home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- TimeSaver+
-
-
- User Manual
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Copyright 1986
-
- MicroCon, Inc.
- 401 Maryland Ave.
- Baltimore, Md. 21228
-
- Phone (301) 744-1519
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Table of Contents
-
- 1 Introduction to TimeSaver+............................ 1
-
- 1.1 What is TimeSaver+................................. 1
-
- 1.2 What is MultiTimeSaver............................. 2
-
- 1.3 Using This Manual ................................. 2
-
-
- 2 Getting Started ...................................... 3
-
- 2.1 TimeSaver+ ........................................ 3
-
-
- 3 Moving Around the Calendar ........................... 4
-
- 3.1 Accessing Calendar Commands .......................... 4
-
-
- 4 Commands ............................................. 5
-
- 4.1 Add ............................................... 5
-
- 4.2 Delete ............................................ 5
-
- 4.3 Expand (F2) ....................................... 5
-
- 4.4 Copy .............................................. 6
-
- 4.5 Move .............................................. 6
-
- 4.6 Edit .............................................. 7
-
- 4.7 Info .............................................. 7
-
- 4.9 Print ............................................. 7
-
- 4.13 Operating System .................................. 8
-
-
- Appendix B Information File Editor ...................... 9
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Section 1 - Introduction to TimeSaver+
-
- TimeSaver+ and MultiTimeSaver+ were developed to give busy
- people efficient scheduling tools. One of the most unique
- features is the ability to graphically view all appointments
- scheduled for an entire month. Standard IBM block graphics
- are used, thus permitting the program to operate with any
- type monitor. The program utilizes color, but operates with
- no degradation on monochrome systems.
-
- A real calendar, closely resembling a desk-pad monthly
- appointment calendar is presented on the screen. A pointer
- can be easily moved around the display and, when addressing a
- graphics block, will display the time and description of the
- event in a window. The initial calendar display is for the
- current month. A keystroke will move the display forward or
- backward a month at a time. The appointment timeslots are
- setup in 1/2 hour increments from 6:30 AM to midnight.
- TimeSaver+ is a single user scheduler. MultiTimeSaver+ will
- maintain many calendars with added multi-user capabilities.
-
- 1.1 What is TimeSaver+
-
- TimeSaver+ provides the traditional add, delete, edit, copy
- and move capabilities with easy point-and-select menu-driven
- operation. It is generally distributed under the Shareware
- concept. This means that you may experiment with the program
- without investing any money and may distribute copies of the
- package, in its original form, to other users who may be
- interested. If you find the program beneficial and plan to
- continue using it, you are expected to register its use with
- the authors, MicroCon, Inc., and pay a small registration fee
- of $39.00, which covers the cost of printing this manual and
- other costs of maintaining your registration. As a registered
- user, you will be informed of updates and additional features
- which may be added in future releases and will receive a
- typeset version of the manual.
-
- TimeSaver+ requires no installation. It will only maintain
- one calendar which is named TS.CAL. You must not rename or
- delete this file or the TS.LOC file or the program will cease
- to operate. It will operate on monochrome screens if the
- argument "-nc" meaning "no color" is appended to the command
- "TS" i.e. "TS -nc". Note the space! TimeSaver+ has no
- provision for mass deleting back months' events and may
- therefore become very inefficient after an accumulation of
- several months worth of data. Registered users will receive a
- utilities package which includes a clean-up routine for back
- deleting and archiving past events.
-
- TimeSaver+ is a "personal" schedule manager and was not
- designed or developed for intensive business or corporate
- schedule management. Furthermore, the Shareware concept does
- not apply to commercial use and such use is prohibited
- without express permission from MicroCon. It is recommended
- that interested commercial establishments contact MicroCon
- for information about MultiTimeSaver+ which is a more
- suitable scheduling package for business environments.
-
-
-
-
-
-
- - Page 1 -
-
-
- 1.2 What is MultiTimeSaver+
-
- MultiTimeSaver+ has all the features of TimeSaver+ plus other
- multi-user features. It is compatible with most local area
- networks including IBM, Novell and 3Com. A LAN is not
- required, however, to benefit from MultiTimeSaver. It is also
- equally efficient in environments where it is necessary for
- one secretary or individual to manage several schedules on
- one computer. In the case of MultiTimeSaver the "multi" means
- either "multiuser" or "multible calendars". In addition to
- the features of TimeSaver+, MultiTimeSaver+ users will be
- able to view and in some cases alter other calendars in the
- system. Calendars in the Multi version may exist in the form
- of individuals or other resources such as conference rooms,
- banquet rooms, or any other entity which requires scheduling.
- MultiTimeSaver+ provides for "hiding" confidential events
- from other users. Meetings may be easily scheduled by the use
- of the "search" command which determines the best times for
- all tagged users. Available resources can be quickly located
- and reserved.
-
- A menu-driven installation program is provided to create the
- MultiTimeSaver system with appropriate subdirectories and
- calendars for each individual user. A separate calendar is
- maintained for each user and is accessed by the user's name.
-
- 1.3 Using This Manual
-
- Section 4 provides a detailed discussion of each TimeSaver+
- command. It is normally not necessary to refer to this
- section because the program provides sufficient prompts and
- on-line help to accomplish any task.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- - Page 2 -
-
-
-
- Section 2 - Getting Started
-
- 2.1 TimeSaver+
-
- If you are running TimeSaver+ from a diskette, place the
- TimeSaver+ diskette in any floppy disk drive; then type TS
- and press the RETURN key. This will start the program. No
- user name is required since this is a single user system.
- If you want to run TimeSaver+ from a hard drive, including
- bernoulli boxes, then you should create a subdirectory on
- your hard drive for TimeSaver+. We suggest a subdirectory
- named TIMESAVE. To create this subdirectory, use the DOS
- command:
-
- MD\TIMESAVE <RETURN>
-
- Then go to that subdirectory with the DOS command:
-
- CD\TIMESAVE <RETURN>
-
- Place the TimeSaver+ diskette in drive A and issue the DOS
- command:
-
- COPY A:TS.* <RETURN>
-
- When the COPY is completed, the TimeSaver+ diskette can be
- removed and stored in a safe place. To run TimeSaver+, go
- to the TIMESAVE subdirectory on your hard disk; then type TS
- and press the RETURN key. This will start the program. No
- user name is required since this is a single user system.
-
- 2.2 Moving Around the Calendar
-
- When the program is started, the current month will be
- displayed on the screen in a form very similar to a desk-top
- calendar. The number display for the current day will be
- highlighted and the pointer will be positioned at 6:30 AM.
- The pointer is a block cursor with an arrow that points
- either up or down. The pointer is positioned within a day
- by pressing the plus (+) or minus (-) keys. It is most
- convenient to use the plus and minus keys to the right of
- the numeric keypad. As the pointer is positioned within a
- day, a window at the bottom right portion of the display
- will show the two times associated with the pointer
- position. The text for any allocated appointment will also
- be displayed in this window.
-
- When appointments have been allocated, graphic blocks will
- show at appropriate locations within the day block. Graphics
- blocks are displayed as half blocks. That is, a half hour
- appointment is equivalent to a half graphic block. There are
- 36 1/2 hour timeslots allocated to each day. A day square
- can have graphic blocks in the upper half and lower half of
- the square. The arrow in the block cursor points to the
- active row of blocks. The four arrow keys are used to move
- the cursor between days. The PgUp and PgDn keys are used to
- change the calendar month and can be thought of as flipping
- pages. Thus PgUp will flip to the previous month and PgDn
- will flip to the next month. The Home key can be pressed
- from any month and will return to the current month with the
- cursor positioned in the current day.
-
- - Page 3 -
-
-
-
- Section 3 - Menu and Command Keys
-
- 3.1 Accessing Calendar Commands
-
- When the calendar is started, the bottom line contains four
- function key options.
-
- F1 Help. When pressed, a graphic description of the
- cursor movement keys will be displayed. Also a help
- screen can be displayed for each TimeSaver+ command
- by pressing this key after selecting the function.
-
- F2 This key will provide an expanded display of the
- day where the cursor is positioned.
-
- F9 Will provide a menu on the bottom of the screen
- for accessing calendar commands. This menu is a
- dual mode type in that commands may be envoked by
- one of two(2) methods. First, the arrow keys may be
- used to position the highlighted block to the
- desired command then press [Return] to activate the
- function. Second, the first letter of the command
- may be entered to select and envoke the process.
- Novice users will probably prefer the "point and
- pick" method, while experienced operators will be
- more comfortable with the one-key approach.
-
- F10 Will discontinue program operation and return
- to DOS.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- - Page 4 -
-
-
-
- Section 4 - Commands
-
- All commands are described in the following sections. On-
- line help is available for all commands by pressing F1.
-
- 4.1 Add
-
- This command allows the scheduling of new events. The user
- is first prompted to select the beginning time for the
- event. At this time the pointer is in half-step mode and a
- secondary pointer appears in the description window to the
- left of the time display.
-
- The "+" and "-" keys are used to select the beginning time
- for the new event. When the secondary pointer is positioned
- to the left of the desired time, press the RETURN key. The
- text portion of the description is then highlighted to
- indicate that the event text can now be entered. Type any
- text, up to 40 characters long, and then press the RETURN
- key.
-
- The user is now prompted to select the ending time for the
- event. This is accomplished using the same procedure as for
- selecting the beginning time above. When the RETURN key has
- been pressed, a graphics block will appear in the appropriate
- position in the selected day, and the text description will
- appear in the description window for all applicable times. A
- single event cannot cross a day boundary, nor can it overlap
- other events.
-
- 4.2 Delete
-
- This command deletes or cancels events. The user is
- prompted to position the pointer to the event to be deleted.
- At this time the pointer is in half-step mode and a
- secondary pointer appears in the description window to the
- left of the time display. The "+" and "-" keys are used to
- select a time that is anywhere within the event to be
- deleted.
-
- Press the RETURN key and the event will be deleted. The
- event graphics block will be removed from the screen. The
- text description is also removed from the data file, but the
- text will remain in the description window until the main
- pointer is moved once.
-
- If an information file was associated with the deleted event,
- the user is given an option to retain or delete this file.
- In MultiTimeSaver+, an information file should only be deleted by
- the user who created it.
-
- 4.3 Expand (F2)
-
- The expand command is used to provide a full screen
- detailed display of all appointments for a single day.
- Position the pointer anywhere within the desired day and
- press the F2 key to see this display. Successive days
- may then be viewed by pressing the [Right] key on the
- keypad. Likewise previous days are viewed by pressing
- the [Left] key.
-
-
-
-
- - Page 5 -
-
-
- 4.4 Copy
-
- The copy command allows the copying or replication of an
- event. An example of a replication could be a meeting that
- is held on the first Tuesday of every month.
-
- The user is prompted to select the event to be copied. At
- this time the pointer is in half-step mode and a secondary
- pointer appears in the description window to the left of the
- time display. The "+" and "-" keys are used to select a
- time that is anywhere within the event to be copied. When
- the desired event is selected, press the RETURN key.
-
- A prompt directs the user to select destinations for the new
- event. Use the pointer movement keys to position the
- pointer in the day to receive the copied event. Copied
- events are automatically placed in the same time period as
- the original event, regardless of the pointer position
- within the new day. When the pointer is positioned, press
- the RETURN key and the event will be copied. This sequence
- can be repeated any number of times. When the last copy is
- positioned, press the END key instead of the RETURN key and
- the copy process will be terminated.
-
- If an extension file is attached to the original event, it
- is not copied to the new locations.
-
- 4.5 Move
-
- The Move command is used to move an event to any other
- location. The new location can be in a different time slot
- than the original event. The event at the original location
- is deleted.
-
- The user is prompted to select the event to be moved. At
- this time the pointer is in half-step mode and a secondary
- pointer appears in the description window to the left of the
- time display. The "+" and "-" keys are used to select a
- time that is anywhere within the event to be moved. When
- the desired event is selected, press the RETURN key.
-
- The user is then prompted to select the beginning time for
- the new event. At this time the pointer is in half-step
- mode and a secondary pointer appears in the description
- window to the left of the time display. Use the pointer
- movement keys to position the pointer in the desired day and
- time slot, then press the RETURN key.
-
- If an extension file is associated with the original event,
- it remains connected to the event in the new location. The
- Move command does not replicate like the Copy command.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- - Page 6 -
-
-
-
- 4.6 Edit
-
- The Edit command will permit changes to an event's text
- description and also the beginning and/or ending times.
-
- The user is prompted to select the event to be edited. At
- this time the pointer is in half-step mode and a secondary
- pointer appears in the description window to the left of the
- time display. The "+" and "-" keys are used to select a
- time that is anywhere within the event to be edited. When
- the desired event is selected, press the RETURN key.
-
- The text description can now be changed. Press RETURN when
- the text is as desired. The user is then prompted to select
- beginning and ending time, using the same procedure as for
- the Add command.
-
- 4.7 Info
-
- The Info command is used to add an "information" text file to
- an event, so that additional details, such as the agenda for
- a meeting, travel iteneraries, or notes about an appointment,
- can be associated with the event. Any event can have an
- information file and any number of events can access or
- use the same information file.
-
- The user is first prompted to select the event which will be
- used for the info file. The pointer is switched to half-step
- mode and a secondary pointer appears in the description
- window to the left of the time display. The "+" and "-" keys
- are used to select a time that is anywhere within the event
- to which the info file will refer. When the desired event is
- selected, press the RETURN key.
-
- If an info file had been previously defined for the event
- selected, the system will automatically load the file and
- envoke the built-in editor; otherwise, the user is prompted
- for a file name. The file name must follow the rules for DOS
- file names. An optional drive may be specified (without a
- pathname; i.e. "B:STAFMEET.INF"). In MultiTimeSaver, only the
- eight(8) character name may be specified.
-
- The built-in full-screen editor, permits entering or editing
- up to 10K characters of information. The keypad arrow keys
- are used to position the cursor and the [Insert] key toggles
- the insert or overtype modes. Special commands and functions
- are envoked by the function keys at the left side of the
- keyboard. For a description of these functions and other
- features of the editor, see Appendix B.
-
- 4.9 Print
-
- The Print command is used to generate a printed copy of
- appointments for a single day or a sequence of consecutive
- days. The print format is similar to the display of the Day
- Expand (F2) command. Each day is printed on a separate page
- and includes six blank lines to facilitate writing down
-
-
-
-
-
- - Page 7 -
-
-
-
-
- The user is prompted to select the beginning day for the
- report. Use the arrow keys to position the pointer anywhere
- within the desired beginning day and then press RETURN.
- Then use the same procedure to select the ending day. The
- ending day can be in a month later than the month of the
- beginning day.
-
- After the print range has been selected, a prompt will ask
- if you have an Epson or other IBM compatible graphics
- printer. This answer determines whether your printer can
- print the same kind of graphics as displayed on the screen.
- If it cannot, then the printout will contain only non-
- graphic characters.
-
- 4.13 Operating System
-
- The DOS function provides a means to execute DOS commands
- while MultiTimeSaver+/TimeSaver+ remains active. This is
- accomplished by loading a second COMMAND.COM into your
- computers random access memory (RAM). You should be aware
- that available RAM will be decreased by the memory used by
- MultiTimeSaver+/TimeSaver+ and a second operating system.
- It is recommended that you only use this command if you have
- 512 KB or more of RAM.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- - Page 8 -
-
-
-
-
- Appendix B
-
- The Information File Editor
-
- The info file editor is a full-screen type with word wrap and
- will edit files up to 10,000 characters in length. Any text
- file which complies with this limitation may be imported,
- allowing info files to be created with an external editor or
- wordprocessor if desired. If this procedure is used, the
- filename on the disk must match the filename given when first
- envoking the Info command. After the file has been created
- or edited, the [F10] key will terminate the editor. The user
- may then print the info file, delete it, or exit back to the
- TimeSaver calendar screen by pressing the approiate function
- key. When the calendar screen reappears, an "X" will be
- apparent in the small window to the right of the text,
- indicating that an info file exists for this event. The
- following function keys are active within the editor:
-
- F1 - Help is disabled while using the Info editor because of
- memory limitations.
-
- F2 - Provides a template for meeting location, attendees,
- and agenda.
-
- F3 - Positions the cursor five(5) spaces to the left.
-
- F4 - Advances the cursor five(5) spaces to the right.
- (Synonomous to typing five(5) spaces)
-
- F5 - Positions the cursor at the 15th space on the next
- line. Useful for typing lists of attendees or agenda
- items.
-
- F6 - Reformats a paragraph after changes have been made.
-
- F7 - Prints the information file.
-
- F8 - Deletes the information file. In MultiTimesaver, only
- the owner should use this function since other calendars
- may point to the same info file.
-
- F9 - Used to prepare info files for processing by external
- programs. (Not in TimeSaver+)
-
- F10 - When in edit mode, exits editor, otherwise terminates
- Info command.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- - Page 9 -
-
-
-
-
- Editing Keys
-
-
- ^W or [F10]. . . . . . . Finish editing
- Esc. . . . . . . . . . . Abort edit and return original memo
- ^Y . . . . . . . . . . . Delete current line
- ^T . . . . . . . . . . . Delete word right
- ^B or [F6] . . . . . . . Reformat memo in the edit window
- Up arrow or ^E . . . . . Up one line
- Down arrow or ^C . . . . Down one line
- Left arrow or ^S . . . . Left one character
- Right arrow or ^D. . . . Right one character
- ^Left arrow or ^A. . . . Left one word
- ^Right arrow or ^F . . . Right one word
- HOME . . . . . . . . . . Beginning of current line
- END. . . . . . . . . . . End of current line
- ^HOME. . . . . . . . . . Beginning of memo
- ^END . . . . . . . . . . End of memo
- PgUp . . . . . . . . . . Next edit window up
- PgDn . . . . . . . . . . Next edit window down
- ^PgUp. . . . . . . . . . Beginning of current window
- ^PgDn. . . . . . . . . . End of current window
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- - Page 10 -