Contents
Out 'n About Help - Contents

Main Window

Main Window Signed Out List

Main Window Menu

Main Window Buttons

Dialog Descriptions

Personnel Dialog

Person Dialog (Add, Change, View)

Choose A Person Dialog

Seek A Person Dialog

Sign Out Dialog

System Messages

Code 2001

Code 2002

Code 2003

Code 2004

Code 2005

Code 2006

Code 2007

Code 2008

Code 2009


Main Window Signed Out List

The List

The Signed Out List shows, in alphabetical order, the members of staff that have signed out of the office. If a Check-In time has been specified then this is shown to the right and a clock symbol [image] is shown to the left of the name. If the Check-In is overdue the symbol is changed to an exclamation mark [image]. The list is updated automatically every 60 seconds, so it always reflects the current status of each person that is signed out.

System Time

At top right above the list is shown the current system time. This is updated every 10 seconds. The system clock on some PCs can be quite inaccurate so over the course of several weeks the time may drift significantly. To correct the system clock choose Control Panel from the Main program group in Program Manager and click on Date/Time.

Buttons

Below the Signed Out List are four buttons which act on the currently highlighted list item (see Main Window Buttons). The buttons are enabled or disabled as appropriate for the status of the currently highlighted item.

Status Bar

Below the four buttons is a status bar where messages are displayed. These may be information messages, displayed in blue on colour screens, or Check-In Overdue messages, displayed in red. Messages are displayed for 5 seconds. If there is more than one person who is overdue for checking-in then the message will cycle round each of them, changing every 5 seconds. If an audible alarm is required this will sound each time the message is displayed. When a single person is overdue for checking-in the warning message will be constantly displayed and the alarm will sound every 5 seconds.

Check-In Overdue

When Out 'n About first detects that a person is overdue the name is automatically highlighted in the Signed Out List. Also, if the application is hidden or iconised it will automatically pop up on the screen, interrupting any other program currently in use. (Note that when a non-Windows DOS application is running full screen there may be a delay of a few minutes before Out 'n About will pop up and interrupt it. This is because Windows multi-tasking gives high priority to the DOS application and background programs run exceedingly slowly).


Main Window Menu

Personnel

Menu option Personnel is used to set up the names of the people who are to be monitored by Out 'n About. This is the first thing you need to do after installing the program.

Help

This option displays help for Out 'n About, starting with the table of contents.


Main Window Buttons

Sign Out

Sign Out is used to register the fact that a member of staff has left the office. Details of the person's destination and an expected check-in time can be recorded. When a person signs out an entry appears in the Main Window Signed Out List.

Sign In

Sign In is used to remove the highlighted entry in the Main Window Signed Out List. You are asked to confirm that sign in is definitely required.

View

View displays the detail of the highlighted entry in the Main Window Signed Out List. Use this option to see the destination notes entered when the person signed out.

Change

Change allows you to edit the detail of the highlighted entry in the Main Window Signed Out List, provided that person is not now registered as check-in overdue. The destination notes and check-in time may be changed as required. Use this option when a person checks-in to give details of a new planned destination.

Stop Alarm

Stop Alarm switches off the audible warning which sounds when a person is overdue for check-in. This button is enabled only for those entries in the Main Window Signed Out List which are overdue and for which the audible warning is switched on.

Exit

Exit closes down Out 'n About. The current status of each person is saved to file so the Main Window Signed Out List will be correctly restored when the program is restarted.


Personnel Dialog

Personnel List

This displays a list of the people currently registered to Out 'n About. Note that the names are displayed in alphabetical order.

Add

Add is used to register a new person to Out 'n About and defines default settings used when the person is signed out. (Disabled in Demonstration version)

Change

Change is used to alter the default sign out settings for the person highlighted in the Personnel List.

View

View is used to examine the default sign out settings for the person highlighted in the Personnel List.

Remove

Remove is used to delete the person highlighted in the Personnel List. If the person is currently signed out then the corresponding entry in the Main Window Signed Out List is also removed. (Disabled in Demonstration version)


Person Dialog (Add, Change, View)

Add: all fields are enabled. Change: Name is disabled. View: all fields are disabled.

Name

The person name can be up to 30 characters long. Note that the name entered determines where the person appears in lists. If you want lists sorted by surname, specify the surname first as in: 'SMITH John'.

Sign Out Defaults

These check boxes determine the initial settings when the person is to be signed out using the Sign Out Dialog. Choose 'Check-In Not Required' if this person will not normally require specification of a check-in time. Choose 'Check-In Audible Alarm Wanted' if this person will normally require an alarm to be sounded when check-in is overdue.


Choose A Person Dialog

This dialog is used to choose a person to be signed out.

Personnel List

This shows, in alphabetical order, a list of personnel that are not currently signed out. Highlight the required person and then choose OK to go to the Sign Out Dialog. If you have a large list it may be useful to move quickly through the list by keying the first letter of the person name required.

Seek

Choose Seek to go to the Seek A Person Dialog. This provides a method of finding a particular person in a very long list.


Seek A Person Dialog

Seek For

Specify a full name or the first few characters of the name you want to find in the Choose A Person Dialog Personnel List and choose OK to leave the dialog.


Sign Out Dialog

This defines the detail required when a person is selected for signing out in the Choose A Person Dialog. The same dialog is also used when Change or View is chosen from the Main Window Buttons. For View the fields are disabled so they cannot be typed in.

Destination Notes

Up to 500 characters of information about the person's destination can be entered here. The text will wrap around as you type. Start a new line of text by choosing Newline or keying Ctrl+Enter. The field may be blanked out by choosing Clear. To fill the destination notes with the same information as the last time this person was signed out choose Previous.

Check-In

If a check-in time is required clear the Not Required check box. The Time fields are then enabled. The hours and minutes of the check-in time can be set by typing in the fields directly or by clicking on the spin buttons. Hours may be in the range 1 through 12 so it is necessary to select 'am' or 'pm' to fully specify the time.

Note that if a time is entered which is less than or equal to the current time of day then that time is assumed to be for the next day. You may therefore specify check-in times up to 24 hours ahead.

If an audible warning is needed when the check-in time expires then check Audible Warning.


Message Code 2001

Text:

Unable to install a Windows timer. Please close other applications that have used up all the timer resources.

Explanation:

Windows timers are a limited resource shared by all applications. If other applications have used up all the available timers then Out 'n About is unable to set a timer needed for its own processing.


Message Code 2002

Text:

Unable to open file '<filename>'.

Explanation:

Out 'n About was unable to open the specified file. Check that the file exists in the default directory and is not already open by another application.


Message Code 2003

Text:

Please select menu option Personnel and enter the names of your personnel.

Explanation:

Before a person can be signed out there must first be an entry made under the Personnel menu option. A list of available names is then presented when Sign Out is chosen.


Message Code 2004

Text:

No match was found for seek string '<seekstring>'.

Explanation:

When searching the list of personnel no match was found for the specified string.


Message Code 2005

Text:

All personnel are currently signed out.

Explanation:

All the names in the list of available personnel are currently registered as signed out. Use menu option Personnel first if there is a new member of staff to be signed out.


Message Code 2006

Text:

Sign In <personname> - OK?

Explanation:

Confirmation is required that the specified person is to be signed in.


Message Code 2007

Text:

Person Name must be specified.

Explanation:

The Name field must be filled in before a new person can be added.


Message Code 2008

Text:

Person '<personname>' already exists.

Explanation:

An entry for this person already exists in the list of personnel.


Message Code 2009

Text:

Remove Person '<personname>' - OK?

Explanation:

Confirmation is required that the specified person should be removed from the list of personnel.