I dislike programs that write to my disc outside of my control. My programs don't usually do that... if I've forgotten to mention disc writing in any of the descriptions above, please let me know. Most of my programs come over the net either as .zip files or as self-extracting .exe files. In both cases they should only create files in the directory you choose.

Many of my programs can be configured to behave differently by adding 'Command Line Parameters' (CLP). This is not as awful as it sounds!!! If you do

when asking MS-DOS to give you a list of the files in the current directory, you have used a CLP! (/P). By using CLPs, I create programs which teachers can 'set' to behave as the teacher wishes, including adjusting difficulty levels. From the Windows interface, you can include CLPs in the command line assigned with File|New or File|Properties. In Dos, either type the CLPs each time, or create a very short batch file with the program name and CLPs. Such programs will usually give instructions if you use ? or /H as a CLP.

When downloading, don't be alarmed if your Web browser gives you a message like 'No viewer available. Save to file?' Say 'Yes'. (You do want to save the downloaded software in a file.) Your browser will then ask you what you want to call it. When it has been downloaded, leave the Internet. It may be ready to run, or it may need 'unzipping'. (Use PKUnzip (or an equivalent program. (Email me if PKUnzip is a problem).)