1. INSTALLING

To run MARKS you have to unzip the files in marks20.zip, which contains tres executable files.
Choose the appropriate one for your operating system:

- MARKS_2.0: version for Linux.

- MARKS20.EXE: version for MS-DOS, DOSBox and 32-bit Windows.

- MARKS_2.0: version for 64-bit Windows.
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2. SCREEN

MARKS was designed on a computer with MS-DOS and a low-resolution screen.
In more modern operating systems it opens by default in a 600x400 window, and
you will have to press ALT+ENTER to view it on full screen mode. You can press 
ALT+ENTER again to blur the sharp edges of characters or go back to the small window.
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3. LIST OF FILES

Apart from the executable files, MARKS includes the following files:

- MARKS.INI: the propram's configuration file.

- MARKSNEW.HLP and MARKSWRK.HLP: the program's help files.

- GNU_GPL.TXT: the terms of the GNU freeware licence, plus the instructions
   to distribute freeware like MARKS. This file cannot be modified, and it must
   be included in any distribution of the MARKS software.

   MARKS is free software. Basically this means that you (the user) are free to
   copy it and give it to friends and colleagues, with the conditions explained
   in the licence of use.
  
- WARRANTY.TXT: the part of the licence which explains that MARKS has no 
  guarantees of any kind.

- LICENCIA.GNU: a Spanish version of the GNU licence.

The 07-08 subdirectory (folder) is an example to test how the program works.
It contains two files:

- EJEMPLO.EX: a sample data file to illustrate the use and capabilities of MARKS.

- NUEVO.EX: a file that you can use as a template to create new data files.
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4. USING MARKS

Your mouse will not work in this program (it is not necessary). Use the arrow keys 
(up, down, right, left) and movement keys (home, end, page up, page down) instead. 

To use it with your students' data, create another subdirectory, copy the examples
that \07-08 contains and edit NUEVO.EX to add your students' names and marks, 
then save it with a different name. I recommend using a new subdirectory for each 
academic year, and a new file for each term and each class.
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5. ACCENTED VOWELS

These are the recommended ASCII text editors to edit your data files:

MS-DOS: edit.com 
Windows: notepad.exe
Linux: gedit

Edit.com is the only one that will allow to write Spanish accented characters correctly.
The other editors use a different code page with different ASCII characters from 128, 
and the accented vowels and ñ will not be viewed correctly, as well as some other characters 
like ( ¯ ), although that does not interfere with the correct operation of MARKS.
If anyone knows how to fix it, I'm all ears: I'm just an amateur programmer.

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File last revised on October 24th 2008 and February 17th 2025.
