New in and since Pathagoras 2017
Contents
Instead of a repeats command (which expands text X number of times), the cumulative argument of the Options command 'accumulates' items 'at and below' the selected count, and deletes those above it. This allows you a bit more control over the final result. Plus, most users who haven't yet adopted the Repeat function find the cumulative approach easier to implement.
When the document is processed, Pathagoras presents the choices (or the prompts you provided) onto a selection screen. Choose the 'highest' desired choice. The selected item, plus all the ones 'beneath' it, remain in the document. All options greater than the selection are deleted.
You know some of the options, and present them in your <<*Options* . . . .>> options list. But what if there is another value, unknown right now, that might be desired. Or you simply want to give the end user as much flexibility as possible. New in Pathagoras 2017 is the ability to do just that. Offer as the last choice a "Fill-in" option. Read more about 'fill-ins' at this page.
The keyboard press of Alt-G (not against any other text) allows you to perform many Pathagoras functions. For example, if we have scheduled a GoToMeeting session together, you can start the meeting simply by typing the word 'meeting' anywhere on an editing screen and press Alt-G (the 'g' stands for 'g'et) and the meeting starts.
Setting Defaults. If you want to show a variable with a pre-set default value, you can assign that default simply by typing a hash tag (i.e., '#') in front of the desired value. This works for 'regular' variables and for multiple choice variables. Here are some examples: 'Regular variables' [Marital Status#Married]; [Date of Contract#January 1, 2017]; [Attorney#Lawrence Lawyer]. Multiple choice variables: [Marital Status:Single/#Married/Separated/Divorced]; [Attorney:Adam Attorney/Cathryn Counsellor/#Lawrence Lawyer] OR without a title [Adam Attorney/#Cathryn Counsellor/Lawrence Lawyer]
Comments and Tips for Variables (hover-over text). You can now provide instructions along side of your variables that will appear as hover-over text when the Instant Database screen displays the variables. The instructions can relate to formatting, proper usage, reason for inclusion, or otherwise. The simple setup for this feature is for you to inserting a standard Word 'Comment' anywhere inside the first appearance of the in the document variable. So, if the variable were [Client Name], just put your cursor inside the variable and insert a Comment.
Sentence Assembly. Document assembly is a well-known process in law and other offices. Build a long document from a collection of short documents. But sentence assembly (build a sentence or paragraph from just a collection of related words) is something that (to our knowledge) only offered by Pathagoras. If you have a collection of words or short phrases that are frequently strung together to make sentences, check out our Sentence Assembly tool.
Document automation by color: The idea behind this feature is to allow a user to mark up blocks of text within a document with colors. Color-coded questions matching the body text are placed at the top of the document. When the form document is recalled for processing for a client or customer, Pathagoras will present a multi-colored check-box form (the colors, of course, marrying up to the document's colors). The user checks which 'colors' to keep and which to discard.
Content Controls Control (not a typo). If you have placed 'content controls' (check-boxes, radio buttons, etc.), Pathagoras can scan for them and present them in a single interview for answering 'yes' or 'no'. No more scrolling the document to see if you got them all. This is definitely an advanced feature, but we are seeing more and more check-boxes in forms, especially state and federally mandated forms. The feature does require that you have a working knowledge of content controls and to edit their 'title' and 'tag' features, but once you get the hang of it, it's a piece of cake.
Mirroring: You can now Mirror all (or some) of your settings on your multiple computers. The administrator sets and changes Library, Profile and DropDown Lists, and those changes will instantly reflect on the other computers.
QuickLinks: Although originally introduced in Pathagoras 2016, its improvements practically qualify as a new feature. You can now set a default search path. Assign one of the paths to the default simply by pre-pending a '#' in front of the line. Type just a '/' followed by Alt-G and you are instantly taken to the folder. Type (let's say) '/jo' followed by Alt-G and you are instantly show a list of folders in the default parent folder that wildcard match the letters provided (e.g., Johnson, Jones, Jordan, etc.)
Default Values for Multiple-Choice Variables: It is now possible to set a 'default value' for your multiple choice lists. When the choices come from an *Alias* or from a hard-coded multiple-choice variable, just type a '#' in front of the value you want to be the default. When the list is displayed in the Instant Database screen, the item marked as the default will appear in the field. You can still select any of the other choices, but when you use one choice more than the others, it's nice not to have to make the selection every time.
Insert text from Clause Selection preview screen: We always provided ways to preview clauses and documents in various selection screens before you selected them, but what was missing was a way to insert from the preview screen directly into your document. (The previous action was to move the selected clause from the left panel of the clause selection screen to the right panel.) Now you can just press a button to insert the clause directly into the document.
IDB Calendar: 'Next day that is not a weekend' date calculation: When using the date calculator in the Instant Database module, you can now tell Pathagoras to return the first weekday after the calculated date. (We're working on holiday exclusions; that'll be in a future release.)
oMeeting<Alt-G> will start a GoToMeeting session with me.
oLast<Alt-G> will recall the last document called or saved via Pathagoras.
oLastpath<Alt-G> will open the last folder you worked with.
o(quicklink name)<Alt-G> will open folder assigned to QuickLink name. See 'QuickLinks' in Manual
o(#)<Alt-G> will open folder assigned to 'SmartPath' number in PathSmart module.
o(document name)<Alt-G> will insert text of named document. Requires that named document be present in one of your DropDown Lists.
o[Date of Contract] (complete this with any valid date, in any style)
o[Date of Contract(ext)] (above date, spelled out)
o[Date of Contract(num)] (above date, in 1/1/17 style)
o[Date of Contract(num4)] (above date in 1/1/2017 style)
Right click options:
(a) You can now right click on any book in the Document Assembly screen to reset, rename or repoint that book. This makes it very easy to change your settings to your office practices and needs.
(b) You can right click on the informational bar at the foot of the Instant Database screen to repoint your IDB records to a common location.
Bug fixes/Screen improvements. More people are using more of the advanced features of the program. They are discovering some glitches or suggesting some very appropriate screen and work-flow improvements. If you have reported it, it's been fixed. If you made a suggestion, it's likely been adopted. Thanks to all.