The Grading Assistant          Version 4.0
                         ---------------------      January 1, 1991
                     A-D-V-A-N-C-E  R-E-L-E-A-S-E


Congratulations!  You are using a copy of The Grading Assistant (TGA) --
a modern program for modern teachers.  TGA can take most of the drudgery
out of computing student grade averages.  It was designed by a 6th grade
English teacher for use by teachers and instructors.


To run TGA you need the following type of personal computer (PC):

  an IBM PC or 100% compatible equivalent (called a "clone")

  at least 448K of FREE memory (called RAM) after everything else you
     run is loaded (DOS, SideKick, etc)

  a PC with two floppy diskette drives or one floppy and one hard
     disk drive;

  IBM or Microsoft Disk Operating System (DOS) version 3.0 or later;
     (you *may* be able to run with DOS 2.11, but the author cannot
     guarantee that TGA will work on all computers under DOS 2.11)

  an EPSON FX or compatible printer (or enough knowledge about your
     printer's control character commands to read the printer manual
     and tell TGA the alternative control commands to use instead).


These limitations aren't so bad since many printers mimic the EPSON
family, and most PCs try to match IBM's PC family exactly.

All of the files you need to run and learn TGA are stored on the main
distribution diskettes.  Before you can run TGA, you need to INSTALL it.
Follow these steps to install TGA for use on a hard disk or dual floppy
diskette system:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF YOU PLAN TO RUN TGA FROM FLOPPY DISK...

   You need either one blank, formatted high density (1.2M or more)
   diskette or four blank, formatted dual density (360K) diskettes.
   Use the DOS FORMAT command to prepare the diskette(s).
   (See your DOS Manual for help.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Put the TGA distribution diskette #1 in drive A: and enter the following
commands:
             A:
             INSTALL

Now, just follow the directions.  For a hard disk installation, you will
typically install TGA on the "C" drive and in the "\TGA" directory.  For
a floppy disk installation, you will usually install TGA on the "B"
drive and in the "\" directory.

Next, you need to print your file of documentation.  To do that, ready
your PC printer (power it off, adjust the paper, and power it on).  Use
the DOS PRINT command (or your favorite printer utility program) to
print the TGA.DOC file.  This file will be on your installed diskette
#4 if you installed TGA on dual density (360K) diskettes, or
in your hard disk directory if you installed TGA to your hard disk.  To
print the documentation from a typical hard disk installation to your
standard printer, enter this command:

                        COPY C:\TGA\TGA.DOC PRN:

Or, if you run TGA from a floppy diskette, insert the installed disk
with the software in your A: drive, then enter:

                          COPY A:\TGA.DOC PRN:

The TGA documentation will take a while to print and uses about 60
sheets of paper.  But you just can't expect to run the program without
reading the manual.  Since the documentation file uses underlining, your
printer should *not* be in automatic-linefeed-on-carriage-return mode.

Try TGA for 30 days.  It should make your grading job much easier.  If
it does, please send the $20 registration fee to the program's author.
That way you can count on future help and support from him.  It may also
inspire him to make those changes you'd like to see in future releases
of TGA.  (For example, all of the major changes since version 3.0 were
requested by registered TGA customers.)

On the other hand, if TGA isn't what you are looking for, just erase it
and try some of the other SHAREWARE products.  There is one out there
for you.  But don't give up on automating your teaching.  Life is too
short to spend it doing grades by hand.


                           Happy Computing!
                               Jim Reid