Introduction

This comprehensive Help System supersedes all of the previously published individual Manuals and User Guides.

We would greatly appreciate your input as to the usefulness and 'usability' of this Help System. If you have comments, corrections or suggestions for improvement, please send us an email by clicking here.

Pathagoras™ is a multi-faceted document authoring tool. First and foremost, it is a 'plain-text based' document assembly and automation system. In just a few clicks, Pathagoras can present a list of forms or clauses on a designated topic. From that list, you can select an appropriate form, group of forms, or a subset of clauses which addresses you client or customer's need. Pathagoras then assembles the clauses you selected into a complete document, all in a matter of seconds.

Pathagoras is also a database. In a few more keystrokes after an assembly routine, you can assign 'personal' values to replace variables that may have been brought in to the newly assembled document. You can easily store and reuse the personal data in future documents containing the same variable names.

Pathagoras is also a document manager. That means that you can use Pathagoras to help to organize and save documents and to retrieve them for later use.

•	There is no pre-packaged text that limits you in your document production. (However, if you already have forms on your computer in which variables are noted between square brackets, or as underlines, e.g., '________', those forms are readily automated by Pathagoras with no further editing.)

•	Pathagoras self-generates the data input forms it needs to preserve 'personal' data (names, addresses, etc.) This is an exclusive feature of the program. You do not have to spend any time composing data intake sheets.

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Pathagoras does not require you to abandon your current files or file structure. Pathagoras easily adapts to the methods that you currently use to store and retrieve documents. Your current folder(s) of forms can remain intact. Each can be used as a Pathagoras 'book' without any special configuration, programming or changes.

These design features were specifically selected because of their simplicity of use and ease of implementation.

While the emphasis in the DemoDocuments that accompany the program, and in many of the images in this Manual, is on law office forms, Pathagoras is a program for all offices. It has been designed for all disciplines and for all aspects of office operations. Pathagoras is currently used by companies in the following non-law disciplines:

proposal generation (RFPs and Bids)	construction	accounting
financial planning	insurance (claims processing)	software development
medical office	school psychology	home inspection and repair

Pathagoras can be used to enhance any Word operation in any office, from generating simple letters to creating complex reports. If you can do it in Word, you can do it easier, faster and more accurately using the tools provided by Pathagoras.

•	Pathagoras is modular. Everything builds on the next. No step is wasted if you rest without fully completing a project. So if you need to stop, you are already 'ahead' in terms of productivity with whatever you have done.

•	On the other hand, if you are every fully 'satisfied' with how you have set up the program for your office, don't stop. Pull out this Manual and see if there is a 'next step' you might take to make Pathagoras even more productive for your office.

And never hesitate to call us with any questions or suggestions. Our contact information is right here.

*Pythagoras was a 1st Century B.C. Greek philosopher best known for the mathematical formula named after him.

More importantly to this program, Pythagoras believed that the essence of all things is number, and that all things can be expressed numerically. Pathagorastm, the program, distils the theory as it might be applied to document management and assembly by assigning complex DOS paths and file names to simple numbers.

While surely Pythagoras had more global things in mind, this program nevertheless is proud to have this remarkable thinker as its namesake.

Pathagoras, PathSmart, SaveSmart and 'plain-text document assembly' are trade-marks or service marks of
Innovative Software Products of VA, LLC, and Roy Lasris.

Pathagoras, PathSmart and SaveSmart programs, interface screens, help system and all other visible and
non-visible coding Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 & 2007
by Innovative Software Products of Virginia, LLC, and Roy Lasris.

All references in this Manual to "Word" refer to Microsoft® Word, a product of the Microsoft® Corporation. All references to Windows refer to the Microsoft® Windows® operating system, a product of the Microsoft® Corporation.

Other products that are referred to in this document may be either trademarks and/or registered trademarks of the respective owners. The publisher and the author make no claim to these trademarks.

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this help system, the publisher and the author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of information contained in this document or from the use of programs and source code that may accompany it. In no event shall the publisher and the author be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage caused or alleged to have been caused directly or indirectly by this document.