Poplar ProductivityWare Downloads

This page contains software for free download from Poplar ProductivityWare. We hope you find the software to be useful and/or fun, and that you'll contact Poplar ProductivityWare if we can help you develop something similar.

Current offerings:

• Language Switcher: WordPress plugin that enables multi-language blogs (on separate page)
• Routes: WordPress plugin that adds geographical route information to your blog (on separate page)
• Subscription Icons: WordPress plugin that adds RSS subscription icons to your blog (on separate page)
• Advanced Tag Entry: WordPress plugin that enhances tag entry functionality for WordPress 2.3 and later (on separate page)
• PSpiro: Spirograph plotting program for Palm OS hand-held devices (below)
• POrbit: Rocket in orbit game for Palm OS hand-held devices (below)
• PPrefs: Named preferences program for Palm OS hand-held devices (below)
• PScore: Score-keeping program for Palm OS hand-held devices (below)
• PTally: Counter program for Palm OS hand-held devices (below)
• PPick: Random number and dice rolling program for Palm OS hand-held devices (below)
• Poplar Solo: Microsoft Access database for solo business management: contact management, time tracking, overhead, and invoices (below)
• Test Cases: Microsoft Access database for tracking tests of software, web sites, and other products (below)

You may also wish to check our articles page, since many of the articles there contain programming samples that you can use in your web sites or software.

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PSpiro

PSpiro is a polar graphing program that lets you create Spirograph, Lissajous, and other designs, using polar plotting.

Features:

• Graphical or numeric design of Spirograph and other polar plots
• Save your favorite graphs, so you can draw them again later
• Share graphs with other handhelds by beaming and file export/email
• Works on both color and monochrome handhelds, high or low resolution, with option to indicate plotting cycles with rainbow colors
• Educational, fun, and creative at the same time

Requirements:

• Palm OS 3.1 or higher
• Requires the free MathLib library, which is included in the zip file for convenience.
• 44 KB free memory for application, 49 KB for MathLib (if you do not already have MathLib)
• Software for reading zip files, in order to download and install

Versions:

• Current: 1.1 (Apr. 21, 2005) - Added Lissajous button to main screen, updates to help files, minor changes to menu item names, slightly better-looking Spirograph design screen for high-resolution devices.
• Previous: 1.0 (December, 2004) - Initial release.

Click here to download PSpiro (zip file). The file size is 39.3 KB (40,274 bytes).

Click here for instructions on how to install downloads.

Please contact Poplar ProductivityWare if you have any comments about this software or trouble downloading it... and of course, if we can help you develop something similar!

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POrbit

POrbit is a physics-based game where you fly a rocket in a planetary system.

Features:

• Visualize orbits, gravity, and rocket engines -- the graphics are simple, but the physics is realistic.
• Design your own planetary systems, and share with friends
• Make your own objective: try to achieve stable orbit, keep going as long as possible, design a system for yourself or others to outwit, or just fly around and see what happens
• The screen automatically zooms in and out as you get closer to and farther from the planets
• You can customize which buttons fire which thrusters (not specific to any particular Palm device)
• Works on both color and monochrome handhelds

Requirements:

• Palm OS 3.5 or higher
• Requires the free MathLib library, which is included in the zip file for convenience.
• 44 KB free memory for application, 49 KB for MathLib (if you do not already have MathLib)
• Software for reading zip files, in order to download and install

Versions:

• Current: 1.0 (October, 2005) - Initial release.

Click here to download POrbit (zip file). The file size is 39.5 KB (40,448 bytes).

Click here for instructions on how to install downloads.

For the convenience of people viewing this page on a hand-held, you can also click here to download the POrbit.PRC file directly. The file size is 44.3 KB (45,425 bytes).

Please contact Poplar ProductivityWare if you have any comments about this software or trouble downloading it... and of course, if we can help you develop something similar!

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PPrefs

PPrefs allows you to save sets of preferences for the buttons on your Palm OS device and system sound levels. For instance, you might name a set "Quiet" for use in meetings, with all of the sound levels set to "Off", have another set called "Normal", which you would use at other times, and a third set called "Games", which would change the buttons so that you can switch easily between PScore and PPick, to roll dice and keep score for a game. Instead of having to go to the Preferences screen and set each preference separately, you can save different groups of preferences with a name in PPrefs, and easily switch between them.

Features:

• Sets preferences for what applications the buttons launch
• Sets preferences for system sounds
• Name as many sets of preferences as you want (up to the memory available in your Palm OS device)
• Apply any set of preferences you have named, at any time
• Not specific to any particular type of Palm OS device, as long as it has at least some of the standard buttons and uses the standard Palm sound preferences. Note that this application is not recommended for most phone-style Palm devices, such as the Treo, since they usually don't have standard Palm buttons or sounds.

Requirements:

• Palm OS 3.0 or higher device with standard Palm buttons
• Not a Treo -- Apparently, PPrefs does not work properly with the Treo's "Phone" button, so we do not recommend using this application on a Treo. If you find that your Phone button has been re-mapped, you might want to download and run the "Reset Phone Button" application, which can be found on Treo Central's Discussion Board.
• 23 KB free memory
• Software for reading zip files, in order to download and install

Versions:

• Current: 1.2 (June 10, 2005) - Made application choices list show displayed application names, rather than application file names. Added support for standard Palm one-handed 5-way button use of application (supported on the Tungsten, for instance, but not the Zire). Added help button to main screen. Program now checks to see that you have a compatible Palm OS version when running. Made minor changes to the look of the main screen, and fixed a few minor bugs.
• Previous: 1.1 (Apr. 20, 2005) - Made "hard" button names on screen more generic
• Previous: 1.0 (June, 2004) - Note that an early version with bugs was released as "1.0" for a few days as well, then corrected

Click here to download PPrefs (zip file). 12.0 KB (12,310 bytes).

Click here for instructions on how to install downloaded zip files.

For the convenience of people viewing this page on a hand-held, you can also click here to download the PPrefs.PRC file directly. The file size is 23.2 KB (23,827 bytes).

Please contact Poplar ProductivityWare if you have any comments about this software or trouble downloading it... and of course, if we can help you develop something similar!

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PScore

PScore is a score-keeping program for Palm OS hand-held devices, for use when you are playing non-Palm games, such as board games and card games. (For a list of our favorite games, check out Jennifer and Zach's Game Collection.)

Features:

• Keeps score for one to four players, with turn-by-turn scrolling history
• Adds, subtracts, and records bids
• Counts turns for each player
• Has an undo command, in case you make a mistake
• Stores a list of previous game results, with a descriptive title, the date, player names, and final scores

Requirements:

• Palm OS 2.0 or higher
• 26 KB free memory
• Software for reading zip files, in order to download and install

Versions:

• Current: 1.1 (June 13, 2005) - Added support for standard Palm one-handed 5-way button use of application (supported on the Tungsten, for instance, but not the Zire). Added help button to main screen. Program now checks to see that you have a compatible Palm OS version when running.
• Previous: 1.0 (July 2004) - Initial release.

Click here to download PScore (zip file). The file size is 12.8 KB (13,108 bytes).

Click here for instructions on how to install downloads.

For the convenience of people viewing this page on a hand-held, you can also click here to download the PScore.PRC file directly. The file size is 26.4 KB (27,039 bytes).

Please contact Poplar ProductivityWare if you have any comments about this software or trouble downloading it... and of course, if we can help you develop something similar!

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PTally

PTally is a counter program - it counts the number of times you tap each of the tally buttons, and also computes an overall total count. It can be used for keeping score for games where the players earn one point at a time, or as a replacement for mechanical hand-held counters.

Features:

• Counts up or down
• Keeps track of up to 8 tallies
• Computes total count as you go
• Define your own button names and starting counts
• Names and counts can be copied to Palm OS clipboard, and then pasted into other applications

Requirements:

• Palm OS 3.2 or higher
• 20 KB free memory
• Software for reading zip files, in order to download and install

Versions:

• Current: 1.1 (October 11, 2005) - Added one more tally (there are now 8), and a Clear All button. Added support for standard Palm one-handed 5-way button use of application (supported on the Tungsten, for instance, but not the Zire). Added help buttons to screens. Program now checks to see that you have a compatible Palm OS version when running.
• Previous: 1.0 (June, 2004) - Initial release.

Click here to download PTally (zip file). The file size is 10.0 KB (10,306 bytes).

Click here for instructions on how to install downloads.

For the convenience of people viewing this page on a hand-held, you can also click here to download the PTally.PRC file directly. The file size is 20.1 KB (20,677 bytes).

Please contact Poplar ProductivityWare if you have any comments about this software or trouble downloading it... and of course, if we can help you develop something similar!

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PPick

PPick generates pseudo-random numbers (using the Palm OS built-in random number generator), for use in games. For instance, you could use it to decide who goes first, or as a dice roller -- it is flexible enough to "roll" any type of dice.

Features:

• Pick whole (integer) numbers or real numbers
• Choose from 1 to 10 numbers at a time
• Choose arbitrary lower and upper bounds for numbers
• Automatically computes total

Requirements:

• Palm OS 2.0 or higher
• 18 KB free memory
• Software for reading zip files, in order to download and install

Versions:

• current: 1.1 (Oct. 11, 2005) - Added support for standard Palm one-handed 5-way button use of application (supported on the Tungsten, for instance, but not the Zire). Added help button to main screen. Program now checks to see that you have a compatible Palm OS version when running.
• Previous: 1.0 (June, 2004) - Initial release.

Click here to download PPick (zip file). The file size is 9.50 KB (9,731 bytes).

Click here for instructions on how to install downloads.

For the convenience of people viewing this page on a hand-held, you can also click here to download the PPick.PRC file directly. The file size is 18.0 KB (18,444 bytes).

Please contact Poplar ProductivityWare if you have any comments about this software or trouble downloading it... and of course, if we can help you develop something similar!

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Poplar Solo

Poplar Solo is a Microsoft Access database for managing a freelance business where your primary income is from hourly billing of clients. Poplar ProductivityWare uses it every day for contact management, time tracking, overhead management (time and cash expenses), and invoicing.

Features:

• Comes with a detailed help file.
• Manages contacts, and reminds you when to contact them next.
• Keeps track of time spent on client projects and overhead categories (billable time and non-billable time)
• Convenient start/stop timer lets you jump from task to task throughout the day, and then adds the time up for you at the end of the day.
• Keeps track of cash you spend for things like parking, bus fare, and coffee at meetings -- the things that might fall through the cracks of your business checkbook management software.
• Billable time can have a job number or job code, and you can bill at different rates for different types of work or clients.
• Creates invoices from the billable hours you enter, as well as additional charges and reimbursable expenses.
• Runs reports to track your overhead, total hours, and profitability.
• Microsoft Access MDB file - you can modify the database to suit your needs

Requirements:

• Microsoft Access. Compatible with Access 2002/XP; untested with later versions
• Microsoft HTML Help, to view the help file (you probably have that)
• Basic knowledge of business management
• Software for reading zip files, in order to download and install

Click here to download Poplar Solo (zip file). The file size is 474 KB (485,478 bytes).

Click here for instructions on how to install downloads.

Please contact Poplar ProductivityWare if you have any comments about this software or trouble downloading it.

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Test Cases

Test Cases is a Microsoft Access database for tracking tests of software, web sites, and other products. We created it for our own internal use, because we couldn't find another product at the right price for tracking our software tests. It comes with no documentation and no help file, but we hope that you find it useful and easy to use.

Features:

• Define tests, including test area, test type, setup, and verification
• Each time a test is run, record the date, who ran the test, and what happened
• View reports listing test results and defined tests
• Simple and straightforward to use
• Microsoft Access MDB file - you can modify the database to suit your needs

Requirements:

• Microsoft Access 2000 or later
• Basic Microsoft Access knowledge
• Basic knowledge of testing philosophy
• Software for reading zip files, in order to download and install

Click here to download Test Cases (zip file). The file size is 45.6 KB (46,715 bytes).

Click here for instructions on how to install downloads.

Please contact Poplar ProductivityWare if you have any comments about this software or trouble downloading it.

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General Download and Installation Instructions

1. The first step in downloading any of the applications on this page is to click on the download link for the application of interest to you, where it says "Click here to download (zip file)". (For reference: a "zip file" is a special type of file that contains one or more regular files, which are packed together in a space-saving manner for downloading. Software such as WinZip allows you to extract the original files from the zip file after you download it, and save them individually on your computer.)
2. After you click the download link, your browser should tell you it is receiving a zip file, and ask you what you want to do with it. Save the zip file on your computer, and remember the name and location you specified.
3. When the zip file is done downloading (which should only take a few seconds for any of the files on this page, even with a relatively slow dial-up connection), find and open it (in Windows, you can do this by double-clicking). You must have software installed on your computer that can read Zip files, such as WinZip (and you will need to know how to use the software).
4. Use your zip-file-reading software to extract the individual files from the zip file, saving them to your computer, and remember where you chose to save the files. At this time, you should also read the file called README.txt, if provided in the zip file. Then, close the zip file.
5. For Access databases, you are finished: you should be able to double-click on the database file you extracted, to open it with Microsoft Access (which you must have installed on your computer).
6. For Palm OS software, there is one more step. You need to find all of the PRC (Palm Application) files you extracted, and set them up for automatic installation on your Palm OS device at the next HotSync. On Windows, the easiest way to do that is to double-click on each of the files, and confirm that you want to install them. The programs should be installed the next time you HotSync your Palm OS device.

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