WinFlash Main Index

Getting Started

New In WinFlash 2.1

Main Menu

Question Dialog

Priority List Options Dialog

Answer Dialog

WinFlash Data File Format

Obtaining Support


Getting Started

WinFlash is distributed as an archive file, FLASH-21.ZIP (FLASH.ZIP on CompuServe), containing the following files:

WINFLS21.EXE - The executable program file

WINFLS21.HLP - The help file supporting WinFlash

WINFLS21.REG - Information on shareware in Windows Write

 format - called by registration procedure

WINFLS21.FRM - Registration form in Windows Write

format - called by registration procedure

WINFLS21.FLS - Sample Question/Answer file

REGISTER.TXT - Registration form in ASCII format

README.WRI - The help documentation in Windows Write format

VENDOR.TXT - Information of interest to shareware distributors

and BBSs in ASCII format

FILE_ID.DIZ - Program description supporting automatic extraction

of description text by BBSs

An additional file, WINFLASH.INI, will be created by the program in your Windows directory the first time the program is executed.  This file contains the information relating to your default option settings and should be considered part of the WinFlash file set after its creation.

QuickStart

Introduction

WinFlash was written to help in memorizing written material.  It is useful in both scholastic and professional applications.  The multiple mode prioritization capability allows concentration on problem Questions.

Installation

To install WinFlash 2.1, copy WINFLS21.EXE, WINFLS21.REG, WINFLS21.HLP, WINFLS21.FRM and WINFLS21.FLS to your hard drive.  They can go in their own separate directory or into the WINDOWS directory as you wish.  Then install WinFlash using the normal Windows' File|New|New Program Item sequence in Program Manager.  If you are unfamiliar with this procedure, see your Windows 3.1 users manual, where it is described in detail.

Giving WinFlash To A Friend

Please pass on copies of the original FLASH-21.ZIP (FLASH.ZIP if obtained from CompuServe) when giving WinFlash to a friend or associate.  This will allow them access to the full set of information on the program.  If you have no wish to print out any of the documentation, you need only retain the five WINFLS21.* files in your Windows directory.


New In WinFlash 2.1

WinFlash 2.1 is an interim upgrade adding the following new features and capabilities:

�	Ability to ask the Answer first, followed by the Question.  This relatively minor

change adds so much to the program's capabilities as a vocabulary

exerciser that I felt it should be released immediately, rather than

waiting six more months for the next major upgrade

�	Added more detail to the dialog and menu descriptions in the Help

documentation

�	Changed the display of the name of the Q/A file in the Question and Answer

Dialogs'  title bars from the full file path to the 8/3 filename at the

suggestion of an esthetics-minded user.

�	Minor cosmetic adjustments to the dialog boxes.

WinFlash 2.0 was a major upgrade adding the following new features and capabilities:

�	Customized dialog boxes provide easy-to-understand operation

�	Priority List associated with each Question/Answer file tracks Questions

which the user desires to be asked more frequently

�	Questions can be added to the Priority List when viewing the Answer

�	Questions can be Disabled for future use when viewing the Answer

�	Both the Priority List and the Disabled Question Settings can be

reset from the Priority List Options dialog box

�	A Range of Questions from the overall Question/Answer file may be

asked more frequently.  This is useful when the file has been

segmented into topic areas or when new Questions have been

added to the file

�	The Frequency with which Questions on the Priority List or within the

Range are asked can be varied from 1 to 99 percent of the time

in the Priority List Options dialog box

�	The current Question file name is displayed in the Question and Answer

Dialog title bars

WinFlash 1.1 was an interim release adding the following new feature:

�	Ability to re-display the Question after viewing the Answer.  Allows for

checking for understanding of the Question or another attempt

at the Question and subsequent check of the Answer.  This cycle

can be repeated as many times as the user wishes


Main Menu

File Menu

Open...

This selection brings up a Windows Open File dialog box.  This dialog only allows selection of files with the extension .FLS, since, as part of WinFlash's function, data is written to the file during use and at closing.  This would have a very detrimental effect on some data and executable files, so WinFlash is designed to ONLY work with Question and Answer files with the extension .FLS.  The operation of the dialog box is identical in other respects to the standard Open File dialog used by other applications.

Exit

Selecting this menu item exits WinFlash

Help Menu

Contents

This selection calls the Windows Help application and loads the main index for WinFlash's Help file.  From here you can explore the on line documentation for WinFlash.

About...

Displays the About box for WinFlash, showing the program version and author contact information.


Question Dialog

This dialog box displays the current Question.  In addition it contains the two buttons described below:

Display The Answer

Pressing this button brings up the Answer Dialog box containing the Answer to the Question being displayed.

Priority List Options...

Pressing this button opens the Priority List Options Dialog box allowing control of the various features for controlling which Questions are asked at what frequency.


Priority List Options Dialog

Priority List Mode	One of the following three selections must be chosen:

Ask All Questions Equally Often

As indicated, in this mode, all Questions (that are not Disabled) are asked at random.  See Answer Dialog for information on Disabling Question/ Answer pairs.

Priority Questions From List

In this mode, Questions ON the Priority List (that are not Disabled) are asked with a frequency equaling the percentage in the Frequency edit box.  The remaining Questions (that are not Disabled) are asked the rest of the time.

Note: This mode cannot be used when the Priority List is empty.  Use Ask All Questions Equally Often mode to add at least one Question to the list.  See the discussion of the Clear All Questions From Priority List and Re-enable All Questions In This File functions below for further clarification of  constraints and interactions between the Disabled List and the Priority List and this operating mode.

Priority Questions From Range Below

When using this mode, Questions whose number (in the .FLS file) is greater than or equal to the number in the From Question edit box and less than or equal to the number in the To Question edit box are asked with a frequency equaling the percentage in the Frequency edit box.  See note below for clarification of  what the range numbers mean.

Range

From Question

This edit box contains the number of the lowest Question included in the range.

To Question

This edit box contains the number of the highest Question included in the range.

Note: Remember that Question numbers are always odd.  Thus if you want to have the range include the first three Questions in the file, the From and To Question numbers must be 1 and 5.  If you want the range to include the first ten Questions, the From and To Question numbers must be 1 and 19, etc.

Frequency

This edit box contains the percentage of time the Questions in the Priority Group (either the Questions on the Priority List OR the Questions within the Range - depending upon the selection of Priority List Mode) will be asked.

Answer First, Followed By Question

This check box allows you to reverse the order of the Question/Answer sequence.  This is especially useful in foreign language vocabulary drills, where you are seeking to build bi-directional recognition of the word pairs.

Clear All Questions From Priority List

This button resets the Priority List associated with the file, but does NOT re-enable Disabled Questions.  This occurs immediately, without waiting for OK to be pressed.  After clearing the list, the mode must be changed back to Ask All Questions Equally Often mode, since there cannot be NO Questions on the Priority List when in the Priority Questions From List  mode (consider how long WinFlash would have to search for a Question on the Priority List if there aren't any...).  To begin using Priority Questions From List mode again, simply add a Question to the Priority List in either of the other modes and then switch back to Priority Questions From List mode.

Re-enable All Questions In This File

This button re-enables all Disabled Questions without affecting the contents of the Priority List.  This occurs immediately, without waiting for OK to be pressed.  Similarly to the problem with removing all of the Questions from the Priority List (above), WinFlash will not allow you to Disable the LAST Question in EITHER the group ON the Priority List or OFF the Priority List (in either the Priority Questions From List or Priority Questions From Range Below modes).  If you attempt to Disable the last Question in the file when in Ask All Questions Equally Often mode, WinFlash will reset  the Priority List and Disabled List (except for the last Question added to the Priority List) - the assumption being that under these conditions all Questions have again become "equal").

OK

This button stores the new Option values in the current .FLS file and exits from the Priority List Options dialog.  All changes take effect immediately.

Cancel

This button exits from the Priority List Options dialog without making any changes to the Options as they were in force before the dialog was opened (except for actions taken with the Clear All Questions From Priority List and Re-enable All Questions In This File buttons which, as explained above occur immediately).


Answer Dialog

This dialog box displays the Answer to the current Question.  In addition it contains the five buttons described below:

Next Question

Pressing this button brings up the next Question, picked using the method set up in the  Priority List Options Dialog.

Show The Question Again

Pressing this button returns to the Question half of the Question/Answer pair, for review or re-examination.

Add Question To Priority List

Pressing this button adds the Question to the Priority List stored in the current .FLS file.  The Question remains on the list until the entire list is cleared.  See Priority List Options Dialog for a discussion of the effects of clearing the Priority List.  If you attempt to add the LAST Question not on the Priority List to the list while in the Priority Questions From List mode, the Priority List will be reset (except for the last Question added to the list) and all Questions on the list will be re-enabled - the assumption being that under these conditions all Questions have again become "equal").

If you are working in one of the other two modes you can successfully add all of the Questions to the Priority List, but as soon as you switch to Priority Questions From List mode the list will be reset.

Disable This Question

Pressing this button Disables the current Question/Answer pair.  The pair remains Disabled until the entire list is re-enabled.  WinFlash will not allow you to Disable the LAST Question in EITHER the group ON the Priority List or OFF the Priority List (in either the Priority Questions From List or Priority Questions From Range Below modes).  If you attempt to Disable the last Question in the file when in Ask All Questions Equally Often mode, WinFlash will reset  the Priority List and Disabled List (except for the last Question added to the Priority List) - the assumption being that under these conditions all Questions have again become "equal").  See Priority List Options Dialog for re-enabling the Disabled List.

Exit This Question File

Pressing this button exits the active Question/Answer (.FLS) file, storing all current options and the Priority List Options, Priority List and Disabled status settings.  Control is returned to the WinFlash Main Menu.


WinFlash Data File Format

WinFlash 2.1 is designed to operate with WinFlash data files having a .FLS extension.  These files are simple ASCII text and can be created and edited with any word processor capable of outputting pure ASCII.  NotePad works very well for this application.

The file WINFLS21.FLS included in the archive file is a working example of the type of file you will need to create to use WinFlash.

The contents of the file are reproduced below:

[WinFlash]

MaximumQuestion=9

1=This is the first Question for WinFlash

2=This is the first Answer for WinFlash

3=This is the second Question for WinFlash

4=This is the second Answer for WinFlash

5=This is the third Question for WinFlash

6=This is the third Answer for WinFlash

7=This is the fourth Question for WinFlash

8=This is the fourth Answer for WinFlash

9=This is the fifth Question for WinFlash.  This one is a longer one than the others, demonstrating the use of word wrap for multi-line Questions.

10=This is the fifth Answer for WinFlash.  This one is a longer one than the others, demonstrating the use of word wrap for multi-line Answers.

The format shown should be followed exactly (note the square brackets around WinFlash).

Each Question or Answer can be up to 1000 characters in length.  Use the "Word Wrap" feature when editing/creating the file to wrap multiple line entries rather than "hard" carriage returns.  This will allow WinFlash to properly format its output text.  WinFlash reads a "hard" carriage return as the end of the Question or Answer and the rest of your text will not be displayed.

After entering your last Question/Answer pair, enter the appropriate number for MaximumQuestion on the second line.  In the case of WINFLASH.FLS, this number is 9.

Save your file with the extension .FLS -- this will allow WinFlash to list it in its FileOpen dialog box.

Start WinFlash and use your newly created .FLS file to help with your studies!!

Note:  The first time you open your new .FLS file, WinFlash will show a dialog box announcing that "Default Priority Settings Will Be Written To Current .FLS File".  This will add some text to the end of your file which WinFlash uses to keep track of the Priority Mode and other settings which you adjust in the Priority List Options Dialog box.  You should not edit this text directly, but you may remove it altogether and have WinFlash re-initialize the file should you accidentally alter it when making edits to the Questions and Answers in your file.


OBTAINING SUPPORT

Registered users of WinFlash may obtain support by contacting the author via US Mail (the slow way) or via CompuServe Information Service 75236, 3243.

The author is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI  USA 49442-9247, FAX 616-788-2765, or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.

Dick Bryant

Open Windows

P.O. Box 49746

Colorado Springs, CO  80949-9746