Much thanks to John Labiak for the original idea, design suggestions, and beta testing.

Please report bugs to RnLNero@yahoo.com.

SnapDates is a pop-up program that allows you to calculate elapsed days between two dates. It has a one-month and four-month view. You can pop up snapDates without exiting your current application, do some date calculations, and optionally copy the results back to the current application.

SnapDates requires PalmOS 3.5 and above. If you have OS5 and above, install snapDates.prc. If you have Palm OS3.5 - OS4.1, install snapDatesHack.prc and you also need a Hack Manager such as HackMaster, X-Master, or TealMaster. It has been tested with physical devices for the Sony Clie N610C, Tungsten T3, and Treo 600, and with software simulation for all other devices. SnapDates is best run on a color device but will work on a monochrome or grayscale unit.

How Do I Set Up snapDates?

You must configure snapDates before using it.

For OS5 units, enter the snapDates Configuration Screen by tapping on the snapDates icon from the launcher. Enable snapDates by checking the "Enable snapDates" check box. Select the activation method that works best for you. You can select one or more of the activation methods. Exit snapDates back to the launcher and snapDates is configured.

For Pre-OS5 units, enter the snapDates Configuration Screen via your Hack Manager. Select the activation method that works best for you. You can select one or more of the activation methods. Exit snapDatesHack back to the Hack Manager by tapping "OK" and snapDates is configured.

1. Cmd Bar -- Command Bar activation puts an icon in the pop-up command bar when you do the graffiti command stroke or push the command stroke button on a built-in keyboard. This method is best when you have a thumb keyboard instead of a graffiti area, such as the Tungsten C, Tungsten W, and the Treo 600.

2. Silkscreen Swipe -- Swipe from one of the four silkscreen buttons to another. For virtual graffiti, where the silkscreen buttons can be changed, use the positional descriptions (e.g. Left Top, Left Bottom, etc.) to determine the swipe direction. When 'From' and 'To' are set to the same silkscreen button (e.g. From: Left Top, To: Left Top), it is the same as tapping that silkscreen button once. NOTE: This method is not guaranteed to work with all virtual silkscreens. If using Silkscreen Swipe does not work, choose another configuration method.

3. Key -- Press (and optionally hold) one of the hard keys. NOTE: This method is not guaranteed to work with all devices. If using Key does not work, choose another configuration method.

How Do I Use snapDates?

Pop up snapDates using the activation method you configured. You will see either the one-month view or the four-month view. The normal view shows Date1, Date2, and all the dates calculator functions. The "up" arrow at the right of the calendar will expand the calendar to almost fill the entire screen, but will hide the Dates calculator functions. Use the "down" arrow in the expanded view to return to the normal view.

Date1 and Date2 specify the two days for which you want to find the elapsed days. Notice the color coding. Date1 elements -- its label, its day in the calendar view, and its "S1" button -- are in Blue. Date 2 elements are in Red. Green represents Today and it only appears in the calendar views. FOR MONOCHROME AND GRAYSCALE UNITS: Instead of color coding, Date1 will have the left third of it's calendar day shaded, Date2 will have the right third shaded, and Today will have the middle third shaded.

Diff shows the elapsed days. The formula is Date1 + Diff = Date2, so Diff is positive when Date2 is later than Date1, and negative when Date2 is earlier than Date1.

You can set Date1 by tapping the date itself and use the PalmOS built-in date picker. Alternately, you can tap a day in the calendar and set it blinking, then tap the "S1" button to set Date1 to the blinking day. You can set Date2 in the same ways.

You can sert Diff by tapping on the field and entering a number.

Once you set two of the three pieces of data (Date1, Date2, and Diff), you can calculate the third by tapping the corresponding "=" button.

Copy Date1, Date2, or Diff to the underlying application by tapping the corresponding "CP" button. If the underlying application has no field being edited, then the data will be copied to the clipboard.

Jump to Date1 in the calendar by tapping the "Date 1" label. Similarly, you can jump to Date2 in the calendar view by tapping the "Date 2" label. To go directly to a particular date in the calendar view, tap the "Go" button and use the PalmOS built-in date picker.

Advance the calendar by one month backward or forward by using the on-screen arrows, or the 5-way navigator Left/Right if you have one. Advance the calendar by one day backward or forward by using the Page Up and Page Down buttons, or the 5-way navigator Up/Down. TREO exception: SnapDates does not change the Treo 600's 5-way navigator behavior. Instead, the Treo 600 navigator will move through the controls in snapDates.

When you want to exit snapDates, tap the "Done" button, or tap outside the snapDates frame, or press the 5-way navigator center.

For OS5 units, go to the snapDates Configuration Screen and uncheck the "Enable snapDates" check box. Exit snapDates and delete it from the launcher.

For Pre-OS5 units, use your Hack Manager to disable snapDates. You can then delete it using your Hack Manager or the system launcher.

End Of Text