Copyright: QuizPro 2.1.0  ---  © 2000 - 2001 by  Luzius Schneider ---


Introduction

uizPro  Introduction

QuizPro is a study tool. You can train a topic by collecting questions in a file and then answer them repetitively.

With QuizPro, you can build and administer objective tests using either multiple choice or fill-the-blanks questions. It is possible to build timed tests and even add sounds or graphics to quiz items.

Sample tests on Bible knowledge, Greek, or Hebrew are included.

The menu item Choice/Create a Quiz will open a form to compose a questionnaire file. The questions may be multiple choice type or require a plain text answer. The later is especially helpful to compose vocabularies when learning a foreign language.

Questions may contain different fonts, pictures, sounds or other objects.

Of course you may install complete Quiz files received by a third party!

The menu item Choice/Start Quiz will open a form to question you. You open a Quiz file, and the questions will be presented in random order to you.

The menu item Choice/Open knowledge etc will open a text editor (Rich text editor). This tool allows you to create, edit or view Rich text files (.rtf).

The menu item Choice/Results table opens a results table.

The menu item Choice/Statistics opens an overview showing success in solving questions and required time.


Create a Quiz

Open file: An existing Quiz file will be opened. Any changes in a already opened file have to be saved, or will be lost.

 Open a further file: An additional Quiz file will be loaded. In this case, nothing will be deleted, but with the formerly opened Quiz file and the new one, a new, large file will be composed. This is helpful to create a new exercise file, merging for example the vocabularies MyEnglishLesson1, MyEnglishLesson2 and MyEnglishLesson3. In this way, you can train the words of all three lessons mixed.

 Save as: The loaded Quiz file will be saved under a name according your choice.

 Interchange questions and answers: For vocab type Quiz files, it may be helpful to be questioned in both directions, that means for example German-English and English-German.

With this button, you interchange all questions with the answers. Out of a vocabulary German-English, you create a new one English-German. The title and the name of the new file will start with a “-”.

When interchanging questions and answers, only answers listed under A will be included as questions. If you did list other correct answers under B - D, they will be deleted. Of course, this function is not applicable, if your Quiz file does contain any multiple choice questions.

 Question ... font: These buttons changes the font of the whole question field for all questions of the current file. This means, you can choose any font for your questions even without preparing them one after the other as a Rich text file. This option is meant mainly for vocabularies, where one language demands a foreign font.

If you interchange questions and answers, a “-” will be put in front of the title. This “-” serves as a sign for the program to see, if the question or the answer has to be presented in a foreign font. Please do not delete this “-”.

Spell check: This option allows you to check your text in the question and answer fields for misspellings. QuizPro uses the dictionaries installed with Microsoft Office. This means, the spell check works only, if you have Microsoft Office or any of its components installed.

 Open Zoom window: This option simplifies entering a longer text. You can get to this window also by a shortcut: F2

 Copy / Paste (replace) question: These buttons allow you to copy and paste a whole question from one point to another even between different Quiz files.
To copy and paste only some text from one edit field to another, you can use the context menu (right mouse button) or the shortcuts Ctrl c / Ctrl v as usually under Windows.

If you want to show something after a correct answer, you insert it in the field Answer text or More information.


Start Quiz

The menu item Choice /Start Quiz will open a form to question you. You open a Quiz file, and the questions will be presented in random order to you.

By opening a Quiz file, you also create a database to store your name and your performance on the questioning. This allows you to repeat the same question file later on, and answer only the questions you did not know on the day before.

On finishing all questions, a results table will be shown. The tool button [image] displays it at any time.

With the menu item Options/Case sensitive, you can choose, if QuizPro shall distinguish between capital and small letters, when judging your answers. This of course has influence only, when answering non multiple choice questions. The option does not work for special characters as ä Ä, é É, etc.

Example: Your answer should be France. If Case sensitive is switched off, both France and france will be recognised as a correct answer.


Open knowledge etc.

The menu item Choice/Open knowledge etc. will open a text editor (Rich text editor). This tool allows you to create, edit or view Rich text files (.rtf).

Such a file can be included in Quiz files as a question, or as supplementary information, which will be presented after a correct answer.

You may as well use your own Text Editor as for example Microsoft Word, to write such .rtf - files. However, some special formatting options as tables or multiple columns are not supported by QuizPro. In any doubt, open your file with the Rich text editor included in QuizPro.

The tool button [image] open Quiz file converts a Quiz file in a Rich text file and presents it in the Rich text editor. Of course, it can be saved, printed or edited.


Results table

The menu item Choice/Results table opens a results table.

 In the Combo Box, you may choose a question file. The respective results table will be shown.

Two more Combo Boxes allow to choose a period of time by setting a starting and ending date. Any data are displayed only, if the respective exercise was done during the defined period.

The results table can be printed.

 The export tool button will save the results table as text file. This can easily be imported in any spread sheet program.


Statistics

The menu item Choice/Statistics opens an overview showing success in solving questions and required time. A table and a chart are integrated.

 In this Combo Box, you may choose a question file. The respective information will be shown.

Two more Combo Boxes allow to choose a period of time by setting a starting and ending date. Any data are displayed only, if the respective exercise was done during the defined period.

The whole form can be printed.

 The export tool button will save the information shown in the table as text file. This can easily be imported in any spread sheet program.

Any chart area may be zoomed: Hold the left mouse button and drag mouse toward down/right. You'll see a rectangle around the selected area. Release the left mouse button to zoom. You can continue zooming again and again.

To RESTORE (or UNDO) the zoom, drag a rectangle in the opposite direction (up/left), or push the “Zoom Out” button.


Database

By opening a Quiz file, you also create a database to store your name and your performance on the questioning. This allows you to repeat the same question file later on, and answer only the questions you did not know on the day before.

This database is presented by the menu item Options/Memory. Now, it can be edited. For example, you may want to delete your good results on answering a vocabulary, to give your child a chance to be number one on the results table. Editing of single values is not possible.

You may open several forms at the same time.

It is possible, to import exercise data into your local database from another one:

The combo box allows you to select the database to import from. The available data will then be displayed in the lower part of the Memory - form. Select the desired data record and press the “Import” - button to add it to your local data base.

The “local” - button allows you to reset the display quickly to your local database.

If you did solve a Quiz file partly, and then add new questions, you will get a mismatch between the new Quiz file and the respective information in the database. Therefore, please delete the record about these partly solved questions (use the menu item Options/Memory).

If you would like to erase your complete history, it is also possible to simply delete all files in the folder ..\Quiz\ScorePro\ (but not the directory NetDir). When you start QuizPro the next time, a new database will be created.

The menu item Options/Restructure database will compress and repair your database. With this feature, you may overcome most problems arising from corrupted files without loosing data.


Networking
Network

The menu item Options/Network settings allows you to choose any location on the network for your database. Some options as “Memory” or “Restructure database” are available only locally, because you need exclusive access to the database for these functions. Therefore, you select preferably a directory, where you did install QuizPro. Otherwise, you have no way to choose these functions.

The same database may be used by multiple users simultaneously. Of course, everybody needs to have write permission for the respective directory.

It is not in any case sufficient to choose the same location, e.g. once "C:\Program files\QuizPro" ( on Server1) and once "\\Server1\Program files\QuizPro". If it is not the same name, character by character, you might get an error. In the above case you will get the error: "Directory is controlled by other NET.file  ...". To solve the problem, you may choose twice "\\Server1\Program files\QuizPro".

QuizPro’s network capability allows you for instance to do a test with your students using a local network and a common database (which means a common “server directory”). To evaluate the performance and allocate marks, you can work with the results table and the statistic form based on this database.

After closing QuizPro, the location of the presently used database will be stored and used again, when restarting the program.

Further more, there is a check box “Perform Registry changes for more reliable data base operations!” available. When checked, the program checks and if necessary changes some specific properties, taking into account different Windows versions. It will for example Disable opportunistic locking & caching on Windows NT machines, or check the version of VREDIR.VXD and VNETSUP.VXD on Windows 95 PC’s.


Prevent cheating

The menu item Options/Prevent cheating disables the following menu items: Choice/Create a Quiz, Choice/Open knowledge etc., Options/Case sensitive, Options/Network settings, Options/Memory, Options/Restructure database, and Help/ReadMe. With no access to these items, it is much more difficult to cheat during a examination taken with the aid of QuizPro.

This menu item is protected by a password.

If you did forget your password, delete the file QuizPro.ini in your Quiz folder (standard installation C:\Program files\Quiz). During the next start of QuizPro, this file will be created anew, and you may choose a new password.


Rich text file

A rich text file is a text file containing formatting information. The rich text format (.rtf) is widely supported by word processing applications. The rich text editor integrated in QuizPro allows you to create or edit rich text files. Some special formatting options as tables or multiple columns are not supported by QuizPro.

 QuizPro supports automatic URL detection. That means, if you include a Internet address in a rich text file, this address shows up in blue and underlined, when viewing it with QuizPro. If you click on it, your Web browser will open and display the respective site.

 You may even use this feature to display any file mentioned in your text quickly: Write the file name after the designator file:. A click will start the respective application and open the file. The file is supposed to be in the same folder as your rich text file.


Questions

Questions may be written directly in the appropriate field of the Compose form. If you need a differentiated formatting, you can write a Rich text file instead. In this form, you may include different fonts, pictures, sounds or other objects in your question.

Instead of plain text, you have then to write the name of your .rtf - file in the Question field of the Compose form, for example Bird1.rtf.

These files must be saved in the folder ..\Quiz\Quiz Files\rtfQuestions\.


Supplementary information

If you create a Quiz file, any text filled into the field Answer text will be displayed during questioning after the correct answer.

Furthermore it is possible to write the name of a Rich text file in the field More information. After the correct answer, you will then have the choice to view this file or to skip it. It will be displayed with the built in Rich Text Editor. Example: Insert “Greek Alphabet En.rtf”

You may also display any other file directly. In this case insert: “file:<file name>”. Example: “file:IguanodonA0.gif”. Even a Internet Website is possible to display by simply inserting the address in the field More information. Example: “http://www.luziusschneider.com”.

These files have to be saved in the folder ..\Quiz\Knowledge\.


To pass on and to install question files

•	All question files are stored in the folder...\Quiz\Quiz Files\ (standard C:\Program Files\Quiz\Quiz Files\). You look there for your lately created question files, copy them, and pass them on. As well, if you want to install new question files, you simply copy them into this folder.

•	You may add supplementary information to some questions. This information is saved as a Rich text file (*.rtf) in the folder ...\Quiz\Knowledge\. When passing on your question files, you are of course requested to include all information files.


To update your system, download the file:

http://support.microsoft.com/download/support/mslfiles/vrdrupd.exe


Language

Beside English or Deutsch (German) as language for the application interface, you may select the menu item Options/Language. This will allow to load a “interface language file” of any other language, and thereby produces the respective program interface. The standard installation includes a file English.lgqp and one Espanol.lgqp (Spanish). Many thanks deserves GUILLERMO FERNANDEZ RAJOY, Patagonia, gfrajoy@yahoo.com, who did translate the files (including help file and examples) to Spanish!

The file English.lgqp is designed as a model for translation. If you would like to get QuizPro with any other interface language, you may translate English.lgqp line by line and rename it e.g. to Francais.lgqp. Detailed instructions are found in the first lines of English.lgqp. You can open it with any Text Editor. Do not wrap lines, as every line has its dedicated position!

My Freeware application TxtEdit would be well suited for this task: It allows to deselect Word wrap and includes a spell checker. You will find it on my Website.

If you decide to translate the file(s), please send it to LS@luziusschneider.com for publication!


Background image

The menu item Options/ Background allows you to load an image as background. Similar to the Windows desktop, you may choose between some options, how to show the image.

Only -.bmp format is supported.


Licence

•	QuizPro is Shareware. You may test it for free to see, if it fits your demands. Regular use is allowed only, if you register it by sending us US$ 30.-- in any convertible currency. You will then get your personal RegNo. For that, you may use the template Register QuizPro En.rtf.

For registered users of QUIZ, the price to register QuizPro is US$ 20.--. QUIZ is a Freeware program sharing the same format of Quiz files. It is available on the author’s website.

•	One registration permits you to install and operate QuizPro on up to 25 computers on a local network, as long as one person is responsible for its operation. This person will typically be a teacher utilising QuizPro together with his class.

•	If you have any problems with QuizPro or an idea for improvement, please let me know.

•	This software is provided as is without warranty of any kind, either express or implied. In no event shall Luzius Schneider (the author) be liable for any damages whatsoever including direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, loss of business profits or special damages.


Author

L S

L S

Luzius Schneider

Kruggasse 70

CH-5462 Siglistorf

SWITZERLAND

e-mail:  luzius.schneider@switzerland.org

or 	LS@luziusschneider.com

Website:  http://www.luziusschneider.com