Abstract :
Generally, complex hand-held computer programs require fairly lengthy and detailed documentation, especially when used infrequently. This is particularly true for general-purpose programs. With new machines, such as the HP-41C, this problem can be alleviated by using alphanumeric display prompts and cues. However, memory consumption is high, and the display is too limited to present the overall or interdependent parts of the problem being solved. These limitations can be overcome with a card guide documentation format that is specifically designed to: 1. Provide simple, effective, and compact standalone documentation that can be carried in the calculator case. 2. Permit the design of programs compatible with the card guide that use minimum memory, and thus allows storing more programs. 3. Provide convenient prompting and cueing.
