@1
General

CHEQIN is a time ledger for busy people
who need to keep track of hours worked
on projects.

With CHEQIN you can produce your own
reports and bills with a minimum of
fuss.

@2
Configuring CHEQIN

CHEQIN is very versatile and flexible.
Most of the programs variables may be
configured by the user.  CHEQIN reads
in a configuration file.  This file
contains your configuration.  In order
for CHEQIN to find the configuration
file, you should set a DOS environment
variable called CHEQIN which contains
the name of the configuration file
you'd like to use (DOS only).

@2
Configuring CHEQIN (cont.)
This is done by typing

SET CHEQIN=[drive:][path]filename.ext

at the DOS prompt or by placing this
line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
e.g. if CH.INI is your configuration
file and you keep this in directory
\CONFIG on your C: drive then type

SET CHEQIN=c:\config\ch.ini
(for DOS systems only)
@3
CHEQIN Screen

The CHEQIN screen contains three main
components:
            * Menu
            * Workspace
            * Status Line

@4 Menus

The menu commands are in upper- and
lower-case.  Pressing an uppercase
letter runs that command.  Commands may
also be selected by moving the cursor
keys until the required command is
hilit and then pressing <ENTER>.

Pressing <ESC> from any menu returns to
the previous (higher level) menu.
<ESC> at the Main Menu exits the
program.

@5
Workspace

The workspace displays the fields of
the function which is currently
running.  In its default mode (main
menu active), a calendar is shown on
the left and the current time and
project on the top right.

@6
Status Line

The bottom line of the CHEQIN screen is
the status line.  This is used to
display errors, warnings, owners name,
program version number and other useful
information.

@7
Main Menu (DOS)

CHEQINs Main Menu contains commands to
manage your time ledger.  The commands
are: 

     Record Total Search Delete 
     Project rEport Help Quit

@7
Main Menu (HP 95LX)

CHEQINs Main Menu contains commands to
manage your time ledger.  The commands
are: 

 Record Total Search Delete Project
 Form Help Quit

@8
Record Function

This function enables you to record the
time you started on a project, the
length of the pause and the time you
stopped.

The calendar becomes active (cursor
blinks on the current date). The
current date may be changed by moving
the cursor keys.

@8
Record (cont.)

Calendar keys

    Left        - previous day
    Right       - next day
    Up          - previous week
    Down        - next week
    PgUp        - previous month
    PgDn        - next month
    Ctrl+PgUp   - previous year
    Ctrl+PgDn   - next year

@8
Record (cont.)

Press <ENTER> to select the current
date (e.g. if you want to make an entry
for last week when you were away and
didn't have CHEQIN handy.

The cursor moves to the first field
(Start) and the current time is
displayed.

@8
Record (cont.)

Changing the current time

You may want to change the current time
(e.g.  if you actually started work
earlier than you called CHEQIN).

Use the following keys:

    '+'   - increments the current time
    '-'   - decrements the current time

@8
Record (cont.)

Changing the current time

The increment used is the amount of
minutes specified in the configuration
file (default 15 mins.)

The Total field always shows the total
number of hours between start and end
time minus the pause time.

@8
Record (cont.)

If you accept the current time then
press <ENTER> or press <ESC> to return
to the Main Menu without saving the
entry.

You may move around the four fields
with the UP and DOWN cursor keys.

@8
Record (cont.)

If you'd like to enter the Stop time
and you've already entered the start
time then CHEQIN places the cursor on
the Pause field. Press the DOWN key to
enter the Stop time (CHEQIN offers you
the current time) and again to enter
a description of what work you did.

You may move around the four fields
with the UP and DOWN cursor keys.

@8
Record (cont.)

Editing an existing entry

If a complete entry exists for the date
you selected then CHEQIN asks whether
you'd like to Edit it.

Pressing <ENTER> is the same as no.
Type 'y' if you'd like to change the
entry.

@8
Record - Checking In

    Call CHEQIN
    Select Record
    Select Date (calendar)
    Change the Start time
    Press <ENTER>
    Press <ESC> to exit

@8
Record - Checking Out

    Call CHEQIN
    Select Record
    Select Date (calendar)
    Change the Pause time
    Press <DN> and
    Change the End time
    Press <DN> and
    Enter the Description
    Press <ENTER>
    Press <ESC> to exit

@9
Total Function

Allows you to view a bill for a
selected period or specific job and to
prepare a billing file for printing.

CHEQIN shows a Search Field containing
the current month, e.g.  01/93 meaning
(Jan, 1993).  Edit this field if you'd
like to view a different period. Press
<ENTER> to see the amount of days and
hours worked, the total amount of
money, VAT and the grand total.

@9
Total (cont.)

An empty Search Field means ALL entries
for the current project.

The Total function sums up all the
entries which contain the text you
specified in the Search Field.

Select Bill from the Total Menu to
prepare your bill with the current
values.
@20
Search Field

The Search Field is default text which
may be edited.

The following keys may be used:

HOME, END - beginning and end of text
INS - insert/overwrite mode
DEL - delete at cursor
BS - delete left of cursor
UP,DN,ENTER - accept text
ESC - cancel with no change

@9
Total - Example

You may specify ANY text as the Search
Field. 

e.g.  If you filled out some
Description fields with the text
"processed bitmaps and vector graphics"
and specify the Search Field as
"bitmaps" then the Total function will
total all those hours worked on
"bitmaps"

@10
Search Function

The Search function allows you to
perform an operation on all those
entries which contain the text you
specify in the Search Field.

e.g. to delete all those entries which
contain the word "bitmap":

Select Search
Press <ENTER>
Select Delete

@11
Delete Function

Delete allows you to delete a single
entry from the data file.

Select Delete and then the date you'd
like to delete (using the calendar).

If an entry for that date exists then
CHEQIN displays it and asks:

Delete entry (y/[n])? Press 'y' to
delete or <ESC> or <ENTER> not to.

@12
Project Function

Select the Project function from the
Main Menu to change the current
project.

The project names (3 characters) appear
on the menu and you may select one or
<ESC> to keep the current project.

All the project-specific values you
specified in the configuration file for
that project become valid.
@13
Report Function

The Report generator produces a log
containing all the entries you
specified in the Search Field.

The format of the report is according
to what you specified in the
configuration file.

@13
Report Function - Example

e.g. The following command in the
configuration file:

REPORT_FORM=Date .1. .5. hrs .p.

produces a report in the form:

Date 01/02/93 08.00 hrs ABC
if you worked 8 hours on project ABC on
the 1/2/93

@14
Help Function

If you've come this far then you don't
need to read this.

@15
Quit

Same as pressing <ESC> from the main
menu.

Returns you to the Operating System.

@16
Total Menu

The Total Menu becomes available when
Total is selected from the Main Menu.

    Bill Return

@17
Bill Function

Select Bill from the Total Menu to
prepare a printable billing file

The file name is path\CHsearch.prj where
'search' is the first 6 printable
characters from the Search Field and
'prj' is the current project name.

'path' is the path specified by the
PATH variable in the config file.

@17
Bill Function

To prepare a bill, CHEQIN reads in a
file called CHBILL.prj where 'prj' is
the name of the current project. This
file must be in the directory specified
by the PATH variable in the
configuration file.

This is a standard ASCII file which may
contain any of the CHEQIN variables.

@17
Bill Function (cont.)

These variables will be replaced with
the corresponding values by CHEQIN when
preparing formatted output (billing
files or reports)

@17
Bill Function - Example
These lines in CHBILL.prj :

     .S. hours at $.w.  $ .s.
     .v.% Sales Tax     $ .V.
     Total              $ .g.

look like this after the bill has been
prepared:

     100 hours at $50   $ 5000.00
     7.5% Sales Tax     $  375.00
     Total              $ 5375.00

@18
CHEQIN Variables

These variables will be replaced with
the corresponding values by CHEQIN when
preparing formatted output (billing
files or reports)

CHEQIN Variables may appear in the
CHBILL.prj and in the REPORT_FORM line
in the configuration file.

@18
CHEQIN Variables (cont.)

All CHEQIN  variables have the form

    .variable.

and are case-dependent.

@18
CHEQIN Variables - Listing    

S - Hours.Minutes (08.50 is 81/2 hours)
o - Owners name
p - Current project (3 letters)
b - Break time (lunch break)
w - Wage ($s per hour)
d - Number of days
D - Day of Date (1-31)
m - Month (1-12)
M - Month name
Y - Year
@18
CHEQIN Variables - Listing (cont.)

v - VAT, Sales Tax in %
V - VAT, Sales Tax in $
s - Sum total
g - Grand total
T - Date of current entry
1 - Start time
2 - Break time
3 - End time
4 - Total hours for date
5 - Description

@
