Overview
ShopList is designed to make the process of shopping for groceries simpler. As well as managing your shopping list, it provides a pick list of regularly-purchased items, keeps track of prices, and learns the aisle layout of your supermarket. ShopList can even automatically add items which you purchase regularly to the shopping list. The list is subdivided into categories. Each item belongs to a category, and contains the price, quantity, store and aisle from the last time it was purchased.
[Diamond] selects between four levels:
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Getting started
When you first begin a new file, only the 'Default' category and 'Other'
store are defined. These can be renamed to anything you wish using
Psion-M and Psion-Y respectively. You can also create additional
categories and stores to organize your purchases.
First define the stores which you patronise with Psion-P.
Then, create the categories into which you want to subdivide the list using Psion-C. For each category you can provide a store and aisle which will be used as the default when items are added to it, but can be changed thereafter for individual items. You can also specify the default period after which items in that category will automatically be added to the shopping list (see 'AutoList').
Finally, add to each category in 'Pick' the items which you purchase regularly using Psion-A. This creates a pick list from which the shopping list can be compiled.
Use the left and right arrow keys to move between categories, or press [Tab] for a dialog box.
Further categories, stores and items can be added, and existing ones modified or deleted at any time thereafter.
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Shopping
A shopping trip breaks down into four steps:
The completed shopping list can be viewed by category in 'List', sorted alphabetically, or by store in 'Shop' sorted by aisle and by category within each aisle.
The status window in 'List' and 'Shop' displays the number of items remaining in that category or store. In 'List' it also shows the total number of items left on the shopping list, while in 'Shop' it shows the total cost of the items to be purchased.
Use the left and right arrow keys to move between categories or stores, or press [Tab] for a dialog box.
Items can be added to the shopping list in 'List' and 'Shop' during the shopping trip using Psion-A. This first searches for the item in 'Pick', then allows you to define a new item if it is not found. If you want to abort the search and enter the new item directly then press [Esc] after the first match is found.
To purchase the highlighted item in 'Pick' or 'Shop' use Psion-B to move it to 'Tally'. You will be prompted to update the price, quantity and aisle. As you use the program, it will progressively learn the layout of the stores which you patronise.
Once all items have been purchased, 'Tally' shows the total cost of your shopping trolly. Last-minute purchases can be added directly to 'Tally' using Psion-A. Items from 'Tally' can be handed back with Psion-H.
After you have passed the checkout use Psion-E to merge the items in 'Tally' with 'Pick'. This will update prices and aisles for items from 'repeat' and 'each trip' categories in 'Pick' ready for your next shopping trip. If you have purchased an item for the first time, or changed stores, you will be asked whether 'Pick' should be updated.
When you first start using the program, there are often many new items which need to be added to 'Pick'. To avoid being prompted for each of these, return from the 'checkout' dialog with [All] to merge the entire 'Tally'. All first-time purchases are added to 'Pick', and items for which the store has changed are saved with the new store and aisle.
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Navigation
Special keys allow you to move around within the program:
Speed tips
When you first start to use ShopList, it may seem that you have to enter a lot of data for each purchase. However, if you persevere the program will rapidly learn your regular purchases and the layout of your store. Subsequent shopping trips will then become much faster.
Once the 'Pick' list contains your regular purchases, there are a number of tricks which you can use to speed shopping.
Files
A single list file contains the entire list including all categories and stores. Each category can contain up to 512 items. Use 'New' Psion-N and 'Open' Psion-O to select a file. Files do not need to be saved. The structure of the list file is checked when it is opened, and many types of damage are automatically corrected.
Free space left by deleted items can be reclaimed by 'Compress' Psion-K. Files are automatically compressed when they are closed and on 'Checkout'. List files should not be kept on a Flash SSD, as space cannot be reclaimed without compressing the entire disk.
Your list file is a valuable asset, so you should ensure that it is backed up at regular intervals.
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Categories
A total of 16 categories can be defined using 'Create' Psion-C. These categories are sorted alphabetically. Commas are not allowed in category names, and will be replaced by "/".
You can specify a default store and aisle for each category, which will be used when items are first added, and a default period for automatic addition to the shopping list.
'Modify' Psion-M updates the current category, while 'Remove' Psion-R deletes it. When a category is removed, then the items it contains can be moved to another category or deleted.
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Items
'Add' Psion-A inserts a new item at the current level. In 'List', 'Shop' and 'Tally' you are first offered matching items from 'Pick'. To abort the search so that you can enter a new item directly, hit [Esc] after the first match is displayed.
'Update' Psion-U modifies the highlighted item. The fields which can be altered change according to the level which you are viewing. For example, the category of an item can only be modified in 'Pick'.
'Delete' Psion-D removes the highlighted item from the current level. In either 'List' or 'Shop' the item is removed from the shopping list, but will remain on the 'Pick' list if it was there before. Similarly, deleting an item from 'Tally' has no effect on the same item in other levels. Deleting an item from 'Pick' removes it forever, although if it was previously present in other levels, it will remain there as if it were a first time purchase.
'List' Psion-L copies the highlighted item from 'Pick' onto the shopping list.
'Buy' Psion-B moves the highlighted item in 'Pick', 'List' or 'Shop' to 'Tally'. When you buy an item, enter the price, quantity and store aisle. If you are buying more than one pack of an item priced by weight, enter the unit price and a quantity of zero, and you will be prompted for the weight of each pack.
If you return from the 'Buy' dialog using [Discount], special discounts or markups can automatically be applied to the posted price. You can specify a percentage discount or markup, add or subtract a cash discount per item, buy N items for the price of M, or get a cash discount when buying N items.
'Impulse' Psion-I combines the functions of 'Add' and 'Buy' in one command. It first searches for the item in Pick, and then buys it, prompting you for price, quantity and aisle. If the item is already listed, then you are offered the details given there, and the copy is removed from the list.
'Hand back' Psion-H moves the highlighted item in 'Tally' back to the shopping list.
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Stores
A total of 16 stores can be defined using 'Patronise' Psion-P. These stores are sorted
alphabetically. Commas are not allowed in store names, and will be replaced by "/".
'Modify' Psion-Y updates the current store, while 'Quit using' Psion-Q deletes it. When a store is removed, then any items normally purchased there can be moved to another store. The original aisle information is deleted.
'Checkout' Psion-E merges items from 'Tally' with 'Pick', updating price and aisle. If you have purchased an item for the first time, you are asked whether it should be added to 'Pick'. If you buy an item at a new store, you are asked where you want to purchase it in future. To avoid these prompts use [All] in the initial dialog.
Finally, a cost comparison is displayed for items which have been purchased and priced before.
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AutoList
ShopList can automatically add regularly-purchased items to the shopping list. For each item you can enter the number of days since the last purchase at which it should be automatically added to the shopping list. Since the time of purchase is calculated from 'Checkout' it is important to merge the 'Tally' immediately after shopping.
AutoList takes place when the program is started, and each day at one minute past midnight; the machine is turned on and then immediately off again if necessary.
If you specify a period of 0 then the item must be added manually to the list. A period of -1 is used for 'once-only' purchases which are deleted from 'Pick' after 'Checkout'. For each category you can specify a default period for newly-added items.
If you delete an item from the shopping list using Psion-D then you are given the opportunity to reset the date of last purchase, to allow for 'unrecorded' shopping.
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Special
'Zoom in' Psion-Z increases the font size, while 'Zoom out' Shift-Psion-Z reduces it.
'Version' Psion-V displays program information and registration details.
'Register' Psion-G allows the registration code to be entered.
'Exit' Psion-X terminates the program.
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