Toast Timer manual

Simon Berg


Table of Contents

1. User interface
Timer List screen
Timer List Menus
Alarm Preferences Dialog
Button Preferences Dialog
Misc Preferences Dialog
Alarm Dialog
Timer Edit Screen
Timer View Screen
2. Known problems

Chapter 1. User interface

This is a description of the different screens, dialogs and menus presented by Toast Timer. This description corresponds to the English language version of the application.

Timer List screen

This screen shows a list of timers belonging to the current category. From the drop down list in the top right corner one can select which category of timers which is currently shown in the list.

Every timer occupies one row on the list screen. This screen consists of up to 8 timer rows each divided into four columns.

Description of columns (from left to right)

Timer name

The name of the timer, used everywhere to identify the timer. If the name is to long it will be truncated. There can be more than one timer with the same name, but that could be confusing.

Tap the name to select that timer. If already selected switches to an edit screen with the name already selected so that you can enter a new name without erasing the old one first.

You can reorder timers by dragging the name to the desired position. Dragging above or below the timers will make the list scroll (slowly) if necessary.

Countdown time

Shows how much time is left before expiring or for how long the timer has been running if counting up.

Tap to bring up a single timer screen.

Preset time

The timer will start counting from this time. If the time is negative or zero the timer will count up, otherwise it will count down

Tap on it to bring up an edit screen.

Control buttons

Buttons from left to right

Pause

Stop them timer. Continue by pressing the run button.

Run

Start the timer.

Reset

Resets the counter to the preset value.

At the bottom of the screen there are some buttons for common operations.

New

Creates a new timer and inserts it after the one currently selected or after the last one if none was selected. Brings up an edit screen with the newly created timer.

Note that selecting cancel in the edit screen will leave the new timer in its default state.

Delete

Deletes the currently selected timer and selects the following one.

Edit

Brings up an edit screen for the selected timer.

Timer List Menus

From the Timers menu one can start, stop and reset all timers in the currently selected category. There is also an menu selection to bring up the alarm dialog.

The Options menu allows you to change the behavior of the program. From here you can reach Alarm Preferences, Button Preferences and Misc Preferences.

The About menu displays information about the application.

Alarm Preferences Dialog

This dialog lets you decide how alarms are notified.

You can choose how many times alarm sounds are played and how often.

You can decide where the application will look for MIDI-sounds: In all MIDI-databases on the device or just the one defined by the system.

Enabling Show time in alarm list will show the wall-clock time when an alarm triggered or when it will trig.

Enabling Quick dismissal of alarm makes a single tap on the Dismiss button or pressing a hard hard button dismiss the alarm list.

You can enable vibrating and blinking the power LED when sounding an alarm if the device supports it.

Button Preferences Dialog

Buttons Preferences lets you decide what the physical buttons should do.

Default

Do whatever that button normally do, usually switch to a specific application.

Start, Stop, Reset

Operates on the selected timer.

Start/Stop

Starts the timer if not running, and vice versa.

Category Start, Category Stop, Category Reset

Operates on all timers in the selected category.

Page Up, Page Down

Scrolls the list

Timer Up, Timer Down

Selects the previous/next timer in the category.

Single/List

Switches between the list and the single timer view.

Misc Preferences Dialog

This dialog contains various options that doesn't fit in the other dialogs.

Alarm Dialog

The alarm dialog is divided into two parts by a line. The names of the timers that has already timed out are shown above the line. Taping on one of these will remove it from the dialog. Below the line the next timers to timeout are shown. Tapping one will show that timer.

When a timer times out the alarm dialog is shown and the timer name is displayed in bold while the selected alarm sound is played. The sound will play the number of times set in the preferences or until the alarm is acknowledged by tapping anywhere on the screen or pressing a hard button.

You may leave the dialog either by pressing the Dismiss-button or double clicking a hard button.

Timer Edit Screen

Use this dialog to change the properties of a single timer.

The keypad is used to enter the preset time that is displayed to the left of it. The Clear button will set the time to 00:00:00.

Selecting Start next will start the next timer in the same category when this timer times out. If there is no timer after this one in the category it will wrap around and start the first. If there's only one timer in a category it will restart itself.

Selecting Exclusive will pause all other timers in the same category when this timer is started.

Note

All is not a real category and can not be associated with a timer, consequentially it's not possible to use it for Start next or Exclusive

When Show alarm is checked the alarm dialog will be shown whenever this timer times out and the selected sound will be played.

Choosing the Off sound will make the alarm quiet. System plays the default system alarm sound, which may be the only one available on older device that can't play MIDI-sounds.

At the bottom of the screen there are three buttons that will take you back to the previous screen. Cancel does this without changing anything. OK saves the changes you've made without changing the current time of the timer if it's running. Restart also save the changes but resets and starts the timer.

Timer View Screen

The timer name is displayed at the top above the current time in big digits. Below is the preset time and control buttons. If the timer counts down it will also show for how long the timer has been running. Selecting Stay on while running will prevent the device from turning off automatically while the timer is running.

Chapter 2. Known problems

One second alarms trigger immediately, this is as far as I can tell due to a bug in PalmOS.

Each timer changes every time the system clock changes. Because of this the actual time between the start of a timer and the alarm can be up to one second less than desired, on average half a second. Timers that are chained using Start next are started in a way that ensures correct total time.