Use the File menu to open, save, import, export, combine, split and print new or existing files. To work with files, you must first read the Mimosa file from the disk, file or import data from the text files created by other users or from other applications, paste data from the Clipboard or create a new one. To preserve your work, it must regularly be saved on disk.
See also File formats
NewCreates a new file using the texts in the selected file as defaults. They contain text fields for days of week, time-periods, category and booking texts and report titles. All these texts can be edited in Options tabs.
Mimosa prompts to select from a set of various configuration or default files the one that you are going to use. For this example, double-click english.cfw from the list of files to open it. All texts can be later on changed in tabs of Options menu.
You can use the command File|Language to store a new setting file or use an existing one. Normally, this file is selected only at the start of the process. All the texts and other parameters are saved along with the Mimosa binary file (filename.mfw). When you next time select File|Open to read the file you saved, all parameters are restored.
OpenReads an existing Mimosa file into the application. If you like to automatically open the file at startup which was last accessed, check the selection Open last accessed file at startup in Options|Other|File selections.
Closes the active file. If you have not previously saved changes to the file, Mimosa asks if you want to save the file before you close it. If you close a file without saving, you lose all changes which have not previously saved.
Save [Ctrl+S]Saves the current file with its current name. If you would like to have a backup copy (.bak) of the file that was previously saved, check the selection Create backup copy in Options|Other|File selections.
Saves the current file with a different file name. If you would like to have a backup copy (.bak) of the file that was previously saved, check the selection Create backup copy in Options|Other|File selections.
If the Weeks view is activated and the file contains more than one week, this Extract week extracts the current week and saves it into a separate Mimosa file. All allocated and timetabled lectures of the selected week (or terms) plus all components, courses and collections are saved in this file.
This feature is useful in cases when the timetabling of certain courses requires more flexibility in modifying the collections, since now the necessary changes (of rooms, for instance) affect only the data of this particular week. It is the responsibility of the user to keep the main file (where all weeks are stored) balanced with the original teaching plan, and to use this extracting feature only for timetabling purposes.
Reads data stored in other file formats into the application. The default and most important format is the Mimosa text file format (.mxt) which is used in File Import and File Add selections, see File formats.
To read other file formats, change the appropriate file extension type in the Files of type selection. Mimosa imports certain national administrative application file formats and converts them them to appropriate format.
By default, writes data in text file format (.mxt) on the disk to be used by other applications or to combine with other Mimosa files.
You can change the file extension in Save as type to create files with other formats, such as Comma Separated Values (.csv) text files that can be imported to other applications, such as MS Outlook Calendar. Note that this format is available only when you have synchronised your weeks or terms with calendar and checked to Replace week by dates in Options|Limits.
If you select .csv in Save as type, the application stores timetables in this file format, from a single week or a week range, and from the selected component(s). If you have selected several components from the list instead of one, the component code is added within brackets in front of the text in Subject column to separate its information from other components.
This file format is particularly useful, if you are going to import it as items in the Calendar view of Microsoft Outlook. In this application, activate first the Calendar in Microsoft Outlook shortcuts, and then select
[filename.csv] Next
Options:
Calendar Next
If you would like to also have a text file copy of the file that you save on disk, check the selection Create text file copy in Options|Other|File selections.
Combines files from other users by adding them as a text file format into the current file. Lectures already timetabled and bookings in timetables can also be added from another file. Since combining of files can cause conflicts in timetables (when they refer to the same components), the resulting file is automatically checked and the possible conflicts removed after the addition. You can then repeat the process to combine the contents of more than two files.
See the File|Network selection if you have several users and all like to combine their files on a regular basis.
The external file that you are about to add to the current file, must first be saved as a text file (.mxt) with the command File|File Export.
All categories, names of weeks, days, time-periods etc. remain unchanged in addition, whereas in the selection File|File Import the whole content of the current file is replaced by the imported data.
You then have four options specifying how the files are added to the current file. In some schools you might like to add only the courses and components that other users have given, whereas in some cases a complete addition of two files is the most appropriate way to combine data.
The selection Add everything literally adds and combines everything from source file to destination file, adding all components, courses and lectures. This is the recommended and default mode.
In large schools, the selection Only relevant courses is recommended. It does not add any new components from the other files, and adds only those courses that use the same components in their collections which already exist in the current file. This eliminates the risk that files of single users unnecessarily become enlarged, but the greater part of their information will be irrelevant and useless.
If you want to perform this type of file addition (selection Only relevant courses) at startup, check the selection Add file at startup (File|File Add|Only relevant courses) in Options|Other|File selections and select the file you want to add with the Browse button. The addition is performed if the main file is opened automatically beforehand (by also checking the selection Open last accessed file at startup in Options|Other|File selections).
After a file has been added, you can check and remove possible conflicts from them. If you are about to add several files, this is necessary only after the last file has been added. Conflicts are possible at this stage, since Mimosa does not know the content of the incoming file(s) beforehand. It is recommended to check and remove the conflicts now or later in selection Tools|Remove conflicts.
Extracts selected courses from the current file and saves them into a separate text file (.mxt) that can be combined with files maintained by other users. All components and other content of the Mimosa file is saved except the courses that are not selected.
Compares the source file against the current file and locates and lists all potential conflicts in the component timetables that will occur when files are combined with the File|File Add command.
This selection simplifies and generalises the functions in File|File Export and File|File Add and enables several users to access the same files and share information about codes, courses, bookings and lectures allocated to weeks and assigned into the timetables. See also Network.
It is recommended that you install and upgrade the software in each workstation separately, since each user may like to keep her/his own preferences in file settings.ini. Each user should also keep her/his data files (*.mfw) in a personal folder.
Normally, the users start from an identical set of components and time-frame, and they typically create and maintain the courses of their own departments, but sometimes users share resources (such as teachers and rooms) and want to merge the files together. Network selection permits you to work simultaneously from several workstations, but you should not access Mimosa data files (.mfw) of other users directly. This can easily be prevented if the users keep their files in their own folders as stressed above.
If the users like to combine their files and share information with other users, use then the selection File|Network|Folder to define and/or create a folder that all users can access. Each user has to define this same folder in their workstations. When they want to share their data, they simply select File|Network|Write to network and when they like to combine data files of other users they select File|Network|Read from network
The timing, order and the method how the incoming files are mixed with the current file can be selected by all users, and they can also exercise with a test folder to see what is the best policy to do it in their organisation. After files have been combined, all conflicting lessons (if any) are automatically removed and copied onto the Clipboard. In this stage, nothing has been written on disk, and each user can either accept or reject this result and negotiate with other users.
Please note that the selection File|File pre-check can also be used to identify possible conflicts of the current file with other files that are going to be combined.
If files are going to be combined, apply the following rules in each workstation or file:
This last rule states that if there are three users, say John, Paul and George, they should name their files john.mfw, paul.mfw and george.mfw and store them in their own disks or in their private folder on a network. This quarantees that all users have their own files in a safe place, and when they are later on combining other files with their own, they can then decide whether to overwrite it or save it with another name.
Select network folder
Define first the network folder (folder), which will contain the text file copies (.mxt) of the data files (.mfw) of the users, which are going to be shared among several users.
This folder is stored in a parameter file for later use, so normally you have to define it only once. In large institutions, all users or units do not have to use the same folder, but it is useful in those cases where the same resources - such as rooms and teachers - are going to be used.
For instance, your folder could have the name
x:\mfw\shared\
The letter x: stands here for the network drive letter.
Once the folder is defined, the following commands Write to network and Read from network will utilise this folder to share data.
After a valid network folder is defined, you can store your current data file in this folder in text file format (*.mxt). If your current Mimosa file is stored on the disk with the name myfile.mfw, it is written as myfile.mxt in the network folder.
Read from network
All text files (of type *.mxt) in the defined network folder are added to the data that is currently in the memory. The files are added in their folder listing order, using the selected addition rule as described above in File|File Add.
You can change the order of addition by moving the files on the list by using the [Up] and [Down] buttons. The order of files is saved in the settings file and it is reused and combined with the list of existing files when this selection is used the next time.
The file which has the same name base as the current file is automatically removed from the list of files to be added. If your current Mimosa file is myfile.mfw, the file myfile.mxt does not exist on the list, since it is assumed that the user does not want to add the same file to itself. If you want to use myfile.mxt in addition, you will have to store your myfile.mfw with another name on disk.
Addition rules are as in File|File Add:
1 Add everything
2 Only relevant courses
3 Skip timetabled lectures
4 Timetables as bookings
All non-textual preferences that you have defined for your screen, reports, fonts, colours, and so on are stored in file settings.ini, which resides in the same folder you installed Mimosa. The first time you start Mimosa, this file does not exist, and the factory settings are used instead. When you exit Mimosa, your preferences and other information is stored in that file, and they are automatically re-read the next time you invoke this application.
You may need to store several variations of this file for different purposes, such as for different report settings for classes, teachers and rooms. You can create several copies (profiles) of the current file settings.ini and copy them back according to your changing needs. This selection is created for that purpose.
A profile files has the extension (.mpf) and it is a copy of the current settings.ini file. You can create as many profile files as you like.
If you install Mimosa in some other computer, we recommend that you also copy the file settings.ini and your profile files to enable you to continue working under similar conditions.
Opens a profile file (.mpf) from the disk and replaces your current preferences with those in the profile file. As default, there are no profile files.
Saves a copy of your current preferences in a profile file (.mpf) for later use.
Restores all initial Mimosa settings for display and reports. Reinvoke Mimosa again to see all settings in effect.
You can open and read all texts from another options file (.cfw) or extract the texts (report titles, report texts, categories, bookings, names of terms or weeks, days of weeks, time-periods) of your Mimosa file (.mfw) to another options file (.cfw). This feature is useful if, for example, your school is multilingual and you want to produce reports for all pupils, but by using the same file.
With this application some files for certain languages are provided. When you have changed the texts in the Options menu, you can extract them into a separate options file for later use.
Reads the options file (.cfw) from the disk and uses the texts in that file in reports and on screen.
Extracts the texts of the current file and writes them in options file (.cfw).
Printer SetupProvides a list of installed printers, sets the default printer, and provides access to other printing options for the printer you select.
Print [Ctrl+P]Prints reports or creates HTML-text files according to your selection.
Invokes the browser and displays the last web report you created.
Exits the application. If you have not previously saved changes to the file, Mimosa asks if you want to save the file before you exit. If you exit without saving, you lose all changes you did not save previously.