NChess Beta Documentation



Why Beta?

  NChess is one of those programs that seems to hang perpetually in that almost-ready-to-release state.  I decided to go ahead and release what I have now rather than make everyone wait for every little bell and whistle to be finished.  The bulk of the program is done and I would like to get some feedback before version 1.0 is released.



  This documentation is by no means complete.  It is intended to simply get you started using NChess.  Version 1.0 will come with full documentation including screen shots and the like.



System Requirements:

  NChess should run on any Newton device.  It has been tested on the original MessagePad and should adjust appropriately for the 110 model (let me know if it doesn't).

  NChess is somewhat large (about 150K), so you will probably need a memory card. 



Getting Started:

  After installing NChess, you will find it in the Extras drawer.  Start NChess by tapping its icon.  NChess will display its opening screen art.  Tap the screen to continue.



The Selection Screen:

  Once you've started NChess, you will be shown the list of active games (matches) that you are playing (or "None" if you haven't started any).

  There are three lists in NChess: Matches, Players, and History.  The Matches list shows the games that are currently active.  The Players list shows the players you have entered and the players that have sent you their information via email or infrared.  The History list shows the games that you have finished and have decided to keep for reviewing later.  This version of NChess doesn't use the History list, so keep your finished games in the active list until that feature is added.



The Buttons:

  There are a number of buttons on the Selection Screen.  The first three are used to select the list you want to view.  Tap the Matches button to view the Matches list, the Players button to view the Players, and so on.  The currently selected button will remain highlit.

  The next button is the clock.  This button is common to Newton applications and works in the usual manner in NChess.

  The Action button (envelope icon) is used to select one of many different actions in NChess (see below).

  The last button is used to exit NChess.



The Action Button:

  The Action button brings up a list of functions.  The list will vary depending on whether you've selected something from a list and which list you are viewing.  The possible actions are:



	About NChess:	Copyright and Shareware information.

	New:	Create a new Match or Player.

	Delete:	Delete the selected list item.

	Play:	Play the selected game.

	Edit:	Edit the selected game's current board.

	Configure:	Modify the selected game or player's settings.

	Review:	Review the selected game's moves.

	Print:	Print the selected game.

	Fax:	Fax the selected game.

	Beam:	beam the selected game or player.

	Mail:	email the selected game or player.

	Move from/to card:	Move the selected item from or to your card.



Playing:

  Before playing a game of chess, it is best to tell NChess who will be playing.  Select the Player list and then choose New from the Action menu.  The player fields are as follows:



	Name:	The player's full (and unique) name.

	Local:	(Yes/No) does this player use this Newton to play?

	Email:	The player's email address.

	Voice:	The player's voice phone number.

	Fax:	The player's fax number.

	Rating:	The player's skill rating (e.g. USCF rating).



  The Local field is used by NChess to determine if when to allow moves.  If it is White's move, and the White player is marked as not being Local, then NChess will not allow a move to be made.  This is mostly to avoid mistakes, as cheating is just a matter of changing the Local field to Yes.

  Tap the close box to exit and save this player.



  To create a new Match, select the Matches list and choose New from the Action menu.  The Match fields are as follows:



	Title:	The unique title for the match (e.g. John vs. Jane).

	White:	The name of the White player.

	Black:	The name of the Black player.

	Method:	The method used to play the game (Beam, Mail, Local).

	TimeLimit:	Player time limits (unused for now).



  The players are selected from the list of players entered into NChess.  It is not necessary to actually select players in order to play, but there are advantages if you do.

  If the Method is set to Local, this overrides the Player's settings and always allows moves to be made for the current player.  This is useful if an email player drops by and you want to play on one Newton.

  Tap the close box to exit and save the match.



  To Play a match, select the Matches list, tap the match you want to play, and then choose Play from the Action menu.  The Newton will load the game and present the current board (this will take a moment).



Making Moves:

  Making a move in NChess simply involves dragging a piece to where you want it to go.  NChess will detect invalid moves, but it does not detect checkmate.

  Underneath the chess board is a message area.  This displays the current player's color and any error messages (invalid moves).

  The Undo button discards the most recent move and reloads the board.

  When a move is made, NChess will display "Checking..." while it verifies that the move was valid.  If the move was not valid, the piece will slide back to its original position.  In most cases NChess will explain why that move was invalid.



Viewing Previous Moves:

  When playing NChess, it is possible to back up to a previous move just to take a look.  This is done using the Newton's built-in up and down arrows.  Press Down to back up a move and Up to move forward a move.  When viewing previous moves, the pieces cannot be moved and a line is drawn through the squares to indicate this.  Because the board must be loaded from scratch, switching between moves can be a slow process.  I'm still looking for a better solution.



Editing:

  The current board of any game may be edited.  When in edit mode, any piece may be moved.  If a piece is placed on an existing piece, the new piece replaces the old.  A piece may also be deleted by dragging it off of the board.  The kings cannot be deleted.

  To create a new piece, tap on the square where you want the new piece to be.  A window will appear with icons for the various chess pieces.  Tap the piece you want and it will be placed in the appropriate square.

  An edited board will NOT be saved unless the Save button is pressed.  Simply pressing the close box will return the board to the last saved stated.  The Save button does not close the edit window.



Playing by Mail:

  Playing by email is very easy with NChess.  After you have made your move, save the game by tapping the close box.  Tap the game you want to email and then choose Mail from the Action Menu.  NChess will bring up a standard mailing slip and fill in the Subject and Email address automatically (assuming you've entered it in the player info).  Make sure the "Text Only" checkbox is not selected.  Check to make sure the info is correct and then tap Mail.  The email will be placed in your Outbox and you can mail it any time you like.  Check the docs on your Newton device and modem for how to go about connecting to NewtonMail.

  When getting ready to play against someone new, it is a good idea to send your own player info first.  This will help avoid having two different spellings of your name.  Player info can be emailed just like game moves can.

  If you would like to give it a try, email me your Player info (just the entry for you) and a game.  If I can't play you, don't take it personally, I have no idea how many requests I might receive.



Receiving Email:

  When you receive a move sent by another player using NChess, the mail is stored in your InBox.  To save the information in NChess, read the email and tap the Put Away button.  If the Put Away button does not appear, then the person who had sent the mail to you had the Text Only button checked and the data that NChess uses is not there.  Have your opponent resend the email when that happens.

  After you have used Put Away to save the mail into NChess, you can delete the email.



More to Come:

  There are many more features to come (like some real documentation...).  Check out the Wish List included with NChess.  If there is something you want that isn't there, please send me a note:



NChess

Robert Duran Jr.

101 S. Rainbow #28-217

Las Vegas, NV 89128



NewtonMail: RDuran

CompuServe: 70611,3632

America Online: Remant

Internet: Remnant@AOL.com