旼컴컴컴컴컴커 � �WhizKids � 읕컴쩡컴컫컴켸 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � 읕컴컴컴컴� (C) Copyright �WhizWare 1993 쳐컴� � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 � � 旼컴컴컴컨컴컴컴커 � � Technical info 읕컴컴컴컴커 � � �WKhelp.EXE & WKhelp.DAT � � � �.ICN files � � � �.PLT files � 旼컴좔컴커 � �WhizKids.DIR file � � How to 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � �WhizKids.EXE program � � �create new pictures � 읕컴컴컴컫컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � �copy drawings to paper � � � �run the main program 쳐컴컴커 � � �install this software � � 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 � � 旼컴컨컴컴좔컴커 � Teacher tips 읕컴컴컴� � �name recognition � � �alphabet exercises � � �numbers exercises � � �computer usage � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 |WhizKids The collective name of this software package is WhizKids .... It consists of two programs, a (help) data file, a number of drawing files and a directory file that contains the names of those drawings. The program files have dot-EXE appended to their names; �WhizKids.EXE is the "main program"; �WKhelp.EXE is the program that displays this data, which is "text" stored in the WKhelp.DAT file. The drawings that are displayed on the screen are defined by two files, each having identical file names, one with a name extension of PLT, one of ICN. The �.PLT files contain plot-coordinates--where the dots go on the screen. The �.ICN files are the "real art" graphic images that are displayed after all of the dots are connected for a specific image. WhizKids was designed with the assistance of a veteran preschool teacher, a Director of an Early Childhood Development Center. (PS: She is also the wife of the author of this software...no mere coincidence, indeed.) The information in the pages that follow are meant to be helpful to those using this software to help children learn. A general overview is followed by increasingly technical detail for those interested in deriving maximum use of this tremendous teaching aid. |WhizWare 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � WhizWare � � 635 Kendrick Rd 쳐컴 A computer software marketing firm. � Milner, GA 30257 � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 The analyst that designed the �WhizKids program is Thomas C. McIntire. Write to Tom if you have any problems or wish to comment on this software. He will appreciate the input and will fire off a quick response to your questions. Our E-mail address is: whizware@bellsouth.net |install To run this software under DOS ... Create a path on that disk to store this software in, then copy all of the files from the distribution disk into that path. Change over to that path, type WhizKids, then hit Enter. Consult your DOS manual about MKDIR (make directory) and COPY and CHDIR (change directory) or ask someone to help that is versed in these matters. To run this software under Windows ... Create a folder to store this software in, then copy all of the files from the distribution disk into that path. You will likely want to create a shortcut next (via Explorer). It is also a good idea to set the "properties" for a "full screen". Select "Help" from the Windows "Start" menu for information on how to do these chores Note: It is always a good idea to make a copy of the distribution disk before doing anything else, to safeguard against damage to your "only copy". |run DOS: When the operating system "prompts" you for a command--simply type WHIZKIDS and hit . Windows: Click on WhizKids.EXE ... A "menu" will be displayed of the names of the drawings included with this disk. Use the cursor control keys--the keys--to move the outline box to one of the names listed, then hit . 旼컴� A connect-the-dots outline will be displayed with � 2 � either numbers or letters next to the dots, then 읕쩡� a diagram similar to the one shown here will be 旼컴� �賈敲 旼컴� displayed. � 4 쳐� 1 픔� 9 � 읕컴� 훤佶� 읕컴� In this case, if the "up" arrow is hit, a line 旼좔� will be drawn from dot #1 to dot #2. (Any other � 6 � key will simply cause a low-pitched "beep".) 읕컴� Two other keys are important: The key will "quit" a drawing early and return the program to the menu display. at that time will terminate the �WhizKids program and return control to DOS. The question mark key will switch from drawing mode to this help program at any time; from there will cause a return back to drawing mode. | If you have a Mouse: The on-line help program checks to see if MOUSE.COM or MOUSE.SYS has already been loaded. If not, or Mickey is not responding this program simply defaults to no-Mouse mode. (Use the cursor keys instead.) Also: Only one of two buttons are tested for; the left one works like and the right one like . This can be flip-flopped however, if you prefer, by hitting any time this program is running. Notice that the program �WKhelp.EXE may be run by itself--type WKHELP and hit from DOS command mode, or click on WKhelp.EXE in Windows to do this. Also, in the event you would like to capture some of this information on paper for off-line reference, consider using the key to "print the screen". It is also possible in most cases to reproduce "screen art" on paper, on a printer. The next page describes how this type of �copy operation may be done. |copy Assuming you have a printer connected to your computer that is of the "dot matrix" type technology and you have the DOS (command) program called GRAPHICS.COM .... Note: See your DOS manual about specifics regarding the GRAPHICS command if you are not already versed in its intricacies. Now, BEFORE you run �WhizKids load the GRAPHICS program into memory .... Typically all that is needed is to type that one-word command--GRAPHICS-- while in DOS command mode; it need be done only once after each system power-on. Connect-the-dots images: Perhaps you want to make hand-outs for your Sunday School class. When you first select a drawing name simply hit when the "blank" picture is displayed. Or perhaps you like one of the "real art" pictures that are displayed when a dots-image has been completed. Notice the program halts when these pictures are displayed, waiting for some (any) key to be hit before returning to the menu. Now is the time to hit to reproduce what you see on paper. Note: Graphics images routed to a printer in this manner are printed "sideways", and color usually winds up being "shades of gray". |create �WhizWare markets a software product which is the same one we use to make drawings for this program. And you can do it too. It is not hard at all. In fact, it can be rather fun. If you are not so inclined, perhaps you know a teenager or someone else that is "really into computers" .... See our info page about �WhizDraw then look at �WhizWare for their address. See �WhizKids.DIR about how �WhizKids.EXE knows the names of drawings that it displays in its menu routine. |computer �WhizKids has two basic modes: Counting, or the ABCs in sequence. And the ability to recognize the shapes of numbers and letters. To make it possible for a child to concentrate on these thoughts we have minimized the number of keys that must be used to communicate with the program. See the correspondence between the input "boxes" and the cursor arrow keys on the keyboard. Notice too the conceptual similarity of "multiple choice tests" which they are bound to encounter as they grow older. In this case, when they pick a correct answer, a line is drawn between dots (an incorrect choice produces an immediate "beep"). To reward them for finishing a complete drawing they are presented with the "real art" image, the one their line drawing was created from. (Viz, they perceive they actually drew the finished product.) Because this program does not actually write anything to disk, anywhere, it is relatively safe to permit a child to use "your computer"; no harm is apt to be caused to any valuable data or files you have in the system. |numbers The normal scheme of �WhizKids is that when a name is selected from the menu by use of the number of dots that comprise that drawing will dictate whether letters or numbers will be used to connect the dots. If more than 26 dots are needed numbers are shown, otherwise letters are used. This "default logic" may be altered for the smaller drawings, however: When a child is first being taught to count, for example, a simplistic figure such as a TRIANGLE might be chosen. To cause those three dots to be labeled as 1, 2, 3 (rather than A, B, C) hit on the keyboard to pick the name from the menu (instead of the key). A variation of this concept can be used for more advanced students to help them learn to count by twos, threes, fours and fives. Respectively, use or or or to make a menu selection. The maximum number of dots for a given image is 99, so, what happens if you hit --to count by fives--and 99 would be exceeded? Nothing. The program will simply respond as if you had hit --the image will be numbered as it "normally" would be. |alphabet The normal scheme of �WhizKids is that when a name is selected from the menu by use of the number of dots that comprise that drawing will dictate whether letters or numbers will be used to connect the dots. If more than 26 dots are needed numbers are shown, otherwise letters are used, starting with the letter A. This "default logic" may be altered for the smaller drawings, however: (For more than 26, the following is ignored.) When a child is first being taught letter shapes, for example, a simplistic figure such as a TRIANGLE might be chosen. To cause those three dots to be labeled to start with a letter other than A--to produce J, K, L, for example--hit on the keyboard to pick the name from the menu (instead of the key). A variation of this concept can be used for more advanced students to help them learn to distinguish between upper and lower case letters. Letters shown in the "pick boxes" are normally always capitals. To cause them to be displayed as lower-case equivalents, depress either key and hold it down while making a menu selection with or a letter-key (then release both keys, of course). What happens if you hit , for example, and three letters are needed? The sequence would start with X, that is, X, Y, and Z would be shown. |name The menu of drawing names that is displayed by this program comes from a file called �WhizKids.DIR (see that subject page for more on this). When a drawing is selected that name is displayed adjacent to the pick-box display so that the child may discern "cause and affect". And to encourage recognition of word-shapes and their relationships to objects. It is not difficult to change the names we have chosen to identify the drawing files (and thus to change what the child will see). Do this, for example, at the DOS command level: REN TRIANGLE.* PYRAMID.* (then hit , of course) Now, immediately: DEL WHIZKIDS.DIR being careful to delete only that specific file; the next time �WhizKids.EXE is run it will automatically generate a new dot-DIR file with the "new" names in it. It is also possible to cause the names to be displayed with a mixture of upper and lower case letters for the benefit of more advanced students. Study �WhizKids.DIR and pay particular attention to the advice about being careful to maintain the overall format of this file .... |WhizKids.EXE WhizKids.EXE is the file name of the main program--the one that displays the connect-the-dots images. This program was written with GWBASIC.EXE (version 3.23) and then compiled with QB.EXE (version 2.0). It requires only about 60 Kb of memory to run in. This software has been tested on both XT and AT type machines, with both an EGA, and a VGA monitor and adapter. No special CONFIG.SYS parameters are required. WhizKids.EXE does expect all of its related files to be in the same path that it is run from. The menu of drawing names that is displayed by this program comes from a file called �WhizKids.DIR (see that subject page for more on this). The "dots images" are contained in individual files that have dot-PLT name extensions; the corresponding "real art" images have corresponding names, with dot-ICN extensions. See �.PLT and �.ICN for details about what is in those files. These "plot" and "icon" files were created with a program called �WhizDraw (q.v.) also available from �WhizWare (q.v.) The next page gives a brief overview of how WhizKids.EXE works .... | When �WhizKids.EXE begins it first looks for a file called �WhizKids.DIR -- it is a directory-file. If found, it displays the name-portion of all of the dot-PLT files contained in that file. Note: If no dot-DIR file is found this program automatically does a DOS command--DIR *.PLT>WhizKids.DIR--to generate a new one. Thus, this is how a "new menu" can be generated when additional drawing files are added to the disk or old ones are removed for one reason or another. The menu routine automatically adjusts to a screen lay-out of 8 columns of names, with up to 20 names listed in each column. They are displayed in the order they are reflected in the dot-DIR file. When is hit--while the menu page is being displayed--the name surrounded by a box is used to "read" the corresponding dot-PLT file and a lines-image is displayed (briefly). This routine also assigns numbers (or letters) to those dot-positions. If the total number of dots is 26 or less, letters are assigned, otherwise numbers are used, of from 1 to 99. The way the positions for the numbers (or letters) are determined is described on the next page .... | Where dots occur on the screen is determined by "plot coordinates" stored in �.PLT files. As the coordinates are read, in sequence, lines are drawn to connect the dots. When the complete image is drawn a second pass is made to determine where the numbers (or letters) should be positioned. Starting from the beginning again, running in sequence, the area around each dot is inspected to find enough "blank space" for the number or letter to be printed (so that it will not over-print a line or another number or letter). The logic for determining where dot-numbers (or letters) should be printed is also influenced by whether a given dot is left or right of the center of the overall image--in an attempt to give first preference for displaying it "outside" the basic picture. Numbers or letters may appear left or right of a dot, to the left and above, to the left and below, to the right and above, or to the right and below. Occasionally, on some drawings, no "blank space" can be found close to the dot for its number (or letter), so it is simply omitted (on the display). The artist that "draws" an image file can influence whether or not numbers or letters are apt to be omitted (too many dots closely spaced is the key). An occasional missing number or letter is considered the better alternative to spacing them too far away, or over-printing something else. |WhizKids.DIR When �WhizKids.EXE begins it first looks for a file called WhizKids.DIR, a directory-file. If this file is not found "DIR *.PLT>WhizKids.DIR" is done to create it. (This is how a "new menu" can be generated when additional drawing files are added to the disk or old ones are removed for some reason.) The total contents of this file are identical to what would be shown on the screen if DIR was done while in DOS command mode. The menu-display routine in �WhizKids.EXE simply reads this file, displays the names of the dot-PLT files, and ignores the other trivia. Notice the presentation sequence of names on the menu may be deliberately organized by "stacking" the files on the disk in a preferred order. It is also possible to use a text editor or word processing program to rearrange the file-name lines contained in WhizKids.DIR but it must be done carefully, so that the overall format of this file is not altered. |.PLT Files with name extensions of dot-PLT (Plot files) are generated by someone using �WhizDraw --a �WhizWare shareware product. The gist of how this is done goes like this: 1. an icon file on the screen. (See �.ICN for details.) 2. that image at a preferred location on a blank screen. 3. Hit to initialize a plot data file called WDplot.DAT. 4. Move the cursor arrow to desired "dot" positions and hit to record each of those successive coordinates in the plot data file. (The "color setting" at that point is also saved; it is the color that will be used when lines are drawn by �WhizKids.EXE eventually.) 5. When the "line drawing" is finished is done, to mark the end of the plot file. Which is also logical because the next thing that should typically be done is to re-name WDplot.DAT to be a dot-PLT file that corresponds to the dot-ICN file that was used. The internal format of dot-PLT files: ASCII (text) data; three numeric values per line, separated by spaces, the horizontal and vertical screen coordinates, followed by a color code for that line. The first record relates to steps 2 and 3, above; those that follow relate to dot-positions for the lines to be drawn, in presentation order. |.ICN Files with name extensions of dot-ICN (Icon files) are generated by someone using �WhizDraw --another �WhizWare product. The gist of how this is done goes like this: 1. an image on the screen. 2. that image (save it in memory). 3. the cut image (copy it from memory to a dot-ICN file). The internal format of dot-ICN files is a function of how the BSAVE and BLOAD commands work, commands used within the �WhizDraw program. Graphics-art images may be generated in one of several ways. They may be "free hand drawn" using the various pixel-editing and automatic drawing functions built into the �WhizDraw program. They may also be "imported" using a special Graphics Utility File program included with this package-- images that are first captured with a scanner, viz, graphics image files that correspond to what are commonly called dot-MSP files. Notice the opportunities: A scanner can be used to capture images from nearly any printed material. Art that you have drawn on paper or even photographs. Even photos of students themselves, family members, pets or other things they can personally relate to. |WKhelp.EXE WKhelp.EXE is the file name of the �WhizKids on-line help program. It reads and displays the information contained in WKhelp.DAT--the data file, that is, the text that you see here. �WhizKids.EXE is designed such that it will automatically invoke WKhelp any time the question-mark key is hit. WKhelp.EXE is designed such that it may also be run by simply typing WKHELP at the DOS command level. The text contained in WKhelp.DAT was originally generated using PCW, a word processing program, and stored as WKhelp.TXT, an ASCII text file. Another WhizWare program--WhizHELP--uses the TXT file to generate this customized WKhelp.EXE program. Notice that the WKhelp files (dot-EXE, DAT, TXT) are not essential to the overall working of �WhizKids.EXE (in the interest of saving disk space they may be deleted, although, they are not very large). If WKhelp.EXE is not contained in the working path of �WhizKids.EXE and the key is hit, it is simply ignored. |WhizDraw 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � WhizDraw: A powerful pixel punching program. � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 A "full screen" graphics art and drawing program that is easy to use and quickly learned. It features pop up menus so that, unlike most tools of this genre, your sketch pad is the entire screen. The capabilities usually expected are built-in: Cut and Paste and Zoom and the like. Plus one-click support for drawing Lines and Ovals and Boxes. And several for speedy painting of large areas with particular colors. And it comes with three "customizable" font sets. Two unique features of this package: WD9JetXL for generating your Rembrandts on an HP PaintJet printer in living color, plus WDGraF--our Graphics Files Utility program. This combination makes it easy to import a shades-of-gray MSP-type file captured with a scanner, dink the colors and produce camera-ready hard copy. (continued) | Even without a high priced color printer, makes some pretty pictures on most any dot matrix printer. WhizDraw works in "screen 9 mode" (640x350 resolution) on any EGA/VGA machine with a Mouse, running under DOS 4.0 or later. Not only is it fast, even on older 8086 machines, it can all work in a mere 640 Kb environment, including its easy to use on-line manual. No, WhizDraw is not a full blown desk-top publishing system. It was not intended to be. Yet, it can be highly useful for many "small" chores, especially for those that you need to do on an occasional basis, because it requires so little practice to master. Even by youngsters! |