Copyright: Administrative Assistant ® 1994 Antares Corp.


Contents

Program Overview

Quick Start Procedures

Screen Elements

Menu Items


Overview

The Administrative Assistant is a database manager for professionals, businesses, and individuals alike. The Administrative Assistant is a program designed to help the user organize and manage his information more efficiently.
Not only can the user organize his text-based information such as manuals and contacts and random information, but the Administrative Assistant can also store graphical images as part of your database, including both bitmaps, metafiles, and icons.
Finally, the user is no longer limited to seeing information on the screen when he uses a database. The Administrative Assistant now provides the enduser with document generation capablities, in which a beautifully formatted document can be produced as a product of the database with the touch of a button.


Quick Start Procedures

Entering New Information

To enter a new record, click on the Record menu and select New [Blank]. The cursor is placed at the Record Title. Simply enter a title, press the <tab> key, and enter in your information.

Looking For Existing Information

To find information in the Administrative Assistant database, click on the Search Menu and select Find. Enter the text you are searching for into the text box, and click on the Find Button. The computer will highlight a text match if it finds it in either the Title or the Record Text.
Administrative Assistant will go to the first match it finds. If that Topic is not the one you wanted, go to the Search Menu and select Find Next.

Creating and Using Templates

To create a template, select Save as Template from the Options Menu. This will pull up a dialog box, which allows the user to save the current record directly as a template. You can create multiple templates for different purposes, and then simply fill in the blanks to create different topics in a database. For the fill-in areas, either place a pair of [brackets] around the word if you want to keep the brackets on the document after filling them in, or place a pair of {shifted brackets} around the words to remove the brackets on their use.
To move automatically from one bracket to the next, press the <ctrl> and <space> keys together.
If you place the word [Title] in either type of brackets, the title will be inserted automatically into the templated document. Placing the word [Counter] in brackets on the template will automatically insert the next counter number into the field. The words [Date] and [Time] placed on the template will, respectively, automatically place the current date or time into that field.

Sample Uses

Several sample Administrative Assistant databases come with the Administrative Assistant program. These samples demonstrate the may and varied uses of the Administrative Assistant program as an information manager.

General Information/Samples

This is a set of Topics describing the many uses of the Administrative Assistant program. The file for this is titled GENERAL.AAD.

Document Generator

This is a file that demonstrates the use of the program as a document generation program. The file for this is titled DOCUMENT.AAD.

Personal Information Tracker

This is a set of Topics showing different ways to use the Administrative Assistant program as a PIM. The file for this is titled PIM.AAD.

Sales Lead Tracker

This is a set of Topics showing how to use Administrative Assistant as a sales lead tracker/contact manager. The file for this is titled LEADS.AAD.


Screen Elements

Topics List

Record Title

Record Text

View Image Button

Jump Buttons

The Toolbar

The Status Bar

The Text Tools


Topics List

The Topics List, which appears on the left-hand side of the Administrative Assistant window, is a scrollable list of the topics in the database, organized alphabetically. The size of the Topics List is stored in each database file as a percentage of the entire Administrative Assistant window. This percentage can be changed from the Options Menu, setting it from 25% to 50% of the window size. The color, font characteristics, and size of the Topics List can be changed from the default through the Options Menu. Also, the Topics List can be removed completely from the window from the Options Menu.


Record Title

When creating a new record, the title of the record must be typed into the Record Title area of the window. If a title is not entered, Administrative Assistant will give it a title called "!No Title!". The color, font characteristics, and size of the text of the Record Title can be changed from the default through the Options Menu.


Record Text

The Record Text area of the Administrative Assistant window is the main depository for information in the Administrative Assistant database. In this area, text of any type can be entered into Record Text area, such as names, phone numbers, contacts, or even company policies on different topics. The ability to type in up to 32k worth of completely free-form text gives the user the freedom to put in any kind of information about any topic he might have. To insert a <Tab> key into the document, simply press the <control> and <space> keys together, and a tab character will be entered into the Record Text area. Tab stops are nonproportional, meaning that a tab in any font size or type will be the same distance across the Record Text area.


View Image Button

The VIB allows the user to view any image attached to a particular record. By pressing down on the VIB, a new window appears on the screen, showing the image. This new window can be maxmized, if the image is slightly larger than the window as it originally appears.


Jump Buttons

The three buttons on the lower right of the Administrative Assistant window are called Jump Buttons. The Jump Buttons can be used to execute two different types of commands, either of which can be attached to the record by clicking on the button with the right mouse button or selecting Jump Buttons from the Record Menu.
The first type of command is to jump the user to an associated record. Select Topic from the drop-down list box labeled Type, and select the record name from the drop-down list box to the right. This done, the user can actually click on associated topics, just as one would move through a series of references in a research book.
The second type of command that can be associated with a Jump Button would be a run statement. The run statement would actually launch a specified program, such as a word processor or spreadsheet. In order to use this to its greatest functionality, the user could actually pass along a programmed argument, such as to open a file associated with the current topic.


The Toolbar

The Toolbar, which runs along the top of the Administrative Assistant window, allows the user to access most of the common commands of the program with a single click, rather than forcing him to use the menu. The Toolbar is a matter of convenience, and all of the Toolbar functions can be accessed from the Menu Bar along the top of the page. If the user passes his mouse pointer over one of the Toolbar buttons, the function of that button is displayed on the status bar along the bottom of the window.


The Status Bar

The Status Bar, along the bottom of the window, serves several functions for the user. First, it displays a help message to the user as he passes his mouse pointer over a Toolbar button. This informs the user of the function of the button. The second function of the Status Bar is to show the user's current record position in the Administrative Assistant database. finally, the status bar shows the user the status of the keyboard locks, including the numeric keypad lock, the caps lock, and the insert mode of the keyboard.


TEXT TOOLS
The Text Tools

The text tools from right to left, are the Bold, Italic, and Underline  tools, the Color Palette, the Font Type and Font Size drop-down list boxes, and the Text Alignment toggles. These tools will only apply their characteristics to the Record Text.

Bold, Italic, and Underline

The Bold, Italic, and Underline button apply their respective characteristics to any text in the Record Text area which is selected and highlighted. Selecting one of the tools without highlighting text first gives any new text which is created at that point that particular characteristic.

Color Palette

The Color Palette button allows the user to apply a color from the palette to the text in the Record Text area which is selected and highlighted.Selecting a color without highlighting text first gives any new text which is created at that point that particular color.

Font Type and Size

The Font Type button displays a drop-down list box which contains all of the TrueType fonts which have been installed on the local system. A new font can be applied to any text which has been highlighted and selected. Selecting a font without highlighting text first gives any new text which is created at that point that particular font.
The Font Size button displays a drop-down list box of point sizes, which can be applied to any text in the Record Text area which has been selected and highlighted. Selecting a font size without highlighting text first gives any new text which is created at that point that particular font size.

Text Alignment

The four Text Alignment buttons, from left to right, are Left Align, Right Align, Center Align, and Justify.
Left aligned text stays flush against the left margin.
Right aligned text stays flush against the right margin.
Centered text centers each line between each of the two margins.
Justified text stretches each line, once it has been filled, so that both the left and right sides of each line follow flush against the two margins.
The text alignment tools od not display printed output. All printed output is printed as left justified text.

Alignment of text can only be used on a paragraph at a time, while the other buttons can be used on single characters.


Menu Items

File Menu

Edit Menu

Record Menu

Search Menu

Bookmark Menu

Options Menu


File Menu

Open

Summary Info

Printer Setup

Page Setup

Print

Exit


File Open

The File Open Menu allows the user to access files on the hard drive. When the File Open dialog box appears, the user can select a file from the file list box. Double-clicking on the filename or selecting the filename and clicking on OK will open that file. The user can also enter a new filename and click on OK. If a new filename is entered, Administrative Assistant will create a new file with that name. Finally, all files must end in .AAD.
The shortcut key for File Open is <Ctrl><O>.


File Summary Info

The File Summary Info Menu allows the user to input and view creation information about the file. The user can also enter in a title for the database, enter in a version number, and enter the author's name. These pieces of information are then stored in the file. The File Summary Info also shows the creation date and the date since the file was last changed.


File Printer Setup

The Printer Setup Menu selection allows the user to setup and configure the printers installed on the system, and to select the default printer, which Administrative Assistant will use when it prints. Clicking on the Setup Button will bring up the configuration dialog box to configure the selected printer. Clicking on the Default Button will set the selected printer as the Windows default.


File Page Setup

The Page Setup dialog box allows the user to configure the system for printing the database entries. The Report Title will be placed at the head of each page as a standard header, and the Page Footer (which defaults to the filename) will appear on the bottom of each page as a standard footer. If the Print Table of Contents check box is selected, Administrative Assistant will print a table of contents, with all of the topics and their page numbers for the entire document. If the Page Break After Each Topic check box is selected, Administrative Assistant will create a new page for each new topic it encounters.


File Print

Selecting Print from the File Menu will bring up the Print dialog box. The Page Selection area allows the user to print either the current record, or all of the records in the file. The Printer Button will bring up the Printer Setup dialog box, allowing the user to configure his installed printers. The Page Setup Button will bring up the Page Setup dialog box, allowing the user to control how Administrative Assistant prints the database.
The shortcut key for File Print is <Ctrl><P>.


File Exit

Selecting Exit from the File Menu exits the Administrative Assistant program.


Edit Menu

Cut Selected Text

Copy Selected Text

Copy All Record Text

Paste

Date Stamp

Time Stamp

Counter Stamp


Edit Cut Selected Text

Selecting the Cut Selected Text option from the Edit Menu will remove any selected text from its current position in the text area, and move it to the Windows Clipboard.
The shortcut key for Edit Cut Selected Text is <Ctrl><X>.


Edit Copy Selected Text

Selecting the Copy Selected option Text from the Edit Menu will copy any selected text on the Administrative Assistant document, and copy it to the Windows clipboard.
The shortcut key for Edit Copy Selected Text is <Ctrl><C>.


Edit Copy All Record Text

Selecting the Copy All Record Text option from the Edit Menu wil copy the entire current record to the Windows Clipboard.
The shortcut key for Edit Copy All Record Text is <Ctrl><A>.


Edit Paste

Selecting the Paste option from the Edit Menu will copy any text from the clipboard into the current record, at the cursor's current position.
The shortcut key for Edit Paste is <Ctrl><V>.


Edit Date Stamp

The Date Stamp selection on the Edit Menu places the current date at the cursor position on the document. Pressing the <F6> key is a shortcut for this menu selection. The format of the date is defined under the Options Date/Time Format selection.


Edit Time Stamp

Selecting Time Stamp from the Edit menu will place the current time in the document at the cursor's current position. The shortcut key for the Time Stamp is the <F7> key. The format of the time is defined under the Options Date/Time Format selection.


Edit Counter Stamp

Selecting the Counter Stamp from the Edit Menu places the current counter number into the document at the cursor's current position. The shortcut key for the Counter Stamp is the <F8> key. The current counter number is defined in the Options Set Counter Menu selection.


Record Menu

New [Blank]

New [w/Template]

Delete

Attach Image

View Image

Jump Buttons

Summary Info

First

Previous

Next

Last


RECORD NEW BLANK
Record New [Blank]

Selecting New from the Record Menu inserts a new record into the database and places the cursor at the Record Title. Clicking anywhere on the Topics List will allow the user to remove a blank record without saving it, but each new record should have a topic. The shortcut key for inserting a new record is the <F2> key.


RECORD NEW TEMPLATE
Record New [w/Template]

Selecting New w/Template from the Record Menu will create a new record based on a template selected from the Select Template dialog box. Administrative Assistant will create a new record, with the template already pre-entered, and place the cursor at the Record Title. Using the template is easy: simply press the <shift> and <space> keys together to go to each set of brackets [], until the last set of brackets is reached.
The shortcut key for Record New [w/Template] is <Shift><F2>.


Record Delete

Selecting Delete from the Record Menu deletes the current record.
The shortcut key for Record Delete is <F5>.


Record Attach Image

Selecting the Attach Image from the Record Menu opens up the attach image dialog box. This dialog box has three menu options, Load, Zoom, and Exit. The Load Menu selection opens up a find file dialog box, displaying a list of all importable files. Once the appropriate file has been selected in this dialog box, the user can press OK and the image will be imported into the Administrative Assistant database.
The Zoom menu allows the user to view the image at different sizes, ranging from 25% original size to 400% original size.
Pressing Exit from the Attach Image dialog box will return the user to the Administrative Assistant main screen. In order to view the image once it has been attached, the user must at least click on the Topics List in order to save the image to the file.


Record View Image

The View Image selection on the Record Menu will display the image in a pop-up window. This window can be expanded to fit the full screen, if the image is larger than the size of the standard window.
The Zoom option in the View Image window allows the user to increase or decrease the resolution that the image is displayed on the screen, zooming in and out of the image from 25% to 400%.
The shortcut key for Record View Image is <F9>.


Record Jump Buttons

The Jump Buttons selection on the Record menu allows the user to configure the three Jump Buttons on the current record.
The shortcut key for Reocrd Jump Buttons is <Ctrl><J>.


Record Summary Info

The Summary Info selection in the Record Menu diplays information about the current record, including the Record Title, the Position of the Reocrd in the database, the Creation Date and Time, and the Last Updated Date and Time.


Record First

Selecting First from the Record Menu moves the user to the first record of the database.


Record Previous

Selecting Previous from the Record Menu moves the user to the previous record in the database.


Record Next

Selecting Next from the Record Menu moves the user to the next record in the database.


Record Last

Selecting Last from the Record Menu moves the user to the last record in the database.


Search Menu

Find

Find Next

Create Subset

Use Complete Set

Replace


Search Find

The Find feature is accessed from the Search Menu, and places the user in the first record that contains text matching the user's specified text. The search dialog box also allows the user to look through the Title, the Record Text, or both. Also, the user can tell the computer whether or not to take upper and lower case text into consideration. The shortcut key for the search feature is <F3>.


Search Find Next

The Find Next selection from the Search Menu jumps the user to the next record matching the search criteria entered into the Find dialog box. The shortcut key for the Find Next feature is <shift> <F3>.


Search Create Subset

The Create Subset selection from the Search Menu allows the user to narrow down his list of viewed topics. Typing into the different text boxes and selecting And or Or from the drop-down list boxes allows the user to narrow his search down by a specific set of criteria. Clicking on the Create Button in the Create Subset dialog box will modify the displayed list of Topics so that he can only see the ones that match his filter.
The shortcut key for Search Create Subset is <F4>.


Search Use Complete Set

Use Complete Set, selected from the Search Menu, is used when Administrative Assistant is displaying a subset and the user wants to diplay the entire database.
The shortcut key for Search Use Complete Set is <Shift><F4>.


Search Replace

The Replace selection from the Search Menu allows the user to find and replace all or specific occurrences of a particular string of text with another.


Bookmark Menu

Set Bookmark

Clear Bookmark

Bookmarks


Bookmark Set Bookmark

The Set Bookmark Menu selections, under the Bookmark menu, allows the user to assign the current Topic as a bookmark, which can then be accessed from the menu at any time.


Bookmark Clear Bookmark

The Clear Bookmark selection, under the Bookmark menu, allows the user to remove a Topic from the list of Bookmarks.


Bookmarks

The lower six menu selections on the Bookmark menu are the actual bookmarks, which, if selected, allow the user to immediately jump to another Topic at any time. The shortcut for a bookmark is to press the <Ctrl> key with the Function key which correponds in number to the bookmark.


Options Menu

Display Text Tools

Display Topics

Fonts

Date/Time Formats

Set Counter

Save As Template

Set Passwords

Lock File


Display Text Tools

The Display Text Tools option lets the user toggle the Text Tools on and off of the Administrative Assistant window.


Options Display Topics

The Display Topics selection under the Options Menu allows the user to set the width of the Topics List on the Administrative Assistant window as a percentage of the screen, from the left-hand side of the window.


Options Fonts

The Fonts selections allow the user to customize the fonts and colors in the system, in each of the three text locations: the Record Title, the Record Text, and the Topics List.
The Record Text selection in this selection sets up the default text for the Record Text. This particular font selection is invoked either when the user creates a new record, or when the user's computer does not have a particular font installed.


OPTIONS DATE AND TIME
Options Date/Time Formats

The Date/Time Formats selection in the Options Menu allows the user to set up the default date and time formats for the Administrative Assistant file.


Options Set Counter

The Set Counter selection under the Options Menu lets the user change the next counter text string that will be inserted into the text when the counter is selected.


OPTIONS SAVE AS TEMPLATE
Save As Template

The Save As Template selection in the Options Menu saves the current record as a template. The dialog box which appears lets the user give the template a name, which is either a new name or an existing name to be overwritten.


Options Set Passwords

The Set Passwords function of the Options Menu allows the user to enter in up to two passwords: a Master Password and an Access Password. The Master Password, if present, is needed to make changes to the database configuration and passwords. The Access Password, if present, is needed to access and view the database.


Options Lock File

The Lock File selection on the Options Menu is only usable if there is a Master Password in the database. If there is, then a user who knows the Master Password can lock the file as completely read-only to those who do not have the Master Password.


Bookmark

A bookmark is a stored reference to a location in a file or a database. Storing this location in the file allows the user to jump to that location at any time, simply by selecting that particular bookmark.


Color Palette

The Color Palette is used to set color attributes to any piece of text.


Copy

The Copy function creates a copy of the currently selected text and places it in the Windows Clipboard


Counter

The counter is a number which can be placed on the current record and is incremented by one each time the counter is placed on the record.


Cut

Cutting a selected piece of text reomoves it from the current record and places it into the Windows Clipboard.


Database

A database is an organized collection of separate related peices of information.


Dialog Box

A dialog box is a pop-up window which requires the user to answer a question or set of questions by selecting items in a list, a button from a set of buttons, or otherwise give the computer information about a later action.


File

A file is a logical separation of information on the computer's drive.


Fonts

A font is the term used to describe a related set of character shapes.


Footer

A footer is a piece of text which is printed at the bottom of every page.


Header

A header is a piece of text which is printed at the top of each page.


Image

An image is a graphical peice of information which can be displayed on the monitor, such as a picture or an icon.


Jump Buttons

Jump buttons are buttons which are attached to a record and allow the user to immediately call up another record, or to launch a program.


Lock

Locking a file keeps users who do not have proper access to the file from making changes to the file or its configuration.


Password

A password is a piece of text which allows the user to permit or restrict access to information.


Paste

Pasting places whatever is in the Windows Clipboard into the current record, at the cursor's position.


Record

A Record is a single part of a database, containing one of each field in the database.


Shortcuts

Any shortcut in Administrative Assistant allows the user to launch a menu action via a keystroke or combination of keystrokes, rather than a set of mouse actions.


Stamp

Stamping a record places a set of characters in the text box, such as the current time, or the current date.


String

A string is a series of characters, numbers, or punctuation marks.


Subset

A subset is a set of records which have a particular peice of information in common, such as a name or a number.


Template

A template is a set of text which can be called on to be inserted as the current record, and which can be used as a guide or form to be filled out by the person filling out the template.


Text

Text is any type of character, such as letters or numbers, which has been entered into the computer via a keyboard or another alternative means.


Topic

A Topic is the heading for a record in the database. The records in the database are sorted in alphabetical order of Topics.