Category : Science and Education
Archive   : CLERC301.ZIP
Filename : CLASSREC.MAN

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C L A S S R E C O R D
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Version 3.01

U S E R ' S M A N U A L
Copyright (c) 1987 R. C. Pinto All Rights Reserved
Manual edited by Scott MacLean

No versions of CLASS RECORD, including version 3.01, are public domain
software, nor are they free software. CLASS RECORD is copyright (C) 1985,
1986, 1987 by R. C. Pinto. Nonregistered users are granted a limited license
to use CLASS RECORD on a trial basis for the purpose of determining whether
CLASS RECORD is suitable for their needs. Use of CLASS RECORD, except for
this limited purpose, requires registration. Use of nonregistered copies of
CLASS RECORD by any person, business, corporation, governmental agency or
other institution is strictly forbidden.

Registration grants a user the license to use CLASS RECORD only on a single
computer; a registered user may use the program on a different computer, but
may not use the program on more than one computer at the same time.

No user may modify CLASS RECORD in any way, including but not limited to
decompiling, disassembling or otherwise reverse engineering the program.

All users are granted a limited license to copy CLASS RECORD only for the
trial use of others subject to the above limitations, and also to the
following:

CLASS RECORD must be copied in unmodified form. The full CLASS RECORD
documentation must be included with the copy, including this license
information. No fee, charge or other compensation may be accepted or
requested by any licensee. CLASS RECORD may not be distributed in
conjunction with any other product.

Operators of electronic bulletin board systems (Sysops) may post CLASS RECORD
for downloading by their users only as long as the above conditions are met.

Distributors of public domain or user supported software may distribute
copies of CLASS RECORD subject to the above conditions only after obtaining
written permission from R. C. Pinto. Such permission usually is granted;
please write for details. See the Ordering section for more information on
registration, corporate licensing and similar topics.

WARRANTY

R. C. Pinto makes no warranty of any kind, express or implied, including
without limitation, any warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a
particular purpose. R. C. Pinto shall not be liable for any damages, whether
direct, indirect, special or consequential arising from a failure of this
program to operate in the manner desired by the user. R. C. Pinto shall not
be liable for any damage to data or property which may be caused directly or
indirectly by use of the program.

IN NO EVENT WILL R. C. PINTO 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.


T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

1. G E T T I N G S T A R T E D
Features
Copying and Installing the Program on your Disks
Floppy disk systems
Hard disk systems
Making a backup disk for data
Running CLASS RECORD
Using the menus
Starting CLASS RECORD for the first time
Setting general values
Setting session letters and dates
Setting the default drive
Saving changes
Leaving CLASS RECORD

2. B A S I C F U N C T I O N S
Creating a CLASS RECORD file
Identifying the class
Specifying grade components and method of calculation
Supplying the names of the students in the class
Entering Grades
Finding the record you want
Recording and correcting grades
Recording, adding to and subtracting from a Bonus mark
Deleting a grade
Saving Records to Disk
Using the "Files" Option
Setting the current drive
Saving and backing up from "Files"
Saving from the warning box
Retrieving Records from Disk
Retrieving records for current academic year
Retrieving records for a past academic year
Updating Class Lists and Individual Records
Revising individual student's name, ID or info
Revising course information
Revising item descriptions and method of calculating final grade
Adding names to class list
Deleting names from the class list
Calculating Grades
Assigning a method of calculation
Entering marks

1. G E T T I N G S T A R T E D

CLASS RECORD is an electronic grade book for MSDOS computers. It requires
192K of Memory requiredmemory and will run on IBM PC, XT and AT computers and
on machines compatible with those.

Features

CLASS RECORD is designed to be fast, flexible, powerful and easy to use.
Here are some of its features.

- Up to 400 students per class
- Up to 400 grade items per course (using subsidiary files)
- Statistical analysis and reporting
- Automatic calculation of running averages and final grades
- Conversion of final grades to letter grades (optional)
- Automatic calculation and posting of test grades, etc.
- Five methods for computing grades
- Interpretation of letter grades entered by user
- Automatic alphabetization of class lists
- Grade adjustments (to put grades on "curve", etc.)
- Over a dozen different kinds of printed reports.
- Subsidiary files (optional independent secondary files for components
of final grade)
- Menu driven: no commands to memorize
- Fully customizable by user

Learning to Use CLASS RECORD

CLASS RECORD is designed to be easy to learn and use. The menus tell you
what you can do, and the program prompts or asks you for the information it
needs. Limited helpHelp is available from within the program itself (a
message in the lower righthand corner of your monitor screen will tell you
when and how to get it). Many people have become thoroughly at ease with the
program without employing a manual at all.

We recommend, however, that you begin by reading this chapter and the next
from the manual. They will tell you most of what you need to know. You can
read the remaining chapters later, as the need arises.

We also recommend that you take some time just to PLAY with the program
before trying to use it for actual recording of grades. Create one or more
"dummy" class lists and try out the various features of the program with
them. It can be fun and it will make things easier when it's time to use the
program for recording and analyzing real grades.

Copying and Installing the Program
Installing the Program on your Disks
Copying Program Files

The first thing you should do is to copy the program files onto your working
disk.

Floppy disk systems.

We recommend that current student records be kept on the same disk as your
working program files. Therefore, we recommend that you copy just the
program files onto a new, bootable disk. To do so, begin by formatting a new
floppy diskFloppy disk with the command "format /s" (Adding "/s" will place
the system files on the newly formatted disk so that you can boot start up
the computer with it). Then place the disk containing the program files in
drive A and (if you have a second floppy drive) the newly formatted disk in
drive B. Finally, issue the following two commands:

copy a:cr.* b:copy a:archive.bat b:

Your working floppy disk is now ready to use; be sure to affix an appropriate
label on it.

Hard disk systems.

On hard disk systems, the program assumes that your hard disk is drive C and
must therefore be installed on drive C. Begin by creating a subdirectory for
CLASS RECORD. We recommend the subdirectory be in the root directory of
drive C, and that it be named "CR". To follow that recommendation, issue the
following command:

md c:\cr

Next, change to the newly created subdirectory with the command:

cd c:\cr

Finally, place the disk containing the program files in drive A and issue the
following two commands:

copy a:cr.* copy a:archive.bat

CLASS RECORD is now installed on your hard disk.

Making a backup disk for data.

Since student grade records contain invaluable information, we recommend that
whenever grades are saved to disk, a second, backupBackup copy be made to
another disk. The program will invite you to make such a backup copy after
each save. We urge both hard disk users and floppy disk users to prepare a
floppy disk for that purpose now. Simply format a new with the command
"format", and affix an appropriate label to it.

Running CLASS RECORD

Since dates are important to CLASS RECORD, make sure your computer's system
date is properly set before you run the program. Use the DOS command "date"
to check the system dateDate and reset it if necessary. (The program's
opening screen will remind you of this, and instruct you to restart the
program if the date is incorrect.)

To start CLASS RECORD on a floppy disk system, place your working disk in
drive A: and at the DOS prompt

A>

issue the command CR.

On a hard disk system, first log to the appropriate subdirectory with the
command "cd \cr" if you've named the subdirectory "cr"; if you've used some
other name, put it in the "cd" command.

cd \cr

and then issue the command

cr

While the program is loading in, you will see an opening screen. When
program loading is completed, the message "Press any key to continue..." will
appear in the lower left corner of the screen. When you press a key, you
will normally go to the Main Menu. However, the first time you use CLASS
RECORD you will probably see a screen which is entitled "Customize CLASS
RECORD."

Using the menus

A menu is a numbered list of choices, which appears on the screen and which
describes the options available to you. CLASS RECORD's menu system is
designed to make it easy for you to find your way around in the program and
to keep track of where you are in it. You always start from the MAIN MENU,
and you can always get back to the Main Menu, from anywhere in the program,
by pressing the HOME key. The HOME key is your "panic button", in case you
get lost. When you leave the Main Menu, and begin to move through "submenus,"
the screen usually displays graphically the path that you've taken. You'll
be able to see how you got to where you are. Moreover, you can always back
out of what you're doing and move back one step-by pressing the ESCAPE key.
The ESCAPE key is your eraser, in case you take a step you want to cancel.

There are three alternative ways to select an item from a menu:

1. Use the ARROW KEYS to highlight your choice, then press RETURN to register
that choice.

2. Use the NUMBER KEYS to highlight your choice, then press RETURN to register
that choice.

3. Use the FUNCTION KEYS to select choices by number (for numbered choices up
to and including 10). This is quickest way to make a selection, since
there's no need to press the RETURN key when you use the function keys.

Starting CLASS RECORD for the first time

The first time you run the program, you may go automatically to the option
"Customize CLASS RECORD." This is so the program can prepare a special file
(called "CR.CNVCR.CNV"), containing the details of your way of organizing
things, which it keeps on your working disk. You need not supply all such
information immediately, but there is certain information you should supply
the very first time you run the program. (If you the program does not go
automatically, but to the Main Menu instead, choose Option 8 from the Main
Menu.)

Setting general values.

From the Customize menu, select Option1-"General." You will see six
different default values displayed. You may change any one of the six by
using the arrow keys to highlight it, then typing in a new value and pressing
RETURN. You should make sure, especially, that the following values are
correct:

1. Number of characters in course numberCourse number-i.e., the number used
to identify courses. Enter a number from 1 to 7.

2. Number of characters in section number. If your institution runs more
than one section of a course, and identifies sections by number or letter,
you must tell the program that section numbers are to be used to identify
individual classes. Enter a number from 0 to 2, as appropriate.

3. Number of sessions (semesters, trimesters, etc.) per year. Enter a number
from 1 to 12.

4. Beginning of academic yearAcademic year. Enter a number from 1 to 12
which identifies the first month of the academic year at your institution.

Setting session letters and dates.

From the Customize menu, select Option 2-"Define Sessions." You will then
see a list of letters-A, B, C, etc.-to be used to identify the various
sessions into which your academic year is divided. You may change each of
them by using the arrow keys to highlight it, then typing in a new value and
pressing RETURN. Select letters that will be informative (e.g., "F" or the
fall session, "S" for summer session), then press the END key when you are
done. You will next be shown a schedule in which the letters you've chosen
are paired with numbers to identify the months in which sessions begin. For
each session letter, enter the appropriate number from 1 to 12. When done,
press the END key again.

Setting the default drive.

From the Customize menu, select Option 5-"Default Drive." You will be shown
a menu with four options on it, enabling you to tell the program where to
save records and where look for records that have been saved to disk. If you
are using a floppy disk system, you will probably want to select the first of
those options, drive A. If you are using a hard disk system, you will first
select Option 4 in order to specify the name of the subdirectory on your hard
disk where CLASS RECORD files are to be stored.

Saving changes.

After you have made the necessary changes just described, select the last
option from the "Installation Activity" menu-the option entitled "Save
Changes." This will record the choices you've just made to disk, so that the
program will remember them the next time you use CLASS RECORD. Finally,
press ESCAPE or HOME to return to the Main Menu. (If you try to return to
the Main Menu without saving changes, the program will warn you and ask for
confirmation that changes are not to be saved.) Chapter 5 below contains
information about further customization the program-most importantly, on how
to set the program up for use of letter grades.

Leaving CLASS RECORD

To leave or exit CLASS RECORD, and return to DOS, first go to the Main Menu
(and remember, you can always get to the Main Menu by pressing HOME). While
at the Main Menu, simply press the ESCAPE key. The program will ask for
confirmation that you want to leave. Type "Y" to leave; type "N" or ESCAPE
to cancel the command to exit. (If you have made changes to records, and
those changes have not been saved to disk, the program will warn you of that
fact and offer you the opportunity to save changes before exiting.)

2. B A S I C F U N C T I O N S

This chapter contains a tutorial in the use of CLASS RECORD. It will show
you how to create a new file, enter grades, save your file, retrieve it,
calculate grades for items, update class lists and individual records,
display statistics and print reports.

Creating a CLASS RECORD file

CLASS RECORD keeps the records for each class in its own separate file on
disk. You must therefore create a file for each class you want to keep
records for. The process of creating such a file has three stages: (1)
Identifying the class by course number, etc.; (2) Specifying grade components
and how they contribute to the final grade; (3) Supplying the names of the
students in the class.

Identifying the class.

From the Main Menu, selection Option 7-"Create/Alter Class List." When you
enter Option 7, an "Activity" menu will be displayed. From that menu select
Option 3-"Create New Class List." A box will open on the screen, and in it
information on a series of topics will be requested. By supplying that
information, you identify the class.

1. Course number. Enter the course number and press RETURN. The program
requires that you supply EXACTLY the correct number of characters and will
only accept a course number of the right length.

2. Section number. Enter the section number and press RETURN. The program
requires that you supply EXACTLY the correct number of characters and will
only accept a section number of the right length. (If you specified a
section number of 0 length when you customized the program, you will not be
asked for a section number.

3. Calendar year. Supply a two digit number to identify the
calendar year in which the course is being offered.

4. Session letter. Supply one character to identify the session in which the
course is being offered. The program reminds you of the letters which you
have assigned to identify sessions, and will only accept one of those
letters. (If you specified less than 2 sessions when you customized the
program, you will not be asked for a session letter.)

5. Title. Enter a course titleCourse title of up to 40 characters and press
RETURN. (Title may be left blank if you wish.)

When you have supplied the required information, you will be asked to confirm
that it is correct. If you enter "Y" for "yes", you proceed to the next
phase. If you enter "N" for "no", you are given the opportunity to revise
each bit of information supplied.

Specifying grade components and method of calculation.

The program will request the information it needs regarding the method for
calculating the final grade and the items that go to make up the final grade.
There are either three or four main parts to this information, depending of
the method of calculating the final grade.

1. Number of items, etc.

A box will open on the screen and information will be requested on three
topics.

(a) Number of items in final grade. That is to say, the number of items from
which the final grade is to be calculated. Enter a number from 1 to 20 and
press RETURN. (It is possible to have more than 20 items if you use
subsidiary files; see chapter 4 on how to do so.)

(b) Number of Decimal places in final grades in final grade. The program
will round the numeric value of cumulative averages and final grades to the
number of decimal places you specify here, and display cumulative averages
and numeric final grades with that number of decimal places. Enter 0, 1 or 2
and press RETURN.

(c) Method of rounding. If grades are rounded OFF to, say, one decimal
place, then 70.56 becomes 70.6. If grades are rounded DOWN to one decimal
place, then 70.56 becomes 70.5. Answer "Y" to round grades OFF, "N" to round
them DOWN.

When you have supplied the required information, you will be asked to confirm
that it is correct. If you enter "Y" for "yes", you proceed to the next
phase. If you enter "N" for "no", you are given the opportunity to revise
each bit of information supplied.

2. Method of calculation for final grade.

A box will open offering you a menu of five choices-five alternative ways of
calculating the final grade. Highlight the method use wish to use and press
RETURN. The methods are as follows:

(a) Sum as a percentage of. Grades for component items are added together,
and the final grade assigned is their total as a percentage of a fixed
amount. When you choose this method, you are asked to specify the fixed
amount.

(b) Straight addition. The final grade is simply the total of the grades for
the individual items.

(c) Simple average. The grades for the individual items are averaged
together, with each item having equal weight with every other item. (With
this method of calculation, a student's cumulative averageCumulative average
is the simple average of those items for which grades have been assigned.)

(d) Weighted average. The grades for individual items are averaged together,
with different items having different weights. For example, in a given
course the term test might count 20% of the final grade, the essay 30% and
the final exam 50%. (With this method of calculation, a student's cumulative
averageCumulative average is the weighted average of those items for which
grades have been assigned, based on the relative weights of just those
items.) When you choose this method, you will be asked to specify the
weights for individual items after those individual items have been given
descriptions.

(e) Best n1 of n (e.g., best 4 of 5). The grades for the individual items
are averaged together, with each item having equal weight with every other
item, but the lowest grade is not counted. This method of calculation is
offered only if there isbmore than one item making up the final grade. (With
this method of calculation, a student's cumulative averageCumulative average
is the simple average of those items for which grades have been assigned
until a grade is assigned for every item.)

3. Assigning item descriptions.

After you have chosen the method of calculation, a box will open up offering
you the opportunity to give meaningful descriptions of the items which make
up the final grade. You will see a flashing (default) description like "ITEM
1"; type over it with a more informative description (like "Test 1" or
"Essay" or "Final Exam"), Or press RETURN to accept the default answer. The
descriptions you give may be up to 10 characters each. Typing certain initial
letters will cause certain descriptions to appear. For example, "T" will put
"Test " on the screen, "E" will put "Essay " and "F" will put "Final Exam".
To avoid such substitutions, type "x" followed by the BACKSPACE key.

The order in which the various grade items appear on student records and in
reports is the order in which you describe them here. One type of printed
report available is a list of final grades together with marks for the last
grade item (see the section on Printing Reports at the end of this chapter).
With an eye to using this reporting feature, make sure that you list the
appropriate item e.g., "Final Exam" last.

When you have dealt with all items, you will be offered the opportunity to
revise the desciptions you've just given. To do so, use the arrow keys to
highlight the desciption you want to revise, then simply type in the new
description and press RETURN. When you are done with revisions, press the
END key to move on to the next step.

4. Assigning item weights.

If you have selected weighted average as your method of calculation, you are
next asked to supply weights to individual items. The weights may be in the
form of whose numbers (integers) or of decimal numbers (up to two decimal
places. A double question mark ("??") will appear next to each descrition;
type in the weight to be assigned and press RETURN. When you assigned
weights to every item, the lower lefthand portion of the screen will show the
total of the weights you've assigned. You will then be offered the
opportunity to revise the values you've just assigned. To do so, use the
arrow keys to highlight the weight you want to revise, then simply type in
the new value and press RETURN. When you are done with revisions, press the
END key to move on to the next step.

Supplying the names of the students in the class

When you have finished describing the grade components and the method for
calculating the final grade, the program will return you to the "Activity"
submenu of the "Create/Update Class List" option. Usually, at this point you
will want to enter the names of the students in the class for which you're
creating a file. It is not necessary to add student names at this point. You
can save the file to disk without any names in it, then retrieve it and add
names at some later time. To do so, select "Add Students" (option 1) from
the "Activity" submenu.

A box will open on the screen, prompting you for the name of a student. In
the upper lefthand corner of the box you will see the phrase "Record #1'.
This tells you that the student record you are about to create is the first
one. Every time you add the name of a student, you will be shown the record
number. When you are entering a group of names, the lower lefthand portion of
the screen will (after the first name in the group) display the last or
previous name entered. This is to help you keep track of you place when
entering names from a list. Enter a Nameaddname up to 30 characters long,
then press RETURN. Since the program will keep the records, and print class
lists, in alphabetical order by name, it is strongly recommended that names
be entered with last (or family) name first. (The program converts all
letters to upper case when you are entering names; this is to simplify the
computers task of alphabetizing and later searching for names.)

If you are using student ID number, you will next be prompted for the ID
number. Enter it (or leave the ID number blank), then press RETURN. If the
number of characters you've entered is not the designated length That is to
say, the number specified when you customized CLASS RECORD. for ID numbers,
the program will still accept what you've typed, but will beep to warn you
that the number of characters is not correct.

Next you will be prompted for "Info" - any additional information about the
student you want to program to keep track of. This information is partly
just for reference purposes, but can also be used later in a limited way to
select students for inclusion in reports. Enter up to 20 characters and
press RETURN. (The program converts all letters to upper case when you are
entering info; this is to simplify the computers task later of selecting
records on the basis of info.)

You are next asked to confirm that everything you've entered for this
student's record is correct. If you answer "Y" for "yes", you will move on
to the next record. If you answer "N" for "no," you will be given the
opportunity to revise the name, ID number and info.

To end adding students, press RETURN or ESCAPE without entering any
information for "Name:". And as always, you can cancel what you're doing and
return to the Main Menu by pressing the HOME key.

Entering Grades

To enter grades, select "Student Records" (option 1) from the Main Menu. A
student's record will be displayed IF there are student records in memory.
If no such records are in memory, you will get a message beneath the Main
Menu telling you of that fact. on the screen-the record for the
alphabetically first student in the class. While a student's record is being
displayed, pressing Alt-H will open a help window on the screen. Pressing
ESCAPE will return you to the Main Menu and, as always, pressing HOME will do
so as well.

Finding the record you want

There are three ways to search for the record of a particular student:

1. Paging through records. You may use the PgUp and PgDn keys to page
through the records one at a time. PgDn moves alphabetically forward, PgUp
alphabetically backward. Using this feature, you move in a circle: PgDn
while at the last record will display the first record; PgUp while at the
first record will display the last record.

2. Search by name. Press the END key: a box will open and you will be
asked for a name to search for. Enter the first few letters of the name (as
many as needed to uniquely identify it) and press RETURN. If the program
can match what you've typed with the start of a name on one of its records,
the first such match will be displayed on the screen. (Sometimes you won't
get the record you want, but pressing PgDn a few times will bring you to the
record you want.) If the program can't match what you've typed, it so
informs you and asks for another name to search. To cancel the request for
a search, press ESCAPE or press RETURN while the name to search area is
blank.

3. Search by ID number. Press Control-END; a box will open and you will be
asked for a number to search for. Enter the first few charcters of the
number (as many as needed to uniquely identify it) and press RETURN. Or
alternatively, type "*" followed by the LAST few characters of the number.
If the program can match what you've typed with the appropriate part of a
number on one of its records, the first such match will be displayed on the
screen. If the program can't match what you've typed, it so informs you and
asks for another number to search. To cancel the request for a search,
press ESCAPE or press RETURN while the number to search area is blank.

When you move to a new record by any of these methods, the grade item
highlighted is the same one as was higlighted on the previous record. As a
result, if you are entering the grades for an entire class for, say, the
final exam, as you find each student's record you can immediately enter the
grade for the final exam.

Recording and correcting grades.

With the correct student record displayed, use the arrow keys to highlight
the area next to the description of the item for which you want to make or
change an entry. Then simply type in the information you want to record or
correct. If you are replacing a grade, the program will beep to warn you
that you may be overwriting important information; if you change your mind,
simply press ESCAPE and whatever you were replacing will be restored. Once
the appropriate information has been entered, register it by pressing either
RETURN or an arrow key. If you try to enter a grade the program doesn't
recognize, it will beep and restore any previous value.

The program will accept number grades that fall within the limits specified
when you customize the program (normally from 0 to 100). It will accept any
number of decimal places, but keeps track of only two decimal places for
individual grade items. If you have customized the program to accept letter
grades, the program will recognize the letter grades you've assigned values
for. It will also accept the grades "PASS" (or "P" for short) and "FAIL".

If letter grades have been entered, you can toggle between displaying the
letters and their numeric values by pressing the INS key.

Recording, adding to and subtracting from a Bonus mark.

To alter the bonus mark, which is shown in the lower lefthand corner of the
student's record, press AltB. A box will open, in which you can enter a new
bonus mark, or an amount to be subtracted from or added to an existing bonus
mark. You indicate that the number entered is to be added to or subtracted
from an existing bonus by preceding it with "+" or "".

The program will accept up to 2 decimal places in bonus marks (but only
displays the number of decimal places required for the final grade). The
bonus mark (unlike a regular grade) can be a negative number; consequently,
the bonus can be used to store grade penalties.

Bonuses are added to, or subracted from, the cumulative average AFTER all
computations have taken place, but BEFORE the cumulative average is rounded
down or rounded off. To see the cumulative average without bonus added to
it (and to six decimal places prior to any rounding) press F3. The value
you see is called the Raw Cumulative Average.

Deleting a grade.

Use the arrow keys to highlight the grade you want to delete, then press the
DEL key. You will be asked to confirm the deletion. Type "Y" to delete,
"N" to cancel the deletion.

Saving Records to Disk

CLASS RECORD keeps the entire set of records you are working on in the
computer's memory. Additions and changes you make to those records don't
affect what's on disk until you explicitly save your reecords to disk. The
good side of this is that changes made in error can be ignored by not saving
them to disk. The bad side is that changes and additions are lost if you
neglect to save them. CLASS RECORD tries to prevent your losing any data by
warning you if you try to leave the program or erase records from the
computer's memory without saving changes to disk.

Using the "Files" Option.

Option 5 on the Main Menu entitled "Files option" contains all activities
for managing files on disk, including facilities for saving records and for
setting the drive to which records will be saved. Suboption 4 ("Save
Records") under "Files" is the preferred way to save because it invites you
to back up your records and simplifies the job of doing so.

Setting the current drive.

The current drive or, when using a hard disk, the current drive and
directory is where records are retrieved from and saved to (except when
you're backing up records after just having saved them). When you select
"Files" (option 5) from the Main Menu, the Files "Activity" menu is
displayed; at the bottom of that menu, the current drive is identified.
Initially the current drive is the default drive, set when you customize the
program; but the current drive can be changed during a computer session.
From the Files "Activity" menu, choose "Change Drive" (option 6). The
"Select Drive" menu will appear, offering you four choices: drives A:
through C: and the option of changing to a different directory on drive C.
If you select one of the first three options (simple change to a different
drive), the change is made and you are returned immediately to the Files
"Activity" menu. If you opt to change to a different directory on drive C,
a box opens and you are prompted for a new pathname. (The current pathname
is offered as the default answer, and may be edited.) The pathname MUST
begin with "C:\" (the program supplies this beginning, which cannot be
altered), and can be up to 64 characters in length. Type in a new pathname
and press RETURN. You will be asked to confirm the new pathname. If you
answer "Y" for "yes", the new pathname becomes the current drive and you are
returned to the Files "Activity" menu. If you answer "N" for "no", you are
prompted again for a new pathname. When you change to a new drive, that
drive remain the current drive until you change it again, or you exit the
program.

Saving and backing up from "Files".

When you select "Save Records" (option 4) from the Files "Activity" menu, a
box opens for messages concerning the save operation. Four sorts of
messages can occur in that box.

1. If you are about to store a CLASS RECORD file on a disk or in a directory
that contain no previous CLASS RECORD files, you are warned of that fact and
asked whether you want to proceed. If you answer "N" for "no", the save is
cancelled. If you answer "Y" for "yes", the program proceeds with the save
operation.

2. If the save would overwrite an already existing file, you are asked
whether you wish to do so. If you answer "N" for "no", the save is
cancelled. If you answer "Y" for "yes", the program proceeds with the save
operation.

3. If for some reason the save cannot be completed successfully, you will
receive an error message. Information on error messages can be found in
chapter 3. If an error occurs while you are overwriting an existing file,
the existing file is remain on disk and is unaffected. The program saves all
files under a special temporary filename. It is only AFTER a successful
save that an existing file is deleted and the temporary filename is replaced
with the filename of the previously existing file. Following an error, you
are returned to the Files "Activity" menu.

4. If the save is successful, you are informed of that fact.

Following a successful save you are asked whether you want to make a backup.
Since the information in CLASS RECORD files is often irreplaceable, it is
stongly recommended that you backup to a second disk whenever you save. It
is suggested that hard disk users keep a backup floppy disk in drive A and
that dual floppy users keep one in drive B. If you answer "N" for "no", you
are returned to the Files "Activity" menu (and, of course, pressing HOME
will return you to the Main Menu). If you answer "Y" for "yes", the "Select
Drive" menu will be displayed for you to indicate where the backup is to be
made. Your drive selection here does NOT change the current drive, but
affects only the one backup you are about to make. The backup operation can
produce the same four sorts of messages as the original save operation.

Saving from a warning box.

If there are changes to records which have not been saved to disk, then
performing certain operations will cause those changes to be lost. When
such a loss would occur, attempting an operation will open a box containing
a warning and an invitation to save the records. The operations which may
elicit such a warning are:

1. Exiting the program
2. Retrieving a file
3. Creating a new class list
4. Cloning the file in memory
5. Creating a subsidiary file

You are asked the question "Save before erasing them?" If you answer "Y"
for "yes", a save occurs. If the save is successful, you proceed to the
operation you started. If you answer "N" for "no" to the invitation to
save, you are asked the further question "Erase them?" If you answer "N"
for "no" to that question, the requested operation is cancelled. If you
answer "Y" for "y", the records are erased and you proceed with the
operation requested. Saving from the warning box can produce the same four
sorts of messages as a regular save operation. However, a successful save
from a warning box is NOT followed by an invitation to make a Backup.

Retrieving Records from Disk

To retrieve records which have been previously saved to disk, choose Files
(option 5) on the Main Menu. The Files "Activity" menu will be displayed.
You may now retrieve records for the current academic year (option 1 on the
"Activity" menu) or for a past academic year (option 2). Records will be
retrieved from the current disk, identified as such on the screen. You may
want to use "Change Current Disk" (option 6 on the "Activity" menu) before
choosing to retrieve records.

Retrieving records for current academic year

The description of option 1 on the Files "Activity" menu identifies the
current academic year. If the records you want to retrieve are for a class
that falls within that year, choose option 1. A box will open and in a

second or two you will receive either the message "No CLASS RECORD files on
this disk" or a list of the classes from the current academic year on the
current disk. The list will identify classes by course number, section
number (in parentheses) and session letter followed by calendar year.
SSubsidiary file will, in addition, have an item description in their
identifier. Highlight the class whose records you want to retrieve and press
RETURN. The records will be retrieved and you will be returned to the Main
Menu. In the event that the records requested can't be retrieved, you will
receive an error message and be returned to the Files "Activity" menu.

Retrieving records for a past academic year

If the records you want to retrieve are for a class that was given prior to
the current year, choose option 2 on the Files "Activity" menu. A box will
open and in a second or two you will receive either the message "No CLASS
RECORD files on this disk" or a list of the the current academic years for
which their are records on the current disk. Highlight the year from which
you want to retrieve records and press RETURN. A box will open and in a
second or two you will receive either an error message or a list of the
classes on the current disk from the year you just chose. The list will
identify classes by course number, section number (in parentheses) and
session letter followed by calendar year. Subsidiary files will, in
addition, have an item description in their identifier. Highlight the class
whose records you want to retrieve and press RETURN. The records will be
retrieved and you will be returned to the Main Menu. In the event that the
records requested can't be retrieved, you will receive an error message and
be returned to the Files "Activity" menu.

Updating Class Lists and Individual Records

In addition to updating the grades on a student's record (see "Entering
Grades" above), you can add to or alter the rest of the information in a
CLASS RECORD file.

Revising individual student's name, ID or info

From the Main Menu choose "Student Record's" (option 1), then locate the
record for the individual whose name, ID or info you want to revise. Press
AltN. You enter the revise mode. In that mode, you are offered the
opportunity to revise the name, then the ID and finally the info. First,
you will see the student's Name become bolded begin to flash. If you simply
begin to type, the existing name is replaced by what you type; if you press
F2, RightArrow or CntrlRightArrow, you may edit the existing name. Once
you've begun to change the existing name, pressing ESCAPE will restore the
orignal name (which will be flashing again, just as it was at the
beginning); if you press ESCAPE when the name is flashing, you exit the
revise mode. Pressing RETURN accepts whatever is on the screen as the new
name. After you have changed the name (or accepted the existing name by
pressing RETURN), the ID will become bolded and begin to flash. Accept or
alter it just as you did the name. Finally, after you've dealt with the ID,
the info will become bolded and begin to flash (or, if the info is blank,
the cursor will simply move to the info box). Accept or alter the info,
just as you did the name and ID. If revisions to the name have altered the
alphabetical order of the class list, the list is automatically reordered.

Revising course information

At any time, you can revise the Course number, Section number, session
letter, calendar year or Course title assigned to a class. From the Main
Menu select "Overview" (option 6), then type "N" for "no" to the question
"Is this OK?" You will be presented with the "Revise Weights/Descriptions"
menu. Choose "Course Information" (option 4). You will then be presented
with the opportunity to replace or revise course number, section number,
session letter, calendar year and course title. The prompts and questions
which occur during revision are exactly the same as those which occured when
the information was first entered. When you confirm that your changes are
correct, you are returned to Overview.

Revising item descriptions and method of calculating final grade

From the Main Menu select "Overview" (option 6), then type "N" for "no" to
the question "Is this OK?" You will be presented with the "Revise
Weights/Descriptions" menu. Choose option 1 to revise method of calculating
the final grade, option 2 to revise item descriptions or option 3 to revise
both. You will be given the opportunity to revise what you've asked to
revise and then returned to Overview. The prompts and questions which occur
during revision are exactly the same as those which occured when the
information was first entered.

Adding names to class list

More names may be added to the class list at any time. From the Main Menu
choose "Create/Update Class List." You will be presented with an "Activity
Menu"; from it choose "Add Students" (option 1). The prompts and questions
which occur when you add names at a later time are exactly the same as those
which occured when you first entered names for the class. Deleting names
from the class list Names may be deleted from the class list at any time.
From the Main Menu choose "Create/Update Class List." You will be presented
with an "Activity Menu"; from it choose "Delete Students" (option 2). A box
will open and you will be prompted for a name to delete. Enter enough of
the letters of the name (last name first, of course) to uniquely identify
it. If the program is able to match what you've typed, it displays the full
name and ID and asks for confirmation that this is the name you want to
delete. Type "Y" to delete this name displayed, "N" to cancel the request
to delete it. If the program can't match what you've typed, it tells you so
and asks if you want to try a different name. If you type "Y" it prompts
you for another name; if you type "N" if returns you to the "Create/Update
Class List" menu.

Calculating Grades

In addition to calculating the final grades for a course, the program will
also calculate grades for individual grade items (e.g., midterm tests, final
exams, etc.). One way to do such calculuations is with subsidiary files;
see the chapter below on Subsidiary Files for an explanation of when and how
to use that method. A quicker way is to use "Calculate Grades" (option 2
from the Main Menu). This feature calculates the grade on a test from the
marks for individual questions, automatically posts the result to the
student's record and updates the student's cumulative average and (where
appropriate) final grade. There are two steps to using the feature: (1)
assigning a method of calculation, (2) entering marks for individual
questions.

Assigning a method of calculation

From the Main Menu, choose "Calculate Grades" (option 2). A menu will be
displayed from which you choose the item for which you want to calculate
grades. Select an item. If a method of calculation has previously been
defined for the item chosen, a summary of that method is displayed on the
screen and you are asked if it is OK. Type "Y" to use the previously
defined method of calculation, "N" revise it. If no method of calculation
has previously been defined or if you have indicated the previous method is
not OK, you are taken through the process of defining a method of
calculation for the item chosen. The process is exactly the same as
defining a method of caculation for final grades. (The one difference is
that the component marks are automatically labelled "Quest 1," "Quest 2,"
etc., and you are not given an opportunity to supply your own descriptions
of the components.) When the process of assinging or defining the method of
calculation is complete, the program displays the alphabetically first
student's record and gives you the opportunity to enter marks for individual
questions. Methods of calculating individual items are stored with your
records when they are saved to disk and are therefore available to you in
future sessions.

Entering marks


When you have selected an item for which to calculate a grade and have
defined or confirmed a method of calculation, the program places you in the
record of the alphabetically first student and opens a grade calculation box
on the screen. If you are at the record you want to be at, simply begin
entering marks. If not, first find the right record. Records can be
searched for with PgUp and PgDn, with the END key to search for a name and
with CntrlEND to search for an ID number. If you select a record which
already has a grade for the item you are calculating, the program warns you
of that fact before opening a grade calculation box and asks for
confirmation that you want to replace the existing grade. (You may use the
search keys to search for another record while such a warning is displayed
on the screen.) In the grade calculation box, the program will prompt you
for the grades for each of the questions making up the item you are
calculating. At each prompt, enter a grade and press RETURN. The same
grades will be accepted here as are accepted on a student's record; if you
enter a grade the program doesn't recognize, it will beep and prompt you for
a different value. At any point, you may press ESCAPE to cancel the
calculation. When the program has received a mark for every question, it
will calculate a result, display it at the bottom of the grade calculation
box and ask you if you want to edit what you've just entered. If you answer
"Y" for "yes", you are given the opportunity to edit the marks you have
entered. Use the arrow keys to highlight any mark you want to change, type
in a new mark and then press RETURN or an arrow key to register the new
mark. Each time you change the mark for a question, the program
recalculates the result and displays it at the bottom of the box. When you
are done editing, press the END key. At any time, you may press ESCAPE to
cancel the calculation. If you indicate you don't want to edit the marks
you've entered or when you press the END key to end editing-the program
closes the grade calculation box and posts the calculated result at the
correct place on the student's record. (The program retains the calculated
result in the student's record, but does NOT retain the marks for the
individual questions making up the grade for the calculated item.) You may,
at this point, make other changes to the student's record. Or, using the
search keys, you may search for another student for whom to calculate a
grade for this item. Or you may return to the Main Menu by pressing ESCAPE
or HOME.