Copyright: Copyright 1994 by Jeff Parker
Citation: Copyright 1994 by Jeff Parker


Index
QUICKDEX, Version 1.0

Organize and manage names, addresses and phone numbers.

Getting Started

The Card Menu

Adding a Card

Deleting a Card

Printing a Card

The Setup Menu

Show List/Hide List

Conventional Menu/Right Mouse Menu Only

Always on Top

More Options

Registration

Com Port Setup

Password Protection

Cards to Show

Saving Data

About

Exiting

Dialing a Phone Number

Searching for a Card

Keyboard Accelerators

Running Multiple QuickDexes

Registering

Uninstalling


Getting Started

Put QuickDex.exe and QuickDex.hlp into the same subdirectory.  If you use a program launcher such as the Program Manager, set the working directory to this same drive and path.

You should also place Ctl3dv2.dll into your Windows\System subdirectory, but don't copy over a newer version if one exists already.

If your computer has a modem, be sure to tell QuickDex the Com Port to which it is connected.

Some of the features in QuickDex that may be of interest include:

- Password Protection

- Six Quick Dialing Buttons per Card

- Removable menus and listbox for a small screen footprint

- Disappearing Editbox prompts to help reduce the screen footprint

- Always-on-Top option

- Selectable WAV file notification sounds

- Option to view only business cards, only personal cards, or both

- Screen location, types of cards to show, and card showing memory

- An unlimited number of cards (registered version only)

- Export data feature (registered version only)

- It's not interpreted (like Visual Basic code); it's compiled.  On most systems, there will be a perceivable speed difference.

See also Adding a Card., Password Protection, Com Port Setup


Show List/Hide List

To show or hide the listbox on your QuickDex, from a menu, choose Setup/Show List (or Setup/Hide List).  Or from the keyboard, hold down the Ctrl key and type "L".

Hiding the list is handy if screen space must be conserved, and showing the list is fast way to browse the name fields of your cards.  Toggling the listbox into and out of view with the keyboard accelerator Ctrl+L is an easy way to have the best of both worlds.

See also Conventional Menu/Right Mouse Menu Only, Keyboard Accelerators


Conventional Menu/Right Mouse Menu Only

A conventional menu looks like this:

But in Windows 3.1, a conventional menu is always taking up space at the top of the application, even when the application is not active.  If you need to have a lot of programs showing at one time, it becomes important that each program is mindful of the amount of screen space it occupies.  One way of cutting down on the amount of screen space needed is to eliminate the conventional menu, and use a right mouse menu.  Right mouse menus can be made visible at any time by clicking on the application with the right mouse button.

See also Keyboard Accelerators, Show List/Hide List


Always on Top

Selecting Always on Top will keep your QuickDex above all other (non-topmost) windows, even when it is not the active window.

See also Conventional Menu/Right Mouse Menu Only, Keyboard Accelerators


Registration

The unregistered version of this QuickDex is limited to 100 cards.  Use it freely.  As you approach 100 cards you should be getting a pretty good sense of whether or not this is software you'd like to continue using.  QuickDex will not allow you to add more than 100 cards until it is registered.

Shareware

This program is shareware; you are given a free, 100-card trial period to determine if QuickDex 1.0 is useful for your purposes.  If you decide to keep the program, you must register it by sending $20.00 to:

Jeff Parker

1915 Mill Road

South Pasadena, CA  91030

When registering, please supply your User Name.  This is usually your own name or a business name, provided it is between ten and twenty-four characters, including spaces.  User Names are case-sensitive, so be sure to print it exactly as you would like it to appear.

A key number will be sent back to you.  From a menu, select Setup/More Options, or from the keyboard, hold down the Ctrl key and type "O".  The "More Options" dialogue box will appear.  There you will find two edit boxes marked "User Name" and "Key".

When you type your user name and key number into the appropriate edit boxes, your copy of QuickDex will be registered.

QuickDex 1.0 may be freely distributed as long as no fee is charged for it other than a nominal fee for the media (not to exceed $5.00).  QuickDex 1.0 is copyrighted software and as such may not be altered in any way, and must be distributed with all files intact.  QuickDex 1.0 consists of the following files:

QuickDex.exe	40,032 bytes, dated 3/4/94, 12:14pm

QuickDex.hlp	51,486 bytes, dated 3/4/94, 12:34pm

Ctl3dv2.dll	21,648 bytes, dated 10/14/93

(or newer version, if one exists)

Even if you decide not to keep QuickDex 1.0, please send me any comments, questions, gripes, or suggestions that you may have.  I am especially interested in the discovery of any bugs or inaccuracies, and suggestions for features you would like to see in future versions.

INTERNET (e-mail only): JEFFREYP28@aol.com

AMERICA ONLINE: JeffreyP28

See also About


Com Port Setup

If you have a modem attached to your computer, QuickDex can use it to dial the phone (at this time, only Hayes-compatible modems 2400 baud or greater are supported).

From a menu, select Setup/More Options, or from the keyboard, hold down the Ctrl key and type "O".  The "More Options" dialogue box will appear.  There you may select the Com Port to which your modem is connected.  Com 1 is the default.

See also Getting Started


Password Protection

Setting a Password

From a menu, select Setup/Password, or from the keyboard, hold down the Ctrl key and type "W".  The "Password Setup" dialogue box will appear.  There you may set a User ID (which does not have to be the same as the name to which the QuickDex is registered, if registered), and a password.  You will then need to reenter the password exactly as you entered it the first time.

Passwords and User ID's are case-sensitive, and cannot exceed 25 characters in length.

You may then press the "Set Password" button, but do so with great care.  If you forget your password or User ID, you will have locked yourself out of your QuickDex forever.  In fact, if you have set a password, it cannot even be changed unless you know it.  This prevents someone without your password from changing it when you have left the program running on your desktop.

Once you have set a User ID and password, the next time you launch the program, a dialogue box will appear that looks something like this:

Type in your User ID.  Once you have done so correctly, the label next to the edit box will change to read, "Password:" and the edit box will empty.  You will not need to hit the enter key.  Then, if you correctly enter your password, your QuickDex will appear.

Removing/Changing a Password

From a menu, select Setup/Password, or from the keyboard, hold down the Ctrl key and type "W".  The "Password Setup" dialogue box will appear.  Type your old password into the Old Password edit box.  If you have entered it correctly, a button labeled, "Remove Password" will be activated.  If you press it, you will have successfully disabled password protection.

Changing your password is similar to removing it, except you won't press the "Remove Password" button.  Instead, enter a new User ID (or reenter your old one) and a new password.  Reenter the new password, and select the "Set Password" button.  Your new password and User ID are now set.

See also Conventional Menu/Right Mouse Menu Only, Keyboard Accelerators


Cards to Show

Each card in the QuickDex can be marked either "Business" or "Personal."  And you may choose to fill the listbox with only your "Business" cards, only your "Personal" cards, or "Both" your business and personal cards.  This becomes useful when, for example, your QuickDex has grown to hold a very large number of cards.  It allows you to filter which cards the listbox loads.  It is similar to having two phone books, only you also have the option of viewing both at one time.

To change which set of cards you are viewing, from a menu, choose Setup/More Options.  Or from the keyboard, hold down the Ctrl key and type "O".  In the "Cards to Show" section, you may select "Business," "Personal" or "Both," to determine the data you wish to view.  Once you have done so, select the "Okay" button and the listbox will empty itself and reload with only the cards you have selected to view.

See also Adding a Card, Deleting a Card, Printing a Card, Conventional Menu/Right Mouse Menu Only, Keyboard Accelerators


Adding a Card

To add cards to your QuickDex, from a menu, choose Card/Add Card.  Or from the keyboard, hold down the Ctrl key and type "A".

The new card will have prompts in many of its edit boxes.  For example, the  "Name" edit box will actually read, "Name."  By default when you add a new card, the word "Name" will be highlighted, so you may just begin typing and the "Name" prompt will disappear.  As you send the cursor to other edit boxes that contain prompts, those prompts will also disappear.  The idea here was to save desktop real estate wherever possible, and permanent labels for each edit box would have cost space.

Be aware that cards are alphabetized and found by the text entered into the Name field.  Therefore, you should not use the exact same name for more than one card.  Cards are alphabetized in the list box on the fly as you type.  Because of this, the Name field can never be completely empty.  You can delete all text from the edit box, but you will notice the word "Name" is inserted.  It is also highlighted, so the next character you type will delete the "Name" prompt.

Unregistered versions of this program will only allow you to add up to 100 cards.  Once registered, an unlimited number of cards may be created.

See also Deleting a Card, Printing a Card, Conventional Menu/Right Mouse Menu Only, Keyboard Accelerators


Deleting a Card

To delete a card from your QuickDex, first select the card, then from a menu, choose Card/Delete Card.  Or from the keyboard, hold down the Ctrl key and type "D".

A dialogue box appears asking you to confirm your command.  If everything is in order, select the "Okay" button.

If you've deleted a card, but then determine you still need the card, exit the QuickDex without saving.  The card should reappear next time you load the program.

See also Adding a Card, Printing a Card, Conventional Menu/Right Mouse Menu Only, Keyboard Accelerators


Printing a Card

To print a card from your QuickDex, first select the card, then from a menu, choose Card/Print Card.  Or from the keyboard, hold down the Ctrl key and type "P".

(The print routine is rather weak, and will be one of the first things modified for a future version.)

See also Conventional Menu/Right Mouse Menu Only, Keyboard Accelerators


Saving Data

To save changes you've made to your QuickDex, from a menu, choose Save.  Or from the keyboard, hold down the Ctrl key and type "S".

See also Conventional Menu/Right Mouse Menu Only, Keyboard Accelerators


About

QuickDex, version 1.0, build 3, March 1994.  © 1994 by Jeff Parker.

Known Bugs

It's not perfect.  Yet.

- Bug when tabbing by Business and Personal on main window

- Printing is not yet device-independent (very rough print routine).

Planned Enhancements

This is actually a long list, but the main items are:

- Print All feature.

- More sophisticated search function.

Warrantee

What, are you kidding?

QuickDex 1.0 is provided AS IS without any warranty, express or implied.  This includes without limitation the fitness for a particular purpose or application and any warranties of salability.

While every attempt was made to be as thorough as possible while debugging QuickDex 1.0, Jeff Parker shall not be liable for any damages, whether direct, indirect, special, or consequential arising from a failure of this program or accompanying files to operate in a manner desired by the user.  Jeff Parker shall not be liable for any damage to data or property which may by caused directly or indirectly by use of this program.

In no event will Jeff Parker be liable to you for any damages, including any lost profits, lost savings or other incidental or consequential damages arising out of your use or inability to use the program, or for any claim by any other party.

Simply put, don't even THINK about pinning any kind of responsibility on me.  But I hope you enjoy it anyway.

QuickDex 1.0 is Copyright © 1994 by

Jeff Parker

1915 Mill Road

South Pasadena, CA  91030

QuickDex.hlp © 1994, Jeff Parker.  All Rights Reserved.

And now, a picture of a Woolly Mammoth.

See also Registration


Exiting

To exit QuickDex from a menu, choose Exit.  Or from the keyboard, hold down the Ctrl key and type "X".

As QuickDex exits, it remembers its location on the screen, which card is showing, which types of cards to show, whether or not the Conventional Menu and/or the Listbox is showing and whether or not it is Always on Top.

See also Conventional Menu/Right Mouse Menu Only, Keyboard Accelerators


Dialing a Phone Number

QuickDex can dial your phone numbers for you, if you have a modem, have setup your com port, and have entered your phone numbers in the phone fields as follows:

1(800) 555-1212  TF Info

Which is to say, the phone number must precede any labeling.  This:

TF Info  1(800) 555-1212

would not dial.

If everything is as specified here, you should be able to press the button just to the right of the phone number you want to dial --

-- and dialing should begin.

If you are dialing from an office with a PBX system, you will probably need to precede your phone numbers with the number nine (or whatever else you need to dial to get an outside line) followed by a comma:

9, 1(800) 555-1212  TF Info

See also Com Port Setup


Searching
Searching for a Card

There is a small edit box next to the name field.  If you are using right mouse menus only and you have the list box hidden, it looks something like this:

You can search for a card by entering into this edit box the first few letters of the card's name field and then either pressing the button just to the right of the search edit box or pressing the enter key.  The first card found that begins with the text you entered should appear.  If several cards begin this way, press the down arrow key until you have found the card for which you are looking.

(This is clearly not a very sophisticated method of searching for a card, and will be one of the first things modified for a future version.)

See also Adding a Card


Keyboard Accelerators

Keyboard accelerators are even faster and easier to use than menus.  QuickDex supports some of the usual accelerators, plus a few more:

Ctrl+A	Add Card
Ctrl+D	Delete Card
Ctrl+E	Export Cards Dialogue Box
Ctrl+L	Toggles Show/Hide List
Ctrl+M	Toggles Conventional Menu/Right Mouse Menu Only
Ctrl+O	Options Dialogue Box
Ctrl+P	Print Card
Ctrl+S	Save
Ctrl+T	Toggles Topmost/Not Topmost
Ctrl+X	Exit
Ctrl+W	Password Protection
F1, Ctrl+H	Help
F4	Jumps cursor to search edit box

See also Conventional Menu/Right Mouse Menu Only


Running Multiple QuickDexes

You may have multiple QuickDexes on a single computer by placing each into a distinct subdirectory.  (If you use a program launcher such as the Program Manager, be sure to set the working directory to the proper drive and path.)  Each copy of QuickDex will maintain it's own password and User ID (if set), as well as other initialization settings.

See also Getting Started


Uninstalling

Uninstalling QuickDex is a simple process.  QuickDex does not create a private "ini" file in your Windows directory (or anywhere else, for that matter), nor does it modify your Win.ini file.  Therefore, to remove QuickDex, simply delete the program file, QuickDex.exe, the Help file, QuickDex.hlp, and if you have saved any data, the data file, QuickDex.Dex.  That's it.  QuickDex has been removed from your system.

(Ctl3dv2.dll should probably be left in your Windows\System subdirectory, as it is most likely used by other programs.)


You're looking at it.