The PC-SIG Library 10/The PC-Sig Library - Shareware for the IBM PC and Compatibles (PC-SIG)(Tenth Edition Disks 1-2804)(1991).iso/PC_SIGCD/20/0/DISK2006.ZIP/PASTART2.HLP

Text File | 1989-03-01 | 7.6 KB | 133 lines

OVERALL SYSTEM DESCRIPTION - RELEASE 2.11                           PAGE 1 OF 6

To get a "snapshot" printout of the contents of the display screen at any
time, first make sure your printer is turned on and ready.  Most printers have
an indicator light labelled "ready" and it must be on before the printer can
operate.  Then, press either of the shift keys and the PrtSc key at the same
time.  On the IBM-PC, the PrtSc key is near the right side of the keyboard,
just below the ENTER key.  If you are not using an IBM-PC, this key may be in
a different position.

When you first turn the computer on, or re-set it with Ctrl-Alt-Del, it doesn't
know the date and time (unless you have a clock-calendar circuit installed).
Did you remember to enter the current date and time when you started the compu-
ter?  This is important, not only for the portfolio analyzer programs, but also
for other programs, for two reasons:

First, the computer "stamps" with the date and time each file that it writes on
disk.  This is to aid in recognition of different versions of the same data
which may have been updated at different times.

Second, the portfolio analyzer programs sometimes use the current date in re-
ports and for calculating holding periods of securities.

OVERALL SYSTEM DESCRIPTION                                          PAGE 2 OF 6

The portfolio analyzer consists of several program modules which perform major
functions such as Add/Delete Portfolio Transactions or Market Value Analysis.
Each program module has its own menus, which always appear at the bottom of the
screen, except for the Master Menu which occupies the whole screen.

Like its restaurant counterpart, a menu offers a choice of selections.  To make
a choice, press the letter key corresponding to the desired function, such as A
for Add/Delete or T for Totals.  As soon as the key is pressed, the selection
is activated.  The correct program module is automatically loaded into memory
as required, and menu choices permit switching freely among the functions.

Each menu has a "Help" function.  Just type H to get an explanation of all the
choices offered by that menu.  All menus also have an "eXit" function.  To get
back into the Master Menu, just press X.  To get out of the Portfolio Analyzer
and back into DOS, just press Q (for Quit) when in the Master Menu.  Some func-
tions will first ask you for confirmation of your choice, in case you press the
wrong key.  Type Y for a Yes response or N for a No response as appropriate.
If you make an invalid response, an error message will flash on the bottom line
until a correct response is entered.


OVERALL SYSTEM DESCRIPTION                                          PAGE 3 OF 6

The Scroll Lock and Caps Lock keys are not used.  Alphabetic characters are
automatically converted to uppercase (CAPITAL letters).  The ten function keys
on the left-hand side of the keyboard are not used.  The Num Lock key need not
be used except once to put the cursor keypad in Numeric mode.  Most keyboards
now have an indicator for the Num Lock key, which lights in numeric mode.

The programs (.EXE files), Help screens (.HLP files) and .CTL files are always
expected on the default drive and sub-directory. They can be on either a floppy
disk, a hard disk or a RAM disk. (When you are is DOS, the letter for the de-
fault drive appears in the prompt, as in A> for example).  Portfolio DATA files
(those files with the extension .POR) can also be on a floppy disk, a hard disk
or a RAM disk.  (A RAM disk is a data storage technique employed by some more
advanced users, usually with more than 640K of internal memory).

If you are using floppy disks, it is better to have programs and data on sep-
arate disks.  This gives more room for data and facilitates the process of
making backup copies.  If you are using a hard disk, you should have programs
and data in separate sub-directories, to facilitate directory management and
the making of backup diskettes.


OVERALL SYSTEM DESCRIPTION                                          PAGE 4 OF 6

After the introductory screen, the system takes you to the Master Menu screen.
Here you can press S to specify the disk drive and/or sub-directory the data
files will be on, such as B: or \PORT\DATA.  To look at the sample data pro-
vided with the program, just press the Enter key by itself to specify the de-
fault drive.  Next, press C and enter the name of the active portfolio.  To
make the sample portfolio active, type DEMOFILE and press the Enter key twice.
After that you can choose any of the other screens by making the appropriate
menu choice.

The data files include CATALOG which is a list of all securities in the system,
plus a file for each portfolio.  All data files have the extension .POR appen-
ded to their names.  The CATALOG file requires a maximum of 32,768 bytes; each
portfolio requires a maximum of 16,384 bytes.  When a file is created, the pro-
gram allows you to make the file smaller if you need to.  Unless you are short
of disk space, it is recommended to use the default maximum file sizes, which
are 255 entries for the catalog and 255 entries for each portfolio.  (A port-
folio entry includes both the purchase and sale side of a transaction).




OVERALL SYSTEM DESCRIPTION                                          PAGE 5 OF 6

When a program wants a data item such as the name of a stock or a price, a
solid reverse video block will appear, along with a blinking underline cursor.
The solid block defines the maximum number of characters the item can have,
and the cursor cannot be moved outside the block.  The required data is to be
typed into this block.  Typing errors can be corrected with the Backspace key.
The Backspace key is usually in the top row of the keyboard, and has a large
left-arrow on it.  It is not the same as the left-arrow key on the cursor
keypad; the left- and right-arrow keys are not used during data entry.

After typing in the required data item, press the ENTER key.  The solid block
does not have to be filled.  If the data is invalid, an appropriate error mes-
sage will flash on the bottom line until another key is pressed.  The data can
then be corrected, possibly without completely re-entering it.  After each data
item is entered correctly, it is automatically moved to the appropriate place
on the display.

The Esc (escape) key is always active, except when a menu is present on the
bottom of the screen.  The Esc key can be used to cancel any operation except
some disk operations.  Usually the Esc key is in the top row of the keyboard,
near either the left or right side depending on the keyboard design.

OVERALL SYSTEM DESCRIPTION                                          PAGE 6 OF 6

Some data items are optional, such as interest and dividends.  In these cases -
or if an item has already been entered - entry can be avoided by pressing the
ENTER key by itself, or by pressing the Esc key.  If the program requires the
data, it will tell you.

If you accidentally start to enter a new security or a new purchase transac-
tion, just press the Esc key to cancel it.  The screen will automatically re-
store itself to its original contents.

If you wish to enter the date and time, or to print out the Installation Guide,
you can do that now.  Re-start the computer using the Ctrl-Alt-Del keys.  (Some
machines, such as Epson and Tandy models, have a mechanical Reset button which
you can use if it is available.)  Do NOT do this from any other part of the
Personal Portfolio Analyzer; you could lose data.  Use the Quit function
instead, from the Master Menu.