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---------------------------------------- I I I ABC FUN KEYS I I I I Version 4.2 I I I I A Musical Learning Game for I I Small Children I I I I For IBM Compatible Computers I I I ---------------------------------------- September 2, 1991 Courtney E. Krehbiel 199 N. El Camino Real, Suite F175 Encinitas, CA 92024 ------------------------------------------- | 24 Hour Message and Software Support | | On-line Registration with MC/Visa | |-----------------------------------------| | ABC FUN KEYS Bulletin Board System | |-----------------------------------------| | Telephone: (619) 436-3525 | | Modem Settings: 300 to 2400 BPS, | | No parity, 8 Bits, 1 Stop Bit | ------------------------------------------- Copyright (c) 1991 Courtney E. Krehbiel All Rights Reserved ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ QUICK START FOR ADVANCED USERS ------------------------------ About the program: ------------------ ABC FUN KEYS is an educational game for children between the ages of two to six years old. The game features 38 colorful full screen graphic pictures, action, and lots of nursery rhyme songs. The ABC FUN KEYS program consists of four different games: An entry level game where a picture is displayed and song is played for each letter and number key that is pressed; a beginner game where the child must match the letter/number picture displayed on the screen with the corresponding key on the keyboard; a more advanced version where the picture is gradually revealed and the child must make the correct match in a limited time period; and a child's typing tutor where letters and numbers float in the "air" between "heaven" and "mud". In the last game, letters need to be "hearted to heaven" by pressing the corresponding key before they expire and sink into the mud. Advanced features of the ABC FUN KEYS include the ability to select any combination and order of letters and numbers, an adult control panel utility with on-line help, and configuration files and command line parameters for automatic game startup. The program opens with an easy-selection child's menu. ABC FUN KEYS will run on any IBM PC compatible computer with 512 KB or more of available RAM, one floppy disk, and DOS 3.1 or greater. The program works with Hercules Monochrome, CGA, EGA, or VGA video systems. ABC FUN KEYS is written in Turbo C. How to Start: ------------- To start ABC FUN KEYS from a floppy, use the distribution disk or copy all the program files to a single floppy diskette. Place the disk in drive A:, make A: the default drive, and type: ABC If you are using a hard disk, make a subdirectory labeled ABC and copy all the ABC FUN KEYS files to that subdirectory. Make the ABC subdirectory the current directory, and type: ABC On the registered user distribution diskette, pictures are compressed to enable all files to fit on the diskette. ABC Fun Keys must be installed prior to use by typing: INSTALL Typing ABC /? will display a help screen listing the command line options. If the program fails to display graphics correctly, you may need to explicitly tell the program which graphics adapter your computer uses. For example, ABC /V=7 starts ABC FUN KEYS for a Hercules monochrome graphics system. Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page i ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS ----------------- QUICK START FOR ADVANCED USERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i COPYRIGHT NOTICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN ABC FUN KEYS . . . . . . . . . 1 WHY SHOULD I REGISTER ?? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 REGISTRATION BENEFITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 COMPUTER SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR ABC FUN KEYS . . . . . . . . 4 PROGRAM OVERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 GAME DESCRIPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 GAME ONE -- Basic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 GAME TWO -- Guess Quick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 GAME THREE -- Heaven and Mud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 GAME FOUR -- Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 INSTALLING THE ABC FUN KEYS PROGRAM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 STARTING THE GAME -- Floppy Disk System . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Optional Program Setup Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 STARTING THE GAME -- Hard Disk System . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 CONTROL PANEL FEATURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Clear and Start Over . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Select All . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Select All Alphabet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Select All Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Disable/Enable Nursery Rhyme Music . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Enable Random/Sorted Order Selection . . . . . . . . . . 13 Enable/Release Keyboard Plus Key Hold . . . . . . . . . 13 Lock/Unlock Songs to/from Pictures . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Return to Menu After nn Plays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Save Game Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 HEAVEN & MUD CONTROL PANEL FEATURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Use LowerCase/UpperCase Letters in Heaven & Mud . . . . 15 Heaven/Mud Letter Velocity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Heaven/Mud Letter Duration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Heaven/Mud Letter Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 COMMAND LINE CONTROL FEATURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page ii ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS, Cont. ----------------------- HIDDEN GAME FEATURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 USING ABC FUN KEYS WITH A RAM-DISK . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 NOTES ON USING ABC FUN KEYS WITH A HARD DISK . . . . . . . . 20 OTHER ABC FUN KEY NOTES OF INTEREST . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 LISTING OF ABC PROGRAM FILES AND USES . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 INSTANT MAILER REGISTRATION FORM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page iii ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ COPYRIGHT NOTICE ---------------- The ABC FUN KEYS program and manual are copyright (C) 1985-1991 by Courtney E. Krehbiel. All rights are reserved. Non-registered users, PC software libraries, and computer software clubs are granted a limited license to use this product on a trial basis, and to copy the program for trial use by others subject to the following limitations: The ABC FUN KEYS program must be distributed in unmodified form, complete with all files and documentation. See the file list later in this documentation for details. No fee, charge or other consideration may be requested or accepted for program distribution with one exception. PC software libraries may charge a maximum of $6 per distribution diskette to defray costs of copying and mailing. ABC FUN KEYS may not be distributed in conjunction with any other hardware or software product without the written permission of the author. For example, this means the program can not be given away by computer outlets as part of a computer system without my written permission. If you intend to use ABC FUN KEYS after an evaluation period, you must register the program. To do otherwise is a violation of the distribution license and United States Copyright laws. Commercial, educational, business or government use is prohibited without site registration. For example, you may not use this program in a Pre-School or Day-care center without site registration. Registration fees for such uses are extremely reasonable. Please refer to the registration form for details. Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page iv ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN ABC FUN KEYS ------------------------------------------- Thank you very much for looking at ABC FUN KEYS. I sincerely hope that you and a child important to you will find this program fun to use, easy, and educational. I have tried very hard to make ABC FUN KEYS as intuitive to use as possible. However, there are features and capabilities included in the program that are not obvious from the screen displays. I strongly recommend a quick review of this documentation file to get a feel for the range of possibilities that ABC FUN KEYS provides. Because of the age of the intended audience, I encourage you to participate with the child in playing the games. You can provide the vocalization of letters and numbers, positive feedback rewards, and closeness that a program can never match. If you choose to let your child play solo, be reassured that the program has been carefully designed to prevent a small child from inadvertently damaging other files which may be on your computer. For example, one program option deliberately makes it difficult to exit so a small child won't accidentally get to DOS. Obviously, I hope that you will register your copy of ABC FUN KEYS. All registration proceeds are placed in an account for my two children. I don't expect you to register if you decide the program does not meet your needs. If you choose not to register, I would greatly appreciate a note describing what you expected the program to do and why you are disappointed. In either case, please pass the program along to others who may be interested. Once again, THANK YOU for looking at ABC FUN KEYS. I hope it provides many hours of enjoyable learning for a child you love. Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page 1 ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ WHY SHOULD I REGISTER ?? ------------------------ Many people tacitly regard "Shareware" distributed software as "free". This is not true. There is also the inclination to "let the other guy register". As a result, very few users bothered to register earlier versions of ABC FUN KEYS which contained the complete alphabet. I nearly abandoned the concept of "Shareware" software distribution. After this early discouragement, and in a fashion similar to many other shareware programs, the full benefits of ABC FUN KEYS were set aside for those who registered their copy. Therefore, the complete set of auxiliary pictures for ABC FUN KEYS is no longer included in the shareware version of the program. However, the program is completely functional. There are no missing features or capabilities in the Shareware version other than the auxiliary picture files. I will abide by the spirit of "Shareware". If you feel the full set of picture files is required to properly evaluate ABC FUN KEYS, please send me a letter stating why you feel you are unable to fairly evaluate the "Shareware" version of the program. You must also include a self addressed floppy disk mailer, one 5 1/4 inch floppy disk, and $1 for postage and handling if you expect to receive a complete evaluation diskette. I reserve the right to refuse any requests which are inadequate or unreasonable in my opinion. ----------------------------------------------------------------- I will gladly send a complementary copy of ABC FUN KEYS to any children with special circumstances such as a learning disability or physical problem. Please send me a brief letter requesting a "special" copy. ----------------------------------------------------------------- User feedback is an integral part of any successful software program. Please share your impression of ABC FUN KEYS by writing me a message when you register. Any comments or suggestions you care to pass along will help me improve the program and enhance the enjoyment of other children who may use it. I have answered every letter I have received about the program. To a great extent, the program has been shaped by user comments. An instant mailer registration form is contained in a separate file named REGISTER.DOC. I have continually upgraded and supported this program since 1985. In return, I greatly appreciate your support by registering the program if you use it. Thank you in advance for your registration. Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page 2 ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ REGISTRATION BENEFITS --------------------- When you register the ABC FUN KEYS program by sending the $15 registration fee, you will receive my family's thanks plus the following direct benefits: - All registered users will receive a floppy disk with the latest revision of the ABC FUN KEYS program. Your program disk will contain a serial number assigned only to you. - All registered users will receive the picture files which complete the alphabet A - Z plus picture files for the number keys 0 through 9. - All registered users will also receive the ability to place their name or their child's name as registered owners in the Initial Window display and the Registration Window display. - All registered users will receive notification of any major updates of ABC FUN KEYS. Most important, you will receive a good conscience and the knowledge that your fairness and integrity are setting a good example for your children. The "C Language" source code for this program contains over 25,000 lines of code. A program of this magnitude requires thousands of hours to write, debug, illustrate, and document for public delivery. By registering and showing your support, I am compensated for my effort and encouraged to improve this program and provide others via the "Shareware" software distribution method. Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page 3 ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ COMPUTER SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR ABC FUN KEYS --------------------------------------------- In order to run ABC FUN KEYS, you must have the following minimum level of computer equipment: An IBM Personal Computer or compatible with: - 512 K RAM or more. - 1 double sided floppy disk drive. (360 KB) - PC / MS-DOS Ver. 3.1 or later. - Video display card which supports any of the following PC standards: CGA, Hercules monochrome, EGA, or VGA. - Monochrome monitor capable of displaying graphics. Recommended equipment additions include: - 640 K RAM - RAM disk software - Color monitor or EGA/VGA color monitor and appropriate video card. - Hard Disk drive. By storing the picture files on a floppy disk simulated in RAM (RAM disk), the speed and keyboard responsiveness of the program are substantially improved. The use of a hard disk for program and file storage will also result in good performance. Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page 4 ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ PROGRAM OVERVIEW ---------------- ABC FUN KEYS is a learning program designed to introduce a child from the ages of 2 to 6 years to the concept of letters, the alphabet, and computer keyboards. The program has been designed around colorful, full screen pictures and familiar nursery rhyme melodies to make learning as enjoyable and stimulating as possible. There are on-screen scrolling lyrics for those who wish to sing along with the nursery rhyme melodies. The program consists of four learning games with several game options structured around the alphabet and numbers. The ABC Fun Keys game starts with a picture menu intended for small children. A child only needs to press any key to move a blinking star from descriptive picture to picture. The "enter" key selects the game for play. For adults, a paged window help screen with game descriptions can be accessed by pressing "ALT-H" from the picture menu. This "adult menu" can also be accessed directly by starting ABC with the command: ABC /M. Control over the selection of letters and numbers is critical to the learning process since few small children can assimilate the entire alphabet at one time. To accomplish this, a setup screen for the games can be accessed from the picture menu by typing "ALT-S". This allows you to select the letters and numbers which will be used in the game as well as various game options. For advanced users, ABC FUN KEYS can be started with command line parameters and configuration files for virtually automatic operation. One of the setup options is a "Repeat Control Counter" which sets the number of plays before the program returns to the main menu. Due to the age of the intended user, it is recommended that an adult supervise the operation of this program. Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page 5 ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ GAME DESCRIPTIONS ----------------- ABC FUN KEYS contains four different games. Any game can be selected from the children's picture menu. GAME ONE -- Basic ----------------- Once the first game is started, a letter and object picture are displayed on the monitor. The child must press the corresponding letter key on the keyboard. When successful, a short nursery rhyme is played and the colors in the picture flash. Incorrect key responses are greeted with a buzz. This is repeated until all the selected letters have been used whereupon the picture selection begins to repeat. A picture "flashcard" mode is also available in this game. GAME TWO -- Guess Quick ----------------------- The second game is better for older children with some experience with numbers, letters, and the keyboard. It is similar to the basic game except the picture is gradually revealed. The rate of picture growth increases as the picture nears completion. The child must recognize the picture and letter and press the corresponding keyboard key before or shortly after the picture is completed. Success is met by a complete picture, a nursery rhyme, and flashing colors. If unsuccessful, the picture disintegrates and another begins to take its place. Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page 6 ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ GAME DESCRIPTIONS Cont. ----------------------- GAME THREE -- Heaven and Mud ---------------------------- This game is a child's typing tutor. It's been designed to appeal to older children. The game screen is composed of three areas. There is "Heaven" at the top with a smiling sun face, "Air" in the middle of the screen, and "Mud" at the bottom of the screen with a frowning mud face. When the game is started, three of the preselected letters or numbers begin to float in the air. If the keyboard key corresponding to a letter is pressed, the letter explodes into hearts and floats to heaven. Another letter or number takes its place. If the letter hasn't been "hearted to heaven" within a random preset time, the unloved letter sinks into the mud. Letters that are about to expire change color as a warning. During game play, action can be slowed down by pressing "down" arrow. Movement can be speeded up by pressing "up" arrow. These speed changes are semi-permanent for the duration of the session with ABC Fun Keys. Permanent speed changes can be made by using the Heaven & Mud control panel. In the control panel, you have control of the initial speed and lifetime delay factors to allow you to tailor the game to your child's abilities. Computer processing power limits the velocity beyond a certain point due to requirements imposed by the animation technique. If you're lucky enough to be using an 80386 computer, characters can literally fly across the screen. The game ends when either Heaven or the Mud become full of letters. For an extra challenge, lower case letters can be used in this game. GAME FOUR -- Display -------------------- The fourth learning game is for the youngest children. It allows the child to press a key on the keyboard and the computer will respond by displaying a picture of the letter and an associated item. The picture is displayed for the duration of a nursery rhyme melody. Lyrics for the nursery rhyme appear across the top of the screen. If a color graphic picture is not available for the key, a picture of the key is displayed instead. Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page 7 ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ INSTALLING THE ABC FUN KEYS PROGRAM ----------------------------------- Before using the ABC Fun Keys program, it must be installed on either a blank floppy diskette, or a hard disk. A hard disk is recommended if it is available. 1. For installation to a floppy disk, you will need a formatted, blank floppy diskette. See the FORMAT command of your DOS manual to prepare a formatted floppy disk if necessary. 2. It is recommended that you make a backup copy of the ABC Fun Keys distribution diskette to safeguard the program in case of an accident. In order to make a backup copy, a second blank floppy diskette is required. Refer to the DISKCOPY command in your DOS manual for additional information if necessary. 3. Place the copy of the ABC distribution diskette in the disk drive on your computer. 4. To install on a HARD DISK, start the installation program by typing: A:INSTALL A: C:\ABC [Enter] This will install the ABC program from the A: disk drive to the subdirectory \ABC on the C: disk drive. 5. To install on a FLOPPY DISK, start the installation program by typing: A:INSTALL A: B: FLOPPY This will install the ABC program from the A: disk drive to the floppy diskette in drive B:. Note that if you only have one floppy disk drive, you will be prompted to switch diskettes at the proper times. 6. Follow the instructions provided by the installation program. A generic description of the installation command is: d:INSTALL [source_drive] [destination_drive\path] [FLOPPY] Where: d: is the drive containing the installation disk. FLOPPY is a keyword to make a floppy disk install. Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page 8 ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ STARTING THE GAME -- Floppy Disk System --------------------------------------- 1. Turn on the computer with a copy of your DOS diskette in disk drive A. 2. If the DOS program asks you for the date and time, press the [Enter] key twice. The date and time are not needed for this program. 3. At this time, the display should contain the DOS prompt... A> 4. Remove the DOS diskette from drive A and insert the ABC FUN KEYS diskette made by the install program into disk drive A. 5. Enter the following command after the DOS prompt: ABC [Enter] 6. The drive light will be activated and the children's menu for ABC FUN KEYS will be displayed. 7. To start a game, select any of the game variations by pressing any key except "Enter" until the blinking star is in the desired game window. Press [Enter] to start game. (Please note that if the ABC.CFG configuration file is not present, ABC will immediately enter into the setup mode described below. To create a configuration file, use the "Save Game Configuration" option in the control panel.) Program Setup Mode ------------------ 8. Instead of starting a game, you can enter the help or setup modes with verbal game descriptions and access to the control panel by pressing "Alt-H" for Help or "Alt-S" for Setup. Pressing "Alt-S" jumps directly to the setup function described in steps 11 through 16. 9. The Help screen presents six windows with instructions, a brief description of each game, and a message about registering your copy of ABC FUN KEYS. To move between the windows, press any key except the [Enter] key. To select a game for play, activate the window that describes the game and press the [Enter] key. 10. From the help window, all games except Display automatically lead into the Picture Selection and Control Panel. This allows selection of letters and other game features. Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page 9 ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ STARTING THE GAME Cont. ----------------------- 11. In the picture selection menu, an alphabetical listing of the available ABC pictures and a Control Panel is presented. Help is available for this screen by pressing "Alt-H". You can escape from the help screen by pressing any key. 12. The letters can be selected for play individually or in groups. To move the cursor to the individual letters, press the [Left arrow] key or [Esc]. To highlight a letter and select it for game play, press [Spacebar] or [Enter]. Pressing the [Spacebar] again deselects the letter. 13. Repeat step 12 to select as many pictures as desired. Pictures can be selected in any order. The order of selection is the order in which the pictures will appear in Basic and Guess Quick games unless random order presentation is selected in the control panel. 14. If it is desired to select all the pictures, all the letters, or all the numbers, that can be easily accomplished in the control panel. To return to the control panel, press [Esc] or use the [Right Arrow] key. 15. If you wish to save the letter selections for a later game session, move the cursor to the Control Panel. Then press "S" to save the game configuration. You can also use the up or down arrow keys to move the cursor to the "Save Game Configuration" line and then press [Spacebar] or [Enter] to select that option. 16. Once all the desired pictures and game options have been selected and the configuration optionally saved, move the highlighted cursor to the top choice labeled "START GAME PLAY" and press [Enter] or [Spacebar] key to begin the game. You can also start the game by pressing "G". 17. Pressing "Ctrl-Home" will restart the game at the opening menu. Pressing "Ctrl-End" or "Ctrl-Break" will exit the game. These are available whenever the program is waiting for a user keystroke. If the ABC game was started with the "Easy Exit" command line option, (/E), then the F9 function key will restart the game and F10 will exit the game. If you are starting ABC from a menu of choices for your child, this allows your child an easy way to return to the menu. Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page 10 ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ STARTING THE GAME -- Hard Disk System ------------------------------------- If you are fortunate enough to have a hard disk in your computer, you should replace the instructions contained in steps 1 through 5 above with the following procedure to run the ABC game from your hard disk. 1. Turn on the computer and get to the DOS prompt. This will usually be: C:\> 2. Make \ABC your default subdirectory by typing: CD \ABC [Enter] 3. Start the ABC game by typing: ABC [Enter] You can now continue with Step 6 in the instructions for floppy disk users above. Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page 11 ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ CONTROL PANEL FEATURES ---------------------- The Picture Selection & Control Menu is accessed from the Children's Picture Menu by pressing "Alt-S" for Setup. The Control Panel is on the right side of the menu screen. On the left side is an alphabetical listing of available picture letters that can be used in the game. Any pictures that have been selected for play are highlighted. If no picture files appear, make sure that you have run the installation program. The file ABC_PICS.EXE on the registered user distribution disk must be run to expand the picture files. This happens automatically during the installation. The control panel is divided into three sections by horizontal lines. The top section contains disk drive information and a brief reminder of useful keystrokes. The middle section contains a bar selection menu for different game features. The bottom section contains status indicators for several game features. Not all menu bar features apply to each game. Features that are available for the selected game are presented in normal colors with a highlighted key letter. Unavailable options are in a dim color without a highlighted letter. There are two ways to select an option. The first is to press the highlighted key that corresponds to the menu bar option. A feature can also be selected by using the "Up" and "Down" arrow keys to move the highlighted bar to the desired item. The item can then be selected by pressing [Spacebar] or [Enter]. The features in the Control Panel are as follows. Applicable games for each option appear in parenthesis. Clear and Start Over -------------------- Deselects all letter and number pictures and starts over with a clean slate. Note that at least one picture must be selected to successfully start the game. (1,2,3) Select All ---------- Selects all available letter and number pictures for game play. (1,2,3,4) Select All Alphabet ------------------- Selects all available letter pictures A-Z for game play. All number pictures are automatically deselected. (1,2,3) Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page 12 ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ CONTROL PANEL FEATURES, Cont. ----------------------------- Select All Numbers ------------------ Selects all available number pictures 0-9 for game play. All letter files are automatically deselected. (1,2,3) Disable/Enable Nursery Rhyme Music ---------------------------------- This option toggles a switch which selects either nursery rhyme melodies or a "TA DA" sound when pictures have been successfully keyed. An indicator in the bottom panel shows TONE when the "TA DA" sound has been selected, or RHYM when nursery rhymes are active. (1,2,4) Enable Random/Sorted Order Selection ------------------------------------ This option toggles a switch which causes pictures to be presented for play in sorted or random order. In the sorted order mode, pictures will be presented in the order in which they were selected. This will be numeric and alphabetical order if control panel group selection was used. In random mode, pictures will not be repeated until all pictures have been shown. An indicator box in the bottom panel shows RANDM for random order and ORDRD for selected order mode. (1,2) Enable/Release Keyboard Plus Key Hold ------------------------------------- The Plus Key Hold is a feature which can be used by an adult to moderate the pace of play. I added this feature to an early version of the program when my daughter insisted on bashing all the keys at random just to hear the noise it made. Plus Key Hold causes the keyboard to be dead once a picture has been displayed until the "Plus" key on the right side of the keyboard has been pressed. Then the keyboard is live. As a reminder, a tiny "+" symbol appears in the upper left corner of the screen. The current status of the plus key hold toggle switch is shown by an indicator in the lower panel. PLS OF corresponds to "plus off" or a normal live keyboard. PLS ON indicates that Plus Key Hold is active. (1) Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page 13 ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ CONTROL PANEL FEATURES, Cont. ----------------------------- Lock/Unlock Songs to/from Pictures ---------------------------------- This is one of many features based upon a user's suggestion. This option allows the nursery rhyme songs to be "locked" or synchronized to the letter/number pictures. When songs are not locked, they are selected at random. To the extent possible, songs try to emphasize the featured letter when they are synchronized to the picture. For example, if the songs are "locked", "The Old Brass Wagon" is always played when the letter "B" is pressed. The control panel indicator displays SYNC when the nursery rhymes are locked to the pictures. NOSYNC is displayed for random selection of songs. (1,2,4) Return to Menu After nn Plays ----------------------------- This option provides a return to the opening menu after a defined number of pictures have been displayed. If nn = 0, the selected game will continue indefinitely until Ctrl- Break, Ctrl-Home, or Ctrl-End are pressed. (1,2,4) Save Game Configuration ----------------------- This is a very powerful feature which allows all pertinent game information to be saved in a configuration file. The saved information consists of the picture selection list and the status of every item in the Control Panel indicator field. The name of the default configuration file is ABC.CFG. This file will be updated every time the Save Game option is selected. The next time ABC FUN KEYS is started, it will automatically use the letters and parameters stored in the configuration file. (1,2,3,4) This semi-permanent configuration capability allows you to design a custom game environment for your child. Once configured, a game can be easily selected from the Children's Picture Menu until you decide to change parameters. For advanced users, ABC FUN KEYS has the ability to use multiple configuration files by means of the command line parameter /C=<ABC config file name>. (See the next section for more information on command line control parameters.) When you specify a configuration file name other than the default, ABC FUN KEYS saves its configuration information to a file of that name. If the file does not already exist, it is created. Therefore, you can have multiple configuration files that are designed for different purposes. Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page 14 ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ HEAVEN & MUD CONTROL PANEL FEATURES ----------------------------------- Use LowerCase/UpperCase Letters in H&M -------------------------------------- This menu bar option allows selection of uppercase or lower case letters in Game 3, Heaven and Mud. Numbers are not affected. Upper case letters will be used when G3 UPR is in the indicator display. Lower case letters will be used when G3 LWR is displayed. Heaven/Mud Letter Velocity -------------------------- This selection controls the speed at which the characters move across the screen subject to the capabilities of the computer. When this item is selected, a setting window appears that allows the speed variable to be changed. Applicable values are from 0 to 15 with lower numbers introducing less delay in the character movement for a faster game. If set to -1, the computer's speed is automatically sensed and velocity is adjusted automatically for an intermediate level of play. Note that when using a 4.77 MHz PC, the fastest character movement is fairly slow. Speed can be adjusted during the course of game play by pressing the [Up Arrow] key to speed up play and the [Down Arrow] key to slow down play. These speed adjustments are semi-permanent and remain in-place until the ABC program is exited. Heaven/Mud Letter Duration -------------------------- The duration selection controls the maximum number of moves that a character can make before expiring. The actual number of moves is set by a random number generator for each character subject to this maximum value. When this item is selected, a setting window opens that allows the duration variable to be changed. Applicable values are from 1 to 50. Lower values correspond to a shorter average duration time and hence a faster game requiring more skill. Heaven/Mud Letter Warning ------------------------- Before each character is about to expire, it changes color as a warning. The warning selection allows you to set the number of moves before expiration that the warning appears. Notice that it should be set lower than the duration variable discussed above. When this item is selected, a setting window opens that allows the warning variable to be changed. Applicable values are from 1 to 10. Lower values correspond to less expiration warning time and hence a game requiring greater skill. Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page 15 ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ COMMAND LINE CONTROL FEATURES ----------------------------- A command line parameter is an instruction to the ABC FUN KEYS program that is entered on the same line as the command to start the program from DOS. These are generally for advanced users. You do not need to enter any commands other than "ABC" to make the program run. The command line instructions add extra options. All command line instructions start with a forward slash "/". If you type "ABC /?", the program will provide a brief listing of all available command line options. Following are listings, descriptions, and examples for the optional command line parameters for ABC FUN KEYS. /D=<Drive:pathname> (Drives A: thru H: are valid) This command allows you to specify a drive and pathname to the ABC picture and auxiliary files. If omitted, ABC FUN KEYS defaults to the current drive and directory. The program will run on most local area networks. If you need to use drive letter greater than H:, consider using DOS's ASSIGN command. Example: ABC /D=C:\GAMES\ABC /G=<Game number> (1 thru 4 are valid numbers) This option allows you to automatically select one of the four games to be played. If you select this option, ABC FUN KEYS immediately begins the chosen game without any menus. Example: ABC /G=3 /V=<Video mode> (1=CGA, 2=MCGA, 3=EGA, 7=MONO, 9=VGA) ABC FUN KEYS has the ability to automatically detect the type of video display board you have installed in your computer. This command line option allows you to override the default selection. If you are having trouble with your display, you may wish to experiment with different options from 0 through 10. Example: ABC /V=7 /C=<ABC config file name> (The default file is ABC.CFG) When you start the game, ABC FUN KEYS looks up initial game settings in a configuration file. This option allows you to have multiple configuration files and recall any of them from the command line. This might be useful if you wanted to develop a front end selection menu for different types of games. Example: ABC /C=MYGAME.CFG Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page 16 ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ COMMAND LINE CONTROL FEATURES Cont. ----------------------------------- /N=<Number of Songs> (The default is 27 songs available) This setting allows you to restrict the number of songs available to the ABC program. It is probably more useful if you wish to add additional songs. Utilities to manipulate the song file and add songs are available on the ABC bulletin board system (BBS) to registered program users. Example: ABC /N=20 /T=<Tempo Modify Factor> (The default is 10, normal speed.) The Tempo Modify Factor allows you to change the tempo of the nursery rhyme games that will be played by the ABC Fun Keys program. Factors can range from 5, the fastest tempo, to 30 which will produce the slowest tempo. Experiment to see which you prefer. Example: ABC /T=15 (Produces a slightly slower rhyme tempo.) /Q (Quiet operation) This option kills all sound effects and nursery rhyme melodies for totally quiet play. Most kids find it boring. Many adults love it. You decide! Example: ABC /Q /M (Skips the children's opening Menu) You may want to exercise total control over the game setup. If you find yourself usually using the help or setup key from the Children's opening menu, this option provides an easy way to skip it. Example: ABC /M /S (Snow reduction) Many early CGA video display boards produce a snowy or static filled image during screen updates when a program writes directly to the video display. Most programmers (including this one) like to design programs that write directly to the display since it provides fast, snappy graphics. If you have one of the old video boards, you have a choice between a fast static filled display, or a slower but relatively static free display. Example: ABC /S Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page 17 ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ COMMAND LINE CONTROL FEATURES Cont. ----------------------------------- /E (Easy Exit) Several people requested an easy way to exit or restart the ABC program for children rather than the obtuse "Ctrl-Home/End" keys. This allows you to provide that option. When enabled, "easy exit" allows the F9 function key to restart the program and F10 to immediately exit. These keys are active any time the program is waiting for keyboard input. Example: ABC /E enables "easy exit". /P (Print Screen Activated) Some users wanted to be able to print the screen pictures. The [Print Screen] keyboard key is normally disabled to prevent the program from hanging if a printer is off-line, or lots of paper from being wasted. This switch activates screen printing. As a reminder, you will need to utilize a graphics driver such as DOS's GRAPHICS.COM to successfully print a graphics screen image. Check your printer and DOS manuals for details. Not all printers may be able to do this function correctly. Example: ABC /P enables screen printing. /L (Lyrics are not shown) This switch disables the scrolling lyrics for the nursery rhymes at the top of the picture screens. Example: ABC /L disables scrolling lyrics. You can combine multiple command line instructions on the same line. For example, if you want to set up your own front end menu for ABC FUN KEYS, a command line setup like this might be useful: ABC /D=C:\GAMES\ABC /C=ALPHANUM.CFG /G=3 Another few examples: ABC /Q /M abc /v=1 /s /d=e: Notice that either upper or lower case can be used and the order of the commands is not important. Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page 18 ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ HIDDEN GAME FEATURES -------------------- 1. At any time the program is waiting for keyboard input, it is possible to restart the game at the opening menu selection by pressing "Ctrl-Home". (Press both keys simultaneously.) 2. Press "Ctrl-End" or "Ctrl-Break" to end the game and return to the DOS prompt. 3. A "flashcard" mode is available in Game "Basic". To enter the flashcard mode, press the "Scroll Lock" key in the upper right hand corner of the keyboard. The length of the flashcard duration can be adjusted by pressing the "up arrow" key to speed up the rate and the "down arrow" key to slow down the rate. The flashcard mode can be stopped by pressing the "Scroll Lock" key once again. Note that the flashcard rate is dependent upon the speed of the disk drive and can not be increased beyond a certain point. Use of a ram-disk or hard disk can significantly improve the performance of the program in this mode. Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page 19 ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ USING ABC FUN KEYS WITH A RAM-DISK ---------------------------------- The use of a simulated floppy disk drive in RAM memory (commonly called a RAM Disk) can greatly speed up the rate at which the ABC program retrieves picture and music files. This makes the game's operation seem instantaneous. To speed up the program in this way requires ram-disk software such as VDISK.SYS which is included with many copies of DOS. Ram-disk software is not included with this program. Follow instructions to use your ram-disk software. Create the electronic disk drive. Label the disk drive C:. Copy the picture and music files from the game disk to the electronic disk by issuing the following commands... COPY A:*.S* C: [Enter] Begin the ABC FUN KEYS game by typing... ABC /D=C: [Enter] Note that using the program command "/D=C:" following the call for the ABC program instructs the program to look for picture and other auxiliary files on the electronic disk, C:. These files can be retrieved from any valid disk drive by changing the drive designation. If no drive/path information is specified, the program assumes the current disk drive. NOTES ON USING ABC FUN KEYS WITH A HARD DISK -------------------------------------------- Using ABC FUN KEYS with a hard disk is similar to the operation of the program with a RAM disk. For example, suppose the program ABC is located in a subdirectory called "c:\games" off of the root directory. To avoid cluttering up the games directory with the picture and auxiliary files, you may have placed them in the directory "c:\games\pics". You must have all files with an extension that begins with "s" in the pics subdirectory. (ie: *.s*) To start the game type... CD \GAMES [Enter] ABC /D=C:\GAMES\PICS [Enter] Note that the ABC game must always receive drive information. Any necessary path information to the picture and other auxiliary files must follow the drive specification. Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page 20 ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ OTHER ABC FUN KEY NOTES OF INTEREST ----------------------------------- The picture files are labeled ".spf" which stands for "scrunched picture file". A crude form of data compression has been used to minimize the space required by the pictures and enable faster data loading. The picture files can be created using the Paintbrush program provided with Microsoft's Windows 3.0. Once a *.BMP image is created with Paintbrush, it must be "scrunched" for use with ABC FUN KEYS. The program SCRUNCH.EXE is available on the ABC Bulletin Board System (BBS) for registered users for this purpose. It is contained in the BBS archive file ABCPICS.ZIP. The format of the files is different for ABC FUN KEYS Version 4.02 and above. Old version picture files will not work. Any assistance with either musical scores or pictures is gratefully accepted. The author is neither an artist nor composer. Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page 21 ABC FUN KEYS Program Documentation_________________________________________________________________ LISTING OF ABC PROGRAM FILES AND USES ------------------------------------- ABC.CFG -- The initial game configuration file. This is the file which contains the letter/number selection list and status of game options. This file can be modified by the user in the Control Menu. ABC.DOC -- This users manual. ABC.EXE -- The main ABC program. ABC_PICS.EXE -- Picture files that will be loaded and (Registered displayed by the ABC program. These files version only) are compressed into a self-extracting archive. A.SPF - Z.SPF -- Uncompressed picture files. Not all picture (Shareware files are included with the shareware version only) version. INSTALL.BAT -- The installation batch file. This will create a usable ABC floppy diskette, or install the ABC program onto a hard disk. MENU.SCR and GAME3.SCR -- Picture files used for the opening menu and the background for Heaven & Mud. These files must be located in the same directory as the picture and music files. MUSIC.SNG -- A file with nursery rhyme songs that will be loaded and played by the ABC program. READ.ME -- Introduction to the ABC FUN KEYS program. REGISTER.DOC -- The instant mailer registration form. WHATS.NEW -- A text file describing the improvements incorporated in Version 4.2 of ABC Fun Keys. ASK.EXE -- A support file for the INSTALL program that allows batch file branching. BROWSE.COM -- A support file for the INSTALL program that allows a text file to be viewed. Use to view the documentation by typing BROWSE ABC.DOC. Copyright (C) 1991 by C. E. Krehbiel Page 22 INSTANT MAILER REGISTRATION FORM -------------------------------- Please support quality shareware by registering your copy. THANK YOU in advance for registering ABC FUN KEYS! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Make check Courtney E. Krehbiel / ABC Fun Keys Order Form payable to: 199 N. El Camino Real, Suite F175 Encinitas, CA 92024 ========================================================================= Qty Description Unit Extended ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | INDIVIDUAL REGISTRATION | | | ABC FUN KEYS Ver. 4.2 | $15.00 | $ | (Latest version, manual on disk, number | | | files, and complete set of alphabet | U.S. | | picture files.) ** 5 1/4 inch floppy ** | only | ---------|---------------------------------------------|--------|-------- | COMMERCIAL / INSTITUTIONAL | $50.00 | $ | REGISTRATION PER SITE | | | ABC FUN KEYS Ver. 4.2 | U.S. | | (Same package as above) | only | ---------|---------------------------------------------|--------|-------- | 3 1/2 inch format instead of 5 1/4; ADD | $ 2.00 | $ ---------|---------------------------------------------|--------|-------- Subtotal: $ (CA residents must add 8.25% sales tax) Tax: $ Total U.S.: $ Payment by: ( ) Check ( ) Money Order ( ) Visa / MasterCard Name: ................................................................... Addr: ................................................................... ......................................................................... City: ............................... State: ........ Zip: ........... ============ The following is needed only for Credit Card =============== Work Phone: (....) ................ Home Phone: (....) ................ Card #: ........................................... Expires: ........... Name of Cardholder: ..................................................... Signature: .............................................................. Note: On-line registration via modem is available at the ABC BBS. To order, dial (619) 436-3525. Open 24 hrs/day, 300/1200/2400, N,8,1 ========================================================================= THANK YOU!! Please allow up to two weeks for program delivery. ------------------- INSTANT MAILER ---------------------- Fold at the page break with the printing facing out. Then fold letter style, exposing the mailing address and hiding your information. If necessary, staple check to the mailer, then staple or tape sides and top. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Place ---------------------------- Stamp ---------------------------- Here ---------------------------- Courtney E. Krehbiel / ABC FUN KEYS 199 N. El Camino Real, Suite F175 Encinitas, CA 92024 ABC42 U.S.A.