Perfect Keyboard 2. Table of Contents. Introduction... 3 Getting Started... 3 Start / Stop Macro Recording...4

Transcription

1 Perfect Keyboard This document provides guidelines on using Perfect Keyboard s Explorer-like interface to record your own macros for use with CounterPoint. 10/18/2002

2 Perfect Keyboard 2 Table of Contents Introduction... 3 Getting Started... 3 Start / Stop Macro Recording...4 Record a Sample CounterPoint V7.5 Macro... 4 CounterPoint V7.5 Setup...4 Macro Recording Overview...5 Recording Setup...5 Start Recording...5 Define the Shortcut Item... 6 Save the Recording...6 Set Item Properties...7 Playback the Macro... 7 Share Macros on the LAN... 8 Set Up Shared Macros on the Network...8 Configure Client to Share Network Shortcuts...9 Appendix Perfect Keyboard Terms...10 PK Help...11 PK Programming Notes & Resources...11

3 Perfect Keyboard 3 Introduction Getting Started Perfect Keyboard (PK) is a timesaving macro utility that runs under Windows 95/98/NT/2000 operating systems. PK macros allow you to automate routine, repetitious tasks by recording a series of keystrokes that you can automatically play back by pressing set of user-defined keys. This document provides guidelines on using PK s Explorer-like interface to record your own macros for use with CounterPoint V7.5. NOTES: Refer to the Appendix for additional information about PK terms, Demo, Help, and resources for programming (instead of recording) PK macros. If you want to define a macro that performs an entire session (e.g., starts the software, runs end of day posting, and exits the software), see Special Topics, Chapter 15, Using Keyboard Macros. You can optionally install Perfect Keyboard during CounterPoint V7.5 installation. Launch Perfect Keyboard using Start / Programs / Perfect Keyboard Pro / Perfect Keyboard Pro. When Perfect Keyboard is open, the main PK window displays (see below) and the keyboard icon ( ) appears in the tray.

4 Perfect Keyboard 4 Start / Stop Macro Recording To start recording a macro, simultaneously press: Shift + Alt + R. (This shortcut is the Perfect Keyboard default for starting a macro recording.) Optional: You can specify a different combination of up to four keys that will begin and end your macro recording (using the Start / stop macro recording field under Tools / Options). NOTE: Other PK options for start / stop macro recordings include clicking the Add wizard button or the Start macro recording button. Record a Sample CounterPoint V7.5 Macro If you frequently enter tickets for deposit returns based on standard quantities (e.g., a six pack of cans, or a case of bottles), you can record a macro for each quantity and amount. The following example is a step-by-step procedure for recording a deposit return macro for use in CounterPoint V7.5. CounterPoint V7.5 Setup The following settings are required for successfully recording this example macro in CounterPoint Ticket Entry: Setup / Point of Sale / Stores / Stores Default customer -# WALK-IN Default tax code is used for deposits Setup / Point of Sale / Stores / Configuration Options Ticket Entry Options 1 Use sales reps? N Ticket Entry Options 4 Reason codes for returns? Y Setup / Point of Sale / Registers Default ticket entry screen Default ticket mode Begin tickets at item number? Default entry mode Default pay code Full Normal N Normal (assumes a Qty of one) None Inventory / Items An item record is defined for payment of a deposit Taxable Y

5 Perfect Keyboard 5 Macro Recording Overview NOTE: Step-by-step instructions on how to record, save, define, playback, and adjust a macro follow this overview. Recording Setup 1. Set up the PK folder for this macro. 2. Open CounterPoint to the desired screen and field. Start / Stop Recording: 1. Start the recording. 2. Perform the desired task in CounterPoint. 3. Stop the recording when the task is finished. Define, Playback, and Adjust the Playback Speed for the Macro Recording: 1. Save the recording and specify the key shortcut that will start playback of the macro. 2. Playback the macro and re-record as necessary. 3. Adjust the speed of macro playback as desired. Recording Setup 1. From the main PK menu, select File / New. 2. In Folder view (the left pane), right-click on the new folder and select Properties. 3. On the General tab of Folder Properties, specify the folder s Label and Description, and click OK. 4. Launch CounterPoint and navigate to Point of Sale / Tickets / Enter. 5. In the Cus# field, enter the default customer. Start Recording 1. At the Item field, simultaneously press the shortcut keys for Start macro recording (the PK default is Shift + Alt + R). 2. The macro recording dialog displays after you press the key shortcut. a. Check Keyboard as the method for recording events. b. Click the Next button. On the Save macro form, select Add new item to the currently selected folder. c. Click the Record now! button. The following dialog box appears: 3. Click on the CounterPoint V7.5 window to activate it. 4. At Item Number, press ALT + R to select Return mode.

6 Perfect Keyboard 6 5. Enter (or scan) the item number for this deposit (or use LookUp to select the item number), and press Enter. 6. Press Enter three times to accept defaults for Description, Qty, and Price. 7. At the Reason code field, enter the appropriate reason code (or use F9 to select the reason code), and press Enter. 8. Press ALT+T to total the ticket. 9. Enter the number for the appropriate pay code in the Pay code field, and press Enter. 10. Enter the amount to be refunded in the Amount field, and press Enter. 11. At the Ticket complete? field, stop recording the macro by clicking the Stop button on the macro recording dialog box. NOTE: Stopping the recording at the Ticket complete? field allows the clerk to ask the customer if additional items are to be added to this ticket. Define the Shortcut Item Save the Recording When recording stops, the Macro recording finished dialog allows you to choose one of following options: Yes to add the new item to the currently selected folder (i.e., the folder specified in Steps 1 2 of Recording setup on the previous page). No to discard the recording NOTES: If you click the Record Again or the No button, the main Perfect Keyboard windows displays If you click the Yes button, the Item Properties form displays so you can define the macro.

7 Perfect Keyboard 7 Set Item Properties 1. On the General tab of Item Properties, enter the name for this macro in the Name field, press the TAB key twice, and enter the description. 2. On the Shortcut tab, simultaneously press up to four alphanumeric keys to specify the Key shortcut that will playback this macro in CounterPoint V7.5. (In this example,shift + CTRL + ALT+ D is used for the deposit return.) NOTES: Always specify a Key shortcut. (Text shortcuts don t consistently launch macros in CounterPoint V7.5 but are useful as macro descriptions.) Click the question mark ( ) button on the General tab of Item properties if you want to refer to the List of defined shortcuts. Key combinations don t have to be unique for each macro. If you use the same key combinations for more than one Key shortcut, when you press that combination of keys, PK displays a list box so you can select the shortcut you want to use. 3. On the Options tab of Item Properties, select the speed used for playback of this macro. (When developing a new macro, you can use the default setting for playback speed and decide during playback if it needs to be changed.) 4. Click OK, and on the main PK window, select File / Save. Playback the Macro 1. Open Perfect Keyboard. 2. From the main PK window, select File / Open and choose the file that contains the shortcut(s) you want to playback. 3. Set up CounterPoint and go to the same screen and field at which you recording the macro: 4. Launch CounterPoint V7.5 and go to Point of Sale / Tickets / Enter. 5. In the Cus# field, enter the default customer (or press F9 to use LookUp to select the default customer). 6. At the Item field, start macro playback by simultaneously pressing the keys you specified as the Key shortcut for this macro (in this example, SHIFT + CTRL + ALT+ D). 7. After playback, adjust the speed as desired (using the Playback tab of Item Properties).

8 Perfect Keyboard 8 NOTE: If you open another Windows application during playback of a macro, the macro will try to playback in the most recently opened application. To playback a macro, you can double-click the macro icon OR you can use the key A preview of the selected macro displays in the Shortcut Items View Share Macros on the LAN Sharing macros over the network allows you to quickly distribute a new macro and recall an out-of-date macro to multiple users. For example, if clerks in a store use the deposit return macro via the network, and you ve re-recorded that macro so tickets start at the Item Number field and not the Cust # field, you can delete the out-of-date macro on the network and save the new macro in it s place. Set Up Shared Macros on the Network 1. From the main PK window, select File / Open and select the PK file you want to share on the network. 2. Select File / Save As and navigate to (or create) a network folder that users can access. 3. Name the PK shortcut file (e.g., cpreturn.4pk). The file name must end with the.4pk extension. 4. Click the Save button.

9 Perfect Keyboard 9 Configure Client to Share Network Shortcuts 1. Launch PK using Start / Programs / Perfect Keyboard / Perfect Keyboard. (In order to use network shortcuts on the client, users must have PK open (or minimized), and the Shared items folder contents must appear in the Shortcut Items View pane of the main PK window. 2. From the menu bar of the main PK window, select Tools / Options. Check Allow shared items. In the Shared file path field, enter the path to the PK macro file on the network (or click the browse button ( ) to select the path. Click OK. 3. From the main PK window, in the Folder View pane, select the Shared Items folder. 4. Launch CounterPoint V7.5 and go to Point of Sale / Tickets / Enter. In the Cus# field, enter the default customer (or press F9 to select the default customer). At the Item field, press the key shortcut for the deposit return (SHIFT + CTRL + ALT + D) to playback the macro. NOTES: If you delete an out-of-date PK file from the network folder and add a new macro file in it s place while users are on the system, they ll still be able to use the out-of-date macro. However, the next time the user launches PK, an error message will display: Cannot open shared items file. Users must reset the path to the shared folder (i.e., the Shared file path field that s specified using Tools / Options) whenever you change the location of the folder or contents of the shared file.

10 Perfect Keyboard 10 Appendix Perfect Keyboard Terms Shortcut item Folder view Shortcut items view Item properties Text shortcut Key shortcut Macro A user-defined item that consists of a text and/or a key shortcut, and a macro. Shortcut items display in the right pane of the main PK window (i.e., the Shortcut items view). To create a new Shortcut item, from the menu bar of the main PK window, select Insert / Item. To redefine a shortcut item, right-click on a shortcut item in the Shortcut items view pane, select Properties, and enter revised parameters for the shortcut on the Item Properties form. The left pane of the main PK window, where folders are used to organize shortcut items. Right-click on a folder in the Folder view pane and select Folder Properties to specify this folder s label, icon, and description. Folder Properties also allows you to specify some shortcut item properties (e.g., restrictions on the application(s) that can playback the shortcut items in this folder). The right pane of the main PK window To playback a Shortcut item, double-click on the icon in the Shortcut items view pane. A form that allows you to specify characteristics for a Shortcut item. To display Item properties for an existing shortcut, in the Shortcut items view pane, right-click on a shortcut item and choose Properties. To display a new Item properties dialog, from the menu bar of the main PK window, select Insert / Item. Short text a user types to start playback of an associated macro. NOTE: Key shortcuts work best in CounterPoint V7.5; text shortcuts don t (consistently) work in CounterPoint. A key (or series of keys) that a user presses to start playback of an associated Shortcut item. You can use up to four alphanumeric characters for a Key shortcut (e.g., Ctrl + Alt + F). A sequence of keystrokes and/or commands defined as shortcuts that automate routine tasks. A macro can include only text, or any combination of text, keys, and commands. To preview a macro, from the main PK window select a shortcut item in the Shortcut items view pane and refer to the Macro preview.

11 Perfect Keyboard 11 PK Help Demo The first time you launch PK, a Demo dialog displays for the start of an interactive demo. Select Yes to preview the features offered in this utility. OR Run the demo later using Help / Demo from the menu bar of the main PK window. Accessing Help For complete access to PK s on-line Help, select Help / Help from the menu bar on the main PK window. For context-sensitive help, click the Help button or the help icon (?) that displays on the Item Properties form. PK Programming Notes & Resources If you prefer to program instead of record a macro, you can use the PK resources listed below. Some benefits for programming, rather than recording a macro include: Editing an existing macro. Combining a previously recorded macro in a new macro. Inserting a new macro recording into an existing macro. Specifying the use of list boxes and variables in your programmed macros. To access PK help on programming macros: 1. On the menu bar of the main PK window, select Help / Help. 2. In the Perfect Keyboard help file, select Features / Commands & Keys for a list of PK commands and pre-defined keys. To enter pre-defined commands and keys in a macro: 1. From the main PK window, select the icon for the macro you want to edit. 2. Right-click and select Properties. 3. On the General tab of Item properties, click the Add button. 4. Select Special key. To define new keys: 1. On the General tab of Item properties, click the Add button. 2. Select Special key / Undefined key.