All you need to do to "install" and run NCA is to download and unzip the contents of the file you downloaded into a directory of your choice. This program doesn't install any other files, nor does it change the Windows registry or any Linux system files. It's an HTML app, so just double-click on the index.html file to open and run Net Control Assistant in your browser. Of course you can just run the online version at vvara.org.
NCA provides a boilerplate preamble for your reference while running a net. You are welcome to edit this preamble by opening the index.html file in a text editor like Notepad and changing the appropriate lines of text. After reading a section of the preamble, click the checkbox to hide the read text. This will also switch focus to the appropriate callsign input box, allowing you to quickly enter callsigns in the appropriate category. As you enter a callsign, the program will look up that callsign in the database and build a list of radio operators checking into that specific category. Each entry is provided one or two checkboxes to indicate when an individual has taken his / her first and second turns. If a callsign is not found in the database, blank text boxes will be provided instead, allowing you to manually enter their name and location.
At the end of the net, click the "Close The Net" button to generate a valediction with useful statistics. You can then just close your web browser to exit the program.
NCA allows you to enter just the suffix of a callsign, and assuming that suffix is unique in the local database, NCA will fill in the full callsign along with name and location. If you are taking calls for a specific category, for example regular check-ins, and someone checks in under a different category, say as a mobile, you can add a dash followed by the first letter of the category to record that call in the appropriate column without having to use that category's data entry box. For example, if you hear "W1ATQ mobile" while taking regular check-ins, just type "ATQ-M" to record that station in the mobile column. Same goes for (E)cholink and (S)horts.
If you make a mistake, just right-click on the entry to bring up a dialog that allows you to delete that entry. To insert a new entry somewhere in the middle of existing entries, hover the mouse over an existing entry of choice, and the new entry will be inserted after this highlighted entry.
Callsigns in the generated roster are clickable, and doing so will bring up that call's QRZ bio in a separate tab. It is recommended to sign in to QRZ before the net so that you have full access to address information should you need it.
You can create a bookmark to this program in your web browser just as if this were an online website. Then to run the program in the future, just open your browser and click the bookmark! You can also manually create a shortcut to the NCA.html file on your Desktop and / Start Menu.
This program really isn't written as "consumer ready" software at this time. I wrote this for myself to aid me when I'm operating as a net controller. However, a number of other hams have shown interest, so I'm sharing it "as is" for those who want to play with it and adapt it to their own needs. It's also not finished at the time of this writing. I still need to add the ability to delete erroneous entries, along with adding a few other features. Feel free to play with it, but "it is what it is."