4" for quarter, the error message will
appear and quarter will be changed to "1"; use Level/Level to change to the
correct quarter if necessary. CLASS NAME, remember, is limited to two names,
not to exceed twenty characters.
ESCAPE WARNING
The ESC key has been designed to back you out of a portion of the program that
you mistakenly selected. For example, you may want to change some information
using the Names / cHange option but press Names / Add instead. Once the window
opens, if you press ESC, the selection will be immediately cancelled and you'll
be returned to the main menu.
Please note that once you begin entering information, you must finish until
the last entry has been made. I thought about using the ESC key to exit a
submenu AT ANY TIME, even in the middle of entering information, but the
possibility exists that if you press the ESC key by mistake, all your work
would then be lost. I felt that preventing such an accidental loss was more
important than leaving a submenu in the middle of entering information.
Therefore, you may back out of a submenu you have mistakenly selected ONLY AT
THE VERY BEGINNING. Once you begin entering information, you must finish.
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************************************************************************
for GRADE entry only:
Because there may be times when you're in the middle of entering data that a
monumental error has been made and it's ridiculous to store so much bad data
and ruin the data that's already been created. For this reason only, I have
left ONE ultimate escape that should be used ONLY AS A LAST RESORT!
When creating a GRADES file or adding grades to an already existing GRADES
file, if you enter "9" and press RETURN, the selection will be cancelled.
NO INFORMATION WILL BE SAVED!
************************************************************************
PATH LIMITATIONS
The full path supported in the program is limited to 30 characters including
the drive designation.
path example: C:\GRADES\ <-- 10 characters
for directory: C:\LOTUS\TAXES\*.* <-- 18 characters
If you use a path name longer than 30 characters in this program, files created
will not be saved and directory listings will not appear.
USE OF PRINTMAN.COM
PRINTMAN.COM can be used to view any of these files (MANUAL.DOC, SAMPLES.DOC,
or READ.ME) on the screen or they can be sent to the printer. To make the job
easier on you and your disk drive, I recommend creating a RAM drive and
copying all four files to the RAM drive and running PRINTMAN from the RAM
drive. example using AST's (tm) SUPERDRV program:
<RET> means to press RETURN
A>superdrv c:<RET> --create RAM drive C:
A>copy *.doc c:<RET> --copy .DOC files to C: from drive A:
A>copy printman.com c:<RET> --copy PRINTMAN.COM to C:
A>copy read.me c: --copy READ.ME to C:
A>c:<RET> --log onto drive C:
C>printman<RET> --run PRINTMAN
You can just as easily use VDISK or any other program you might have to create
the RAM drive and copy the files to it.
