The Business Master (3rd Edition)/The Business Master (3rd Edition).iso/files/finacial/commtrk/st.hlp

Text File | 1983-11-09 | 18.0 KB | 229 lines

MAIN MENU

The program is divided into four parts.  Display presents the data on the
screen and allows you to edit.  Print makes a printed copy.  File allows you
to manage your disk files.  Summary lists the last line of each data file on
one screen, so that they can be compared easily.

Menu  -  The menu allows you to select from a series of options.  To select
an option, you may "point" to the selection and press [Enter].  To point
to a selection, press the right or left arrow key.  Each depression of an
arrow key will move the "pointer" one selection.  As each selection is
highlighted, a brief description of that option is presented below the menu.
You may also type the first letter of the desired option to make a selection.

Help  -  To get help, type [H] or [h] except when you are being prompted.

Quit  -  You may stop a program activity by typing [Q], [q] or [Esc], except
when you are being prompted for a response.  When you "Quit" an activity,
you will be returned to the preceding menu.  When you "Quit" the main menu,
you terminate the program.
DISPLAY

Numeric  -  Numeric displays the date, the high, low and closing prices, the
three, five and ten day moving averages, and the relative strength index.
These values are presented as numbers, rounded to two decimal places.  The
moving averages and RSI require data from previous entries for their computa-
tion.  When there is insufficient information, the averages and RSI are given
as zero.

Price  -  Price displays the date and the high, low and closing prices for
that date.  The prices are displayed as a bar graph.

Averages  -  Averages displays the date and the three (3), five (5), and
ten (t) day moving averages.  If values coincide, the longer average is
displayed.  The numeric option will resolve any ambiguities.

RSI  -  The relative strength index displays the date and the RSI.

Scale  -  The scale for the price and averages option is automatically
adjusted to provide maximum resolution.  The RSI scale runs from 0 to 100.
PRINT

Heading  -  The printed copy begins with a heading that contains the name of
the commodity file, the date and the time of printing.

Page length  -  The printed copy does not provide for page breaks.  The
trends that the graphs help to illustrate would be obscured by arbitrary page
breaks.  To print more than one page of data, use continuous paper.

Numeric  -  Numeric uses a format similar to the graphics options.  This
allows you to compare the numeric data, side by side with the graphs.

Price  -  Price presents the high, low and closing prices as bar graphs.

Averages  -  Averages presents the three, five and ten day moving averages.
When two averages have the same value, the ambiguity may be resolved by
referring to the numeric data.

RSI  -  The RSI option presents the relative strength index on a 0 - 100
scale graph.  The end values are omitted from the scale for clarity.
FILE

All files are saved automatically, when you change activities or end the
program.  File names may consist of 1 to 8 characters.  A standard extension,
.CCC, is provided for all data files automatically.

Retrieve  -  stores your current data in a disk file and loads a new disk file.
A directory of disk A is provided for your convenience.  If you attempt to
retrieve a nonexistent file, a new file is opened.

Update  -  loads a series of files.  You specify the names in a text file,
called ST.ARF, which you can create with EDLIN or your word processor.

Spread  -  retrieves two file from storage and computes the difference between
the closing prices.  The result is a spread file.

Abandon  -  discards your present work and clears memory.  It is useful prior
to starting a new file.

Directory  -  allows you to change the current directory.
PRINTER OPTIONS

Go  -  The go option starts the printer.  If you do not turn on the printer,
an error message is displayed.

Range  -  Range allows you to print less than the complete file. Enter the
line numbers of the first and last lines you wish to print.  The range must
be specified each time you enter this menu or the program prints the entire
file.

Device  -  Device allows you to redirect the printer output.  You can enter a
file name and create an ASCII text file.  This file can then be read by
another program.  The device must be specified each time you enter this menu
or the output will be sent to the printer.

Install  -  The install option allows you to modify the program to match your
printer.  You must specify the number of characters per line and the ASCII
codes of the bar and close characters.  You may send up to twelve printer
control characters to the printer.  Install creates a permanent file that is
used each time you print.
EDIT

[Ins]  -  The insert key allows you to insert a new line at the bottom of the
display.  When prompted for the date, you may enter the date or press [Enter]
to enter the current date.  Enter the prices after the appropriate prompts.

[Del]  -  The delete key deletes the bottom line of the current display page.

[L]  -  The [L] key allows you to locate a particular date.  You may respond
with the exact date or a partial date.

Movement Keys  -  The movement keys respond in the expected manner.

Status Line  -  The "Edit line:" is the line number of the line at the bottom
of the screen.  "End:" is the line number of the most recent entry.  The
maximum number of entries is 300.

Alarms  -  The alarm will sound if you try to exceed the limits of the file.

[Q], [Esc]  -  Allow you to change edit modes or leave the display activity.
INSTALL

The install option creates a permanent file of printer and program codes.
These codes match the program to the printer.

Number of Characters per Line  -  This must not exceed 255 or the maximum
number of characters per line specified in your printer manual.  On some
printers, the number of characters per line may be set by the program.  If
this is done, be sure that this line also specifies the new line width.

Bar Character  -  If your printer does not provide a suitable graphic
character, use ASCII code 045, the dash character.

Close Character  -  If your printer does not provide a suitable graphic
character, use ASCII code 043, the plus character.

Control Codes  -  The remaining 12 lines allow you to enter a string of
printer control codes.  These must be ASCII decimal codes.  Enter one code
per line.  If the printer manual specifies using characters in the control
code, enter the ASCII decimal code for that character.
UPDATE

Update automates the file management process.  It allows you to survey your
commodity files without typing each file name every day.  Update reads a text
file from drive A, called ST.ARF.  This text file consists of a series of
file names, each name on a separate line.  ST.ARF may be created with a
word processor or EDLIN.  As each name is read, Update loads the corresponding
file and writes the last line of the file to the screen. You are then given
four options:

Update  -  Update is useful for daily updates to your files.  It calls Insert,
so you can add a line to the file, then Edit, where you can edit the file as
necessary.  Quitting Edit calls the next file named in ST.ARF.

Edit  -  Edit does not call Insert, before entering the Edit mode.

Skip  -  Skip calls the next file immediately.

Quit  -  Quit returns you to the Main Menu.

SUMMARY

Summary first saves the file in memory.  Then, it reads the Automatic Response
File, ST.ARF.  As it reads each file, it writes the file's name and last line
on the screen.  If there are more than ten files in ST.ARF, the first lines
will scroll off the top of the screen.  After all of the files are read, a
prompting menu will appear at the bottom of the screen and you may move the
window up or down to view the entire file.

The window keys work as expected.

[Home] moves the window to the top of the column.

[End] moves the window to the bottom of the column.

[PgUp] and [PgDn] move the window ten lines up or down.  The up and down
arrow keys move the window one line at a time.

[Q], [q] or [Esc] return you to the Main Menu.

DIRECTORY

Directory is used to change the current directory of the default drive.  The
current directory path is displayed.  You are then prompted to enter the new
directory path.  If you do not wish to change directories, just enter the
current directory path.  If you do wish to change directories, you may specify
the new path with normal DOS symbols.

The path consists of a series of directory names separated by backslashes.

The abbreviation (..) is acceptable and will move you to the parent directory.

There is no way to create or remove directories from the program.  You must
create your directory structure with DOS prior to using the program.

Remember,  the program files ST.HLP, ST.SPC and ST.ARF must be on the current
directory, along with your data files.  The program file, ST.EXE, may be
located on any directory or drive, because it is only called once to begin the
program.

RETRIEVING DATA FILES

The data files are presented as a menu.  You can choose a file by pointing
or by typing the name.  Only the data files are presented and they are
sorted by the first letter of the file name.

Pointing is accomplished by using the arrow keys to move the highlighted
region to the file name of your choice.  Make your choice by pressing [enter].

To open a new file, type the file name and press [enter].  A message will
inform you that you are starting a new file.

You may also choose an existing file by typing the file name and pressing
[enter].  If the file cannot be found in the directory, a message will tell
you that you are creating a new file.

Once you start to type a file name, the pointing feature is disabled.