











                                       Frames

                          A Computer-Aided Instruction Tool
                                    Version 1.11
                                  1 November 1992


                                    User's Guide


                       Copyright (c) 1992 by Timothy J. Weber
                                    P.O. Box 6573
                                  Ithaca, NY 14851


                                   GEnie: T.WEBER4
                               CompuServe: 70511,2247
             Member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP)





                Portions Copyright (c) 1988 by Philip A. Mongelluzzo
                               Waterbury, Connecticut


          Frames User's Guide                                  Version 1.11




          Contents

          Contents.................................................2
          Introduction.............................................3
          System Requirements......................................3
          Distribution Disk........................................4
          Running Frames...........................................4
          Frame Files..............................................4
               Frame File Format...................................5
               Entering Blanks.....................................6
               Verbatim Lines......................................7
               Frame File Reference................................8
          Change History...........................................8
               Version 1.0.........................................8
               Version 1.1.........................................8
               Version 1.11........................................9
          Shareware................................................9
               Definition of Shareware.............................9
               How To Register.....................................10
               ASP Ombudsman Statement.............................10
               Copyright Notice and License........................11

































                                                                          2


          Frames User's Guide                                  Version 1.11




          Introduction

               This manual describes how to use Frames, a tool for
               Computer-Aided Instruction (CAI).

               Frames implements something known as "programmed textbooks"
               on the computer.  Specifically, it presents the student with
               small bits of material, called "frames," and requires the
               student to fill in words or phrases that have been left out.

               The concept is not as complex as other CAI methods; it
               doesn't provide hints, respond to wrong answers with
               explanations, grade the student's progress, take different
               paths through the lesson, or use graphics or sound.  It
               simply asks the student to fill in the blanks, and shows the
               right answers when she has completed all the blanks on a
               frame.

               This has been done in paper textbooks for many years.  What
               Frames makes possible that paper doesn't is:

                    1. Easy monitoring of students' progress eliminating
                       paper records or standardizing them;

                    2. Unlimited distribution of lessons, reducing the
                       paper waste normally associated with workbooks; and

                    3. Easy creation of on-line tutorials by non-
                       programmers.

               What Frames offers that other CAI programs don't is:

                    1. A simple user interface for the student.  Frames
                       uses menus and dialog boxes in a familiar way.

                    2. A simple user interface for the teacher.  Lessons
                       are easy to create, and no programming or macro
                       language is involved.

                    3. Modest hardware requirements.  Frames can be used
                       without a hard disk or a graphics monitor.



          System Requirements

               Frames has been tested on a PC-XT compatible with 640K RAM
               and a CGA, running MS-DOS 3.1, and on a BSR 386SX with 2M
               RAM and a VGA, running MS-DOS 3.31.  Printers are supported
               in straight ASCII mode.

               Frames is expected to run on any PC with a compatible BIOS.


                                                                          3


          Frames User's Guide                                  Version 1.11


               Without any frame files loaded, Frames requires around 80K
               of memory; it will use all available memory for frame files
               up to 640K.



          Distribution Disk

               The following files are on the distribution disk:

                    FRAMES.TXT   documentation, ASCII format
                    FRAMES.EXE   the executable file
                    TUTORIAL.FRA frame file for the tutorial
                    REGISTER.TXT registration form, ASCII format
                    AHED.COM     The Ad Hoc Editor, by Michael Covington
                    AHED.TXT     The Ad Hoc Editor documentation
                    FILE_ID.DIZ  A short description of Frames


          Running Frames

               To start Frames, simply type "frames" at the DOS prompt.
               You will receive instructions on how to load a tutorial on
               using Frames.  All the information you need to know to use
               Frames is contained in this tutorial; you should read it
               before continuing to the next section of this User's Guide,
               so you will understand the terms used there.



          Frame Files

               In order to use Frames, you must first enter the information
               that you want presented to your students into a file.  The
               exact format of this file, called the "frame file," is
               detailed below.

               There are three main restrictions on frame files:

                    1. Frame files must have an extension of ".FRA".

                    2. Frame files must be placed in the directory that is
                       current when Frames is run.  If you need more
                       information about directories or file names, see
                       your DOS manual.  (If all your files are on one
                       floppy disk, this probably won't be a problem.)

                    3. You must create frame files with an editor or word
                       processor that creates "ASCII" or "flat" files.  If







                                                                          4


          Frames User's Guide                                  Version 1.11


                       you don't have such an editor, you can use AHED,
                       the "Ad Hoc Editor" [1], included with Frames.


          Frame File Format

               Entering frames is simple: just type the text you want to
               appear.  It doesn't matter where your margins are set or how
               the text is formatted in the file; Frames will reformat it
               so that it fits on the screen.  For example, the file
               TUTORIAL.FRA (the frame file for the tutorial) has a right
               margin at 60, but when you look at it with Frames, it fills
               the whole 80 columns of the screen.

               You can look at TUTORIAL.FRA with AHED or your favorite
               ASCII editor or browser to see examples of all the frame
               file format rules.  This will make the following examples
               easier to understand.

               To indicate how you want your text divided into frames,
               place a period (".") on a line by itself in the first
               column.  For example:


                    This is a sample frame file.
                    This is its first frame.
                    .
                    This is its second frame.


               To separate a frame into one or more paragraphs, place a
               colon (":") on a line by itself in the first column, like
               this:


                    This is another sample frame file.
                    This is its first frame, the first paragraph.
                    :
                    This is its second paragraph of the first frame.
                    .
                    And this is the second frame.


               By default, Frames numbers consecutively all frames and all
               paragraphs after the first.  The first frame in a file and
               the first paragraph in each frame is unnumbered; this is so
               you can use the first frame or the first paragraph of a
               frame as an introduction or title.

                              
          [1] This is an independent product written and distributed by
          Michael Covington, and is not a part of Frames.  It's in the
          public domain, so you may use it free of charge.  For more
          information, see the AHED.TXT file.


                                                                          5


          Frames User's Guide                                  Version 1.11


               If you want to change the numbering sequence, put the new
               number right after the "." or the ":", like this:


                    This frame will have no number.
                    :
                    This paragraph will be numbered "1."
                    :5
                    This paragraph will be numbered "5."
                    .597
                    This frame will be numbered "597."


               Also, if you don't want your paragraphs or your frames
               numbered at all, you can put a "0" (zero) after the "." or
               the ":", like this:


                    This frame will have no number.
                    :0
                    This paragraph will have no number.
                    :
                    This paragraph will be numbered "1."
                    .0
                    This frame will have no number.
                    .
                    This frame will be numbered "1."



          Entering Blanks

               To enter a multiple choice blank in the frame file, you need
               to:

                    1. Put parentheses ("()") around the choices,

                    2. Separate them with slashes ("/"), and

                    3. Indicate the correct answer by putting an asterisk
                       ("*") in front of it.

               For instance:


                    This statement is (true/false/*don't know).  The
                    correct answer is "don't know".


               To put a fill-in blank in the frame file, just put an
               underscore character ("_") before and after it, like this:





                                                                          6


          Frames User's Guide                                  Version 1.11



                    This sentence has a fill-in _blank_.  The correct
                    answer is "blank".


               You can also have fill-in blanks with multiple correct
               answers, like this:


                    This sentence has a _blank/fill-in blank_.  The
                    two correct answers are "blank" and "fill-in
                    blank".


               The only restrictions on blanks are that they cannot be
               longer than 80 characters so they can fit on one line of the
               screen, and they cannot be broken across lines.  If you
               break a blank across lines, it will be seen as just plain
               text.

               There are more examples of both multiple choice and fill-in
               blanks in TUTORIAL.FRA.


          Verbatim Lines

               Frames reformats all lines by default.  If you want lines to
               appear exactly as they are in the frame file, put the ">"
               character in the first column.  This will force this line to
               be placed on a line by itself on the screen, and spaces will
               not be trimmed as they normally are.  For example, this
               frame file:


                    This
                    is
                    formatted;
                    >This
                    >is
                    >not.


               will look like this on the screen:


                    This is formatted;
                    This
                    is
                    not.







                                                                          7


          Frames User's Guide                                  Version 1.11


          Frame File Reference

               The special characters in frame files are:

                    .    In the first column, starts a new frame; can be
                         followed by a new frame number.

                    :    In the first column, starts a new paragraph; can
                         be followed by a new paragraph number.

                    ()   Surrounds a multiple-choice blank.

                    /    Separates multiple-choice answers.

                    *    Indicates the correct multiple-choice answer.

                    _    Surrounds a fill-in blank.

                    >    In the first column, indicates that this line
                         should be taken verbatim.

               Maximum line length: 255 characters.

               Maximum blank length: 80 characters.



          Change History


          Version 1.0

               November 1989.

               Initial release.


          Version 1.1

               November 1991.

               New features:

                    Verbatim mode.

                    Larger files are now supported.  Frames will now use
                       all available memory to load frame files.

                    Use Alt now to get to a menu, not Control, for
                       compatibility with popular windowing systems.
                       Control is still used as the accelerator.





                                                                          8


          Frames User's Guide                                  Version 1.11


                    The Help menu is moved to the far right of the menu
                       bar, for compatibility with popular windowing
                       systems.

               Bugs fixed:

                    Question marks and exclamation points didn't get two
                       spaces after them, like periods do.  Fixed.

                    Crashed when loading if memory is exhausted.  Now
                       reports the problem and continues, with no frames
                       loaded.

                    Allowed Save when there's no frame file loaded.  Fixed.

                    Invisible "Abort, Retry, Ignore" when trying to print
                       to an offline printer.  Now reports the problem and
                       allows retry or cancel.

                    Lines that start with spaces weren't formatted
                       correctly.  Fixed.  There are still some other
                       formatting problems, so for now, don't end a line
                       with a blank unless it's the last line in the
                       paragraph.


          Version 1.11

               October 1992.

               Changes to documentation and license to comply with ASP
               requirements.

               Change of address.



          Shareware

               Frames is written and supported by Timothy J. Weber, a
               member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP),
               and is distributed as Shareware.


          Definition of Shareware

               (As supplied by the ASP)

               Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software
               before buying it.  If you try a Shareware program and
               continue using it, you are expected to register.  Individual
               programs differ on details--some request registration while
               others require it, some specify a maximum trial period.
               With registration, you get anything from the simple right to


                                                                          9


          Frames User's Guide                                  Version 1.11


               continue using the software to an updated program with
               printed manual.

               Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial
               software, and the copyright holder retains all rights, with
               a few specific exceptions as stated below.  Shareware
               authors are accomplished programmers, just like commercial
               authors, and the programs are of comparable quality.  (In
               both cases, there are good programs and bad ones!)  The main
               difference is in the method of distribution.  The author
               specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the
               software, either to all and sundry or to a specific group.
               For example, some authors require written permission before
               a commercial disk vendor may copy their Shareware.

               Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software.
               You should find software that suits your needs and
               pocketbook, whether it's commercial or Shareware.  The
               Shareware system makes fitting your needs easier, because
               you can try before you buy.  And because the overhead is
               low, prices are low also.  Shareware has the ultimate money-
               back guarantee--if you don't use the product, you don't pay
               for it.


          How To Register

               To register, print out the invoice included with Frames by
               typing "copy invoice.txt prn" at the DOS prompt, fill it
               out, and send it with a check or money order for $30 to
               Timothy J. Weber at the address listed at the top of this
               document and on the program's startup screen.

               You will receive a confirmation of your registration by
               mail, and notification of future upgrades.


          ASP Ombudsman Statement

               (As required by the ASP)

               This program is produced by 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 49442 or send a CompuServe
               message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.





                                                                         10


          Frames User's Guide                                  Version 1.11


          Copyright Notice and License

               This software is protected by the copyright laws of the
               United States of America, as well as by the copyright laws
               of many other countries pursuant to international treaties.

               Frames computer program and documentation Copyright (c) 1991
               by Timothy J. Weber.  All rights reserved.  No part of the
               Frames computer program, documentation or related files may
               be reproduced, photocopied, stored on a retrieval system, or
               transmitted except as provided by this license.

               Your first use of Frames (hereinafter referred to as "the
               Software") constitutes your agreement to the following terms
               of license.  Timothy J. Weber will be referred to as "the
               Author."

            Limited License
               A limited license at no charge is granted to use and test
               the Software for no more than 31 calendar days. Thereafter,
               you must either pay the registration fee or cease use of the
               Software.

            Full License
               When a registration fee is paid, the Author will grant a
               non-exclusive license to use one copy of the Software on any
               one computer at any one time.  The Licensee must treat the
               Software "like a book."  That is, the 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 by more than one person at a
               time.

            Commercial License
               A limited evaluation license of 31 calendar days' duration
               is granted at no charge to commercial organizations, during
               which time individuals in the organization may evaluate the
               Software.  Thereafter, the organization must pay the Author
               for one the following, whichever is least:  (a) a site
               license, or (b) licenses for each user of the Software, or
               (c) licenses for each computer the Software is used on.
               Contact the Author for further information about site
               licenses.

            Distribution License
               A license to duplicate and distribute the Software exactly
               as it is distributed, without change or omission, shall be
               granted according to the following terms and conditions:

                    1. A license is granted at no charge, if no charge is
                       made for such duplication and distribution.

                    2. A license is granted at no charge to individuals or
                       organizations recognized by the Association of


                                                                         11


          Frames User's Guide                                  Version 1.11


                       Shareware Professionals as adhering to its
                       guidelines for shareware distributors, and such
                       distributors may begin distributing the Software
                       immediately, if the Author is notified of such
                       distribution.

                    3. Any other duplication or distribution requires
                       prior authorization by the Author.

            Support
               The Author will answer the Licensee's questions about the
               software for a period of one year from the Author's receipt
               of the registration fee.

            Upgrades
               The full license applies to all future versions of the
               Software.  When future versions are released, the Author
               will notify the Licensee by mail.  Copies of the current
               version of the Software will be supplied by the Author on
               request, at the cost of the distribution materials.

            Limitation Of Remedies
               Should you encounter problems with the Software within one
               year from the Author's receipt of the registration fee, the
               Author's entire liability and your exclusive remedy shall
               be, at the sole option of the Author, either (a) to
               terminate the license and return any license fees that you
               paid the Author for the Software, or (b) to repair or
               replace the Software.

            Disclaimer
               The Software is supplied as is.  The Author disclaims all
               warranties, express 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 Software.



















                                                                         12

         ----------------end-of-author's-documentation---------------

                         Software Library Information:

                    This disk copy provided as a service of

                           Public (software) Library

         We are not the authors of this program, nor are we associated
         with the author in any way other than as a distributor of the
         program in accordance with the author's terms of distribution.

         Please direct shareware payments and specific questions about
         this program to the author of the program, whose name appears
         elsewhere in  this documentation. If you have trouble getting
         in touch with the author,  we will do whatever we can to help
         you with your questions. All programs have been tested and do
         run.  To report problems,  please use the form that is in the
         file PROBLEM.DOC on many of our disks or in other written for-
         mat with screen printouts, if possible.  PsL cannot debug pro-
         programs over the telephone, though we can answer questions.

         Disks in the PsL are updated  monthly,  so if you did not get
         this disk directly from the PsL, you should be aware that the
         files in this set may no longer be the current versions. Also,
         if you got this disk from another vendor and are having prob-
         lems,  be aware that  some files may have become corrupted or
         lost by that vendor. Get a current, working disk from PsL.

         For a copy of the latest monthly software library newsletter
         and a list of the 4,000+ disks in the library, call or write

                           Public (software) Library
                               P.O.Box 35705 - F
                            Houston, TX 77235-5705

                                1-800-2424-PSL
                             MC/Visa/AmEx/Discover

                          Outside of U.S. or in Texas
                          or for general information,
                              Call 1-713-524-6394


