Scout Interface Program
Version 1.1

Overview

The SCOUT program is a DOS program. It is used to convert telephone transactions from a file created by the Computer Readable Output option (CRO) on a Scout telephone system so that they may be read into Tabs3.

The SCOUT program must reside in the same directory as the Tabs3 programs in order to work properly. The Tabs3 program directory can be found by starting Tabs3 and selecting Help | About Tabs3.

When you make a call, you must enter a client code in your phone system using the phone buttons. When you enter the client code, enter the entire client number. For example, if the client is number 200.00, then enter 2 0 0 0 0 on the telephone. The interface program knows where to put the decimal point.

The interface program looks for a file created by the Computer Readable Output program using the DETAIL option. The file must be named "CRO.DAT" and must be placed in the Tabs3 program directory. The SCOUT interface program takes transactions from the CRO.DAT file and places them into files that can be merged using the Tabs3 Merge Data Capture Transactions program.

Tabs3 Note: The Create Validation Files program must be run before you can successfully use this data capture device interface program. The Create Validation Files program is found in Tabs3 by selecting the following menu options: Maintenance | Integration | Create Validation Files. When creating validation files, select a Validation File Type of Data Capture Device.

Installation

The Scout interface program (SCOUT.EXE) must be transferred to the directory on your hard disk where the Tabs3 program files reside. This is done by using the SETUP program on the Scout interface program CD.

To install the Scout interface program on your hard disk:

  1. Insert the Scout interface program CD into your CD drive.
     
  2. The installation program will automatically start.

    Note: If the CD Autorun feature is disabled, click the Start button, and then click Run… Click the Browse button and navigate to the CD drive. Double-click the LAUNCH.EXE file. Click OK.
     
  3. Follow the on screen instructions to install the software onto your hard disk. 

Executing the SCOUT Interface Program
  1. Create the DETAIL data file using the CRO program. The data must reside in a file named CRO.DAT in the Tabs3 program directory.
     
  2. From a DOS prompt, start the interface program by entering:

    3.         SCOUT
     

  3. The first time you run the SCOUT program, you will be asked to enter the Tabs3 transaction code number that you use for phone charges. Once you specify the transaction code number, the SCOUT program will use that same number each time you run the SCOUT program.
     
  4. Next you will be asked "Is it OK to continue? (Y/N)". If you enter "N" the program will be aborted. If you enter "Y", the program will look for the CRO.DAT file containing the Scout telephone charges. If the CRO.DAT is found to contain data, the program will display the message "Converting Transactions" followed by a "." for each transaction read from the file. The files T3EXPKEY.REM and T3EXP.REM will be created which can be merged with the main Tabs3 data files.
     
  5. Run Tabs3 and select the Merge Data Capture Transactions program. The T3EXPKEY.REM and T3EXP.REM files will be deleted after you merge even if you have errors.

Note: If you are not using a demo version of the program, the CRO.DAT file will automatically be deleted when the conversion is complete to avoid double posting of the data.

Note: You may change the phone transaction code used by the SCOUT program by deleting the file SCOUT.PRM, which is created in your Tabs3 directory. This will enable you to go through the setup procedure described above in Step 3 as a first time user of the program.

2007/11/27