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Grades Version 2.70 (tm)
Update Manual
Copyright (c) 1987-1989 By Manu Singh
Copyright (c) 1989-1990 By SupremeSoft (tm)
All Rights Reserved.
Released July 01, 1990
Topics covered
1....File Information................................2
2....Configuration Changes...........................2
3....Color Conversions from v2.60 to v2.70...........3
4....Data Entry Changes..............................3
5....Alter Database Option Changes...................4
6....Change View Option Changes......................5
7....View Screen Keys................................5
8....Grade Prediction................................6
9....Load a New File.................................7
10...View Screen Changes.............................7
11...Test Score Screen Changes.......................8
12...File Error Changes..............................8
13...Help Changes....................................9
14...Miscellaneous Changes...........................9
15...Registering.....................................10
Please be sure to run SCHOOLS.COM and CURVE.COM for
important additonal information.
Grades Version 2.70 Update Manual 1
Welcome to Grades v2.70! This document is meant to
introduce users of Grades v2.60 to this new version.
This document will be kept short and will only inform you
of the changes that have been made. To get more information on
any item, press <F1> while in that area. (Or read the full
Manual)
File Information:
Grades v2.70 will use your Class26 file, or any other file
generated by version 2.60 without modifications. The only
change is that v2.70 will look for Class27 and not Class26.
Grades v2.70 can now also use an Environment Variable in
order to find itself and its files. To use this feature
place the following into your Autoexec.Bat file:
Set Grades= [Drive:\ directory]
This should ideally be: Set Grades = C:\Grades\
You MUST add the trailing backslash!
The use of this will allow you to invoke Grades from any
sub-directory or drive, and Grades will look for its default
start-up file in that Directory.
If you are unfamiliar with the concept of Environment
Variables, please consult your DOS Manual for more information.
Configuration Changes:
There is a new configuration program that you should run
before you start Grades. The new configuration program has a
new Color Selection display which is much easier to read, and
you may now also change Help Colors in addition to the regular
Colors.
Also, Grades now uses a Curve Percentage which you can also
change in the Configuration program. For more information on
this, please refer to the Grade Prediction section later in
this manual.
Grades Version 2.70 Update Manual 2
Color Conversions:
To help ease your conversion, place COLOR.EXE in the same
directory as GRADES26.EXE and GRADES27.EXE. This program will
take the colors and window features present in GRADES26.EXE and
bring them over to GRADES27.EXE. To use this program simply
type <COLOR>. If you receive an error message, make sure
GRADES26.EXE and GRADES27.EXE are in the same directory, and
they are NOT marked ReadOnly.
Be aware that in v2.60 you could not define the Pop-Up
Help colors, while in v2.70 you can. Therefore you should run
CONFIG.EXE to change these colors if you wish.
Data Entry Changes:
You will notice that there are some changes in the way you
enter in Data. Grades now uses what are called "Tabbed Data
Forms". What this means is that you may move to any prompt you
wish instead of being forced to press <Enter> to get to them.
In addition, you may also move backwards to a previous prompt
instead of having to go through all the prompts again.
The following are the new keys which exist in ADDITION to
the other normal Editing Keys:
<Up>, <Shift-Tab> Moves to the previous prompt, or the
last prompt if at the first prompt.
Any changes made are NOT kept!
<Down>, <Tab> Moves to the next prompt, or to the
first prompt if at the last prompt.
Any changes made are NOT kept!
<Enter> As usual this accepts any changes
or the default and moves to the
next prompt, or if at the last,
ends the input session.
<F10> Accepts any changes or the default
and ENDS the input session.
Note: You will not exit the current input session unless you
are at the last prompt and press <Enter>, or use <F10>. For
example:
Prompt 1) Enter Your Name
Prompt 2) Enter Your Age
Grades Version 2.70 Update Manual 3
If you press <Enter> at prompt 1) you move to prompt 2).
If you press <Enter> at prompt 2) this will save the
changes and end the input session.
If you press <F10> at either prompt this will save the
changes and end the input session.
Experiment within the program if you do not fully understand
the above.
Alter Database Option Changes:
A new choice has been added to this menu, Search for a
Class. This will allow you to search for a class by its Section
Name and/or Course Number as follows:
1) Enter in the Section Name or <Enter> to match any Name.
(This is case-insensitive... i.e. MAT = mat)
2) Enter in the Course Number or <-1> to match any Number.
For Example:
1) <Enter>
2) 325.10
Will highlight the first class that has a Course Number of
325.10 and any Section Name.
1) Mat
2) -1
Will highlight the first class that has Section Name <Mat>
or any case combination of those three letters, and any Course
Number.
1) PHY
2) 432.10
Will highlight the class whose Section Name is <PHY> or any
case combination of that, and a Course Number of 432.10.
(Unless your school is peculiar, there should only be one class
that has these values)
If the class is NOT found, an error message will appear
saying: "Class was not Found...Press <Esc>". Press <Esc> to
return to the Menu.
Grades Version 2.70 Update Manual 4
Change View Option Changes:
In addition to the Normal and Extended Views, you may now
also move into the Test Score View for the currently
highlighted class. The effect is the same as pressing <F6> when
in the View Screen.
View Screen Keys:
When you are in the View Screen you may now also "hotkey"
any of the Main Menu options. To do this you should press the
Alt key (and hold it down) and the highlighted letter of the
option you wish to execute. The following are all the valid
hotkeys:
Alt-A Activates the Alter Database Option.
Alt-C Activates the Change View Option.
Alt-E This will NOT activate the Edit Class option
since you are in the View Screen already.
Therefore it will act as though you had
pressed <Enter>.
Alt-L Will activate the Load New File Option.
Alt-H Will activate the Help Option.
Alt-P Will activate the Print Option.
Alt-Q Will activate the Quit Option.
Once an option has been activated you will be taken OUT OF
the View Screen and placed at the Main Menu.
One other new key was added to allow you to search for a
class while in the View Screen:
Alt-F Searches for a Class as described under the
Alter Database Option above.
Grades Version 2.70 Update Manual 5
Grade Prediction:
Many users have responded that they would like the program
to predict their grades based upon a grading "curve". For those
unfamiliar with this concept, a grade curve is when your actual
grade has no direct correlation to your received grade. For
instance if you receive an 86 out of 100 which is usually a B,
with a curve you may receive a B+ or A-.
As nice as this concept is, a grading curve is very
unpredictable and usually up to a teacher's discretion. Some
teachers will follow a set pattern, while other's will curve
based upon the highest and lowest scores received. As you can
see, there are thousands of different curve possibilities. It
would be irresponsible for a program to tell the user what
their grade is based upon some strange curve procedure.
(If you wish more information about the problems of grade
curves, please run CURVE.COM)
Grades v2.70 will now predict your grade using a pre-
defined curve percentage, and makes NO guarantee that this is
the type of curve that will be used. When you configure the
program, you will be asked what curve percentage to use. Unless
you find that the program is consistently wrong when it comes
to the curve, do NOT change the default value! You will then
be asked if you wish to update your Grade with the "Optimum
Grade" that the prediction produced. As before, Press <Y>, <y>
to update and <N>, <n>, <Enter> to return to the Test Score
Screen.
(Please consult the file CURVE.COM for further information)
Grades Version 2.70 Update Manual 6
Load a New File:
Now when you want to load a file you may view a file
directory, if you wish, in order to look for a certain file.
You can NOT view a directory on a different drive.
Press <F10> or <Enter> when prompted for the filename and
you will see a directory listing come up with a highlight bar.
Move the highlight bar to the file you wish to use and press
<Enter>. The program will then use that filename. (Standard
Editing Keys work here)
You will notice that there are some names which have a
backslash at the end, i.e. TEMP\. These are sub-directory
entries, and if you press <Enter> when the highlight bar is
over one, you will move to that sub-directory.
As usual, pressing <Esc> will abort and bring you back to
the Main Menu.
View Screen Changes:
Previously classes in the View Screen were listed with a
blank line between each class. Now there is no blank line and
classes are listed one after another.
Previously, the View Screen used a "page" format. That is,
when you pressed <PgDn> you moved to the next page and the
first class was highlighted. Now Grades follows the more normal
"scrolling" format of moving to the next page, but highlighting
the class that is now in the new display position. The same
applies for <PgUp> except the previous page is displayed.
Previously, when you pressed <Down> / <Up> when at the
last/first class on a page, you did not move to the
next/previous page. Now when you are at the last/first class
on a page, you are moved to the next/previous page.
Previously, when you pressed <End> the program would
display the last eight classes and highlight the first class on
that page, and not the last actual class on the last actual
page. Now, the program will display the last actual class on
the last actual page.
This may be confusing so please experiment with the new
cursor movements in the program itself.
Grades Version 2.70 Update Manual 7
Test Score Screen Changes:
Previously, when you pressed <Down>/<Up> while at the
last/first Test Score, you did not move to the next/previous
page. Now you will move to the next/previous page.
Again, if this is confusing, experiment with the program
itself.
File Error Changes:
File Error Reporting used to be inadequate. The program
would exit displaying an error. Now the program will allow you
to recover from non-critical File Errors.
A window will appear displaying the Error and any possible
Solutions. If the error is recoverable you will be told what
the solution should be, and then to press <Enter> to retry or
<Esc> to abort.
At times the program will not be able to correct the error
itself and will display a solution which you must perform once
the program exits.
Grades Version 2.70 Update Manual 8
Help Changes:
The program now allows you to configure the Help Colors.
There are four Help Colors. The first is the main Help Color,
and then three Highlighted Colors.
Many users find the Highlighted Colors annoying and would
like to turn them "off". To do this, specify the Highlighted
Colors to be the same as the Pop-Up Help Color. However, be
aware that Extended Help Color 1 is used as the highlight bar
when you pick an item from the Help list. Therefore you must
not set this equal to the Pop-Up Help Color, otherwise you will
not see which selection you are highlighting.
Miscellaneous Changes:
In v2.60 you could not enter in a Course Number greater
than 999.99. However, the program made no checks to ensure you
did not enter an invalid number like 9999.9, and thus the
display would be corrupted at times. The program will now
check to make sure that the Course Number is actually in the
range of 0.00 to 999.99,
Now when you add Classes, whether one or more, the Semester
is automatically kept for you. That is, if you enter in a
Class, and specify "Spring 1990" as the Semester for that
class, the next class' Semester will default to "Spring 1990"
as well. Naturally, you do not need to accept this default.
Previously, when you entered in a Test Score Date you could
not leave it blank. You may now do this if you do not know the
Test Date.
You may now specify a Grade in a class to be <I>. This
signifies an Incomplete grade, and the program will ignore that
class in its GPA calculations.
You will notice that the program will now invoke itself
over the current screen. That is, the program will now restore
the underlying display which existed before it was evoked. Any
error codes are displayed following the command line used to
invoke Grades.
Grades Version 2.70 Update Manual 9
Registering:
You are granted a limited license to use this program
twenty (20) times ONLY! After this time, you MUST Register it.
You will be guaranteeing future versions, and modestly repaying
the authors for their extensive effort in time and money.
If you find this program to be of use to you, you are
asked to Register it. Registering will give you any support
that you may need. (And you may need more than you think) As a
registered user, you will be informed of any future updates to
the program and provided with any Bug fixes. In addition you
will be provided with special support programs available
onlyto Registered Users. In addition any Shareware restrictions
are removed.
To Register, send $20.00 to:
SupremeSoft
105 Deerfield Drive
Easton, CT 06612
Please include your Name, Address, Telephone Number, the
Version you have, and where you obtained it from. Also, include
any problems or special needs that you may have.
To make Registration easier, print out the supplied Order
form, ORDER.DOC.
Grades v2.70 is Copyright 1987-1990 by SupremeSoft and Manu Singh
All Rights Reserved.
SupremeSoft, Grades and Grade Predictor are Trademarks of SupremeSoft
based in Easton, CT
Grades Version 2.70 Update Manual 10