WinDates
WinDates v3.7

"Never miss Mother's Day or a Birthday Again!!"

WinDates is a reminder program for Windows 95/NT that helps you remember important dates and times during the year.  By installing the WinDates icon in your "Startup" folder, WinDates will remind you of events each time you enter Windows.  WinDates then runs in the background reminding you of events through visual and audible Alarms.

Holidays

WinDates AUTOMATICALLY calculates and reminds you of many important holidays such as Mother's Day and Father's Day which can be hard to remember since they may fall on a different date each year.

Starting Point : Main Window

General Topics

Contacting Rockin' Software

Upgrading WinDates

What's New

Tips On Using WinDates

Main Window

Event Entry Window

Recurrence Types

Alarms

Daily Reminders

Options

REGISTRATION

Registration Form


Whats New
What's New

The following features have been added or changed

Version 3.7

·	Enhanced error handling when reading and writing events to disk.

·	Fixed a rare problem where the event file could not be read correctly.

·	Fixed several screen redraw problems.

·	Hot keys (F5, Ctrl A, etc) now work when mouse is positioned over calendar.

·	Improved performance in several areas.

·	Added "Add Copy" command that enables a new event to be created based an existing event.

·	Included latest Windows Common Controls (comctl32.dll) from Microsoft.  This fixes a problem some people have had entering a year in the date picker control.

·	Added Window Startup option of "Normal Once per Day (Hidden Otherwise)" in Startup Options.

·	Added setting in Alarm Options for how often WinDates checks for alarms.  The default is now every 3 seconds.  This setting can be lengthened to improve performance on some slow machines.

Version 3.61

·	Fixed bug which caused stack overflow on startup.

Version 3.6

·	Installation program now recognizes previous installations and improves upgrade process.

·	Weekly Calendar View added.

·	Calendar "Auto-Expand" added.  Automatically shows calendar text when mouse is hovered over calendar cell.

·	Popup Hints now show event notes when mouse is hovered over event.

·	Date Range Event List printed report type added.

·	Added popup time picker in the Event Entry window.

·	Import of vCalendar and WinDates Event files added.

·	Added keyboard keys for snoozing alarms.

·	Task tray icon now hides WinDates if clicked while WinDates is shown.

·	Full Date added to task tray hint.

·	Event Files that are in use may now be opened read-only.  This allows users to share a file on a network.

·	Ability to set default event start time in Event Options.

·	Snooze now remembers the last snooze time entered for each event.

·	Upcoming / All buttons removed from toolbar.  Entry of upcoming days moved into seperate dialog to clean up event entry dialog.

·	The order of the columns in the Event List may now be changed by dragging the column headings to a new position.

Version 3.51

·	Fixed rare problem that caused WinDates to lock up when calculating occurrences of some recurring events.

Version 3.5

·	Event History feature.  Acknowledged events are now left on the calendar for reference.

·	Alarms may be "Snoozed" for minutes, hours, days or weeks.

·	Alarms may now be set for All Day events.  In other words, events no longer require a time for an alarm to be set.

·	Alarms may be set for minutes, hours, days or weeks before an event.

·	A different alarm sound may now be specified for each event.

·	Event acknowledgements have changed so events without alarms are automatically acknowledged.

·	The Past Due Warning dialog has been removed.  Event alarms should now be used for events that require attention.

·	Events can now include an end date and time.

·	Daily recurrence type added.

·	Event frequency has been added to all recurring types so you can specify events such as every 2 years or every 4 days.

·	For recurring events, an end date or number of occurrences can be set so that recurring events don't recur forever.

·	The custom recurrence type has been removed and replaced by new advanced settings under each of the recurrence types (daily, monthly, etc).  Existing custom events are converted to monthly events with advanced settings.

·	Advanced settings have been added for each recurrence type.  These settings allow much more powerful custom events.

·	Event List search feature added.

·	Task tray icon now displays current day of month.

·	The "Hidden When No Upcoming" startup option now works even if WinDates starts up in "Show All" mode.

·	You may now backup the event data file to any drive or directory.

·	You may now open new event data files or move your event file to another directory using the new File Commands.

·	Event Wizard added which makes entering Birthdays and Anniversaries easier.

·	The calendar text can now be color-coded by Event Type.

·	Notes and Alarm indication graphics added to Event List.

·	Calendar month selection dialog added under View Menu.

·	Event Import feature added that allows you to import events from a text file.

·	On startup, WinDates now searches to see if the file being opened is already opened by another copy of WinDates.  If so, the existing copy of WinDates is activated.

·	Event Type combo box in the event entry window now has an auto-complete feature which automatically selects events types as you type.

·	European style week numbers can now be shown on the calendar.

Version 3.05

·	Added export to text file capability.

·	Added the ability to select locations where the WinDates icon is installed.

·	Corrected installation problem that caused WinDates to not be run on Windows startup for some international users (users whose Startup group was not named Startup).

·	Corrected problem that caused custom events that specified the Last Week of February to not be shown during non-leap years (only time a month doesn't have a fifth week).

·	Corrected problem that caused the Startup Options window to not show on some computers.

·	Other minor bug fixes.

Version 3.01

·	Fixed rare problem that caused WinDates to 'crash' on startup.

·	Fixed problem that caused a time of midnight (0:00) to be recorded for events if the no time was specified and WinDates was set for 24-hour time entry format instead of am/pm format.

Version 3.0

·	Enhanced Calendar.  Event text is now shown in calendar.  Events may be managed using right-click context menus.

·	Future occurrences of recurring events now show in calendar.

·	Added ability to acknowledge events.

·	Alarms are now persistent.  If your computer is not on when an alarm is set to sound, it will sound the next time WinDates is started.

·	Added calendar printing and print preview.

·	Enhanced Event List printing and added print preview.

·	Modified WinDates to use current WinDates color settings.

·	Added new flag style toolbar with more buttons.

·	Added buttons to easily toggle between Calendar/Event List, Calendar Only, and Event List Only modes.

·	Added options to modify screen fonts.

·	Added ability to specify default notify type and different days prior defaults for each notify type.

·	Alarm enabled is now automatically set if an event time is entered.

·	Handled Feb 29th yearly events.  These events will show up on Feb 28th in non-leap years.

·	Added ability to filter events by event type.  This allows users to view and print reports such as All Birthdays.

·	Register! menu item now reads Registered in registered versions and does not show the registration reminder screen.

·	Added ability to set alarm length to 'Until Acknowledged'.

·	Clicking on the calendar month heading now brings the calendar back to the current month.

·	Fixed problem with WinDates locking up if time backup is run while WinDates is hidden.

·	New installation setup including uninstall support.

·	New expanded On-Line Help format.

Version 2.11

·	Fixed problem that caused the Startup Options window to not show on some computers.

·	Made text wrap correctly in notes field in the Alarm Window.

·	Removed 2.0 version number from Startup Splash Screen.

·	Fixed problem of alarms going off at incorrect times on certain computers (very rare).  This happened when the DOS time zone, set with the TZ environment variable, was different than the time zone set through Windows control panel.   WinDates now only uses windows time zone.

Version 2.1

·	WinDates now remembers it's screen size and position, event list column sizes, calendar size, show all / upcoming state, and toolbar status.  See Startup Options.

·	WinDates places it's icon in the Task Tray (Windows 95 / NT 4.0 and greater)

·	Added menu item called TODAY! that brings calendar back to current month.

·	Fixed problem with Today! indication in calendar not updating correctly.

·	Added Weekly notify type.

·	Expanded Monthly notify type so that user can specify valid months.  This especially helps in specifying quarterly events.

·	Better options for International users.  Day and month names handled better, options to start calendar week on Monday or Sunday, option for AM/PM or 24-hour time entry.  See International Options.

·	Made calendar startup in current month instead of month of next event.

·	Added Snooze feature to alarm.  Also added ability to edit or delete event from alarm window.

·	Added setting for how long alarm sounds, and default snooze time.  See Alarm Options.

·	Fixed problem with multi-line notes not showing correctly in Alarm window.

·	Added daily reminder time for people who leave their computers on for multiple days.

·	Added warnings when exiting WinDates, hiding WinDates, and entering alarm times.  See Warning Options.

·	Made year blank by default for yearly events.

·	Added option for setting the default event type in the Type Setup window.

·	Added menu items for changing Show All / Show Upcoming.

·	Added backup and restore feature for the event file.

·	Added options button to the toolbar.

·	Added links to control panel windows for setting system date / time and system regional settings.

·	Added spin controls to all numeric edit boxes.

·	For custom event entry, made "All" buttons toggle between All and None.

·	Added better F1 help support in dialog windows.

Version 2.01

·	Fixed problem with alarms going off on incorrect dates.

·	Fixed problem with events converted from version 1.2 not working if changed to custom event type.

Version 2.0

·	Converted WinDates to 32-bit for Windows 95 and Windows NT.

·	Added Event List Printing.

·	Removed redundant Event Setup screen.  All functions can be handled from main screen.

·	Added calendar view.

·	Added alarm function.

·	Made Event Name and Type fields longer.

·	Added Event Notes, Time, and Alarm fields.

·	Added calendar for date selection for One Time events in Event Entry dialog.

·	Added custom event type.

·	Added support for International Dates and Times.  WinDates now uses the Windows International Date and Time settings.

·	Replaced main list box with Event List grid that allows column resizing.

·	Added ability to resize main window.

·	Added keyboard support.

·	Yearly Events Dates in the Event List show the current year instead of the original year.

·	Added ability to sort Event List by any column or by specific multiple columns.

·	Added Event Type Setup dialog which allows you to add, delete and modify the Event Types that are shown in the Type drop box in the Event Entry dialog.

·	Redesigned Holiday Setup dialog.


Event Entry

The Event Entry window is used to enter new events and to modify existing events.  Select the buttons and 'hot' areas on the image below to view detailed help.


Recurrence Types

There are 5 event recurrence types :

One Time	Events that only happen once, such as an appointment.  These events become "Old" after the date has past.  Once they become old, they will show a negative "Days Left" value in the Event List.

Daily     	Events that happen daily or every n days.  The first occurrence is specified in the Date / Time frame and future occurrences are calculated relative to the first occurrence.  Advanced Daily Options allow you to restrict the event to specific weekdays and / or months that the event should occur.

Weekly	Events that happen weekly or every n weeks such as pay-day.  The first occurrence is specified in the Date / Time frame and future occurrences are calculated relative to the first occurrence.  Advanced Weekly Options allow you to specify additional weekdays for the event and / or restrict the event to specific months.

Monthly	Events that normally happen on the same day each month such as a bill to pay or a monthly report to complete.  The first occurrence is specified in the Date / Time frame and future occurrences are calculated relative to the first occurrence.  Advanced Monthly Settings allow you to specify additional month days for the event to occur, restrict the event to specific weekdays and / or months, and specify additional numbered weekdays for the event to occur.

Yearly	Events that happen on the same day each year such as someone's Birthday or Anniversary.  For Yearly events, if appropriate, the year of the event should be set to the original year of the event.  By setting the Calculate Age Using Start Date option, WinDates will calculate the age of events which is useful for Birthdays since this tells the age of the person on their next birthday.  Advanced Yearly Settings allow you to specify additional month days and / or months for the event to occur.

Special Note : February 29th Yearly Event Handling.

NOTE : It is possible to specify an event with Advanced Recurring Options that may never happen (i.e. 5th Monday of February) or that may not happen for many years.  WinDates only checks 10 years into the future for recurring events.  If an occurrence of an event is not found within 10 years of the current date, the event will be shown as n/a (not available) in the Event List when Show All is selected.


Event Type Options

Select the buttons and 'hot' areas on the image below to view detailed help.


Holiday Setup

Many holiday's are automatically calculated by WinDates each year.

The Holiday Setup dialog window allows you to :

·	Enable / Disable holiday reminders - disabled holidays are not shown in the Event List or Calendar.  Simply click on the enabled checkbox for the Holiday you would like to enable/disable.

·	Set the number of days prior to the holiday that it is considered "Upcoming".  If the Holiday is within the number of days specified, it is shown when WinDates is in Show Upcoming mode.  You may edit the Upcoming Days value in the holiday list by selecting the value and entering a new value.


Registration

Registration Benefits :

·	Disables the shareware reminder screen encountered when editing Events and Holidays.

·	Allows unlimited number of events.  Unregistered copies of WinDates have a 20 event limit.  This only applies to user-defined events and not the pre-defined holidays.

·	Allows you to disable the startup splash screen.

·	Free upgrades to future versions.

·	Free email notification of upgrade releases (when valid email address is provided).

·	Technical support via email.

·	Legal user status.

You are authorized to use the shareware version of  WinDates for evaluation for 30 days.  To continue using WinDates, you should register.

The price to register WinDates is $19.95 U.S. Dollars.  See below for quantity discounts.

Two Ways To Register :

1.	Print the Registration Form .  Fill out and mail, along with a check or money order (payable through U.S. bank) for $19.95 (Texas residents add 8.25% sales tax), to :

Rockin' Software

5116 Bissonnet #134

Bellaire, TX 77401-4007

2.	Credit card order through on-line World Wide Web form, phone, email or fax.

Secure On-Line Form : https://www.setsystems.com/cgi-bin/buy-windates

Telephone : 1-888-201-7131

International : 1-805-284-2681

(This phone # is for ordering only.  Do NOT contact SetSystems for support.  Either mail or email Rockin' Software.)

Fax : 1-805-288-1867

Email : sales@setsystems.com

Entering Your Registration Number

After you receive your registration number, use the Register dialog box to enter your number and fully register WinDates.

Quantity Discounts

 	Number of	Price per	Discount

Copies	Copy	per Copy

--------------------------------------------------

1-4	$19.95	  0%

5-9	$15.95	20%

10-14	$13.95	30%

15-19	$11.95	40%

20-29	  $9.95	50%

30-49	  $7.95	60%

50-99	  $5.95	70%

100-999	  $4.95	75%

1000+	  $3.95	80%

Comments on WinDates.  Your comments and suggestions are encouraged.  Help make WinDates a great product!

Internet Mail	: suggestions@rockinsoftware.com

Compuserve Mail 	: 102011,3345

Postal Mail	: above address

Web Address	: http://www.rockinsoftware.com

Shareware Distribution : You are encouraged to distribute the unregistered version of this program to World Wide Web sites, FTP sites, Bulletin Boards, Shareware Archives, CD-ROM's, etc.  Shareware disk vendors may also freely distribute this program.

Disclaimer :  No warranty on WinDates exists, either expressed or implied.  No liability is assumed by the author of WinDates for any damage or loss resulting from the use of the WinDates software.


Registration Form
WinDates 3.7 Registration Form

Company_____________________________________________

Name________________________________________________(required)

Register Under  (Circle One):               NAME          COMPANY

Address______________________________________________

Address______________________________________________

City _________________________________________________

State_________________     ZIP__________________

Country_______________________________________________

Phone________________________________________________

email_________________________________________________ (print clearly!)

Cost :

WinDates  :  $19.95 x ____ copies  =	$_______

Shipping Method (check one)

Code Via Email 	Free	______

U.S. / Canada Postal	$3.00	______

International Postal	$5.00	______

Shipping Cost	$_______

Tax 8.25% (only pay tax if you live in Texas)	$_______

$19.95 tax = $1.65

$22.95 tax = $1.89

Total 	$_______

Send this form and a Check or Money Order payable through a U.S. Bank to :

Rockin' Software

5116 Bissonnet #134

Bellaire, TX 77401-4007

Optional

Where did you obtain WinDates? (Internet site address, disk vendor name)

_____________________________________________________________

What would you change to improve WinDates?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________


Main Window

Select the buttons and 'hot' areas on the image below to view detailed help.


Status Bar

The status bar is shown at the bottom of the WinDates Main Window.  It shows the following information in four panes.

Menu Help - The first pane starts at the left of the status bar but does not have a sunken border.  As menu items or toolbar buttons are selected, this pane shows messages that describe the menu item or button.

Registered Pane - The second pane shows the Registration status of WinDates.  If this installation of WinDates is not registered, the pane will show 'Unregistered Evaluation'.  If this installation has been registered, the name entered through the Register Dialog is shown.

Current Time Pane - The third pane shows the current computer time.  The Windows international time settings are used to format this time value.

Current Date Pane - The fourth pane shows the current computer date.  The Windows international date settings are used to format this date value.


Event List

Contents

Upon startup, the Event List shows the following information on events and holidays.

·	Alarm	Indicates whether an alarm is set on the event.

·	Name	Event name (John Doe, Mother's Day, Car Payment, etc)

·	Day	Day of week of event

·	Date	Date of event in local date format

·	Days Left	Number of days left until event

·	Time	Time of event in local time format

·	Age	Upcoming age of events (for example, age on next birthday)

·	Type	Type of event (Birthday, Holiday, bill, meeting, etc)

·	Notes	Indicates whether notes exist for the event.

An example Event List can be found in the Main Window section.

Sorting

Column Order

You may change the order of the columns in the event list by clicking a column heading and dragging it to the new position you desire.

Event Editing

To edit events or holidays, you may double-click on the event in the event list.  When deleting events, the currently highlighted event in the Event List will be deleted.  The list also supports the right click context menus which give access to the add, modify, delete and acknowledge functions.

Event List Size

The size of the Event List window can be changed by changing the size of the main window.   To resize the calendar and event list, select the "View | Resize Views" menu item.  Then use the mouse or keyboard arrows to reposition the "splitter bar" that is between the two views.  Also, you may directly select the "splitter bar" with the mouse and drag it to a new position.


Calendar

This view can show two different types of calendars, a single month calendar and a single week calendar.  The toolbar buttons labeled with a 7 and a 31 can be used to switch between the week and month views.  Event names are shown in the calendar cells color-coded by Event Type.  If all event text does not vertically fit in the cell, a small red + sign is shown in the lower right corner of cell.  If you place the mouse cursor over the date cell, it will automatically expand to show you all events on that date.  Single-click on an event name to highlight the event in the event list.  Double-click an event name to edit the event or double-click any unfilled area of the date cell to add a new event.  You may also right click on event names to display an edit menu.  This menu gives access to the Add, Delete, Modify, Acknowledge, and Details functions.  The current date, if in the month shown, is indicated with a red text color.

Browsing the Calendar

The user may use the five buttons located on the top row of either calendar view to browse.  On the month calendar, the single arrow buttons change the calendar one month at a time.  The double arrow buttons change the calendar one year at a time.  The middle button which shows the current month and year, will bring the calendar back to the current month and year.

On the week calendar, the single arrow buttons change the calendar one week at a time.  The double arrow buttons change the calendar one month at a time.

You may use the New Calendar Month function found on the View menu to jump to a specific month and year on either calendar view.

Event Date Highlighting

When an event is highlighted in the Event List, the calendar is updated to highlight the calendar date that the event occurs on.  Conversely, when an event in a calendar cell is selected with the mouse, the corresponding event is highlighted in the Event List.

Calendar Size

The size of the Calendar can be changed by changing the size of the Main Window.   To resize the calendar and event list, select the "View | Resize Views" menu item.  Then use the mouse or keyboard arrows to reposition the "splitter bar" that is between the two views.  Also, you may directly select the "splitter bar" with the mouse and drag it to a new position.


New Calendar Month

Use this window to specify a new month and year to jump to in the WinDates Calendar.  After selecting the month and year, press the Select button to display that month.  To view the current month, press the Current button.


Register

The Register window allows you to enter your personal registration number.  To get your number see the Registration section.  Each name has a unique registration number, so be sure you enter your name exactly as indicated on the registration form.  The name is case-sensitive.  Names usually have the first letter of each name uppercase and the rest of the letters lowercase.


Contacting Rockin' Software

Internet Mail

sales@rockinsoftware.com

support@rockinsoftware.com

World Wide Web

http://www.rockinsoftware.com

Compuserve Mail

102011,3345

Postal Mail

Rockin' Software

5116 Bissonnet #134

Bellaire, TX 77401-4007


Upgrade

When upgrading to version 3.6 from a previous version, WinDates must be installed into the existing WinDates Directory.  The default directory is c:\windates

During installation, the following files will not be overwritten if they exist.

events.dat	v1.2 events data file

events20.dat	v2.x / v3.0 events data file

events.wdt	v3.5 events data file

holidays.dat	holidays data file

The first time you execute WinDates v3.6 after installation, if a previous version data file (events.dat or events20.dat) exists, you will be prompted to convert the latest version file to a v3.6 format file.  If you want to convert and use events entered through the previous version, select Yes.  If you wish to start out fresh using v3.6 example events, select no.  If you select no, you may convert the previous version file to v3.6 at a later time by performing the Convert Previous File function.

If you choose to convert the previous file, the default data file (events.wdt) will be renamed to default.wdt.  You may open this file at a later time using the Open command.


File Conversion

Warning : Under normal circumstances, you should not need to perform this operation.  Performing this operation will overwrite the events.wdt file.

If you are upgrading from a version of WinDates prior to 3.5, you must convert the previous version data file (either events.dat or events20.dat) to the version 3.6 format before it can be used in WinDates version 3.6.

You should be prompted to perform this conversion the first time you execute WinDates version 3.6.  If for some reason you skip this process, you can perform the conversion later using the "Convert Previous Data" command (Found in the File Menu). This process simply reads the previous version file and stores a new version 3.6 data file.  Your existing version 3.6 file (events.wdt) is renamed to default.wdt.  You may open this file at a later time using the Open command.


Alarms

WinDates includes an event alarm feature.  For the alarm to function, WinDates must be running.  For this reason, it is best to leave WinDates running at all times.  The alarm will work if WinDates is hidden or minimized.  Use the Hide button on the toolbar to quickly hide or minimize WinDates.

Alarm Definition

An alarm can be defined for each event through the Event Entry window.  To determine the alarm time, WinDates uses the Event Date and Time and the Alarm Lead Time.  The Alarm Lead Time allows you to specify a time period before the event time that the Alarm is sounded.  For example, if you have a meeting at 10:00 am, you can specify the alarm time to be 9:45 am by setting an Alarm Lead Time value of 15 Minutes.  You can also set the Alarm Lead Time to Hours, Days or Weeks before the event.  For example, if you have a birthday where you need to send a package 2 weeks in advance, set the Event Date to the birthday and set the Alarm Lead Time to 2 weeks.

Sounding of the Alarm

When an alarm is sounded, WinDates displays a dialog window showing the event information and plays the alarm sound specified in for the event.  The alarm will then sound every 20 seconds until the alarm is Acknowledged.  If the alarm is not acknowledged, it will sound for "Alarm Length" minutes.  Alarm Length can be set in the Alarm Options.

·	The Acknowledge Alarm button acknowledges the alarm.  When an alarm is acknowledged, it is removed from the Event List and is shown in gray in the Calendar.  When recurring events are acknowledged, their next occurrence is then shown in the Event List.

·	The Snooze button pauses the alarm for the time period specified.  The alarm will then sound again after that time has passed, even if you have restarted WinDates.

·	The Modify Event button displays the Event Entry window for the event.

·	The Delete Event button prompts the user whether the event should be deleted.

If multiple alarms are scheduled to sound at the same time, one dialog window for each alarm will be shown and each will need to be acknowledged individually.

Quick Acknowlege / Snooze

Alarms may be quickly acknowledged or snoozed using the keyboard.  The Snooze time edit box is selected by default, so you may directly enter a new snooze time.  Then you may use any of the following keyboard keys.

·	F5	Snooze Minutes

·	F6	Snooze Hours

·	F7	Snooze Days

·	F8	Snooze Weeks

·	F9	Acknowledge

·	Ctrl+M	Modify Event

·	Ctrl+D	Delete Event


Warning Options

Select the buttons and 'hot' areas on the image below to view detailed help.


Alarm Options

Select the buttons and 'hot' areas on the image below to view detailed help.


Startup Options

Select the buttons and 'hot' areas on the image below to view detailed help.


Control Panel Windows

System Date/Time

Choosing this option calls the standard Windows Set Date and Time control panel dialog.  Use this dialog to change your computer's date and time.

Regional Settings

Choosing this option calls the standard Windows regional settings control panel dialog.  This allows you to specify the format of the Windows date and time.  WinDates automatically uses these settings to format date and time values.


Backup and Restore

WinDates includes a feature that allows you to easily backup your events to a floppy disk or network drive and restore these events at a later date.  It is a good idea to perform a backup periodically in case of system failure.

Automatic Backup

WinDates includes an automatic backup reminder feature that will periodically pop up a window asking if you would like to backup the current event file.  This feature can be customized through the Warning Options window.

Backup

To backup the events file, select the File | Backup Data menu item.  Select the drive and directory to save the backup and press OK.  The backup procedure may take several seconds.

Restore

To restore a previously backed up events file, select the File | Restore Data menu item.  If backup was made to a floppy disk, place the diskette into a drive, enter the drive path or use the browse button and press OK.  A window will appear telling you when the Backup was made and verifying that you want to continue with the restore operation.  Select Yes to restore.

Warning : Restoring a backup events file will erase all events in the current event file.


Daily Reminder

If WinDates is active, a daily reminder window is displayed every day at the Daily Reminder Time.  You may disable the daily reminder feature by selecting the "Disable daily reminder" checkbox in the daily reminder window before selecting OK.  Daily reminders can be fully configured in the Alarm Options window.

Daily Reminders Described

WinDates allows you to specify a specific time of day that you would like the WinDates main window to be displayed.  Normally, WinDates displays upcoming events each time you startup your computer.  The Daily Reminder feature was added for users who leave their computer running for a number of days and would like WinDates to remind them of upcoming events each day.  You may enable or disable this setting and set the daily reminder time in the Alarm Options window.


Tips on Using WinDates

This section discusses some of the possible uses of WinDates and gives tips on how to make WinDates work for you.

Club Calendars

Use WinDates to keep track of and print event lists and calendars for your clubs and groups.  The Filter feature is very useful in this case.  By assigning intelligent event types to these events, you can use the filter feature to make reports such as "Club Birthdays" or "Group Meetings".

Birthdays

WinDates was originally developed with tracking birthdays in mind.  You can impress your friends, relatives and co-workers by remembering their birthday and even how old they are.

tip - The Event Wizard is an easy way to enter birthdays.

Anniversaries

Enter wedding dates to keep track of anniversaries.  Use the yearly event type, enter the year of the wedding as the year and WinDates will calculate how long they've been married each year.

tip - The Event Wizard is an easy way to enter anniversaries.

Jobs around the House

Remember when to do all those little things around the house that are so easy to forget.  For example, changing batteries in the smoke detectors, changing the filters in your air conditioning or furnace, adding new fertilizer spikes in the household plants,

Firsts

Impress your significant other by remembering the anniversary of some of those "firsts", like the First Date.

Holidays

Many holidays happen on unusual days like "second Sunday of May" (American Mother's Day).  If there is a holiday like this that is not automatically handled by WinDates, try using the Advanced Recurring Options to enter the event.

Renewals

For businesses with sales that should be renewed or repeated periodically, enter a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly event to remind you to send the notice or make the call.

Tracking Stocks and Shares

Use WinDates to keep track of company year ends, maturity dates, etc.

Alarms

Alarms can be set for any event (except the built-in holidays).  Use alarms for sending a birthday card, meetings, lunch dates, quitting time, or waking up in the morning.

Note : If you have a unique use for WinDates, it might help someone else.  Send in your ideas.  Contacting Rockin' Software


Hide WinDates

Hides the WinDates Main Window.  WinDates can be restored by clicking on the small icon in the Windows Task Tray.  While WinDates is hidden, all alarms will be active.


Delete Event

Deletes the Currently Selected Event in the Event List.  A warning message box is displayed asking if you are sure you want to delete the event.  If a holiday is selected, a message is displayed stating that holidays cannot be deleted.  Holidays can be disabled from the Holiday Setup window.


Acknowledge Event

Acknowledging an event removes it from the Event List and displays the event in a gray color in the calendar.  When acknowledging recurring events, the next upcoming occurrence of the event will be shown in the Event List.  For instance, if a monthly event to Pay Rent has been payed, you can acknowledge it and it will not show up until the next month.

Events that do not have an alarm set are automatically acknowledged after they have passed.  If you have an event that must be completed, even if past the date, you should set an alarm for the event so that the event will not automatically be acknowledged for you.

For more information, see Recurrence Types.


Reset Current Event

This function is provided to reset the next upcoming occurrence of a recurring event to the next occurrence after the current date.  This also resets any snoozed alarms and resets any future occurrences which have been acknowledged.

For example, if you Acknowledge an event by mistake, you can reset the next event occurrence using this function.


Event Options

Select the buttons and 'hot' areas on the image below to view detailed help.


Reset All Events

This function is provided to reset the next upcoming occurrence of all recurring events to the next occurrence after the current date.

For example, if your system date has been incorrect, you may need to execute this function to reset events after correcting your system date.


Display Options

Select the buttons and 'hot' areas on the image below to view detailed help.


Show Upcoming

This settings shows only enabled Events and Holidays within the near future in the Event List and Calendar.   The idea of "near future" is defined by the Upcoming Days setting for each Holiday or Event.


Show All

Shows all Events and enabled Holidays in the Event List and Calendar.

This is the default setting.


Filtering

The filtering function allows you to specify certain event types to be shown in the Event List, Calendar and Printed Reports.

To enable filtering, deselect the event types that should not be shown.  To disable filtering, select the Show All button.  Event filtering only lasts in your current session of WinDates.


Today

This button sets the current calendar month to the current month.


Toolbar

Toggles whether to show the toolbar or not.


Event Count

This function shows the number of user defined events that are currently defined in WinDates.  The unregistered version of WinDates has a 20 event limit.


Add

The Add button brings up the Event Entry window.  The default date is set to the Current date.  Other default event settings can be changed in the Event Options window.


Next Month

This button increments the calendar by one month.


Next Year

This button increments the calendar by one year.


Previous Month

This button decrements the calendar by one month.


Previous Year

This button decrements the calendar by one year.


Month Heading

Shows the current calendar month and year.

Clicking on this button will set the calendar to the current month.


Modify

The Modify toolbar button allows you to edit the currently selected event in the Event List.  If the entry is an event, the Event Entry window is displayed to allow you to edit the event.  If the entry is a holiday, the Holiday Setup window is displayed with the current event highlighted.

Note : You can also modify events by 'double-clicking' on the event in the Event List or by right clicking the event and selecting the Modify menu item.


Printing

Select the buttons and 'hot' areas on the image below to view detailed help.


Print Preview

WinDates offers a print preview function that allows you to view a screen representation of what the actual printed page(s) will look like.  Selecting the Preview button in the Print Dialog replaces the Main Window with the preview window.  The preview window allows you to zoom in and out, print the page, or close print preview to return to the print dialog.


Calendar Only

This option causes only the Calendar to be displayed in the WinDates Main Window.


List Only

This option causes only the Event List to be shown in the Main Window.


List & Calendar

This option causes both the Event List and Calendar to be shown in the Main Window.


Month Calendar

This option displays a month calendar in the lower window view.  See Calendar for more information.


Week Calendar

This option displays the week calendar view in the lower window view.  See Calendar for more information.


Event Name

The name of the person or event (John Doe, Car Payment, etc.)


Event Type

The type of event (Birthday, Bill, Meeting, etc).  There are several preset Event Type's which can be chosen from the pull down list in the Event Entry window.  The Event Type field in the Event Entry window includes an "Auto Complete" feature which automatically chooses the Event Type from the drop down list as you type in the field.  The preset Event Type's can be modified and the default event type set in the Event Type Option.

The color-coding of events in the Calendar is based on Event Type.  Using the Event Type Options window, you can specify a different color to be associated with each Event Type.

Tip : The Filtering option operates on this value.


Event Notes

Any notes about the event.   These notes be viewed by hovering your mouse over the event name in the calendar.  This will display a data tip showing the notes.


Event Disabled

Events can be disabled by marking the "Disabled" checkbox. Disabled events will not be shown in the Event List if in Show Upcoming mode.  If the Event List is in Show All mode, all events including disabled events will be shown.


Event Date / Time

These fields allow you to specify the date and time that an event occurs.  Events can include any combination of start and end dates and times.  The All Day and Show End Date / Time settings control which fields are shown and used.  All Day events do not show a time.  If Show End Date / Time is enabled then the event has an ending date and / or time, else the event occurs at a specific point in time.  The date and time formats are based on your computers date and time regional settings which can be set through the Control Panel.

Date fields are broken down into day, month and year sub-fields.  Time fields are broken down into hour and second sub-fields and also an am/pm indicator which is not shown if the 24-hour time format is used.  To change a specific sub-field value, place the cursor in that field and use the up and down arrow keys on your keyboard or use the 'spin' control buttons to the right of the field or simply enter the number you desire using the keyboard.  To move between fields, use the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.  For date fields, you may select the date from a drop down calendar by selecting the down arrow button to the right of the date field.  To move between fields, use the Tab key.


Calculate Age

WinDates can calculate the age of yearly events based on the event's start date.  This is useful for events such as birthdays.  In this case, enter the persons actual date of birth as the start date and then select the Calculate Age using Start Date checkbox.  Their age will then be calculated each year and shown in the Event List and Calendar.


Alarm Enabled

This checkbox specifies whether an Alarm is enabled for this event.  If the event is enabled, the Alarm Lead Time controls are enabled.

The default value for this option can be set in Event Options.


Alarm Lead Time

This value specifies the amount of time before an event that an alarm is to sound.  This option can be set to any number of Minutes, Hours, Days or Weeks.  The default value can be set in Alarm Options.


File Commands

WinDates stores your events in the current data file on disk.  WinDates data files have a .wdt extension and the default events file is events.wdt.  The default file is opened automatically each time WinDates is started.  The default event file may be changed using the Open command found on the File Menu.

If you would like to move the current events file to another drive or directory, you may do so using the Move command, also found on the File Menu.  If you would like to start a new empty events file, you may do so using the New command found on the File Menu.

Event files may also be opened by double-clicking the event file's name in Windows Explorer or File Manager.  Also, WinDates will accept a file name as a command line parameter so you can open an events file by typing 'windates events.wdt' in a command window.  Neither of these methods change the default file so that the next time you run WinDates without specifying a filename, the default events file will be opened.

Note : The New command is not available in unregistered versions of WinDates to prevent bypass of the 20 event limit imposed on unregistered versions.

Running Multiple Instances of WinDates

WinDates is designed to search for other copies of WinDates that are currently running.  If another copy is found to be editing the same file, the existing copy will be activated instead of running a second copy that would be editing the same file.  If another copy of WinDates is not found to be editing the file, then a new copy WinDates will run to edit the file.

Read-Only Files

Only one copy of WinDates may add or modify events in a single event file at one time.  If a second copy of WinDates (for instance, using a network) tries to open a WinDates event file while another copy has the file open, it will be forced to open the file in read-only mode.  This allows you to view events but not to add or update events.  To see changes that have been made since you last opened the file, you may select the Refresh menu item found on the File menu.


Upcoming Days

Specifies the number of days prior to the event that the event is considered "Upcoming".  In other words, when WinDates is set to Show Upcoming Events, the event will only be shown if it occurs within this many days of the current date.   With some events, such as Birthdays, you may want to be reminded a couple of weeks ahead.  Other events, such as monthly bill's, might only need to be set to four or five days.

A default Upcoming Days value can be set for each Recurrence Type in the Event Options window.  When changing between recurrence types, the Upcoming Days value is changed to the value that corresponds to the selected recurrence type.


All Day

This setting specifies whether an event is an "All Day" event or has a specific start and / or end time.  This setting controls whether the time fields are shown in the Event Entry window.  The default value for this option can be set in Event Options.


Show End Date / Time

This setting controls whether the end date and / or time fields used for an event.  If this option is not set, then the end data and time fields are not shown in the Event Entry window.   The default value for this option can be set in Event Options.


Advanced Options Indication

When Advanced Recurring Options are in effect for an event, this indication is shown in the Event Entry window.  Advanced options are cleared and this indicationis removed if the Recurrence Type or Event Date is changed in the Event Entry window.


Alarm Sound

A sound button is shown in the Event Entry window and allows you to choose a custom alarm sound for the current event.  Select a .wav format file using the browse window that is displayed.    If you do not choose an individual alarm sound, the Default Alarm Sound will be played.


File Menu

Convert Previous Data

Backup Data

Restore Data

New

Move

Open

Refresh

Import

Export

Print

Hide Window

Exit WinDates


Recurrence Interval

The recurrence interval setting allows you to specify the number of days, weeks, months or years between event occurrences depending on the Recurrence Type.  For example, a daily event with a Recurrence Interval set to 5 would occur every 5 days.  This option can be set for any recurring event using the Event Entry window.


Export to Text File

This function allows you to save the events that are currently shown in the Event List to a text file.  This may be useful in creating custom printed reports or in transferring events to other programs.  Currently, only the next upcoming occurrence of recurring events are output.  No attempt is made to define all occurrences of recurring events.

The following options allow you to customize the format of the output text file.

Text File Format

Fixed Width Fields - If selected, no delimiters are used between data fields so that each field is the same width for each record.

Delimited Fields - If selected, a special delimiter character is inserted between each field in the output file.  Fields are variable length depending on the length of the information in them.  The delimiter character can be selected from the drop down list.

Yearly Event Options

Show Age - If selected, yearly events that include an original year show the age on the next occurrence of the event.  For instance, age on next birthday.

Show Original Year - If selected, the original year will be shown for yearly events that include an original year.

Output Column Heading - If this option is selected, the first line of the output file will contain a heading label for each field in the file.

Filename - This option specifies the name of the file that the information will be written to.  You may select a file interactively by pressing the Browse button.

When you are ready to save the information to file, press the Export button.  If the file you specified already exists, you will be asked whether you are sure you want to overwrite it.


Advanced Recurring Options

Advanced options can be set on recurring events which either restrict or add to the number of occurrences of the event.  For example, a daily event can be restricted to only happen on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.   A monthly event can have occurrences added by specifying month days 1 and 15 and can have occurrences restricted by only selecting January, April, July, and October.  (a quarterly event).

Different advanced options are available depending on the current Recurrence Type.  Select the links below for details about advanced options available for each recurrence type.

Advanced Daily Options

Advanced Weekly Options

Advanced Monthly Options

Advanced Yearly Options


Month Days

The Month Days settings are used in the Advanced Recurring Options for monthly and yearly events to specify which days of the month events should occur on.  By default, only the day of month of the event start date is selected for both monthly and yearly events.  The event can be made to occur on additional month days by selecting those days.

The Show All and Show None buttons can be used to quickly toggle all months days on and off.

See Also : Examples, Advanced Monthly Options, Advanced Yearly Options


Week Days

The Week Days settings are used in the Advanced Recurring Options for daily and weekly events to specify valid week days the event should occur.  For daily events, all week days are selected by default.  Specific week days can be disabled by unchecking those days.  For weekly events, only the week day of the event start date is selected by default.  Additional days can be selected by selecting those days.

The Show All and Show None buttons can be used to quickly toggle all week days on and off.

See Also : Examples, Advanced Daily Options, Advanced Weekly Options


Monthly Week Days

The Monthly Week Days settings are used in monthly events to specify individual week days during the month for the event to occur.  This setting allows you to specify numbered week days that the event occurs.  This includes first, second, third, fourth, fifth and last.  Each of these may be specified with any of the week days (Sunday - Saturday).  This allows events such as First Sunday.  Combine this with a Months settings of only April and you have the First Sunday in April (Daylight Savings Time Ends).

The list shown below the buttons displays the currently selected week days.  To enter a new week day, select the number and week day in the drop down lists at the top of the frame.  Then select the Add button to add the week day to the list.  To modify a week day, select the entry in the list.  It's number and week day will be shown in the drop down lists.  Modify these values and then select the Modify button to apply the changes.  Similarly, to delete a week day, select it in the list and then select the Delete button.  Select Delete All to remove all days from the list.

By default, no week days are specified for the event indicating that there are no restrictions on week days.

See Also : Examples, Advanced Monthly Options


Months

The Months settings are used in the Advanced Recurring Options for daily, weekly, monthly and yearly events to specify valid months an event should occur.  For daily, weekly, and monthly events, all months are selected by default.  Event occurrences can be restricted to specific months by selecting only those months.  For Yearly events, only the month of the event start date is selected by default.  The event can be set to occur in additional months during the year by selecting those months.

The Show All and Show None buttons can be used to quickly toggle all months on and off.

See Also : Examples, Advanced Recurring Options


Advanced Daily Options

Select the buttons and 'hot' areas on the image below to view detailed help.

See Also : Advanced Recurring Options


Advanced Weekly Options

Select the buttons and 'hot' areas on the image below to view detailed help.

See Also : Advanced Recurring Options


Edit Menu

Event Wizard

Acknowledge

Add

Add Copy

Modify

Delete

Holidays

Search Event List

Reset Next Occurrence

Reset All Events


Advanced Monthly Options

Select the buttons and 'hot' areas on the image below to view detailed help.

See Also : Advanced Recurring Options


Import Text File

Select the buttons and 'hot' areas on the image below to view detailed help.


Repeat Length

The Repeat Length settings are found in the Advanced Recurring Options window and can be used to limit the number of occurrences of a Recurring Event.  Events may be set to recur forever, for a specific number of occurrences counted from the start date, or up until a specified date.  For example, to specify a Daily Event that occurs for five days, you would select "Repeat 5 Times".

See Also : Advanced Recurring Options


Search Event List

This function allows you to search for Events currently shown in the Event List.  You may enter a word or phrase for WinDates so search for in the Name, Type and Notes fields of each Event or Holiday.  When an event is found, it will be highlighted in the Event List and Calendar.

Note : This function only searches events currently shown in the Event List.  If there are events that are not shown because of Filtering, because of Acknowledged Events in List being disabled, or because of being in Show Upcoming mode will not be found.


Import Filename

This field in the Import Events window specifies the name of the text file that contains the events to be imported.  To browse for the file, select the browse button.  After selecting a file, the files first line is shown in the Import File First Line frame to give an example of the file format.


Advanced Yearly Options

Select the buttons and 'hot' areas on the image below to view detailed help.

See Also : Advanced Recurring Options


Import File First Line

In the Import Events window, after an Import file has been selected, the first line of that file is displayed in this frame.  This gives an example of the format of the file to make setting the import options easier.


Event Wizard

The Event Wizard provides an easy way to enter certain types of events.  The pages in the Event Wizard are customized to include values that normally apply to the type of event you are entering.  Many event options are set automatically when using the Event Wizard.

In this version of WinDates, Birthday and Anniversary type events are supported by the Event Wizard.  Both types are automatically entered as yearly events with All Day set to true and Show End Date / Time set to false.  If the optional original year (birthdate or wedding date) is entered, then the Calculate Age option is automatically set.

The Event Type, Alarm Settings and Upcoming Days settings are all saved each time you use the wizard, so the same settings come up the next time you use the wizard.

To enter an event, first select the type of event and then select the Next button.  This shows the Event Name / Date page where you enter the name, date and type of the event.  After these have been entered, press the Next button again.  This shows the Alarm page which allows you to set the Alarm and the Upcoming Days settings.  After entering these values, select the Finish button to save the event.


Import

WinDates allows you to import events from several different format files.  When events are imported, they are saved to the WinDates event file that is currently in use.  The following file types are supported.

Text File

This is a delimited text file that contains one event per line.  For details, see the Import Text File section.

WinDates Event File

This is a standard WinDates Event File which normally has a .wdt extension.  This allows you to import events created by another copy of WinDates.  If you select this file type, you will be prompted to select the file to import.

vCalendar Event File

This is a standard vCalendar Event File which normally has a .vcs extension.  Many calendar applications are capable of exporting events in this format.  If you select this file type, you will be prompted to select the file to import.


View Menu

New Calendar Month

Old Events in List

Old Events in Calendar

Upcoming Events

All Events

Calendar & List

List Only

Calendar Only

Resize Views

Toolbar

Event Count


Import Column Order

In the Import Events window, these settings allow you specify the order of the columns in the text file that is being imported.  Columns in the file must be delimited (separated) by a character such as a comma or semicolon.  This delimiter can be set using the Column Delimiter field.

The order of the columns in the Column List must be set to be in same order as the columns in the import file.  To change the order of columns, select a column and choose either the Up or Down buttons to move that column.  If there are columns which are not used in your file, move them to the end of the list.


Advanced Recurring Examples

The following are examples of recurring events that use the Advanced Recurring Options.

1. Everyday in January, for 3 years

Start Date 	: January 1, 1998

Recurrence Type 	: Daily

Recurrence Interval 	: 1

Week Days 	: All Days

Months 	: January

Repeat Length	: Until January 31, 2000 at 23:59

OR

Start Date 	: January 1, 1998

Recurrence Type 	: Yearly

Recurrence Interval 	: 1

Month Days 	: All Days

Months 	: January

Repeat Length	: Until January 31, 2000 at 23:59

Occurrences : January 1-31 1998;  January 1-31 1999;  January 1-31 2000

2. Weekly on Tuesday and Thursday for 5 weeks

Start Date 	: September 2, 1997

Recurrence Type 	: Weekly

Recurrence Interval 	: 1

Week Days 	: Tuesday, Thursday

Months 	: All Months

Repeat Length	: 10 Occurrences

Occurrences : September 2,4,9,11,16,18,23,25,30 1997; October 2 1997

3. Every other month on the 1st and last Sunday of the month forever

Start Date 	: September 7, 1997

Recurrence Type 	: Monthly

Recurrence Interval 	: 2

Week Days 	: First Sunday, Last Sunday

Months 	: All Months

Repeat Length	: 10 Occurrences

Occurrences : September 7,28 1997;  November 2,30 1997;  January 4,25 1998;  March 1,9 1998;  May 3,31 1998

4. Every 18 months on the 10th through 15th of the month for 10 occurrences

Start Date 	: September 10, 1997

Recurrence Type 	: Monthly

Recurrence Interval	: 18

Month Days 	: 10,11,12,13,14,15

Months 	: All Months

Repeat Length	: 10 Occurrences

Occurrences : September 10,11,12,13,14,15 1997;  March 10,11,12,13 1999

5. Every Thursday in March forever

Start Date 	: June 13, 1997

Recurrence Type 	: Yearly

Recurrence Interval 	: 1

Month Days 	: All Days

Months 	: All Months

Week Days	: Every Thursday

Repeat Length	: Forever

Occurrences : March 13,20,27 1997;  March 5,12,19,26 1998;  March 4,11,18,25 1999;  etc...

6. Every Friday the 13th, forever

Start Date 	: February 13, 1998

Recurrence Type 	: Monthly

Recurrence Interval 	: 1

Month Days 	: 13

Months 	: All Months

Week Days	: Every Friday

Repeat Length	: Forever

Occurrences : February 13, 1998;  March 13, 1998;  November 13, 1998;  August 13, 1999;  etc...

7. Monday before May 25th, forever (Canadian Victoria Day)

Start Date	: May 18, 1998

Recurrence Type 	: Monthly

Recurrence Interval 	: 1

Month Days 	: 18,19,20,21,22,23,24

Months 	: May

Week Days	: Every Monday

Repeat Length	: Forever

Occurrences : May 18, 1998;  May 24, 1999;  May 22, 2000;  etc...

8. Every four years, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, forever (U.S Presidential Election)

Start Date 	: November 5, 1996

Recurrence Type 	: Monthly

Recurrence Interval 	: 48

Month Days 	: 2,3,4,5,6,7,8

Months 	: May

Week Days	: Every Tuesday

Repeat Length	: Forever

Occurrences : November 5, 1996;  November 7, 2000;  November 2, 2004;  etc...


Old Events in List

This option, found on the View Menu, allows you to view events in the Event List that have been fully acknowledged.   Acknowledged events are shown in the event list with a check mark in the first column.

Fully acknowledged events include One Time events that have been acknowledged and recurring events in which all occurrences have been acknowledged.  For recurring events, this can only happen if a Repeat Length has been set to a value other than Forever, since events set to recur forever will never be fully acknowledged.


Add Copy

This option adds a new event based on the details of the currently selected event.  This option can be useful when entering recurring events that cannot be specified using the advanced event options.  You can easily create one event and then create copies with needed changes for other events.


Old Events in Calendar

This option, found on the View Menu, allows you to view events in the Calendar that have been fully acknowledged.  These events are shown in a gray color in the calendar.

Fully acknowledged events include One Time events that have been acknowledged and recurring events in which all occurrences have been acknowledged.  For recurring events, this can only happen if a Repeat Length has been set to a value other than Forever, since events set to recur forever will never be fully acknowledged.


Import Date Format

In the Import Events window, these settings allow you to specify the format of the Event Date.  The order of Month, Day and Year may be selected as well as the delimiter used to separate these values.  An example of the current date format is also shown in the frame.  Date values must be in numeric format.


Import Event Defaults

In the Import Events window, these settings allow you to specify the Recurrence Type and Alarm Settings for all events imported from the current text file.


Setup Menu

Options

System Date / Time

Regional Settings


Sorting

The text heading of the column(s) that the Event List is sorted by are highlighted in blue. By default, the Event List is sorted by date and time so that events are listed in order of occurrence.  The Event List can be sorted by a different column by selecting the column heading with your mouse.  Also, the event list can be sorted by several columns at once by selecting menu items in the Sort menu.  Sorting by multiple columns helps to group events so that events can be in a specific order.


February 29th Events

The only time February 29th happens is in leap years.  This date accounts for the extra day in leap years.  For people born on this date, their actual birthday happens only once every four years.  To handle this case, WinDates will show Feb 29th yearly events on Feb 28th in non-leap years.  For this to work, the event must be entered as a yearly event with a start date of Feb 29th.  Also, the event cannot include any Advanced Recurring Options.


Window Startup Mode

This setting allows you to specify the window state that WinDates will startup in.

The three options are :

Normal - Causes the WinDates Main Window to always startup visible with a normal size.

Normal Once a Day - Causes the WinDates main window to only startup normal once each day.  All other times WinDates is run, it will start hidden.  This option is useful if you restart your computer many times each day.

Hidden Always - Causes the WinDates main window to always startup hidden.  WinDates can be viewed by selecting the small icon in the Task Tray.

Hidden When no Upcoming Events - WinDates uses the Upcoming Days setting for each event or holiday to determine whether that event is an "Upcoming" event.  The "Hidden When no Upcoming Events" causes WinDates to examine each event and determine whether that event is Upcoming.  If there are no upcoming events, then WinDates will startup hidden.  If there is at least one event that falls within it's Upcoming Days setting, the WinDates main window to startup visible with a normal size.  This system allows WinDates to be hidden on startup if there are no events you should be concerned about in the near future.  If WinDates starts up hidden, it can be viewed by selecting the small icon in the Task Tray.

See Also : Startup Options


Window Position / State

WinDates can save it's window size and position, Event List column sizes,  Toolbar state, calendar size, and show upcoming/all state.  The following options control these settings.

Center Window On Screen - Set this option to always center the WinDates main window on the screen at startup.

Save Settings on Exit - Set this option to have WinDates save it's current state when exiting WinDates.

Save Current Settings - Select this button to immediately save the current state of WinDates.  The Save Settings on Exit option is disabled so the new settings will not be overwritten.

Restore Default Settings - Select this button to restore the WinDates default settings.  The Save Settings on Exit option is disabled so the new settings will not be overwritten.

See Also : Startup Options


Startup Sound

This setting allows you to change the sound that is played each time you start WinDates.  The sound can be enabled or disabled using the Enabled button.  You can replace the default sound with your own sound in a .wav file format.  You may browse the file system for a new .wav file using the Browse button and test the selected sound using the Test button.

See Also : Startup Options


Startup Splash Screen Enabled

This setting allows you to specify whether the "Splash Screen" is shown as WinDates is starting up.  This window quickly indicates that WinDates is coming up as the program initializes.  The window also shows the current registration status.  If WinDates has not been registered, this option may not be disabled.

See Also : Startup Options


Alarm Length

This setting controls how long an alarm will repeat if not acknowledged or snoozed.  The alarm window will play the alarm sound every 20 seconds for 'Alarm Length' minutes or until it is acknowledged or the snooze button is pressed.

Set the Until Acknowledged setting to make alarms sound until acknowledged.

See Also : Alarm Options


Alarm Check Frequency

This setting controls how often WinDates checks for alarms.  This setting is measured in seconds so that a setting of 3 checks alarms every 3 seconds.  On slow computers, this setting can be set to a longer time to improve performance.

See Also : Alarm Options


Default Snooze Time

This is the default number that will be shown as the Snooze Time in the Alarm dialog.

See Also : Alarm Options


Default Alarm Sound

This setting allows you to change the default sound that is played when a user defined Alarm is sounded.  The sound can be enabled or disabled using the Enabled button.  You can replace the default sound with your own sound in a .wav file format.  You may browse the file system for a new .wav file using the Browse button and test the selected sound using the Test button.  You can specify different sounds for individual events in the Event Entry window.

See Also : Alarm Options


Daily Reminder Time

This setting allows you to set the Daily Reminder Time and enable or disable Daily Reminders.

See Also : Alarm Options


Calendar Week Start Day

This setting allows you to specify whether the WinDates calendar week starts on Sunday or Monday.

See Also : Display Options


Week Numbers

This setting specifies whether week numbers are shown in the Calendar.  Week numbers are defined as weeks of year.  Weeks start on Monday where the first calendar week of the year is the one that includes the first Thursday of that year.

See Also : Display Options


Warn When Exiting

Selecting this option will make WinDates display a warning window if you attempt to exit WinDates.  This warning indicates that WinDates alarms will not function if you exit.  Instead you should hide or minimize the window.

See Also : Warning Options


Abnormal Alarm Time Warning

This option will warn the user that they have entered an abnormal alarm time in the Event Entry window.  When setting an alarm using the AM/PM time format, it can be easy to forget to set the AM/PM setting.  This can lead to mistakes such as specifying an alarm at 3am instead of 3pm.  This warning system lets you specify a time range when it would be unusual for an alarm to be set to.  This guards against time input errors.

See Also : Warning Options


Automatic Backup

The automatic backup feature reminds you periodically to perform a backup of your event file.  You are prompted to enter a floppy disk and choose the disk drive.  These settings allow you to enable or disable this settings and change the frequency of backups.  For more information, see the Backup and Restore section.

See Also : Warning Options


Acknowledge Event Warning

Selecting this option causes WinDates to display a warning message when Acknowledging an event.

See Also : Warning Options


Filter Warning

Selecting this option causes WinDates to show a warning if Filtering is enabled and you select to add or modify an event.  The message asks if you would like to disable filtering before adding or modifying events.  The reason for this warning is that if filtering is enabled, new or modified events may not show up because they are filtered.

See Also : Warning Options


Time Conflict Warning

When this option is set, WinDates will check for time conflicts between messages any time you add or modify an event.  If the time of the event you are adding or modifying conflicts with another event time,  you will be warned and given a chance to change the time if you like.  Time conflict checking is not performed on All Day events.


Default Recurrence Type

Sets the default Recurrence Type used when entering new events in the Event Entry window.

See Also : Event Options


Default Upcoming Days

These edit boxes allow you to specify the default Upcoming Days value for each Recurrence Type.  This default value is shown in the Event Entry window when entering new events or when changing an existing event to a new notify type.

See Also : Event Options


Default Alarm Lead Time

These edit boxes allow you to specify the default Alarm Lead Time value for each Recurrence Type.  This default value is shown in the Event Entry window when entering new events or when changing an existing event to a new recurrence type.

See Also : Event Options


Default Event Settings

These values are used as the default settings when entering new events using the Event Entry window.

See Also : All Day,  Show End Date / Time, Alarm Enabled


Show Ages In Calendar

This setting specifies whether yearly event ages are shown in the calendar with the event name.  This setting applies to both the on-screen calendar and printed calendars.

See Also : Display Options


Color Code Events

This setting specifies whether events should be color-coded in the calendar based on the Event Types.

See Also : Display Options


Event List Fonts

Heading Font - Allows you to specify the font face and size of the Event List heading.

List Font - Allows you to specify the font face and size of the Event List data.

See Also : Display Options


Calendar Fonts

Day Number Font - Allows you to specify the font face and size of the day of month numbers in the on-screen Calendar.

Event Font - Allows you to specify the font face and size of the event text in the on-screen calendar.

See Also : Display Options


Acknowledged Color

This option allows you to specify the color of Acknowledged events in the calendar.

See Also : Display Options


Print Report Type

This list box allows you to select a print report format.  The current options are:

Current Month Calendar

This report prints the month calendar as currently shown on screen.

Current Event List

This report prints the event list as currently shown on screen.

Date Range Event List

This report prints a list of event in the same format as the event list, but prints all event occurrences that fall between two dates.  The Date Range controls allow you to specify the dates.


Date Range

These controls allow you to specify a range of dates to print in the Date Range Event List report.  All occurrences of events within this range are printed.  Use the "This Month" and "This Week" buttons to quickly set the date range.  Select the "Print Acknowledged Events" to print events within the date range that have been acknowledged.


Print Settings

This button displays a dialog which allows you to set advanced options for printing.  Depending on the currently selected report type, the following dialogs will be displayed.

Current Month Calendar	Calendar Settings

Current Event List	Event List Settings

Date Range Event List	Event List Settings


Calendar Print Settings

The Calendar Settings dialog allows you to customize the printed calendar report.

Fonts

These buttons allow you to select the font face, size and color for the printed calendar text.

Month Heading - Sets the font for the month and year name.

Day Headings - Sets the font for the day of week headings.

Day Numbers - Sets the font for the calendar day of month numbers.

Event Text - Sets the font for the event text in the calendar cells.

Line Size

Sets the width of the calendar outline in printer pixels.

Line Color

Sets the color of the calendar outline.

Day Heading Background Color

Sets the background color of the day of week headings for the calendar.  Be careful to coordinate this color with the Day Headings font color.

Show Ages in Calendar

This setting specifies whether yearly event ages are shown in the calendar with the event name.  This setting applies to both the on-screen calendar and printed calendars.

Color Code Using Event Type Colors

This setting specifies whether events should be color-coded in the printed calendar based on the Event Types.


Printer Settings

This frame shows the current printer and page orientation.  Pressing the Edit button displays the Page Layout dialog which allows selection of page margins, orientation and the current printer.


Event List Print Settings

Event List Fonts

These buttons allow you to select the font face, size and color for the printed event list.

Heading - Sets the font for the event list column headings.

Event Text - Sets the font for the event text in the event list.

Printed Columns

These check boxes allow you to control which columns are printed in the Event List printed report.  This has no effect on the on-screen event list.

Printed Column Widths

These edit boxes allow you to control the width of each of the event list columns in the printed event list report.  The measurement units are controlled by the Windows measurement settings in the control panel regional settings.

Reset Defaults

This button resets the event list column widths to their default setting.


Event Types

The Event Type Options allows the user to add, modify and delete Event Types that are shown in the Type drop list in the Event Entry dialog.  This allows commonly used Event Types to be entered once and simply selected from the drop list and allows you to select the default event type that will show in the Event Entry dialog.  You can also assign a color to each event type which is used to color-code events in the Calendar.

Event Types are useful in categorizing event types for sorting in the Event List and in the WinDates Filtering feature.

On this option page, there is a list box which shows the currently defined types, an edit box used to specify new or changed values, a color button used to specify the color of the current type and a read-only edit box used to show the current default event type.

The Add button will add the value shown in the edit box to the type list.

The Modify button will change the currently selected type to the value in the edit box.

The Delete button will delete the currently selected type.

The Set As Default button sets the currently selected event type as default.

The Clear Default button clears the default event type.'

See Also : Event Type Options


Blank Event Type Color

This setting allows you to specify a default color that will be used to color-code events in the Calendar that do not have an assigned Event Type.

See Also : Event Type Options