JCSM Shareware Collection 1996 September/JCSM Shareware Collection (JCS Distribution) (September 1996).ISO/bother__/hotnet.zip/HOTNET.DOC

Text File | 1993-09-09 | 17KB | 467 lines

P E R S O N A L    H O T N E T


Hotline Phone Calling/Tracking

A Personal Call Tracking/ Help Desk System

Version 4.00


















Copyright 1990,1991 - Joey Robichaux
P.O. Box 82311
Baton Rouge, La. 70884
[phone]


Basics

Do you run a help-desk?  Maybe you call it a hotline, or a
customer service center, or a trouble desk?  Whatever you
call it, you've discovered a few things.

First, you're swamped by calls.  Second, you're run ragged
solving the same types of problems over and over again.
Finally, things are happening so quick it's hard to share
information among your staff.

That's where Hotnet comes in.  It's your help-desk solution.

Hotnet logs calls -- but even more, Hotnet does it simply
and quick.  When the phone's ringing off the wall, you don't
want to be struggling with your software.

Hotnet queries your calls -- again, simply and quickly.
Recycle your solutions -- if you've solved a problem once,
use that solution.  Don't reinvent the wheel -- don't look
up the same obscure error messages again and again.  Let
Hotnet tell you the answers.

Finally, Hotnet manages your information.  Track your
progress; spot trends before they become real problems;
prove your efforts to management with Hotnet's reporting
functions.

Definition of Shareware

Shareware distribution gives you a chance to try software
before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and
continue using it, you must register the product.

Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial
software, and the copyright holder retains all rights.  The
main difference between Shareware and commerical software is
the method of distribution.  The author specifically grants
the right to copy and distribute the software, either to all
or to a specific group.

Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software.
Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee -- if you
don't use the product, you don't pay for it.


Disclaimer - Agreement

Users of HOTNET must accept this disclaimer of warranty:

"Hotnet is supplied as is.  The author disclaims all
warranties, expressed or implied, including, without
limitation, the warranties of merchantability and of fitness
for any purpose. The author assumes no liability for
damages, direct or consequential, which may result from the
use of Hotnet."

Hotnet is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge
to the user for evaluation.  Feel free to share it with your
friends, but please do not give it away altered or as part
of another system.

If you use Hotnet after a reasonable trial period, you must
make a registration payment of $49 to the author.  This
licenses one copy for use on any one workstation at any one
time.  If multiple people use Hotnet, you must license
multiple copies.  Discounts are available -- please contact
the author for details.

Commercial users of Hotnet must register and pay for their
copies of Hotnet within 30 days of first use or their
license is withdrawn.

Registration

When you register Personal Hotnet you'll receive:

                  *         a copy of the latest version of
                            Personal Hotnet, direct from the author
                            and guaranteed virus-free;
                  *         a printed copy of this reference
                            manual;
                  *         notification of upgrades and
                            new releases;
                  *         access to free technical support.

Who to Contact

For technical support, enquiries, and multiple copy discount
information, the author can be contacted in the following
ways:

     *            On Compuserve, via EASYPLEX to
                  ID 71336,336.

     *            By US Mail:        Joey Robichaux
                                     P. O. Box 82311
                                     Baton Rouge, La. 70884

     *            Telephone : [phone].
                        Fax : [phone]

Hardware Requirements

Hotnet runs on any IBM compatible PC-DOS/MS-DOS machine.  A
hard drive is required for optimum performance.
You should have at least 512K available conventional RAM.

Hotnet supports both color and monochrome video
monitors.

Personal Hotnet does not provide printing support.  Printing
is available in Professional Hotnet.
Starting Hotnet (also TSR)

Create a subdirectory on your hard disk.

Copy the Personal Hotnet files to this subdirectory.

Next, check your FILES and BUFFERS statements in your
CONFIG.SYS file.

You should at least have FILES = 42 and BUFFERS = 8.  If
you're running Microsoft Windows or some "shell" programs,
you may have to increase the FILES even greater.  If Hotnet
terminates with an "Open" error or a "REDOINDEX" error, this
is most likely because of insufficient file handles.

To start HOTNET, simply type "HOTNET" at the DOS prompt.  To
start HOTNET as a TSR, just supply any dummy parameter when
you start HOTNET.  For example, "HOTNET TSR".  The Alt -
Equal Sign keys (ALT=) activate Hotnet(tsr).

The TSR version tucks itself away into expanded or extended
memory.  If none is available, it loads into a temporary
disk file.  If you terminate Hotet(tsr) normally (with the
Terminate function), this file is deleted.  If you turn the
machine off without terminating Hotnet, the disk file stays
around.  It doesn't hurt anything, but it does use up disk
space.  You can delete old ones without hurting anything;
just try "DIR *." and look for strange alpha or numeric
names.

NOTE: You cannot run bot HOTNET and HOTNET(tsr) at the same
time on the SAME machine ... you'll hang one or the other on
file/record locking problems.

The first time HOTNET runs, it spends a few moments building
the necessary data files.
Auto Log-In

When you use Hotnet, you "Log In" so Hotnet knows who is
answering calls.

Hotnet automatically logs you in if you dedicate an
environment variable.  This takes a few bytes of environment
space, so you may decide not to use this option.

Use an environment variable called LOGNAME. Place this in
your LOGIN script or AUTOEXEC.BAT file.  You can use the
following DOS command:

         SET LOGNAME=USERNAME

where USERNAME is the user's name.  Hotnet uses this to
track who is answering and recording calls.

If you don't use the LOGNAME variable, you must log in
manually with the Manual Log in function of Hotnet.  This function
is the second pick on the Main Menu.

Scrolling Picklists

Hotnet maintains data files with a feature called scrolling
picklists.

Select a data file and Hotnet pops open a window. It
sequentially loads portions of records in each window.  A
highlighting bar rests on the first record in the window.
You can move this bar and scroll the records in the list;
you can pick records from the list by highlighting them and
pressing Enter.  (That's why they call it a scrolling
picklist!)

Use the up and down arrow keys to move highlighted bar.  If
you press PgUp or PgDn, the window scrolls an entire screen
at a time.

To jump to the first record in the list, press the Home key.
To reach all the way to the bottom, press the End key.

To locate a record by key search, press the first letter of
the desired key.  The window scrolls to the first record
with a key matching the letter. Press another key and the
window scrolls to the first record whose key matches the two
letter sequence.  You can also use the Backspace key to
correct searches.  This technique is called successive
refinement.  It is used in most of the picklist sequences
except tracking number order.

Use scrolling picklists to insert new records, select old
records to edit or browse, delete existing records, or
return to the previous menu.  In some cases you can even do
a free-form phrase search. The message line at the bottom of
the screen tells you what you can do.

For instance, to add a new record, press the Insert key.  A
blank window pops open to capture the new record.  In
general, you can press F10 or Ctrl-W, or enter all the data
fields, to save the new record, or Escape to abort the
addition.

Once you press F10, Ctrl-W, or Escape, the display returns
to the scrolling picklist.

To edit or browse a record, press Enter after highlighting
the desired record.  The scrolling picklist fetches the
entire record and opens a new window for this record.

The message area at the bottom of the display again prompts
you for any action.  For example, you may be able to press
"E" to edit the record data or Escape to quit and return to
the scrolling picklist.

To delete a record from the scrolling picklist, press the
Delete key after you've highlighted the desired record.
Confirm the delete by pressing the "D" key.


Phone Call File

The Phone Call File lets you log call information.  You can
capture items such as Caller Name, Problem Category, Call
Type, Date/Time Call Received, Date/Time Call Solved, plus
others.  You can use thousands of characters to describe the
call and resolution in the free-form comments field.

You can also use the F3 function key to pop up the Crib
Sheets file.  You can place any type of textual information
you might need in the Crib Sheets.  For example, you may
want to keep a list of network supervisors, a list of vendor
support numbers, a list of standard recommended products,
etc.

When you're editing the comments field, you can use these
three function keys:

F2  = insert date, time, and logname
F5  = accept comments and close call (plug solve time and date)
F10 = accept comments

The Comments Field

When you're entering free-form comments, you're in a
mini-word processor mode.  This simple word processor does
word-wrapping and responds to many standard word processing
commands, including the following:

F2                                   Enter Date, Time, and Logname stamp
F5                                   Finish edit, save data, and close call
                                     (plug date and time as solved)
F10                                  Finish edit and save data
Up arrow or CTRL-E                   Cursor up
Down arrow or CTRL-X                 Cursor down
Left arrow or CTRL-S                 Cursor left
Right arrow or CTRL-D                Cursor right
CTRL-left arrow or CTRL-A            Cursor left one word
CTRL-right arrow or CTRL-F           Cursor right one word
HOME                                 Beginning line
END                                  End of line
CTRL-HOME                            Beginning of current window
CTRL-END                             End of current window
PgUp                                 Previous edit window
PgDn                                 Next edit window
CTRL-PgUp                            Beginning of comments field
CTRL-PgDn                            End of comments field
Return                               Move to beginning of next line
Delete                               Delete character at cursor
Backspace                            Delete character to left of cursor
Tab                                  Insert tab character or spaces
CTRL-Y                               Delete the current line
CTRL-T                               Delete word right
CTRL-B                               Reformat paragraph
Insert                               Toggle insert mode
CTRL-W                               Finish edit and save data
ESCAPE                               Abort edit without save
Free-Form Text Search

Hotnet uses a high-powered "free form text search" facility
that makes it a snap to retrieve special records.  Not only
is it easy to enter call information, it's just as easy to
locate that information.

When you press the F2 function key from the Phone Call
scrolling picklist, Hotnet asks you for a search string.
This can be any string -- characters, blanks, punction
marks, or whatever -- that you'd like to locate.

For instance, to find all comments with the words "nuclear
fission", you could use these search strings:

         nuclear fission
         lear fiss
         r fis
         nuclear fi
         ... and so on ...

The search is not case-sensitive.  It matches lower- case to
upper-case.

Hotnet searches the caller name, the short description, the
locate, and the free-form comments field.

Hotnet returns all matching records, one at a time.  You can
optionally browse or edit these records, or you can skip to
the next locate record.

Crib Sheets

The Crib Sheet file is a place to store textual information
to help you provide customer support.

For instance, do you have any "notes" tacked up on your
bulletin board for reference?  Perhaps a list of network
supervisors, lists of vendor telephone numbers, or perhaps a
list of key definitions?  Put data like this in your Crib
Sheets -- you can refer to these sheets later by popping
them up while you're fielding a phone call.

Each Crib Sheet consists of two data items:  a Title and
Text.  The Title describes the Crib Sheet record;  the Text
is a free-form text field containing the textual
information.  This field will "scroll" up or down; you can
enter around 32,000 characters of information if you need
to.

Utilities

The Utilities menu lets you perform housekeeping maintenance
as well as configure your Personal Hotnet environment.

For example, you can Rebuild Index files, Purge Solved
records, or Remove Calls before a certain date.

You can also choose to:

        Default all new calls to either solved or unsolved.
        Default to Insert or Overstrike mode.
        Use US style or free-style phone numbers
        Always check for available file handles on startup.

Reporting with Personal Hotnet

Personal Hotnet does not include a report generator.  You can
use your favorite Xbase report writer to generate reports.

Or, you might prefer to purchase Personal Hotnet's older
brother, Professional Hotnet.

Professional Hotnet includes the report module, Hotrpt.
Hotrpt contains 20 predefined reports, plus you can modify
or customize your own reports with an optional third party
package.


Errors

While this program has been heavily tested, it's still
possible for bugs to creep in -- particularly in a networked
environment.

Most errors tend to be involved in network rights. When
Hotnet intercepts a terminal error, it pops open an error
window.  This window lists the program module, the error
type, and the line number.

If you encounter this error window, please note the
information (or do a screen print) and notify the program
author.

*** MULTIPLE ERRORS in PROC REDOINDEX ***
If you see this error message, the most likely cause is an
insufficient number of file handles. Simply increase the
number of files in your CONFIG.SYS.

*** RUN error ***
Usually an insufficient conventional memory problem. Try
unloading any TSR's to free up as much conventional memory
as possible.

*** picklists look "wierd" ***
This is often caused by a clobbered index file.  You can
either use Utilities to rebuild the index files, or you can
delete *.NTX files from DOS.  Hotnet will then automatically
rebuild the index files.

**  free form search works "strange" ***
Probably a clobbered word index file.  Either rebuild index
files from Utilities, or delete the PHONE.IA file from DOS.
Hotnet will automatically rebuild the index file.


*** Terminal Error -- Index Error ***
These errors are associated with the free-form index file,
PHONE.IA. When these errors occur, the index file is
deleted.  When you restart Hotnet, the index file is
automatically rebuilt -- so the error probably will not
happen again (at least, immediately!)

If these errors happen consistently, drop to DOS.  Delete
file PHONE.IA. Next, sign into Hotnet, select Utilities,
then Build New Index.  This will probably handle the
problem.

Final

Well, I said it was a thin manual!

Seriously, I sincerely believe that Hotnet is so easy to use
that this manual is not all that necessary -- with a few
exceptions.

And I hope I've covered those exceptions!

Please feel free to call or EMAIL any questions -- I'd be
glad to help out!

Please check the file ORDER.FRM for more information on
ordering Personal Hotnet and Professional Hotnet.