home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Magnum One
/
Magnum One (Mid-American Digital) (Disc Manufacturing).iso
/
d6
/
hh13.arc
/
HH13.EXE
/
lha
/
HH.DOC
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1990-11-09
|
28KB
|
869 lines
HOME HELPER
HH VERSION 1.3
User Documentation
_______
____|__ | (tm)
--| | |-------------------
| ____|__ | Association of
| | |_| Shareware
|__| o | Professionals
-----| | |---------------------
|___|___| MEMBER
Torbert Data Systems, Inc.
P. O. Box 9218
Chesapeake, VA 23321
Telephone (804) 488-5506
BBS (804) 488-4146
COPYRIGHT (c) 1990 Torbert Data Systems, Inc.
T a b l e O f C o n t e n t s
Page
I. INTRODUCTION ........................................ 1
What is Home Helper ................................. 1
Features Overview ................................... 1
II. GETTING STARTED ..................................... 2
Initial Setup Instructions .......................... 2
Up and Running ...................................... 3
Consistent Look and Feel ............................ 4
Hardware Requirements ............................... 5
Miscellaneous Comments .............................. 5
III. HH - RUNNING THE PROGRAM ............................ 5
Addresses and phone numbers ......................... 6
Credit Card Information ............................. 6
Emergency Numbers ................................... 7
Favorite Recipes .................................... 7
Home Inventory ...................................... 8
Instant Label ....................................... 8
Personal Schedular .................................. 9
Tape Collections .................................... 9
IV. SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS .............................. 10
Files ............................................... 10
Support ............................................ 10
V. In Case Of Difficulties ............................. 11
VI. Registration ........................................ 12
ii
This program is produced by a member of the Association of
Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that
the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to
resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by
contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The
ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with
an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for
members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at P.O.
Box 5786, Bellevue, WA 98006 or send a Compuserve message via
easyplex to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.
Torbert Data Systems, Inc. believes that this software is
reasonably free from bugs and defects and further believes
that it will perform substantially in accordance with this
documentation. However, Torbert Data Systems, Inc. hereby
disclaims all warranties relating to this software, whether
express or implied, including without limitation any implied
warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular
purpose. In no event will Torbert Data Systems, Inc. or its
suppliers be liable for any special, incidental,
consequential, indirect or similar damages due to loss of data
or any other reason, even if Torbert Data Systems has been
advised of the possibility of such damages. Under no
circumstances shall Torbert Data System's liability for any
damages ever exceed the price paid for the license to use this
software, regardless of the form of the claim. The person
using this software bears all risks as to the quality and
performance of the software.
REGISTRATION
This software is not public domain software. You are
authorized to evaluate this software for a reasonable
period of time. If, after a reasonable evaluation
period, you elect to use this software, you must register
it. Please read the document REGISTER.DOC for
information on how to register this software.
iii
I.INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS HOME HELPER
Home Helper (HH) is an exceptionally easy to use software
program which can be useful in several areas in the home
environment. This program combines several very handy
routines into one convenient program.
Do you have an occasional need to print a number of names
and addresses? Perhaps you would simply like to organize
the telephone numbers you frequently call. Home Helper
will do these things for you but that is just the
beginning.
With Home Helper, you may also store your favorite
recipes, organize your audio and video tape libraries,
maintain a list of valuable appliances in your home and
more. Using the personal scheduler, all your
appointments can be recorded.
What if your credit cards were lost or stolen today.
Would you know who to call, your credit card numbers, or
even what credit cards you have? A nice feature of Home
Helper is that it stores information about your credit
cards that would prove invaluable if they were lost and
stolen.
Finally, with Home Helper, emergency numbers are but a
keystroke away. This or any one of the above features is
well worth the registration fee for this software.
This is a shareware program. What that means is that if
you elect to use this program beyond a reasonable
evaluation period, you are expected to register it.
Please see the document REGISTER.DOC for information on
registration and how you can receive a payment for
sharing this program with others.
FEATURES OVERVIEW
Completely menu driven
POP-UP help screens always available
Scrolling look up tables throughout the system
Eight useful programs rolled into one:
Addresses and phone numbers
Credit Card Information
Emergency Numbers
Favorite Recipes
Favorite Recipes
Home Inventory
1
Instant Label
Personal Scheduler
Tape Collections
II. GETTING STARTED
The following information is presented to allow you to
get the software up and running quickly. Sample data
files have been distributed with this software and should
be used during this process.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Home Helper is constantly being enhanced with new features
and capabilities. Registered users of this product are
always sent the LATEST version of this software with upgrade
instructions specific to the version they registered. If you
are currently using an older version of this software, your
data files may not be compatable with those in this version.
If you are upgrading from an earlier version insure that all of
your current data files are backed up before proceeding with
this installation. Sample data files are included with this
release. The installation program will warn you when it prepares
to overright an existing file. Answer no for your existing data
files. Registered users, please read the upgrade notes specific
to your upgrade before continuing.
INITIAL SETUP INSTRUCTIONS
1. Your CONFIG.SYS file must contain values that are
equal to or greater than the following:
FILES = 30
BUFFERS = 20
If you are not familiar with this file, refer to
your DOS manual for additional information. The
file may be maintained by using EDLIN or any ASCII
text editor.
2. Create a directory under the root directory called
HH13 or any other appropriate name).
Example: Input "MD \HH13"
Press <ENTER>
3. Change your path to the directory you created.
Example: Input "CD \HH13"
Press <ENTER>
2
4. Execute the installation program HH13.EXE.
Example: A:HH13 (Assuming the installation
program is located on a floppy disk A:)
5. Insure that the following files now exist in the directory
where this software will be run.
Executable Program: HH.EXE
On line Help File: HH.HLP
Data Files:HHCNTRL.DAT
BELONG.DAT
CRDTCARD.DAT
HHNAMES.DAT
APPOINTS.DAT
RECIPES.DAT
TAPE.DAT
APPOINTS.MEM
RECIPES.MEM
Example: DIR
Press <ENTER>
NOTE: Refer to the README.1ST instructions for
additional information on installing this software.
UP AND RUNNING
To run the software, you should have created a directory,
changed into that directory, and placed all software in that
directory.
To run the program, perform the following steps.
1. To execute the program, type <HH> and press <ENTER>.
When you run the software for the first time, the
keyfiles will automatically be created. These files will
have extensions such as *.K01 where * will be the same as
the data file name.
2. Shortly, the initial screen will appear. You may press
any key to continue. In unregistered copies of this
software, additional information on registration and the
the shareware concept may also appear. Press any key to
continue.
3
3 The menu will now appear. You may now use the arrow keys
to make a selection and then press <ENTER>.
CONSISTENT LOOK AND FEEL
Feel free to "explore" the software. You will find it
incredibly easy to use. The software has a consistent look
and feel. Several general conventions are followed throughout
the system. They will be discussed here to assist you.
1. The screen will go blank after a period of inactivity.
Press any key to display the screen. The key press will
not be active.
2. You may press <F1> from any screen in the system to get
a pop up help screen. In many instances, the help screen
will be context sensitive to the field on which the
cursor is positioned.
3. The <ESC> key will generally take you to the prior screen
or activity. The only exception is when you are in a
data entry field, in which case the <ESC> key aborts any
data you entered into that field and takes you to the
prior field.
(The following rules apply to all screens where data entry is
permitted except for the emergency numbers and personal
schedular options).
1. You will choose between adding a new record or changing
an existing record. To add a new record, press the
<INSERT> key and the data entry form will appear. To
make changes to an existing record, position the selector
bar over the desired record as described above and press
<ENTER>. The data entry form will appear with the
current values for each field in place. To delete a
record, position the highlight bar on the record and
press <DELETE>. The full record will appear. Press
<ENTER> to confirm the erasure.
2. When entering data, you may use the <UP> and <DOWN> arrow
keys to move from field to field. The <ENTER> key will
also take you to the next field.
3. The <ESC> key will take you to the prior field and abort
any values you placed in the current field.
4. To terminate the data entry to the screen without having
to go through all the fields, press <CTL> <ENTER> (hold
down the control key and press enter). The record will
be written.
4
5. To terminate the data entry to the record and abort any
changes you made, press <CTL> <ESC>. The original values
will be restored.
6. While editing a field, press the <INS> key to toggle
typeover on or off. The backspace and <DEL> keys will
function as you would expect them to.
7. When editing a numeric field, press the spacebar to clear
out the entire field. All data entered in a numeric
field will be entered right justified with the cursor
maintaining stationary and the numbers moving from right
to left.
8. When building a file initially or if there are no records
in the file, you will not be presented with a scrolling
table until after you have added at least one record.
This is normal.
HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
This software requires a minimum of 512 K to run. 640 K is
recommended. It should run on any IBM PC or true compatible
using a DOS level of 2.1 or higher. It should run on MGA,
CGA, EGA, and VGA.
MISCELLANEOUS COMMENTS
The keyfiles associated with the various data files are
not furnished. The first time the program is run on your
system, they will automatically be created.
If you experience any difficulties, refer to the section
on "IN CASE OF DIFFICULTIES" later in this manual.
III. HH - RUNNING THE PROGRAM
Step by Step Instructions
1. To access the menu, change to the HH directory
and type "HH".
2. You will be presented with an initial screen.
Respond to the question regarding
registration.
3. You will be presented with the menu.
5
4. You may elect to run an option on the menu by
positioning the selector bar to that option
with the arrow keys and pressing <ENTER> or by
touching the first letter of that selection
and pressing <ENTER>.
MENU SELECTION: Addresses and Phone Numbers
Functional Description
This option will allow you to maintain an "Electronic Phone
Book". You may easily print out a telephone directory or set
of mailing labels at any time.
Active Function Keys
<F1> Help Screen - Always Active
<F5> Print telephone book listing
<F8> Print Mailing Label Test Pattern
<F9> Print single mailing label (For record under
highlight bar).
<F10> Print all mailing labels
Other Active Keys
<INS> To add a new record
<DEL> To delete a record
<ESC> To return to the menu
<ENTER> Maintain record under selector bar
Note: The arrow keys, and page up and page down keys are
also active to position the selector bar.
MENU SELECTION: Credit Card Information
Functional Description
This option will allow you to maintain important information
concerning your credit cards. Should they ever be lost or
stolen, this information will be invaluable.
Active Function Keys
<F1> Help Screen - Always Active
<F5> Print credit card listing
6
Other Active Keys
<INS> To add a new record
<DEL> To delete a record
<ESC> To return to the menu
<ENTER> Maintain record under selector bar
Note: The arrow keys, and page up and page down keys are
also active to position the selector bar.
MENU SELECTION: Emergency Numbers
Functional Description
This option will allow you to maintain a list of emergency
numbers for quick access. The look and feel of this option is
slightly different.
Active Function Keys
<F1> Help Screen - Always Active
Other Active Keys
<ESC> To return to the menu
<ENTER> Maintain emergency numbers.
MENU SELECTION: Favorite Recipes
Functional Description
This option will allow you to maintain an electronic cookbook.
Active Function Keys
<F1> Help Screen - Always Active
<F5> Print a list of all recipes
<F10> Print a specific recipe
Note: When printing a specific recipe, the printer will not
advance to top of form. This is intentional so that you
can print multi-part recipes or print on index cards.
Other Active Keys
<INS> To add a new record
<DEL> To delete a record
<ESC> To return to the menu
<ENTER> Maintain record under selector bar
Note: The arrow keys, and page up and page down keys are
also active to position the selector bar.
7
MENU SELECTION: Home Inventory
Functional Description
This option will allow you to maintain a list of valuable
appliances and other items in your home.
Active Function Keys
<F1> Help Screen - Always Active
<F5> Print a list of all items
<F10> Print a specific item in detail
Other Active Keys
<INS> To add a new record
<DEL> To delete a record
<ESC> To return to the menu
<ENTER> Maintain record under selector bar
Note: The arrow keys, and page up and page down keys are
also active to position the selector bar.
MENU SELECTION: Instant Label
Functional Description
This option will allow you to quickly and conveniently enter and print
a "one-time" label. You may also specify multiple copies.
Active Function Keys
<F1> Help Screen - Always Active
<F2> Label Test Pattern
<F3> Print the label
<F4> Clear the label form
<F5> Advance printer one label
Other Active Keys
<ENTER> Complete input for current field. Go to next field.
<ESC> Return to prior field or to main menu.
Note: The arrow keys are active to move from field to filed
within the form.
8
MENU SELECTION: Personal Scheduler
Functional Description
This option will allow you to maintain a calendar of
appointments and other important events.
Active Function Keys
<F1> Help Screen - Always Active
Other Active Keys
<ENTER> Enter appointments for highlighted day.
Note: The arrow keys are active to move from day to day
within the current month. The page up and page
down keys are also active to move from month to
month.
MENU SELECTION: Tape Collections
Functional Description
This option will allow you to maintain a library of audio or
video tapes. Up to 16 Sections on the tape may be maintained.
Active Function Keys
<F1> Help Screen - Always Active
<F5> Print a list of all tapes
<F10> Print a specific tape in detail
Other Active Keys
<INS> To add a new record
<DEL> To delete a record
<ESC> To return to the menu
<ENTER> Maintain record under selector bar
Note: The arrow keys, and page up and page down keys are
also active to position the selector bar.
9
IV. SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
FILES
This section is intended to document all files used in
the system and describe the functional purpose for each.
An understanding of these files will help you better
determine and plan your backup procedures.
Menu Selection File(s) Updated
Addresses and phone numbers HHNAMES.DAT
Credit Card Information CRDTCARD.DAT
Emergency Numbers HHCNTRL.DAT
Favorite Recipes RECIPES.DAT
RECIPES.MEM
Home Inventory BELONG.DAT
Personal Scheduler APPOINTS.DAT
APPOINTS.MEM
Tape Collections TAPE.DAT
The system will create automatically a number of index
files as well. These files will have an extension of
.Knn such as HHNAMES.K01. The key files do not need to
be backed up.
SUPPORT
This product is extremely easy to use, however there may
be instances where technical support is required, Torbert
Data Systems offers the following support policy.
Registered users of this product may receive support in
one of several ways.
COMPUSERVE: All E-Mail addressed to User ID
73747,2336 will be answered promptly,
usually within 24 hours.
TDSBBS: The Torbert Data Systems support BBS is
available 24 hours a day. Access is granted
on the initial call and quick response (within 24
hours) to questions and comments can be expected.
See TDSBBS.DOC for more information on this
popular board. The number for the BBS is
(804) 488-4146
US MAIL: Support questions may be mailed to:
Torbert Data Systems, Inc.
P. O. Box 9218
Chesapeake, VA 23321
10
TELEPHONE: Due to the low cost of this shareware product,
it is impossible to return long distance phone
calls. The TDS number is (804) 488-5506.
Feel free to call with your comments and questions.
9:00 to 11:00 PM Eastern time is the best time to
call.
V. IN CASE OF DIFFICULTIES
The following are some of the most frequently asked questions.
1. Problem:
The message "TOO MANY OPEN FILES" appears when an attempt
is made to execute one the program.
Solution:
This problem is a result of the CONFIG.SYS file not being
set up properly. The possible hardware configurations
vary considerably, but if your boot drive is C, you may
view the CONFIG.SYS file as follows.
Example: "TYPE C:\CONFIG.SYS"
Press <ENTER>
Using either EDLIN or any ASCII text editor, insure that
the following values are setup in the CONFIG.SYS file.
FILES = 30
BUFFERS = 20
2. Problem:
The message "FILE NOT FOUND" appears when an attempt is
made to execute the program.
Solution:
This problem is a result of one of the required data
files not being present in the currently active
directory. Copy the data files from your original
release and rerun. Be sure they all reside in the active
directory.
11
REGISTRATION
Thank you for evaluating HH. In return for your registration,
you will receive a copy of the latest release of HH. The
product is constantly being enhanced and new features and
options are added from time to time.
Your registration will entitle you to 90 days free support
through any of the following:
Compuserve Mail
U. S. Mail
TDS BBS (804) 488-4146
You are encouraged to share this software with others.
12
REGISTRATION FORM
HOME HELPER VERSION 1.3
SERIAL NUMBER OF SOFTWARE _____________________________________
(NO in top left corner of menu screen)
WHERE ACQUIRED _______________________________________________
YOUR NAME _____________________________________________________
ADDRESS _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
CITY ______________________________ STATE _____ ZIP ______
PHONE _______________________________
===============================================================
HH Version 1.3 $15.00
4 1/2 Sales Tax - (Virginia Residents Only) .68
TOTAL ENCLOSED: _______
MEDIA TYPE - PLEASE CHECK ONE
5 1/4 1.2 Meg ( ) 5 1/4 360 K ( )
3 1/2 1.4 Meg ( ) 3 1/2 720 K ( )
Make check payable to "Torbert Data Systems, Inc."
Mail Registration Form and Payment To:
Torbert Data Systems, Inc.
P. O. Box 9218
Chesapeake, VA 23321