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- D o c u D r a f t r - __________________________ Document Assembly System (The Electronic Forms Library) USERS' MANUAL for the PC-LIBRARY PROGRAM Copyright 1990 William W. Blackledge 3704 Edgewater Drive Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73116 (405) 840-3563 *************************************** ** TABLE OF CONTENTS ** *************************************** Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Summary of PC-LIBRARY'S Features . . 2 PC-LIBRARY Program Startup . . . . . 4 Variable Files . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Text Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Source Text Rules . . . . . . . . . 10 *************************************** WordStar is a trademark of WordStar International Incorporated. WordPerfect is a trademark of WordPerfect Corporation. VDE Editor is copyrighted by Eric Meyer of Boulder, Colorado PC-Write is a trademark of Quicksoft. FriendlyWriter is a trademark of Friendly Soft Inc. Copyright 1990 William W. Blackledge 3704 Edgewater Drive Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73116 (405) 840-3563 OVERVIEW PC-LIBRARY is a companion program to the DocuDraftr PC- FORMS program. It is used to create and maintain the Forms Libraries used with PC-FORMS for document assembly. The program assists the user in creating variable files for Forms Libraries after the text sections have been entered in the ".LEX" files with their .TXn heading/index lines. It also assists in up-dating the variable file for a particular Library after text and/or variable names have been added. In addition, the PC-LIBRARY program, PCLB.EXE, may be used to print, or to create files containing, the Text Indexes, the Text Library, the Variable Prompts and the Variable Help Messages from a DocuDraftr Forms Library. These lists can be used to collect information from clients for a particular document. They may also be used to provide instructions to a secretary or typist for completing the document. This program automatically links to the WordStar, Word- Perfect, VDE, PC-Write or FriendlyWriter word processing program if it is in the same directory with one of those programs. If linked with WordPerfect the CONVERT.EXE program file of that system must be in the same directory. If linked with FriendlyWriter a special conversion pro- gram, FWCNV.EXE by the author of the DocuDraftr programs, must be installed. 1 The program will access only those library files (with the .VBL and .LEX suffixes) which are in the current working directory so you must change to that directory before starting the program. SUMMARY OF PC-LIBRARY'S FEATURES PC-LIBRARY is started by entering the command "PCLB" at the DOS prompt. The opening screen displays a list of the forms libraries available in the current directory. The user is asked to enter a form name or, if help is desired, a question mark. Entering a question mark displays the general program help file FMHELP.MSG which may be browsed more conveniently from the PC-FORMS program. You may read the help messages a screen at a time in the PC-LIBRARY program but you cannot scroll backwards in the messages as is permitted in PC-FORMS. The <ESCAPE> key is used to exit the help screen. After entering a form name the PC-LIBRARY menu screen appears with the following options: 1. Text Index for <formname> 2. Text Library for <formname> 3. Variable Prompts for <formname> 4. Variable Help for <formname> 5. Quit - Start Another Form 6. Quit - Exit to Word Processor 2 Your selections are made from this menu by entering the appropriate numeral. Selections 1, 3 and 4 create files listing the contents of the index, prompt and help sec- tions, respectively, of the variable file for the desig- nated forms library. The Text Library selection, (Selection 2), is used for creating a file of the text sections in the .LEX files of a forms library. While doing so, a numbered blank is placed in the text for each variable name and the variable prompt for that name is numbered with the number of that blank. This makes it possible to dictate or list the responses for each variable by number. These prompt numbers are displayed as the document is being assembled. The program also saves the text heading lines in alphabet- ical and numeric sequence as it proceeds through the .LEX files with the file and selection numbers related to them. This information is used to update the index section of the variable file. When the Text Library file is completed the program asks the user if he, or she, desires to update the variable file for the designated forms library. A (Y)es answer results in the program renaming the old variable file with a .BAK suffix. It then creates a new variable file con- taining the following information: 3 1. In the Prompt section (.QN heading line) the variable prompts are numbered in sequence as they appear in the text sections. 2. In the Help section (.HP heading line) the variable help messages are listed in alphabetical sequence according to the first letter of the variable name. 3. In the Index section (.IX heading line) the text heading lines are listed in numeric and alphabetical sequence. These files can be revised to fit the needs of a particu- lar forms library using a word processor capable of pro- ducing a plain ASCII text file. For Example, the user may wish to include capitalized headings in the Text Indexes to assist the user in selecting text sections for inclu- sion in a document. This concludes the summary of PC-LIBRARY'S features. The remainder of this manual consists of detailed instructions for the use of PC-LIBRARY users who want more information about how the program works. PC-LIBRARY PROGRAM STARTUP The PC-LIBRARY program is started by entering "PCLB" at the DOS prompt. If you do not include a form name the program will ask for one. The following are correct start-up entries at the DOS prompt for the PC-LIBRARY program: C>pclb or C>pclb wills 4 The PC-LIBRARY program will display on the screen and store in a file one or more sections of a forms library variable file. The output file is named with the form name plus one of the following suffixes: .INX - for the Text Indexes, .TXT - for the Text Library, .PMT - for the Variable Prompts and .HLP - for the Variable Help Messages. If requested, these files may be printed as they are being prepared. If the user has a word processor, it is recom- mended that they be printed using it. After the PC-LIBRARY program is started and a form name entered the following menu is displayed: 1. Text Indexes for <formname> 2. Text Library for <formname> 3. Variable Prompts for <formname> 4. Variable Help for <formname> 5. Quit - Start Another Form 6. Quit - Exit to Word Processor The Text Library routine substitutes a numbered blank for each variable name in the library files. It assigns the number to the prompt for that variable. The text is then revised and saved in a file with its menu and text selec- tion numbers shown in the heading. While doing this the 5 program saves numeric and alphabetical listings of the text headings with which to up-date the variable file if asked to do so. This means that the language of the text headings should be selected carefully with the knowledge that it will be used as an index line to that section of text in the variable file. The Text Library routine of the PC-LIBRARY program also may be used to enter or update variable prompts in the variable file for a particular forms library. That rou- tine checks for a prompt for each variable name in the forms library. If no prompt is found for a variable in the variable file the user is asked to enter one. At the end of the routine the user may then instruct the program to update the variable file. After you have prepare new text files, or added variable names to existing ones, you should run the Text Library routine. It will number the variables in sequence and ask you to input prompts for those without prompts in the variable file. After updating the prompt section of the file you can then add help messages in the help section of the variable file for the new variables, if desired. VARIABLE FILES There is one variable file for each forms library. This file is named with the formname followed by the suffix ".VBL". The file contains a section of variable prompts 6 headed by the dot command ".QN", a section of variable help messages headed by the dot command ".HP" and a sec- tion of the text heading lines in numeric and alphabetical sequence headed by the dot command .IX. Each time a GLOBAL VARIABLE appears in the selected text, the prompt for that variable will be displayed unless a response for it was entered previously. Each time a LOCAL VARIABLE appears in the text the user will be prompted for a response for that variable in that text. If the variable name begins with a punctuation mark other than a question mark or the tilde (~) character, the user will be reminded of the previous entry for the varia- ble and permitted to retain it or change it. If the variable name begins with the tilde (~) character the Standard Response shown in the prompt section of the variable file for that name will be displayed and the user permitted to retain or change it. Each prompt is entered in this file on the line immediate- ly after the line containing the variable name in curly braces. The help sections of variable files contain brief state- ments for each variable name explaining what data should be entered in response to the prompt for that variable. These messages must also be entered in the file on the 7 line immediately following a line containing the variable name in curly braces. The variable help messages are not required for the program to run properly. If there is no help message for a variable name the user will be advised of that fact if help is requested for it. TEXT FILES Text files are named with a form name of six or less characters plus a two-digit number plus the suffix '.LEX'. The files supplied with the programs should demonstrate most of the features of the system. They may be used as templates for the development of other user-prepared files. There may also be a sample file called SAMPLE01.LEX on the disk which you may use as a template to create a Forms Library. Text files may begin with one or more dot command lines for formatting the documents. A format line in this sec- tion of the text file will be applicable to all of the following text sections unless a different format line is included in them. Each text section of these files begins with a .TX number followed by one or more asterisks and a heading/index line in capital letters followed by one or more asterisks. The file may contain WordStar, Version 3.3, dot command lines for formatting the final document. If you use WordPerfect as your word processor and the DocuDraftr programs are 8 linked with it these codes are converted to WordPerfect codes when your listing or document is complete. If WordStar dot commands are used in the text files they will be passed through to the output document without modification. In addition, the programs utilize the .FT command line to display a formatting ruler line consisting of a capital L for the Left Margin marker, a capital P for the Paragraph Margin marker, a capital R for the Right Margin marker, exclamation marks for regular tab stops and the number mark # for decimal tab stops. Following are some of the dot commands which may be incor- porated in the text files: .FT followed by a format ruler line. .HE followed by a header line for each page. .FO followed by a footing line for each page. .MTn for number of lines in top margin. .MBn for number of lines in bottom margin. .HMn for number of lines between heading and text. .FMn for number of lines between footing and text. .PLn for number of total lines per page. .POn for number of characters to offset left margin. Text files must be in ASCII characters. The document format section is not required in every file. In Versions prior to 4.0 the special ".FT" dot command was required to 9 be the first line in the file or the first line after a ".TXn" command line. This is not required in later ver- sions. SOURCE TEXT RULES The following are the rules which must be followed in the preparation of the source text section of text files: 1. The text must be in ASCII characters. 2. Paragraphs and lines which stand alone, such as for matting lines, MUST BE TERMINATED WITH A CARRIAGE RETURN IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE LAST CHARACTER OR PUNCTUATION MARK. 3. EACH OF THE LINES WITHIN A PARAGRAPH, OTHER THAN THE LAST ONE, MUST END WITH A SPACE BEFORE THE CARRIAGE RETURN. 4. The text within a paragraph may be arranged for display right-justified by the insertion of not more than one extra space between words and an unlimited number after any period, colon, exclamation mark or question mark. These extra spaces are removed by the revision process. 5. Variable names must be enclosed in curly braces and must not exceed 23 characters in length, including the curly braces. If the first character after the first brace is the greater-than sign ">" the response 10 will be centered on the page. THE VARIABLE NAME MUST BE PLACED AT THE LEFT MARGIN IN THE TEXT LIBRARY FILE. 6. If the first character of the variable name is a question mark the variable prompt will be displayed for a new response each time the variable name ap- pears in later text sections. This type of variable name is for use in sections of text which may be repeated in the output document where the variable response will not be based on the user's previous response. 7. If the first character of the variable name is a tilde (~) character the line following the name will be displayed as a standard variable response each time the name appears in a Forms Library. This type of variable name may be used in forms libraries for information such as names and addresses which will usually be inserted in the documents prepared with PC-FORMS. The PC-FORMS program permits the standard response to be changed for a specific document during document preparation. 8. If the first character is a non-alphanumeric charac- ter other than a question mark (including >), the user's previous response to the variable prompt will 11 be displayed each time the name appears in later sections of text. The user will be given an opportu- nity to retain or change the earlier response. This type of variable name is used where the name may appear in later sections of text and the response should be based on the user's previous response. An example of such use would be for Article, Paragraph or Section Headings. 9. Other dot commands may appear in the format section of the file or in a text section. Dot commands may not appear within a paragraph of text since, if placed there, they will be merged with the text when it is revised. 10. Permissable format line characters include the fol- lowing: L = Left Margin P = Paragraph Margin ! = Ordinary Tab Stop # = Decimal Tab Stop R = Right Margin (also a Tab Stop) - = Spacing (Fill) Characters If your word processor supports hanging indents, as the latest versions of WordStar do, you can use the paragraph margin to begin the first line of each paragraph to the left of the left margin, leaving the paragraph number in the margin. You must remember to re-configure the word 12 processor for this style of paragraphs before revising the document with it. The numbered paragraphs above are examples of text done with hanging indents. ### 13 INDEX for PC-LIBRARY Manual Arranging Text for Display, 10 Asterisks in Text Heading Lines, 8 Beginning Text Sections in Variable Files, 8 Characters in Text Library Files, 10 Contents of Variable Files, 4 Coversion of Document to WordPerfect, 9 Creating Variable Files, 1 Dot Command Lines, WordStar Vers. 3.3, 8 Dot Commands in Text Files, 8, 12 Entering or Updating Variable Prompts, 6 Entering Prompts in the Variable Files, 7 Entering Variable Help Messages in Variable Files, 7 Exiting the Help Screen, 2 Extra Spaces in Text Selections, 10 Files Text Index, 1 Text Library, 1 Variable Help, 1 Variable Prompt, 1 First Character of Local Variable Names, 11 Format Line in Variable Files, 8 Forms Libraries Available, 2 General Program Help File, 2 Global Variables, 7 Heading/Index Lines, 1 Index Section, 7 Local Variables, 7 Menu of PC-LIBRARY Program, 5 Menu Screen, 2 Modifying Variable Files, 4 Naming Text Files, 8 Numbered Blanks in Text Library, 3 Opening Screen, 2 OVERVIEW, 1 PC-LIBRARY Menu, 5 PC-LIBRARY Output Files, 5 PC-LIBRARY PROGRAM STARTUP, 4 Permissable format line characters, 12 14 Question Mark for Help, 2 Selection of Text Headings, 6 Selections from Menu, 3 SOURCE TEXT RULES, 10 Standard Response, 7 Starting PC-LIBRARY, 2 Start-up Entries, 4 Suffixes of Output Files, 5 SUMMARY OF PC-LIBRARY'S FEATURES, 2 Terminating Lines within Paragraphs, 10 Terminating Paragraphs, 10 TEXT FILES, 8 Text heading lines, 3 Text Headings Alphabetical Listings, 6 Numeric Listing, 6 Text Index Files, 1 Text Library Files, 1 Text Library Routine, 5 Text Library Selection, 3 Updating Index Section of Variable Files, 3 Updating the Variable File, 6 Updating Variable Files, 1 Use of Hanging Indentation, 12 VARIABLE FILES, 6 Variable Help Message Files, 1 Variable Help Section, 7 Variable Names, 10 Variable Prompt Files, 1 Variable Prompts Numbered, 3 Variable Prompts Section, 6 WordStar, Version 3.3, Dot Command Lines, 8 .FT Command Line for Formatting, 9 15