TipMaster for Pilot =================== Copyright 1997 Thruput Data Systems, Inc. Written by: Andy Sackheim Concept by: Ron Marlowe Bug reports: andys@tds-inc.com Official download site: www.ascii.net Current version: 0.1 (beta) Shareware Notice: ================= This product is SHAREWARE. The shareware price has not been set as this is a beta version of this product. We would like your comments on a "fair" amount for this product. Send them to support@ascii.net or to the author at andys@tds-inc.com. This beta release is a full-featured version of the product. It contains no nags. It contains no intentionally disabled features. It will work until 2/1/97 at which time it will automatically expire. Please download a new version at that time. We hope to have completed beta testing by then. If so, the shareware version 1.0 will be available after that date. If not, an updated beta version will be available at that time. This README file must be distributed intact will any copy of the .PRC file. Revision History: Date: Version: Comments: =============================================================================== 01/05/97 0.1 Initial Release Known Bugs: =========== - Version 0.1 does not include a graphical icon on the Pilot menu. This will be corrected before the release version. - Incompatibility with non-current version of PAL. Symptom is crashing doing "Update Apps" from within PAL. Upgrading to current version of PAL corrects incompatibility. Information: ============ This is a beta version of TipMaster. It will expire on 2/1/97. A new beta or the release version will be available prior to that date. This program will be SHAREWARE. The amount to be charged will be determined prior to the expiration of the beta period. We invite your comments on what you would pay for this software. This beta version does NOT contain a menu icon. This is a KNOWN bug and you need not report this. As you use this software, we ask that you report any unexpected results or errors to andys@tds-inc.com with a copy to support@ascii.net. Description of TipMaster: ========================= TipMaster is a shareware program for the US Robotics Pilot to calculate and recalculate tips for restaurant food and beverage. Tip is properly calculated based upon food and beverage cost ONLY and NOT based upon the subtotal after tax. This is NOT a bug in the software. This is a correct calculation of a tip. The following example should make this clear: FOOD & BEVERAGE: $100.00 TAX (10%): $ 10.00 SUBTOTAL: $110.00 TIP (20%): $ 20.00 <----See Note TOTAL: $130.00 Note: The correct tip at 20% is $20.00, NOT $22.00. This is because the tip should be calculated based upon the price of food and beverage BEFORE tax is added. Otherwise, you are tipping your server for the tax. TipMaster remembers both tax and tip rates between sessions. To save the tax and tip rate, simply re-run the program after you have entered the tax rate and tip rate in TipMaster and hit the "CALC" button. You may then re-run TipMaster from the Pilot main menu screen. The new tax and tip rates will become the default rates. You may change the tax and tip rates during the session only by changing them as needed. Before leaving TipMaster, however, hit the "CLEAR" button to return the tax and tip rates to the "saved" values. If you leave TipMaster and run another application, the last tax and tip rates displayed on TipMaster will be the new default tax and tip rates. TipMaster allows on-the-fly recalculation of tips after an initial calculation based upon default rates. In the example above, changing the "TOTAL" from $130.00 to "$140.00" and hitting the "CALC" button would change the tip to $30.00 and change the tip percentage from 20% to 30%. Alternatively, changing the tip amount from $20.00 to $15.00 would change the tip rate from 20% to 15% and change the total to $125.00. Instructions for Use: ===================== Each time you re-run TipMaster, the new default tax and tip rates will be the last used tax and tip rates. To make changes to the tax or tip rate which are NOT saved to the next session, simply tap the "CLEAR" button before running another application. All fields can be calculated from either the "FOOD" field or the "SUBTOTAL" field. If you know the tax rate and the desired tip rate, enter either of these fields and hit the "CALC" button. If you are not sure of the tax rate, you may enter either the actual tax amount (if known) or enter both the "FOOD" and "SUBTOTAL" amounts. The actual tax percentage (and amount, if applicable) will be calculated automatically when the "CALC" button it tapped. Hitting "CALC" will also calculate the tip amount and the total. This will "freeze" the upper half of TipMaster and allow on-the-fly recalculations of tip based upon various fields. For example, you may change the tip percentage from its default to something higher or lower. The tip amount and total will be recalculated when you hit "CALC" again. Or you may decide you want to round up the tip to an even number. Change the tip and hit "CALC" to calculate the new total and the actual tip rate. Or you may want to round the total to a whole dollar amount. Simple change the "TOTAL" and hit "CALC" and the tip rate and tip amount will be updated automatically.