TEXT SCRAMBLING in TRIAL VERSION OUTPUT! In evaluation mode, Help+Manual will scramble individual characters in random words in your published output files. This is a limitation of the free trial version. This help system was created with an evaluation copy of Help+Manual.

 

New in 2023

    As an AskTable (interview) question is asked and answered, Pathagoras will scan the entire document for instances of the !group! associated with each question. When discovered, Pathagoras applies the value of the group (true/false, repeat number, or positional value) to the appropriate <<*Options*!group! . . .>>, <<*Optional*!group!*. . . >> and <<*Repeat*!group! . . .>> block. The screen will likely do a bit of flashing and jumping from top to middle to bottom until all the !groups! in the interview screen just completed are processed. Then the second, third, fourth set of questions will be presented, answered and processed, and the cycle repeats until all questions are asked and answered.

   With relatively short documents, the above action is quick. You hardly notice the action.

    But with the longer and more intricate documents (and Pathagoras can handle long and intricate), the processing time for each set of questions will get significantly longer. This proves the value of a document assembly program -- think about how much time this would take if you were doing it manually. But it sure is boring after a while!

    A customer asked 'Why can't I just answer all of the questions up front, without Pathagoras delving into the document to apply my answers? Display the questions and let me answer them at the beginning all at once, even if there are multiple screens? Then I can press 'Next' on that final screen and then Pathagoras can then take care of the business of actually replacing text, while I am doing something more productive, like getting a cup of coffee."

🤯
(Mind blown emoji)

    So we did it. To enable this feature, just click the checkbox labeled 'Ask Qs First' on the Interview screen. To make the selection 'sticky' (i.e., checked by default), press the 'shift' key before checking the box.

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

   Now you can make dozens of selections 'up front.' Once you have provided the answers, then go get that cup of coffee.