Created By Nathan Black
Version 2.88
Last Updated: December 9, 1999
Webpage: http://www.xmission.com/~nblack/
Four.Zero is a Student\Homework\Class Manager for the Palm OS version 2.0 and later. It provides you with all the tools you need to succeed in your classes.
Features include:
Version 2.8 - January 11, 2000
Version 2.3 - December 9, 1999
Version 2.0 - November 19, 1999
Version 1.0 - September 10, 1999
You can add classes by choosing Class... New... from the menu (command N) or by clicking the Class popup and choosing Add Class. There, you add information such as the Display Name (what you refer to it as), the Department offering the course , the Course No, the section, the hours, and it's web page if it has any. You could also enter a mailing list here instead or whatever if you'd like.
If you want to add information about the Instructor, you can choose Class... Instructor... (command I) from the menu. You can add her/his name, as well as their office location, office hours, phone, and email. If you want to change the information you created the class with, choose Class... Class Info... (command C) from the menu.
To add coursework (homework, classwork, whatever you like to call it), just chose Class... Add Coursework (command A) from the menu, or click the Add button at the bottom left of the screen. If you are in All Class view mode, you cannot do this. Choose a class first from the dropdown menu.
After that, a dialog will come up, allowing you to input several things. The name is simply the name. The type is what kind of assignment it is. You can define types by choosing the Edit Types at the bottom of the list (or the menu when you are not in the Edit Coursework dialog). The score and possible fields are what you recieved on it, and what is possible. You of course don't have to put this in now. If you put nothing, it will display "N/A" and not score it in any way. This works well for such things as reading assignments. Also, if you don't put a score, it will not be scored. You can add just a score for extra credit. To see how things are weighted, see the Grading Policy below. Choose a due date by clicking the box with the --/--. A date is required. Add any details about the coursework in it's field. If you want a bigger view of the details, click the magnifiying glass to the left of the details field. If the coursework has a textbook it works with, choose it from the list. (Learn how to add them by reading below).
Cool Feature: Say for example the coursework is a quiz, and the name is Quiz #1. Just choose Quiz from the type box, push the copy button (the two pages icon--it's the only graphic there) and it will copy the text over for you.
If you want to automatically add coursework to the datebook, go to Sync... Datebook... (Command B) and configure the options there. First click "Automatically add coursework to the Datebook" to enable the whole thing. Then, below, it will add the coursework to the datebook with those defaults. It has a feel just like the datebook. Click the alarm checkbox if you want a default alarm. Click the Repeat selector trigger if you want to have a repeat.
Even if you don't want to automatically add coursework to the datebook, the defaults for adding to the datebook are set in Datebook Sync (Sync... Datebook... ). So, it's advisable to set what you want in there.
Adding to the datebook is a one-way operation. If you want to delete entries or change the entry data, you must go to the Datebook and do so.
After adding some coursework, you might want to view a specific range. To view a certain range, choose a View from the View popup at the bottom. You have options such as Due (view all due items), Due By (due within a certain date), Past (past items), and the various types (all items of that type). The Daily and Weekly views sort your coursework amongst all classes by date, and display all the items that are due that week or day (depending on the view) for each class. It will automatically switch you to view All Classes mode. If you click a class name, it will take you to that class.
If you want to view items that are already completed, click the View Done checkbox. If you check an item done, and you are not viewing done items, it won't disapear until the next update (you scroll, change view, etc.) The grade displayed is the grade for the entire class, unless you are viewing a certain type, then it is the grade with only that type. This will give you an idea on how you are doing in that area. Also, the grade is calculated only for scored items. To edit an item, click it. If you have more than 10 items, you can scroll them with the scrollbar or the hardware buttons. They act like Page Down/Page Up.
To add textbooks, choose from the menu Classes... Textbooks... (command T) for a class. To add an item, hit add, and put the name you want for it. You can rename any textbook by hitting rename and putting the new name in. All associations to that textbook you rename remain intact, as well as ones you sort. When you delete, it will break the associations, but only if you then hit OK. You can also access this from the Edit Coursework dialog.
To add textbooks, choose from the menu Classes... Coursework Types... (command Y) for a class. Write the name in the field in the bottom, and add it. You can rename any textbook. All associations to that textbook you rename remain intact, as well as ones you sort. When you delete, it will break the associations, but only if you then hit OK. You can also access this from the Edit Coursework dialog.
First off, you should understand the difference between GPA setup and the Grading Policy. The GPA Setup, available from the Tools menu as GPA Setup (Command P) controls what GPA is given to what letter grades, and which letter grades are used. So, if your institution doesn't use + or -, then you can just unclick them all, and the won't be used. Change the GPA next to the corresponding grade. Also choose whether E or F will be displayed for the fail grade.
The Grading Policy from the Class menu (Command G) sets up what percentage is required in that class to get that letter grade. Plus, in 2.0, all the scales are unique for each class. When a class is first created, it's GPA is based off of the first class in the list, or a defaul set of values (that are at the University of Utah, to be specific). Change the percentages to what the class requires.
On the right, you will see some checkboxes. If your class is weighted in any way, click it. You can now choose By Type or Per Item. If a class is weighted by type, you will need to put in the weights of the types in the Types Setup dialog (click the Types Setup button). I would like to note that you don't have to use a percent scale, you can use whatever you want. The weight is comparable to the rest of the values. If you weight your items individually (per item), choose that box. You will now be able to put in the weight of each item in the Edit Coursework dialog. You won't be able to do this until you do. Also, that scale is whatever you choose to be, too. Don't let the % lead you astray; it's not nessicary to do a percent scale.
A note on extra credit: with no weighting, it's simple. It adds those points to your total. By Type weighting adds the points to your total for the type, then weights the type normally. In Per Item, it will add the score to the total weighting percent. Let me explain: Say you earned 3% extra credit out of 5% you could've got. Your weighting is on a percent system. So put 5% for your weight to remind you that was how much was possible (it doesn't actually affect the weighting) and then put 3 in the score. You will now have 3% extra credit.
By choosing Tools... What If... (Command W) you can predict what you will get in the class. When you first enter the dialog, it uses defaults based on your current grades in the various types. On the left, you have a column of grades. Choose the grade appropriate to the type to it's right. You can choose a different type, too. If you choose more than one type, the type furthest on the bottom is calculated. If you do not have a type shown, it is not factored in. Also, if you choose no grade (--), it is not factored it, and it varies (causing a range of grades). The range of grades is shown at the bottom.
Choose Tools... Report Card... (command R) from the menu and learn your current GPA. It tells you your percent, grade, and GPA for each class, as well as the GPA overall both with and without hours calculated in.
Setting Options
Choose Tools... Options (Command O) from the menu to change some options. You can set what the hardware arrows do: scroll up and down coursework items, page up and down items, change the view, or change classes. When you have it set to view, it will skip Due By (as to keep your hands free). Click Show Class Name in Daily\Weekly if you would like it shown, or unlick it if not. Also if your left handed, click that, as it will put the scrollbar on the left-hand side.
Anything you want to tell me concerning Four.Zero, feel free too, at nblack@xmission.com.
If you have a bug to report, please include your database file. It is called FPZ_Classes.pdb. It is in your backup folder in your username folder in your Palm files folder. So, if my palm files were in C:\Palm and my username was Nathan, then the file would be C:\Palm\Nathan\backup. If you are confused, just search for the file on your hard drive. This will help me in finding and fixing the problem.