Category : Science and Education
Archive   : AFTSKL.ZIP
Filename : README.1ST

Two Floppy Drives:

Copy the files CLTCH.GC and C_SAMPLE.DBF onto a
formated floppy that you will use as your data disk.
Those files are samples to demonstrate the use of the
program. Use the original disk, or even better a copy
of it, in drive A and your data disk in drive B.

Enter AftrSkol (or aft for the batch file) and the
program will start (assuming you've started your system
from a system disk first and have this program in a
drive).

Hard Disk:

Copy the contents of the distribution disk onto a
partition of your hard drive. From that partition,
simply type and enter either AFT or AFTRSKOL and the
program will start. Follow the menu instructions.

Methods:
Read the file METHODS.TXT for a discussion of the
options that are available when you choose Term Average
from the Main Menu. This is important not only for
using the program but for seeing the difference made by
various alternative methods.

Loading Data:

Load new data by choosing utilities/create/ or
utilities/prefab. Create allows you to name a new file
which you access for entering names by going back to
the main menu and selecting Change Names.


The prefab option uses a dBase III Plus (trademark of
ASHTON-TATE) file named stdschin.dbf to access flat
ASCII files with the suffix *.GC. The stdschin.dbf
file is structured for data available in Vancouver.
That will set up the records for all classes for any
teacher who has his/her *.GC list. Try it with the
sample CLTCH.GC file enclosed with the distribution
disk.

In other jurisdictions you can also use this option if
you have access to flat ASCII input files and know
dBase (trademark of ASHTON-TATE). "Simply" modify the
stdschin.dbf file to match the input data available in
your jurisdiction and rename your flat input data to
something with a ".GC" suffix. It is essential that
you keep the field names the same and tag any that you
don't use from stdschin.dbf onto the end of your
modified file so that the program will not try to
access fields that are not there.

Learning By Doing

Try the program by pushing buttons, you can always
erase the files and start over!

File Names:

AftrSkol names all worksheets with the prefix "C_".
These are "class worksheets" that are changed to files
with the prefix "Tn" (where n is the number of the
term) after you use the Term Average option and choose
save term marks. The C_??????.dbf file is used at year
end to store the average of all the Tn??????.dbf files.
All the data files are "dbf" files as the system is
written in Clipper (trademark of Nantucket
Corporation). In between the prefix and the ".dbf"
suffix, is a name that either you assign like SC9 (up
to six characters) or a name that the system assigns
if you use the prefab input option.

REMEMBER:

By making copies of your files, you can always erase
everything if "something goes wrong", restore from your
copies and start over. That's the best way to learn
any system.

You have two sample files to "play" with - one already
built, C_SAMPLE.dbf and one ready to build using the
prefab option and CLTCH.GC.


******* PLEASE READ METHODS.TXT ********