Track is a generic logging and charting program for the Palm PDA. Virtually any type of data may be easily recorded for quick visual inspection of trends. Track supports multiple databases and the ability to export data to other programs. Automatic scaling ensures that your data is presented appropriately. This program will help you answer many questions which may have passed through your mind including:
- How does my credit card bill compare against previous bills?
- How do I track the progress of my diet and weight management programs?
- Is my antidepressant medication working?
- How is my bank account doing?
- Are my grades improving?
- Did my water bill increase?
- Is weightlifting making me stronger?
- Should I sell my stocks?
- Is my insulin requirement increasing?
- How can I track my commute times?
Ever wish that you could see a plot of your last year's phone bills? How about a chart of your arthritis pain? Want to see if you are spending too much time watching TV? Now you can easily examine this data or any other type that you care to record. Data entry may be accomplished with as little as two pen clicks. Multiple databases may be created and managed with a minimum of effort.
Give this program a try, and you are sure to find many uses beyond what is described here. Please share your creative ideas.
Track is a generic logging and charting program for the Palm PDA. Virtually any type of data may be easily recorded for quick visual inspection of trends. The current version is a shareware application. Registration is available at www.palmgear.com.
Installation:
Track requires installation of the main program and run-time libraries. The required files are:
Trk.prc
pocketC.prc
PktCDateLib.prc
Files included in this distribution:
Trk.prc the Track application program
pocketC.prc a run-time library
PktCDateLib.prc a run-time library
track.txt this file (documentation)
Contact:
Please send all suggestions, comments, and bug reports to Alan Stein at as@medcosm.com. Current program information can be found at http://www.medcosm.com/track.html
Registration:
This program may be registered at www.palmgear.com for $10.
Legal:
This software is provided as it is, with no guarantee of fitness for any particular task. The user assumes all responsibility for its use.
Install the program by hotsyncing the main application and run-time libraries. The Track icon will appear on your Palm. Select the program and decide what you want to track. Just a few useful ideas are credit card bills, your mood, number of miles walked, bank statements, etc.
Create a database by selecting "Create DB" from the menubar (you activate the menubar by pressing the lower-left silkscreen button). Give your database a short but relevant name (for example, "bank"). That's it! You are off and running. When your bank statements arrive simply enter the value in the data box (the numeric box to the right of the visual scale) and press the "enter" button. Your data will automatically be scaled and plotted in the chart window.
Let's create another database of our daily mood (is that antidepressant working? 8-). Choose the "CreateDB" command again and call this one "mood". If you want to rate your attitude on a scale of 0-10 simply touch the appropriate box on the visual scale and click enter. That's it. Data entry in two pen clicks. If you want, you can accompany your data with a brief comment by entering it in the comment-box (the box below the enter button). If you are entering data for a different day (the default entry date is today) simply touch the date button and select the desired date. You can jump back to the "bank" database by selecting it from the database drop-down menu. Individual data points may be deleted by selecting them on the table and pressing the delete button.
Options for changing the plotting characteristics (including the total number of visible points and tick marks with labels) may be selected from the preferences menubar. You may also zoom in on the most recent data points. Databases may be created or deleted from the file menubar. The purge option will delete data points that are not currently plotted. Use this feature by selecting a zoom window (for example, 5 points) and then choose the purge option. All data points except the last 5 will be deleted.
The registered version allows data to be exported (in CSV format) to the memopad. This comma-delimited data may then easily be read into many programs (spreadsheets, databases, etc.).
Notes:
-A graph will not appear until two data points are present.
-The program will automatically start purging data after 100 points are present.
-Data labels are rounded to integers to minimize display space. This means that label values may appear to be slightly inaccurate.
-Yes, the scale of 0-10 is actually 11 values.
-The display of comments is limited to 5 characters due to space constraints. Longer comments may be entered and will be exported in full.
Acknowledgments:
Track is written in pocketC, an excellent compiler by Jeremy Dewey. Mario Schlesinger has provided useful (and clever) GUI tools to the pocketC programming community. The PktCDateLib library is graciously made available by Marvin E. Wilborne III. Special thanks to my wife and family for allowing me to pursue this endeavor/obsession. 8^)
