Copyright: CopyRight 1994 RoundAbout Software Ltd.


Contents
Introduction

What is Shareware?

Requirements

Getting Started

Selection Bar

Data Form

Quickie Dialer

Complete List

Label Printer

Birthday & Anniversary Reminder

Backup & Restore

Preferences

Key Commands

Customer Support

Registration


Introduction

If this is the shareware version, thank you for taking time to evaluate this program. In the shareware version, you’re restricted to entering in only 10 names, otherwise, the rest of the program is fully functional. We’re always updating this program and if you choose to purchase it, you’re guaranteed the latest and greatest version. With your new registered version of FamilyTrax, you can pick up where you left off and continue adding to your existing FAMILY.DAT file that was created with the shareware version. Just make sure you install the full version into the same directory as the shareware version or make sure you move the FAMILY.DAT and the FAMILY.INI into the new directory. The full version of FamilyTrax is available to purchase for $15.00. (With orders of two or more, the second and subsequent will be discount priced at just $10.00 per copy). Simply run the Order Form program to make your purchase. If you do purchase FamilyTrax, thank you for your support.

FamilyTrax was designed to do all the things the home computer user needs; Christmas card labels and other types of invitations, dialing phone numbers and notifying you of special occasions. Also, FamilyTrax is set up in a special way to make things easier for you. We’ve included two external programs that work with the main program. A version of Quickie Dialer and Reminder is included within and outside the program. The reason for this is that after you’ve entered in all the names, addresses and phone numbers, you can run the external version of Quickie Dialer to quickly get to all your phone numbers to dial them without having to go into the main FamilyTrax program. Also, the external Reminder works when you boot into Windows and reminds you of up and coming occasions. I use the reminder to give me enough time to get a card and mail it out. People really appreciate it when you remember their birthdays and anniversaries with a card. (See the Reminder section of the help file for more information)

FamilyTrax is not an organizer. There are many organizer type programs on the market today. They help you organize your time on an hourly basis, plan schedules, meetings and so on. These programs are designed more for the very busy business person. Your average, working for a living type, like myself, would only use enough of the program to do what FamilyTrax does. The only difference is that the big organizer takes up a large amount of disk space, costs much more money and takes a lot more time to figure out. There’s no need to have a big program take up a lot of space on your hard drive when your only using 10% of it. Also, the majority of home computer users don’t want to be computer wizards. They want a program that’s easy to use, get in, get out and be done with it. It’s easy to enter in everyone you know, their kids, addresses, phone numbers, birthdays and anniversaries.

FamilyTrax is also environmentally safe. What we mean by this, is that FamilyTrax doesn’t install or leave files anywhere except it’s own directory. It also makes use of its own .INI file, so it never has a need to write information to the WIN.INI or the SYSTEM.INI. If you need to delete FamilyTrax, all you do is delete its directory and nothing will be left behind.

Topics Discussed:

Quickie Dialer

Birthday & Anniversary Reminder


What is Shareware?

Shareware is a concept of "try it before you buy it." The program is downloaded from a BBS or purchased on a disk by a shareware vendor. When it is purchased on a disk, you are only paying for the cost that vendor incurred duplicating and distributing that software on disk. You still have to pay a registration fee to the author to use his software past the evaluation period. Some shareware comes complete and unrestricted while others have limits to its use, hoping you’ll like it enough to send a check in the mail to receive the full version. If the software is complete, you are on the honor system to either remove it off your computer or send in a check once you have finished the evaluation period. To help you decide whether to keep it and pay or remove it off your computer, programmers have added nag screens, time out screens, legal warnings, newer versions and extra feature incentives. Most of the shareware available is under $20.00 because they’re small, handy little programs you wouldn’t find anywhere else.

There’s lots of good shareware out there as well as bad. Most of the bad shareware is nothing more than a slightly modified example found in some programmer’s school book. These programs are simple, unattractive and serve no real useful purpose.

Shareware is made by some companies, but most from independent programmers. A lot of businesses came about because of an independent programmer doing well on a piece of software they wrote. An independent programmer can spend many months, even a couple of years, burning the midnight oil, working on their shareware projects in the spare time they have. That’s why when you find a neat little program that you like, it’s well worth it to send in the few bucks they’re asking for it. Programmers do this on the side to see if they can make a few extra bucks, (and who doesn’t need a few extra bucks) as well as the thrill of receiving favorable feedback. There’s nothing like logging on to your favorite BBS or CompuServe and seeing tons of messages offering praise, criticism and suggestions on the software you’ve spent months upon months working on. You really miss out on a lot of late night TV. Through this feedback is how the programmer works out the bugs, adds new features and improves upon the whole program. In other words, good shareware programs require a huge amount of time, hard work and dedication. That’s why, when you register that shareware program and offer feedback, it is GREATLY appreciated. Support the shareware concept today and purchase the full version of FamilyTrax today.


Requirements

256-color display or better
VBRUN300.DLL file in your Windows or Windows\System directory

FamilyTrax was designed for systems that display at least 256 colors or more. You can run it in standard VGA (16 colors), it just won’t look as nice. Also, FamilyTrax requires the file VBRUN300.DLL to be in your Windows or Windows\System directory. If this is the shareware version, you might not have it. If this is the full version, it’s installed during the installation process. If you do not have this file, a "Can’t find..." error will display when you try to run FamilyTrax. Every BBS will have this file for you to download. It’s usually called VBRUN300.ZIP or VBRUN300.EXE depending on the BBS. Tons of Windows programs make use of this file, so it’s not a bad idea to download it and place it in your Windows\System directory.


Getting Started

If this is the shareware version, all you need is to run the ICON_IN.EXE file which will setup all your icons in the Program Manager. Just make sure that all the files are in the same directory. If this is the registered version, then upon installation all your icons are set up and the ICON_IN.EXE is not included.

If you want to be reminded of up and coming birthdays and anniversaries, take the Reminder icon from its Program Manager icon group, drag and drop it into the StartUp program group. This will run Reminder every time you boot into Windows. If you’re using another type of Program Manager other than the one that comes with Windows and has no StartUp program group, you can alter your WIN.INI file. Add the line file-run=C:\Famtrax\reminder.exe to your WIN.INI file (You’ll need to specify the correct path to the REMINDER.EXE). That way, every time you boot into Windows, it will run the Reminder. If there is already a command line present, just add the one for Reminder after that one with a space in between. Example: run=C:\ CLOCK\BARCLOCK.EXE C:\FAMTRAX\REMINDER.EXE. Before you edit your WIN.INI file, make sure you make another copy of it on a floppy or somewhere on your hard drive. The great feature about the reminder is that it will only show up once a day and only if it has anything to remind you about. For additional information about the Reminder, read the reminder section of this help file.

Start FamilyTrax if you haven't done so and start entering information into the Data Form.  (See the Data Form section of the help file for more information)

Topics Discussed:

Birthday & Anniversary Reminder

Data Form


Control Bar
Selection Bar

This is an icon bar that allows you to move around the program. When you start FamilyTrax for the first time, the Selection Bar and the Data Form are the first things to display. If you close down the Data Form, it will not show up again until you click on the Data Form button, even after you quit and restart the program. The other forms such as The Quickie Dialer, The Kids, Label Printer and FamilyTrax List react in the same way. You can also minimize all these windows as you’re working with FamilyTrax. If you quit while these different windows are minimized, they will appear just the way you left them when you restart FamilyTrax. When you minimize the Selection Bar, all open windows and/or minimized ones disappear until you maximize the Selection Bar again. The Selection Bar acts as a transparent frame that shows all its contents when it’s open and hides them when it’s closed.

Topics Discussed:

Data Form

Label Printer

Quickie Dialer


Data Form Button
Click on this button to bring up the Data Form. With the Data Form, you can enter in names, phone numbers, addresses, etc. After you have entered in all your information, you can make use of the Reminder, List, Quickie Dialer and so on. See the "Data Form" section of this help file for more information.


Label Printer Button
Clicking on this button brings up the Label Printer. Use this handy feature to print labels for Christmas cards, birthday and wedding invitations and postcards. Any reason you can think of sending mail to some or all of the people you know is what Label Printer is for. See the "Label Printer" section in this help file for more information.


Quickie Dialer Button
Clicking on this button brings up the Quickie Dialer. After you have entered in your information, this is a quick way to get to your phone numbers to dial them. There are two versions of this feature, an internal and external. The external version is for getting to your phone numbers quickly without having to start up the main FamilyTrax program. See the "Quickie Dialer" section of this help file for more information.


Preferences Button
Clicking on this button brings up the Preferences window. Here you select different options depending on how you would like the program to work. Setting up number of days you would like Reminder to warn you, window positions and enter key selections are a few of the options you can customize.


Exit Button
Clicking on this button quits FamilyTrax. You can also quit FamilyTrax by pressing the key combination Control + Q.


Data Form

The Data Form has its own icon bar. The arrows on the icon bar are for moving through your records, one record at a time. Next to the first arrow is the New Record icon. Select this button to add a new blank record. When you start FamilyTrax for the first time, the Data Form displays a blank form ready for you to start entering new information. For FamilyTrax to save this new record, you need to enter a first and last name. If you decide that you don’t want to add any names to the new record, just click on the Trash can icon and delete the blank record. Next to the New Record icon is the Backup/Restore Disk icon. Select this button to backup or restore your FamilyTrax files. For more information, read the "Backup & Restore" section of this help file. Next to the Backup/Restore Disk icon is the Trash icon. Click here to remove the record currently displayed in the Data Form. Next to the Trash icon is the List icon. Select this button to view a complete list of all the names that have been entered into FamilyTrax. If you need to get to a name quickly, bring up the list window and double click on the name and it is instantly loaded to the Data Form. Also, if you have the List window open at the same time as the Data Form, the List window will follow along as you move through your records. At the other end of the icon bar are boxes with the letters A to Z. Click on any one of these letters to get to the first of the last names that begin with that letter. For example, If you entered in the name Brian Johnson and that was the only last name with the letter J, click on the J and it will bring up that record.

When you run FamilyTrax for the first time, The Data Form is the first form you see. This is where you enter in all your information and all other areas of the program make use of that information. Click on the button Kids and it will bring up a window for you to enter in all the names and birthdays of the kids belonging to the main name and spouse. Entering in the birthday and/or anniversary of anyone automatically become a candidate for the Reminder. To properly enter in a birthday or anniversary, use a three letter abbreviation for the month followed by a space and the date. Example: Oct 22, May 8, Dec 11.

The Reminder

The button marked "Run Reminder" runs Reminder from within FamilyTrax. The external Reminder only works once a day and only if there is an occasion to remind you about. So, if you need to be reminded again about whose birthday or anniversary is coming up, run FamilyTrax and then run Reminder from the Data Form.

There are three different phone numbers you can enter in: home, work and car or other. If you enter in a number with an area code, FamilyTrax automatically adds a 1 to the number for you. To dial the phone number from the Data Form, you can either click on the little phone icon right next to the number, double click on that field or run the Quickie Dialer.

Kids

Clicking on the "Kids" button brings up the "Kids" window. Here you enter in the first names only of each kid and their birthdays. Once you enter in a birthday, it becomes a candidate for the Reminder. See the "Birthday & Anniversary Reminder" section of this help file for more details.

The Status Bar

At the bottom of the Data Form is what is known as a status bar. Here you can see what record you are currently in depending on where your cursor is at. It displays information about that field, button, etc. In the Preferences window, you can choose to turn off the status bar.

Topics Discussed:

Backup & Restore

Birthday & Anniversary Reminder


Left Arrow Button
Clicking on this arrow key will move you backwards through your records. When you reach your first record, the button greys out.


Right Arrow Button
Clicking on this arrow key will advance you forwards through your records. When you reach the last record, the button greys out.


New Record Button
Clicking here will add a new blank record. You can also add a new record by pressing the key combination Control + N and/or the Enter key. To do this you need to select this option in your Preferences.


Backup Button
Clicking on this button starts the backup/restore process. It is highly advised that after you finish adding in some names, backup your data files to a floppy as a safety precaution. See the "Backup & Restore" section of this help file for more information.


Trash Button
Clicking on this button deletes the current record in view on the Data Form. If you add a new blank record and then change your mind, use this option to delete the new blank record.


List Button
Clicking on this button brings up the List window. This list will show you all the names that have been entered into FamilyTrax. If you have the Data Form and the List window open at the same time, the List window will follow along with the the Data Form. You can also double click on any of the names in the List window to automatically load that record into the Data Form.


Letters Button
Clicking on any of these letters will bring up the first record with the last name beginning with that letter. If no record exists, nothing happens.


Reminder Text
Clicking on this button runs the Reminder from within FamilyTrax. There's an internal and external version of the Reminder. See the "Birthday & Anniversary Reminder" section of this help file for more information.


Current Record
This is the current record number in view on the Data Form.


Last Record
This is the total number of records currently entered into FamilyTrax.


Status Bar
This displays information about the control the cursor is currently over.


Quickie Dialer

After you’ve entered in all the names and addresses of your family and friends, you might have quite a list. When you have a huge list of people, the last thing you want to do is search through the Data Form for the one name you need to dial. The Quickie Dialer is a quick way to get to the names you want. There are two versions of the Quickie Dialer-the internal and the external. The internal and external Quickie Dialer both look and act the same. If you need to dial some numbers and have no need to use the main FamilyTrax program, you can run the external version which displays all the names and numbers entered into FamilyTrax. The internal version is for quickly getting to your phone numbers while inside FamilyTrax. When you first bring up the Quickie Dialer, it displays the Home Number first, if there is any. Otherwise you can select Work Phone or Car or Other Phone and if a number has been entered, the number will be displayed. If a number hasn’t been entered, the message "Number hasn’t been entered." will be displayed. Click on the arrow at the bottom of the Quickie Dialer to close that window or to exit the external version of the Quickie Dialer.


Complete List

This list will show you all the names that have been entered into FamilyTrax. If you have the Data Form and the List window open at the same time, the List window will follow along with the the Data Form. You can also double click on any of the names in the List window and it will automaticly load that record into the Data Form.


Label Printer

Christmas cards, invitations, postcards, etc., or any reason you have for sending out large quantities of correspondence is what Label Printer is for. Before you use your expensive label paper, please read this section carefully.

Making Sure Your Labels Line Up

For laser and ink jet printers

Before you print a single label, print a test sheet of names on a single piece of plain paper first. Take this printout and hold it in back of one of your pieces of label paper with the edges lined up. Then hold them up to the light to see if the names fall inside the labels. Reason for this is that all printers are different; even the same two printers from the same manufacturer can place text and graphics differently. To get great looking labels requires precise placement. By clicking on the spin buttons, you can take all the names and addresses and move them around your page as one big block. Print out one page and look at it. If you would like it up a little and over some, click on the spin buttons to move everything the desired distance. Print it again and look at it once more. Keep doing this until you have your labels positioned where you like them. Once you’re done, FamilyTrax remembers your settings and will always be there when you run the Label Printer. Chances are you will never have to change your settings for that particular printer again, but to be safe, always print a test page first. What might change the next time around is the paper itself.

For Dot Matrix Printers

FamilyTrax supports two types of Dot Matrix labels. To line up your printer, take notice of where your label is lined up. Print one label and see where it places it. When it’s done printing that one label it will advance a sheets worth. You’ll have to roll it back to the next label and try again until you find the proper spot. You can also click on the spin buttons to properly align your labels. It’s a little bit of trial and error but you’ll get it. If you’re printing lots of labels, depending on the printer and its printer driver, it will always skip over the 11th row of labels.

Available Printer Fonts and Sizes

When you run Label Printer, the "Available Printer Fonts" box displays the font you selected last time you ran Label Printer. If this is the first time that Label Printer has been used, the default font is Arial. If Arial isn’t present on your computer the first font on the list will be displayed. As plain as Arial is, this is the ideal font for printing labels. The Arial font is the postal standard for their character recognition systems that will read your labels and quickly sort them. In other words, using a font other than Arial or Helvetica can delay your letters from reaching their destination by a couple of days to a week depending on the volume of mail. If the letter can’t be read by the character recognition systems, it is then handled individually by postal workers, and that can be slow.

You can choose the font size of your label as well. Font size 12 is the default font size and depending on the type of font you want to use, you can adjust the size to accommodate the font. The box under the Font and Size box will give you a good idea as to how your label will look with the chosen font and size.

Names To Be Printed

Once you have selected all the names you want to print and they are listed in the "Names to be printed" box, you can print them. If you decide you don’t want to print a name or a group of names, select them in the same manner you used to select the "Current list of names" and click on the remove button or press your delete key.

Current List of Names

In this box is the complete list of all the names you entered into FamilyTrax. From this list are the names you choose from to print your labels. If you want to print every name that’s on the list, just click on the << Add All button and all the names are added to the" Names to be printed" list. If you want to select individual names from the list, you can click on a name and then click on the "<< Add" button to add that one name to the list. You can double click on one name to add it to that list or select a group of names by clicking and dragging the mouse cursor to highlight rows of names. You can also select random names in the list by holding down on your shift key.

Paper Choices

Here is where you choose what type of label paper you want to use. Keep in mind you don’t need to use Avery labels. Just make sure it’s the same label size and number. For all practical purposes, the label paper that’s 30 labels to a sheet, 1 x 2-5/8, will suit your needs (for laser and ink jet printers). I added the other label sizes so that you have a choice. The box located underneath your choices of labels gives a full description of the label paper that is currently selected.

Name Setup Option

You can change the name attributes by selecting the name or group of names from the "Names to be printed" box and selecting the "Name Setup Options" of your choice. Every name in the "Names to be printed" box can be set differently or all the same option. Select a name in the "Names to be printed" box and then select an option from the "Name Setup Options" and see how it is changed in the sample label located under the "Available Printer Fonts" and "Sizes." If a spouse has not been entered for that particular record, the options relating to the spouse is unavailable.


Spin Left
Clicking here moves your whole sheet of labels in small increments to the left of the page. Use this option to position your labels precisely on your page.


Spin Right
Clicking here moves your whole sheet of labels in small increments to the right of the page. Use this option to position your labels precisely on your page.


Spin Down
Clicking here moves your whole sheet of labels in small increments downward towards the bottom of your page. Use this option to position your labels precisely on your page.


Spin Up
Clicking here moves your whole sheet of labels in small increments upward towards the top of your page. Use this option to position your labels precisely on your page.


Spin Width
This shows the amount, in inches, how far you have moved your labels across the page.


Spin Height
This shows the amount, in inches, how far you have moved your labels up or down the page.


Printer Fonts
This is a list of all the available fonts currently on your computer to use when printing your labels. The font that you choose to print your labels with will be remembered the next time you run the Label Printer.


Printer Sizes
This is a list of the font sizes. Depending on the font you choose, you may need to increase the size or reduce it. The font size that you choose to print your labels with will be remembered the next time you run the Label Printer.


Printer Test
When you first start Label Printer, the name and address of the first record will show here as an example. As you add names to the "Names to be printed:" box, the selected names will then be displayed. This also will give you a great idea as to how your label will look with the chosen font and size.


Current Names
This list box shows all the names entered into FamilyTrax. Select the names from this list that you would like to print labels from. You can select more than one name by clicking and dragging or by holding down the Control key and making random selections.


Current Add
Selecting names from this list and clicking the "<< Add" button will add these names to the "Names to be printed:" list. You can also double click on the names in this list to add them to the "Names to be printed:" list.


Current Add All
Clicking on this button adds all the names in this list to the "Names to be printed:" list. This is a quick way to add all the names at once.


Names List
The names shown in this list are the names that will be printed as labels.  To change Name Setup Options, names can be selected in this box  by clicking and dragging or by holding down the Control key and making random selections.


Names Remove
Clicking on this button removes the selected names from this list. Pressing the delete key while names are selected will do the same thing.


Setup Main
This is the default setting for all the names in the "Names to be printed:" list every time Label Printer is started. This will only show and print the main first and last name.


Setup Spouse
If a spouse's name has been entered, this option will be available. Selecting this option will only show and print the spouse's first and last name.


Setup Both
If a spouse's name has been entered, this option will be available. Selecting this option will show and print the main and spouse's name with the last name.


Setup Main Family
Selecting this option will add the "and Family" to the end of the main's first and last name.


Setup Spouse Family
If a spouse's name has been entered, this option will be available. Selecting this option will add the "and Family" to the end of the spouse's first and last name.


Setup Both Family
Selecting this option will add "The" and "Family" to the main and last name. For example; Mike Richards would now be "The Mike Richards Family".


Paper Labels
This box visually displays the type of labels that was chosen. This gives you a good idea of the size and position of all the labels supported by FamilyTrax.


Paper Choice
This list displays the available label papers supported by FamilyTrax. For all pratical purposes, the Avery or comparable 30 labels, 1 x 2-5/8 is all you will ever need to use (the labels currently shown). Label paper is expensive and this one will give you the most labels for your money. Label Printer remembers the last selection chosen and loads it the next time Label Printer is run.


Paper Type
This box displays information about the selected label. This is all the information you'll need when purchasing your labels. You don't have to buy Avery, but it needs to be exactly the same size. The labels supported by FamilyTrax are standard sizes and are available in many brands. It's a good idea to call your office supply store to be sure they have what you're looking for in stock.


Reminder Jump
Birthday & Anniversary Reminder

There are two versions of Reminder- the external and internal. The external version of Reminder will keep you informed of up and coming birthdays and anniversaries every time you boot into Windows. By using this handy feature, you can be a big hit with your family and friends because you’ll have plenty of time to run to the store, find a card and send it out to them in the mail.

To use the external Reminder and/or see how it works, select the icon from its Program Manager icon group, drag and drop it into the StartUp program group or add the line to your WIN.INI file-run=c:\Famtrax\reminder.exe (You’ll need to specify the correct path to the REMINDER.EXE). Always make a backup copy of your WIN.INI file before you try to edit it. That way, every time you boot into Windows, it will run the Reminder. To turn off  the external Reminder, pull it back out of the StartUp, Program Manager group and put it back into the FamilyTrax group. The great feature about the reminder is that it will only show up once a day and only if it has anything to remind you about. This keeps it from coming up every time you restart your computer, which can be annoying. If you need to be reminded again that same day about the coming events, you can run the version of Reminder that is built into FamilyTrax. You can run this version as many times as you need. In the Preferences window of FamilyTrax you can specify how many days in advance you would like to be reminded. Keep in mind that running Reminder when Windows starts up will delay the Windows startup for about a split second. During this time is when Reminder is determining whether it has been run that day or it is searching your records for upcoming events. If there's something to remind you about, Reminder will pop-up and display all the events. If there's nothing to remind you about, it quits itself.


Backup Restore
Backup & Restore

When you’re done entering information for that day, it is greatly advised you backup your data on a separate floppy disk. Incorporated into FamilyTrax is an easy way to backup your precious files. Just insert a blank floppy disk and click on the disk icon located on the Data Form and choose Backup and all the work is done for you. If you need to reinstall FamilyTrax or retrieve your data files, just insert your backup disk and click on the disk icon and choose Restore.

In the world of computers, anything can happen. Having a floppy disk dedicated to you FamilyTrax files is the best way to insure you won't need to spend hours entering it all in again. One double density disk (800 k) or high density disk (1.44 meg) is all you’ll ever need unless you have entered in more than 1250 names. The FamilyTrax data files take up very little room. Every time you backup your data files, FamilyTrax puts a copy of your FAMILY.DAT and FAMILY.INI on the floppy of your choice. Every time you go to backup after the first time, FamilyTrax takes the FAMILY.DAT that is currently on your floppy and renames it FAMILY.OLD and then proceeds to copy over the version of FAMILY.DAT that’s on your hard drive. This way if there is a problem, you still might be able to use the older version of your data file by renaming the FAMILY.OLD to FAMILY.DAT, and replacing the bad file with the slightly older one. If you’re lucky, you may not need to re-enter in any names.

Say for sake of example, one day you go to turn on your computer and nothing works. Later you find your hard drive went bad and all your files are gone. If you have a backup drive and backup religiously, chances are you’ll be OK. If not, or you’re not sure when the last backup was made, you’ll be fine as long as you ran the FamilyTrax backup after every new entry cycle. Once you have your system up and running, install FamilyTrax. Once the install is finished, run FamilyTrax, insert your disk, click on the backup disk icon located on the Data Form and choose Restore. The restore will copy over the current data files and load them. FamilyTrax will be just as you left it the last time the backup was done. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.


Key Commands

Below is a list of all the different keyboard commands and the form they relate to.

All Forms
Control + Q  -  Quit
Enter Key  -  Closes all the windows except the Data Form window. Here the enter key can be used as a way to move to the next field like the tab key or to create a new record. These two options are found in the Preferences window.

Data Form
Left Arrow  -  Moves backwards through the records.
Right Arrow  -  Moves forward through the records.
Control + N  -  Creates a new blank record.
Control + K  -  Brings up The Kids form.
Control + L  -  Brings up the FamilyTrax List window.
Control + S  -  Brings up Backup/Restore window.
Control + D  -  Brings up Record Delete window.
Control + R  -  Activates the Reminder

Label Printer
Control + P  -  Starts the printing process.
Delete Key  -  Deletes all the selected names in the Names to be printed list.


Customer Support

If you have any suggestions or questions, you can reach me via fax, CompuServe, American Online, Email or mail. Suggestions are greatly appreciated and can possibly win you a free registered copy of FamilyTrax.

Howard Rosenorn
1N735 Forest Ave.
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137

Fax No. 708-858-8116
CompuServe, 73144,3512
America Online, RoundHow
Email address, howard.rosenorn@aquila.com


Registration Text
Registration

To register FamilyTrax, run the Order Form program, fill it out and print it. Send the printout with your check in the mail. Your copy will ship the day we receive your order in the mail. Once you install your full version, you can then continue adding names where you left off-no need to re-enter any names.

Please support the shareware concept by registering your copy of FamilyTrax. If you’re not sure what shareware is, read the "What is Shareware?" section of this help file. Many, many months of hard work have gone into making FamilyTrax and is well worth the $15.00 cost. FamilyTrax is also a great gift for your family and friends. If you choose to purchase more than one copy to hand out to your loved ones, each additional copy is only $10.00. If you know a lot of people you think would enjoy this program, send me a message and I’ll give you a quantity discount. Keep in mind, making illegal copies of FamilyTrax is against the law.

Purchasing the full version of FamilyTrax entitles you to upgrade discounts and unlimited support through fax, CompuServe,  American Online, Email or mail.

Howard Rosenorn
1N735 Forest Ave.
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137

Fax No. 708-858-8116
CompuServe 73144,3512
America Online, RoundHow
Email address howard.rosenorn@aquila.com

Topics Discussed:

What is Shareware?


The FAMILY.INI file is the file that saves all your program configurations. Where you left your windows, what font you chose in Label Printer, to name a few. If this file is deleted, FamilyTrax makes a new one and starts you out with all the default settings.


FAMILY.DAT
This is the file that FamilyTrax stores all its information in.


Order_Form
If you do decide to purchase FamilyTrax, included is a seperate program for making your order. Type in your information and print it. Then send the printout with your check.


BBS
BBS stands for Bulletin Board System. CompuServe, American Online and Geni are Bulletin Board Systems. BBS systems are great ways to download software, get information and receive Email.


Every time you click on the New Record icon on the Data Form, it's like adding another pocket to put new information into. Think of it as every record represents one family. Within each record, you enter in all the information about that particular family. So when you add 12 different people (not including kids and spouses), you end up having 12 different records. Each record is saved to a file named FAMILY.DAT.


FamilyTrax has a status bar at the bottom of the Data Form. Its purpose is to inform you of how many records you have and what record you are currently in. It also gives you a little information about the control your cursor is over. The status bar can be turned off through the preferences if not needed.


FamilyTrax has two programs that can be used externally, Reminder and Quickie Dialer. This is so that Reminder will notify you of any up and coming occasions when you first start up Windows. Quickie Dialer is a quick and easy way to get to your phone numbers and dial them.


Reminder and Quickie Dialer are the features of FamilyTrax that have an identical cousin outside the main program. The versions inside the main program do the same thing the outside ones do. These features were added to give you more flexibility.


The control is anything inside a program that you can click on or type into. For example, the box that you type in someone's first name or click on the button with the trash can on it is a control.


When you're done entering information into FamilyTrax, just before you quit, insert your trusty FamilyTrax backup disk and backup your work. This way you'll always have a copy of all your information incase you need it.


About Button
Click here to show the About FamilyTrax window.


Help Button
Clicking here will start the FamilyTrax Help File.


This shows you how many labels are ready to print. The number goes up or down as you add or remove names from the "Names To Be Printed" list box.


Clicking on this button brings up the FamilyTrax Help File and loads the "Label Printer" section.


Clicking this button will print the labels.


This button closes the Label Printer from view. To return, select Label Printer from the Selection Bar located at the top of your monitor.


Enter the person's first name and middle initial here.


Enter the person's last name here.


Enter the address here.


Enter the apartment or suite number, if any.


Enter the city here.


Enter the state here.


Enter the zip code here.


Enter the home phone here. Double clicking on this edit field will dial the number.


Clicking on this button will dial the number currently listed in the "Home Phone" edit field.


Clicking on this button will dial the number currently listed in the "Work Phone" edit field.


Clicking on this button will dial the number currently listed in the "Car or Other Phone" edit field.


Enter the work phone here. Double clicking on this edit field will dial the number.


Use this edit field to enter a car or other additional phone lines. Double clicking on this edit field will dial the number.


Enter the work number extension, if any.


Type in comments or reminders.


Enter in the first person's birthday here. Once you enter in a birthday, it becomes a candidate for the Reminder. See the "Birthday & Anniversary Reminder" section of this help file for more details.


Enter in the first name only of the spouse here.


Enter in the spouse's birthday here. Once you enter in a birthday, it becomes a candidate for the Reminder. See the "Birthday & Anniversary Reminder" section of this help file for more details.


Enter in the wedding anniversary here. FamilyTrax will alert you if you entered in a date for the anniversay but didn't enter in a name for the spouse. Once you enter in an anniversary, it becomes a candidate for the Reminder. See the "Birthday & Anniversary Reminder" section of this help file for more details.


Clicking on this button brings up the FamilyTrax Help File and loads the "Data Form" section.


Clicking this button brings up the kids window. Here you enter in the first name of each child and their birthday. Once you enter in a birthday, it becomes a candidate for the Reminder. See the "Birthday & Anniversary Reminder" section of this help file for more details.


This button closes the Data Form from view. To return to the form, select Data Form from the Selection Bar located at the top of your monitor.


If Reminder has anything to remind you about, it shows up in this box. Reminder lists all the birthdays first and then the anniversaries.


Clicking on this button brings up the FamilyTrax Help File and loads the "Birthday & Anniversary Reminder" section.


When you are done viewing the Reminder list, clicking this button quits the external reminder or closes the internal Reminder.


This shows a complete list of all the first names and spouses entered into FamilyTrax. This is a quick and easy way to find the name you are looking for or to check and see if a certain name has been entered.


This button closes the FamilyTrax List from view. To return, select the List button located on the Data Form.


Double clicking on a name will bring up its contents in the Data Form. Also, as you go from name to name in the Data Form, the FamilyTrax List will follow along by selecting the same name in the list as the name in the Data Form.


This shows a complete list of all the names entered into FamilyTrax. Clicking on any of these names will display the number, if one has been entered. Double click on any of the names to dial the number.


The phone number to be dialed will be displayed here. If a number has not been entered, the message "Number hasn't been entered" will be displayed.


Clicking here will display the number to be dialed that was entered into the Home Phone edit field.


Clicking here will display the number to be dialed that was entered into the Work Phone edit field.


Clicking here will display the number to be dialed that was entered into the Car or Other Phone edit field.


Clicking on this button brings up the FamilyTrax Help File and loads the "Quickie Dialer" section.


This button closes the internal Quickie Dialer or quits the external Quickie Dialer. To return, select Quickie Dialer from the Selection Bar located at the top of your monitor or double click its icon in the Program Manager.


Preferences

Selecting the Preferences button at the top of your screen loads the Preferences window. Preferences allows you to change and/or customize FamilyTrax to your liking. The options you select and change will be remembered every time you run FamilyTrax.

Reminder Days

The first preference you can change is the Reminder days. The number you type in the edit field is how many days in advance you would like the external Reminder to notify you of up and coming events. Entering the number 10 will give you 10 days notice prior to the event.

Window Positions

This preference allows you to have all the FamilyTrax windows remain centered or to have them show up wherever you last left them. If you are running your computer at a resolution of 640 x 480, leave the option "All windows centered" selected because at that resolution, there’s not that much room to move them. You might select "User defined positions" if you're running your computer at higher resolutions.

Enter Key Selections

This option allows you to choose the way to move around the Data Form. The "Use Enter key like tab key" option will enable you to jump from edit field to edit field by pressing the Enter key. Also, once you reach the last edit field, FamilyTrax will add a new record. The "Enter key adds new record" will add a new record at any time you press the Enter key.

Com Port Settings

Since you can use FamilyTrax as a phone dialer, you need to specify what com port your modem is on. In most cases, the modem is on com port 2 because the mouse is on com port 1. If you get an error while dialing, you may have FamilyTrax set on the wrong com port.

Show Info Bar

For new users, the Info Bar located on the bottom of the Data Form is for giving you some helpful information about the button or edit field your cursor is currently over. No matter what window is open, information about its controls will show up in the Info Bar. Once you’re more familiar with FamilyTrax, you can deselect the "Show Info Bar" to remove the Info Bar from view.

Sounds are on or Sounds are off

FamilyTrax allows you to select ten different sounds for various buttons on the Data Form as well as a sound for when you select help and run the Reminder. This option enables you to turn all the sounds on or leave them all off.

Sounds Setup

The Sounds Setup window allows you to select different sounds for different buttons on the Data Form as well as running the Reminder and clicking on the help buttons. All the sound files in your Windows directory will show up in the list. From here you can select the sounds for all the different buttons and events. Click on the "Test Sound" button to hear the sound that was chosen for that button. Use the "No Sound" Button to disable a sound for a particular button.


In this edit field, enter the number of days you wish to be notified of all your up and coming events.


Selecting this option will cause all your windows to automatically center in the middle of your screen. No matter where you leave your windows, the next time you start FamilyTrax, they will be centered.


Selecting this option, FamilyTrax will remember the last place you left your windows.


Having this option selected, you are able to move around the Data Form in the same manner as pressing the tab key.


With this option selected, pressing the enter key while using the Data Form will automatically add a new record.


Clicking on this button will load the "Sounds Setup" window. With this window loaded, you can select different sounds for the Data Form buttons.


Here is where you select the com port for your modem. Modems are usually on com port 2.


This option is for turning on or off the Info Bar.


This option allows you to turn on or off all your FamilyTrax sounds.


Clicking here closes the Preferences window and saves all your selections.


Clicking here closes the Preferences window and does not save your selections.


Click here and then select a sound file to have that sound play when you click on the Left Arrow button.


Click here and then select a sound file to have that sound play when you click on the Right Arrow button.


Click here and then select a sound file to have that sound play when you click on the Add New Record button.


Click here and then select a sound file to have that sound play when you click on the Run Reminder button. The selected sound will also play when the external Reminder has an event to remind you about.


Click here and then select a sound file to have that sound play when you click on the Letters buttons.


Click here and then select a sound file to have that sound play when you click on the Backup/Restore button.


Click here and then select a sound file to have that sound play when you click on the Trash Can button.


Click here and then select a sound file to have that sound play when you click on the List button.


Click here and then select a sound file to have that sound play when you click on the Help button.


Click here and then select a sound file to have that sound play when you click on the Dial Number button.


Clicking here will play the sound to the currently selected sound button.


Click here to remove the sound from the selected button or to disable a particular button so that it plays no sound.


Clicking here closes the Sounds Setup window and saves all your selections.


Clicking here closes the Sounds Setup window and does not save your selections.


This is a list of all the sound files located in your Windows directory.