The Datafile PD-CD 3/PDCD_3.iso/pocketbk/utilsm/out119b/OUTLINE.TXT

Text File | 1993-08-24 | 21KB | 588 lines

                        Outline

A shareware outliner for the Psion Series 3.

Disclaimer
==========
        No warranty is given on this program. No liability for any
        damage or loss to equipment, data or software will be
        assumed.  You use this program at your own risk

Money
=====
        The OUTLINE program is shareware.  If you like it and use it
        after 14 days, you should send me †10.  This will ease your
        conscience and my overdraft.  I will send you a small file to
        disable the "nag" screens and show you as a registered user
        on the About screen.  If you do not have an email id, then
        please ensure I have your name and address and state whether you
        have a 3.5 or 5.25 inch diskette drive (PCs only I'm afraid).

        Updates, bug-fixes etc. will be available from the lexsoft/todo
    conference on CIX.

Errors
======
        I don't know of any outstanding bugs (unless listed at the
        end of this document) but as with any piece of software I'm
        sure there are some.

        The program's error handler attempts to save the current file
        as ERROR.OUT before collapsing in the proverbial heap.  Check
        this file out if an error occurs.  If it appears ok copy it
        over your original file and continue.  Please let me know of
        any errors.

Distribution
============
        This package may be freely copied, distributed as shareware so
        long as the contents remain intact and are not tampered with in
        any way.

        The ZIP file should contain:
                OUTLINE.FON
                OUTNORM.FON
                OUTLINE.INI
                OUTLINE.APP
                OUTLINE1.OPA
                OUTLINE2.OPA
                OUTLINE.TXT (this file)


INTRODUCTION

Outline is a program for the Psion Series 3 that allows you to
organise your thoughts into tree-like structures.   It is very useful
for structuring ideas or for structuring reports, meetings or
speeches.

Type in your ideas and then move the lines around to form a tree
structure with detailed items organised under major items.  Branches
of this tree can be hidden or shown, moved to other branches etc.

If you have not used an outliner before, don't worry, it will soon
become clear.

Similar facilities are available in most modern PC word
processors as well as dedicated PC outlining tools such as
PC-Outline.  The impetus for writing this program was to replace
the very useful Sharp IQ outliner when I moved to a Psion
Series 3.

I would be pleased to hear from anyone with ideas for enhancing
the program or from anybody who, unfortunately, finds any bugs.


INSTALLATION

Copy the OPA files to an APP directory or another directory of
your choice on any drive.  Install the program by pressing Psion-I on
the System display, find OUTLINE and pressing Enter.  Outline behaves
just like Word, Data etc. by allowing multiple files to be open at
one time.  In technical terms, it is a type 3 OPA.

Copy the two files OUTLINE.FON and OUTNORM.FON to any \OPD
directory.

Data files are normally stored in a directory called \OUT.
Create this on any drive. Update the display by pressing the
System icon.  The program can then be started by pressing
Psion-N for a new file or moving the cursor to an existing file,
such as OUTLINE itself and pressing enter.

Outline can create a file that contains default settings to be used
for new files.  This can be created from within the program and can be
stored on any drive in a \OUT directory.  This file is called
OUTLINE.INI.

Outline checks for the presence of the font files and the .ini
file on the default drive first.  If not found there, the drives
are searched in the order Internal, A and B until found.  This
processing is carried out for each file so that each of these
files may exist on a different drive.

TUTORIAL

Creating the First Entry

        Start an outline by positioning the highlight on the Outline
        icon and pressing Psion-N to create a new file.  Type the
        file name "test".

        The title of the outline appears at the top of the screen as
        "TEST".  To the left of this is a figure "1" which denotes
        that this entry is at level one, the top level.  To the left
        of this is the cursor (an inverse ">") which denotes the
        current line.  Change the title by pressing Enter.  An "Edit
        Entry" dialog box appears.  Type "Shopping List" and press
        Enter.  The entry which previously said "TEST", now says
        "SHOPPING LIST".

Creating the Second Entry

        Press E or Psion-E to add a new branch under the topic
        "Shopping List".  An "Enter Line" dialog box appears.  Type
        "Fruit" and press Enter.

        The new line is shown below the original line and you are
        then requested to "level the entry" (depending on the options
        settings), i.e. set the indentation level.  The new entry is
        in the right place so just press Enter.  Lines can appear on
        any level from 2 up to 256 so long as the parent of the entry
        is one less. In other words, you cannot make our new entry
        anything lower than 2. Note that only the first entry is at
        level 1.

        Add another new line by pressing E with the cursor on the
        "Fruit" item.  (You use the up and down arrow keys to move
        between items).  Type "Drink" into the "Enter Line" dialog
        box.  Level the entry such that Drink appears on the same
        level as Fruit.

Creating More Entries

        We've decided that, in general terms, we need to buy Drink
        and Fruit and now we're going to think in detail about which
        goods we're going to buy.

        We need some apples so we'll add that to the list.  Position
        the cursor to Fruit and press E.  Type "Apples" and press
        Enter. Level "Apples" indented from Fruit by pressing the
        right arrow key and pressing Enter.  Add Bananas, Oranges and
        Plums in the same way, so that they all appear under Fruit.

        We need both eating and cooking apples, so move the cursor to
        the Apples line and insert "Eating" and "Cooking" under
        (indented from) Apples.

        Now add some drinks of your choice under "Drinks".

Viewing the Outline

        We've now got quite a long list.  To get a summary press "2".
         This shows only items at level 2 or above.  Press "4","1"
        and "3" to see the effect.  End up by pressing "3".

        Notice that a "+" sign appears on the Apples line. This
        denotes that there are branches of this item which are not
        displayed.

        Position the cursor to the Apples line and press "+".  The
        hidden lines "Eating" and "Cooking"now appear and the plus
        sign disappears.

        Move the cursor to the "Fruit" line and press "-".  This
        hides the lowest branch of the Fruit "family".  Press "-"
        again to hide the next branch up.

        So, "-" and "+" hide and show one branch level at a time.
        The "*" and "/" keys show and hide all levels in the current
        branch. Try them out.

That should give you an appreciation of the most basic commands.
There are many more facilities and these are described in the
Reference section below.


REFERENCE

In the explanations below, some terms are used which may need
In the explaining:

Family
        A group of items forming a complete branch of the outline
        tree.  For example;

        1 - Shopping List
          2 - Fruit
            3 - Apples
              4 - Eating
              4 - Cooking
            3 - Bananas
            3 - Oranges
          2 - Sugar
            3 - White
            3 - Brown

        In this example the "Fruit" family is the Fruit entry and all
        other entries below "Fruit" i.e.