                            Topp's Grocery Program


                             System Requirements

  Hardware:          IBM compatible
  Operating System:  MS-Dos 2+
  Ram Memory:        380K Available Minimum

  Disk Drive:  A hard disk is strongly recommended. System will operrate on
  a high density floppy (speed will be impaired).

  Monitor: Color is recommended.  The system is self checking and will run
  on a monochrome monitor with or with out advanced graphics.

  Compatibility: All databases in the program are "dDase" (Trademark of Aston-
  Tate, Inc.) compatible.  The program is written in "Clipper" (Trademark of
  Nantucket Corp.)

                                System Checks

  Disk Space:  The program will check for a minimum of 100K operating space.
  An message will inform you if space is not available.

  Databases/Indexes:  The program creates databases/indexes.  If the system
  must create a new help databases, it will be empty.  Use the one on the
  disk.

  Printer:  The printer is checked before/during operation.  If the printer
  is not on prior to running, the system will automatically print to screen.

                              Setup Requirements

  You may make your own directory and copy the files yourself by typing 
  md <directory name> 
  copy a:\*.*  <drive of your choice>:\<directory name>.

                                 Introduction

  This program was written to take advantage of the offers and coupons we see
  every day. Before we wrote the program, We put the coupons in a desk drawer
  and tried to remember to sort through them before we went to the store.  It
  didn't work very well.  We needed something easy and quick to use.  We
  wanted something where we did not need to spend a lot of our time fooling
  with coupons.  We spend at the most 1 hour per week with this program, and
  our average savings amount to  about $20.00 per hour (We have had months
  over $200.00).  Our inventory of  coupons/rebates averages about 1600 per
  month.  Do not expect to jump into the program and expect huge savings
  immediately.  You must develop an inventory of coupons/rebates and get use
  to working with them.

                                 Registration

  The standard program is $29.95.  There is a deluxe program for $34.95, which
  has a set of desktop utilities.  You get a calculator, calendar/day timer,
  and address book/phone list.  When you register, you will recieve a copy of
  this program that does not mention shareware or register now  anywhere in
  it!  You will recieve not only the latest version of the program, but free
  updates for one full year.  You will recieve Topp's Starter Packet with
  valueable coupons and information.  At the present time, we are issuing
  coupons equal in value to the cost of the program (subject to change without
  notification).  You will recieve discounts on other Topp's Home Software
  products.  You will recieve technical support for the life of the program
  (currently only by mail to the address below).  We are sorry to mention we
  do not accept credit card orders at this time.  You may press the F10 key at
  the main menu of the program to print an invoice, or mail today to:

                             Topp's Home Software
                        16541 Redmond Way  Suite #242
                              Redmond, WA  98052

  Thank you for your support.

                             General Program Use

  The menus use light bars.  Move the arrows to your selection and press the
  enter key, or press the first letter of the menu selection.  Look at the
  bottom of the screen for comments.  F1 is the help key.  Hot keys are listed
  in the help message.  You may find some fields to be too small for what you
  wish to enter.  It is ok to abbreviate.  This is your program.  The note pad
  contained in this program is designed for SMALL files, making a list of
  specials for example.  Writing a novel may crash the program.  It is limited
  by the amount of ram memory you have.


                          Coupon/Rebate/History Programs


  These programs are extremely similar.

            Menu:
            File movement -  Next   - Next record.
                             Prev   - Previous record.
                             First  - Top of file.
                             Last   - Bottom of file.
                             Goto   - Go to record by the numbers.
            File altering -  Edit   - Editing current record.
                             Add    - Add a new record.
                             Delete - Delete current record, by date or record
                                      number.
                             Change - see below
                             Browse - Files are presented in list order to
                             edit, add, or view.
            File reports  -  View   - Ad hoc report generator.
                                      Create your own reports.

  Change:  Will alter a class, brand, or manufacture through out the file. You
           select what you want to change ( class, brand, or manufacture ).


                            Topp's Grocery Program


           Enter the old name.  Enter the new name.  Select a filter. Enter
           the filter name. And presto they are changed.  Example: You have a
           class called "BEANS".  This class is getting too large to manage,
           so you decide to divide it into two classes ("BEANS" and "CHILI" ).
           You run a report showing all the coupons you have in class "BEANS".
           You find the manufacture "TOPP'S CHI" is all chili and nothing
           else.  to change Topp's Chili's
           class to "CHILI".
           Select class
           Old Name:  "BEANS"
           New Name:  "CHILI"
           Select manufacture
           Name:  "TOPP'S CHI"
           They are now changed.  Quick work of a long job.

           Fields:  Amount - Value of the coupon (estimate if necessary)
                    Expire - Expiration date (leave blank for none).
                    Mfg    - Ten letters to define manufacture.
                    Class  - Ten letters to define category.
                    Brand  - Twenty letters to define brand/description
                    Terms  - Conditions of rebate.
                    Offer  - What you get.

                                 Files and Fields

  Coupons and rebates are seperated.  If there are terms and conditions to a
  coupon (other than a certain size or quanity), then it's a rebate.  The
  history file allows you to track selected offers.  I track any mail in offer
  which does not require an cash register receipt.  After a period of time,
  you will see some of these offers or similar offers appearing (at least once
  a year), This means you can plan for them in advance and start saving the
  UPC codes or whatever now.  When you are in the store and have a choice of
  two similarly priced products, you can pick the one which will have a rebate
  later.  Why are there three levels of identification (class, brand, mfg)?
  This makes if very simple to find what you want.  Class segregates your
  coupons into a group of like types.  Brand gives you a description of the
  product.  Manufacture further divides brand, and gives you a tool to find
  coupons of an unlike type by manufacture.  This is useful for rebates which
  require you to buy different products.  You can quickly see if you have the
  coupons to make the offer a real good deal.

                               Savings Program

  The savings program has a few minor differences.

            Menu:
            Spend  - Enter the amount of your grocery expenses and it will
                     automatically be added to the current month.
            Report - Gives you a month by month, year by year report of your
                     monthly expenses, coupon savings, rebate savings, and
                     total percent of savings.
            Fields - Coupons - Total monthly coupon savings.
                     Rebates - Total monthly rebate savings.
                     Expense - Total monthly expenses.
                     Date    - The day means nothing, since the program
                               uses only to month and year.

  This program is very valuable as a report card to see your progress.  You
  can see each month how you are going.  You can see the dollars you are
  saving and the dollars you are spending.  After a period of time, you will
  have the needed information to help you prepare more accurate budgets, or to
  start one.  The program makes you more aware of where your money is going
  and helps you learn to save some of it.

                                 Grocery List

  This is the handiest feature of the program.  Use your coupons and rebates
  to help prepare your grocery list.  I will walk through one with you.  It's
  time to go to the supermarket.  You need milk, eggs, bread, cold cereal,
  soup, chili, and pasta. Your classes for these items are:
            Milk        =  DAIRY
            Eggs        =  DAIRY
            Bread       =  BREAD
            Cold Cereal =  CEREAL
            Soup        =  SOUP
            Chili       =  CAN MEAL
            Pasta       =  PASTA

  First we page to class selection menu and select DAIRY, CEREAL, BREAD, SOUP,
  CAN MEAL, and PASTA using the "X" key.  After we press "Esc", the program
  creates a list of coupons from the classes we selected.  We find no coupons
  for our dairy items, the store we are going to has brand 'X' bread on sale
  for less than we can buy it with our coupons so we pass bread, and then we
  select coupons for the balance of products we want.  To select an item, we
  mark the q_select field.  Make sure the light bar is over the q_select column
  and press "X".  If we want to make a  multiple  store  list, use 1, 2, 3,
  etc. or whatever you want.  To make a title for each store, go to the 
  bottom and enter the number in the q_select field and the store name with
  an "*" first in the manufacture field.  Now we can add those items we did
  not have coupons for.  Then press "Esc" again and that's it-- a grocery
  list or lists ready for the store or stores.

                           Price Comparison Program

  This program is designed to compare prices between stores on key items.  The
  menu has a selection called "Sheets" which prints blank worksheets for price
  comparing at the store.

                                  Monochrome

  Monochrome is designed to help in those situtations where the graphics card
  thinks the monitor can interprete colors, which it can not.  If you can not
  see the text through the light bars on the menu, use this option to force
  the program into monochrome.


                                   F A S T

  F A S T is designed to help those of you trying to use our program on a
  floppy drive or older PC.  It eliminates some of the graphic effects, which
  speeds up the display time.

                                 Hot Key Programs

            Help Program  -  F1  -  This program operates throughout the
                                    system giving you useful help messages.
            Note Pad      -  F4  -  This is a SMALL text editor.  It is useful
                                    as a scratch pad to make notes to
                                    remember.  I use it to list the weekly
                                    sales at the various supermarkets that are
                                    of interest to me.  Then I print the list
                                    and compare the offers before making my
                                    grocery list.
            Invoice       -  F10 -  Prints an invoice for registration.

                                    Browse

 The browse program  shows your files in a list format, so you can see several
 records at one  time.  Since  many times the width of the screen is much less
 than the length  of  all the fields each record contains, you must use the
 left and right arrows to examine different fields, or use the home key to go
 to the first field and the end  key to go to the last field.  The up and down
 arrows and the pgup and pgdn keys  move  you through the file,  or  use Ctrl
 PgUp to go to the top of the file and Ctrl PgDn to go to the  bottom of the
 file.  Use the Esc key to exit.  Press {F2} for a list of key assignments.

 To edit a record.  Press enter when the light bar is covering the field you
 wish to edit.  When you are finished  editing, press enter again to save the
 edit or press Esc to loose the edit.  You are in the editing mode if the
 field color is not reversed and the cursor is showing.

 To add a record.  Press Ctrl PgDn, or go to the last record in the manner
 easiest for you.  Press to down arrow so that the light bar covers an empty
 line.   Follow  the  same procedures as if you where editing a record.

 Remember the Esc key will loose edits or additions.  Use the enter key.  This
 is the same basically as the normal edit\add module.  Use the Esc key when
 you  are finished to return to the main program. Use  the  {F2}  key for  a
 list  of  key assignments.  Use the {F1} key for browse help.

                                     View

                               Main View Screen

 Use the up  and  down  arrows  to find the desired report and press enter to
 activate.  This menu is not key sensitive.

 At the bottom  of the menu are  a  list  of  key  options  to preform various
 tasks.

          F7 - Count = Press {F7} and the report covered  by  the light bar
                       will  be  counted  to  see  how many records match the
                       conditions of the report.

                       Example:  If you  had  453  records in your file and
                                 you had a report to show all the records, the
                                 count would be 453.

          F8 - Delete = Press {F8} and remove the report covered by the light
                        bar.

          F9 - View   = Press {F9} to see the formula for the highlighted
                        report.

          F10- New    = Press {F10} to create a new report.

          Esc will return you to the main program.

                              Query View Option

 The view option  shows you the formula for the filter of the report selected.
 This is valuable if you need to know how a report is filtered.

          Example:  You have a report labeled Expired.  You view the
                    filter and discover  it  is  filtered to Expire not
                    equal to /  /   .and. Expire less than 07/05/91.

                    English translation:  Expire not equal to blank (no
                    expiration date ) .and. Expire for dates before 07/05/91.

                                Index Builder

 The index builder will build an index or sort for your file.  It may be up
 to four levels or selections.  Use the esc key to go to the next operation or
 the program will automatically proceed after the fourth selection is made.

 On the right side (facing the  screen) is a sub menu box containing a list of
 the fields in the file.  Use the arrow keys to find the desired selection.
 Press enter to accept the highlighted field.  You may repeat  this  process
 until you have reached four selections or you press the esc key.

 Your first selection will be your primary sort and so on.  If you wish to
 sort by expire, and class, you would select expire first, then class.
 Sorting requires extra time for the program.   The more sort levels you
 require, the longer the processing time will be.

                                 Query Builder

 The query builder creates a filter for your reports.  It can be used to show
 only information you select or show all information except information you
 have selected not to see.  If you wish to see everything, you do not need a
 filter.  A filter acts like a strainer.  It passes everything through except
 the chunks of information you want.

 As with the Index Builder, on the right side (facing the screen) is a sub
 menu box containing a list of fields in the file.  Use the arrow keys to find
 the desired selection.  Press enter to accept the highlighted field, then
 follow the instructions.  This process may be repeated until you are
 finished.  To by pass the filtering operation press {Esc}.

                        Query Builder Select How Filter

 This is a  typical  sub-menu.   Move to the desired selection using the
 up and down arrow keys  and press enter to activate your selection.

          The selections:

          Equal To  =  The same as what you will enter.
          X is equal to X

          Less Than =  An amount smaller than what you will enter.
          A is less than Z

          Greater Than = An amount greater than what you will enter.
          Z is greater than A

          Less Than Or Equal To = An amount the same or  less than what
                                  you will enter.
          A is equal to or less than A

          Greater Than Or  Equal  To  = An amount the same or more than
                                        what you will enter.
          A is equal to or greater than A

          For Character Fields Only (not for Expire or Amount)

          Contains = A string you will enter  that  is somewhere in the
                     field you have selected.
          ABCD contains C

          Does Not Contain  =  A  string  you will enter  that  is  not
                               somewhere in the field you have selected.
          ABCD does not contain Z

          Sounds Like = A phrase that sounds like the phrase you enter.
          Cat sounds like kat

 If these selections  are  not clear, experiment a little with them and see
 how they work.

 Query Builder Information Field:

 After you have selected how you want your data filter, you must enter a value
 describing what the filter will be.

 Examples:

 If you want to see all the records for Class "Baking", you would have already
 selected the field to be class and the operator to be equal to. Now you would
 enter Baking.  The filter would be Class = Baking.

 If you want to see all the records with a value over $0.99, you would have
 already selected the field to be amount and the method of filtering to be
 greater than.  Now you would enter $0.99.

                                    OR

 You could have selected the field to be amount and the method of filtering to
 be grater than or equal to.  Now you would enter $1.00

 Query Builder Alt V Option:

 This option shows  the data entered in the field selected for every record in
 the file.  Use the arrows to find  your selection and press enter to activate
 your choice.  This will automatically enter the choice in the ask for field.

 Use the Esc key to escape.

                            Query Builder Connector

 When you are  creating  a  filter with more than one element, you must
 connect them in some  manner, so the program will know how to handle them.

 This is a sub menu.  Use the arrows to find your selection and press enter.

          The selections are:

          Discard = discard or forget the current selection.

          .AND.   = to add another element to the filter.  Example:  Expire
                    less than 06/01/91 .and. Expire does not equal ('  /  /
                    ') Do not use .and. to connect like things.

                    Example:  Class = Laundry .and. Class = HouseHold Since no
                    single class  can  be  both, no records will be displayed.
                    The correct input would be Class = Laundry .or. Class =
                    HouseHold.  This would display all the records with either
                    Laundry or HouseHold as the class.

          .OR.   =  To separate another element to the filter.
                    Example Mfg=Kellog's .or. Mfg=Post


          <<Done>> = Finished. Complete.  You made it!

                           Query Builder Title Box

 If you wish to save the report you have created, enter a description or title
 for your report.  If you do not wish to save the report, but want to see it,
 press {Enter}.  If you want to forget the whole thing, press {Esc}.

 Final Word On The Report Program:

 View is a very powerful program, and fairly complex in nature.  The number of
 variable factors you could use in creating reports is astronomical, and you
 will probably find some we never thought of.  The best way to be an expert
 with this feature is to use it.  Experiment until you feel comfortable.


                             Backup Requirements

  Backing up your files is always a good idea to prevent lose.  This program
  produces everything it needs, except the information you have supplied to
  the databases.  Anything ending in dbf or dbt should be backed up.  You
  should backup Coupon.dbf, Rebate.dbf, Save.dbf, History.dbf,Queries.dbf, and
  Queries.dbt regularly.  As long as you have your original disk, the rest is
  not important.  These are small files and you should be able to just copy
  them to a floppy disk and store them in a safe place.


  Your comments and suggests are requested to continue making this a better
  program.

  I look forward to hearing from you and wish you the most savings possible.


 