Ziata! 98

A fundamental CONCEPTUAL fact. This symbol indicates that the statement includes conceptual information that regarding basic software functionality. For example, you may be doing the steps to accomplish your goal properly, but the method you use to accomplish your goal may be inefficient or unnecessary.

An important KEY fact. This symbol indicates a basic piece of information that you should know in order to properly use the software.

A CAUTION fact. When you see this symbol, stop and read it. It identifies information which, if not understood, could cause problems using the software.

A TECHNICAL ISSUE. This indicates a technical note, primarily intended for Network Administrators. Or, as is the case in many offices, the Office/Department Manager who, to their chagrin, is expected to be the Network Administrator.

A TIP. This might be a Windows tip or Ziata! tip. Although not crucial to your use of the software, a tip is included because it will make your use of the software more graceful.

Important Terminology and Conventions

Forms and Dialog Boxes. At times, this manual refers to "forms" and "dialog boxes." Forms and dialog boxes are similar. The difference is that a form is usually a screen of information that you work in to perform a certain function, like the E-MSG!® Pad. A dialog box is usually a small type of form that solicits a particular item of information, such as a Yes or No question. When the manual generally refers to a form, the reference includes dialog boxes.

Movements: Movement through a form and dialog box occurs by hitting the [tab] and [backtab] keys. (The [backtab] key is achieved by holding down the [shift] key and hitting the key with the [tab] key (the key with arrows going in opposite directions on the left side of the keyboard), i.e. [shift-tab]). In some legacy (DOS) programs, movement occurs by hitting the [enter] key. Not in Windows; except when closing a comboBox (see below), do not hit the [enter] key unless you want to leave/close the form or for the reasons identified below for Buttons.

Parts of Forms and Dialog Boxes. The dialog box below has a number of user selection and entry areas, called "controls." Different controls have different names used in Microsoft Windows95. With regard to the password dialog box below, following are the names of the different controls and their functions:

Buttons. A "button" is represented by the "OK" and "Cancel" controls above. You can press a "focused" button by pressing the [spaceBar]. This saves time because you don’t have to move the mouse to click the button. A button has "focus" and can be "pressed" if it has a faint stuttered line around the word inside the button. Neither of the buttons above have focus. See the About Box (in Section 2, below) for an example of a button that has focus and can be pressed by pressing the [spaceBar]. There can also be a default button, which has a darker border than the other buttons, such as the "OK" button above. Almost universally, regardless of where you are in a form, pressing [enter] will cause the activity underlying the default button to be performed, i.e. the same as pressing the default button. Thus, in the dialog box above, if you were in the Password field and hit [enter] the OK button would be performed, i.e. the form would verify the password and close.

Tabs: The "tabbed control" allows different screens of information to be displayed depending upon the tab selected. The tabbed control above is represented by the following tabs: Entry, Administration, Registration/Upgrade. Usually, different tabs are selected by clicking on the desired tab with the mouse, but you can also select a tab by hitting [tab] until the tab has focus, then pressing [enter].

Fields: A "field" is usually the space within which you enter information. Fields are represented by the white areas in the above dialog box. Fields designate areas into which you can type information requested or required by the program. Generally, fields colored white allow user input, fields colored gray do not allow user input.

ComboBoxes: A "comboBox," also known as a "drop-down comboBox" is a type of field. It is special because you can usually type information into the field, as well as get a drop-down list of available pre-defined entries. Sometimes in a comboBox, you are not permitted to type in new information, you must choose from the available selections in the list. A comboBox is represented above by the field named "Company" with the down-arrow on its left margin. Important: You can get the list by clicking the arrow or by selecting [Alt-DownCursor]. Using [Alt-DownCursor] allows very quick and easy data entry/selection.

Grids: A "grid" contains a list of items, usually for the purpose of selection. In many cases, typing the first letter of the item you intend to select, will automatically scroll to that item.

Entities, Persons, Companies, etc. For ease of reference, we often use the following terminology conventions: Entity could be either or both of: a human being or a corporation. (I.e., human beings and companies are both entities.) A Person or Human Being is a natural person. We try to use "Person" when we can, but, sorry, sometimes we must use "human being," rather than "person," so we don’t confuse attorneys and accountants, who view a corporation as a "legal person." Sometimes we use Company, which means not a human being, but could be an estate, trust, corporation, etc. A User is a person who is a user of Ziata! A Client is a client/customer/patient of the business for which Ziata! is being used. All Users are also automatically established as Clients (but, of course, all Clients are probably not Users).

Clipboard. Microsoft Windows95 has an inherent feature called the "clipboard." The clipboard is a storage area of sorts. It allows you to copy text from one program/form and paste it into another program/form. Generally, you copy from a program with Ctrl-C and paste with Ctrl-P. This is a very powerful feature in Ziata! because you can copy information, such as full names and addresses, and paste the information into your wordprocessor, for example.

Modules. Ziata! starts with the core Pronexus™ database engine. Each "module" is like a separate software package that integrates with Ziata!. For example, if you want the functionality supplied by E-MSG!®, you obtain that module. If you need client/customer/patient management, you obtain that module. In this way, you can obtain only the separate modules that support your individualized business workflow.

In this manual, there are references to certain third-party products, such as Novell Netware, Microsoft Windows95/NT, Microsoft Exchange, Borland International, etc. There is no association or relationship between such companies and Zegarelli International and/or Ziata! Thus, the references contained in this manual are solely for the purpose of identifying such companies and/or third-party products as it may relate to the usability of the software. Ziata™, MindSaver™ and Pronexus™ are trademarks of Zegarelli International. E-MSG!® is a federally registered trademark of Zegarelli International.

Forward and Personal Introduction

Why do we have this forward? In short, because Ziata! is just so powerful that we love explaining what it does, and how it can really make your life easier. It’s a revolutionary, not an evolutionary, business workflow product.

Ziata! is too powerful to be called a personal information manager, has too much breadth to be a database, and more depth than a telephone messaging system. We almost don’t know how to categorize it!

So, get a cup of your favorite java, have a seat and read on.

In short, Ziata! treats people, companies, locations and telecommunication addresses as separate data objects. First, you create the data object. Then, you give the data object properties (such as a birthdate for a person object), then, you just connect and reuse the objects, in any combination, without limitation. Now that the objects are entered once, you’re set. Create once–use many. In fact, even the connections between objects are objects.

For example, a husband and wife live at their home with their five children. At that address, they have a home business, which is incorporated. The husband is the president and a board of director member, but not a shareholder. The wife is a shareholder, the secretary and treasurer, and the other board member. Each of the five children is also a shareholder. Okay, ask yourself. In order to track this information, how many times do you have to enter the names, the location, the phone numbers, the relationships? In Ziata!, you enter each only once, then connect them. Once you connect the telephone number to the location, any person to whom you attach the location inherits those telephone numbers. This is what we call "data inheritance."

Re-use the Objects. Reusing the objects is really where it becomes powerful. For example, after entering the husband, you can enter his birthday, social security number, etc. Then, when you connect him to other corporations, you’ve already got his personal information. Database professionals call this a "highly normalized" database; business professionals call this "no data redundancy"; you can just call it "effective."

No Limits. Also, most databases give you the opportunity to enter up to 3 or so telephone numbers, etc. In Ziata!, it’s all unlimited. There is no limit to how many telephones can be "attached" to people, companies or locations; no limit on location attachments, etc. Even the drop-down lists come from customizable text files. No limits!

Finding Data. Find data with just the click of the mouse. Let’s say you know the name of a person, but can’t remember the company with which he or she is affiliated. It’s easy. Lookup the name, and you’ll see all companies with which he or she is affiliated. Better yet, look up a company, and you’ll see all the employees, etc. Look up a telephone number, see all locations to which it’s attached. It goes on and on. This is what we call our proprietary Pronexus™ database engine. It’s outrageous. And, it’s all point and click.

We almost hate to say it, but, that’s just the beginning.

E-Mail Messages. We took the Pronexus™ database logic and built upon it. Another problem was taking phone messages, so we developed a message pad that provides a front-end to the data base. The phone message is then sent by the e-mail protocol on your system. It makes the little e-mail phone pads distributed as shareware look like a joke. The E-MSG!® Module lets a receptionist take phone messages, suggests names from the database, then updates the database with new information. And, the phone message pad itself is the best we’ve ever seen. It’s live real-time data updating, as well as messages by e-mail!

Common Lookups. Okay, taking phone messages with the message pad is cool, but what happens when more than one receptionist takes messages and sends them via e-mail? If you call into the office, do you have to ask each receptionist for your messages? (Presumably, your staff doesn’t have access to your email file, so they wouldn’t know if another person took a message for you.) No. E-MSG!® tracks every message taken by any user in a common database for lookup purposes.

In/Out Employee Tracking. In all businesses, staff are in and out of meetings. The receptionist needs to track them. E-MSG!® does it, automatically. With In/Out, employees can sit at their desk and log themselves in and out. When someone changes his or her in/out status, the receptionist is automatically notified by a popup message. Also, in the E-MSG!® Pad, when the receptionist takes a message, if that person is flagged as an exception (i.e., you are not available, except for ...), then the receptionist will be automatically notified with the waiting message form. For example, the receptionist can then put the caller on hold and find the employee so he or she can take the call. Also, if multiple employees have exceptions for the same potential caller, the receptionist can respond to each employee separately with e-mail messages.

The key is that the receptionist does not have to remember who is in, who is out, who are exceptions, etc.—finally, it's all automated, for the first time, in history.

There’s really so much more.

There’s client and file tracking, with e-mail messaging when status changes. There’s scheduling of deadlines with automatic e-mail notification (even to clients over the Internet), and resource logging. Think about these great features:

Create unlimited persons, companies, locations, telecommunication information

Relate persons, companies, locations, telecommunications without limits

Prevent redundant data entry

Quickly find all relations between or among the objects in any direction

In each module, easily edit the properties of the objects

Take phone messages using e-mail

E-MSG!® Pad is the database front-end, with automatic updating

In each e-mail message, get full relationship history

Each phone message is logged in common database

Track staff members as being in or out

Create "find me" in/out exceptions from the database

When taking a message, automatically notify receptionist that call is an exception

Deposit messages for clients/customers that can be conveyed when they call

Integrated E-MSG!® Pad, In/Out and Waiting Messages Pad

Use QuickEntry to create objects and relationships

Use QuickFinder to quickly find locations, telephones, clients, etc.

Track each piece of postal mail in the office environment

Track the location of each library book

Create unlimited clients/customers

For each client, create files, subfiles and the documents contained therein

Log shared resources so that common use is managed

Count days between dates

Send clients and staff automated mail about upcoming deadlines

Establish unlimited to-do’s with MindSaver™

For each MindSaver™ to-do entry, create unlimited associated dates

Each MindSaver™ entry and each date has complete separate properties

Use the Internet to notify clients of deadlines, etc.

MindSaver automatically notifies staff that they have overdue books

MindSaver automatically notifies staff that they have overdue files/subfiles

MindSaver automatically notifies you of birthdays and annual meetings

Perform mass electronic mailings, with virtually no effort

We are so confident with the product, that we give an effective 30 day 100-user guarantee: use the software with up to 100 users; pay nothing for 30 days, if you like it, then, and only then, pay the registration fee for the number of users and modules you specifically need.

Ziata! is a feature-rich product that has been time-tested. Whether you use one or more modules, you’ll love it. We do.

We really hope and expect that you will enjoy our product.

Gregg Zegarelli

Menu Structure

In Ziata, most of the forms have a core menuing structure. That is, most of the menus in the forms are the same, with variation only as necessary. The goal is to allow you to develop habits that will increase the ease of use of the software. Following is the core menu structure found in most of the forms:

File: E-MSG!®: E-MSG!® Pad

Lookup

In/Out

Waiting Messages

Pronexus Module: People: Listing

New

Companies: Listing

New

Locations: Listing

New

Telecommunications: Listing

New

Reverse Listing

Clients Module: Clients

Files

Mail Logger

Subject Codes

Office Module: Books

Mass Mailings

Resource Logger

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

MindSaver™

QuickEntry

QuickFinder

Configuration Defaults

Passwords/Administration/Registration

Utilities: Date Counter (Date Counter form)

Maintenance (Bug/Suggestion Reports)

Exit/Close (Exit leaves Ziata, Close closes form)

View: Float (Form floats on top of all others)

Last Saved (Use form size as of last saved)

System Default (Use/reset to manufacturer specs)

Small and Float (Make view very small and float form)

Save Window on Exit (Save form size when exiting of form)

Help: About Distributor (Information about Distributor)

About (Information about software/version, etc.)

Menus are enabled depending upon the modules that you licensed. For example, if you licensed the E-MSG!® module, then the menu item is enabled, otherwise it is not enabled.

Tip: Use the RIGHT-click mouse key liberally. When moving over a section of a form, try clicking the RIGHT mouse key for a context-sensitive menu. Try it in the In/Out form when the cursor is over the Exceptions area. In some cases, you must right-click for menus.

Speed Keys

The following speed keys have consistent purposes throughout the program for ease of reference. If the form or dialog box does not have the function, the speed key will not operate. These keys are purposely intuitive, and the speed keys are often similar to the alt-key sequences.

Tip: Use Speed Keys and Alt-Letter sequences. Using the mouse is slow. Get in the habit of using the speed keys and the Alt-key sequences. I.e. tapping the Alt key once (which enables the menu), then the first letter of each menu selection can become very fast. The underlined letter key in the menu indicates the letter to hit to select that menu option. E.g. tapping Alt-F-Y, launches the Quick Entry form, as does Ctrl-Y, either of which is faster than using your mouse to scroll through the menus!

* and bolding mean an important speed key, which you should remember.

Ctrl-A: Apply*

Ctrl-B: Books form

Ctrl-C: Companies

Ctrl-D: Phone Dialup form*

Ctrl-E: E-MSG! Pad form*

Ctrl-F: Float form

Ctrl-G: Resource Logger form*

Ctrl-H: Refresh Data

Ctrl-I: In/Out form*

Ctrl-J: Subject Codes

Ctrl-K: E-MSG! Lookup form or Quick MindSaver, depending

Ctrl-L: Locations

Ctrl-M: Menu On/Off Toggle*

Ctrl-N: Date Counter form

Ctrl-O: Properties for the Relation form*

Ctrl-P: People

Ctrl-Q: Quick Finder form*

Ctrl-R: Properties form*

Ctrl-S: Clients

Ctrl-T: Telecommunications

Ctrl-U: Users

Ctrl-V: MindSaver™ form

Ctrl-W: Waiting Messages form

Ctrl-X: Mail/Fax Logger form

Ctrl-Y: Quick Entry form*

Ctrl-Z: SOPz (Standard Operating Procedures)

Ctrl-F12: Maintenance

Ctrl-Backspace Cancel Filter/Show All

Ctrl-Del: Delete

Shift-Del: Delete Relation

Ctrl-Ins: New

Shift-Ins: New Relation

General

Main Form

The Main Form defaults to full screen mode, but by selecting [Alt-View-Small and Float], or [Alt-F] the program will sit nicely on top of all other programs. We suggest that you operate Ziata! in Small and Float Mode. When you select Small and Float, the form will be located at the upper right hand corner of your screen, but you can move it to a better location so that you can get to it easily. All of the menus and speed keys remain active!

Tip: Move a form by the click-and-drag method. If you want to move a form, just left-click on the titlebar and hold (left button down) and drag the titlebar to the new location.

About Box

In Ziata!, the About Box contains information about the version of the program. The About Box is obtained by selecting [Alt-Help-About]. By scrolling down, you will get additional information that may be necessary if you are a registered user and you call for support.

About Distributor

Ziata! is distributed using distributors and value-added resellers (VARs). Information about the VAR that distributed your version is contained in the About Distributor Box. The About Distributor Box is obtained by [Alt-Help-About Distributor]. If you are interested in becoming a VAR, see Distributor/Reseller Information below.

Your first point of support is the VAR, so you should first call or e-mail the VAR with specific support questions. Only if your VAR is not responsive to you should you contact Zegarelli International.

Tip: Many sections are resizable, as are many forms. If you move the cursor slowly over the edge of a form, you may notice that the cursor changes shape. If it changes shape you can left-click and hold to resize the form. The same is true for "panels" within a form. For example, the raised horizontal bar that separates the two sunken windows above (one window starts "Zegarelli" and the other starts "Register") can be moved up and down to change the relative size of the two windows. This is true throughout Ziata!, but you must look around to determine where!

Configuration

Usually, the location of the database files, i.e. the "directory structure," is established upon installation. (The directory structure is specified in the Ziata! ".ini file," pronounced, "inny file.") See Directory Structure. However, the directory structure can later be changed in the Configuration form below, which can be obtained at Alt-File-Configuration-Defaults.

Technical Note: .INI Files. References to the ".ini" file denotes an "initialization" file in the Windows/NT Root Directory, which directory is almost always "c:\windows" or c:\winnt[version], respectively. For example, the Ziata! .ini file is Ziata.ini. That file contains important information about the program defaults and setup. You can manually view and edit the .ini file (though we don’t recommend it) by clicking the Windows95 Start button, Run, then type in "Ziata.ini" (without quotes).

Key: Administration Tab. During First Time Run, an Administrator of the software is identified. In many forms, there is a tab called "Administration" which is hidden by default. However, if the user is the Administrator, then the tab is shown. You can determine if you are the Administrator in the About Box, which will say "Administrator!" next to the login name. There is only one Administrator per installation.

Directories:

The following identifies all directories being used by the program. This information is usually derived from the workstation’s .ini file. However, see below for the way an Administrator can force certain directories onto a user regardless of what directories are identified in the user’s .ini file. If there’s too much information in a field, click or tab into that field and cursor to the right to see the remainder of the information.

General Configuration:

The information within the Configuration tab allows all users to establish certain personal general defaults.

Formatting Characters. Formatting Characters are interpreted by many mail programs to start and end formatting. For example, use of the asterisk ("*") as the bold character will cause certain highlighted information to be wrapped with asterisks, e.g. *This text is bolded.* Then, a program, such as Microsoft Exchange using WordMail formatting, will format the text in bold and remove the asterisks. This makes reading mail much easier. If your mail program does not support formatting characters, you can blank them out. See the example of formatted mail resulting from the E-MSG!® Pad (See 2.g.iii).

Lists:

Key: Lists. There are lists that exist on the server and are used universally by all users. There are also lists on the workstation that each user can individually maintain with personalized information. The lists within the Configuration tab are each user’s personalized lists; those within the Administration tab are the universal lists. When various form load, they merge the server lists with the workstation lists for a combined set of server and workstation lists.