patth@dasys1.UUCP (Patt Haring) (08/03/87)
Special thanks to San Leandro H.S. BBS
415-895-0135 (300/1200, 24 hrs. GBBS PRO)
AppleWorks as a Note Pad/Reminder at Work
from The AppleWorks Users Group
SHOWIN' OFF
with
AppleWorks
by
D J Lane
The Potpourri File
As I work at the computer all kinds of wonderful, creative
stuff sprouts out of my brain, and up to now I either had to
stop and make a note of it or I tried to remember it for
later on. It was usually the latter because I hated
stopping right in the middle of a juicy train-of-thought.
Needless to say, fifteen minutes later I knew I had come up
with a revelation, but I was darned if I could remember what
it was. Appleworks, as usual, provided a simple solution.
Since a great deal of my work revolves around Appleworks I
find I'm using it more and more when I have these
brainstorms. The ability to rapidly jump from one file to
another using the "Quick Change" (Open-Apple "Q") function
allowed me to create a holding file that I load onto the
"Desk Top" everytime I load in a file I want to work on.
Since the file catalog in Appleworks is alphabetized you can
give your file a name that will always place it in the same
place on the disk catalog and "Desk Top" file lists. I use
"A". On occasion I have a need to create another holding
file and I name it "Z".
This holding file is also a great place to put reminders of
things you want to remember to do. I have a one track mind
and I loose myself in whatever I'm working on. I access my
"A" file constantly, and everytime I do I get my reminders.
I always leave the cursor at the beginning of the "A" file,
and I use the first screen to store the reminders. When I
want to record something to it I use "Open-Apple 9" to shoot
to the end, and when I'm done I use "Open-Apple 1" to jump
back to the beginning where the reminders are.
If I switch to another disk, I "Copy" any portion of the "A"
file that I might need (reminders) to the "Clip Board", and
then "Move" it to the beginning of the "A" file on the new
disk. Usually I find a couple of reminders there that
remind me I forgot to do something. In essence my "A" files
follow me everywhere I go.
If the pre-existing "A" file on the new disk contains a lot
of notes on some active file, and
they are cluttering up everything, create a new file named
"Z" and "Move" them to it via the "Clip Board". One of the
tricks to making these holding
files workable is to keep them brief, and segregate all the
information of one type into one area. For example put your
reminders in one group, and follow them with a group
involving the file you are currently working on. Put
miscellaneous info at the end. You can use "Open-Apple 1 to
9" to rapidly access the groups.
Another way you can minimize the negative effects of
interruption is to record notes and reminders right into
your working file as you go along, and shove them ahead of
your work with the "Insert" cursor. When you get a break in
your thought stream you can "Move" them in a few seconds to
the "A" file via the "Clip Board".
Using an "A" file is especially helpful if you are working
on a long report. Some of your best ideas will spring up as
a result of what you are writing at the moment. After you
transfer a group of them to the "A" file you can arrange
them into a priortized outline form with the "Move" command.
Then just "Copy" them, two or three at a time, to your
working file via the "Clip Board" as you need them. If
necessary you can insert them into your text at strategic
points, and when you get time go back to finalize them.
As the number of items increases in the "A" file it gets
harder and harder to work with them. They seem to blend
into one homogeneous blob. Use the "Open-Apple O" command
to set the "Indent" at 5 or 10 spaces. If you start each
separate note off with a few keywords these will stand out
to the left at the beginning of each note.
As I am working I am constantly bombarded with telephone
calls, and people who want to have mini-meetings. I need to
make a record of these conversations, sometimes in great
detail, and the "A" file is a great place to temporarily
store these notes. If I had to take the time to create a
new file right then I would loose some of what was being
said. The switch to the "A" file takes only a split second.
One last thing. If you are going to leave Appleworks to
work on something else, or leave your office for that
matter, you can use the "Open-Apple H" command to print out
whatever reminders and notes you may need.
--
Patt Haring UUCP: ..cmcl2!phri!dasys1!patth
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