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Shopper's Assistant
Version 4.0
A program to make your weekly shopping trips
easier, faster and less expensive.
Copyright 1993 by Norman O. Morgan
Table of Contents
-----------------
What is Shopper's Assistant?.................................. 2
A bit of history.............................................. 2
What is included?............................................. 2
Installing Shopper's Assistant................................ 3
Screens & Functions........................................... 4
File Menu................................................ 5
Item Menu................................................ 5
Map Menu................................................. 6
Options Menu............................................. 7
Help Menu................................................ 7
Reports & Listings............................................ 8
Shopping List............................................ 8
'Fridge' List............................................ 8
Store Map................................................ 8
Legal Stuff................................................... 9
Warranties.................................................... 9
How To Use Shopper's Assistant............................... 10
Registration Form............................................ 12
______________________________________________________________________
Shopper's Assistant, version 4.0 -1- December 28, 1993
What is Shopper's Assistant?
How many times has this happened to you at the grocery? You're
almost through...just picked up the bread and tomatoes and there
it is at the bottom of your list...Toothbrush! Now you must go
all the way back to the other side of the store and pick up the
misplaced item. You can waste a lot of time and steps this way.
Shopper's Assistant is designed to eliminate the frustration of a
jumbled list, saving you time and money. Money? Yes! Because
Shopper allows you to comparison shop between up to five stores
and automatically selects the lowest price. It will save you
time, not only in the store but also while preparing your shopping
list. It would be almost impossible to hand write a shopping
list as fast as you can prepare one with Shopper's Assistant.
A bit of history...
Shopper's Assistant has been around as a DOS program for several
years. It has been upgraded and refined many times. A little
over a year ago, it was joined by Windows Shopper in response to
the many requests for a Windows version of the program. The two
programs were similar in concept, but Window Shopper offered some
advanced features that were not possible in the DOS program...
until now. Now we have brought all of the enhanced functions of
Window Shopper to our DOS version. The two programs use the same
file structures, and have idenetical features except where the
inherent differences between DOS and Windows themselves dictate
otherwise.
What is included...
The distribution disk or archive file should contain the
following:
README.1ST A plain text file describing last minute changes, a
brief explanation of the installation procedure, and
how to view or print this documentation file.
SHOP4DOC.TXT The file you are reading right now. This is a plain
text file and may be viewed with LIST or any ASCII
editor or printed by simply copying it to the printer.
SHOPPER.EXE The executable file for Shopper.
SHOPPER.HLP The on-line help file for Shopper.
SETUP.EXE The installation program for Shopper.
SHOPPER.PIF and SHOPPER.ICO files are included for those who
use the program under Microsoft Windows. We suggest that
Windows fans try our other program, Window Shopper, for a
true Windows version of this program.
______________________________________________________________________
Shopper's Assistant, version 4.0 -2- December 28, 1993
INSTALLING SHOPPER'S ASSISTANT
1. Change to the drive containing the installation diskette
and type SETUP.
2. The rest is automatic. The install program will create a
directory for the files and copy the files to it.
3. To run the program, change to the newly created directory,
type SHOPPER and press ENTER.
** If you acquired this program by modem from a bulletin board
system (BBS) or other online service, you may uncompress it to a
diskette for installation, or install from a working directory
on your hard disk.
______________________________________________________________________
Shopper's Assistant, version 4.0 -3- December 28, 1993
SCREENS AND FUNCTIONS
The main screen for Shopper has a hierarchical pull-down menu.
From it you select all other actions. Each of the choices on the
menu bar opens a list of from 2 to 4 secondary items.
(By the way...I'll bet you hate that ugly registration reminder.
So do I. And for a mere 20 bucks I'll make it go away!)
Here is an outline form of the menus and items on them:
File
Print
Shopping List F5
Fridge List F6
Store Map
Master List
Exit Ctrl+X
Item
Clear Selections F3
Select Items F4
Review List
Maintain Items
Map
Maintain Map
Re-Map Stores
Options
Store Names
Register
Enter Serial Number
Print Registration Form
Help
Contents F1
Search
Using Help
About Shopper's Assistant
______________________________________________________________________
Shopper's Assistant, version 4.0 -4- December 28, 1993
FILE MENU
The File menu contains only two choices, Print and Exit. There
are no Open and Save commands as found in typical programs. This
is because Shopper opens the files it needs automatically when it
begins and saves them when it terminates.
The Print choice gives a list of four different reports that may
be printed. The first two, Shopping List and Fridge List, are
used each week and have shortcut keys available. We will
describe each of the reports in detail later in this document.
The Exit choice also has a shortcut key, Ctrl+X. You may also
exit by using the standard Windows control box, either as a menu
or by double-clicking. In any case, Window Shopper saves your
work before exiting. In fact, the only way you could possibly
not save your work is to lose power or reboot the computer in
mid-session.
ITEM MENU
The first choice on the Item Menu is Clear Selections. This is
used each week to clear the previous choices and begin a shopping
cycle. You will be asked to confirm that you really want to
clear the selections to prevent accidental erasures. Because this
is a frequently used option, it has been assigned the F3 key as a
shortcut.
(Notice the sequence of the shortcut keys. After the initial
setup period, a normal session of using Shopper can be accom-
plished by using only the function key shortcuts. F3 to clear the
list. F4 to select the items to buy. F5 to print the list. F6
to print the "fridge" list or worksheet for the next cycle.)
The second choice is Select Items.
To select an item you want to buy, find it in the listing on the
right side. This is a scrolling list (scroll bars will appear
when the list grows beyond 11 items). Full information for the
highlighted item is shown on the left of the form. The store
with the lowest price is automatically selected. You may
override this choice if you wish. To keep an item from being
suggested for a particular store, leave the price at zero in that
store. Tab from the item list to the Quantity box or click in
the box with the mouse. Enter the quantity to buy. Tab again to
the store selection. If you agree with the selected store, tab
once more, otherwise use the arrow keys or mouse to select the
store. If you want to use a coupon for this item (the list will
be flagged to remind you to check for coupon specific
requirements and the coupon amount will be deducted from the
total), tab to the coupon box and enter the value of the coupon.
Press or click OK to add the item to your list.
Items you have already selected will have a "#" beside them in
the list. This is useful in several ways. When beginning a new
week's list, it will remind you if you have forgotten to clear
______________________________________________________________________
Shopper's Assistant, version 4.0 -5- December 28, 1993
last week's choices. It also "keeps your place" if you get
interrupted while making your list. Finally, it is a visual
confirmation of the success of a speed selection operation.
Speed selection! If you want to buy one of an item, accept the
default store and have no coupon, you may speed select by
double-clicking the item in the item list box. You may also just
press ENTER while the item is highlighted.
When all items have been selected, press or click the Finished
button to return to the main menu.
You may use the Review List option from the Item menu to see the
items you have selected and get a rough total for each store as
well as a grand total. These total do not take coupons and taxes
into account. The Review List operates like a normal scrolling
list. Use the Up and Down arrows, Page Up, Page Down, Home and
End keys to maneuver in it. Press Enter, or Esc or click
Finished to return to the main menu.
The final choice on the Item menu is to Maintain your items.
As in the item selection, begin by picking an item from the list
on the right. Notice that the Change and Delete buttons are not
active until you select an item. The edit boxes will fill with
the information for that item and you may change it as needed.
When all edits have been made, press or click Change to write the
changes to the file.
To add an item, simply start entering the information and then
press or click Add. The item will be added and the screen will
clear for the next operation. Note that the item category is a
pull-down list. Click on the arrow to the right of the box to
open the list. Click on an entry to select it and close the
list. With the keyboard, use the Alt+Down to open the list,
select an entry by using the down arrow to highlight, then
Alt+Down again to close the list.
When all edits have been made, press or click Cancel to return to
the main menu. You may also press Esc to close this screen.
MAP MENU
The first choice on the Map menu is Maintain Map.
As with the item selection and item maintenance screens, you
begin by selecting a category from the list on the right. Click
on the entry and the data will appear in the edit boxes. Make
changes as needed and click Change. You must press or click
Change to write the changes back to the file.
To add a new category, enter the data and press or click Add.
The record is added to the file and the screen clears for the
next operation.
Press or click Cancel to return to the main menu.
______________________________________________________________________
Shopper's Assistant, version 4.0 -6- December 28, 1993
The Re-Map Stores option on the Map menu will be discussed in the
"How to Use Shopper's Assistant" section.
OPTIONS MENU
The first choice on the Options menu is Store Names. This is
normally used only during initial set up to enter the names of
the stores you shop in and the local sales tax rates. There is a
separate tax rate for each store. This is handy for people who
shop in two different tax jurisdictions, perhaps across a county
or state border.
Simply tab to each field and enter the appropriate information.
Press or click Done when all data is correct.
The Register menu choice is used to insert your registration
serial number and get rid of that nasty reminder on the main
menu. You will only use this option one time. After your serial
number is validated and accepted, the choice is dimmed on the
menu and may not be selected. You may also fill out and print
your registration form from this menu choice.
HELP MENU
The Help menu offers the choices of eaxmining the help file table
of contents, searching for help on a particular topic, or getting
information on using the help system itself.
About Shopper displays a small screen with the version and
copyright information. Also included is my name and address so
you can reach me for comments, questions, etc. long after you
have misplaced all the documentation for the program!
______________________________________________________________________
Shopper's Assistant, version 4.0 -7- December 28, 1993
REPORTS AND LISTINGS
There are four reports available from Shopper: the Shopping
List(s), the "Fridge" list, the Store Map worksheet, and the item
Master List.
The Shopping List:
Shopping List for Schnucks 10/4/92 6:03:01 AM
Qty. Item Description Price Extn Cpn Loc.
-----------------------------------------------------------
2 *Peas, Canned Green Giant 0.89 1.78 -0.35 10
1 Eggs, Fresh Grade AA Lg, 1 doz. 0.81 0.81 50
1 Cokes, Diet 24 - 12 oz. cans 5.99 5.99
Total for Schnucks 8.58
less coupons -0.35
-----------
Net Total 8.23
Notice the * to the left of the first item. This is present
because you indicated you had a coupon for this item. It is a
reminder to check the requirements of the coupon, i.e. size,
quantity, brand, type, etc.
The "Fridge" list:
We call it the Fridge List because most folks take a magnet and
hang this on the side of the refrigerator to use as a handy
checklist during the week. As soon as you realize you will need
something on your next trip to the grocery, check it here. The
list contains only the item names and a box to check. It is
presented in 3 columns to get the most items in the least space.
The list is in alphabetic sequence of the item name. Here is a
small sample:
'Fridge' List for Schnucks 10/4/92 7:13:24 AM
----------------------------------------------------------
[ ] Apples, Red [ ] Fish, Frozen [ ] Peas, Canned
[ ] Bread, Rye [ ] Milk, 2% [ ] Potatos
[ ] Bread, White [ ] Milk, Buttermilk [ ] Tomatos
The Store Map:
The third report is used as a worksheet to enter the store
layouts into the system so Window Shopper can sort your shopping
lists in order of the way you like to shop in each store. More
about this concept in "How to Use Shopper" later in this
document. Here is a sample of the report:
Store Map 10/4/92 9:07:25 AM
Product Category Schnucks Wesselman Buy-Low Great Scot Sam's
----------------------------------------------------------------
Baby Products _____ _____ _____ _____ _____
Bakery _____ _____ _____ _____ _____
Coffee, Tea _____ _____ _____ _____ _____
______________________________________________________________________
Shopper's Assistant, version 4.0 -8- December 28, 1993
The actual report is double spaced to make it easier to write on.
If the location is left at zero in a store, the map prints a
blank for you to enter an number, otherwise it prints the number
found in the file.
The final report is a master list of your items. It shows the
item name, desription, product category, taxable status, and the
price in each of the 5 stores. It is used mostly to check your
entry work for errors.
LEGAL STUFF
Shopper's Assistant is a copyrighted work. It is not free and it
is not in the public domain. Except as specifically noted, all
rights to this work are retained by the author, Norman O. Morgan.
You are granted the right to install Shopper's Assistant on your
system and use it for a reasonable period to determine whether it
meets your needs. A reasonable period for this purpose is deemed
to be 30 days. If, after that period, you continue to use the
program, you are obligated to make payment directly to the
author.
Upon payment, you will receive a registration serial number. Use
the Register function on the Options menu to insert this number
in the program and remove the registration reminder from the main
menu screen. Registration brings the added benefit of
notification of updates and telephone support. New versions are
offered to registered users first and offered at a substantial
discount.
You are encouraged to give copies of Shopper's Assistant to your
friends, to upload it to computer bulletin boards, etc. Under no
circumstance may you reveal to another person your registration
serial number.
WARRANTIES
None. Although I have written this program carefully and tested
it thoroughly, I cannot guarantee that it will work on your
system. Since it follows all standards and does nothing tricky,
it should work. It is up to you to determine if it works before
paying for it. There should be absolutely no way Shopper's
Assistant can interfere with or damage anything else on your
system, but under no circumstances will the author be responsible
for any incidental or consequental damages to your system or
data. Use it at your own risk.
______________________________________________________________________
Shopper's Assistant, version 4.0 -9- December 28, 1993
How to Use Shopper's Assistant
The first step in using Shopper's Assistant is to use the
Options/Store Name function to enter the names and tax rates for
each of the stores you want the program to recognize.
The next step is to identify the categories of merchandise in
your stores. Throughout this document we assume that the program
will be used for domestic grocery shopping, but there is no
reason it could not be used for other purposes. Make a list of
all the different kinds of products you find in the store. Be
careful that you are neither too specific nor too general in this
process. For example if dairy items are found in two distinct
areas in one or more of the stores you shop, break them down.
For those stores where they are all together, you can simply
assign the same number to both groups.
Once you have identified the categories of merchandise, enter
them in the Map Maitenace function. Do not attempt to put
locations on them yet. When they have all been entered, print
the Store Map. Now visit each of the stores and take a stroll
through it in the order you normally shop. Jot down the order
that you pass each category. Hint: Use increments of 5 or 10
rather than 1 to make it easier to adjust later for changes in
store arrangement and the inevitable errors and omissions. When
you have surveyed each of the stores, Enter the locations into
the Map using the Map Maintenance once again.
Now start making the list of items you buy repeatedly. Enter
each item in the Item Maintenance. When asked for the product
category, you may now select from the map you have already
entered. It will pick up the correct location in each store from
the map. You do not enter locations directly in each item, just
the category.
If you change the layout of a store, i.e. change the location
numbers, you must use the Re-Map Stores command to adjust the
locations in existing items. This is done quickly and without
manual intervention.
If you move an individual item from one category to another, the
locations are changed during that process and there is no need to
Re-Map.
So far you have done a lot of typing, but that is almost all
behind you. This is the point where Shopper's Assistant starts
to make life easier for you. Your stores are identified, your
categories are determined and your items have been entered. Now
print a Fridge List and put it somewhere handy. It is so named
because most folks stick on the side of the refrigerator with a
magnet. Now, as you think of items during the week that you will
need to buy on your next trip to the grocery, check them on the
Frdige List. By Friday evening, you will have most of the work
of preparing your shopping list already done!
______________________________________________________________________
Shopper's Assistant, version 4.0 -10- December 28, 1993
Just before you make that weekly trek to the grocery...before you
join the Saturday Safeway Stampede...sit down at the computer
with Fridge List in hand.
Start Shopper's Assistant and pick Item/Clear Selections (F3).
Now pick Item/Select Items (F4). The list box on the right is in
the same sequence as the Fridge List in your hand. Simply move
through the list of items selecting those you have checked.
Remember the Speed Select feature: If you want to buy just one
of an item, want to buy it at the default (lowest price) store,
and have no coupon, you may speed select by double-clicking the
item in the list, by pressed ENTER while the item is highlighted.
If you wish to check your work, pick Item/Review List to see the
items and quantities you have selected. You can make changes
from the item select screen if needed. If you accidentally
select an item you do not really want to buy, use the select
screen to change the quantity to zero.
When all is correct, pick File/Print/Shopping List (F5) to print
your list(s) to use in the store. While you are at it, hit F6 or
pick File/Print/Fridge List to print a blank worksheet for the
next cycle of shopping.
______________________________________________________________________
Shopper's Assistant, version 4.0 -11- December 28, 1993
Registration Form Shopper's Assistant Version 4.0
Please register me as a licensee of Shopper's Assistant. Here is
my check or money order for $20 (U.S. funds) plus $2 for shipping
and handling ($4 S & H outside the U.S.). Please send me a copy
of the latest version on diskette, along with my registration
serial number.
I need the software supplied on:
[ ] 3.5" diskette [ ] 720K [ ] 1.44M
[ ] 5.25" diskette [--] 360K* [ ] 1.2M
(* Not available on 5.25" DD)
Name: ______________________________________________
Address: ___________________________________________
___________________________________________
City, State, Zip:___________________________________
Phone: (_____) _____ - ___________
I got my copy of Shopper from ______________________
Mail completed form and payment to:
Norman O. Morgan
313 Lexington Road
Evansville, IN 47710-3724