The Engineers' Compendium window

This window is tucked away in the bottom-right corner of your screen when you run ec-serv32.exe (MATHSERV). The only difference is that, when it's "live", the globe spins.

Don't let its simple look deceive you:

• When you click on the spinning globe, the program finds your currently linked document, looks if any text is selected, cuts the selected text to the clipboard, processes it, and pastes the result of its processing back into the document.
   
• When you open the dropdown list, all variable names generated in your current project are listed. Select one and its associated values are shown in the adjoining fields (i) indeces, and (ii) values.
   
• The File menu comprises:
  • New project - Opens an empty document in the currently linked word processor, and opens an "Untitled" project data file that is empty except for information about the document.
  • Open project - Upon selection of a project file, the project data is loaded and the associated document is opened.
  • Save project - Saves both the project data and the document with a single click.
  • Save project as... - Triggers the File | Save as... command in the currently linked document, then creates an associated data file.
  • Purge project - Each project has at least two, sometimes more, files attached. This command cleans up all files and references in ec_serv32.ini.
  • Open cue card - Opens a document WITHOUT linking it. This is useful if you are already in a project and wish to refer to another for cues. Any document can serve as a cue card. A three-level indexing system lets you quickly find any cue.
  • Mark as cue card - This lets you categorise the contents of a project document. Imagine how useful if you ever wish to refer to the contents when you work in another project and need a cue.
  
   
• The Word processors menu comprises:
  • Default document - Opens an empty document in the last-linked word processor.
  • Last project - Opens the last-linked project data file and associated document.
  • Register another - Notepad and WordPad are registered when EC_SERV32.EXE is first run. You may register any other word processor by clicking this command.
  • Link a document - This looks at all open windows and presents a list from which you may select one for linking.
  • plus a list of registered word processors for you to select one to start.
  
   
• The Modules menu contains links to OPT_SHED, RECTCOL, SLAB2WAY, TOPDOWN and WINDLOAD, programs that are part of the package. It also contains pre-typed clauses for your document.
   
• Edit and Help [F1] are comprehensive aids to assist you.

For something that was meant only to replace your hand-written scratchpad and your calculator, the scope is phenomenal. If I am on line, we may chat about it right now.