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                                               Introduction to HyperPAD   ix
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    INTRODUCTION TO HYPERPAD



    Welcome to HyperPAD, the program that meets the diverse needs of
    personal computer users in the 1990s.

    Included in the HyperPAD package are over two dozen ready-made
    applications-known as pads, or personal application designs-that let you
    organize a wide range of personal and business information and operate
    your PC more easily and efficiently. For instance, the pads can be used
    to:

        0  Launch your other DOS and Microsoft Windows programs with simple
           keyboard or mouse techniques.

       0  Manage your files by using a straightforward file-management pad
          rather than by entering long, complex commands at the DOS prompt.

       0  Create a database of names, phone numbers, and addresses; print
          mailing labels using selected information from this database;
          automatically dial phone numbers; and simplify a variety of other
          telephone-related tasks.

       0  Keep track of your daily schedule with an on-line planner that
          lets you instantly access the day, month, and year of your choice;
          enter appointments and notes; and then automatically find vital
          information again.

    The remaining pads in the HyperPAD package let you do everything from
    sending form letters to compiling your weekly expenses on a spreadsheet.
    In short, the pads that come with HyperPAD can turn your personal
    computer into a powerful productivity tool!

    However, operating the built-in applications is only the start of what
    you can do with HyperPAD. HyperPAD is also an object-oriented authoring
    environment. So if you're interested in moving beyond just operating the
    pads, you can use HyperPAD like a "construction set" to design your own
    pads.

    What sorts of pads can you create? For some specific examples, take a
    look at the pads included in the HyperPAD package. Every one of them was
    designed with HyperPAD's authoring tools!


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    If you decide to try your hand at authoring, the applications you
    develop with HyperPAD will probably fall into one of the following broad
    categories:

       0  General-purpose PC interfaces:   HyperPAD lets you design simple
          program-launching interfaces with which to start other software
          programs, eliminating the need to enter cumbersome, nonintuitive
          commands at the DOS prompt. Because HyperPAD shrinks down to 3K of
          memory while running other programs, it doesn't interfere with
          their use. HyperPAD's Home pad is an example of a PC interface.

       0  Flat-file databases:   HyperPAD is ideally suited for designing
          applications that let you create and manage a body of information.
          Although HyperPAD isn't intended to do the work of relational
          database products such as dBASE IV or Oracle, which are better
          suited for handling large transaction-based systems, it is a fine
          tool for meeting many other information-management needs.
          HyperPAD's Phone pad-which can be used to organize names,
          addresses, and telephone and fax numbers-is an example of a
          flat-file database.

       0  Tutorials:   HyperPAD is perfect for creating interactive
          tutorials on just about any topic. And with HyperPAD's capture
          program (CAP.EXE), you can save a series of screens that you've
          created with other programs and incorporate them into your
          tutorial. HyperPAD's own on-line Tutorial is an example of this
          type of instructional application.

       0  Information systems:   With HyperPAD, you can employ hypertext
          principles to design a body of information with built-in links
          that give users instant access to relevant material. For example,
          HyperPAD's on-line Help system contains extensive information
          about HyperPAD. Instead of having to move through this material in
          a linear fashion, one page at a time, users can proceed directly
          to topics of interest by selecting on-screen buttons linked to
          those topics. Associative links like this are the heart of any
          hypertext application, and HyperPAD makes them a breeze to create.

       0  Software prototypes:   HyperPAD is a great tool for developing
          screen mock-ups and program simulations for your programming
          projects. You can capture existing screens with HyperPAD's capture
          utility (CAP.EXE) and then use HyperPAD's powerful character
          painting facilities for screen design.


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                                               Introduction to HyperPAD   xi
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       0  Programs/applications:   HyperPAD makes it easy for programmers
          and nonprogrammers alike to develop an application and get it up
          and running quickly. Once you do this, you can create external
          programs in C or assembly language and incorporate them into your
          new application.

       0  Client/server front ends:   With HyperPAD, you can construct
          easy-to-use interfaces that let PC users interact with
          applications running on a mainframe, minicomputer, or local area
          network. By developing pads that follow the client/server model of
          computing, you can permit the most efficient use of PCs in an
          interconnected environment. The user merely runs HyperPAD and
          doesn't have to worry about what's happening behind the scenes.

       0  Multimedia front ends:   HyperPAD also makes it easy to develop
          multimedia applications on systems with sound, interactive video,
          or CD-ROM capabilities. You can even incorporate graphic
          presentations and animation into your pads using Show Partner F/X,
          another program from Brightbill-Roberts.

    Regardless of whether you use HyperPAD's built-in applications to
    simplify your work and increase your productivity or use HyperPAD's
    authoring tools to create your own custom-made applications, you'll find
    HyperPAD's power and flexibility to be valuable resources for meeting
    your computing needs.


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                                               Introduction to HyperPAD  xii
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    HOW TO LEARN ABOUT HYPERPAD

    If you already understand how to operate HyperPAD and just need to get
    the program running on your system, refer to Chapter 1 of the HyperPAD
    User's Guide, "Getting Started," which contains instructions for
    installing, starting, and setting up HyperPAD and tells you how to get
    technical support from Brightbill-Roberts.

    If you don't already understand how to operate HyperPAD, this section
    will help you decide how you're going to learn about it.

    You should be aware that the HyperPAD package offers a variety of
    printed and on-line resources designed to meet the unique needs of a
    wide range of users with different interests and different levels of
    experience. Obviously, you won't want to waste time either with material
    that's too elementary or too advanced for you or with material on
    HyperPAD functions that don't interest you. So reading all the manuals
    from cover to cover probably isn't an effective learning strategy.

    Instead, take a few moments to review the following brief summary of
    HyperPAD's printed and on-line resources. It should help you zero in on
    the resources that can help you accomplish exactly what you're setting
    out to do with HyperPAD.

       0  HyperPAD User's Guide:   The User's Guide is divided into three
          parts. Part 1, "Using HyperPAD," explains everything you need to
          know in order to operate the pads that come with HyperPAD.

          Part 2, "Designing with HyperPAD," shows you how to modify the
          existing pads and create new pads. (For a more detailed overview
          of the topics covered in "Using HyperPAD" and "Designing with
          HyperPAD," see the introductions to Part 1 and Part 2.) Part 3,
          "Menu and Command Reference," explains each of the commands on
          HyperPAD's menus.

       0  Tutorial:   The Tutorial is an interactive, on-line introduction
          to HyperPAD. If you want to learn about the entire range of
          HyperPAD's features and capabilities, you can go through the
          Tutorial in its entirety. If your interests are more narrowly
          focused, the Tutorial has a clearly defined structure that lets
          you go directly to selected topics. The Tutorial's flexibility
          makes it an excellent resource for both novices and experienced
          users.


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       0  Help system:   The Help system is an on-line resource that you can
          access from anywhere in HyperPAD to get information about the pad
          you're working with or about the HyperPAD program. Although the
          Help system isn't designed specifically to teach you how to use
          HyperPAD, you will learn a great deal about the program by calling
          up directly relevant information from Help whenever you have a
          question.

       0  Quick Reference Guide:   As its name implies, this manual briefly
          tells you how to perform basic HyperPAD operations and contains
          short definitions of important and commonly used HyperPAD terms.
          The Quick Reference Guide isn't meant to serve as a resource for
          learning how to use HyperPAD, but it is an effective resource for
          refreshing your memory about concepts and procedures you learned
          elsewhere.

       0  PADtalk Reference Guide:   This manual, which is for advanced
          HyperPAD users, contains a detailed discussion of PADtalk,
          HyperPAD's powerful yet simple scripting language.


    CONCLUSION

    By the time you finish reading the Introduction, you should have a
    pretty good understanding of what HyperPAD is all about. You should know
    which of the printed and on-line resources you're going to concentrate
    on.

    The first step in learning how to use HyperPAD is to follow the
    instructions in Chapter 1 of the User's Guide to get the program running
    on your system. After that, you can start putting HyperPAD to work.
    Good luck, and have fun!