Some examples of what 7Plus adds are folder favorites in Windows Explorer, shortcuts to create folders, to paste text or image clipboard contents into a file automatically, enabling ftp server uploads with a shortcut, a clipboard manager storing the latest ten entries or displaying the Windows Task Manager when double-clicking on empty space in the Windows Taskbar.

The list of features that are currently provided by the program is accessible here. The developer has created instructional videos that demonstrate the functionality of several of the features of 7Plus visually.

Each feature can be disabled in the settings window of 7Plus so that only those that make sense to the user stay activated. 7Plus is a well though out application that makes it a lot easier to work with Windows on a daily basis.

The program is compatible with most 32-bit and 64-bit editions of the Windows operating system. Some features are OS specific, this is always mentioned next to the option in the program’s settings.

The portable program uses between five and six Megabytes of computer memory while running on our 64-bit Windows 7 test system, an acceptable value for the wealth of features that it brings to the table.

7Plus can be downloaded from the developer’s website over at Google Code.

In this tutorial I am going to show you how to install Dia and create a fun flow chart. Are you ready for a rousing fun time with diagrams?

Installation

The installation of Dia is simple as it will be found in your standard distribution repository. So fire up your favorite application installation tool (Synaptic or Ubuntu Software Center come to mind), search for “dia” (no quotes), select the results, and apply to install.

Once Dia is installed you will find it located in the Graphics sub-menu of your Applications menu.

Using Dia

Figure 1

When you first fire up Dia you might be reminded a bit of the multi-window’d interface in The GIMP (see Figure 1). You do not have to start a new file, as Dia will start up in a new file window. You can simply begin creating your flowchart.

Just for kicks I want to illustrate how to create one of my favorite flow charts. The flow chart in question is from TV’s Sheldon Cooper (The Big Bang Theory). In one episode he created a Friendship Flowchart established and illustrated the algorithm for making new friends beginning with the pre-defined process of placing a phone call (see Figure 2).

Figure 2

I won’t go into the details of flow charts and diagrams here. Instead let’s just dive right into creation.

In the tools window (smaller window on the right-hand side of Figure 1) you will notice all of the tools you need to begin. As you can see the flow chart begins with the pre-defined process of placing a phone call. If you look in the tools window select the pre-defined process element (you will have to scroll down in the listing of elements) and then move to the diagram window. In the diagram window click and drag your mouse (or trackpad) until you have the size of the pre-defined process you want (see Figure 3).

Pre defined process in place

After you have the size correct you will see the blinking cursor ready for you to enter text. Type your text (in this case “Place Phone Call”) and then click outside of the newly created element.

Now it’s time to continue on. According to our next event we have a decision (which is a diamond shape). Select that tool from the tools window and then draw it underneath the pre-defined process. Once sized correctly, enter the proper text and click outside of the shape.

Now you have to connect the to elements. There are numerous ways to connect elements:

• Lines
• Arcs
• Zigzag lines
• Polylines
• Bezier lines

In our case we only need a simple line. In Dia, when connecting elements, the direction arrow will be pointing in the same direction you draw the line. So, since we need our direction arrow point from the pre-defined process to the decision we follow these steps:

Select the line tool from the tools window.

Click the bottom of the pre-defined proces.

Draw and draw the line to connect to the decision.

Figure 4

You don’t have to worry about being exact in your connection points. When you have the line tool selected, and you click on an element, you will see that Dia automatically connects the beginning point of the line on the outline of the element. And when you drag the connecting line to the end-point element, it will automatically make the connection for you. The end results are shown in Figure 4.

I won’t go through the rest of the creation of the flow chart. Instead let’s skip to the saving point.

Once you have completed the process, all you have to do to save your diagram is go to the File menu and select Save. Give your diagram a name and click Save. You can also export your diagram to numerous formats (such as most common image formats, eps, pdf, and many more).

Final thoughts

Dia is an amazingly simple to use flow chart creator that rivals much of the competition. If you’re looking for a handy tool to help you create solid flow charts and diagrams, Dia is your open source solution.

Speed Typing is but one of the aspects of Direct Access, it is more of a workflow optimizer. At its core is the ability to identify commands that are entered by the user. This can be Microsoft Office 2007, Firefox or Notepad. Direct Access displays an overlay when a command gets recognized to provide a visual signal to the user. The command could then be executed by the user by pressing the associated hotkey.

Here are some examples: You can use Direct Access to create text abbreviations. To write Best Regards you could simply type br and hit the confirmation key which will automatically expand the text. Other possibilities include automatic spell checking as it is possible to define commands that do not a confirmation.

Text manipulation is but one of the possibilities that Direct Access offers. It can also be used to launch applications or websites. It is for example possible to launch an email client, Wikipedia or Skype with short commands that can be initiated anywhere. Commands are recognized anywhere, they just have to be typed on the keyboard. To make it clearer, no text input form is needed to write and start commands.

Want to startup the Windows Calculator? Just type calc and press shift afterwards anywhere. Want to display the Network Places in Windows? Type netw and shift to load that interface. Want to start the email client Thunderbird? Type tb and hit shift to load the email client.

Direct Access comes with a set of default commands that can be imported easily to help the user understand the software program. These default commands add all kinds of commands to the software. All examples given above are included in the default command set.

Before we explore the custom command creation we would like to let you know that you can download additional command packages from the website. This includes an html and control panel command set but also auto corrections for various languages like Spanish, German or French.

One of the main ways to increase the workflow is the custom command creation. It is possible to edit a default command in case you want to change the way the command is launched. Commands use various parameters depending on their purpose.

Auto-correction commands require only four parameters while application commands make use of seven. There are four types of commands that can be added to the software program: Autotext, Launch Application, Open Website and Send e-Mail.

To create a new auto-correction command one would simply add the correct phrase, the mistyped phrase and a description. Applications on the other hand require additional work. You need to specify the path, window style, abbreviation, option parameters and run in commands and if you want to use a confirmation key.

Direct Access makes use of a few shortcuts to streamline the process. Shortcuts are available to add the current application, the last executed command or to create a new autotext.

You can further optimize commands with the use of macros. Think of macros as advanced commands that do more than the execution of just one software program. Some examples include positioning the cursor after executing a command, inserting special characters or clipboard contents or nesting commands. The excellent online documentation explains all concepts extensively.

Direct Access increases the workflow almost instantly. The default command set that can be imported makes for a good start but the real strength is the ability to add custom commands that suite the needs of the user in front of the computer monitor.

The software program requires the Microsoft .net Framework 2.0 and is compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista.

You can win one of eight licenses that have been donated by Andrea Nagar, the software developer. Just leave a comment and let us know how you would use this software.