TMA41... Teach MAthematics.... (TMA41.txt version: 26 Oct 99) ============================================================== Help with the learning of addition and multiplication tables. ============================================================== Oh no, another 'What is 5+9?' program!! THIS IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE..... The user's answer only counts as right if entered before a limited amount of time passes. The user (or his/ her teacher) can determine time allowed for answering. _____________________ The program presents questions from a selection determined by the user. For a beginnner, questions from 0+0=? to 4+4=? might be sufficient. Someone who is further along might want to SKIP the easy problems, and get questions which have at least one term larger than, say, 5. The program needs to be told the user's requirements. It will ask for the range for 'one' digit, and the range for the 'other' digit. If you set 1-9 and 7-9, you could get any of the following: 3+8, 9+2, 8+8, 1+9. (Note that the 'other' digit is not always the SECOND digit.) The user would NOT get, for example, 6+6. With the specified ranges in the example, one digit could be 6, but not both. _____________________ This, like all Sheepdog Software programs, attempts to respect your system. It doesn't need odd .dll's in weird places... or any .dlls, for that matter. It doesn't need .ini files. It doesn't affect your registry. It will run from a floppy, if that's what you want. _____________________ Three minor 'features' of these programs: i) The questions are not picked entirely by random. A problem will not be ased twice in a row, which would happen from time to time in a random selection process. ii) If zeros are enabled as possible digits in the problems being worked on, they will arise less frequently than other digits. iii) (Not yet implemented... email me if you think it important...) If the user gets a problem wrong, it is likely to re-appear. _____________________ - - - - - - - - - - - Ordering: The program comes in several forms. (You rename the programs any name you like, by the way, but it might be better to leave them with my names and rename only shortcuts to them.) TMA41 shouldn't appear 'in the wild' TMA42A and TMA42M: These are the shareware variations, 'A' for adding, 'M' for multiplying. (I may decide not to realse TMA42M, but if you find it, that's what it is.) These are not for your free, unlimited use. Use them for as long as it takes you to see what the programs do, whether they meet your needs. After that, please do not use them further. DO, please, pass them on. TMA42A and TMA42M have two limitations built into them: The time for answering must be at least 12 seconds The range of digits you can select is restricted. NEITHER LIMITATION APPLIES TO.... TMA43A and TMA43M, which are the versions supplied to people who register, i.e. pay. Details below. _______________________ - - - - - - - - - - - - Command Line Parameters (The following in couched in Win95 terms. Equivalent arrangements are possible under Win3.x. It's a simple matter of File| New| Program Item. Email me if you want to know more.) If you start the program normally, you will be asked how long you want to give the user to answer, and you will be asked what range of digits should be included. You can have the program to start up without one or both slightly 'difficult' questions, using settings of your choice. This would probably be worth doing so that users have a consistent challenge. There is nothing to stop you from putting several icons on your desktop (or elsewhere). You can give each icon a user friendly name, like 'Easy Adding For Andrew' and 'Hard Multiplying for Max'. To have the program start up in a very easy form, with 18 seconds to answer and with one digit being 1,2 or 3 and the other being 2,3,4 or 5: Create a shortcut to the program. It can be anywhere, but on the desktop mkes it espeically easy to use. RIGHT-click on the icon, click Properties on the pop-up menu that arises. Add, on the 'Target' line: a space, then T180 D1325. Click OK. That's it! Now if you double-clcik on the icon, you should get the program in the required form. T180 is a command line parameter (cpl). It says, "Give the user 18.0 seconds to answer the question." NB: there must be three digits after the 'T'. Use 065 for 6.5 seconds. The other clp must begin with a D and be followed by 4 digits. The first two set the range for one of the digits in the problems, the second two set the range for the other two. Each range must consist of at least 3 digits. You can have no clps, or both clps, or only one or the other of the two possible clps. If you give an invalid clp, the program will still run, but the user will have to supply the information that the clp failed to supply. ___________________________________ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Buying the registered variations. ALL variations of this software are copyright. Your legal, legitimate use of any of the variations is restricted. PLEASE DO pass on copied of TMA42A and TMA42M, along with the restrictions that applied to your use of those Shareware, 'Try before you buy', products. If you want to use TMA43A or TMA43M, you may do so on payment of the appropriate license fee, and after undertaking (implicit in order) to try to prevent circulation of stolen copies of the programs. I am open to any begging letters, suggestions, etc, but for 'simple' cases, the cost (at present) for.... a license to use TMA43M is US$15 or GBP10. a license to use TMA43A is US$10 or GBP6. If purchased together, a license to use either is $US20, or GBP12 I'm perfectly happy with dollars or pounds. Please send your payment to TK Boyd, PO Box 367, Essex, CT, 06426, USA. You can also reach me via www.arunet.co.uk/tkboyd/offers.htm (which may have updated information about registration fees, etc. It certainly has news of other programs, and of some freeware.) Another contact you might want to try is 100665.1141@compuserve.com 'Simple' cases: a) A teacher wants to use the program with classes. The license is valid for any number of children IN THE SAME ROOM AS THE TEACHER AT THE TIME THE PROGRAM IS BEING USED. b) A parent who wants to have the program for the use of his/ her children at the parent's current residence. c) I am willing for anyone to use the program without charge in the following countries. Don't hesitate to request the addition of other nations under pressure. I would be happy to consider similar licenses for other Sheepdog Software products. China, Taiwan, elements of the former USSR, Albania, East Timor, South Africa. - - - - End of README for TMA41, TMA42, TMA43 - - - - - - - - - - -