Overview 
Contacts!Plus is a shareware product designed to aid in the managing of contact information.  It provides an easy to use interface whereby a user simply points and clicks to perform various functions.  It was created 
using multiple panels in order to reduce any unnecessary switching between different dialog boxes.  Of course the user must have a Hayes compatible modem in order for the program to actually dial.  The program uses Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) and a Microsoft Access database to store all contact information.  Using ODBC, powerful queries are constructed which simplify complex tasks.  Also, such a design offers a virtually unlimited amount of space (i.e., usually limited by the size of your hard drive). 
The rest of the this document describes the various functions of Contacts!Plus through explanations as well as pictorials. 
 
Software Requirements 
In order to use Contacts!Plus, a system must have the following components: 
	The ODBC Microsoft Access driver. 
		The ODBC Microsoft Access driver is available with Microsoft Word 6.0.  To see if this driver is installed, open File Manager and index to your WINDOWS directory.  Open the file "ODBC.INI."  If the Microsoft Access driver is installed, the following text will be in this file. 
			[ODBC Drivers] 
			Access Data (*.mdb)=Installed 
 
		If the driver is not installed, run the Word Setup utility and follow the directions below: 
			click on the Add/Remove button 
			highlight the Converters, filters, and Data Access
			option 
			click the Change Option button 
			make sure the Data Access(ODBC) check box is checked 
			and continue with the install. 
 
	The ODBC Driver Manager 1.0 (ODBC.DLL). 
	MS-DOS 3.3 or later. 
	Microsoft Windows 3.0a up to 3.11.  It is anticipated that Contacts!Plus will be ported over to run on Windows 95 as well as Word 7/95. 
 
To add, modify, or delete drivers or data sources, the ODBC Control Panel (or the ODBC Administrator program under Microsoft Windows 3.0a) must be installed on your computer. 
 
If you do not have Microsoft Access installed on your computer, make the following settings in your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files: 
 
Add the line FILES=50 to CONFIG.SYS 
Add the line SHARE.EXE /L:200 to AUTOEXEC.BAT.  If you plan on adding thousands of contacts, it is advisable to add SHARE.EXE /L:500. 
 
Main Screen 
The main screen is comprised of a multitude of controls which guide the user.  Each control is explained below. 
 
The top part of the screen contains the controls that access the database.  The data is indexed by the first letter of a contact's last name.  If multiple panels of contact information is available, the user can press the 
Next, Previous, Start, or End buttons as necessary.  A counter details the current position with respect to the number of contacts available for the current letter. 
 
The middle portion of the screen contains actual contact information.  The left half of the ring binder contains the available contacts listed by "last name, first name middle initial."  The right half of the binder 
contains a profile of the currently selected contact.  The profile includes the following information (if entered):  Company Name, Address, Fax Number, Email address, and any other dialable phone numbers. A contact is selected by simply clicking on his/her name.  The profile is retrieved and displayed on the right half of the binder.  To dial a number after the appropriate contact is selected, the user either double-clicks on any one of the dialable phone numbers or selects the desired number and presses the "Dial" button. 
 
The bottom part of the main screen contains an array of push-buttons which perform various functions.  Some perform standard features that manipulate contact information while others execute complex tasks. Standard Database Features 
 
Any program that uses a database as its foundation requires a set of standard features that can manipulate the data.  These features include the ability to enter new data, revise existing data, and delete unwanted data. 
 
Add Entry 
This push-button allows the user to enter a new contact and have it stored in the database for future use.  A user may add an entry irregardless of which letter is currently indexed.  For instance, if "K" is the current 
index, the user may still add a new contact whose last name begins with the letter "C".  The information will not appear until the user switches the index to the letter "C" and, if necessary, scrolls to the appropriate 
panel.  When pressed the user is guided, through a dialog box, to enter the appropriate information. 
 
Edit Entry 
A user may also edit an existing entry.  This is performed by selecting the desired contact from the list on the left half of the ring binder and pressing the "Edit Entry" push-button.  Once invoked, a dialog box exactly 
the same as the Add Entry dialog box appears with the fields prefilled.  The user simply revises any desired fields and presses "OK."  The information is then updated in the database. 
 
Delete Entry 
This function deletes a contact from the database.  To perform this function, a user selects the desired contact and presses the "Delete Entry" button.  The contact and any associated information is deleted from 
the database. 
 
Contact Management Features 
All contact management programs contain standard features that allow a user to perform management tasks involving their contacts.  This ranges from dialing a number to merging contact information to setting 
reminders for callbacks.  The following describes Contacts!Plus's contact management features through the description of each push-button. 
 
Dial 
This button simply dials the telephone number highlighted in the bottom, right half of the ring binder.  Under normal operation, a user would select the contact to be called, select from the list of dialable numbers, and 
press the "Dial" button.  Another option is to double-click on the desired dialable number. After the call is placed, a conversation logger appears.  The user is then able to type in any relevant information about the current conversation.  The data is saved as ASCII text and is linked to the contact.  In addition to the logger, a toolbar containing three buttons appears.  The first is the save button which saves the log into the database.  The middle button enables the user to display the current contact information for 
updating purposes.   And, the last button simply cancels the saving of the log. 
 
SetUp 
This button activates a dialog box that allows a user to setup communication with the modem, set dialing patterns, and select specific information of a contact along with punctuation for insertion into a document. 
In order for the program to communicate with the modem, the COM port used by the modem must be specified.  Also, dialing patterns such as prefixes, suffixes and the addition of a "1" for long distance calls 
can be customized.  The right half of the Setup dialog box contains the fields that may be inserted into the active document.  After each field the user has the choice of adding a space, a comma and space, or a 
paragraph mark.  Lastly, a salutation may also be stored for insertion.  To customize, the user simply checks the appropriate boxes and selects the necessary punctuation to be included after every field to be inserted. 
 
Set Reminder 
The "Set Reminder" button allows the setting of reminders for calling back a contact at a specified date and time.  The user may also input a short message describing the reason for the call.  The user invokes a reminder by first selecting the appropriate contact and then pressing the "Set Reminder" button.  Below is a picture of the display after this button is pressed. 
The creation of a reminder sets a timer which expires at the date and time specified.  Note, Microsoft Word must be running when the timer expires.  However, it does not have to be the active application or in a 
maximized state.  If the time set expires and Word is not running, the reminder will appear as soon as Word is executed.  In any case, when the timer expires, a dialog box appears.  This reminds the user who to call 
and for what reason.  It also allows the user to call the contact with the touch of a button, reschedule the reminder for a later time, or cancel the reminder. 
 
Reminder Manager 
This button activates the Reminder Manager.  It displays all of the reminders currently set and allows a user to reschedule, cancel, or immediately call any contact currently scheduled for a callback. 
 
Search 
This function allows a user to specify a last name keyword to search the database.  The algorithm searches for the first contact whose last name begins with the keyword.  The search routine is not case sensitive.  If 
no exact match is made, the closest match is selected.  Once invoked, the user is brought to the panel that contains the closest match with the found contact selected (e.g., highlighted in blue). 
 
Setup Merge 
This is a powerful routine that takes advantage of Microsoft Word's built in merging capabilities and adds flexible selection methods for merging contacts and their information.  The program allows the merging of 
contact information into forms, mailing labels, envelopes, and catalogs.  The user is guided every step of the way in creating a merge document. 
The first step is to select the type of document desired (forms, mailing labels, envelopes, or catalogs).  Also the user may use a previously created template or create a new document (which may later be stored as a 
template).  Lastly, the user chooses the selection method used to select the contacts to be merged.  Contacts may be selected individually and/or by letter, by creating a query, by using the previously successful merge 
selection, or by simply selecting all of the contacts. 
 
Once the user presses the "Set Options" button, he/she is guided accordingly based on the selection method chosen. 
 
Individual and by Letter 
If "Individual and by Letter" was chosen, the user may begin selecting contacts to merge by double-clicking on the appropriate contact name and/or by clicking on the "Add letter" button and a letter. Once a contact is selected, the symbol "M" appears before the contact name.  To deselect an individual contact, the user simply double-clicks on the name a second time and the symbol disappears.  To deselect contacts whose names begin with the same letter, the user first presses the "Delete Letter" button and then 
selects the desired letter from the top part of the main screen. 
 
Create Query 
If "Create Query" was chosen, the user is shown a blank dialog box with the possible options to choose from.  For example, the user may want to select every contact from a certain city. 
 
After the query is executed, the user is allowed the opportunity to add/delete individual contacts as well as by letter. 
 
Use Previous Result 
This option was put in place in order to facilitate multiple mail merges using the same merge data.  For instance, a user may want to create a form and envelopes.  The selection procedure only has to be performed 
once and can be subsequently used upon successful merging.  If a merge is canceled or interrupted, any merge data selected is cleared and the previous result option becomes an no operation event (e.g., no previous data to select).  Again, after the previous result is shown, the user is allowed the opportunity to add/delete individual contacts as well as by letter. 
 
All 
This option is used to automatically select every contact in the database. Again, all of the contacts are chosen, the user is allowed the opportunity to add/delete individual contacts as well as by letter. 
 
Insert Into Document 
This option allows a user to insert various contact information into the active document.  The user customizes what data is inserted through the "SetUp" screen.  The user chooses the fields to include along with the corresponding punctuation and, if necessary, the appropriate salutation.  To invoke this procedure the user selects the contact and clicks on the "Insert Into Document" button.  The data is then placed at the current insertion point of the active document. 
 
Conversation Log 
This option creates a report detailing any information that was logged during previous conversations with a particular client.  The report details the contact information along with a date and time stamp of each conversation, ordered by the most recent date and time. 
 
About the Developer 
George A. Kydes has been using Microsoft( Word since 1991.  More recently he has contracted out his services for customizing applications using the Microsoft Office product line.  Contracts included using Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) as well as Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) for creating end-user systems.  He holds the following degrees: 
 
	MS	Information Networking	Carnegie Mellon University 
	BS	Electrical Engineering	Lehigh University 
 
George Kydes is committed to providing easy to use and well organized products that are beneficial to users of Microsoft Word as well as Microsoft Office.   If you have any questions or comments, please direct them to George Kydes through the following methods. 
 
Phone:			(203) 853-9943 
Email:			gkydes@ix.netcom.com 
Mailing Address:	291 Strawberry Hill Avenue 
			Norwalk, CT 06851 
 
Thank you for your interest in EZDial and, please, do not hesitate to contact Mr. Kydes concerning any questions. 
 
Cost 
A single copy of Contacts!Plus is selling at the cost of $32 (US) and an additional $3 for diskette and shipping and handling**.  If interested please double-click on the register button below and you will be guided, with prompts, through the registration form.  Discounts are available on a per-case basis. 
 
** Not needed if the program is downloaded from the internet (unless you want a diskette shipped). 
 
Install 
To install Contacts!Plus, double-click the "Install" button below.  The installation program will place the following files on your hard disk. 
 
File		Location
contplus.dll	Windows directory 
contplus.dot	MS Word startup directory
contplus.ini	Windows directory
contplus.ldb	Windows directory
contplus.mdb	Windows directory
phonelog.doc	Windows directory
wbodbc.wll	MS Word startup directory 
 
Once completed, a new toolbar floating toolbar will appear from which Contacts!Plus can be quickly accessed.  Contacts!Plus can also be accessed from the menu system (Tools | Contacts!Plus).  A third way that the program may be accessed is through the use of accelerator keys.  However, the installation program does not create any accelerator keys as they may conflict with a user's customized environment.  It is mentioned here in case a user wants to create a short cut key in conjunction with Contacts!Plus.  If so, search for the topic "Accelerator Keys" in Microsoft Word Help. 
 
If you have problems using the automatic, follow the steps below in order to manually install the program.  Note if the installation does fail, it may occur after part of the installation has completed.  Therefore some files may have been copied. 
 
Copy the following programs into the windows directory: 
	contplus.dll (for MS Word 7.0, copy and rename ctplus70.dll to contplus.dll)
	contplus.ini 
	contplus.ldb 
	contplus.mdb 
	phonelog.doc 
 
Copy the following programs into the startup directory under Microsoft Word: 
	contplus.dot 
	wbodbc.wll  (for MS Word 7.0, copy and rename wbodbc70.wll to wbodbc.wll)
 
Open "contplus.ini" with a text editor. 
 
Under the index "[Paths]" and after the phrase "Document=", type in the full path of the windows directory (e.g., "c:\windows"). 
 
Under the index "[Paths]" and after the phrase "INI=", type in the full path of Windows directory (e.g., "c:\windows").  
 
Under the index "[Paths]" and after the phrase "Startup=", type in the full path of the Microsoft Word "startup" directory (e.g., "c:\winword\startup"). 
 
If Microsoft Word is running, select File | Templates.  Then check the box next to the file "contplus.dot". 
 
Now, follow the directions below  in order to manually add an ODBC datasource.  Switch to the Program Manager, double-click on the "Control Panel" icon, and then double-click on the "ODBC" icon.

	Click the "Add..." button. 
	Select the "Access Data (*.mdb)" driver and click the "OK" button. 
	n the text box after "Data Source Name" enter "contplus". 
	Click on the "Select Database..." button. 
	Guide the directory structure so that it points to the windows 		directory. 
	Select the database named "contplus.mdb" and click the "OK" button. 
	Click the "OK" button. 

Next, under File|Templates, check the boxes (if not already checked) next to "Contplus.dot" and
"wbodbc.wll."  Also, if the Contacts!Plus toolbar is not showing, select View|Toolbars and check
the box next to "CP."

This completes the installation.  To start Contacts!Plus, simply click on the toolbar button.

Uninstall 
To uninstall Contacts!Plus, simply double-click on the "Uninstall" button.  All of the files associated with the program will be permanently erased, including the existing database with associated contact information!  Also, open the "ODBC Control Panel" (see number 8 above), select the data source "contplus" and press the "Delete" button.  Confirm the action and then exit the "ODBC Control Panel." 
 
To manually uninstall the program, simply delete the files that were created during the install phase.  Also, open the "ODBC Control Panel" (see number 8 above), select the data source "contplus" and press the "Delete" button.  Confirm the action and then exit the "ODBC Control Panel." 
 
 
 
 
												 
		N O T I C E   O F   D I S C L A I M E R 
George Kydes makes no warranty with respect to the sufficiency or utility of his software products.  George Kydes advises that any use of or reliance upon said product is at the risk of the user and that he shall not be liable for any damage incurred by any person arising out of the sufficiency or utility of his products. 
									 
		        George A. Kydes 1996 

