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) 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)
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

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