User:Michel.kasday/sandbox

Gear-Up 1.0a

Status: Supported, by author.

Flash Card program. MS-DOS 3.2 and higher. Originally written using Quick Basic and compiled to executable code using Borland Turbo Basic (Now known as PowerBASIC) This program u ses folders for card decks and individual files as the cards. The Folders can be copied and moved like any other folder. This allows the user freedom to use the file manager of their choice to maintain the data.

Decks are always in a ready to use state. There is no saving, since before every change is made the user is prompted if they want to keep the changes they have just made. If they answer no, then the individual card and deck remain unchanged. If they answer yes, the changes are done via a sequential write to the individual card file and then immediately closed.

Reliability is the overall goal. By making the decks harder to be corrupted by faulty media, the goal is closer to reality and preserving the user's effort creating the decks. If a hardware problem occurs while a file operation occurs, the risk of loosing an entire deck is reduced since the program is only writing to an individual card (file) at any one time. This means that even if the Card info files are missing, the Gear-Up will figure this out and will create a new card-info file but re-link all the individual card files in the folder as one deck. At worst the name of the deck may need to be re-entered, but the cards and the work will be preserved.

The program is expandable, with the ability to use commands within the program where if they do not resolve internally are attempted as a script file externally. Many plugins and additional programs have made the original scope scalable.

BACKSTORY:

The author wrote the bulk of the program on a Compaq 386SX laptop, running MS-DOS 6.22 in 2000-2001. The program was motivation to prepare the author for their Career Development Course exams for their specific specialty skill-set in the Air Force (In order to progress and stay in the AF, one has to pass these exams and future training to continue.) The utilitarian look and feel was a reflection of the culture the author was experiencing on a daily basis. No frills simple and to the point.

The Author after completing the exams discovered that time grew more scarce during the remaining 20 years that they served, resulting in no progress on a follow up version. Making plug-in programs was what the author focused on, also they were slightly disheartened when the last version of the source code used to make the current version was corrupted by a failing 3.5" Floppy disk. The author decided to re-write the program after attending college after their military service. The hope was to make good use of reflections living with the limited version of the program over the years building a list of ideas for the next version. Additionally with proper programming techniques taught in academia, the author hoped they would be able to produce a professionally written program that would follow conventions used in the industry, which would translate better to an open source version. The current version (compiled April 28, 2001) still employs coding methods that of a programmer working outside the industry conventions.

RELEASES:

First uploaded to Simtel.net on August 24,2001.


 * It was in the top 5 downloaded MS-DOS freeware program for education from Fall 2001- Thanks to the Internet Archive to Fall 2003.
 * Its final Simtel.net website capture is here: Thanks to the Internet Archive May 27, 2007.
 * The original version of the file today is located on this FTP mirror Thanks to the Internet Archive.
 * There is no official page for the program presently.
 * Last update to the Simtel site was July 26, 2003. Included the plug-ins 'PRINT-DECK',

branchED Execution Director

Status: Being developed.

BranchED is a recursive name paying omage to GNU and the Free Software Foundation (GNU's Not UNIX, BranchED = BranchED Execution Director.) The program will use the functionality developed within Gear-Up 1.0a, and expand the program to operate as a generic relational database via copies of Gear-Up content that run in synchronization with a parent copy. As user changes cards the other copies to the same card # in their child deck. Each Deck can be used to expand the relationship to the parent deck of that Folder. Since Gear-up is standalone but mutable externally, it is possible to create scripts that change the files it uses to "know where it is, and what card it's working with." Commands can be expanded to add more and more abilities. When activated the user's default browser will open to page contained within the branchED Parent Folder. It will list additional links, and the content on the page will change depending on the card. Additional tabs can be spawned from branchED via GearUp command or from the current page open. Only the commands that are within the parent folder are passed to the child folders, new commands can be created within the parent and child after the initial child folder creation. Changes to the name of the Child will be reflected in the parent, so that referential integrity is maintained.

__NEWSECTIONLINK__

Gear-Up 1.0a
Status: Supported, by author.

Flash Card program. MS-DOS 3.2 and higher. Originally written using Quick Basic and compiled to executable code using Borland Turbo Basic (Now known as PowerBASIC) This program u ses folders for card decks and individual files as the cards. The Folders can be copied and moved like any other folder. This allows the user freedom to use the file manager of their choice to maintain the data.

Decks are always in a ready to use state. There is no saving, since before every change is made the user is prompted if they want to keep the changes they have just made. If they answer no, then the individual card and deck remain unchanged. If they answer yes, the changes are done via a sequential write to the individual card file and then immediately closed.

Reliability is the overall goal. By making the decks harder to be corrupted by faulty media, the goal is closer to reality and preserving the user's effort creating the decks. If a hardware problem occurs while a file operation occurs, the risk of loosing an entire deck is reduced since the program is only writing to an individual card (file) at any one time. This means that even if the Card info files are missing, the Gear-Up will figure this out and will create a new card-info file but re-link all the individual card files in the folder as one deck. At worst the name of the deck may need to be re-entered, but the cards and the work will be preserved.

The program is expandable, with the ability to use commands within the program where if they do not resolve internally are attempted as a script file externally. Many plugins and additional programs have made the original scope scalable.

BACKSTORY:

The author wrote the bulk of the program on a Compaq 386SX laptop, running MS-DOS 6.22 in 2000-2001. The program was motivation to prepare the author for their Career Development Course exams for their specific specialty skill-set in the Air Force (In order to progress and stay in the AF, one has to pass these exams and future training to continue.) The utilitarian look and feel was a reflection of the culture the author was experiencing on a daily basis. No frills simple and to the point.

The Author after completing the exams discovered that time grew more scarce during the remaining 20 years that they served, resulting in no progress on a follow up version. Making plug-in programs was what the author focused on, also they were slightly disheartened when the last version of the source code used to make the current version was corrupted by a failing 3.5" Floppy disk. The author decided to re-write the program after attending college after their military service. The hope was to make good use of reflections living with the limited version of the program over the years building a list of ideas for the next version. Additionally with proper programming techniques taught in academia, the author hoped they would be able to produce a professionally written program that would follow conventions used in the industry, which would translate better to an open source version. The current version (compiled April 28, 2001) still employs coding methods that of a programmer working outside the industry conventions.

RELEASES:

First uploaded to Simtel.net on August 24,2001.


 * It was in the top 5 downloaded MS-DOS freeware program for education from Fall 2001- Thanks to the Internet Archive to Fall 2003.
 * Its final Simtel.net website capture is here: Thanks to the Internet Archive May 27, 2007.
 * The original version of the file today is located on this FTP mirror Thanks to the Internet Archive.
 * There is no official page for the program presently.
 * Last update to the Simtel site was July 26, 2003. Included the plug-ins 'PRINT-DECK',

branchED Execution Director

Status: Being developed.

BranchED is a recursive name paying homage to GNU and the Free Software Foundation (GNU's Not UNIX, BranchED = BranchED Execution Director.) The program will use the functionality developed within Gear-Up 1.0a, and expand the program to operate as a generic relational database via copies of Gear-Up content that run in synchronization with a parent copy. As user changes cards the other copies to the same card # in their child deck. Each Deck can be used to expand the relationship to the parent deck of that Folder. Since Gear-up is standalone but mutable externally, it is possible to create scripts that change the files it uses to "know where it is, and what card it's working with." Commands can be expanded to add more and more abilities. When activated the user's default browser will open to page contained within the branchED Parent Folder. It will list additional links, and the content on the page will change depending on the card. Additional tabs can be spawned from branchED via GearUp command or from the current page open. Only the commands that are within the parent folder are passed to the child folders, new commands can be created within the parent and child after the initial child folder creation. Changes to the name of the Child will be reflected in the parent, so that referential integrity is maintained. Michel.kasday (talk) 08:15, 11 July 2024 (UTC)