Contents
Contents for Notes Help

Introduction

What is Notes?

Requirements

Acknowledgements

Registration

How To...

Create a new note

Modify and delete a note

Use Notes as a diary

Use Notes as an alarm

Use Notes as a notebook

Facilities

Remind you to check your notes before quitting

Alarm functions

Display notes in specified font

Load a file by default (on start-up)

Password protected files

Always on top

Keyboard shortcuts

Commands

File Menu Commands

Edit Menu Commands

Options Menu Commands


What is Notes?

Notes is a utility program for Windows.  It is intended to be used to group scraps of information together, or to store small notes.

Situations where Notes may be of use:

•	To store 'to do' lists

•	Remind you about an appointment, message or task

•	Store a list of related items like a card system

•	Quickly make a note of a message

•	Make future diary entries, record events or dates

Each note has a number of properties:

•	Title

•	Time and Date

•	Alarm Set

•	Priority

•	Task Completed Toggle

•	Associated Text

Each diary entry has different properties:

•	Date

•	Associated Text

•	Associated Notes

The diary entries and notes are stored in a notes file (*.NTS).


Creating Notes

There are a number of methods you can used to create a note.  New notes are created when the Notes main window or icon is activated.

♦	Do one of the following

•	Choose New Note from the System menu.

•	Press F3

•	Choose New from the Edit menu

♦	Next, you assign the new note a title, and select the appropriate properties from the dialog that appears.

♦	Click OK in the dialog, and then type in the text you want.


Modify and Deleting Notes
Modifying and Deleting Notes

♦	To modify a note select the appropriate note from the list in the main window and do one of the following

•	double-click on the list note

•	click on the edit note button on the button bar

•	select Edit from the Edit menu

•	Press F4

You can then change the text as you normally would in a text editor.

♦	To delete a note, select it from the list and then do one of the following

•	click on the delete note button on the button bar

•	select Delete from the Edit menu

•	press F5

If you have set up the application to confirm deletions, then you will be asked to verify the delete action - an 'Are you sure' type of message box will appear.


Using Notes as a diary

Above the list of notes in the main Notes window, there is a date.

♦	click on the date, and a new window will appear with the date as its title

You enter text as usual as the diary entry.

♦	To edit different days or dates do one of the following

•	select Today, Tomorrow or Yesterday from the Edit menu

•	click on the arrows on either side of the date, and then click on the date

Diary entries are saved with the notes in the NTS file.

See Also

Password protected files


Using Notes as an alarm

To use Notes as an alarm, you create a note in the usual way, but ensure that the alarm settings are modified in the Settings dialog (the correct date, time, and ensure that the Alarm control has a cross next to it).

Step by Step

♦	in the main window, press F3

♦	type "Alarm" in the title box

♦	click on the up and down arrows to adjust the date and time settings

♦	click on the alarm control to ensure that a cross appears opposite it

♦	click OK


Using notes as a notebook

Notes can be used as a simple notebook, or small card-based database.

For Example

•	Each note contains information about a client or business contact.

•	Each acts as a card in a card-based database

•	Each note stores a film-review


Check Notes Reminder

By toggling the menu option in the Options menu, you will be reminded to check your notes before the program quits.

This can be useful if you use Notes as an electronic 'yellow sticky pad'.

♦	click on the options menu

♦	if no check mark appears next to Remind on Exit then select the Remind on Exit menu item.


Alarm Function

You can set an alarm with Notes.  To do this, the alarm must be accompanied with a note, so when creating a note, ensure that the alarm settings are to your preference.

For further information see Using Notes as an alarm


Displaying notes in a specified font
Notes Fonts Options

All of the notes and diary entries are displayed in a standard font.  This font can easily be changed by a simple procedure.

♦	To change the global font do one of the following

•	select Fonts... from the options menu

•	press Ctrl+F

♦	Then modify the settings in the Font Dialog and click OK.


Default Files

Notes can be set up so that a default file loads automatically.  To do this, follow the steps below

♦	load the required file

♦	select Set as Default File from the Options menu

To change the settings so that there is no default file loaded on start-up, you do this:

♦	select New from the File menu (after saving your files)

♦	select Set as Default File from the Options menu


Passworded Files
Password protected files

To ensure that a file will only be seen by you, you can give a file a password.

By default, the file will have no password.

♦	To give the file a password or change the password for that file do one of the following:

•	Press Ctrl+W in the main window

•	select Password... from the options menu

When you next load the file, you will have to give the new password.


File Menu Commands

New

Clears all notes and diary entries from memory and allows the creation of a new NTS file.

Open

Allows NTS Notes files to be loaded for subsequent editing.

Save

Writes the changes to the file to disk.

Save As

Allows the file to be saved under a different name or location.

Exit

Quits from the Notes program.


Edit Menu Commands

Today

Allows the user to edit today's diary entry.

Tomorrow

Allows the user to edit tomorrow's diary entry.

Yesterday

Allows the user to view and edit yesterday's diary entry.

New

Creates a new note.  The Settings Dialog appears, where the note can be titled.

Edit

Edits an existing note.

Delete

Deletes the selected note.


Options Menu Commands

Remind on Exit

Toggle the check mark on and off.  If it is toggled on, when you try to quit a reminder message appear on your screen.

Confirm Deletions

Toggle the check mark on and off.  If it is toggled on, when you try to delete a note a confirmation dialog appears on your screen.

Alarm Sound

Allows you to select a wave file that is played when the alarm goes off.  When toggled off, no sound is played.  When toggled on, the selected wave file will be played.  If the wave file is not played, a simple beep will be heard instead.

Fonts

Allows the user to change the font which is used to view the notes and diary entries.

Set As Default File

If a notes file is loaded (and saved with a filename) then the default file will be changed to the currently loaded notes file.  If no file is currently loaded, or the file has not yet been saved (it has no filename) then the default file will be reset, and no file will be loaded automatically when Notes first starts.

Password

Allows the user to set the password for the file.


Always on top

You can adjust each individual note or diary entry's window so that it will not be hidden by other windows.  If you do this, the window becomes a topmost window, and will always be in sight.

♦	click on the system menu of the note or entry window

♦	select Always on Top from the menu

To revert to a normal (non-topmost) window, follow the above procedure again.


Acknowledgements

Notes was written using Turbo Pascal for Windows 1.5.  Turbo Pascal for Windows © 1987, 1991, 1992 Borland International.  Portions of this product are also copyright Borland International.


Requirements

Notes requires the following minimum hardware to function correctly:

•	IBM compatible PC AT

•	Microsoft Windows 3.1

•	Mouse or trackball


Registration

Notes is distributed as shareware.  This means that after an evaluation period (in this case 30 days) you must register with the author if you intend to use the software.

When you do register, not only will you receive peace of mind, but

•	you will receive a register ID

•	the annoying opening and closing dialogs will disappear

•	you may receive other shareware material if required

The registration fee is five pounds sterling or equivalent payment in readily convertible currency or money order.  Registration payments should be payable to Steven Porter, written in pounds sterling and drawable on a United Kingdom bank.

To register you should print out the registration form, fill it in and send it to this address:

Steven Porter

(Notes Registration)

27 Elm Place

Aberdeen

Scotland, United Kingdom

AB2 3SN

See Also

Registration Form


Registration Form
Notes Registration Form

[   ]	I wish to register my copy of Notes.  I enclose the registration fee of five pounds sterling (UK £5.00)

Updates

[   ]	Please supply a  3.5 inch 1.44MB disk for latest version of Notes (and other shareware software on a trial basis).  I enclose an extra £1.50 (£3.00 for non UK locations) to cover costs of disk, duplication, postage and packing.

or

[   ]	I enclose a blank formatted disk plus return packaging and postage for my location to receive the latest version of Notes (and other shareware software on a trial basis).

Name

_________________________________

Address

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

Telephone Number

_________________________________

Notes Version Number from the Help/About dialog

_________________________________

Signed

_________________________________


Keyboard short-cuts

Key	Description/Menu Equivalent

F2	Edit/Today.  Allows you to quickly edit today's diary entry.

F3	Edit/New.  Allows you to create a new note.

F4	Edit/Edit.  Allows you to edit the selected note.

F5	Edit/Delete.  Deletes the currently selected note

Ctrl+F	Options/Fonts.  Allows you to change the global font in which the notes and diary entries are displayed.

Ctrl+W	Options/Password.  Allows you to change the password for the currently loaded file.


registration payment

Payment for registration can be done in a number of ways:

1	United Kingdom Bank Cheque

2	Eurocheques

3	Postal Money Order, written in UK pounds sterling

4	UK pounds sterling currency

I do not recommend sending cash through the post because it is not secure from theft.  Unfortunately, payment by credit card cannot be accepted.


shareware

Programs and data distributed as shareware are not free.  The user may make full use of the program for a limited period (normally 30 days) after which he or she must register with the author of the software (if he or she intends to continue using it).  A nominal registration fee is charged to encourage further work and reward the author for his endeavours.


system menu

The system menu may also be known as the control menu.  To access the system menu, click on the control icon of the window (top left) or click once on the minimized window icon.


'to do' list

A 'to do' list is simply a list of tasks, appointments or items which have to be completed.  Each item often has a priority associated with it.


text editor

A text editor is a simple application that is used to modify, change or create plain text files.  The editor saves each file it works with as an ASCII file, that is, plain unformatted text with linefeeds or returns.


button bar

A bar across the top of the window, often just below the menu.  It contains buttons which have equivalent menu options, and can help to speed up operations.  The bar might look like this: