Welcome to AMS! This file tells how to get going with AMS quickly, or how to update your program from an earlier version. To update quickly extract the files as described under QUICK INSTALLATION and then proceed to the section called QUICK UPDATE. To get started quickly the steps in this file are outlined below: 1. Follow the quick installation routine below 2. Print the User's Manual as described below 3. This is a Share Ware program. Please read the license and registration requirements in the User's Manual sections 4. Read the Big Picture Overview ***** QUICK INSTALLATION *************************************************************************** IMPORTANT NOTE: If you update from a version before 5.00 it should be noted that AMS must be run with CONFIG.SYS file minimum settings of at least BUFFERS=8 and FILES=35. These settings will NOT be checked during the update process but if these minimum settings are not met AMS may not run properly. These are minimum values and if you are running other programs such as Windows significantly higher values of FILES may be required. The CONFIG.SYS file should be checked and updated. Then the computer should be rebooted before running AMS. AMS may be provided in either of two formats. In the first it is a self extracting file of the format AMSxxx.EXE where xxx is the version number. In the second it is in the PKWARE ZIP format AMSxxx.ZIP where xxx is the version number. For a ZIP file format place the compressed file in a convenient directory on your hard disk drive. This may be a directory \AMS that the installation program will create or other convenient directory. Decompress the file using appropriate procedures for your system. If you are installing AMS using the self extracting format is installed as follows: Place the installation diskette in an available drive which will usually be either "A" or "B". Select the drive in which the diskette is placed by entering: "A:" and press the enter key. (On some machines the key may also be labeled .) Then copy the compressed self extracting file into a convenient directory of your choosing on the hard disk which will be designated as \AMS: A:\COPY AMSxxx.EXE C:\AMS Place the AMSxxx.EXE self extracting file in a directory by itself. Set the current directory to the directory in which it resides: C:\CD\AMS Extract the files by typing the file name (the xxx should be replaced with the file version number) and pressing : C:\AMSxxx The decompressed files will be placed in the current directory after the extraction is complete. To install shift to the directory in which the AMS installation files are located and type "INSTALL" followed by a space and the letter of the drive on which the program is to be installed. As this will usually be "C" drive it will be so assumed for the rest of this discussion and the entry should look like this: C:\INSTALL C This command will automatically install the program files on drive "C" in directory "C:\AMS" and a small batch start up file "AMS.BAT" will be placed in the root directory "C:\". IMPORTANT NOTE: AMS may not be run by starting the EXE file directly. The batch file AMS.BAT in the root directory will do this. If it is desired to start the EXE file directly it may be started using the following: C:\AMS\AMSS.EXE //F:30 "Enter" When the file installation is complete AMS will initiate a start up sequence that consists of seven screens that provided details for basic program configuration. Follow the instructions on the screen. At the last screen save the configuration entered as instructed. A shareware and registration screen will then be displayed. Print a copy ot the Registration form by pressing . Then press any other key to display the title and password screen. If a password was selected you must enter it exactly and press . If no password was entered just press enter and the program Main Menu will be displayed. Although AMS is a DOS based program it may be run from Windows. To facilitate this an ICON file and a PIF file have been placed in the \AMS directory. These are AMS.ICO and AMS.PIF and may be installed using normal Windows procedures. ***** PRINT THE AMS USER'S MANUAL: *************************************************************************** The User's Manual is included in a file called AMS.DOC. It can be printed using the DOS PRINT command. Set the directory to the directory in which AMS.DOC resides. Then enter the command to print the manual as follows: C:\PRINT AMS.DOC For more information on the print command refer to your DOS User's Guide and Reference Manual. ***** HOW TO START AMS: ************************************************************************** Start AMS by entering "AMS" and pressing the enter key: C:\AMS This will start the Action Management System Program. If the program has not been registered a shareware and registration screen will appear. Press any key other then to proceed. A title, copyright, and password screen will be displayed and a password will be requested if one has been entered. If no password has been entered just press , and the Main Menu will be displayed. If a password is installed it will be necessary to enter the password before pressing . The password must be entered exactly using capital letters and small letters. These letters will not be displayed as they are entered for security. ***** REGISTRATION, DISCLAIMER, AGREEMENT, AND LIMITATIONS The registration form may be printed from the shareware screen displayed on program start up by entering a . Please print and complete the registration form. A copy is also provided at the front of this Users Manual. When I receive your registration and the applicable fee I will send instructions for disabling the shareware screen. Users of the Action Management System must accept this disclaimer of warranty: "The Action Management System is supplied as is. The author disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose. The author assumes no liability for damages, direct or consequential, which may result from the use of the Action Management System." The Action Management System is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge to the user for evaluation. Feel free to share it with your friends, but do not give it away altered or as part of another system. Such shared copies must be in the compressed self extracting file that includes all the unaltered files that it contains. The concept of "user-supported" software is to provide personal computer users with quality software without high prices, and yet to provide an incentive for programmers to continue to develop new products. If you find this program useful and find that you are using the Action Management System and continue to use the Action Management System after a reasonable trial period, you must make the registration payment. The registration fee will license one copy for use on any one computer at any one time. Treat this software just like a book. This software may be used by any number of people and may be freely moved from one computer location to another, so long as there is no possibility of it being used at one location while it's being used at another. Just as a book cannot be read by two different persons at the same time. Commercial users of the Action Management System must register and pay for their copies of the Action Management System within 30 days. Evaluation copies of the Action Management System may be distributed provided the cost is $10.00 or less and the program is distributed in an unmodified form as described above. This is not to be construed as representing the registration fee which must still be paid as described above. You are encouraged to pass a copy of the Action Management System along to your friends for evaluation. Please encourage them to register their copy if they find that they can use it. All registered users will receive a copy of the latest version of the the Action Management System system. ***** THE BIG PICTURE ************************************************************************** START AMS BY ENTERING "AMS" AND PRESSING THE ENTER KEY: Read section 2.0 of the User's Manual or Help Module B as they describe the management framework in which AMS is to be used. This is just as important as learning how to use the computer program and will have a strong bearing on the successful implementation of the system. Section 3.0 includes a brief tutorial using demonstration files that will provide a look at AMS reports and provide hands on experience using AMS. Section 5.0 provides a detailed description of the main program functions. Skim this section to learn where to find the details. Section 4.0, 6.0, 7.0, and the Appendices provide material for future reference as AMS is used. And of course read 1.4 on registration and legal stuff! ***** QUICK UPDATE *************************************************************************** IMPORTANT NOTE: If you update from a version before 5.00 it should be noted that AMS must be run with CONFIG.SYS file minimum settings of at least BUFFERS=8 and FILES=35. These settings will NOT be checked during the update process but if these minimum settings are not met AMS may not run properly. The CONFIG.SYS file should be checked and updated. Then the computer should be rebooted before running AMS. If not already completed extract the files in either the \AMS directory or another convenient directory. If the files are extracted in the \AMS directory some files from the compressed file will overwrite the old files. This is OK and no harm will be done to your data files. To update AMS shift to the directory in which the update files reside and type "UPDATE" followed by a space and the letter of the drive on which the program is to be installed. As this will usually be "C" drive it will be so assumed for the rest of this discussion and the entry should look like this: C:\UPDATE C This program will copy the new files into the \AMS directory over the old program files but will not heart any data entered under a previous version of AMS. Then start the program as normal and the appropriate changes will be incorporated automatically upon the first program start up. A brief review of the version changes is included in the file AMS.REV. This file should bring you up to date with the new changes in this version of AMS. Although AMS is a DOS based program it may be run from Windows. To facilitate this an ICON file and a PIF file have been placed in the \AMS directory. These are AMS.ICO and AMS.PIF and may be installed using normal Windows procedures. IMPORTANT NOTE: AMS may not be run by starting the EXE file directly. The batch file AMS.BAT in the root directory will do this. If it is desired to start the EXE file directly it may be started using the following: C:\AMS\AMSS.EXE //F:30 "Enter" END:AMS_READ.ME