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1993-07-22
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PC TIMECHK
Version 2.00
Requirements
PC TIMECHK requires at a minimum an IBM compatible AT
286, 386, 486, PS/2 or better personal computer AND at
least a version of DOS that is 3.2 or better. If your
system does not meet these minimum requirements you may
wish to upgrade before using PC TIMECHK.
7/93 -i- v2.01a
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
TIMECHK.EXE, PC TIMECHK INSTALL.EXE and PC TIMECHK USER-
LIST.EXE along with this documentation are published by
Ken Mummery Software. All items are copyright (C) 1991-
1993 by Ken Mummery (a.k.a. Ken Mummery Software), 8968
Ellingham Street, San Diego, California 92129-2110, USA,
(619) 538-1020.
Reproduction of this manual may be done for single user
personal use only. No commercial copy of this manual
may be reproduced in whole or in part without express
written consent from the publisher. ULCOLOR.LST is
copyright (C) 1992 by MSI Founders (a.k.a. Maritime
Software International). All rights reserved world wide.
Acknowledgements
To Bob Zale and Spectra Publishing for providing their
excellent PowerBASIC 3.0 without which PC TIMECHK and its
related programs would not exist. To my friend Richard
Fothergill whose window routines, Power Windows PW200,
(C) 1990, provided that professional touch.
7/93 -ii- v2.01a
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1
PC TIMECHK 2.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
ABOUT PC TIMECHK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
License Agreement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
License Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Default Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
The Help Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Help Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
CHAPTER 2
GETTING STARTED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Initial Checking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Source Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Target Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Using A Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Updating AUTOEXEC.BAT File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Escape Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
File Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Establish Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Fee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Install Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Install Programs In General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
CHAPTER 3
GENERAL OPERATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Data File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Time Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Default Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Accepting Time & Date Shown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Setting Time & Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Setting Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Time Entry Error Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Setting Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Date Entry Error Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Thank You Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Corrected Date & Time Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Ending PC TIMECHK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
SPECIAL FEATURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Self Terminating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Mouse Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Special Dates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
7/93 -iii- v2.01a
HELP, ADVISORY AND ERROR WINDOWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Help And Information Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Advisory Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Battery Advisor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Maximum Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
DOS Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
CHAPTER 4
PC TIMECHK USERLIST UTILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Help And Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Window Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Color Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Quick Color Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Browse Color Listing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Creating Special Date (".DAT") File. . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Changing Special Date (".DAT") File. . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Selecting Another Special Date (".DAT") File . . . . . . . 24
Reviewing Special Date File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Reviewing Single Special Date Item . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Reviewing All Special Date Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
APPENDIX A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
It's About Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Keeping Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
It' All In A Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
APPENDIX B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Principal ASCII Characters Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
APPENDIX C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Colors That Make Your Day. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
APPENDIX D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Word Processing Commands Used In USERLIST. . . . . . . . . 37
7/93 -iv- v2.01a
CHAPTER 1 - PC TIMECHK
ABOUT PC TIMECHK
PC TIMECHK 2.0 was developed because many of today's
popular Personal Computers and software do not provide
sufficient opportunity for you to see what date or time
your PC has internally. PC TIMECHK 2.0 lets you see
this all important information each time your PC is
started, and allows you to "set" these functions. You
can also run PC TIMECHK 2.0 anytime as long as PC
TIMECHK 2.0's "TIMECHK" directory is included in your
"Path" statement. In addition, PC TIMECHK 2.0 keeps you
up to date on various holidays, special events or any
personal dates you wish to enter. See ULSERLIST
information for more details.
Requirements
PC TIMECHK 2.0 requires a minimum AT 286, 386, 486 or
better type of IBM or compatible personal computer;
Monochrome, Hercules, CGA, EGA, VGA, or Super VGA
monitor; one 5¼" or 3½" floppy disk drive and at least
400K bytes of free hard disk space on your hard drive.
PC TIMECHK 2.0 is fully functional with most Mouse
drivers. DOS 3.2 or better. MS (or PC) DOS versions
prior to 3.2 were unable to set and maintain the date
and time. (Users of a DOS prior to 3.2 need to use
the AT Setup Disk to change the Date and Time.)
License Information
This software is protected by both United States
copyright law and international treaty provisions, and
is the sole property of Ken Mummery (a.k.a. Ken Mummery
Software). Ken Mummery grants the user the right to use
PC TIMECHK 2.0 for a limited time without registration.
Copies of the original, distribution diskette of PC
TIMECHK 2.0 are permitted provided all original files
remain intact and no alteration to their content is
made.
PC TIMECHK 2.0 is a Shareware product and is not free
software. Continued use of PC TIMECHK 2.0 is considered
acceptance of this software and your are expected to
make a $15.00 US (cash, check or money order) donation
to the author. Upon registration, you will receive a
fully functional version of PC TIMECHK 2.1 and its
documentation. In addition, you will receive, free of
additional cost, all upgrades to the PC TIMECHK 2 series.
See Order Form for details on registration and address,
or contact Ken Mummery via CompuServe (73750,347) or
call (619) 538-1020.
7/93 -1- v2.01a
Warranty
With respect to the physical diskette and documenta-
tion received directly from Ken Mummery Software, Ken
Mummery Software warrants the same to be free of any
and all viruses, and to be free of defects in
materials and workmanship for a period of 60 days from
receipt.
Ken Mummery Software specifically disclaims all other
warranties, expressed or implied, including but not
limited to implied warranties of merchantability and
fitness for a particular purpose with respect to
defects in diskette and documentation, and the program
license granted herein in particular, and without
limiting operation of the program license with respect
to any particular application, use, or purpose. In no
event shall Ken Mummery Software be liable for any
loss of profit or any other commercial damage,
including but not limited to special, incidental,
consequential or other damages.
Default Entries
Each time you are asked to make a selection, the
Default answer will be the capital letter of the two
selections and both will be surrounded by parenthesis,
e.g., ( Y / n ). In the example at left, the Default
is the Y or "yes". Pressing <Enter> will accept the
Default. If you are using a Mouse, click on either
letter, or if you want to accept the Default, click on
<Enter>.
The Help Line
PC TIMECHK 2.0, its INSTALL program and USERLIST.EXE
utilize a standard Help Line found on many popular DOS
programs. The Help Line can be found on line 24, next
to the last line on your screen. When Special Keys
are used to perform various functions within the
software, they are "highlighted" on the Help Line in
red and blue on color monitors, highlighted, bright on
monochrome monitors, or visible on other monitors.
The functions represented by these keys are only
available when "turned on". All highlighted keys
shown on the Help Line are available by pressing the
corresponding key or by clicking the mouse on the Help
Line key.
Help Availability
Whenever F1-Help is highlighted, context sensitive
help is available to make your use of the program more
7/93 -2- v2.01a
understanding. Some help screens may have more than
one page and will be indicated by a "PgDown" and/or
"PgDown / PgUp" shown on the bottom of the Help
Window. Press the PgUp or PgDown key, or use your
mouse by clicking on these key call outs, to move the
help screens up or down. Press or click on <Esc> to
clear the window.
+ + +
7/93 -3- v 2.0
CHAPTER 2 - GETTING STARTED
Making Your Backup Copy
It is always recommended that an archival copy of your
new software be made and placed in a safe place in the
event that your original diskette is lost or damaged.
You are allowed to make archival copies of PC TIMECHK
2.0 for just this reason.
The PC TIMECHK 2.0 diskette received has certain files
that may not be copied by simply duplicating file by
file using the DOS COPY command. This is not to say
that PC TIMECHK is "copy protected", it just means
that some files are read only or hidden. It's
recommended that the DOS DISKCOPY be used to make your
archival copy of PC TIMECHK, Version 2.0.
To make a backup copy of PC TIMECHK 2.0, place the
original PC TIMECHK 2.0 diskette in Drive A; and enter
the DOS command DISKCOPY A: A:, and press <Enter>. You
will be asked to insert the SOURCE Disk in Drive A:.
(If you have two disk drives of the same type, use both
drives to make the backup copy. Enter the command
DISKCOPY A: B:.) Follow the instructions shown on the
screen. Press any key to begin the copy process. When
prompted, remove the SOURCE disk form Drive A: and
replace it with a formatted TARGET diskette of the same
size. Press any key when the TARGET diskette is ready
in Drive A:. Repeat this process when requested. Upon
completion of the DISKCOPY command, remove the TARGET
disk, label it and place the original in a safe place.
Use the copy for installation.
Installation
Installing PC TIMECHK 2.0 software is easy with PC
TIMECHK 2.0's INSTALL Program, Ver 2.0.
Please make certain that the INSTALL program is Version
2.0 and is specifically for PC TIMECHK version 2.0. Any
other PC TIMECHK INSTALL.EXE program cannot install PC
TIMECHK 2.0 correctly.
Type INSTALL and hit <Enter>.
Initial Checking
You'll see a short message stating that INSTALL 2.0
is loading its files. INSTALL 2.0 checks the DOS
version, then the CPU (Central Processing Unit, the
286, 386, e.g.) installed in your PC. Next, it tries
7/93 -4- v2.01a
to locate any Mouse. If one is found, you'll see the
message "Mouse Found". If no Mouse is found, "Mouse
Not Found" will be seen. At this time you'll
experience a short delay while INSTALL loads its Help
files.
If your PC is not of the AT style, i.e., 286, 386, 486
or PS/2 based personal computer, INSTALL 2.0 will
display an Advisory Window, informing you that PC
TIMECHK 2.0 should not be installed on your computer.
Earlier models of the PC did not have an "on board"
clock and calendar. If one was present, it was of the
type that was located on an "add on" board from a
third party manufacturer. These clocks and calendars
are maintained by special software which vary with
manufacturer. PC TIMECHK cannot permanently reset
this type of clock.
The same holds true with your DOS version. If INSTALL
2.0 determines that your DOS version is less than
version 3.2, an Advisory Window will inform you that
the current version of DOS will not affect changes to
your PC's date and time.
When the CMOS "on board" clock was first added to the
AT, special software was again provided to the user
for setting this clock and calendar. When DOS 3.2 was
released, it contained the necessary software to
maintain and set the CMOS clock. It is this software
that PC TIMECHK 2.0 uses to reset your PC's clock and
calendar. If your DOS version is less than 3.2, it is
recommended that an upgrade copy of DOS be obtained.
The current versions of PC-DOS and MS-DOS Version 6.0
and higher are strongly recommended since they also
provide memory management not generally available in
earlier versions.
Please Note - You'll be asked four questions during the
initial checking stage of the INSTALL program. They are
Source and Target Drives?; do you have a mouse?; and do
you wish INSTALL to update your AUTOEXEC.BAT?
Source Drive
Upon start up, INSTALL 2.0 knows the SOURCE Drive. If
you wish to select another Source Drive, enter the
drive letter, without the colon (:). You'll be asked
to confirm your entry. Please keep in mind that
regardless of your Source Drive, the "source" files
will need to be located in the selected drive.
Target Drive
PC TIMECHK 2.0 and USERLIST.EXE can be installed on
either your C: or D: drive. The default is C:. If
drive C: is where you wish to install PC TIMECHK 2.0,
7/93 -5- v2.01a
press <Enter> or click on <Enter> found on the Help
Line.
Using A Mouse
If a Mouse was detected, during INSTALL start up,
"Using A Mouse" will have a default answer of "Y". If
you do not wish to use your mouse, place an N in this
space, or click on the N shown on the Help Line.
ADVISORY -- If you answer Yes to having a mouse and
INSTALL did not detect one, you will receive a warning
message that a mouse was not detected. You may wish
to reconsider your answer. Follow the instructions
shown with the warning message.
Updating AUTOEXEC.BAT File
PC TIMECHK's INSTALL can, if you so choose, modify
your AUTOEXEC.BAT file in order for PC TIMECHK 2.0 to
run automatically upon start up of your PC. You have
the option to say no by placing an N as the answer to
question. To select the yes answer, just press
<Enter>, or click on the <Enter> found on the Help
Line. INSTALL copies and renames the current batch
file as AUTOEXEC.CHK. The original is then modified.
INSTALL will add the \TIMECHK directory to the PATH
statement. This directory is added to the PATH so
your PC knows where to find PC TIMECHK 2.0 and the
USERLIST program. The PATH statement is one of the
environmental instructions that helps your PC operate
efficiently. In addition to modifying the PC's PATH,
INSTALL will add TIMECHK to the execution portion of
the batch file.
TIMECHK will be added to the batch file depending upon
what you've told INSTALL in the initial settings. If
a Mouse is found, TIMECHK will be placed after the
Mouse call out in the batch file. If no Mouse is
found, the TIMECHK call out will be entered after the
path statement. If no path statement can be located,
TIMECHK will be placed as the first item in your batch
file. Under normal conditions, INSTALL will not place
the TIMECHK execution statement after another
executable software name.
Information you should know about INSTALL's ability to
change your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
Too Large -- INSTALL will review the size of your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If it finds that the file is
longer than seventy lines, INSTALL will not add or
7/93 -6- v2.01a
make any changes to this file. Batch files of this
size are normally complicated and customized by the
user.
Only two changes are necessary in your batch file
for PC TIMECHK 2.0 to run efficiently.
Add TIMECHK to your PATH statement and TIMECHK as an
executable item before any other file, with the
exception to any memory or hard drive manager.
For example;
ECHO OFF
PATH C:\;C:\DOS;C:\WINDOWS;C:\TIMECHK
SHARE
MOUSE /S
TIMECHK.EXE
WIN
Not Found -- If INSTALL doesn't find an AUTOEXEC.BAT
file, INSTALL will add one to your Root Directory.
All PC's should have this very important file. The
AUTOEXEC.BAT file, which means Autoexecute Batch
File, sets your PC's environment, establishes what
to run during start up and where to find files. The
file which is added to your PC is shown below.
ECHO OFF
REM **********************************************
REM AUTOEXEC.BAT created by PC TIMECHK as a result
REM of not finding one on your system. Please
REM modify as necessary.
REM See your DOS DOS manual for more information.
REM **********************************************
PATH C:\;C:\DOS\C:\TIMECHK
PROMPT=$T $D$_$P$G
TIMECHK.EXE
Escape <Esc> Key
Anytime before files begin to be copied, you can press
the <Esc> key and abort the installation, answering
the Abort question with a Yes. You may also use the
<Esc> key anytime the INSTALL program stops for an
answer.
CAUTION, if the files have been copied and the <Esc>
key is pressed during any other operation and the
Abort questions is answered with a Yes, all files will
be erased and the subdirectories will be deleted. The
current AUTOEXEC.BAT file is erased and the backup
file (AUTOEXEC.CHK) is renamed and established as the
PC's current batch file.
7/93 -7- v .20
File Check
After all of the initial settings have been made and
accepted, INSTALL looks at the Source diskette to make
certain that all files necessary to install PC TIMECHK
2.0 correctly are found. If any critical files are
not found, an error message will be presented. This
error message will inform you of the missing file and
what to do next. If all files are found, INSTALL will
begin copying files to the Target drive.
Establish Directories
INSTALL looks at the Target drive to determine if PC
TIMECHK 2.0 has been installed before. INSTALL will
establish two directories on the Target drive.
\TIMECHK is the parent directory and is placed
directly beneath the root of the Target drive.
\TCDATA directory is created and hangs under the
\TIMECHK directory. All primary files (.EXE, .HLP,
etc.)are copied to the \TIMECHK directory. The
\TCDATA directory maintains the .ID and .DAT files.
You'll see a message that the two directories have
been created. If the necessary directories were
established earlier, you will see a message that the
directories have already been created.
PC TIMECHK 2.0 Data File Check
During the file copy routine, if INSTALL finds a PC
TIMECHK ".DAT" (data) file in the \TIMECHK\TCDATA sub-
directory, an INFORMATIONAL window will inform you
that, "A TIMECHK.DAT file has been found on the Target
Drive. Do you wish to Replace ( N / y )?".
If you wish not to replace the file, press the <Enter>
key or click on <Enter> found on the Help Line. Since
the N is the capitalized letter, it is the default
answer. Press the Y key will replace the current
TIMECHK.DAT file. The file found on the Target drive
is renamed using a special file extension name. The
extions is determined by the current date. The first
two characters are the current day, with the last
character being the right most digit of the year. For
example, a replaced TIMECHK data file renamed on the
21st of July 1992 will have an extension of ".212".
Should a TIMECHK data file already exist with the
day/year extension, an Error Message Window will ask
what you wish to do. Follow the instructions
contained in the Error Window.
Keep in mind that there can be any number of .DAT
files present on the \TCDATA sub directory. INSTALL
will only inform you if it finds a file named the same
as the one found on the Source drive.
7/93 -8- v2.01a
AUTOEXEC.BAT File Already Modified
An Advisory Window will open if INSTALL finds that the
current AUTOEXEC.BAT file has already been modified
for PC TIMECHK 2.0. Press the <Esc> key or click on
<Esc> found on the Help Line.
Registration
Since PC TIMECHK 2.01a is a Shareware product, you are
given the right to preview the software before you
purchase. Continued use of TIMECHK 2.01a is your
acceptance that you wish to register and receive free
upgrades to the 2.0 TIMECHK series. To register PC
TIMECHK as an individual non corporate user and
receive the latest version, send a $15.00* cash dona-
tion, check or money order, payable to Ken Mummery,
payable on a US bank and in US funds to:
PC TIMECHK REGISTRATION
Ken Mummery Software
8968 Ellingham Street
San Diego, CA 92129-2110
USA (619) 538-1020
* A $5.00 shipping fee is charged for overseas orders.
Please indicate which diskette size you prefer, there
is no extra charge for 3½ inch diskettes. For your
convenience, an order form is included on the distri-
bution diskette. See ORDER.FRM.
You will receive upgrade diskette and instructions, a
printed manual and registration number.
Corporate and institutional users are to contact Ken
Mummery through the above address or through Compu-
Serve by sending a message to 73750,347 or call (619)
530-1020 for multiuser license or sight licensing
agreement information.
What's Next
After all files have been copied, the necessary
directories created, press the <Esc> key to end the
installation process. Reboot your PC so the \TIMECHK
directory will become a part of the PC environment.
PC TIMECHK will run automatically.
INSTALL Error Messages
Although every attempt has been made to make INSTALL
as error free as possible, their is always the
possibility that an error may occur that will cause
INSTALL to fail. Any error that causes INSTALL to
halt its installation will be shown as an Error Number
inside an Error Window. Follow the instructions shown
in the error window.
7/93 -9- v2.01a
There are a series of minor Error Messages that warn
you of potential problems. For example, should you
not have enough room on your Target Drive, you will
see an Disk Full Error Message, and INSTALL will
terminate operation.
Though not likely to occur, should your Target (hard
drive) become Write Protected (yes, it can happen),
you will see an Error Message informing you of this
fact. Correct the problem and continue with the
installation. If you are unable to correct the Write
Protection condition of your hard drive, you may wish
to discontinue the INSTALL program and reset or turn
off your system. Restarting your system my eliminate
the condition.
INSTALL Programs In General
Install programs can be simple groups of instructions
that just copy files on to a designated Target drive,
or they can become very complex programs that protect
your PC as well as copy and modify files. It's been
said that many a Programmer has spent more time
developing his or her install program than spent on
the program being installed.
Because PC TIMECHK's INSTALL program is reviewing,
changing, moving and copying files onto your PC, the
author has spent many hundreds of hours perfecting its
installation program. This is done so your PC is
setup correctly and protected from inadvertent
erasures of important files. During the installation
process, PC TIMECHK's INSTALL software works in only
two places within your PC. The root directory is the
first and is checked for the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If
it's found, it copies and renames it to AUTOEXEC.CHK.
You can always reverse the process and place the
original back into service. If the AUTOEXEC.BAT file
has more than 70 lines of text, INSTALL informs you
that it will not change the file.
INSTALL does not look at the CONFIG.SYS file, nor does
it make any modifications to it. What's generally
found in the CONFIG.SYS file does not affect PC
TIMECHK's operation.
Should you have problems with the INSTALL program or
have mouse problems, please contact Ken Mummery
Software via the methods shown in "How to Contact Us".
+ + +
7/93 -10- v 2.0
CHAPTER 3 - OPERATING
GENERAL OPERATION
The operation of PC TIMECHK 2.0 is simple and straight
forward. PC TIMECHK 2.0 executes automatically and
displays the PC's current Date and Time. If the date or
time are correct, press <Enter>, or click on <Enter>
found on the Help Line to end PC TIMECHK 2.0 and allow
your PC to continue its start up routine. See Getting
Started for installation instructions.
PC TIMECHK 2.0 provides the Day of the Week, Month, Day
and Year as represented by the PC's internal calendar
and clock.
In addition, the next to last line is the Help Line.
Like the INSTALL program, this line contains information
on accessing the context sensitive Help, Holiday and
Calendar information. If you are using a Mouse, you
can click on any of the highlighted items found on the
Help Line.
Data File
Upon start up, PC TIMECHK 2.0 loads the ".DAT" file
called for in the TIMECHK.ID file. The ID file
contains the version of PC TIMECHK and the particular
data file needed. The loaded file name is shown on
the far right of the last line. See Changing DATa
File, below on how to change the ".DAT" file.
DATa files are created, revised and reviewed using
USERLIST. Information on USERLIST can be found in
Chapter 4.
Default Entries
As in the INSTALL program, anytime you are requested
to make an entry or answer a question, the default is
shown as a capital letter (Y), and can be accepted
automatically by pressing the <Enter> key, or clicking
on <Enter> found on the Help Line. You can also hit
the appropriate key to answer the question. Entries
made through the keyboard are not case sensitive. In
other words, entries can be made in lower or upper
case letters.
Each time you make a keyboard entry, you will be asked
to verify your entry. This is done by way of the "Is
entry correct?" window. Press <Enter>, or click on
<Enter> shown on the Help Line, to accept your entry.
Press N to reject your entry and you will be returned
to the original entry request.
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Time Formats
Time is displayed in a twenty-four hour clock format
and in the traditional a.m. and p.m. formats. The
twenty-four hour clock format is shown since it is
really the time used by your PC's internal clock. The
traditional formats are also displayed as they are the
more common and widely recognized usages of displaying
time in a digital form. The traditional A.M. and P.M.
format is used by PC TIMECHK 2.0 when correcting the
PC's internal clock. (Please see Appendix A - It's
About Time for more information on the history of
time, and clocks.)
Accepting Time and Date Shown
If the time and date shown are correct, press <Enter>
or click on the Help Line <Enter>, or press the <Y>
key. PC TIMECHK 2.0 will terminate and return control
to your PC.
Setting Time and Date
To reset the PC's internal clock and calendar, answer
the "Is Above Information Correct? ( Y / n )"
question, shown at the bottom of the Time and Date
Window, as NO. Since the "n" is not the default shown
in the "( Y / n )" box, you must hit the <N> key.
Remember, your entry is not case sensitive. If you
are using a Mouse, you can either click on the "n" in
the "(Y / n)" box or on the "N=Set" shown in the Help
Line at the bottom of the screen.
Setting Time
PC TIMECHK 2.0 will open the Set Time Window. Here
you can enter a new time through the keyboard, or
accept the time shown by hitting <Enter>, or by
clicking on the Help Line <Enter>.
To enter a new time, you must follow the format shown
which consists of the Hour, followed by a colon (:),
Minutes, followed by a colon (:) then Seconds. You
may use the <Backspace> key to erase any entry you
make. In order for PC TIMECHK 2.0 to calculate the
correct 24 hour time for your PC, you must follow the
seconds entry with either an "a" for A.M. or a "p" for
P.M. Because you entered a new time through the
keyboard, PC TIMECHK 2.0 will ask you if your entry is
correct.
Hitting or clicking on the <Enter> key will accept the
default answer of yes (Y). Answering with an N will
7/93 -12- v2.01a
clear your entry and replace it with the original
time.
Press <F1>, or click on the Help Line F1 should you
need help when entering a new time.
Time Entry Error Message
Should you make a mistake while entering the new time,
e.g., enter an hour as 25, minutes or seconds higher
than 59, fail to enter the time of day indicator (A.M.
or P.M.), use a time separator other than a colon (:)
or hit or click on <Enter> before all entries are
made, PC TIMECHK 2.0 will display an Error Message
Window and highlight the offending entry or entries.
Press <F1>, or click on the Help Line <F1> for
information on the error message. To clear the Error
Message, press or click on <Esc>. The original entry
will be redisplayed with the cursor on Hours. Enter
the correct time again.
Setting Date
Setting the date is very similar to that of entering
a new time. Dates are entered in a the two digit
Month, Day and four digit Year format, with each entry
separated by either a dash (-) or forward slash (/).
Please Note - Currently, PC TIMECHK 2.0 will not
accept a period (.) as a date separator.
Enter the correct date in this order, 05-14-1991. You
may use the <Backspace> key to clear any incorrect
entry made. Because you entered a new date, PC
TIMECHK 2.0 will ask you to confirm your entry.
Pressing or clicking the <Enter> key will accept the
default answer of yes (Y). Answering with an N will
clear your entry and replace it with the original
date. Press or click on <F1> for help when entering
a new date.
Date Entry Error Message
Should you make a mistake while entering the new date,
e.g., invalid month, day or a year grater than 2099,
date separator other than a dash (-) or forward slash
(/) or hit or click on <Enter> before all entries are
made, PC TIMECHK 2.0 will display an error message
window and highlight the offending entry or entries.
Press or click on <F1> for information on the error
message. Hit or click on <Esc> to clear the Entry
Error Window. The original entry will be redisplayed
7/93 -13- v2.01a
with the cursor on month. Enter the correct date
again.
Thank You Window
After you have entered a new time and date or accepted
the current time and date, you will see a Thank You
Window. This window informs you that your entries
have been accepted and the appropriate changes have
been made to your PC's internal clock and calendar.
Corrected Date and Time Screen
PC TIMECHK 2.0 will display the new date and time;
PC's Date and Time have been reset.
Are they now correct? (Y / n)
If the new date and time are correct, press or click on
<Enter> and PC TIMECHK 2.0 will terminate and clear the
screen.
If the new date or time are not correct, press or click
on <N>, to repeat the time and date setting procedure.
Ending PC TIMECHK
To end PC TIMECHK 2.0, press the <Enter> key, or click
on the right mouse button.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Self Terminating
PC TIMECHK 2.0 will self terminate in approximately
one minute after execution. This feature prevents PC
TIMECHK 2.0 from keeping your PC from fully executing
the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Without intervention, PC
TIMECHK 2.0 will remain running for a maximum of 120
seconds. As PC TIMECHK 2.0 executes, it internally
records the time it started. If not terminated
through the use of <Enter>, PC TIMECHK 2.0 will run
for one minute, then signal and display a 60 Second
Countdown Bar. You will have one minute to make any
changes to the date and time before PC TIMECHK 2.0
terminates.
You may perform during this period all of the
function, such as setting time or date, reviewing help
screens, selecting a new ".DAT" file, reviewing and
changing the calendar, etc.
7/3 -14- v2.01a
Please Note - Should PC TIMECHK 2.0 execute during the
period between :46 and :59 seconds, the 60 Second
Countdown Bar will be activated at :45 seconds past
the following minute.
Mouse Support
PC TIMECHK 2.0 will work with your mouse as long as
the Mouse driver has been loaded, PC TIMECHK 2.0 will
display a rectangular Mouse Cursor █ . All highlighted
items on the Help Line can be activated by pressing
the left mouse button. In most instances, the right
mouse button acts as the <Esc> key. Use of the right
mouse button is however limited to certain screens.
Special Dates
One of the unique features of PC TIMECHK 2.0 is the
automatic display of Special Dates developed using PC
TIMECHK'S USERLIST utility, or the standard list
provided with PC TIMECHK 2.0. The name of the current
Special Date data file is shown at the far right on
the bottom line. To see a list of all current Special
Dates, press or click on <F5>.
Up to two Special Date Windows can be displayed on any
one day. See Chapter 4 for creating, modifying and
reviewing Special Dates with the USERLIST utility.
Calendar
PC TIMECHK 2.0 has a built in calendar that will
display each month from the year 1980 up to the year
2099. To access the calendar, press or click on <F7>.
Use the Up Arrow Key or the Down Arrow Key to move within
the months of the year. Use the <PgUp> or <PgDn> keys to
change the year displayed by the calendar. Press <Esc>
key to clear the Calendar. Leap years are identified at
the bottom of the Calendar.
HELP, ADVISORY AND ERROR WINDOWS
PC TIMECHK 2.0 has numerous Information, Advisory and
Error Windows to help you use and understand PC TIMECHK
2.0 and your computer.
Help/Information Windows
PC TIMECHK 2.0 has several Help/Information windows
that are context sensitive. That is, they are
programmed to help or give you information based upon
where you are within the program. Press or click on
7/93 -15- v2.01a
<F1> any time while you are using PC TIMECHK 2.0 for
Help or Information.
Clear any window by pressing or clicking on <Esc>.
Some Help/Information Windows have more than one
screen. When you see <PgDn> and/or <PgUp> at the
window bottom, press or click on the <PgDn> or <PgUp>
to access the various screens.
Advisory Windows
From time to time you may see an Advisory Window
displayed. PC TIMECHK 2.0 can help you with the
operation of your PC.
Battery Advisory
Most all PC AT/286, 386, 486 or PS/2 and higher
personal computers have an on board rechargeable or
replaceable battery that maintains the PC's start up
information as well as its clock/calendar. Upon
start up, PC TIMECHK 2.0 checks the PC's date to see
if it is grater than the original PC calendar date.
If the date is 01-01-1980, you will see an Advisory
Window on your screen informing you that there may
be a problem with your PC's clock or CMOS Setup
battery.
Maximum Year
Depending upon the manufacture date of your PC, the
largest year that can be displayed by its calendar
may be 2099. (The minimum year is 1980.) Because
this date may vary, PC TIMECHK 2.0 will not allow a
year to be entered that is larger than 2099.
Should this date be resident within your PC and the
clock reaches midnight, an Advisory Window informs
you that the clock and calendar cannot continue.
It's a safe bet that the year 2099 was entered in
error. Correct the date and time to remove this
condition.
DOS Version
MS-DOS and PC-DOS version 3.1 and older do not have
the capability of permanently setting the PC/AT's
CMOS clock and calendar. Special Set Up or
Diagnostic Diskettes were needed to set these
features. Beginning with DOS version 3.2, the
clock/calendar update and set feature was added.
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PC TIMECHK 2.0 reviews the DOS version during start
up. If the DOS version is 3.1 or lower, a DOS
Version Advisory Window will open.
Pressing the <Esc> key will clear this Advisory
Window and allow you to continue to run PC TIMECHK
2.0. However, date and time information entered
through PC TIMECHK 2.0 will not be permanently
maintained by your PC. Although it may appear that
the date and time have been changed, only the SYSTEM
time has been updated. Upon power off the SYSTEM
clock is lost. At power up, the SYSTEM's clock is
reset by the CMOS clock, which may be the incorrect
time.
It is recommended that a later version of DOS be
obtained and installed. See the DOS manual for
instructions on updating the DOS version.
Error Messages
PC TIMECHK 2.0 has several "Internal Checking" Error
Messages. Should any of these messages appear on your
screen, you are encouraged to contact Ken Mummery
Software with a description of the error message, PC
TIMECHK 2.0 version number and what you were
attempting to do within PC TIMECHK 2.0. See How To
Contact Us.
+ + +
7/93 -17- v2.01a
CHAPTER 4 - UTILITIES
PC TIMECHK'S USERLIST UTILITY
PC TIMECHK's USERLIST utility was developed for the
purpose of creating Special Date information windows for
your PC TIMECHK 2.0.
PC TIMECHK 2.0 uses a data or ".DAT" file for all
Special Date windows. USERLIST gives you the ability to
create, add to, delete from, review entry status or
repeat Special Date window information for any day of
the calendar year.
USERLIST is quite simple to use. From the Main Menu you
can choose from the drop-down menu any one of four
selections. Then choose the operation you wish to
perform. The following is a list of operations that can
be performed within USERLIST. They are;
+ Update File
+ Add item to existing or new Special Date file.
+ Change or delete an existing Special Date in
file.
+ Repeat or copy any Special Date in file.
+ Review File
+ Review any one or all Special Dates found in
file.
+ New File
+ Create new Special Date file.
+ Save files and Exit USERLIST.
Help And Information
Anytime you need help with a function in USERLIST,
press <F1>. USERLIST has a complete context sensitive
help system available. Many of the Help screens are
more than one page. Use the PgDn and/or PgUp keys to
navigate within Help, same as in PC TIMECHK. Press
the <Esc> key to leave Help.
Window Components
There are two Window Color charts that provide the
full spectrum of computer colors for your Special Date
Windows.
Each Special Date window has two components. The
window and text and its border and style. Window
components have two color elements each, foreground
and background. The main component of the window
is its text. The text component has two colors,
text or foreground color and the actual background
behind the text. For example, you have white text
on a blue background. Therefore, we'll
7/93 -18- v2.01a
call the window color "white over blue". The border
is also made up of two colors, foreground and
background. A plain border, one without a design or
character, will appear to have only one color, always
the background. Borders with single or double line
styles, for example, will show two colors. The lines
appear as the foreground color with its background
element.
Color Elements
As you have seen from the above explanation of Window
Elements, each of the two main portions of the window
can have their own color elements. Window colors are
made by combining two colors, one as the foreground
element, and the other being the background element,
as in the example above, "white over blue".
PC Colors are made from a basic 16 color set, which
ranges from black (0) to light-white (15). Add the
value of 16 to each color's numeric value, and each
will blink, even black can blink. For example, add
the value 16 to light-white (15 + 16 = 31) and you
have blinking light-white, the top of the basic color
scale.
Some basic colors in the 16 color set are background
only. Foreground light-yellow is brown when used as
a background color. Foreground blue is a different
blue when used as a background color.
To make both foreground and background colors into a
workable value, USERLIST combines both foreground,
background and blinking colors into a 256 color set,
0 (black over black) to 255 (blinking light-white over
white).
To uncomplicated the color numerics and provide an
easy way to select appealing window colors, USERLIST
has incorporated two color charts. A quick select
color chart and a browse color list.
Note - A complete color listing, window color hints and
how to create special window color effects is found in
Appendix C.
Quick Color Chart
On the Help Line you'll see two keys for color, F3
and F7. F7 is used to access the Quick Color Chart.
This chart opens as a window on either the left or
right side of the screen. Whenever creating or
changing a window or border color and you wish to
review the available colors, press F7.
7/93 -19- v2.01a
To select any of the first 128 color combinations,
use the Arrow keys to navigate within the chart.
Press the <Enter> key to select and use the desired
color. The chart will automatically close and place
the desired color combination number in the
appropriate color entry.
The Quick Color Chart is not available on monochrome
systems, nor is it available when color numbers are
not required.
Browse Color Listing
The second but nonautomatic color list is found by
pressing the F3 key. This custom color listing
provides the full 256 color combinations with actual
colors and their numeric value.
This list is arranged, from left to right, with the
standard 128 color combinations, corresponding color
numbers, color description, e.g., Blue / Red, their
blinking equivalent number and the blinking color.
Remember, only the foreground color will blink.
Located in the top right of the first page, is a
quick listing of the sixteen basic colors.
Use the PgDn and PgUp keys to move the listing.
When you have selected a color number for either a
window or a border, press <Esc> to clear the list.
Enter the chosen color number through the keyboard
and hit <Enter>.
A copy of the Browse Color Listing is found in
Appendix C.
Creating A New Special Date (".DAT") File
You may select any item within USERLIST by either
moving the cursor to the left, right, or up or down,
or by pressing the key that represents the Highlighted
First Letter from within the Main Menu.
1. Start USERLIST.
2. Select New File by moving the cursor to the menu
item and hit <Enter>, or press the highlighted
key, <N>.
3. Enter a file name in the ENTER NEW LIST NAME
window. For example, BIRTHDAY, FAMILY,
SPECDATS, etc. Hit <Enter> to accept your
entry. The "Is Entry Correct?" window will open
asking you to confirm your entry. Remember, the
default entry is Yes.
7/93 -20- v2.01a
Note - If you choose TIMECHK as your file name,
you'll receive an error message informing you
that TIMECHK already exists. Unless you wish to
destroy the original TIMECHK.DAT distribution
file, do not overwrite this file.
Use DOS file name standards. In other words, no
file name can be more than eight characters long
and cannot contain spaces.
4. USERLIST will open the New user window and ask
for the four character date. Enter any valid
date from 0101 (January 1) to 1231 (December
31). Confirm your date entry by pressing
<Enter> at the "Is Entry Correct?" window.
Note - Dates will be check by USERLIST for
correctness. Should you enter and confirm an
invalid date, USERLIST will display an Error
Message. Clear the message and re-enter your
date.
5. Enter any information desired on the Information
line. Up to 56 characters can be entered.
Press <Enter> to accept your entry and confirm
your entry.
Special ASCII characters can also be entered.
Press and hold down the <Alt> key and enter the
3-digit code that represents the special
character you wish to place on the Information
line. Release the <Alt> to "enter" the
character on the line.
For a complete list of the standard ASCII charac-
ters, see your DOS manual.
Note - Press the F1-Help key for a complete list
of all word processing commands available when
entering your "information line". A complete
list of Word Processing Commands for the
Information line are found in Appendix D.
6. Select a window color from one of the two color
listings, F3 or F7. If you know the color
number, enter the three-digit color number and
press <Enter>.
Please refer to the Quick Color Chart or Browse
Color Listing described above, or refer to
Appendix C.
7. Select a background color from one of the two
color listings, F3 or F7. If you know the color
number, enter the three digit color number and
press <Enter>.
7/93 -21- v2.01a
Please refer to the Quick Color Chart or Browse
Color Listing described above or refer to
Appendix C.
8. Select border style from the seven shown by the
Border Style Window. Use the Up or Down Arrow
keys and select by pressing <Enter>, or select
by pressing the highlighted letter key shown on
the Border Style Menu.
9. Your newly created Special Date Window will
appear at the bottom for your review and
acceptance.
Follow the instructions shown by the following
windows. If you wish to create more Special
Date Windows, answer the question with a Y for
Yes and repeat steps 1 through 9 for each
Special Date Window desired. Only 100 new win-
dows can be created in any one session.
+ + +
Changing Special Date (".DAT") File
You may select any item within USERLIST by either
moving the cursor to the left, right, or up or down,
or by pressing the key that represents the Highlighted
First Letter from within the Main Menu.
1. Start USERLIST.
2. Select "Change/delete item on special date file"
by moving the cursor to the menu item and hit
<Enter>, or press the highlighted key, C.
3. If not already loaded, USERLIST will load the
current ".DAT" file, then open the Update
Window. The Update Window will provide a list
of current Special Date items. For each item
you will see;
+ 4-digit date
+ Information line
+ 3-digit Window color number
+ 3-digit Border color number
+ 1-digit Border style number
Use the Up/Down Arrow, Home, End, PgUp/ PgDn
keys to locate the Special Date you wish to
change. Press <Enter> to select the item.
4. Select Change from the Change/Delete Menu. Use
the Up/Dn Arrow keys to select and press
<Enter>, or the highlighted letter of the menu
item.
7/93 -22- v2.01a
5. Select the Special Date element you wish to
change from the "Change What?" Menu. Use the
Up/Dn Arrow keys to select and press <Enter>, or
the highlighted letter of the menu item.
5A. Date - The Date Entry area will open. Press
<Enter> to accept the current listed date.
Otherwise, enter the new 4-digit date and press
<Enter>. Confirm your entry by pressing
<Enter>, or re-enter change by pressing the <N>
Key. Selecting No will return you to the
original entry.
Remember, you can have up to two Special Date
entries with the same date. A third entry will
cause an Error Window to open. If you wish to
overwrite one of the two existing date entries
with a new date, you are required to select the
Special Date, shown by the Error Window, you
wish to delete.
5B. Information Line - The Information Line entry
area will open. Press <Enter> to accept the
current Information Line. Otherwise, make any
changes you wish on this line. (See the Word
Processing instructions in Appendix D.) When
you have made the changed entry, press <Enter>
to set your changes. Confirm you entry by
pressing <Enter>, or re-enter your change by
pressing the <N> Key. Selecting No will return
you to the original entry.
5C. Window Color - The Window Color entry area will
open. If you wish to reuse or accept the
current color number, press <Enter>. Otherwise,
use the F3 or F7 color charts or enter the 3-
digit color number. Confirm your entry by
pressing <Enter>, or re-enter your change by
pressing the <N> Key. Selecting No will return
you to the original entry.
5D. Border Color - The Border Color entry area will
open. Press <Enter> if you wish to reuse or
accept the current color number. Otherwise, use
the F3 or F7 color charts or enter the 3-digit
color number. Confirm your entry by pressing
<Enter>, or re-enter your change by pressing the
<N> Key. Selecting No will return you to the
original entry.
5E. Border Style - Press <Enter> if you wish to
reuse or accept the current border style.
Otherwise, enter the new border style from the
Border Style Window. Confirm your entry by
pressing <Enter>, or re-enter your change by
pressing the <N> Key. Selecting No will return
you to the original entry.
7/93 -23- v2.01a
6. Your changed Special Date Window will appear at
the bottom for your review and acceptance.
Follow the instructions shown by the following
windows. If you wish to change another Special
Date Windows, answer the question with a Y or
Yes and repeat steps 1 through 6 for each Special
Date Window selected.
+ + +
Selecting Another Special Date File
From the Main menu, select New File, then from the
drop-down menu move the cursor bar to Select another
file. Two windows will open. One, providing the
Current File name and the other a list of ".DAT" files
currently found in the "\TIMECHK\TCDATA" subdirectory.
Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to move the courser bar
to the file you wish to load. Press <Enter> to select
the file. USERLIST will load the file. You may now
add, change or review the file.
Note - The last file loaded into USERLIST becomes the
DATa file used by PC TIMECHK 2.0.
Reviewing Special Date File
With USERLIST running, select Review form the Main
menu. If not already loaded, the current DATa file
will be loaded. The Review Window will open and
display the contents of the current DATa file.
Review Of Single Special Date Item
Using any of the cursor keys (Up/Dn Arrow, Home,
End, PgUp/PgDn), move the cursor bar to the Special
Date you wish to review. Press <Enter>.
The Special Date Window will appear using its color,
text and border style.
Note - No changes to the Special Date can be made
from this area of USERLIST.
Review All Special Date Items
To review the first Special Date item, press
<Enter>. The first Special Date item in the current
file will open for review.
7/93 -24- v2.01a
To clear and review the next item, press <Enter>.
Continue this action until all items have been
reviewed and the "End of List" window opens.
To end the review session at any time, press <Esc>.
Note - No changes to the Special Date can be made
from this USERLIST area.
+ + +
7/93 -25- v2.01a
APPENDIX A
It's About Time
From earliest times, the location of the Sun in the sky
has been used to establish a somewhat uniform time
scale. From this came the need for keeping track of the
number of times the Sun would rise and set, thus the
Calendar. To divide the day into uniform parts was the
task of the clock.
Time derived form the position of the Sun in the sky is
known as Apparent Solar Time. Because of the odd way in
which the Earth orbits around the Sun and the
inclination of the Earth's rotation on its axis,
Apparent Soar Time is not an even time scale. These
effects can, however, be calculated and corrections made
to obtain a more correct time scale called Mean Solar
Time.
Universal Time (UTO) is the equivalent to Mean Solar
Time at the Greenwich Meridian (Greenwich Mean Time, or
GMT). Astronomers use a time standard which is taken
from the apparent motion of the stars. This time
standard is known as Sidereal Time. Ephemeris time is
determined by the orbital motion of the Earth about the
sun and is not affected by fluctuations in the Earth's
rotation. Astronomical observations are used to
determine Ephemeris Time to an accuracy of roughly 0.05
seconds over an average period of nine years.
Small deviations in the Universal Time (UTO) can be
traced to the wandering of the Earth's polar axis and
other fluctuations of the Earth's rotation. When these
effects are accounted for, two new, even more accurate
time scales are formed, they are UT1 (Navigator's Time)
and UT2.
The invention of the quartz crystal oscillator and of
the Atomic Clock makes possible the measurement of time
and frequency more accurately than any other physical
quantity. Thus, in addition to astronomical time
scales, there are other time scales such as atomic time
(AT), based on the microwave resonances of certain atoms
in a magnetic field, which provide the most accurate and
stable clocks known. Atomic time scales obtain by
counting the cycles of an electromagnetic signal in
resonance with cesium atoms have an accuracy of a few
billionths of a second over a short intervals of a
minute or less.
Keeping Time
The processes by which man has kept track of time have
changed over the centuries. Man used the cycles of the
7/93 -26- v2.01a
moon and the spot on the earth where the sun rose to
tell him when to plant and when to celebrate. Over the
centuries, he's sought ways of improving not only his
knowledge of time but how to make his timekeeping
methods more accurate.
The Egyptians and the Babylonians used Sundials to
establish defined periods during the day. The
Egyptians developed and used the water clock in order to
keep time during the night. Mechanical clocks came out
of the middle ages where they continued to advance in
accuracy and timekeeping methods.
The first major clock construction advances came in the
14th century with the advent of the falling weight. The
speed of a falling weight could be controlled by using
an oscillating horizontal bar called a foliot. The
foliot would stop the revolving wheel, which in turn
stopped the falling weight. According to the Academic
American Encyclopedia, the oldest existing European
examples of the falling weight arrangement, known as the
verge escapement, are found in the ornate clocks at
Rouen, France built in 1379 and in Salisbury, England
(1396).
The Dutch scientist Christian Huygens introduced the
Pendulum to the weight-driven clock and improved clock
accuracy. The oscillations of the pendulum made certain
that the escapement moved the gear wheels tooth by
tooth, while the inertia of the escapement keep the
pendulum moving. The use of the classical verge
escapement in combination with a pendulum cased
problems. In 1660, the Englishman Robert Hooke invented
the anchor, or recoil escapement, which improved the
functioning of the gear train. Still used in many
clocks, this innovation also permitted the use of long
pendulums having a period of one second. This then lead
to the construction of wall clocks where the pendulum
and weights were completely enclosed in a case. About
1715, George Graham introduced the Graham, or deadbeat
escapement. Its purpose was to let the pendulum
oscillate with as little interference as possible. It
is still used in precision clocks today.
By the end of the 15th century, the spring had replaced
the weight in many clocks. This allowed them to be
build small enough to be carried. Since the verge
escapement mechanism can operate only with a constant
force, it was necessary to compensate for the loss of
power as the mainspring unwound. The stackfreed was an
extra spring that worked against the motion when the
watch was fully wound. This was later replaced by the
fusee, in which the mainspring pulled a chain coiled
around a conical drum or a set of pulleys of different
diameters. The varying diameter of the fusee balanced
the varying spring strength.
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Navigation at sea in the 16th and 17th centuries created
the demand for accurate timekeeping devices. Hooke
realized that a spring would not be affected by a ship's
motion as would a pendulum, but the available mainspring
devices were not accurate enough until 1675 when Huygens
introduced the balance wheel. The balance wheel is a
thin spiral hairspring whose inner end was secured to
the spindle of a rotatable balance and whose outer end
was fixed to the case of the timepiece. This device
stored or released energy during the rotation of the
balance.
John Harrison (1692-1776) built a Chronometer and his
No. 4, which contained a balance spring made of a
bimetallic strip to lessen temperature effects, was in
error by only 54 seconds after a sea voyage of 256 days.
The hairspring, balance wheel and mainspring, along with
the anchor escapement make up the modern mechanical
watch. In the 18th century, gear friction was reduced
by making spindle bearings from jewels. This feature
was incorporated in all modern watches.
The principal of self-winding watches had been known for
about two centuries. However, it was not put to use
until the 1920s, about the time wrist watches were
becoming popular. The battery powered watch was
introduced in the 1950s. The modern electronic watch is
driven by a quartz crystal, which is made to vibrate at
its natural frequency using the piezoelectric effect.
The latest digital quartz watches use numbers to
indicate the time. These numbers are made by using LEDs
(light emitting diodes) or LCD (liquid crystal display).
Most watches today use the LCD number display system
because of its low power drain and ease of reading.
Today's modern electric clock uses a small electric
motor that makes one revolution per minute, depending
upon its gearing. One revolution is based on its power
source, 50 or 60 Hertz per second. Electric clocks can
run fast or slow based on the actual frequency being
generated by the power company. If the power company is
generating power at 62 Hertz, a clock (depending upon
its accuracy) can run 2 seconds fast in any one minute.
Likewise, should the power company slow down the number
of Hertz generated in any one minute, the clock can run
slow.
The worlds most accurate clocks are the Atomic Clocks.
These clocks measure time by the oscillations of Cesium,
Nubidium, Hydrogen or other elements. In terms of
accuracy, these clocks can have an error factor of just
one second in many thousands or even millions of years.
The United States, as well as many other countries, use
these clocks to set "their" standard time. The US
standard is set by the National Time and Frequency
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Standards in Boulder, Colorado. This time is available
to the general public via telephone, PC modem and short
wave radio. Standard time can be heard on short wave at
2.5, 5.0, 10, 15 and 20 MHz, twenty-four hours daily from
radio station WWVH and WWV. Telephone access to an accu-
rate time standard is provided by most telephone companys.
Check your local listings for the current number.
It's All In A Day
A Calendar is a system established by rules for
defining a period of time; most commonly the solar year.
It is divided into units, such as months and days. It
is used to track religious and civil holidays, as well
as to announce the seasons, moon cycles and other
personal dates or achievements.
The beginnings of the modern day calendar date back to
2000 BC, when stone alignments were used to determine
the length of the solar year. This was accomplished by
placing stones on the ground, for example, that aligned
themselves from a fixed point to the point on the
horizon at which the Sun rose each day.
The calendar used today is the Gregorian calendar which
was introduced in 1582. The Gregorian Year is close to
that of the solar year (also known as the Tropical
Year), or about 365.2422 Mean Solar Days. This allows
for the seasons to begin and end on or about the same
time each year. What is unique about the Gregorian
calendar is that it is derived from ancient calendars
using numerical rules which can be applied to any year.
This makes it possible for calendar makers to prepare
calendars years in advance, if necessary.
The early calendars where most likely based on
observations of the Moon. The Moon's phases occur over
a very short period of time and could be easily studied
by ancient man. Religious leaders declared a month to
have begun when the first new crescent Moon was sighted.
When the Moon could not be observed, the start and end
of a month was determined through calculation. During
each month, the Moon passes through four cycles or
phases; crescent, half, full, last quarter. A new Moon
is a day (night) when no Moon is seen. The period
between a new Moon and a new Moon is called a Synodic
Month. This period is equal to 29.53 days, thereby
giving the calendar months with 29 or 30 days each.
Twelve lunar months, which total 352.36 days is almost
11 days shorter than a modern Tropical Year. This made
the lunar year unsuitable for agricultural purposes,
since the lunar year was out of step with the Sun.
Lunar-solar calendars were then formed by adding an
additional (leap) month, but only when the observation
of crops made it seem necessary.
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The month was not always based on the phases of the
Moon. The Mayan calendar divided the year into eighteen
20-day months, with a 5-day period at the end. Romans,
during the late republic, used various lunar-solar
calendars. These calendars were to be based on
observation, but were really based on political
considerations. It was Julius Caesar who recognized
that the Roman calendar was in error and needed
correction. Through the help of astronomer Sosigenes,
the new calendar was devised. The year 46 BC was given
445 days to compensate for the previous calendar's
error. Every year thereafter was given 365 days. Every
fourth year, beginning in the year 45 BC, would have a
leap year consisting of 366 days. It was determined
that February, which had 28 days, would be given a
twenty-ninth day. Although the leap year was not always
uniformly applied to the Julius Caesar calendar, it was
Augustus Caesar who corrected this inequity in AD 8.
The Julian calendar rule created three leap years too
many in every period of 385 years. This resulted in the
actual occurrence of the equinoxes and solstices to move
away from their actual or assigned calendar dates.
Since the date of the spring equinox sets the date of
Easter, the Catholic church and Pope Gregory XIII became
concerned. With the help of astronomer Christopher
Clavius (1537-1612), the church introduced the Gregorian
calendar. To introduce the new calendar, Thursday,
October 4, 1582 (Julian) was followed by Friday, October
15, 1582 (Gregorian). Leap years occurred in years that
were exactly divisible by four. The years 1600, 1984
and 2000 are leap years, but the years 1800 and 1900 are
not. (PC TIMECHK's leap year calculation is based on
this principal. The year is divided by the modulus of
4. If the answer is 0, then the year is a leap year.)
The Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar and is
calculated without regard to the phases of the Moon.
The Gregorian calendar does include rules for
determining religious holidays which are based on the
phases of the Sun and Moon. It's interesting to note
that the Gregorian calendar was adopted immediately by
Roman Catholic countries but other countries did not
accept it until as late as 1927.
Because of the many calendars used throughout the world,
it's no wonder that the year began at different times.
The Roman year began in March, with December being the
"tenth" month. It wasn't until 153 BC that the year
began in January, the same month that the Roman consuls
took office (January 1). This "year beginning"
principal was also used in the Julian and Gregorian
calendars but it took time for this to become a
standard. For example, England and its colonies used
March 25 and the Julian reckoning until 1752 (the year
they switched to the Gregorian calendar).
The week began with the Babylonians who used a
7/93 -30- v2.01a
non-astronomical, seven day interval for the week. This
was adopted by the Jews and the seventh day, the
Sabbath, was given a religious significance. The Romans
associated a cycle of seven days with the Sun, Moon and
the five known planets. Their names became attached to
the days of the week. From the Roman culture, Sunday
was named for dies solis, Sun's day; Monday from dies
lunae, Moon's day, and Saturday from dies Saturni,
Saturn's day. Tuesday from "Tiw's day", Wednesday from
"Woden's day", Thursday from "Thor's day", and Friday
"Frigg's day" are derived from the Germanic equivalents
of Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus.
In ancient calendars, years were generally numbered
according to the year of a ruler's reign. About AD 525,
a monk named Dionysius Exiguus suggested that years be
counted form the birth of Christ, which was designated
AD, anno Domini, "the year of the Lord". His proposal
came to be adopted throughout the Christian wold during
the next 500 years. The year before AD 1 is designated
as 1 BC (before Christ). The first century of the
Christian Era began in AD 1, the second in AD 101. The
twenty-first will begin in 2001.
The Hebrew Calendar in use today begins at the Creation,
which is calculated to have occurred 3,760 years before
the Christian era. The week consists of seven days,
beginning with Saturday, the Sabbath; the year consists
of 12 lunar months. They are; Tishri, Heshvan, Kislav,
Tebet, Shebat, Adar, Nisan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, Ab, and
Elul. These months are alternately 29 and 30 days long.
Because a year is some eleven days longer than twelve
lunar months, a thirteenth month, ve-Adar, is added
seven times during every nineteen year cycle.
Muslims begin their Islamic calendar at the day and year
(July 16, 622, by the Gregorian calendar) when Muhammad
7/93 -31- v2.01a
fled from Mecca to Medina. There are twelve lunar
months of alternate 30 and 29 days, making the year 254
days long. Because of the shortness of the year, the
months move backward through all the seasons, completing
a cycle every thirty-two and one-half years. The months
are; Muharram, Safar, Rabi I, Rabi II, Jumada I, Jumada
II, Rajab, Shaban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Zulkadah, and
Zulhijjah.
-Bibliography: The Academic American Encyclopedia, online
edition, Grolier Electronic Publishing, Danbury, CT.,
1991.
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APPENDIX B
Printable ASCII Character Set
The American Standard Code for Character Information Inter-
change chart provides the printable character set that can
be used in USERLIST. The first 128 characters represent the
upper and lower case alphabet, numbers, the standard key-
board characters and control characters or codes used by all
IBM compatible PCs. The next 128 characters may vary by the
PC's internal Character Set, or by the application running at
any one time. The second 128 (128-255) character set is a
fair representation of what you will find. The first thirty-
two characters are generally control characters and cannot be
used or printed.
See your DOS manual for a complete list of all ASCII Char-
acters. Remember, the first 32 cannot be printed.
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APPENDIX C
Colors That Make Your Day
000 BLACK /BLACK 128
001 BLACK /BLUE 129
002 BLACK /GREEN 130
003 BLACK /CYAN 131
004 BLACK /RED 132
005 BLACK /MAGENTA 133
006 BLACK /BROWN 134
007 BLACK /WHITE 135
008 BLACK /GRAY 136
009 BLACK /LT. BLUE 137
010 BLACK /LT. GREEN 138
011 BLACK /LT. CYAN 139
012 BLACK /LT. RED 140
013 BLACK /LT. MAGENTA 141
014 BLACK /LT. YELLOW 142
015 BLACK /LT. WHITE 143
016 BLUE /BLACK 144
017 BLUE /BLUE 145
018 BLUE /GREEN 146
019 BLUE /CYAN 147
020 BLUE /RED 148
021 BLUE /MAGENTA 149
022 BLUE /BROWN 150
023 BLUE /WHITE 151
024 BLUE /GRAY 152
025 BLUE /LT. BLUE 153
026 BLUE /LT. GREEN 154
027 BLUE /LT. CYAN 155
028 BLUE /LT. RED 156
029 BLUE /LT. MAGENTA 157
030 BLUE /LT. YELLOW 158
031 BLUE /LT. WHITE 159
032 GREEN /BLACK 160
033 GREEN /BLUE 161
034 GREEN /GREEN 162
035 GREEN /CYAN 163
036 GREEN /RED 164
037 GREEN /MAGENTA 165
038 GREEN /BROWN 166
039 GREEN /WHITE 167
040 GREEN /GRAY 168
041 GREEN /LT. BLUE 169
042 GREEN /LT. GREEN 170
043 GREEN /LT. CYAN 171
044 GREEN /LT. RED 172
045 GREEN /LT. MAGENTA 173
046 GREEN /LT. YELLOW 174
047 GREEN /LT. WHITE 175
048 CYAN /BLACK 176
049 CYAN /BLUE 177
050 CYAN /GREEN 178
051 CYAN /CYAN 179
052 CYAN /RED 180
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053 CYAN /MAGENTA 181
054 CYAN /BROWN 182
055 CYAN /WHITE 183
056 CYAN /GRAY 184
057 CYAN /LT. BLUE 185
058 CYAN /LT. GREEN 186
059 CYAN /LT. CYAN 187
060 CYAN /LT. RED 188
061 CYAN /LT. MAGENTA 189
062 CYAN /LT. YELLOW 190
063 CYAN /LT. WHITE 191
064 RED /BLACK 192
065 RED /BLUE 193
066 RED /GREEN 194
067 RED /CYAN 195
068 RED /RED 196
069 RED /MAGENTA 197
070 RED /BROWN 198
071 RED /WHITE 199
072 RED /GRAY 200
073 RED /LT. BLUE 201
074 RED /LT. GREEN 202
075 RED /LT. CYAN 203
076 RED /LT. RED 204
077 RED /LT. MAGENTA 205
078 RED /LT. YELLOW 206
079 RED /LT. WHITE 207
080 MAGENTA/BLACK 208
081 MAGENTA/BLUE 209
082 MAGENTA/GREEN 210
083 MAGENTA/CYAN 211
084 MAGENTA/RED 212
085 MAGENTA/MAGENTA 213
086 MAGENTA/BROWN 214
087 MAGENTA/WHITE 215
088 MAGENTA/GRAY 216
089 MAGENTA/LT. BLUE 217
090 MAGENTA/LT. GREEN 218
091 MAGENTA/LT. CYAN 219
092 MAGENTA/LT. RED 220
093 MAGENTA/LT. MAGENTA 221
094 MAGENTA/LT. YELLOW 222
095 MAGENTA/LT. WHITE 223
096 BROWN /BLACK 224
097 BROWN /BLUE 225
098 BROWN /GREEN 226
099 BROWN /CYAN 227
100 BROWN /RED 228
101 BROWN /MAGENTA 229
102 BROWN /BROWN 230
103 BROWN /WHITE 231
104 BROWN /GRAY 232
105 BROWN /LT. BLUE 233
106 BROWN /LT. GREEN 234
107 BROWN /LT. CYAN 235
108 BROWN /LT. RED 236
109 BROWN /LT. MAGENTA 237
7/93 -35- v2.01a
110 BROWN /LT. YELLOW 238
111 BROWN /LT. WHITE 239
112 WHITE /BLACK 240
113 WHITE /BLUE 241
114 WHITE /GREEN 242
115 WHITE /CYAN 243
116 WHITE /RED 244
117 WHITE /MAGENTA 245
118 WHITE /BROWN 246
119 WHITE /WHITE 247
120 WHITE /GRAY 248
121 WHITE /LT. BLUE 249
122 WHITE /LT. GREEN 250
123 WHITE /LT. CYAN 251
124 WHITE /LT. RED 252
125 WHITE /LT. MAGENTA 253
126 WHITE /LT. YELLOW 254
127 WHITE /LT. WHITE 255
Chart Copyright (C) 1992 by MSI Founders (a.k.a.
Maritime Software International). All Rights Reserved
World Wide.
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APPENDIX D
Word Processing Commands Used In USERLIST
Entering you information is like using a word processor.
Certain key strokes are used to add, delete, change and over-
write your text line. The following keys and key combinations
are used by USERLIST;
<Backspace> Key - USERLIST has a destructive backspace key.
Use it to delete text ahead of and to the
left of the cursor.
<Ctrl>+<End> Key - Deletes all text from the cursor to the end
of the line.
<Delete> Key - Deletes text one character at a time at the
cursor from the right of the cursor.
<End> Key - Moves the cursor to the end of the text.
<Enter> Key - Accepts entered text.
<Home> Key - Moves the cursor to the start of the text
line.
<Insert> Key - Changes the size of the cursor to a full
block and allows text to be inserted from
the cursor to the right.
<Left Arrow> Key - Moves the cursor to the left one space.
<Right Arrow> Key- Move the cursor to the right one space.
<Shift> and
<Shift Lock> Key - Used to change from lower case to upper
case.
<Space Bar> - Used to place spaces into text.
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