Program Description for Attend v4.2b Employee Attendance Database
Copyright 1992-1996 Robert J. Manning, author. All rights reserved.

ATTEND is a database program specifically designed for tracking 
employee attendance. Offering ease of use and versatility for even the 
mid-sized business, ATTEND helps automate and simplify the complicated 
task of tracking and updating employee vacation, sick leave, glitches, 
and other attendance chores. This is the DOS version of Attend. A windows
version is also available.

Updates in version 4.2b:
------------------------
-The Import utility 'Query Dataset for Totals' function has been
renamed to 'Calculate Hours Worked and Pay' (sorry, it was a programmer
thing!).
-The Calculate Hours Worked and Pay function can now be set to use
either the configured work schedule times for employees, or calculate
hours worked assuming a floating schedule. Floating schedule 
calculations don't report variances such as tardies, but do come in
handy for firms that shift employee work times often.
-The Import utility function F2 has been renamed to 'Set/Edit/Send
Imported Data', and two new functions are added: Modify record and
Add New Record. Modify allows changing clock punch data, and Add New
Record allows adding a new clock punch record. Reserved for registered
version.
-Other improvements throughout the program; shareware version limited
to creating five employee files.

Updates in version 4.2a include:
--------------------------------
- New UNCLEAR.EXE utility for recovering accidentally cleared employee 
  files, and extra confirmation prompts in the file clearing function.
- Anniversary/Probation Updates now ask if you want to zero out the 
  employee file, instead of just zeroing it.
- Probation End update does not add any leave time.

Other Program Features include:
-------------------------------
- TimeClock function to enable computerization of manual timekeeping
  functions. 

- Import utility for tracking and entering attendance incidents to the
  main database, from the Timeclock utility or external ASCII text files.
  Query feature, for totaling hours worked by your employees, as well 
  as calculating unadjusted pay.
  
- Special Mass Update feature, to manually update available leave
  time for one or all status types. Can also be keyed on length of
  employment with company.

- Master file sort, print, and search functions.

- Status Type configuration functions. Updates based on Calendar year, 
  Anniversary, as well as manual/group updates.

- Can be run on a network (requires DOS 3+, and SHARE.EXE installed).

- Master Passcode feature for system administrators - allows access 
  when normal password is unknown, password forgotten, or to lock 
  out normal usage. Registered version passcodes are unique, though
  the shareware version passcode is not.

- Can be run on any IBM or compatible PC, XT to Pentium, using DOS 3 to 
  Windows 95.

- Text file (.TXT) / documentation viewer with search function.

- Automatic anniversary update checking upon startup. Automatic vacation
  and sick leave updating on anniversary. Various automatic print options, 
  including upon file deletion. Extended comment files for making notes 
  pertaining to specific dates or entries. Comment files can also be 
  appended from the Import utility, with clock punch incidents.

- Automatic file saving. Backup and restore. Network file locking.
  Statistics calculations on attendance occurrences. Keeps records of
  employee personal information. Screen saver, automatic or manual.
  And many more features.

Main program functions:
-----------------------
The program keeps a running record of attendance incidents, as well
as vacation and sick leave. Excused and unexcused incidents can be recorded,
and a running total of unexcused leave time is also shown. The program keeps
a seperate dataset of imported incidents in the form of timeclock punches,
and can be used to total time worked and calculate pay, if data is entered 
consistently. Time clock punches can be imported from an external program, 
or from the enclosed timeclock utility. Lengthy comment files can be kept 
on each employee for those really interesting excuses.

The program will work with data and comment files created with 
version 3.0 and up. Please view the README.TXT file before installing
this new version. This version includes a number of upgrades & fixes 
to version 4.2. Some features reserved for the registered version only.

To run, enter: ATTEND

Documentation: DESCRIPT.TXT, README.TXT, UNCLEAR.TXT, and some online help.
