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Version 1.3
USER GUIDE
_________
____|___ | (tm)
--| | |--------------------
| _____|___ | Association of
| | |_| Shareware
|__| o | Professionals
-----| | |-------------------------
|____|____| MEMBER
Copyright (c) 1991 Southwind Software
Southwind Software
P.O. Box 273228
Concord, CA., 94527-3228
____________________License Agreement_____________________
This is a user supported product. It is not public domain, and
it is not free software. You are granted a limited license to use
Prep on a trial basis and encouraged to pass it along to others so
long as all files from the original package are included and remain
unaltered. However, if you find PREP to be of use and wish to
continue using it after the trial period a registration fee of
$35.00 is required.
Southwind Software authorizes Registered Users to use PREP just like
a book. That is, PREP may be used by any number of people and moved
freely between any number of computers, so long as there is no
possibility of use by more than one person at a time. The right to
distribute Run-Time Programs created using PREP is reserved for
registered users only.
Clubs, User Groups and Shareware Distributers may charge a nominal
fee not to exceed ten dollars ($10.00) for expenses and handling
while distributing PREP. Southwind Software also provides site
licenses and commercial licenses for institutions wishing to use
Prep beyond the scope of single user as defined above. Contact
Southwind Software for more information.
This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with
the laws of the State of California. Any action or proceeding
brought by either party against the other arising out of or related
to this agreement shall be brought only in a State or Federal Court
of competent jurisdiction located in Contra Costa County, California.
The parties hereby consent to an in personam jurisdiction of said courts.
____________________Disclaimer of Warranty____________________
This Software is sold "AS IS" and without warranties as to the
performance or merchantability. Distributors may have made statements
about this Software. Any such statements do not constitute warranties
and shall not be relied on by the buyer in deciding whether to
purchase this program.
This program is sold without any express or implied warranties
whatsoever. Because of the diversity of conditions under which this
program may be used, no warranty of fitness for a particular purpose
is offered. The user is advised to test the program thoroughly before
relying on it. The user must assume the entire risk of using the
program. Any liability of seller or manufacturer will be limited
exclusively to product replacement or refund of the purchase price.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may have other
rights which vary from state to state. Some states do not allow the
exclusion or limitation of implied warranties, or the exclusion or
limitation of incidental or consequential damages, or limitations
on how long any implied warranty lasts, so the above limitations may
not apply to you.
PREP
Version 1.3
Southwind Software
Table of Contents:
1.0 Overview:................................................ 1
o Test.................................................... 2
o Drill................................................... 2
o Installing Prep......................................... 2
o File System............................................. 3
o Menu Selection.......................................... 4
2.0 Quick Start:............................................. 5
o Basic Operation......................................... 5
o Making a Program........................................ 6
o Other Features.......................................... 7
3.0 Create: Question Set Creation........................... 8
o Load/New................................................ 8
o Question Entry.......................................... 8
o Build Subset........................................... 10
o Save Questions......................................... 11
o Rename File............................................ 11
o Directory/Drive........................................ 11
o Exit Program........................................... 11
4.0 Results: Review Group/Individual Results............... 12
o Group Results.......................................... 12
o List Group............................................. 12
o Find Name.............................................. 13
o Add All Names.......................................... 13
o Include Name........................................... 13
o Erase List............................................. 13
5.0 Test: Review/Create Individual File.................... 14
o Load Name File......................................... 14
o Manual Input........................................... 15
o Take Test.............................................. 15
o Name/Results........................................... 15
o Directory Drive........................................ 16
o Save Name File......................................... 16
Table of Contents Continued....
6.0 Print: Print Results, Questions........................ 17
o Group Results.......................................... 17
o Questions.............................................. 17
o Answer Sheet........................................... 17
o Key Sheet.............................................. 17
o Print to Disk.......................................... 17
7.0 Make: Generates Question Program....................... 18
o Make Options........................................... 18
o Disk Copy: Make Executable [.EXE]...................... 19
8.0 Help: Registration/Warranty/ Dos....................... 20
o About Help............................................. 20
o Title Page.[Registration Information].................. 20
o Warranty Disclaimer.................................... 20
o Dos.................................................... 20
9.0 Test Program: Description ............................. 21
o Test Program Functions................................. 21
o Test Program Options................................... 22
10.0 Drill Program: Description............................. 23
o Drill Program Menu..................................... 23
o Drill Program Options.................................. 24
11.0 Error Messages............................................ 26
OVERVIEW
PREP
Version 1.3
Question Authoring Software
Southwind Software
1.0 OVERVIEW:
________________________________________________________________
PREP is a Multiple Choice, True/False question authoring system
for text questions. It can assist the user in developing quest-
ion sets for manual or computer aided testing. In addition, PREP
allows the user to analyze both group and individual results.
Following is a summary of features contained in the PREP and the
Run-Time programs created using PREP:
Master Program Features:________________________________________
o Create Question Set of up to 200 Multiple Choice Questions.
o Create Question Sub-Sets from Master Question Set.
o Retrieve Results from Files containing Individual Results.
o Maintain a List of 300 Individual Results which can be Saved.
o View Individual Results on a Group Basis or Individually.
o View Group Summary Results of Missed Questions.
o Print Test, Answer Sheet, Results.
o Print Questions to Disk for use with a Word Processor.
o Provides Context Sensitive Help throughout the Program.
o Create a Run-Time Version of Questions as a Test Program.
o Create a Run-Time Version of Questions as a Drill Program.
______________NOTE______________
Because Run-Time Programs are created by modifying the executable
file PREP_ASK.EXE you may receive warnings from any Virus Protec
tion Programs you have installed.
-1-
OVERVIEW
Run-Time Program Features:_______________________________________
Following is a list of features available in the Run-Time
programs created using Prep:
Test:
o Provides Test Template which allows individual testing.
o Optionally provides display of results.
o Saves results to disk using individuals name entry.
Drill:
o Provides Features Shown under Test.
o Retry Questions if missed on initial attempt.
o Additional Options to Review Results with Questions.
o Return to Answered Questions and Change Answers.
o Drill of Questions and Answers (Responses Optional).
o Flash Cards (Optional).
Installing PREP:_________________________________________________
PREP can be installed on a hard disk or using floppy disks. To
load PREP onto your hard disk do the following:
Hard Disk Installation:
1) Make a sub-directory on your hard disk by typing:
C:\> MD PREP
2) Change to PREP subdirectory by typing:
C:\> CD PREP
3) Insert the PREP SYSTEM DISKS in floppy drive (ie. A) and
type:
C:\PREP> COPY A: *.* C:
4) Type the following to review the directory:
C:\PREP> DIR
Dual Floppy Disk Installation:
1) Using the copy command copy both the PREP.EXE and
PREP.HLP file to a floppy disk and label as "PREP
PROGRAM DISK".
A:> COPY PREP.EXE B:
A:> COPY PREP.HLP B:
-2-
OVERVIEW
2) Use the same procedure to copy PREP.HLP to all DATA
DISKS and label as "PREP DATA DISK <QUESTION
SET>.
Note: When PREP.HLP is omitted from Data Disks PREP
functions normally however HELP screens will not be avail-
able to the user when [F1] Help is pressed.
Depending on the means of distribution the PREP File may or may
not be compressed. Use the appropriate Unpack Utility or if the
Program in on a self extracting file (ie. PREP_XXX.EXE), simply
type the name of the file.
The following Programs and/or Files should be included in the Prep
Directory to insure the proper operation of the Prep Program:
Programs Files Included in Package:
Prep.Exe: Master Program File.
Prep.Hlp: Help File Listings for Master Program.
Prep_Ask.Exe: Necessary for the creation of Run-Time Programs.
Prep.Doc: Documentation for Prep.
Documentation and Sample Files
Readme.Txt: Documentation for Getting Started.
Register.Doc: Registration Information.
Sample.Ovl: Sample Test Questions.
Sample.Lst: Sample Group List.
File System:________________________________________________
Following is an explanation of the File System and associated
Extensions used with PREP:
.OVL: Question Overlay...Question sets developed using Prep
are saved to individual files using the extension '.OVL'.
.LST: Group Lists...Group List Files have file names which
match their associated Question Files and use the
extension '.LST'. The Group List contains the names and
results of all individual Name Files added to the List.
.XXX: Individual Files...Individual 'Name' files are identified
by the last name of those taking the test with an extension
which is created with each Question set. Each extension
should be unique to one question set.
.TXT: ASCII Text File...Text File Question Set generation to
provide the opportunity for exporting questions to a word
processor for enhancement, printer driver and spell checking
if available.
-3-
OVERVIEW
Menu Selection:_________________________________________________
PREP's functions are accessed easily using pull down menus which
are broken down into the following sections:
o Create Question Creation Functions
o Results Group Results and List Review
o Test Individual File Functions
o Print Print Functions
o Make Make Run-Time Program
o Help Miscellaneous, Exit to Dos
The following lists those functions included in each of the above
categories:
Create: Question Set Creation
o Load/New Load or Create Question File.
o Question Entry Creation of Title Page and Questions.
o Build Subset Creation of Question Subset of Master.
o Save Questions Saves Questions and Group List to Disk.
o Rename File Rename Question File and Group List.
o Directory/Drive Change Targeted Directory/Drive.
o Exit Exit Program.
Results: Review Group/Individual Results
o Group Results Review Group Results and Questions.
o List Group Review Individual Results and Questions.
o Find Name Find Last Name in Group List.
o Add All Names Add all individual name files from Disk.
o Include Name Include current Name File in Group List.
o Erase List Erase Group List.
Test: Review/Create Individual File
o Load Name File Load or Create Name File.
o Manual Input Manual Input of Answers to Answer Overlay
o Take Test Question Asker
o Results/Name Individual Results by Question
o Directory Drive Change Targeted Directory/Drive.
o Save Name File Save Name File to Disk.
Print: Print Results, Questions
o Group Results Print Group Results to Printer
o Questions Print Questions to Printer
o Answer Sheet Print Answer Sheet to Printer
o Key Sheet Print Key Sheet to Printer
o Print to Disk Print Questions to Disk Text File.
Make: Generates Question Program
o Make Options Select Test/Drill Options
o Make Copy Create Run Time Program
Help: Registration/Warranty/ Dos
o About Help [F1] Help Available Throughout Program
o Title Page Registration Information
o Warranty Disclaimer of Warranty
o Dos Exit to Dos
-4-
QUICK START
2.0 QUICK START:
_________________________________________________________________
Basic Operation:_________________________________________________
Following is a brief step by step introduction to PREP. You will
be asked to load a file and to enter additional commands to review
some of the functionality available:
1) To load PREP go to the Directory containing PREP, type PREP and
press [Enter].
2) Once loaded you will see the Title Screen, press any key or
[Enter].
3) Type [F1] for Help Screen which displays the various functions.
Press [Esc] to return to the Main Menu. Help is available
throughout the program by pressing [F1]. Also notice that the
bottom line of the display provides a description of the each
function and the Disk Drive accessed by the highlighted function.
4) Functions are selected using the cursor keys. With Create high-
lighted press [Enter].
5) With LOAD/NEW FILE highlighted press [Enter]. Press [Enter]
again to access the directory. Move highlight to SAMPLE and
press [Enter]. The Sample Questions and Group List are now
loaded.
6) Cursor to Question Entry and press [Enter]. You are now in the
Title Entry Screen. Cursor between entries and type [F1] to see
Help Screens. Notice the that bottom line of the Screen now dis-
plays commonly used commands. Less frequently used commands
are described on the Help Screen.
7) Page Down by pressing the [PgDn] key. You are now in the Ques-
tion Entry Screen. Move the cursor to each line pressing [F1].
Try some of the commands at the bottom of the Screen. Press
[Esc] to return to the Main Menu.
8) Continue through other functions pressing [F1] for Help as you
step through each function.
-5-
QUICK START
Making A Program:________________________________________________
The following provides the opportunity to create a Run-Time version
of the Question Set. We will start by creating a subset of the
Sample Question Set.
1) At the Main Menu while Create is highlighted type the
following letters [C] for Create and [B] for Build Subset
(the highlighted letter for the requested function). Type [N]
to the Question 'Save Existing File'.
2) Select 10 or 20 questions to include in the Sample Program by
pressing the [Space Bar] and paging through the Questions
using [PgDn]. Press [Esc] to end input.
3) Enter a File Name for New Question Set you wish to create.
Enter a unique Extension (ie. .TST). You may now go back and
make any appropriate changes to the Title Screen by pressing
[Q] for Question Entry and making the appropriate changes to
the original Title.
4) Return to the Main Menu by Pressing [ESC]. At the Main Menu
type [M] for Make and [M] for Make Options. With Drill high
lighted press Enter. At the Drill Options press the space bar to
check all of the options available for the drill. Press the
[down arrow] to bypass any already selected. Once all options
have been selected press [Esc] to return to menu.
5) Make sure you have a floppy disk in the appropriate drive or
you may write the file to the hard disk. Enter [D] for Disk
Copy and at the prompt the letter of the selected drive (ie. C).
6) You can now exit PREP by pressing the following key combina-
tions:
[Home] [Home]............. To Return to the Main Menu.
[Home] ................... To highlight Create.
[Enter]................... To access Create Menu.
[End]..................... To access EXIT.
[Enter]................... To Exit Program.
You will be prompted to Save the newly created program:
[Y]....................... Program Exit.
If you created the new Program on a floppy disk change to that
disk and type the program name used to identify the new question
set in step 3. If the Drill was written to the hard disk simply
type the name of the file to use the new program.
HELP screens "are not" available on either the drill or the test
programs. The commands available are provided at the bottom of the
screen.
-6-
QUICK START
While in the Drill Program take the test, look at the Results and
Reanswer Questions to gain familiarity with the program.
You may go back and reconfigure the TEST/DRILL options to provide
different features you would like to include and overwrite the
existing sample file.
Other Features:_________________________________________________
There are many additional features for reviewing Results and
inputting Question Data. A description is included in the
remainder of the documentation. You can experiment with the data
included in the Sample Files to gain a better understanding of
these functions. Some suggestions are:
o Take a Sample Test in the Run-Time environment and Save
the Results. Later include your results in the Group List
using the Add All function on the Results Menu.
o Manually Input results on the Test Menu, Manual Input Func-
tion. Review Individual Results using the Test, Name Results
function. Include results in Group List using the Results, In-
clude commands. Press [F], (Find Name)and enter name of
individual added to find the name on the list.
o Inquire on the the Results of the Group using Results menu
and accessing the Group Results and the List Group com
mands.
In addition to the above, remember [F1] Help is available in most
functions with the exception of the Take Test Function.
-7-
CREATE
3.0 CREATE: Question File Functions:
________________________________________________________________
Test Functions provide for the creation of Tests; input for the
Title Screen, Questions and Responses.
Load/New File:__________________________________________________
Enter the name of the Question File. To load an existing Question
File press [Enter] to access the current Directory/Drive. You
may change Directories and or Drives during the selection process
however these changes are temporary and any subsequent Load or Save
will be made to the originally specified Directory and/or Drive.
To make a permanent change the Directory/Drive function in the Create
Menu must be used.
You may temporarily change the target Directory/Drive to access
specific files by:
o Input Drive Letter [ie.'A'] and pressing [Esc] to return to
Menu.
o Change to desired Directory using Cursor Keys and pressing
[Enter] to select.
o [PgUp/Dn] if Directory extends to additional pages.
Directory Window:
Cursor.... Cursor to Selection
PgDnUp.... To Page Directory
Enter..... Loads Selected File
Drive..... Change Drive (ie. 'A')
\.. ...... Move to Directory
The name of the Question File should be unique when creating a new
Question file. The Name selected will be used for the following subset
of files:
o .OVL file which will contain Questions.
o .LST file which contains a Group List of Individual Name File
Results.
o .TXT file containing Question Set which can be imported to a
Word Processor.
Question Entry:_________________________________________________
Question Entry is divided into two parts. The first part is the Title Entry
Screen which provides a template for the entry of the information describ-
ing the specific test to be entered. This information is used for the Title
Screen shown in the Run-Time Program. Additional information is re-
quired for the configuration of the Question Set.
-8-
CREATE
Title Entry Screen: Enter Question Set Title Information.
Title Entry: Title of Question File to be displayed in Run
Time Program:
o Line 1... Creates Block Characters on the
Title Screen when 8 or less
characters are entered.
o Lines 2 ... Normal Lettering
o Tics are displayed for centering
Header Entry: Abbreviated description used to identify
Question Set. This heading is displayed
within Run-Time programs and on Printed
material.
Note Entry: Note can only be accessed during the ques-
tion setup session and is for the authors use.
Number Entry: Enter the 'Number' of Questions to be en
tered in the Question Set.
o Maximum Question Count is '200'.
Extension Entry: Enter the 'Extension' to be used to identify
the individual Name files.
o Extensions must be unique and not dupli-
cated between Question Sets.
o The following 'May Not!' be used:
EXE COM OVL LST BAS OBJ BAT
TXT BAK DOC LIB MAP REF HLP
Date Input: Input Date or Press [F1] for automatic input.
The Question Entry Screen provides a template for the entry of
Questions and associated information for entry into the program
Question Entry Screen: Input Questions, answers and responses to
Question Template.
Number Input: Shows the number of the current Question
Template. Press [F7] to input question num-
ber to advance to a specific Question or
press Backspace/Left Arrow at Home position
of Question Input.
Question Entry: Question Input is done using a mini-word
processor which is built into the program.
Following is a list of features provided:
Cursor Movement:
Arrows... Move text cursor
Ctrl T... Top of Question
Ctrl B... Bottom of Question
Ctrl->... Next Word
Ctrl<-... Previous Word
-9-
CREATE
Edit Commands:
F3...... Erase Question
INS..... Insert Mode
DEL..... Delete Character
Ctr-D... Delete Word
Alt-D... Delete Line
Save/Write Commands:
PgDn/Up.. Writes/Advances Question .
F2... Write Questions to Disk (Periodic
Save)
Answer Input: Input the letter representing the Correct
Answer [A..E].
Choices Input: Input Question Choices from which selection
will be made.
The following additional functions are avail-
able to modify and/or copy choices between
questions (ie. True/False).
F3... Deletes: Answer, Choices &
Responses
F4... Copies Current Choices to Ques-
tions Between From & To Loca
tion Specified
F5... Copies Choices to Specified Ques-
tion
Correct Response: Input Response to be displayed when Ques
tion is answered Correctly. Inclusion of
Responses is Optional in Final Run-Time ver-
sion of the Question Program.
Incorrect Response: Input Response to be displayed when Ques-
tion is answered Incorrectly. Inclusion of
Responses is Optional in final Run-Time ver-
sion of the Question Program.
Build Subset of Selected Questions:______________________________
You can Mark Selected Questions to create a subset of Questions
from a larger question set. You will first be prompted to save
the master file. Once questions are selected you will be asked to
rename the file (existing files can be viewed by pressing Enter
prior to input) and provide a new Extension to be used with the new
Question Set. Once complete you may wish to return to the Title
Entry screen to modify the Title for the newly created Question Set.
Space Bar...... To De/Select Questions for inclusion in New
Question File. Count Marked shows the number
of Questions Selected of Total Available in
the Master File
-10-
CREATE
Save Questions:__________________________________________________
Save Questions saves both Questions and Group List to the current
Directory. The Home Disk/Directory can be changed using the
Disk/Directory Command under the Test Menu.
Rename Question File:____________________________________________
Question Files can be renamed using the the Rename command. This
will rename both the Question (.OVL) and Group List (.LST) files.
If changes have been made to either the original answers and/or the
question count the original list will no longer be valid and should
be erased using the RESULTS, ERASE LIST command.
Directory/Drive:_________________________________________________
The Directory/Drive for the location of the Question Set (both
Questions and Group List) is independent of the Directory Drive
for Individual Files. Changes made using this function are
retained and all subsequent requests to access either the Question
Set [.OVL] and/or Group List [.LST] will be initially directed to
the selected Directory/Drive. By creating separate subdirectories
within the PREP directory, Question Sets and/or Group Listing may
be categorized by subject or group.
To change the target Directory/Drive for Question Files the the
following changes can be made:
o Input Drive Letter [ie.'A'] and [Esc] to return.
o Change to desired Directory using Cursor, [Esc] to return.
o [PgUp/Dn] if Directory extends to additional pages
Directory Window:
Cursor.. Cursor to Selection
PgDnUp.. To Page Directory
Enter.... Loads Selected File
Drive.... Change Drive (ie. 'A')
\.. .... Move to Directory
Exit:_______________________________________________________
Exit Program. You will be asked if you wish to save existing file and
any changes which might have been made to the question file and group
list.
-11-
RESULTS
4.0 RESULTS: Group Results and Lists
_________________________________________________________________
Group Results Window:____________________________________________
Shows an approximate graphic representation of the Group perform-
ance. Using the cursor keys the highlighted pointer can be advanced
to specific questions for review. Once selected, the actual per-
centages % Missed and % Correct are reflected. In addition, the
total # On List reflects the number of individuals taking the test
along with the actual spread of answers across the group under Count.
Group Results Description:
Graph:.... Percent Missed for Group/Question.
% Missed.. Percent Missed for displayed Question.
% Correct. Percent Correct for displayed Question.
# on List. Number of Individuals on Group List.
Count:.... Answer Spread for displayed Question.
[S]....... Skipped Question Count.
Question.. Highlighted Count reflects correct Answer.
Group Results Commands:
# Input... Go to Question (any key initiates input).
PgUp/Dn... Advance/Scroll Questions.
<- -> ... Advance/Scroll Questions (10).
Group List Results:__________________________________________
A review of individual answers to questions can be made using
this screen. Incorrect answers are shown high-lighted with the
letter of the wrong answer selected during testing. "S"
represents those questions skipped during testing.
Use of the cursor keys allows scrolling within the list. The
Questions and answers can be brought up on screen at any time
by pressing [F8]. [Esc] will return you to the main screen.
In addition to these function the following functions are
available from within this screen to manage the group list;
Commands:
<- -> ... Advance 10/Scroll in either direction
Up/Dn ... Scroll/Select Name
F3... Delete Name From List
F5... Find Name in List
F8... Places Question on Screen
PgDnUp... Pages Through List
Home/End... Beginning/End of List
-12-
RESULTS
To review results for a particular name you should first
reposition the highlighted area to the name you to be reviewed.
Then press [F8] to bring up the question window. The Question
count may the be advanced by direct input of the number or by
paging up or down [PgUp/Dn] through the questions. To return
to the Group List press [Esc].
Find Name:_______________________________________________________
Input name to bring up a specific name for review on the Group
List. A search will be made to name which most closely resembles
input (search can be made on partial names). Should there be no
matches on the first letter of requested name search will default
to first name in the list.
Add Name:________________________________________________________
Adds all Name Files with extension identified in Question Set on
Current Path. The user is prompted to select the disk drive for
which the home directory will be searched for files with matching
extensions. The path can be changed using 'Directory/Drive' on
'Test' Sub-Menu.
If a duplicate name is encountered, you will be prompted to modify
the first name to prevent duplicating names on the Group List.
This can be accomplished by adding additional characters to the
First Name (ie. John_W). Note: Spaces must be used between the last
letter and added characters.
Include Name:____________________________________________________
Includes the currently loaded individual Name File in the Group
List. This command is also available in the Manual Entry function.
To add an individual to the Group List the file must first be
loaded using the Test, Load function. To add multiple name files
the Add ALL function may be used.
Erase List:______________________________________________________
Erases the current contents of Group List in memory. No changes
to the file are made unless the Question set is saved.
-13-
TEST
5.0 TEST: Individual File Functions
_________________________________________________________________
Functions within the name function deal with the management of
individual name files and provide a means of loading files from
disks and/or creation of results either through manual input or by
taking the test for personal use. Also included is a means of
reviewing results for individual name files.
Name Entry:______________________________________________________
Enter the Individual's name. To load an existing Name File press
[Enter] to access files on the current Directory/Drive. You may
change Directories and or Drives during the selection process
however these changes are temporary and any subsequent Load or Save
will be made to the originally specified Directory and/or Drive.
To make a permanent change the Directory/Drive function in the Test
Menu must be used.
You may temporarily change the target Directory/Drive to access
specific files by:
o Input Drive Letter[ie.'A'],press [Esc] to return to Menu.
o Change to desired Directory using Cursor Keys and
pressing [Enter] to select.
o [PgUp/Dn] if Directory extends to additional pages
Directory Window:
Curser. Cursor to Selection
PgDnUp... To Page Directory
Enter.... Loads Selected File
Drive.... Change Drive (ie. 'A')
\.. ....... Move to Directory
Input Last Name:
o Input Last Name to access File on Disk.
o Press Enter prior to input to access Directory.
First Name Entry:
o Input First Name
o Input Unique Identifier/Initial to Prevent/Eliminate
Duplicate entries.
o As an option input date (ie/ 1/2/91) to provide date
tracking.
-14-
TEST
Manual Entry:____________________________________________________
Provides the opportunity to input answers into the data base
manually when the test is not taken using a computer. The
template reflects all questions answered correctly. Manual
input is made by inputting those Questions answered incorrectly
or skipped [S].
Entries:
o Enter [A..E] for Selection
o Enter [S] for Unanswered Question
Cursor Control:
Up/Dn... Advance [1]
PgUp/Dn... TAB/Advance Question [5]
<- ->... Advance Row
F2... Save To Name File
F6... Add Name and Results to Group List
Take Test:_______________________________________________________
Take Test provides the opportunity to answer Questions from
within the program. This is a convenient way of using the test
function and tracking self tests. Additionally, when test are
taken in this manner the date the test is taken may be entered
instead of a first name to track progress over time. When saved
to the Group List the date the test was taken can be compared to
tests taken previously.
o Cursor Movement or Letter Selection
o Enter Confirms Selection
o Options found in Run_time Programs are not available
within this self test.
Name/Results:____________________________________________________
This window provides an opportunity to compare individual
responses with questions.
Commands:
# .... Enter Question Number to bring up Question.
PgDn/Up. To Advance Questions.
Description:
o Score: reflects percent correct.
o Missed: reflects percent missed.
o Count: Total Number of Questions on test.
-15-
TEST
Directory/Drive:_________________________________________________
To change the target Directory/Drive for Name Files the the
following changes can be made:
o Input Drive Letter [ie 'A'] and Esc to return to Menu.
o Change to Directory using Cursor Keys,[Esc] to return.
o [PgUp/Dn] can be used if Directory extends to addi-
tional pages
Directory Window:
Curser. Cursor to Selection
PgDnUp... To Page Directory
Enter.... Loads Selected File
Drive.... Change Drive (ie. 'A')
\.. .. Move to Directory
Save Name File:__________________________________________________
Save individual files resulting from Manual Input or Self Test.
Files will be saved to Home Directory. Home Directory may be
changed using Directory/Drive on Test Menu.
-16-
PRINT
6.0 PRINT:
_________________________________________________________________
The Print functions provide printer output in ASCII format to
most dot matrix printers. Once prompted to Align the Paper PREP
will initialize the printer position for the start of page. As
an alternative PREP allows the Question Set to be printed to
disk where it can be imported to a word processor for printing.
Print Results: Prints Last Name, First Name and Scores in
alphabetical order.
Print Questions: Prints Questions and Choices.
Print Answer Sheet: Prints Answer Sheet with answer selection
choices.
Print Key Sheet: Prints Key Sheet with correct answers for
use in manual correction of tests.
Print To Disk: Prints Questions to an ASCII File (.TXT)
This provides opportunities to utilize a word
processor for print enhancements, access
printer drivers and a spelling checker from
within your word processor if available.
Once transferred you may find additional
spaces between lines with character wrapped
to the new line. This can easily be corrected
by increasing the line size right margin to
accommodate the line length used in PREP.
-17-
MAKE
7.0 MAKE:
________________________________________________________________
The Make functions provide the opportunity to develop Run-Time
Programs of your Question Set for distribution and use by others.
These programs will run completely independent of the Main Program
and save results to disk under the Last Name entered by the
individual taking the test. The two types of test and associated
options are described below:
Test Types: Using [UpDn Arrows] Select Test type (TEST/DRILL)
you wish to create and press [Enter].
Options: Select options using the Space Bar to De/Select or
[UpDn Arrows] to leave selection unchanged.
Test: Generates Question Set as a Test.
o Display Responses: Displays Appropriate Response based
on Input Immediately on Answer.
o Skip Questions: Skip Questions During Answer Entry.
o Return to Skipped: Return to Skipped questions.
o Display Results: Display results upon completion.
Drill: Generates Questions for use as a study aid.
Test:
o Display Responses: Displays Appropriate Response based
on Input Immediately on Answer.
o Retry Incorrect Ans: Allows Retry on 'Missed' Answers
when Display Responses is selected.
o Skip Questions: Skip Questions During Answer Entry.
o Return to Skipped: Return to Skipped questions.
Drill:
o Study Questions: Provides Study Session Template and
Flash Card Feature in Drill Program.
o Display Corr Resp: Display Correct Responses in Study Ses-
sion.
o Display Incorr Resp: Display Incorrect Responses in Study
Session.
-18-
MAKE
Disk Copy:______________________________________________________
Creates Disk Copy (Program Disk) of current Question Set. You
will be prompted for the Drive on which intend to create the
new Program Disk. As a result PREP_ASK.EXE is modified and copied
to the target drive creating a new Program using the current
Question Set File Name (ie. Sample.Exe).
Select Disk Drive for Make:
o Selects Current Path for the Specified Drive [ie. 'C'].
-19-
HELP
8.0 HELP:
_____________________________________________________
Help [ F1 ]:_________________________________________________
o Help is available throughout this program by pressing [ F1 ].
o Help Windows provide information on function being ac-
cessed.
o A brief description of functions and available commands are
provided at the bottom of each screen.
Title:______________________________________________________
This is a user supported product. It is not public domain, and it is not
free software. You are granted a limited license to use Prep on a trial
basis and encouraged to pass it along to others so long as all files from
the original package are included and remain unaltered. However, if you
find PREP to be of use and wish to continue using it after the trial period
a minimum registration fee of $35.00 is required. With your support we
can continue to improve and expand PREP. Send your comments, ques-
tions and registration to:
Southwind Software
P.O. Box 273228
Concord, CA. 94527-3228
Warranty:__________________________________________________
This Software is sold "AS IS" and without warranties as to the perfor-
mance or merchantability. Distributors may have made statements about
this Software. Any such statements do not constitute warranties and shall
not be relied on by the buyer in deciding whether to purchase this
program.
o This program is sold without any express or implied warranties what-
soever. Because of the diversity of conditions under which this program
may be used, no warranty of fitness for a particular purpose is offered.
The user is advised to test the program thoroughly before relying on it.
The user must assume the entire risk of using the program. Any liability
of seller or manufacturer will be limited exclusively to product replace-
ment or refund of the purchase price.
DOS:______________________________________________________
Exit to Dos from within the program without the loss of information/files
currently loaded. Type 'EXIT' to return to PREP.
-20-
TEST PROGRAM
9.0 TEST PROGRAM:
________________________________________________________________
Run-Time programs of the Question Set can be generated in one of
two formats, TEST or DRILL. The Test format generates programs
which provide a means of Testing. Various options are available
for configuring the Test program and will be described later in
this chapter.
To activate the program the individual being tested inputs the
file name (ie.Sample). They are prompted to input their First and
Last Name. Once their name is input the program advances directly
to the first question of the question set. The commands required
to respond to the question are displayed at the bottom of the
Screen and may vary depending on the options selected.
Once all questions are answered the individual being tested will
either be asked if they would like to return to any unanswered
question (if option Return to Skipped Questions was selected
during Program creation) or the program will simply terminate.
Once the program completes the name file containing the results
are saved to disk (ie. NAME.XXX).
Note: Because results are stored in a file using the Individuals
last name only one copy of results may be saved by Name on a disk.
Any subsequent tests made using the same disk and the same Name
will overwrite any previously stored files with the same Name.
Following is a description of the Test Program functionality
and the various options available which can be selected from
the Make Options during creation of the Program:
Test Program Functions:_________________________________________
o Up/Down... Cursor to the selected Answer or input
Alpha character (ie. 'A') which repre-
sents choice.
o Enter... To confirm Selection.
o [S]... To skip displayed Question.
o [P]... To return to previous Question.
o [Q].. To Quit.
-21-
TEST PROGRAM
Test Program Options:____________________________________________
o Display Responses:
Displays responses if present and indi-
cates if question was answered cor
rectly or missed. If responses are not
present no display is made when the
question is answered.
o Skip Enabled: Questions can be skipped during the
Test session.
Return to Skipped:
Provides the opportunity to return to
any questions previously skipped prior
to completion of the test.
o Display Results: When selected the results of the test are
displayed at the completion of the test.
The following information is displayed:
Score.... Percent Answered Correctly.
Missed... A count of the number of
Questions missed.
Count.... The total number of Ques-
tions Asked.
Note: When the Test Option is selected the Program encodes the
correct answers on the Test Program Disk in order to score
test results while insuring the correct answers are not
readily available to those being tested. However, when
Display Responses is selected during program creation the
responses 'can be' read from within the file. Responses can
be prevented from being transferred to the program disk by
"not selecting" the Display Response option during
program creation.
-22-
DRILL PROGRAM
10.0 DRILL PROGRAM:
__________________________________________________________________
Run-Time programs of the Question Set can be generated in one of
two formats, TEST or DRILL. The Drill format generates programs
which can be used as a study aid and or drill. Various options
are available for configuring the Drill program and will be
described later in this chapter.
To activate the program the individual being tested inputs the
file name (ie. Sample). They are prompted to input their First
and Last Name. If a file with the same name as that inputted
already exists on the disk the user will be asked if they wish to
load the results from the prior period. The program then advances
to the Drill Menu. If Change Answers is selected and prior drill
results were loaded the answers made during the previous session
eill appear highlighted. The commands required to respond to the
questions are displayed at the bottom of the Screen and may vary
depending on the options selected.
Once all questions are answered the individual being tested will
be asked if they would like to return to any unanswered questions
(if option Return to Skipped Questions was selected during Program
creation). When the drill is complete the program will proceed to
the Drill Menu.
Drill Menu Description:__________________________________________
o Take Test: Reinitialized all answers resulting from
previous Drill and re-enters Question
Drill at the first question of the
question set.
o Change Answers: Returns to the test displaying questions and
answers selected during previous session.
o Name Change: Drill provides the opportunity to change the
name file Name so any number of tests may
be taken by an individual and saved to disk
(ie. Smith_1, Smith_2).
o Question Study: Question Study provides the opportunity to
review the questions and optionally displays
the Answers when the (Study Questions &
Answers Option) is selected during program
creation. Correct Responses (Display Correct
Display Option) and/or Display Incorrect
Responses ( Display Incorrect Responses Op-
tion) options determine which responses will
be displayed during the Study session.
-23-
DRILL PROGRAM
o Flash Cards: Flash Cards provides the opportunity to
review the questions randomly and display
the correct answer once the question is
studied. This feature is active when the
Study Questions & Answers Option is
selected during program creation. The Space
Bar is used to display answers and to
advance the question.
o Results: Displays the results of the the Drill. Only
incorrect answers are shown. The letter
show under the question count represents the
incorrect selection made during the drill.
Skipped questions are shown using the letter
'S'.
When the Study Questions And Answers op
tion is selected during program creation the
question and answers with the correct answer
highlighted is displayed at the bottom of the
screen. Commands for advancing the ques
tion count are displayed at the bottom of the
screen:
# Input.. Advances to Number
Up/Dn ... Scroll/Select Name
Pg/DnUp.. Pages Through List
Home/End... Beginning/End of List
o Load: Loads the Name Results file from disk. There
is no directory from within the program. If it
is necessary to interrogate the disk for files
exit the program and type: DIR at the prompt
for a list of files.
o Save: Saves a copy of the results currently in
memory to Disk using the Last Name for the
file name.
Note: Because results are stored in a file using the In-
dividuals last name only one copy of results may be
saved by Name on a disk. Any subsequent tests made
using the same disk and the same Name will overwrite
any previously stored files with the same Name.
o Exit: Exits the program.
-24-
DRILL PROGRAM
Drill Program Options:__________________________________________
o Display Responses: Displays responses if present and indi-
cates if question was answered cor
rectly or missed. If responses are not
present no display is made when the
question is answered.
Retry Incorrect Answers:
When Display Responses is selected
provides the opportunity to retry ques-
tions answered incorrectly
o Skip Question Enabled:
Questions can be skipped during the
drill session.
Return to Skipped:
When selected the person tested is
provided the opportunity to return to
any questions previously skipped prior
to completion of the test.
o Study Question/Answers:
Displays Questions and Correct
Answers when in the Results and Study
Screens during the drill session.
Additionally, the Study Question option
provides the opportunity to use Flash
Cards within the Drill Program.
o Display Correct Resp:
Displays Correct Responses during the
study Session.
o Display Incorrect Resp:
Displays Incorrect Responses during
the study session.
-25-
ERROR MESSAGES
11.0 ERROR MESSAGES:
________________________________________________________________
Cannot Access Disk Drive: Disk Drive Failure. Check for the
presence of a disk and/or close drive
door.
Cannot Open File: A problem was encountered in an at
tempt to open the specified file and/or a
valid file name entry must be made to
complete request.
Cannot Open List: Group list was not saved previously.
Cannot Use 'XXX': Certain common extensions may not be
used. Press Help <F1> for Listing.
Cannot Read Header.._Ask: The executable Prep_Ask file has been
corrupted or replaced with and invalid
file.
Duplicate Names.. Modify ?: A Duplicate Name has been encoun
tered on the existing list. Do you wish
to modify the Name file to be entered
on the list.
'XXXXX' File Write Error: A problem was encountered while at
tempting to write file to disk.
Error in File 'XXXX.XXX': An Error was encountered in attempting
to add and individual Name File to the
Group List using the Add All function.
This is normally caused when the file
added was generated using a different
question count or has been corrupted
since creation. You can investigate this
by loading the suspect file using the
Load Name function and looking at the
results using the Individual/Results
Function. Any suspect file must be
removed before proceeding.
Illegal Drive Selection: Program cannot access selected drive.
Invalid Date: An invalid date was entered.
Maximum Count 'XX': The Maximum Count has been ex
ceeded. Increase Question Count on
Title Screen.
Maximum Count 300... The maximum number of individuals
on the list may not exceed 300.
-26-
ERROR MESSAGES
Name File Not Loaded: Name File is not currently loaded.
Operation requested requires Name file
to be Loaded.
Name Not Found: The Name entered cannot be located on
the current Group List.
Numbers Only: An attempt was made to input some
thing other than a number in a number
only field.
No Files with Ext 'XXX'...: No file with requested Extension exists
in current directory.
No Name File Loaded: Name File is not currently loaded.
Operation requested requires Name file
to be Loaded.
No Names on Question List: No Names are currently entered on
Group List.
Not a PREP File: The file accessed is not a identified as a
Program File.
Not Enough Memory to Run:...There is not sufficient memory to run
Prep. Unload any TSRs or other
programs resident in memory.
Out of Memory: There is insufficient memory to
proceed. This normally occurs once the
program is running and a function (ie.
Add Name to List) demands more
memory than is available. Unload
TSRs or other programs resident in
memory.
Prior Question Displayed: Two consecutive attempts were made to
access the prior question.
Question Count Exceeded: The Question Count has been exceeded.
The Maximum count is determined by
input to the Title Screen, Count entry.
This entry may not exceed 200.
Quest File Must be Loaded: Question File is not currently loaded.
Operation requested requires Question
file to be Loaded.
Question File Not Named: Question File must be named to
proceed.
