"Pourcent" v.1.3.
Shareware proposed by Benoit Dupont
CompuServe ID 100740,1033


Introduction.
Think of the real daily use of your fancy "business calculators": hundreds of additions and percentage calculations (margins, discounts, interest rates, yields,...)? Was your calculator really designed for that?

"Pourcent" was: it performs all standard arithmetic calculations with the usual keys, including use of parenthesis, but it is particularly useful for percentage calculations. Its usefulness is unmatched for repetitive calculations and related "what if" questions. It gives on a very simple screen more than a business calculator or a spreadsheet.

"Pourcent" offers a choice of ten different screens corresponding to different business (growth rate, markup,...) or finance (mortgage, compounded interest rate, maturity of an annuity) situations . Each screen can be modified by the user.

Content.
The pourcent.zip file contains the following:
- pourcent.wrd is this documentation under Psion word format
- readme.txt is the same under text format
- pourcent.opa is the application file
- pourcent.opo is the programme
- pourcent.dbf is a data file
- pourcent.rsc is a help file

Installation.
To install "pourcent" as a stand alone application, with its own icon:
- copy pourcent.opa to any \app\ directory
- copy pourcent.rsc and pourcent.dbf to an \opd\ directory on any disk (not a flash SSD). Both files must be in the same directory.
Then install the application like any other, by pressing <Psion-I> in the system screen...

Alternatively, you may wish to run "pourcent" under the "RunOpl" icon, together with other programs, and use less space on the system menu screen:
- make sure that the "RunOpl" application is installed
- copy pourcent.opo to any \opo\ directory
- copy pourcent.rsc and pourcent.dbf to an \opd\ directory on any disk (not a flash SSD). Both files must be in the same directory.

Pourcent.opo and pourcent.opa are functionally totally identical. There is no necessity at all to copy both files to your Psion.

If you had installed a previous version of Pourcent, you must replace the three files.

Operation
Press "Enter" when the "Pourcent" line is highlighted under the "RunOpl" icon, or under the "Pourcent"  icon. Once Pourcent is started, press <Help> for instructions.  Pourcent.rsc is the help file. You can delete it when you feel familiar enough with the programme, if you need to save disk space. The <Help> key will then become ineffective. 

The menu options themselves, which are displayed when the <Menu> key is pressed, are self explanatory.

In addition to the menu options, one can select any particular "mask" by pressing <Tab> twice.

Registration.
Pourcent v.1.3. is Shareware. You can use it freely during 14 days. After this period, if you find it useful, please register. Otherwise remove it from your computer. Registration fee is US$19.00. You can register via SWREG (GO SWREG. Registration ID: 8622). Upgrade from previous versions is free. SWREG info will be modified by 20 February 1996 only, which means that registration will be at v.1.1. price (US$10.00) until that date.

Registered users will receive via e-mail a key which allows customization of screens and removes nagging screens.

The following instructions are all available on line from the help menu of Pourcent.

Operation
To enter a number into a line, key it directly, or calculate it, in the bottom window, and then press the "line key" corresponding to the line, where you want this number to go (the "line key" is the letter in the last column of each line).

After any data input the four lines are printed in reverse, to remind the user, that a calculation is expected for the figures to make sense.

To perform a calculation, once at least two (business) or three (finance) other lines have been filled, simply press the corresponding "line key", when the bottom window is empty.

The rule is:
- line key pressed when bottom window filled  => data input
- line key pressed when bottom window empty => calculation 

Press <Esc> to empty the bottom window, <Menu> to access the main menu.

Screens, line labels and line keys
Ten different screens are available. Press <Tab> twice, or <Psion-M> and <Tab>, to select a new screen.

Each screen can be modified. Press <Psion-Z> to modify the currently displayed screen. You will have to go through three successive dialog windows:

- first window to set the "screen name" and the "calculation mode" (see corresp. help screen). The screen name is the text, which appears in the screen selection window, when you change screen with <Psion-M>

- second window to set the four "line labels" (the text at the left of  each line of the screen)

- third window to set the four "line keys" (the letter at the right of each line) . You can set them to make them more meaningful  (I for Interest rate, A for Annuity,...), or for better comfort of utilization: in business screens, I have choosen A, Q and W because these keys are one above each other on the French keyboard. You may want to choose Q, A and Z on a QWERTY keyboard...

Calculation modes
Irrespective of what labels and keys say, calculations are always performed in one of five ways, as set in the first dialog window of the screen customization:

- "direct" percentage calculation, where line2 = line1 + line3, and line4 = line3 as percent of line1.

- "reverse" percentage calculation, where line1 = line2 + line3, and line4 = line3 as percent of line1.

- mortgage repayment, with the 4 lines  being initial mortgage, periodic repayment, number of annuities, and interest rate per period.

- maturity of a constant annuity, with the 4 lines being annuity,  future value, number of annuities, and interest rate. Calculation corresponds to annuities paid at the beginning of each period.

- compounded interest rate, with the 4 lines being initial value, final value, number of periods, and interest per period.

Calculator
The bottom window is a basic calculator:
 - authorized keys are 0123456789.+*/() <Eff> <Esc> <Enter>
 - to put 3x2 into A enter <3*2A>
 - to recall A into bottom window type <RA>
 - to add A and Q enter <RA+RQ><Enter>
 - to move Q up to A, or A down to Q use arrows (useful to increase a number by a given %, then increase by same % again,...)
 - ...

Example of a business screen
The following example shows how a "business" screen works. It is assumed that you are in "direct" percentage calculation mode and that the four line keys are A, Q, W and P, respectively:  
- to find 50.5 + 5% press <50.5A> to enter 50.5 into line1, then <5P> to enter 5 in line 4, and <Q> to calculate the result.
- to find 60 x 5.8% press <60A> to get 60 into line1, then <5.8P> to get 5.8 into line4, and <W> to calculate the result.
- to find the % difference between 67 and 85, press <67A85QP>
- to find what A must be for A+10% to be 120, press <120Q10PA> 
- to change % rate to 6% and recalculate, press <6PW>, or <6PA>
-,...

Example of a finance screen.
Assume 10,000 are borrowed at an annual interest rate of 6%, and reimbursed in four years in equal monthly payments. Calculation mode is "mortgage". To calculate the monthly payment, press:
- <10000M> to enter 10,000 into Line1
- <6/12I> to divide 6 by 12 and enter the monthly interest rate into Line4
- <4*12N> to multiply 4 by 12 enter the total number of monthly payments into Line3
- <A> to calculate the monthly payment. Result = 234.85

Now find the annual interest rate corresponding to a monthly
payment of 250:
- <250A> to enter monthly payment
- <I> to calculate monthly rate. Result = 0.77%
- <RI> to bring it  down to the bottom window
- <*12><Enter> to multiply by 12. Result = 9.24%
- ...

Link Paste
Pourcent can communicate with other applications, which also support Link Paste (Word, Data, Spreadsheet, Monnaie,...).

Press <Psion-B> to import a number into the bottom window. Pourcent will interpret separators (decimals and thousands) according to the system settings.

To export a number to another application, bring it to the bottom window, by pressing successively <R> and the corresponding line key. The number in the bottom window is available for copy as soon as Pourcent is in the background.  Optionally <Psion-C> will convert the number in the bottom window to the system format (decimal and thousands separators).

For example, assume that you are in Word and want to add 5.5% to a certain  amount:
- highlight the amount in Word and press <Psion-C>
- bring Word to the background and Pourcent to the foreground
- press <Psion-B> to import the amount, and <A> to put it into
   line1 (if A is the line key of line1)
- press <5.5PQ> to add 5.5% (if Q is the line key of line2)
- press <RQ> to bring Q to the bottom window, and then <Psion-C> if you wish to export it with thousands separators
- bring Pourcent to the background and Word to the foreground  
- press <Psion-B> in Word...

Disclaimer of responsibility.
Users of Pourcent must accept this disclaimer of warranty: "Pourcent is supplied as is. The author disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, warranties of fitness for any purpose. The author assumes no liability for damages, direct or consequential, which may result from the use of Pourcent or any of its accompanying files".

Last update 14 Feb 1996
-=-
