Cream of the Crop 1

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FAST: Full Automotive Service Tracking USER REFERENCE GUIDE The following program documentation consists of the following sections: I General Info II Vehicles Menu III Expense Log Menu IV Reports Menu V Options Menu This file (FAST.TXT) may be viewed from within the program whenever "Information" is selected on the menu screen. Do not modify the file, or its on-line accessibility may be lost. Contents of the program and documentation are Copyright (C) 1992 by TBX Software. All rights are reserved. I GENERAL INFO FAST will run on IBM-compatible computers using DOS Version 2.1 or greater. Although not strictly necessary, recommended are a hard disk drive and color monitor. As with many programs, you should also find that performance is maximized using the highest processor speed available. In addition, as much memory as possible should be freed up beforehand. Running FAST with TSR's loaded, from DOS shells, or from other programs may cause unexpected errors, or may not leave enough memory for the program to run. The FAST package contains the following files: FAST.EXE: Executable program FAST.CAR: Storage of vehicle data FAST.LOG: Storage of vehicles' expense history FAST.SYS: Storage of system set-up options FAST.TXT: Program documentation (user guide) FAST.REG: Printable registration form Program data storage files must be present in the directory where FAST is run; otherwise the program will fail to execute. The program is installed simply by copying the files from the disk on which you received FAST to any pre-existing directory of your choice. (Example: In DOS (at C:\>), type MD FAST to create a disk directory C:\FAST. Then with the distribution disk in A:, type, at the DOS prompt, the following: COPY A:FAST.* C:\FAST/V Type CD FAST to then change to the directory C:\FAST.) To start the program, simply type FAST and then press <Enter>. Your copy of FAST may already have data saved in its files. If this is so, you may use this sample data to become better acquainted with the program's functions, before the saving of your actual data occurs. Existing vehicles are displayed by selecting any function on the "Vehicles" menu, or by producing a "Vehicle Listing" report. When you would like to begin a completely new database, as is preferable when initially saving your own data, and you want to remove any data that was included with the program, press <Ctrl-N> on the program menu screen to invoke the file initialization procedure. The applicable key controls will be displayed along with a warning telling you that all FAST data saved will be lost during the procedure. Two opportunities will be presented to cancel the operation if you so choose. The frequent back-up of your data will prevent the unintentional loss of data through this or any other manner. When FAST is started, file data is accessed automatically by the program. On the main (menu) screen, menus are selected by pressing the left/right arrows or the capitalized letters on the menu bar. Functions are selected by pressing the up/down arrows and then <Enter> when the desired function is highlighted, or by pressing the corresponding displayed function key. In FAST, <Esc> can be used, almost universally, to terminate just about any procedure or step you are undertaking at that moment. FAST is very easy to run and to learn how to use. It is a straightforward, uncomplicated program which makes the tasks of automobile service tracking and record-keeping seem effortless. Apart from its automatic scheduled maintenance tracking features, FAST enables you to check any past maintenance or repair expense record by using its selective history reporting capability. FAST is designed to save you considerable time and money over the long run. For the cost of a nominal registration fee, it is an investment we think most users will consider worthwhile. You may print the registration form by typing TYPE FAST.REG >LPT1 in DOS. II VEHICLES MENU / ADD / The "Add" function is the first step in using a new database, since a vehicle must be identified before services can be tracked or recorded for it. All new vehicles to be tracked by the program are entered via the "Add" function. After pressing <Enter> to add a new vehicle to the database, a data entry window will appear, into which you may enter in the appropriate fields the data which applies. You will find that the direction keys, PgUp, PgDn, Home, End, Insert, Delete, and Enter all have specialized functions when used while working within a data entry window. The vehicle description fields help you easily distinguish between similar vehicles you may be entering. You may abbreviate words or leave one or more fields blank at your option. The "Description" field can be used to record further detailed info or a brief comment about the vehicle. The Vehicle Identification Number, a serial number issued to all vehicles by the manufacturer for purposes of title and registration, may be entered in the field labeled "VIN". You may enter the date and mileage of the vehicle when initially in your possession under the "Acquisition Date/Mileage" field. The "SelCode" field, short for "Select Code", is used to assign a identifier, up to 3 characters in length, that you invent for purposes of effectively keeping vehicles together in a group. This is particularly useful for the production of reports, where you may want to restrict the scope of the report to only those vehicles that have the "SelCode" identifier you specify. When you arrive at the "Maintenance Codes" field in the data window, a maintenance selection screen will appear, with services "A" through "T" listed. Services must be entered and saved under the "Service Schedules" option before appearing in the maintenance selection screen. The movement of the highlighted scroll bar is the same as described for the "Service Schedules" feature. Pressing <F1> assigns the highlighted maintenance service to the vehicle on which you are currently working. For each vehicle, services must be individually assigned in the above manner before they will be tracked by FAST. This is useful because you may not desire to track all services for all vehicles. Moreover, certain services will often apply to only some vehicles and not others (e.g., diesel vs. gas, turbo vs. non- turbo, automatic transmission vs. manual, rear-wheel vs. front- wheel (or even four-wheel) drive, truck vs. car, severe vs. normal operation, etc.). Maintenance services can be assigned or later removed by using the vehicle "Modify" feature. When you desire to terminate data entry (by pressing <Esc>), you have the option of whether or not to save your data. If you choose "Y", the new vehicle will automatically be assigned to an ID# one consecutive number higher than the last vehicle added to the database. FAST will hold a maximum of 9999 vehicles, although most users will require only a small fraction of this capacity. / MODIFY / VIEW / DELETE / In order to perform these functions, a vehicle must first be selected from the vehicle list screen. Select a vehicle by moving the ID# highlight indicator (red block surrounding ID#) to the vehicle of your choice. The arrow keys, Home/End, or PgUp/PgDn may be used to scroll through individual vehicles or pages. When a vehicle is found, press <Enter> to execute the function. You may also select the desired vehicle on the list screen by retrieving it (F1) via ID# or by searching for it (F2) via your entering of any phrase which appears in the basic data saved for the vehicle. All fields will be searched except those containing dates, mileages, maintenance codes, and the current message. These search features will be of greater utility when you need to quickly find a vehicle from a listing which comprises multiple pages. Use "Modify" whenever a vehicle's basic information requires updating. The same data entry fields as encountered in "Add" may be accessed here also. A vehicle's current mileage may be updated here, as well as any reminder message or expiration dates. New services to track may be added, while other services may be removed to suspend or disable tracking. One should try to update vehicle mileage often, especially if services are being tracked that have intervals based in part on mileage traveled. It is necessary to maintain actual and current mileages on file so that FAST can alert you at the proper time when a service is due. Refer to the end of the section on updating maintenances on the "Expense Log" menu for more info about updating mileages. The "Message" field may be used to place a reminder note which pertains to a vehicle, or some other comment that may have particular importance at a later time. Messages can be removed entirely by pressing <F1>. You can, at any time, conveniently view all existing messages for all vehicles by selecting "Messages" on the "Reports" menu. "View" enables the full viewing of a record without disturbing any information already saved for that vehicle. "Delete" enables the "removal" of any vehicle from the database by making the record inactive. Inactive vehicles will no longer be processed by the features of FAST. ID#'s assigned by the program are permanent, and may not be reused even after the "deletion" of vehicles. "Deleted" vehicles can be reactivated by using <Ctrl-U> on the main (menu) screen. III EXPENSE LOG MENU / UPDATE MAINTENANCE / ENTER REPAIR SERV / ENTER MISC EXPENSE / All repairs and scheduled maintenance services performed for vehicles are entered using either of the first two menu functions. The third item accomodates expenses not covered by the first two. Before a repair or scheduled maintenance service can be logged, the vehicle to which it applies must first be selected from the vehicle list screen. This is the same procedure as explained at the beginning of the section on the vehicle "Modify" feature. All repairs, maintenance services, and miscellaneous expenses entered are stored in a common expense log. Since FAST keeps expenses arranged in date-chronological order, it is not necessary to log services and incurred expenses for a vehicle in the order they occurred. Records of services and other expenses prior to your use of FAST may therefore be entered at any time. When logging a scheduled maintenance service via the "Update Maintenance" function, a window will appear showing the current status of all scheduled services that are being tracked for the selected vehicle. On services that are due or past-due, the due date and/or mileage will appear in flashing red. Tracked services which have no prior record to reference will also appear in flashing red, but the due date and/or mileage shown will be those of the present time. Select a service to log by scrolling the highlight bar to the desired choice and by then pressing <Enter>. An expense log entry window above will appear, into which you may enter the service date, mileage, cost expenditure amount, and a description of service. Defaults are assigned automatically to each of these fields, which you may modify as required. For purposes of tracking, the record will be saved as the performed service you select regardless of what the description is modified to read. The same log entry window will appear when logging a repair or other expense for a selected vehicle. In the description field, you may place a brief description of the expense entry, which may also include anything of possible significance as a future reference, such as parts used, name of service facility, invoice number on bill, etc. If several services were performed at the same time, you may either elect to record each as a separate entry, or to combine them into one. Non-maintenance expense log entries are not tracked via a schedule by FAST, but do appear along with such services on record in the vehicle history. Vehicle mileages entered with new log entries, or modified when editing the expense log (next section), will automatically be saved as the corresponding vehicle's current mileage if the new value is greater than the last mileage saved using "Add" or "Modify" on the "Vehicles" menu. / EDIT LOG / START NEW LOG / If, after saving a maintenance, repair, or other expense, you realize that an error or omission has been made, you can always correct the entry by editing the expense log. The edit screen will display all expenses logged on or after any date you specify beforehand. The fields which can be modified are those of the description, mileage, or cost value. If, however, you would like to change the date, or the vehicle (as ID#) to which an expense entry corresponds, you must first delete the record and then re-enter it fully as a new maintenance, repair, or other expense. The "Start New Log" function is one that will be used rarely, if ever, by most users of FAST. Since there are no restrictions on the number of entries the log file will hold, it is never mandatory to begin a new one. However, there is one possibility to consider. For example, if the log has become extensive and you find that an unacceptable amount of time is required to produce a listing of services due or to selectively search the log history, you may prefer to terminate the current log and start a new one. This can be done on an arbitrary basis, or you may elect to restrict the log history to only that of a certain period of time (e.g., a year) before starting a new one. The procedure can then, in turn, be repeated at successive intervals. All tracked services are automatically updated in the new log. When you start a new log, the old log file is considered to be an archived (non-active) history file, and is renamed on disk as FAST_???.HST, where "???" represents the next available, consecutive file number. Therefore, FAST_001.HST would denote the first archive file in the directory. Subsequent archive files would correspond to 002, 003, 004, etc. Archive files may only be used to produce reports, and may not be edited or added to. For this reason, you must be certain that a log file is complete and error-free before you decide to terminate it and start a new one. IV REPORTS MENU FAST may be instructed as to the format and scope of reports by changing the default parameters in the prompt windows, which are presented in succession before the report is run. Reports are printed according to the specification saved under the "Set Report Printer" option. / MAINTENANCE DUE / Through the use of this feature, the status of all tracked services, or if you so choose, of those currently due only, may be checked for one or more vehicles on record. The report will be restricted to the vehicle whose ID# or all vehicles whose SelCode you specify. A vehicle is considered to be currently due for service when either the due date or the due mileage, as determined by the service interval saved under "Service Schedules", has been reached or surpassed. Replying "Y" to the "Include Currently Due Only?" prompt will restrict the report to those services that are due at that time only. A "N" reply will result in an output whose content differs somewhat depending on the reponse provided to the "Arrange By Car or Service?" prompt. If "C" is chosen, the report will include the following: status of all services tracked (prior log entry), services tracked having no prior entry, and non-tracked vehicles. If "S" is chosen, the report will contain only the status of services tracked that have a prior entry in the expense log. Arrange a report by service if you want to group together, for convenience, all vehicles tracked for each service. You may then restrict the output to a particular service by entering its associated code (A through T) beforehand. If left blank, all applicable services will be shown, starting with the lowest alphabetical code. Whenever output is to the screen, you may PgUp/PgDn to the previous or next service applicable to the report. If a specific vehicle ID# has not been named, and a report is then arranged by car, the report will start with the lowest numerical ID# which applies. Regardless of whether or not an ID# has been specified, you may PgUp/PgDn to the previous or next vehicle applicable to the report (when output is to the screen). Due dates and/or mileages that have been reached or surpassed (so as to cause a service to be currently due), are displayed on screen in bright, flashing red. Tracked services that have no prior log entry are also shown in the same manner, with corresponding due dates or mileages consisting of the current date and vehicle mileage. Dates and mileages which appear on the screen in bright, flashing red are shown on printout with the double asterisk symbol "**" preceding them. / EXPENSE HISTORY / Using FAST's selective history reporting features, reports may be produced containing only those expenses of interest to you at any moment. At your option, amounts and totals may appear on the report. Reports can also be made consisting of amount totals only. Expense history used for a report is read from the file specified under the "Set Hist File" option. Parameters which may be used to restrict the scope of the report include vehicle ID#, SelCode, starting and ending dates, maintenance codes, and search phrases. If you provide a vehicle ID# or answer "Y" to the "Arrange History By Car?" prompt, history is grouped separately for each vehicle. Otherwise, another format is presented, which consists of a general two-line listing arranged chronologically by date of service/expense. If a specific vehicle ID# has not been named, and a report is then arranged by car, the report will start with the lowest numerical ID# which applies. Regardless of whether or not an ID# has been specified, you may PgUp/PgDn to the previous or next vehicle applicable to the report (when output is to the screen). The inclusion of costs on the report is determined by the letter entered in the "Incl(ude) Costs" field. Valid responses include "Y" to show costs on report, "N" to omit costs, or "O" to show expenditure amount totals only. The "Codes" and "Search For" fields work together to produce a comprehensive listing of expenses for the report. Their combined action depends on whatever data is entered in the respective fields beforehand. In the "Codes" field, place the letter codes of all scheduled maintenance services to be included for the report. In the "Search For" fields, up to three separate phrases which might appear in any history description field (maintenance, repairs, etc.) may be entered for inclusion in the report. Blank fields will produce all history unless at least one code or phrase is entered, in which case the report scope will then be restricted to just the specified codes and/or phrases. In the "Codes" field, <F2> may be used repeatedly to cycle the various options which are used to redefine the report scope. The options, with the corresponding restrictive effect of each on the output of the report, are as follows: "All (Codes Only)", to use routine maintenance history only; "None (Repairs Only)",to utilize repairs only; "None (Misc Only)", to use misc. expenses only; and "All (W/Repairs Only)", to use service (non-misc.) history only. / OTHER REPORTS / Use "Expirations" when you want to check on upcoming vehicle registration or inspection expirations, or on vehicles whose registration or inspection may have already expired. Registration and inspection expiration dates must be forthcoming within the number of days saved under the "Exp Advance Notice" option in order to appear at the time the report is made. Upcoming expiration dates are displayed in yellow. Appearing in solid red will be those expirations which match the current date. If a registration or inspection has already expired (current date is past expiration), the listed expiration will appear in flashing red. On printed reports, vehicles at expiration are shown with the single asterisk "*" preceding the the expiration date, whereas those past expiration will be displayed with a double asterisk "**". With "Messages", a report can be produced for all vehicles which contain a current message appearing in the basic information for each vehicle. Messages can be especially useful when saved if they are later used to remind one about some aspect of a vehicle which will eventually require attention. "Vehicle Listing" will display all other information on record for each vehicle in a condensed, 2-line listing. V OPTIONS MENU / SERVICE SCHEDULES / Scheduled maintenances, which are defined by the user, are set up using this feature. Each service must be entered in the table before it can be assigned to a vehicle for tracking. Entering a service consists of first selecting any available code (A through T) by moving the highlighted scroll bar to the code's position and then pressing <Enter> to begin entering data. The following keys may be used to move the scroll bar to the code of your choice: Home/End, arrow keys, Tab/Shift-Tab, or the letter itself designating the code. Pressing <Esc> returns to menu screen. Specified in the data fields are a description of the service and its associated service interval, which indicates the frequency of the service (how often it should be performed, i.e., the schedule). The duration can be configured on elapsed time or mileage, or both, in which case the particular service becomes due when either one or the other parameter is first achieved for the tracked vehicle. The range of valid interval values for each parameter are as follows: 1 to 99 for months, 1 to 99 for days, and 1 to 99999 for miles traveled. Parameters that have a value of zero are not used for tracking. Note that a service must have a description and at least one scheduling parameter saved before it is can be used for purposes of tracking. A schedule can later be changed at any time, resulting in an automatic adherence to the new schedule by all vehicles tracked for the particular service. A maximum of twenty anticipated scheduled maintenance services for all vehicles on record may be entered in the table. As mentioned under the section on adding vehicles, due to differences in vehicle services corresponding to the type of vehicle and the manner in which it is operated, all services entered need not apply to every vehicle equally in the database. This is because the services which apply can be assigned to each vehicle independently. If you are not sure what services should be tracked and how often for your vehicle(s), the owner's literature may be helpful in this regard. A knowledgeable person at a service facility or an automotive repair manual for your vehicle(s) may also provide the necessary information. Otherwise, you may enter the services that you have always relied on, perhaps even adding others that would be of benefit if performed on a routine basis. All services need not imply actual work to be performed, since what some may consist of is really closer to the nature of a scheduled check or inspection of some aspect of the vehicle's condition. Examples of commonly tracked services include the following: Months Miles Oil And Filter Change 3 3000 Spark Plug Replacement 20 20000 Air Filter Replacement 24 24000 Fuel Filter Replacement 12 12000 Cooling System Check 12 Coolant Flush And Replace 24 24000 PCV Valve Replacement 20 20000 Crankcase Filter Replacement 24 24000 Drive Belts Check And Adjust 10 10000 Transmission Fluid Check 12 12000 Steering/Suspension Lubrication 15 15000 Power Steering Fluid Check 12 Brake System Check/Replace Linings 30 30000 Front Wheel Bearing Repacking 30 30000 Exhaust System Inspection 6 Tire Tread Wear Check 6 Tire Pressure Check 1 Exterior Lamps Check 1 / OTHER SET-UP OPTIONS / Additional set-up options are each entered using individual windows. Press <Enter> to save an option after any necessary changes have been made; otherwise press <Esc> to cancel. The "Exp(iration) Advance Notice" option can be used to set the number of days in advance when an expiration will be first reported by FAST. Values from 1 to 99 are permitted. If a value of zero is entered, expirations will not appear on the report until the actual day expiration occurs. The "Set Screen Heading" option is used to save a heading, which may consist of company name or anything else you may want to display at the top of the screen. The heading also appears at the top of all printed reports. FAST normally uses the current log file FAST.LOG to produce history reports. If you happen to have vehicle history in non- active (archive) files, use "Set Hist(ory) File" to change the read specification to the file needed for the report. This is done by providing the archive number of the file, where, as in the following example, the archive number would be "1" for the file FAST_001.HST. The section on starting a new log file contains additional information relating to history files. The "Set Report Printer" option enables you to change the output specification for printed reports. You may specify printers attached to the first, second, or third parallel port (if so equipped), or a filename with an optional drive and pathname. If you specify a file which already exists on disk, the file will be overwritten when the report is made. Report files contain normal ASCII code, and thus can usually be viewed using most word processors or text viewers. Any such file can also be printed from within one of these programs, or, for example, by using the DOS "TYPE" command as in the following manner to utilize the printer at LPT1: TYPE filename > LPT1 (The following DOS command should work equally, as well: COPY filename LPT1).