                              TYRACE - user guide
                              ===================

description: shareware program which enables you  to rate your typing speed  on
             text files of your own
version:     1.02 (English), 22-03-97

author's note: distribute freely *** no limits please


-1. What is new in this version
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- rear-view mirror, gear lever
- various funny (at least I hope) messages instead of STOP/GO
- "visualized" rank after race
- several minor improvements


0. How this differs from Czech version
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- program messages in English
- different characters <-> touches conversion table
- when program ends, it displays actual speed also in WPM (words per minute)
- a bit different algorithm used for reformatting the file
  (applied with "-double" command-line parameter)
- documentation (this file) in English
- example text file is English
- no keyboard driver, no batch file to install support of Czech language


1. Installation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Program TYRACE consists of the files listed below.

     TYRACE.EXE   program itself
     TYRACE.TXT   user guide (this file)
   * TYRACE.HOF   info about best performance
     TEXT.TXT     file to retype (example if you don't have any of your own, it
                  is boring a bit, so replace it soon :-)

Note: File marked with  an asterisk  (*) is  created by  TYRACE, if  it is  not
      present in current directory.

Instalation process consists in copying all files to some directory you created
on your hard drive.


2. Hardware, software, etc. requirements
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To run TYRACE correctly, you will need:

- IBM PC XT/AT or better computer (compatible)
- EGA or better graphic adapter  and monitor (not  Hercules/CGA, VGA is  highly
  recommended)


3. Brief characteristics of the program
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Program TYRACE is intended to rate  your touch-typing  speed  (in  touches  per
minute, after it ends it  also displays it  in WPM), and  to enable you  retype
your own text files. These functions are provided in the form of setting  one's
teeth on edge car  race :-). Although  main emphasis is  laid on typing  speed,
user is penalised for mistakes by  penalty seconds (he is  to stop for a  while
after a mistake being made), so he  is also forced to reach very high  accuracy
of typing (if he wants to win the race :-).


4. Running and using the program
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is to be run by the file TYRACE.EXE. Proper syntax is:

     TYRACE.EXE <textfile> [<supposed_speed_in_TPM>] [-double]

First parameter is obligatory - name of text file you want to retype. It is  to
be a pure ASCII file.  Word division  is not  supported (is  not recognized  by
TYRACE). Maximal length  is 16  KB +  "a bit  more" -  mostly about  19 KB  (it
depends on how many capital letters  are in text  and so on).  If it is  larger
than this limit, it  won't be  damaged, but  you will  retype only  part of  it
(first cca 19 KB).

Second parameter is your prediction of  typing speed in touches per minute,  so
program can choose good rivals for you ... if you omit this, TYRACE will choose
ones in its own opinion. This parameter should belong to interval <40, 830>. If
you are used to words per minute, try to multiply your WPM-performance by  five
or six ... or, better, do not use this parameter.

When you use the third parameter, -double, TYRACE will try to leave two  spaces
between sentences, if there are any in used text file.

After you run the program,  you are asked  for entering your  name (it will  be
shortened to 18 chars). After pressing <Enter> you are "on the road", time will
start to run at the moment  you start to type (text  in the bottom part of  the
screen). If you make a mistake, you have to wait (for two seconds), after  that
you can continue  to type. On  the top of  the screen you  will see your  name,
position on the track, speed in TPM, and rank in the race. On the right you see
information about pilots - name and speed (all your rivals are keeping constant
speed during the  whole race). You  can also see  how many touches/minutes  are
left to end of the file you are retyping. For more realistic experience, gear
lever and rear-view mirror are also implemented.

After retyping whole text (you cannot "stop" and "rest" while racing, so tyRACE
only if you have  enough time to  retype whole text),  you will see information
about fastest driver (in the bottom), if  you want to replace him, you have  to
type faster for at least five minutes. After pressing <Esc> you will return  to
DOS. Anytime during race you can also return to DOS by pressing <Esc> twice.


5. Status of this program
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TYRACE is distributed as shareware,  trial period is 14  days. If you like  the
program and continue to use it after two weeks, you are obliged to send me  one
US dollar (in cash by air-mail, please) to the following address:

Karel Behounek
Vlkanec 102
285 64 VLKANEC
Czech Republic

However, it is FREE for you, if:
- you are nine years old or younger (your earnings are not too high, are they?)
- you are REGISTERED user of Operation OverType (you have already paid for it)
  (this does mean when you send me one  buck you are entitled to use two  touch
  typing games from me - isn't  it a bargain? :-)  If you don't have  Operation
  OverType yet, download it via anonymous ftp - URL is

     ftp://pub.vse.cz/pub/msdos/programs-from-vse/typing/oot???.arj

   ??? is version number,  you will also need some  English word lists, please
   read 00_index.txt in this directory for more information

   If you do not have Internet access, I'll be glad to send  it   to   you   on
   diskette  if  you  enclose  one  additional  US  dollar  (i.  e.  two  bucks
   altogether) for covering price of diskette and distribution costs.

TYRACE was written in Turbo Pascal 7.0, screen font was designed in FontEdit ][
(Ivan Llanas).  Example text file  was taken from  the book "Macroeconomics" by
Michael Parkin (Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1990).


7. Contacting author
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

snail mail : Karel Behounek, 285 64 Vlkanec 102, Czech Republic
phone      : +42 0322/906-191 (*)
Internet   : xbehk02@vse.cz
             http://manes.vse.cz/~xbehk02/index_en.html

(*) Please do not use this if possible because I am often  out of  home and  my
    parents do not speak English (my English  also isn't very good, but I  hope
    I'll be able to help you with you problems concerning TYRACE).

Share and Enjoy,
                                                                       Karel II