https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inverseatascii-s1e12-ljk_dataperfect.mp3

This episode features Data Perfect, originally released in 1982 by LJK Enterprises.

Podcast: Download

Cover of the spiral bound manual:

Advertisement from September 1983 issue of A.N.A.L.O.G..  The same ad runs again in the February 1985 issue.

At boot, entering the date (format MM/DD/YY):

Main Menu:

Source disk verification:

Acknowledge database being loaded:

Loaded database summary including number of fields, record length, number of records, dates, and number of formulas:

Initial creation pre-populates a key field:

Field Definition:

After Quitting form (screen mask) definition, the edit/form menu is displayed:

Entering default values for any fields needing them:

Acknowledging the new database structure:

Final acknowledgement of new database statistics:

Menu:

Adding or Editing a record:

Search step 1 – Search By field selection:

Search step 2 – Criteria definition (note use of fore/aft wildcards):

Total function:

Menu:

Pack Results:

View Format screen 1:

View Format screen 2:

Reformat (database structure modification); works just like create:

Menu:

Create step 1 – Printer width:

Create step 2 – Printer initialization string (format decimal,decimal,decimal…):

Create step 3 – Level break definition (up to 4 deep):

Create step 4 – Header definition.  You can move between step 4 and 5 freely by moving the cursor up/down the data area.  The top 7 lines are the header.  The bottom 3 are the record details:

Create step 5 – Detail (record) definition:

The disk is not a standard DOS format, it is a proprietary DOS developed by LJK which was also used for Letter Perfect.

Utility View Format:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/s1e12-print-utilviewformat.pdf

Report Print List:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/s1e12-print-reportlist.pdf

Report Print Record:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/s1e12-print-record.pdf

There are too many commands to record in a cheat sheet.  The program is difficult to use without reading at least the tutorial section of the manual.  Please review the official manual.

Podcast: Download

This episode features A Financial Wizard, originally released in 1982 by Computari.  It was sold exclusively through On-Line Computer Centers of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/inverseatascii-s1e11-computari_afinancialwizard.mp3

This episode features A Financial Wizard, originally released in 1982 by Computari.  It was sold exclusively through On-Line Computer Centers of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Podcast: Download

I could not locate any boxed copies or scans of the box.  I did find early advertising though.

Advertisement from January 1982 Analog Magazine:

Advertisement from May 1982 Analog Magazine:

The boot splash screen (nice graphic) that is displayed briefly while the program loads:

The main menu (you are treated to various tones as this is drawn):

Check entry:

Check entry exit:

Budget entry step 1 – Month Select:

Budget entry step 2 – Category amounts:

Check Search step 1 – Search Criteria:

Check Search step 2 – Results:

Tabulations Menu:

Tabulations 1 – Expenses/Budget by Month (you are treated to a descending tone as this is drawn):

Tabulations 2 – Expenses/Budget by Category:

Bar Chart Menu:

Bar Chart 1 – One Month Listing All Categories:

Bar Chart 2 – One Category Over 12 Months:

Bar Chart Printer Selection (see the Print Output selection below for the actual print outs):

Check Balancer step 1 – Ending Balance input:

Check Balancer – Warning if there are no checks for the month specified:

Check Balancer step 2 – Clearing entries:

Check Balancer step 3 – Balance Summary with congratulatory note at successful balance (a melody is played as well):

Check Balancer step 4 – Balance Summary with scolding note at non-successful balance (an explosion is played as well):

Check Writer step 1 – Date Input (note the hardcoded 19 for the century):

Check Writer step 2 – Checks.  I didn’t actually test printing checks due to the program not being Y2K compliant as you can see in the screenshot below:

The Utilities Menu:

Utility Function 1 – Audit Checkbook:

Utility Function 2 – Create Monthly Files step 1 – Instructions:

Utility Function 2 – Create Monthly Files step 2 – Disk prep:

Utility Function 2 – Create Monthly Files step 3 – Creation (working):

Utility Function 2 – Create Monthly Files step 4 – Validation:

Utility Function 3 – Change Expense Categories:

Utility Function 4 – Clear Expense Files – Warning:

Utility Function 5 – Clear Budget Files:

Utility Function 6 – Correct Expense Files (working):

Utility Function 7 – End of Year Check Transfer:

A Financial Wizard uses Atari DOS 2.0s.

The contents of the data disk can be seen in this screenshot:

The data files are:

Utilities – Audit:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/s1e11-print-utilaudit.pdf

Check Search:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/s1e11-print-checksearch.pdf

Check Balance Summary:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/s1e11-print-checkbalancesummary.pdf

Bar Chart – 1 Month:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/s1e11-print-barchart1month.pdf

Bar Chart – 1 Category:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/s1e11-print-barchart1cat.pdf

Tabulation – 1 Month:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/s1e11-print-tabulation1month.pdf

Tabulation – 1 Category:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/s1e11-print-tabulation1cat.pdf

Could not be located.  Sorry.

Podcast: Download

This episode features Atari Stock Charting, originally released in 1980 by Atari.  This program for the Atari 8 bit line of computers was the first commercial stock charting software for the Atari.  It was part of the Investment Analysis Series.  It was developed by Control Data Corporation (CDC).

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/inverseatascii-s1e10-atari_stockcharting.mp3

This episode features Atari Stock Charting, originally released in 1980 by Atari.  This program for the Atari 8 bit line of computers was the first commercial stock charting software for the Atari.  It was part of the Investment Analysis Series.  It was developed by Control Data Corporation (CDC).

Podcast: Download

I provided these scans to AtariMania as well.

Scan of the front of the box:

Scan of the back of the box:

Scan of the side of the box (both sides are the same):

Scan of the diskette holder:

Scan of the disk labels and write protect tabs:

At boot you have to sit through 4 splash screens, and each time you return to the main menu you have to sit through 2 splash screens, and either way you also have to acknowledge a program overview screen – very un-productive.

The first is the Atari Logo (the fixed version without a blank line through it is depicted here).  This only occurs at boot:

In case you missed the first Atari splash, heres a second one (this happens each time you return to the main menu as well):

But wait, one more splash screen before you can see the menu (this happens each time you return to the main menu as well):

Final splash (this is skipped on return to main menu):

Updated final splash with modification credit (this is skipped on return to main menu):

Program overview screen (this happens after boot and on return to main menu):

The well deserved Main (Directive) Menu:

When entering invalid options, you are warned:

Module A – Define Stock Portfolio

Defining stock is 4 to 5 step process.

Step 1.  This tells you what its doing and asks if you want to see the existing portfolio.  You are given the opportunity to review the portfolio at the start of each module.:

Step 2 (not showing if you choose N to previous question).  If any stocks are defined their symbols would be listed here::

Step 3.  Instructions for input syntax.  Each module gets a screen like this::

Step 4.  The actual input interface, again you are reminded of the input syntax.  Note that stock symbols are limited to 4 characters:

Step 5.  At conclusion you are shown the portfolio:

Module B – Enter Closing Quotes

Entering stock quote data is again a 4 to 5 step process.

Step 1. This tells you what its doing and asks if you want to see the existing portfolio:

Step 2. Enter the starting trading date.  You will not be able to enter dates prior to this.  This will be the default date for all quote entries if not specified.  And note it doesn’t like 2015, so you must use a day compatible year which one is 1987:

Step 3. Instructions for input syntax:

Step 4. The actual input interface:

Here you can see the program can not handle todays (2010+, maybe earlier) trading volume.  I had to reverse engineer the code to figure out which field was the issue:

Module C – List Closing Quotes

Listing the stock quote data is another several step process.

Step 1. This tells you what its doing and asks if you want to see the existing portfolio.  No screen shot as its pretty much the same as all the others.

Step 2. Instructions for input syntax:

Step 3. The actual input interface:

Step 4. The result.  Press P to print just whats on the screen.  If there is more than one screen full of information pressing RETURN will take you to the next screen otherwise it will return you to step 3:

Module D – Delete Stock from Portfolio

As with the others, deleting a stock and its quote date from the portfolio is another multi-step process.

Step 1. This tells you what its doing and asks if you want to see the existing portfolio:

Step 2. Instructions for input syntax:

Step 3. The actual input interface.  It just needs the stock symbol, so why all the instructions?:

Module E – Graph Stock Quotes

Graphing the stock quote data is another multi-step process.

Step 1. This tells you what its doing and asks if you want to see the existing portfolio:

Step 2. Instructions for input syntax:

Step 3. The actual input interface.  The main thing its after is the stock symbol:

Step 4.  The stock is now graphed.  Notice in this image todays (2010+, maybe earlier) trading volume (blank vertical lines) completely obliterate the graph making it useless.  There are only 78 plot points vertically.  Also note the lower window is thrown off with huge amounts from todays trading volumes.

Using the version of the graphing module I modified the graph becomes legible.  The trading volume is constrained to the lower 25% of the graph.

Disk Swaps

If you are going to use Atari Stock Charting, you should get comfortable with these screens.  You’ll see them a lot.

Insert data disk:

Insert program disk:

Atari Stock Charting uses Atari DOS 2.0.  The contents of the disk can be seen in this screenshot.

The files are:

These are the modifications to the different program modules that allow it to function correctly with todays trading volumes.

Module B : Enter stock quotes

Load “D:STKTR19”

Change line 430 from:

To:

Module C : List stock quotes

Load “D:STKL7”

Change line 120 from:

To:

Module E : Graph stock

Load “D:STKPL15”

Change line 0 from:

To:

Add line 2:

Change line 622 from:

To:

Logo

Load “D:LOGO”

Change line 5 from:

To:

Remove 1 space from the PRINT statement in line 100.

Directive Menu

Load “D:STOCK”

Change line 1 from:

To:

Change line 105 from:

To:

Printing the stock portfolio (very simple data):

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/s1e10-print-c-list.pdf

Printing a stocks quote history (one screen at a time):

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/s1e10-print-a-portfolio.pdf

Scanned Manual download

Podcast: Download

This episode features Atari Family Finances as released by Atari in 1982.  This software was originally released in 1981 through APX as Family Cash Flow and Family Budget.  It was written by Jerry Falkenhan.

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/inverseatascii-s1e9-atari_familyfinances.mp3

This episode features Atari Family Finances as released by Atari in 1982.  This software was originally released in 1981 through APX as Family Cash Flow and Family Budget.  It was written by Jerry Falkenhan.

Podcast: Download

I provided these scans to AtariMania as well.

Box Front:

Box Rear:

APX Family Budget Manual Cover, sorry I don’t have the Cash Flow one.:

Booting Cash Flow:

Cash Flow Main Menu:

Cash Flow Main Menu as distributed under APX:

Converting from single to dual disks:

Cash Flow Income program month selection:

Cash Flow Income program menu functions:

Cash Flow Income program Review Entries category selection:

Cash Flow Income program Review Entries category details:

Cash Flow Income program Enter New Data:

Cash Flow Income program Change Entry.  Notice the primitive input form where you select the field you want to edit prior to editing:

Cash Flow Income Program Print menu:

Cash Flow Expense program month selection:

Cash Flow Expense program menu functions:

Cash Flow Expenses program Enter New Data (notice the color change back to green):

Cash Flow Setup Program start for initial setup or new year:

Cash Flow Setup Program Income Categories:

Cash Flow Setup Program Income Category edit.  Select category, enter new name over the dashes:

Cash Flow Setup Program Expense Categories.  This works the same way the Income categories does:

Cash Flow Review Finances loading.  The expense and income months are filled in from top to bottom as it reads data from diskette:

Cash Flow Review Finances Detail:

Cash Flow Review Finances Income:

Cash Flow Review Finances Expenses:

Budget loading.  You will normally answer N to both questions:

Budget loading data.  Income and expense data is loaded by month from diskette.  This fills from top to bottom and ends up with two columns each:

Budget Main Menu:

Budget Setup Budgets.  Similar to other input forms.  Select the item you want to edit:

Budget Setup Summary:

Review Budgets – Yearly

Budget – Review Budgets – Budget Expense vs Actual Expense.  Select category, select month or range of months:

Budget – Review Budgets – Actual Incomes vs Budget Incomes.    Select month or range of months:

Budget – Review Budgets – Incomes Budget vs Expense Budget.   Select month or range of months:

Budget – Review Budgets – Incomes Actual vs Expense Actual:

Budget – Review Budgets – Single Category Income.    Select category:

Budget – Review Budgets – Single Category Expense.    Select category:

Review Budgets – Monthly

Budget – Review Budgets – Actual Incomes vs Budget Incomes.    Select month or range of months:

Budget – Review Budgets – Actual Expense vs Budget Expense:

Budget – Change Entries – Change Expense.  Again select the item you want to change:

Budget – Change Entries – Change Income.  An item (C) being changed:

Output from the various functions that print.  In regard to the report titles; On the left side of the – is the program disk, on the right side is the menu option:

Cash Flow – Print Finances:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/s1e9-print-printreports.pdf

Cash Flow – Income – Print Entries – All Summaries:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/s1e9-print-incallsummary.pdf

Cash Flow – Income – Print Entries – All Detail Rpts:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/s1e9-print-incalldetail.pdf

Cash Flow – Income – Print Entries – Month Summary:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/s1e9-print-incmonthsummary.pdf

Cash Flow – Income – Print Entries – Month Detail:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/s1e9-print-incmonthdetail.pdf

Cash Flow – Expense – Print Entries – All Summaries:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/s1e9-print-expallsummary.pdf

Cash Flow – Expense – Print Entries – All Detail Rpts:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/s1e9-print-expalldetailreport.pdf

Cash Flow – Expense – Print Entries – Month Summary:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/s1e9-print-expmonthsummary.pdf

Cash Flow – Expense – Print Entries – Month Detail:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/s1e9-print-expmonthdetail.pdf

Yearly

Budget – Print Budgets – Budget Expense vs Actual Expense:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/s1e9-print-budgprinta.pdf

Budget – Print Budgets – Actual Incomes vs Budget Incomes:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/s1e9-print-budgprintb.pdf

Budget – Print Budgets – Incomes Budget vs Expense Budget:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/s1e9-print-budgprintc.pdf

Budget – Print Budgets – Incomes Actual vs Expense Actual:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/s1e9-print-budgprintd.pdf

Budget – Print Budgets – Single Category Incomes:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/s1e9-print-budgprinte.pdf

Budget – Print Budgets – Single Category Expense:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/s1e9-print-budgprintf.pdf

Monthly

Budget – Print Budgets – Actual Income Vs Budget Income:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/s1e9-print-budgprintg.pdf

Budget – Print Budgets – Actual Expense vs Budget Expense:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/s1e9-print-budgprinth.pdf

I won’t always provide the user guide, but in absence of a cheat sheet I will.

User guide download

Podcast: Download

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/inverseatascii-s1e8-visicorp_visicalc.mp3

This episode features VisiCalc, originally released in 1980 by Personal Software and later in 1982 released by VisiCorp.  It was written by Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston under Software Arts, Inc.  This program for the Atari 8 bit line of computers was the first commercial spreadsheet for the Atari.  There is a very interesting relationship with the company names, see the show links at the bottom for full details.

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/inverseatascii-s1e8-visicorp_visicalc.mp3

This episode features VisiCalc, originally released in 1980 by Personal Software and later in 1982 released by VisiCorp.  It was written by Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston under Software Arts, Inc.  This program for the Atari 8 bit line of computers was the first commercial spreadsheet for the Atari.  There is a very interesting relationship with the company names, see the show links at the bottom for full details.

Podcast: Download

I provided these scans to AtariMania as well to replace the scans of the tattered box that was found there.

Scan of the front and back of the box sleeve:

Scan of the front of the box (the back is the same):

Scan of the Manual Cover and the License Agreement Insert:

Scan of the original manual cover and first manual page as developed by Software Arts, Inc, and published by Personal Software, Inc:

The very first ad was a teaser and placed in Byte Magazine’s May 1979 issue:

Ad:

Byte May 1979 Cover:

From Compute! November 1980:

Here is a full page ad from Atari in 1980 for VisiCalc:

No splash screens, no menus, boot right into the application and start working – very productive:

Boot failure with a cartridge in:

Press / to bring up the menu:

Forward Referencing example:

Circular Reference example.  Each recalculation causes the value to be further incorrectly calculated:

Cell replication in several steps, two displayed (range selection, and reference updates):

Lookup function in use.  Value in A13 is looked up in range B1 to B11, which lands at B5.  The value to be returned is immediately to the right at C5.  Had the lookup range been in a row, the value returned would need to be immediately below the matching cell:

The column widths being demonstrated at 9 characters.  Column width effects all columns.  A1 contains .0000007, A2 contains .00000008, A3 contains 88888888, A4 contains 888888888 (one more significant digit than A3).

A6 contains ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ, B6 contains JKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ, C6 contains STUVWXYZ.  All strings terminated at 9 characters:

Example of complete spreadsheet (from the lessons in the manual):

Using split window mode on the budget spreadsheet:

Another example of split window, this time using different column widths in each window and the graphing format:

Printing the budget spreadsheet entire range:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/s1e8-print-output.pdf

Printing the graph spreadsheet formulas:

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/s1e8-print-formulas.pdf

Pocket Reference download

Podcast: Download

https://inverseatascii.info/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/inverseatascii-s1e7-apx_mailinglist.mp3

This episode features Weekly Planner, originally released in 1981 by APX.  It was written by Ronald & Lynn Marcuse.  This program for the Atari 8 bit line of computers was written in BASIC and released on cassette and diskette.