Copyright: (c) TK Boyd 19 June 00


Contents
Learning Arithmetic Teacher (TMA48/49)       (*.HLP ver: 23 June 00)

     Help file contents:

Introduction to the program

Thoughts on using the program

How to prevent the nag messages

Ordering the better version

Recent news, and descriptions of other freeware and shareware can be found at...

    http://www.arunet.co.uk/tkboyd/offers.htm

                                                         The boring bits: (c) and version

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Intro
Introduction

This program is designed to help the user master 3+4=?, 5+7=?, etc.

It has reached a useful stage, but it is still under development.

It keeps track of how well the user has done in the past on each problem... that is why it is called the Learning Arithmetic Teacher. Already, the program displays the user's success in the current session.

Still being written.... The part of the program that records the user's success in the current session so that he/she can carry on from there next time. (Unlikely to be done before September 2000, but check my website to see.)

As a picture of the user's strengths and weaknesses emerges, the program presents problems in the areas where the user is weak.

PLEASE pass on TMA48. It only allows the user to work on a limited range of problems. Buy the registered version and your users can work on the facts from 0+0 to 9+9.

See also...	Scoring

Getting rid of the nag messages

Thoughts on using the program

(Why "TMA48'? The name derives from Teach MAthematics)

(TMA49 is the registered version)

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Plea
Plea to parents and teachers

Please do not assume that you can just put this on a child's computer and leave the child to get on with it. Unless you show your interest, the program will not be used very often. Encourage the child to keep a log of when the program was used, what score was achieved, etc. Within a classroom, a ladder might be an additional incentive.

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Order best ver
Ordering the better version: TMA49

Good news: To upgrade, you only need to copy a small file to the same folder as the program you already have!

For late breaking news, visit my site on the web at...

    http://www.arunet.co.uk/tkboyd/offers.htm

The better version is not available at the time this help file was created. It is possible to get rid of most nag messages, though. See Getting Rid Of Nags

IGNORE REST OF THIS.... IT WILL BE RELEVANT ONLY WHEN TMA49 EXISTS...

The better version keeps a record of users' previous performances on the problems. There will be a data file for each user. This is at the heart of what makes this program different from all (I believe!) of the other arithmetic tutors out there. (See also: Some educational theory.)

Also, the better version will allow the user to practice any problems from 0+0 to 9+9. The range of problems presented can be preset, or left to the user to adjust. (Why not 12+12?)

____________________

N.B. Your copy of the program will be customized to state the limitations on it's use.

It will have something on the screen after the words "Allowed user:", e.g. it will have "Allowed user: Mr A. Brown"

I would consider legitimate "use" by Fred to include any use in Fred's home or by people directly under his personal, in-the-same-room-with, supervision. If you want a license for an organization, e.g. 'For use by Centerville School', please tell me the size of the school, the pupils' ages, what the school's fees are (if any), and propose a license fee.

Please check my web site for some general geographical licenses I have granted. For example, at the time of composing this help file, anyone could have, free, a copy licensed for use in Russia.

I won't prepare your copy of the registered version without the above information!

______________________

If you order the better version, you will be sent a small text file. All you have to do is copy it to the folder in which the free version of the program resides.

Click here for an order form.

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Order form

There is no charge for delivery by internet, but please add $5 / £2 if you want a disc mailed to you.

==============

From:  <A general indication (town, region, country) would be of interest even if you are ordering by email>

Name, address.....

<Feel free to send this by email if you only want the free access code (eddress)>

TO:

TK Boyd, Sheepdog Software

PO Box 367            ** USA **

Essex, CT, 06426

Please send... <delete unwanted>

(   )	Nag killer only (free, if by email)

(   )	Registered version (not avail yet!!)

of Learning Arithmetic Trainer, TMA48/49.

Please set it up with the following short text after "Allowed user:" (see details)

>>>  PUT SOMETHING HERE.   Best: a name....

=========

Thank you!

There is no charge for delivery by internet, but please add $5 / £2 if you want a disc mailed to you.

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Some educational theory

Think back to when you first learned 3+4, 5+7, etc...

At some point, the teacher made a specific small set of problems the chore of the week. You concentrated on that set. At the same time you probably revisited material from earlier weeks. Of course, by now, you were expected to be semi-fluent in the prior weeks' problems.

What about the child who was ill in week 4 ? ? ?

He or she would have been at a disadvantage in week 5. The teacher and the class cannot go at the speed of the slowest ship, so the work presses ahead. In some cases the child who has a weakness with 4+6, 4+7, 4+8 and 4+9 never really masters those problems... all work on them is going at a faster and faster pace, and the child isn't ready to go that fast. A bit of quick finger counting is usually possible, after all. Alternatively the child just gets them wrong. In extreme cases the child becomes one of those who are "no good at arithmetic".

Why can't everyone be ill together ? ? ?

That would make things too easy! the result of reality is that in any group of 9 year olds, there are some that are weak on one set of problem, others weak on other sets.... hence this program, which determines each user's individual needs and then concentrates on them.

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Email

My eddress is....

100665.1141@compuserve.com

There is also a "send me email" button on my web page.

This help file was created with HelpScribble.


Boring
The Boring Bits- TMA48, TMA49

The program is (c) TK Boyd, Sheepdog Software.   Rights reserved, except as noted below.

Please DO pass on TMA48. It has been released so that potential customers can evaluate the program.

Please do NOT pass on either TMA49 or any access key you may be provided with.

See also... Contents

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Disable nag
How to disable the nag messages

Three levels of access are available for this program.

It can be used immediately by anyone who downloads it from the internet. However, such users will encounter nag messages, and the scores will reset to zero from time to time.

A FREE access key is available if you want one. It will significantly reduce the number of nag messages. This gives you 'second level' access.

Click here to learn about the third level of access.

__________

N.B. Your copy of the program will be customized to state the limitations on it's use.

It will have something on the screen after the words "Allowed user:", e.g. it will have "Allowed user: Mr A. Brown"

I would consider legitimate "use" by Fred to include any use in Fred's home or by people directly under his personal, in-the-same-room-with, supervision. If you want a license for an organization, e.g. 'For use by Centerville School', please tell me the size of the school, the pupils' ages, what the school's fees are (if any), and propose a license fee.

Please check my web site for some general geographical licenses I have granted. For example, at the time of composing this help file, anyone could have, free, a copy licensed for use in Russia.

I won't prepare your copy of the registered version without the above information!

____________________________

The access key is a small file which you must copy into the same directory as the main program. That's all you need to do!

Click here for an order form.

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Setting prob range
Setting the problem range

(This feature was not yet implemented when this help file was written (For latest news...)....)

The range of problems the program presents can be preset. All you need to do is add a command line parameter. Don't panic! They are not difficult to use.

The clp you need will look something like...

pry3689

That has the following parts:

pr: Always present. From 'Problem Range'

y: For Yes, user may change range of problems. You may put n here instead if you wish. If you do, the user will not be able to change the range of problems presented.

3689 says "Use 3,4,5 or 6 for the first digit in the problem and 8 or 9 for the second digit." To present the largest possible set of problems, the code would be 0909.

If you need help with clps:

    CLPs with Win 3.x

    CLPs with Win 9x

    Why CLPs are a Good Thing

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Scoring

If the user answers a question in less than a second, 25 points are earned.

For each second taken to supply the answer, a point is lost.

If the first attempt to answer is wrong, the user gets a second chance... but the maximum points available drops to 12. They also evaporate at one point per second.

A word to whose who feel it is unfair....

            ...that slow typing users are penalized:

Consider this program a chance to learn two skills! If the user does the following, data entry should soon be efficient:

Use the left hand to press the main Enter key, i.e. the one below the backspace key.

Use the right hand on the numeric keypad at the right hand side of the keyboard. Use the first finger for 7, 4, 1 and 0. Use the second finger for 8, 5 and 2. Use the third finger for 9, 6 and 3.

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CLPs with Win 3.x
Command Line Parameters with Win 3.x

(Not needed yet with TMA48/49)

To provide a program with a command line parameter (clp) under Windows 3.x:

Install the program. Giving it it's own folder (directory) is often wise.

Launch the Windows Program Manager

Select the group you want the program to appear in

Click File|New|Program Item

Fill in the description you want to appear in the Program Manager window

Click on Browse, go to and select the relevant .EXE file. Click OK

Click on the command line entry, which should have been filled in by the previous step

Press the 'End' key

Press the space bar once

Type in whatever clp is required

Click OK

That should do it!! Now click on the program's icon in the Program Manager window to test what you have done.

See also: Why clps are a Good Thing

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CLPs with Win 9x
Command Line Parameters with Win 9x

(Not needed yet with TMA48/49)

To provide a program with a command line parameter (clp) under Windows 9x:

Install the program. Giving it it's own folder (directory) is often wise

Create a shortcut for it

Right click on the shortcut

Click 'Properties'

A dialog box should come up with the contents of the 'Target' edit box highlighted.

On the keyboard, press the 'Home' key

If the first character is not " (quotes, usually a shifted '2' key), then enter one.

On the keyboard, press the 'End' key

If the last character is not " (quotes, usually a shifted '2' key), then enter one.

Press the space bar once

Enter the required command line parameter(s)

Click OK

Test your shortcut!

See also: Why clps are a Good Thing

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Why clps are a good thing
Why command line parameters (clps) are a good thing

Two things I dislike:

Bloatware.

Programs that Do Things to my system.

CLPs can help with both problems. They were widely used for many years. The more user friendly (user contemptuous?) programs that we are seeing today are supposed to "just work" without any effort on the user's part. That dream comes with costs.

CLPs are not cost free, of course. I think they are the lesser of the two evils, though.

Setting them up takes a little effort. However, once set, they do a job in a simple (few ways to go wrong), robust manner. It would be very difficult for a clp ever to affect other programs... NOT something you can say of other solutions to the needs they meet. CLPs are a versatile solution to the problem they address.

To use a clp with Windows, you must either....

(Win 3.x)	Create an icon in the Program Manager window

(Win 9x)	Create a shortcut

I would rarely use a program in either environment without setting up an icon or shortcut anyway. Once you have the icon or shortcut, the clp costs little more.

When using clps to control programs, you will often have multiple icons or shortcuts for a single program. Each will have different clps and each, therefor, will launch something that behaves in a different manner. (Examples)

See also:	CLPs with Win 3.x

CLPs with Win 9x

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Examples of clp use
Examples of command line parameter (clp) use:

If you're willing to use clps, one program can have many guises.....

For example: a program could be written to drill users on facts held in external data files. You could prepare several files of facts. Which file was used could be specified with a clp. Thus "two" programs, one about, say, properties of different chemicals and another about the history of Hawaii could be created with one program, two data files and two icons.

Another example: Suppose you had a program (as I do!) to test children on 3+4=?, 5+7=?, etc. The program has been written so that an answer given too slowly doesn't count. With clps, you could set up two icons. One would launch the program in "generous" mode, i.e. the user has lots of time to answer, while the other would be for users ready for the "challenging" mode- little time to answer.

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Win 9x shortcut:
Win 9x shortcut: See Windows help file if you know nothing of shortcuts. Two important things to know:

1) Shortcuts are a Good Idea because they can go where a user might accidentally hurt them, in which case repairs are easy. Your alternative is to expose the underlying program, which may not be easily repaired.

2) Shortcuts are all you need for any or all of the following: A quick way into the program from desktop, taskbar, Start menu, or the Start|Programs menu (or a sub-menu of that).

Master shortcuts... they help!

(A detail: On the target line, put the program's path and name in quotation marks (i.e."s), and enter the clp(s) after the second quotation mark. See also Making Win9x CLPs.)

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Non clp probs
Problems arising from some software

If something doesn't work (been there?), it can be hard for the user to look into what is going on. Other times, programs "work", but do unwelcome, unnecessary things.

Some programs write things to your disc without asking you. Normally this isn't a problem, but I still see it as an unwelcome presumption. (Yes-- I really object to internet cookies, and will often leave a site that requires them.) Suppose you have two programs from different publishers both in the same folder. Not a great idea, but it should be possible in many cases. (Most of my programs could all reside in a single folder.) Suppose each generates a score from the user's performance. Suppose they both save the best ten scores on the disc, so that the ladder can reflect prior sessions of the program's use. A good idea, so far. Suppose they both save the data in a file called HighScor.Dat. This will not work! Excepting obvious (I hope) situations (e.g. my program for creating encrypted files from other files), my programs will not write to your disc without first asking for permission. They will normally ask you what you want to do if, as might arise in the HighScor.Date example, they find that the file they are about to write would over-write a pre-existing file. To spare users endless "Is it ok to write the file" prompts, in some cases it will be possible to turn off the check... but I will try to see that you have to opt OUT of checks. Please get in touch (email) if you think one of my programs fails to make such a check.

Some programs use many small files. They use more space than you would at first think. Microsoft's Internet Explorer (ver 4.0) uses a separate file for each bookmark. The bookmark holds maybe 150 characters. However it uses a whole "page" of space on your hard drive, regardless. On my fairly mundane Windows 98 machine, 10 bookmarks tie up 320,000 bytes of disc space. (Netscape uses a better system, by the way.)(The disc space each wastes depends on how your system was set up.)

Some programs use more DLLs than others. DLLs are important, but it is easy to overuse or misuse them. I had a Compaq Presario which came with a free modest program for faxing. I installed Corel's Wordperfect suite on the machine. The faxing program no longer worked. You couldn't have both. In the end, I had to buy WinFax. Of course, WinFax is a great program. However, if there hadn't been the DLL clash, I the bundled fax software would have suited me fine.... and I would have saved hours of getting to the bottom of the problem. If such major players as Corel and Compaq have trouble staying out of each others way, do you want more exotic DLLs on you system than you can help? My Windows programs are written in Delphi. It creates a single .EXE file which requires nothing beyond the ordinary Windows resources.

When Windows 95 came out, one of the big advances was its much increased use of the registry. It really is a splendid mechanism for many things. Properly used, for instance, it makes .ini files unnecessary. Note the qualification: "properly used". If a program has a bug and disrupts the registry, it is possible for the disruption to cause other applications on your system to stop working properly. I'm humble. While I believe my programs are useful, I doubt they will be major reasons for anyone to have a computer. When I write such a program, I'll dare to use your computer's registry... if I need to. Until then, my programs will leave it alone. Even if minor programs don't disrupt it, they can clutter it.

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Learn The Test
Learn The Test: With some software, the test the user does varies so little that the user soon learns to get the answers by strategies other than knowing the material.

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Reg ver
Shareware is software distributed on a "try before you buy" basis.

Authors hope that the general public will pass on the unregistered version of their program. They want as many people as possible to see it.

Honest users who like what they see in the unregistered version will realize that the programmers have to pay bills. Generally, there is a registered version of the program with extra features to reward those who do the decent thing and pay the requested registration fee.

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Semicolon
semicolon...

The punctuation mark    ;

I.e., on many keyboards, the key to the right of the L key, unshifted.

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Ladder
ladder: A simple list of users, but ranked by their success at whatever the ladder reflects. Where an absolute measure of success is available, that can be used for ranking. For competitive things like playing chess, it is usual to stipulate that people can only challenge people next to them in the ladder. If the challenged person fails to play a match within a reasonable time, he/ she must concede a virtual defeat.

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Snailmail
snail-mail: Traditional paid-for-with-a-stamp mail via the postal service. The British service is superb... and when was the last time you heard them given credit? It is not unusual to order something from several hours' drive away in the afternoon of day 1 and find it delivered by 9:30am on day 2. I know less of the US service, but again think it is under-rated. Anything mailed from the US (east coast, anyway) to the UK on a Monday will usually be delivered before the end of the week.

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Create a shortcut
Create a Win 9x shortcut

There are many good ways to create shortcuts in Win 9x, and their use is highly recommended.

One way is to put your mouse pointer somewhere on the desktop and right click, then (left) click New, click Shortcut.

DON'T type something into Command Line by hand... use the browse button to move to the program you want to run with the shortcut. Once you're at it, double click on it. (I refer here to creating a shortcut. Once it exists, you may want to do some editing with typing by hand.)

The 'Name for shortcut' can be whatever you want.. it provides the caption for the icon on the screen.

Once created, the shortcut can be dragged to whatever folder you want it in.

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Why not 12+12?
Why NOT 1+12, 2+12,....11+12, 12+12?

Why ?? I'm convinced that the reason children once learned 12+x is that British money once had 12 pennies in a shilling. When we go back to using shillings, I'll change the program to include the 12+x sums. A child who finds this stuff easy will be able to tell you how many widgets there are in 12 dozen anyway. One who doesn't has better things to spend time on.

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Author, etc
TK Boyd: A teacher in British schools from 1974- 1995. Wrote first program in 1968. Taught science and computing, in boarding schools. Sometimes 8-13 year olds, other times 14-18 year olds.

Sheepdog Software: Why the name? I like sheepdogs! What is a sheepdog? aka Border collie, i.e. the medium size, black and white, super charged, super intelligent dog. (Not the big long-haired Old English sheepdog.)

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Spellings
Spellings: Even though I live much of my life in the UK, I have bowed to the fact that most of my customers are in the US. So...

US readers: Apologies if some British spelling materialises.

UK readers: Apologies... when I have the volume of business that Bill Gates enjoys, I'll start doing all of this work twice so that US spellings can be replaced.

Of course: If the point of a program is to teach spelling, there should be UK and US versions, and please contact me if you think an error exists.

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Bloatware
Bloatware: Programs which take up space on the computer's disc out of proportion to the functions they perform.

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Registry
Registry: A database created and maintained by Windows. Only experienced users are wise to delve into the innards of the registry... corrupt it and your system will not work properly.

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HelpScribble

HelpScribble is a help authoring tool written by Jan Goyvaerts and available for download at http://www.jgsoft.com/. This help file was created with the unregistered version of HelpScribble, which is why you can read this ad. Once the author of this help file is so honest to register the shareware he uses, you will not see this ad again in his help files.

Recompiling the help project with the registered version is all it takes to get rid of this ad and the little footers below each topic.

HelpScribble is a stand-alone help authoring tool. It does not require an expensive word processor. (Only a help compiler as Microsoft likes keeping the .hlp format secret. Not my fault.)

Here are some of HelpScribble's features:

•	The Setup program will properly install and uninstall HelpScribble and all of its components, including registry keys.

•	Create, edit and navigate through topics right in the main window. No need to mess with heaps of dialog boxes.

•	All topics are listed in a grid in the main window so you won't lose track in big help projects. You can even set bookmarks.

•	Use the built-in Browse Sequence Editor to easily create browse sequences.

•	Use the built-in Window Editor to change the look of your help window and create secondary windows.

•	Use the built-in Contents Editor to create Windows 95-style contents files. Works a lot better than Microsoft's HCW.

•	No need to mess with Microsoft's SHED: use the built-in SHG Editor to create hotspot bitmaps. Draw your hotspots on the bitmap and pick the topic to link to from the list.

•	With the built-in Macro Editor you can easily compose WinHelp macros whenever needed. It will tell you what the correct parameters are and provide information on them.

•	If you have a problem, just consult the online help. The help file was completely created with HelpScribble, of course.

•	HelpScribble is shareware. However, the unregistered version is not crippled in any way. It will only add a small note to your help topics to encourage you to be honest and to register the shareware you use.

These options are very interesting for Delphi and C++Builder developers:

•	If you are a component writer, use the Delphi Parser to build an outline help file for your component. Just fill in the spaces and you are done. HelpScribble can also extract the comments from your source file and use them as the default descriptions.

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HelpScribble is shareware, so feel free to grab your copy today from my web site at http://www.jgsoft.com/