History: GettingStarted

HandyShopper User's Guide: Getting Started

Sometimes a new user can be overwhelmed by all the features in HandyShopper, even to the point of deleting the application before experiencing its benefits. To help you get your feet firmly planted in the usage of this great application is this Getting Started section of the User's Guide. Read this section for the basics of starting a new list, setting it up, and using it. This section is based on setting up a grocery shopping list, but most of the information can be applied to other list types. Starting small and working up to more abstract uses of HandyShopper is always a good idea! :)

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Table of contents

• Context Sensitive Help
• Create the New Database
• Create Stores within the Database
• Create Categories
• HandyShopper Method of Use
• Add Items to the Database
• Review Items in the Database
• Select Items You Need to Buy
• Begin Shopping
• Assign Aisles to Items
• Calculate the Total Cost of Your Purchases
• Checkout

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Context Sensitive Help

The fastest and most convenient way to get help when using HandyShopper is to look for the little "i" in a circle. This is the universal symbol/button for "more information" in the Palm OS. It's usually found in the top right corner of a screen or dialog on the screen (Figure 1.2 below). Tapping this little "i" will lead you to a page describing your options and what they do. If you're ever unsure about what to do in a situation, just tap the "i" and you'll soon know what to do. This HandyShopper User's Guide is much more in depth, but the Context Sensitive Help is great for a quick reminder, or help when none other is available.

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Create the New Database

If you are using HandyShopper for the first time, the program will automatically prompt you to create a new database on startup. (Figure 1.1) Tap the "New..." button to create a new database, for which you have several options.

1. First, give your new list a unique name, such as "John's Shopping List." A unique name is preferred because a generically named shopping list may be overwritten by a shopping list that you download from the internet, or receive from someone else via infrared beaming. Some people will use their initials after a "generic" name to give it a uniqueness, such as "Groceries JSD". (Figure 1.2)
2. Next, select the database style you want. This selection merely tells HandyShopper to choose some pre-defined preference settings. For specifics on each of these database styles, refer to the Initial List Preferences section of this Guide. For now, choose a Shopping List style, leaving the per-store prices option unchecked.
3. If you like, you can choose a different icon for your list. This icon appears in the list of databases, as well as next to the list name in the title bar of HandyShopper when the list is open. With the default icon set installed, the default icon for Shopping lists is a grocery cart icon. To change the icon, simply tap the icon displayed to access the icon chooser.
4. Tap the "OK" button to continue, which leads you to the DB tab of the Preferences screen. You can always return to tweak preferences later, so for now, tap the "OK" button on the screen to finish the inital list creation.

For more information on the Preferences and other screens in HandyShopper, please refer to the Preferences? and Menus? sections of this guide. For now, let's move on to actually building your list!

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Create Stores within the Database

After the initial creation of your list, you'll be presented with an empty list screen. (Figure 1.3) }

Figure 1.3

This is the main list screen from which most list interation will be done, but until you get some items in there, it's not much use. But before we start filling it up with stuff, let's lay some more groundwork. Let's create stores.

1. Tap on the store name area in the upper left of the screen. The default is "All Stores" so that's what you'll be tapping at first.
2. From the short list that pops up, tap on "Edit Stores..."
3. In the Edit Stores screen, tap the "New" button to create a new store.
4. Enter a name for your store. (Figure 1.4)

   Figure 1.4

5. Tap the "OK" button to create the store.

For the purpose of this section, only create 1 store for now. Select the store name that you just added, and tap the "OK" button to exit the Edit Stores screen. You can, and probably should, go back later to create more stores by repeating this process.
NOTE: If you would like to organize your stores in a manner other than the default alphabetical method, you can insert a number before each of the stores' names (ie: "1 Supermarket", "2 Acme Market", etc.)
Figure 1.3


Figure 1.4

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Create Categories

Adding Categories is as important, and as simple, as adding Stores to your database. Just follow these simple instructions.

1. Tap on the category selector in the top right corner of the screen, which is set to "All" by default.
2. Choose "Edit Categories..." to enter the Edit Categories screen. (Figure 1.5)

   Figure 1.5

3. Tap the "New" button to create a new category
4. Enter your category name (Figure 1.6)

   Figure 1.6

5. Tap the "OK" button to create the category
6. Repeat until you've created all the categories you need. There is a limit, though. Only 15 user created categories may exist, and each category may only be 15 character long, including spaces. NOTE: If you would like to organize your categories in a manner other than the default alphabetical method, you can insert a number before each of the categories' names (ie: "1 Produce", "2 Baking", etc.)
7. Tap the "OK" button at the bottom of the Edit Categories screen to exit the category editor and return to the main list screen.

Back in the main list screen, choose a category to enter new items under by tapping the category selector and then tapping the category to switch to
Figure 1.5

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HandyShopper Method of Use

The basic shopping process using HandyShopper is:

1. Add items to the database as Not Needed ()
2. At home, mark items () that you need to buy in the "All" view ()
3. At each store, have the list sorted by aisle in the "Need" view () showing only the items you need to buy ()
4. As you place items in your shopping basket, check them off ()
5. When you are ready to checkout, reset the items that you purchased back to Not Needed ()
6. Continue shopping at the next store for remaining Needed () items.

Each of these steps will be explained in detail in the following sections.

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Add Items to the Database

Here comes the time consuming part... adding items to the list. Some people choose to create a complete list of all the items they ever purchase at once, and some people build their list week by week, trip by trip, as the items are needed, building their list over time. Both ways have advantages and disadvantages, but they both work just as well in the long run. To add new items to your list, follow these simple instructions.

1. If you're adding items that you don't yet need, it's best to add them in All view. Tap the "All" button at the bottom of the screen () to highlight it and switch to the All view mode.
2. Tap the "New" button at the bottom of the screen to begin the creation of a new item. (Figure 1.7)

   Fig 1.7

   The new item will inherit the currently chosen category and store. If "All Stores" or "All categories" is chosen, the item will fall into the respective "Unfiled" list (as well as the "All..." list). Adding items that fall into the same category at once with that category selected is an easy way to ensure items are found in their appropriate categories later on. Otherwise, you may find yourself going through your entire list while checking and fixing the category for every item.
3. Notice the single-dot "Not Needed" marker () next to the item. All items created in the All view will start with this status.
4. Repeat the above steps for all items that you plan to add to your shopping list, whether you currently need them or not. (Figure 1.8)

   Fig 1.8

By default, HandyShopper will sort the list alphabetically in ascending order by the item description. To add items to another category, simply tap on the category name and select the new category's name, then begin adding items under that category.
Figure 1.7


Figure 1.8

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Review Items in the Database

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Select Items You Need to Buy

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Begin Shopping

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Assign Aisles to Items

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Calculate the Total Cost of Your Purchases

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Checkout

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