Magnum One/Magnum One (Mid-American Digital) (Disc Manufacturing).iso/d6/tm2.arc/MANUAL.DOC

Text File | 1989-04-12 | 21KB | 468 lines

                                Task Master - 2.0
             Copyright (c) RKS Associates 1988 - All Rights Reserved.
             RKS Associates, 3820 N. Dittmar Rd., Arlington, VA 22207


Task Master is an all-purpose project tracking program.  Its purpose is
to help you keep track of office tasks, projects, assignments,
correspondence, and other work - easily.

Task Master is extremely easy to use.   If you take 10 minutes to read
this Manual, you will be up and running with Task Master right away. We
think you will like it.

LICENSE STATEMENT

Shareware testers - Task Master is protected by U.S. Copyright law, and
is NOT public domain software.  You are hereby granted a limited license
to make an evaluation copy for trial use on a private, non-commercial
basis for the express purpose of determining whether Task Master is
suitable for your needs.

At the end of this trial period, not to exceed 30 days, you should either
register your copy or discontinue using Task Master.

Registered owners - registered owners are licensed to use their
registered copy on a single machine and to make archival copies for the
sole purpose of backing up the program.  Task Master may be moved from
one computer location to another, so long as there is no possibility of
it being used at one location while it is being used at another.


REGISTRATION:

You may register by sending in the form below with a check for $35.

BENEFITS OF REGISTRATION:

- registered owners will receive a licensed copy of the most recent
  version of Task Master.

- notification of future upgrades of Task Master, available at a reduced
  rate.

- technical support for any problems or questions.

- a clear conscience.

HOW TO REGISTER

Complete the form at the end of this MANUAL.DOC file, and send it to us
along with your $35 registration fee.

USER GROUPS / SHAREWARE DISTRIBUTORS / ELECTRONIC BULLETIN BOARDS

PC user groups, shareware distributors, and electronic bulletin board
operators are welcome to add Task Master to their libraries. We would
appreciate notification that you have added Task Master to your library.

If you have received Task Master through a user group, a shareware
distributor, or an electronic bulletin board, please remember that any
diskette fee you paid DOES NOT constitute licensing the software, and you
are still obligated to register if you decide to use Task Master.

DISCLAIMER

Task Master is licensed without any warranty of merchantability, fitness
of particular purpose, performance, or otherwise; all warranties are
disclaimed.  By using Task Master, you agree that Robert K. Summers, aka
RKS Associates, will not be liable to you or any third party for any use
of (or inability to use) this software, or for any damages (direct or
indirect) whatsoever, even if Robert K. Summers or his agents are
apprised of the possibility of such damages occuring.  In no event shall
Robert K. Summers be liable for any loss of profit or any other
commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental,
consequential or other damages.  The entire risk related to the quality
and performance of the program is on you.


                              SOME QUESTIONS

What is Task Master?

Task Master is a very powerful, yet easy to use project management
program.  With it, you can create a file of projects, assignments,
etc., edit the file, search for specific records, browse through the
file, and print reports in any of several formats.

What equipment do I need?

Task Master is designed to work on any IBM PC/XT/AT/386 or compatible
computer, with a monochrome or color monitor.  It requires 384K of working
memory.  Task Master works with any dot matrix or laser jet printer.

Task Master is designed for use on a hard disk system.  If you do not
have a hard disk, you may want to consider a less powerful project
management program.

*************************************************************************


                                CONFIG.SYS FILE

DOS uses the CONFIG.SYS file to set certain defaults for your computer.
It should be in the root directory of your fixed disk. If you do not
already have a CONFIG.SYS file you should create one that has these two
lines:

                                 FILES=20
                                 BUFFERS=16

If you already use a CONFIG.SYS file that does not include settings for
files and buffers, you should add the two lines above to the file.  You
can do it with any text editor.  If your CONFIG.SYS file already contains
settings for files and buffers greater than these, you can leave them as
they are.

In most cases, Task Master will be able to detect whether you have a
color or monochrome monitor.  If you have a monochrome monitor and the
Task Master screens appear to have a bright, washed out look, type
TM M to start Task Master.  The extra M tells Task Master to use
monochrome, not color.

                            STARTING TASK MASTER

Go to the Task Master directory on your hard disk. Type TM at the DOS C>
prompt to start Task Master.  The first time you run Task Master it will
automatically create the master database, called PROJECTS.DBF, and other
necessary program files.

Opening Screen - the opening screen contains our copyright statement
and registration ID.

The next screen displays the message "Updating for delinquent projects."
TM is checking for projects with due dates earlier than today's date.  If
it finds any, their status code will be changed to DEL (delinquent).

                                  --

                               Main Menu:

You can use any or all of the fields in each record to record project
data.  Here is what each field is designed for.

Number: TM automatically numbers your records from 1001 to 99999. When
you hit record 100000, TM will start over at 1001 again.

Type: This field allows you to categorize your records according to any
"types" you want.  As you will see below, one of your report options is
to produce a project report categorized by type.

You can invent any "types" you want, e.g., CORR (correspondence), MED
(medical), NY (New York), HIPRO (high priority), etc.

We suggest you record the types you invent in the TYPES look-up database
accessed through the main menu VIEW option (discussed below). The TYPES
look-up database does not interact with the program in any way.  It is
just there so you have an on-line place to record your "types" codes for
reference.

Project: This field allows you to record the name of the project.

Description: This field allows you to describe your project.

Assn Office: This field allows you to record the abbreviation of the
office to which the project is assigned.  The OFFICES look-up table
accessed through the VIEW option on the main menu, allows you to record
the abbreviation and the full name.  TM uses this look-up table to print
the full office name on project control sheets.

Contact: This field allows you to record the name/phone of the person to
contact for information about the project.

Assigned: This field allows you to record the date the project was
assigned.  TM automatically assigns today's date as a convenience, but
this may be over-typed.

Due: This field allows you to record the project due date.

Completed: This field allows you to record the date the project was
completed. When you enter a date in this field, TM automatically places
COM (completed) in the Status Code field.

Curr Status: This field allows you to record a narrative description of
the current status of the project.

Status Code: This field allows you to record the current status code of
the project.  TM uses three status codes automatically.  You may add any
others you want.  The three standard TM status codes are WIP for Work in
Progress, COM for Completed, and DEL for Delinquent. One of your report
options is to produce a project report categorized by status code.

WIP is assigned automatically when you add a new record.

The CODES look-up table accessed from the main menu VIEW option shows
the three standard status codes.  If you invent any other status
codes, this is a good place to record them for future reference.

Comments: This field allows you to record any comments or notes you may
have about the project.

When you have finished adding data for a new record, TM will ask you if
you want to save the record.  If you answer no, TM will return you to the
main menu. If you answer yes, TM will add the new record to the database,
and ask you if you want to print a project control sheet.

The project control sheet is designed to provide a working cover sheet
for the project documents.  When the project is completed it can be
filed with the project papers to document project history.

If you have created a memo (F2 key) for this project, it will be printed
on the bottom half of the project control sheet.

                                --

You may select any main menu option by pressing the first letter of the
option, or by placing the lite-bar over the option and pressing the Enter
key.

Add: Select this option to add new records.

Edit: Select this option to edit any record.

Next: Select this option to display the next record.

Previous: Select this option to display the previous record.

Find: Select this option to display a record when you know the record
number.

Zap: Select this option to delete the current record.

Reports: Select this option to display a list of available reports.

Reports A thru E are pre-formatted reports designed to give you lists
of your projects organized by number, type, due date, office, and
status code.

Report F is a user-defined report.  You can use this report to list
data in selected fields from the master PROJECTS.DBF file and the
three look-up tables.

In all cases, you have the option of sending a report to the screen,
the printer, or the disk.  When you send a report to the disk, TM
creates an ascii text file of your report on the disk and names it
RPT_x.RPT where x is the number of the report from the report menu.
A = 1, B = 2, C = 3, D = 4, E = 5, F = 6.

The advantage of sending your report to the disk is that you can edit
the report with any standard word processor, including the built-in Task
Master word processor accessed through the Services option on the main
menu.

You may press the Esc key at any time to pause report production. A
message will appear saying "Report Paused.   0 = Quit, 1 = Resume".
Enter a 0 or 1, as you wish.

Services: Select this option to display a list of important utilities.

A - Reindex files - Task Master uses automatically maintained files
called indexes to keep your records in order by number, due date,
office, type, and status code.  Power outages, power surges, brownouts
(voltage reductions), or other power-related problems affecting your
system can adversely affect these index files without your knowing it.
If your records ever seem to be out of sequence, just use this feature
to rebuild the index files.  You can always reindex your records just
for the heck of it.

B - Purge completed records - This feature allows you to keep your
file up to date by getting rid of records of completed projects.  We
suggest that before you purge completed project records, you set the
filter to completed records and print a copy of report # 1 so you will
have a file copy of the records for future reference.

C - Print control sheet - This feature allows you to print a duplicate
copy of the project control sheet, e.g., in case the original is
damaged.

D - Word processor - this is a complete word processor which you may use
to edit any small text file on your computer.

Use Alt-N to display a list of files in the selected directory/wildcard.

Select Alt-H for help when in the word processor and experiment.  Use
Alt-Y to select a new directory, or to specify a wildcard such as *.txt.

Note: the size of the file to be edited is limited by the amount of free
memory you have remaining on your system.

E - Pack memo file - Any memos you create with the F2 option are stored
in the NAMEFILE.DBT file on your disk.  Because of the way this file
stores your memos, some dead space can accumulate over time.  If you use
the F2 option to attach memos to your records, you should periodically
use this feature to "pack", or reduce the size of, the memo file on the
disk. This will assure that NAMEFILE.DBT takes up the minimum amount of
space on your disk.

F - Set next number - Use this feature to manually set the next project
number.  The next number to be assigned is shown.  Changing the next
number is normally NOT something you would want to do, since Task Master
takes care of numbering projects in exact sequential order for you.
However, if you want to reset the next number to one of your own choice,
you can do it here.  As in all parts of Task Master, you can press Esc to
back out of this procedure if you change your mind and decide not to
change the next number.

G - Set country - Use this feature to select the date format you prefer.

H - Set date -  Use this feature to correct your computer's system date.

I - Set time -  Use this feature to correct your computer's system time.

J - Coffee Break - When you get tired of working, take a break with this
fun puzzle!  (Press the ESC key to make it disappear instantly when the
boss comes!)

View: Select this option to browse through the records of your main
PROJECTS database and the three look-up databases.  This option, like all
others, obeys the filter condition.  You may not add or edit project
records in View mode.  You may browse through them, and you may press
enter or Esc to select the record you want to look at when returned to
the main menu.

You may add or edit records in the Codes, Offices, and Types databases.
To edit a record in View mode, select the record/field you want to edit,
press the Enter key to enter the field, edit what you want, and press the
Enter key to exit the field.  Press the Esc key to exit View mode and
return to the main menu.

Quit: Select this option to quit TM.


                                FUNCTION KEYS

F1 function key - at any point in the program you can press F1 to
display context-sensitive help messages.

F2 function key - use this feature to view or edit the text in the memo
field of the current record.  You may enter any text you want.  We
suggest you keep your comments short, however, since disk space used for
memos means less space available for records.  Press Ctrl-W to save any
changes.  Press Esc to exit without saving changes.

F3 function key - use this feature to select the index, or order, of your
records. The default order is due date.  When Task Master starts, you
will be looking at the project with the earliest due date.  With the F3
function key, you may set the order of your records to due date, number,
type, status code, or office.  A small arrow will point to the active
order.  When you select Next, Previous, F8-first record, F9-last record,
or View the Projects database, the order of your records will obey this
setting.

F4 function key - use this feature to toggle a digital clock on and off
in the lower right hand corner of the screen.

F5 function key - use this feature to display a pop-up calendar and
appointment notepad.  Press Esc to make it disappear.

F6 function key - This is a useful calculator that includes all the basic
operators: addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (*), and
division (/), plus exponentation (^) and a full-featured memory. Whenever
you press an operator ('+', '-', '*', '/', or '^'), the previous number
is shown above the display window. This is handy for when you are
processing a list of numbers and forget where you were.

Memory Functions: To access memory functions, press "M", then one of the
flashing keys:

    'R' -- recall number stored in memory
    'C' -- clear memory (reset to zero)
    '+' -- add current number to number stored in memory
    '-' -- subtract current number from number stored in memory
    '*' -- multiply number stored in memory by current number
    '/' -- divide number stored in memory by current number

F7 function key - use this feature to display your record count. Remember
that everything obeys the filter.  With a filter set, this feature will
tell you how many records you have that meet the filter condition.  This
can be extremely useful when someone wants to know how many projects of a
certain kind there are.

F8 function key - go immediately to the first record.

F9 function key - go immediately to the last record.

F10 function key - this is one of your most powerful features. Use this
feature if you want to work with a selected sub-set of your records.
For example, if you want to work with only those records where "Smith" is
contained somewhere in the Comments field, enter SMITH on the Comments
line of the filter-setting screen.  Press the PgDn key and you will be
working with only that subset of records.  If you were interested only in
the delinquent (DEL) Smith records, you would also enter DEL on the
Status Code line.

You cannot include the Number field in a filter, but you can include the
Memo field.  If you want to include only those records that have the word
Indian ANYWHERE in the Memo field, just enter INDIAN on the memo line of
the filter screen.

Look at the three date lines of the filter-setting screen.  There are two
date blocks on each date line, preceeded by >= (greater than or equal to)
and <= (less than or equal to) signs.  You can specify a time period for
the filter by entering dates in the date blocks.  You can use the first
date block by itself or in combination with the second date block to
specify a precise time period.

For example, if you wanted to set the filter for all delinquent
projects where the word Smith was contained somewhere in the Comments
field and the projects were assigned between 09/01/88 and 10/15/88,
you would enter "08/31/88" and "10/16/88" on the Assigned line, "DEL" on
the Status Code line, and "SMITH" on the Comments line. Press the PgDn
key and you will be working only with those records that meet the filter
condition.

If you wanted to set the filter for only those projects assigned on one
specific day, enter just that date in the first date block.

After you have added several records, you should experiment with the
filtering feature so you can see how powerful it can be.  The filter
condition you select affects everything TM does, including reports.
You do not need to use this feature if you don't want to, but if you
experiment with it and understand its power, you will use it often.

When you set a filter condition, a "filter on" reminder message will
appear to remind you.  When you clear the filter, the message disappears.

When you set a filter condition, EVERYTHING YOU DO conforms to the
filter, including printing reports.


                            IMPORTANT FINAL NOTE

Please make regular backup copies of your records to protect against
accidental erasures or system malfunction. Your records are in the file
called PROJECTS.DBF.  Memo field data is in the file called PROJECTS.DBT.
These two files must be backed up at the same time. There are many
options available for saving and restoring copies of your records. You
may want to consult the DOS manual that accompanies your computer.  WE
ASSUME NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR LOSS OF DATA.

Should you ever need to restore backed-up files, please reindex your
records (Services Menu) after restoring.


                               TASK MASTER

--------------------------- REGISTRATION FORM ------------------------

Please register my copy of Task Master.  My check for $35 is enclosed.

TO:                           FROM:

RKS Associates                Name: __________________________________
3820 N. Dittmar Rd.
Arlington VA 22207       (Company): __________________________________

                           (Title): __________________________________

                           Address: __________________________________
Today's
date: ___________       City,State: __________________________________
                                                              Zip Code
                      Phone Number: _________________________


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