HandyShopper FAQ
Last updated March 30, 2008
1. Does HandyShopper work on my Palm OS device?
2. Not applicable anymore.
3. It's really annoying to have to tap the little magnifying glass icon to use the
Lookup mode.
4. The Contrast button doesn't work on a PalmV, PalmVx, m100, etc.
5. How do I get to the Preferences?
6. I imported from 1.x, but it did not import my aisles.
7. I entered a bunch of aisles, but HandyShopper does not display
them.
8. Using the Quantity field is very awkward; I don't care about decimal
quantities.
9. Not applicable anymore.
10. What happens when "Need" is hilighted and I tap it again?
11. What good are "multiple databases"?
12. How can I import/export to a CSV file?
13. I don't understand the symbols in the leftmost column. I would expect just
a checkbox.
14. Is there a desktop version of HandyShopper?
15. How can I reset the items in the All view back to dots instead of
checkmarks?
16. Why do I have to use the Checkout command? HandyShopper 1.7 did not require
this.
17. How can I purge (delete) only my completed items?
18. How can I make sure my databases are backed up when I HotSync?
19. How can I make a copy of an entire database?
20. How can I find other commands in HandyShopper? Is there a menu?
21. Is there a way to beam a database to another device?
22. Can I share a database with my partner, so we can merge the
list?
23. The Total is incorrect.
24. I lost my data! How can I restore my HandyShopper databases? Are they
backed up on my desktop computer?
25. I installed the latest version of HandyShopper, but it still shows the old
name in my Launcher.
26. Not applicable anymore.
27. If I want to enter different prices or aisles at different stores, do I have
to copy all the items? Can I have multiple prices and aisles for the same item?
28. Not applicable anymore.
29. Not applicable anymore.
30. Shouldn't the UnitPrice column be Price / Quantity?
31. Why does HandyShopper crash when I use the global Find command on my
device?
1. Does HandyShopper work on my Palm OS device?
- HandyShopper works on any Palm-based device running version 2.0 through 5.x of the Palm OS.
This includes, but is not limited to:
- Palm Treo series
- Palm Tungsten series
- Palm III, IIIc, and V/VII series
- HandSpring Visors and Treos
- Sony Clies
- HandEra
- Garmin
- Samsung
- Acer
- and etc.
- Ask in the HandyShopper User Group
if you have a question about a specific device.
- HandyShopper supports a collapsible Graffiti area on any Palm OS 5.3 or higher device,
regardless of the screen resolution or size (if the device has a collapsible Graffiti area). Sony
Clie devices with a collapsible Graffiti area also supported. The collapsible Graffiti area on
other devices is not supported, and HandyShopper will behave as if the device has a normal Graffiti
area.
- Tungsten T3: The T3 is a Palm OS 5.2 device, not a 5.3 device, and it does not seem to
correctly support the official PalmSource API for collapsible Graffiti areas. It is necessary to
install a patch before HandyShopper can take full advantage of the collapsible Graffiti area on
these devices. As of this writing, Palm has not produced an official patch, but you can download a
temporary patch from Red Mercury.
3. It's really annoying to have to tap the little magnifying glass icon to use
the Lookup mode.
- You don't have to. Just start writing graffiti (when there is no item selected).
4. The Contrast button doesn't work on a PalmV or PalmVx or m100, etc.
- You have discovered the "One-handed" mode. For more information, see the Instructions section
in the Readme.txt file.
5. How do I get to the Preferences?
- Use the Actions popup (at the bottom, next to the magnifying glass icon), or
- Use the menus by tapping the Menu circle (usually in the lower left corner of the graffiti
area), then tap Misc, then tap Preferences.
6. I imported from 1.x, but it did not import my aisles.
- After importing, you turned on Per-Store Prices and Aisles. If you turn off Per-Store Prices,
you will see your aisles again.
- When you turn on Per-Store Prices in the Preferences screen, it gives you the opportunity to
copy the old "generic" price/aisle information to specific stores. To copy it to more than one
store, use Copy Prices more than once (by turning Per-Store Price off and then on again).
7. I entered a bunch of aisles, but HandyShopper does not display them.
- You have turned on Per-Store Prices and Aisles. If you entered the aisles before turning on
this feature, then see the previous question (above).
- If you have already entered separate aisles for different stores, then is the current store set
to "All Stores"? HandyShopper cannot display an aisle when "All Stores" is active and Per-Store
Prices are turned on (which aisle would it show??).
8. Using the Quantity field is very awkward; I don't care about decimal
quantities.
- If you have the Calculator enabled (tap the calculator icon to toggle it on/off), it is no more
awkward than it was in HandyShopper 1.x. Just tap the number on the calculator. Although the
calculator is still there, you can still tap elsewhere to do something else.
10. What happens when "Need" is hilighted and I tap it again?
- This switches to the "Not Needed" view.
11. What good are "multiple databases"?
- C'mon, use your imagination.
12. How can I import/export to a CSV file?
- This is not currently possible on the handheld device.
- You can do it on a Windows computer (or Windows emulator) using the HS3Convert.exe program.
Several third party programs use this to enable editing HandyShopper databases on your PC.
13. I don't understand the symbols in the leftmost column. I would expect
just a checkbox.
- In the All view:
- BOX = item is Needed.
- CHECKMARK = item was needed, but is now complete (for instance, you have the item in
your shopping cart).
- DOT = item is not needed (and is therefore not counted by the Total command).
- In the Need view:
- BOX = item is Needed.
- CHECKMARK = item was needed, but is now complete (for instance, you have the item in
your shopping cart).
14. Is there a desktop version of HandyShopper?
- I don't keep track of what desktop versions are available, but the HandyShopper User Group will know and you can
try asking there.
15. How can I reset the items in the All view back to dots instead of
checkmarks?
- You must use the Checkout command on the menus, or
- Use the Reset command (on the menus) which has an option to reset items to dots.
16. Why do I have to use the Checkout command? HandyShopper 1.7 did not
require this.
- True, but v1.7 could not keep a running total. HandyShopper 2.0 and higher remember which items
were Needed, so that it can sum them for the Total command. When you're finished shopping,
you need to use the Checkout command to let HandyShopper know that you've purchased the
items, so it doesn't keep trying to sum them in the future.
17. How can I purge (delete) only my completed items?
- The Purge and Reset commands only affect the items in the current view (unless you
choose the Purge all items or Reset all items checkbox). For instance, if you Purge
from the Not Needed view, then only completed items will be purged (tap the Need tab until
neither the All or Need tabs are highlighted). Or, another example, if you Purge from
the Need view while "Target" is the selected store and "Music" is the selected category, then Purge
will only delete Needed items from the "Music" category that are connected to the "Target" store.
18. How can I make sure my databases are backed up when I HotSync?
- Use either (or both) of these approaches:
- Make sure the "System" conduit in the HotSync settings is set to "Handheld overwrites
desktop".
- Use BackupBuddy (I highly recommend it, and am not
affiliated).
19. How can I make a copy of an entire database?
- Use the Databases... command on the menu to open a screen listing all the databases.
From there you can tap the arrow next to a database to pop up a list of actions that include
Copy.... Then choose a name for the new database.
20. How can I find other commands in HandyShopper? Is there a menu?
- Yes, as with most applications written for the Palm OS, you can pop up the menus by tapping the
lower left circle next to the Graffiti area.
- And on most devices (except old ones) you can also pop up the menus by tapping the title bar at
the top of the screen.
21. Is there a way to beam a database to another device?
- Yes, use Databases... command on the menu to open a screen listing all the databases.
From there you can tap the arrow next to a database to pop up a list of actions that include
Beam. Devices with Palm OS 4.0 or higher include a Send action instead, which can
send a database via infrared beaming, SMS, Bluetooth, or etc, depending on the capabilities of the
device.
22. Can I share a database with my partner, so we can merge the list?
- No, there is currently no way to do this with HandyShopper. I hope to someday add a feature to
merge databases via infrared beaming (or Bluetooth).
23. The Total is incorrect.
- The Total command looks at the Needed items, and for each item multiplies the Quantity
by the Price. For taxable items, it also adds tax based on the tax percentage in the Preferences
screen. Usually the reason the Total does not have the expected result is because some of the items
have 0 as the Quantity. You may have turned off the Auto-quantity feature; go to the
Preferences screen, select the DB tab, and make sure the box is checked that says
Automatically reset quantities.
24. I lost my data! How can I restore my HandyShopper databases? Are they
backed up on my desktop computer?
- See FAQ #18. As long as they have been backed up to your desktop computer
then it's easy to reinstall them.
- The backup copy of the databases are named the same on your desktop computer as they're named on
your handheld, plus a ".PDB" extension. Databases that were created/renamed using HandyShopper build
2811 or higher have a "HS2_" prefix in front of the name, to make them easy to find.
- Search your computer for the database files (on a PC they are probably in a C:\PALM\USER\BACKUP
directory) and double click on them to make the Palm Install Tool queue them for installation during
your next HotSync.
25. I installed the latest version of HandyShopper, but it still shows the
old name in my Launcher.
- Some 3rd party launcher programs don't notice when apps are upgraded, and these launchers don't
update the application icon or name. Check the launcher's documentation to find out how to make the
launcher refresh the app icon and name.
27. If I want to enter different prices or aisles at different stores, do I
have to copy all the items? Can I have multiple prices and aisles for the same item?
- Each database has a per store prices and aisles option. You can turn it on from the
Preferences screen, on the DB page.
30. Shouldn't the UnitPrice column be Price / Quantity?
- No, and here's why not. Price is the amount on the item's price tag, and Quantity is the number
of items you want to buy. For example, an 8-pack of batteries might cost 4.99, and you might want
to buy 1 of them. So the Price is 4.99, the Quantity is 1, the Units is "8-pack". The UnitPrice is
intended to show you the price of one unit (one battery, in this case). It's not possible to find
the price of one battery by dividing the Price (4.99) by the Quantity (1). You get the price of one
battery by dividing the Price (4.99) by the number of units (the 8 from "8-pack").
31. Why does HandyShopper crash when I use the global Find command on my
device?
- The odds are a few thousand to one that actually it is some other app that is crashing. Here is
a brief explanation of why that happens and what to do about it.
- Why: Due to how the Palm OS works, it's a common newbie Palm programming mistake to have
crashing bugs in an app when a global Find happens. People usually assume that the last app name
shown is the one that crashed. But in fact what happens is that improperly written apps crash
immediately when the Palm OS notifies them that the user is doing a Find. Each app is responsible to
draw its name, so the fact that an app's name got drawn means it did not crash immediately, and
therefore most likely did not crash at all -- instead it was whatever app came next that actually
crashed.
- What to do: If you installed other apps recently, try removing them in groups. If the
Find starts working after you remove a particular group, then you can reinstall the suspect apps one
at a time until Find starts crashing again, and then you will have found which app is causing the
crash. You can also try backing up all your HandyShopper data and then removing HandyShopper from
the device, and verify that the global Find still crashes even without HandyShopper on the device,
in which case you can at least rule out HandyShopper as the cause.
- But FindTest (or similar utility) says HandyShopper really is the cause! Due to
limitations in OS 5.x, none of the utilities for diagnosing which app is crashing during a global
Find work on OS 5.x. They give unpredictable results, and are themselves frequently the cause of
crashes.