The Business Master (3rd Edition)

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FormGen II Form Generator (C) 1984-1991 R.MacLean --------- ------|-- | (R) --| | |------------------ | -----|--- | Association of | | |-- Shareware ---| O | Professionals ------| | |--------------------- --------- MEMBER TABLE OF CONTENTS _________________ Welcome to FormGen II Welcome to FormGen II Definitions...............1 Quick Start.................2 Quick Start.................2 To Draw a Form............2 Help......................2 Starting the FORM Module..4 Indicators................4 Moving the Cursor.........6 Drawing...................7 Editing a Form............9 Entering Text............10 Block Operations.........13 File Handling............14 Printer Functions........16 Other Functions..........17 Advanced Operations Advanced Operations Auto Border..............18 Special Characters.......18 Advanced Block Operations19 Text Windows.............21 Running FormGen II Running FormGen II Cursor Control Keys......25 Drawing Control Keys.....27 Form Text................30 Row/Column Functions.....32 Block Operations.........33 Print Functions..........34 File Handling Functions..35 Environment Functions....36 Methods of Saving Forms..37 Installation and Configuration Installation and Configuration System Requirements.....A-1 To Copy FormGen II......A-1 Configuration...........A-2 In Case of Difficulty...A-4 Error Messages Error Messages Hardware Messages.......B-1 System Messages.........B-2 Warning Messages........B-3 Technical Support.......B-4 Index Index A WORD ABOUT SHAREWARE ______________________ "Shareware" is a term used to describe a system for distribution of software. Under the shareware concept, software may be freely copied and passed along to others, or distributed through bulletin board systems, etc. As a recipient of a shareware program, you may use the software for a short trial period to determine if it meets your needs. If it does, you pay the registration fee. By paying the fee, you are granted the right to retain the software for your use. If the software is not suitable then you may discard it. The shareware system provides substantial benefits the computing community (of which YOU are a member): 1) You get to try out the software BEFORE you buy it so you know exactly what you're buying. 2) Shareware is substantially less expensive than most commercial programs. You don't pay for costly marketing programs and fancy packaging. 3) You get access to a MUCH broader base of available programs. Thousands of excellent programs have been written by expert programmers who would never consider marketing commercially. Through the concept of shareware, these people their programs available to the community. Usually, all they ask in return is a small fee to reward them for the time and effort they've put into the program. The system is based entirely on the honor system, and generally works quite well. (Most people are honest and wouldn't violate the trust placed in them by the author of the software). Shareware is NOT free software - the author counts on your integrity. Please register using the form at the end of this manual. You are encouraged to copy this software and pass it along to others who may be interested in using it. This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427 or send a Compuserve message via easyplex to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536. FORMGEN II INTRODUCTION ______________________________________________________________________ WELCOME TO FORMGEN II _____________________ Thank you for purchasing FORMGEN II. Your new package is a complete form design system which will allow you to design professional quality forms in minutes. With FORMGEN II, anyone can create "instant forms" by simply using the directional keys on the keyboard, adding text, and printing. Your form can be as simple or as complex as you desire. Forms can be saved and even merged together to create new forms, or you can choose from a variety of standard form templates to "build" a form. An hour invested in browsing through the manual and doing the tutorial lessons will pay big dividends in the time you can save in the months and years to come. The package consists of two main modules: FORM.EXE - is the form design and layout module. It is used to draw a ________ form using different line densities, type sizes, halftone screens. FORM-PRT.EXE - is used to print data and form images. ____________ DEFINITIONS ___________ Throughout the manual, the following styles have been used to ensure clarity: The square brackets [ ] indicate individual keys, such as [X], [Alt], [Ctrl], [1], [F3], [PgUp], etc. The Return or Enter key is shown as [Enter]. When you are requested to enter something on your keyboard, the type:> symbol will precede what you are to type: type:> EXAMPLE [Enter] ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 1 FORMGEN II QUICK START GUIDE ______________________________________________________________________ QUICK START ___________ For installation instructions, see Appendix A. __________ TO DRAW A FORM ______________ To start the FORM Module: type:> FORM filename [Enter] ________ HELP ____ [Alt][H] Brings up the HELP screens; any key brings you back. To Move _______ Cursor movement is controlled with the arrow keys. In normal operation, the Status Line will indicate Text & Travel mode, in which ___________ _____________ case the cursor can be moved without changing anything on the Form ____ Design Pad. The cursor may also be moved with the mouse. Simply __________ press and hold the left button to pick up the cursor, move it to the desired location, and then drop it by releasing the button. To Draw _______ The cursor acts as an electronic pencil which can draw either a single (narrow) line, double line, or thick line. Use the directional keys to control cursor movement. [F1] - for a single line (cursor trace) [F2] - for a double line (cursor trace) [Alt][F1]/[F2] - for a horizontal line (automatic) [Ctrl][F1]/[F2] - for a vertical line (automatic) To Erase ________ The [F4] Function Key turns the cursor into an eraser (ON/OFF). To Add Text ___________ Simply type the text where required, or use text windows [Alt][W]. Different text sizes are available by using font control symbols. Simply place the cursor immediately to the left of the text to be sized and enter the font control symbol using [Alt][1] for smallest size through [Alt][6] for largest. ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 2 FORMGEN II QUICK START GUIDE ______________________________________________________________________ To Center or Justify Text _________________________ The [Alt][C] key combination will center text within two vertical lines. [Alt][L] will left justify text, [Alt][R] - will right justify text. Place cursor on line with text to be justified before performing function. To Perform Block Operations ___________________________ [Alt][F6] begins and ends block definition. [Alt][F3] copies the block to the cursor position; [Alt][F4] moves the block to the cursor position; [Alt][F5] deletes the block from the form; [Alt][F8] extracts the block to disk; [Alt][A] fills the block with a character or shading. To Save a Form ______________ The [F9] Function Key will initiate the save routine. Choose option (1) for normal form files. You may specify a name of up to eight characters. To set the data path, use [Alt][P] (see the configuration information in Appendix A). __________ To Print a Form _______________ The [F10] Function Key will print the form currently on the Form ____ Design Pad. If difficulty is encountered in printing, see Appendix A __________ __________ for details on printer installation and configuration. To Load a Form ______________ The [Alt][F9] key combination will load a form from your diskette or hard drive. IMPORTANT! __________ Review the section on text windows for access to the most powerful functions of FormGen II. ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 3 FORMGEN II BASIC OPERATION ______________________________________________________________________ STARTING THE FORM MODULE ________________________ The syntax for starting the FORM module is: FORM filename /P ________ where: filename is the optional name of a FORMGEN form to be defined ________ /P is an optional switch which disables hardware port checking for printing. This will allow the use of the software in network environments. /NS is an opitional switch to skip the signon screen. To begin the creation of a FORMGEN form: type:> FORM [Enter] After a brief sign on screen, the Form Design Pad will be displayed. _______________ INDICATORS __________ Below the Form Design Pad, there is a line used by the system to _______________ indicate the various operating modes, display messages and allow operator input. This is known as the Status Line. ___________ Help ____ This is a reminder that if you need help, typing [Alt][H] will immediately display the help screens built into FORMGEN. If at any time during the operation of FORMGEN you require information concerning the command operations, press [Alt][H]. This will bring up a series of information screens. You may use the Page Up [PgUp] or Page Down [PgDn] keys to scroll through the help screens. To return to the Form Design Pad, simply press any other key. _______________ Overtype ________ When FORMGEN first starts, overtype mode is active. This means that ________ when text is entered, it will type over (replace) any text currently on the screen. The converse of this is insert mode. Insert mode will ______ ______ move text to the right to make room for new text that is typed in. ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 4 FORMGEN II BASIC OPERATION ______________________________________________________________________ Stretch _______ Stretch mode is active when FORMGEN first starts. Stretch allows for _______ _______ the stretching of the form by automatically patching all lines during a row or column insertion. In circumstances when this is not desirable, stretch may be turned off. _______ Text & Travel _____________ There are a number of different functions the cursor is used for. To show what the current purpose (or mode of operation) the cursor is in, an indicator is displayed. The different modes are: Text & Travel The cursor may be moved freely on the Form Design _____________ ___________ Pad and text may be entered at its location. ___ DRAW Single Line The cursor can be used to draw single lines as it ________________ is moved on the pad. DRAW Double Line The cursor may be used to draw double lines as it ________________ is moved on the pad. DRAW Thick Line The cursor can be used to draw thick lines as it _______________ is moved on the pad. Duplicate (c) The cursor may be used to draw with a character _____________ (c) - it will leave a trail of (c)'s when it is _ _ moved. Block Define The cursor can be used for defining a block. ____________ ERASE The cursor may be used as an eraser - it will _____ clear anything it finds in a path. Vert (Vertical Typing Mode) ___________________________ Vertical typing mode, in which the cursor advances down the form rather than across it, is used to enter titles where it is desirable to have the characters of the title in a vertical column. +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ NOTE: This is not a default mode, so it will not show on the status | | line until selected. | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ Row 1 / Col 1 _________________ This is the cursor position indicator. It shows the position of the cursor on the Form Design Pad (relative to the upper left corner). _______________ ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 5 FORMGEN II BASIC OPERATION ______________________________________________________________________ It can be set to measure in a number of different increments: inches, millimeters, picas and printer's points; as well as the row/column position. During a block define operation, the measurement is relative to the upper left corner of the block. This allows you to measure the size of the block being selected. (Or to measure items or objects on the screen.) For more detail on these see the Reference Guide _______________ MOVING THE CURSOR _________________ The cursor acts as your drawing pencil in FORMGEN. With it, you can enter text, draw lines, erase mistakes and move things around. Cursor movement is controlled by a number of keys: [up][down][right][left] moves the cursor a single unit in the arrow direction [F7] moves the cursor to the next word or line to the left [F8] moves the cursor to the next word or line to the right [Home] moves the cursor to the left edge of Form Design ___________ Pad ___ [End] moves the cursor to the right edge of the screen, then to the right edge of Form Design Pad _______________ [Ctrl][Home] moves the cursor to the upper left corner of the screen [Ctrl][End] moves the cursor to the lower left corner of the screen [PgUp] moves the cursor one screen up [PgDn] moves the cursor one screen down [Ctrl][PgUp] moves the cursor to the top of the Form Design Pad _______________ [Ctrl][PgDn] moves the cursor to the bottom of the Form Design ___________ Pad ___ With a Mouse ____________ ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 6 FORMGEN II BASIC OPERATION ______________________________________________________________________ The cursor may also be moved using a mouse. To do this, simply push and hold the left mouse button to pick up the cursor, move the mouse until the cursor is at the desired destination, and release the button. DRAWING _______ Line Drawing ____________ The main component of any form is the frame of lines used to segregate blocks of information. In FORMGEN, the lines are drawn using the cursor. The process is simple. Turn on one of the line drawing functions, then move the cursor. When it is on, everywhere the cursor moves, (using the four arrows keys) a line will be left as a trail. To end drawing, press the key again and the cursor moves about freely without changing anything on the Form Design Pad. _______________ +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ NOTE: The drawing keys are toggles. That means their functions are | | toggled ON when they are first pressed, OFF when they're pressed | | again. | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ Most forms are drawn using only two line densities. These are indicated on the screen as single or double lines (although they may print as thick/thin or black/gray). To keep it simple, all line drawing functions are related to the [F1] and [F2] keys, with [F1] always used for single lines, [F2] for double lines. The basic line drawing keys are: [F1] DRAW Single Line - the cursor will draw a single line wherever it is moved [F2] DRAW Double Line - the cursor will draw a double line wherever it is moved [Ctrl][F3] DRAW Thick Line - the cursor will draw a VERY heavy black line wherever it is moved Horizontal & Vertical Lines ___________________________ To speed the creation of forms, FORMGEN has automatic line draw. When these functions are invoked, a line will be drawn horizontally or vertically through the cursor. The line will extend in each direction until it either hits another line or the edge of the Form Design Pad. _______________ ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 7 FORMGEN II BASIC OPERATION ______________________________________________________________________ These functions are used when you wish to draw a horizontal line between two vertical lines (or vice versa). Simply place the cursor on the row (or column) where you wish the line to be drawn. If insert mode is ON, then FORMGEN will automatically extend the form ___________ by one column or row and draw the new line. In this case, ensure that stretch mode is also ON or the newly inserted line will extend to the ____________ extreme edges of the Form Design Pad. _______________ The keys for auto line draw are: [Alt][F1] Horizontal Single Line [Alt][F2] Horizontal Double Line [Ctrl][F1] Vertical Single Line [Ctrl][F2] Vertical Double Line Drawing with Characters _______________________ In some circumstances, it may be desirable to draw lines of characters on a form. To allow this, FORMGEN has a special function which picks up the character under the cursor. To copy or paint with a character, place the cursor on top of the character to be copied, press [F3] then move the cursor using the arrow keys. The Status Line will show Duplicate and indicate the ___________ character which is being duplicated. Wherever the cursor goes, it will leave a trail of the character it picked up. Press [F3] again and the cursor returns to Text & Travel _____________ mode. [F3] Draw with character - picks up character under the cursor and uses it to draw Erasing _______ If you wish to erase lines or text on the form, this can be done by simply using the space bar to blank out the space on the form. (This works in overtype mode only) For erasing lines, it is often more convenient to toggle the cursor into erase mode and then use it to erase the lines. [F4] Erase ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 8 FORMGEN II BASIC OPERATION ______________________________________________________________________ EDITING A FORM ______________ Edit Modes __________ When editing a form, there are several edit modes which speed the process. Overtype/Insert Mode ____________________ Insert mode and overtype mode affect how FORMGEN treats newly entered text or lines. When in insert mode, any text typed onto the form will be inserted. ___________ This means that all text to the right of the cursor (up to the next line character) will be moved to the right. When in overtype mode, any text entered will type right over existing _____________ text at that position, replacing it completely. [F5] Overtype/Insert Mode Insert mode also affects the performance of the Auto Line Draw function. When Insert mode is active, a new row or new column will be inserted into the form at the current cursor position prior to the creation of the new horizontal line or vertical line. Stretch Mode ____________ When stretch mode is active, all lines will be automatically ____________ ``patched'' when a row or column is inserted into the form. This allows the form to be resized quickly and easily. [F6] Stretch Mode Inserting Rows & Columns ________________________ A row or column can be inserted into the body of a form. This will have the effect of stretching the form, moving everything to the right or below the insertion point. The keys for this are: [Ctrl][right] Insert Column at cursor position [Alt][I] Insert Row At Cursor +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ NOTE: If the stretch mode is on when this is done, all lines through ____________ | | the form will be automatically ``patched'' maintaining their | | continuity. | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 9 FORMGEN II BASIC OPERATION ______________________________________________________________________ Deleting Rows & Columns _______________________ A row or column can be deleted out of the form. This will have the effect of shrinking the form, moving everything to the right or below the insertion point. The keys for this are: [Ctrl][left] Delete Column at cursor position [Alt][D] Delete Row Under Cursor +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ NOTE: If the stretch mode is on when this is done, all lines through ____________ | | the form will be automatically ``patched'' maintaining their | | continuity. | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ ENTERING TEXT _____________ Adding Text ___________ To add text to your forms there are two methods that FORMGEN can use; normal entry and text windows. The normal entry mode is described ____________ here, text windows are described in detail in the section Advanced ____________ ________ Operations. __________ In order to put text into a form, the cursor should be in Text & ______ ______ Travel mode, meaning that the cursor is not engaged in drawing, ______ erasing, duplicating or any block operations. The Status Line will ___________ indicate Text & Travel mode. _____________ Simply type the required text right onto the form. Editing Text ____________ Text may be replaced by typing over existing text on the Form Design ___________ Pad (when overtype mode is active). If you wish to insert text, you ___ _____________ either use the insert mode as described above or use the [Ins] to ___________ insert blanks into the form. To delete text, use the [Del] key or trace over it while the cursor is in erase mode. __________ [Ins] inserts a single blank space [Del] deletes the character under the cursor Vertical Typing _______________ FORMGEN has a vertical typing mode which allows you to enter text ____________________ vertically. The cursor drops one line down after each letter is ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 10 FORMGEN II BASIC OPERATION ______________________________________________________________________ entered. This is especially useful in entering numbers for lines or typing in vertically-arranged boxes. V E R T I C A L [Alt][V] toggles vertical typing mode ____________________ Text Sizes __________ FORMGEN allows you to select up to six text sizes or fonts (depending on your printer's capabilities). There is no limit to the number of font changes on a single form. Character sizes are controlled by typing a font control symbol ___________________ immediately in front of the text to be affected. The font control symbol is created by holding down the [Alt] key and typing a number from 1 to 6. A typical example is for an HP laser: [Alt][1] 6 point symbol = [Alt][2] 8 point symbol = [Alt][3] 8 pt bold symbol = [Alt][4] (Default) 10 pt bold symbol = [Alt][5] 12 pt bold symbol = [Alt][6] 14 pt bold symbol = Font 1 is always the smallest; font 6 is always the largest. When a font size is not explicitly specified, font 4 will be used. Other printers will print different fonts or sizes depending on their capabilities. See Appendix A for more information on printers. __________ When this key combination is entered, the font control symbol appears at the cursor location. When the print module encounters a font ____ control symbol, it immediately switches to the indicated size. This ______________ size stays in effect until it encounters: - a line or other special character - another font control symbol ___________________ - three consecutive blank spaces For example, if you have a title on your form that you want in the largest size of print, place the cursor immediately in front of the ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 11 FORMGEN II BASIC OPERATION ______________________________________________________________________ title. Then type [Alt][6]. The font control symbol appears, marking ___________________ the text for large print. ie. Departmental Expenses +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ NOTE: Text begins printing at the location of the font control ____________ | | symbol. ______ | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ To change the text back to normal, simply delete the font control ____________ symbol. ______ Centering Text ______________ Text may be centered within a cell by placing the cursor in the cell ____ ____ on the same line as the text and pressing [Alt][C]. This will center the text on the screen, but may not have the same effect on the page. For many printers, manual adjustment will be needed. [Alt][C] centers text within a cell ____ Center Marker _____________ When you wish to find the midpoint of an empty cell, simply press ____ [Alt][C] and a small diamond () will appear at the midpoint. The center marker is ``invisible'' to FORMGEN, and will not be printed or saved. It will vanish when the screen is updated for scrolling, help, etc. [Alt][C] marks the center of a cell ____ Left & Right Text Alignment ___________________________ Text may be moved to the left or right sides of a cell in much the same way as it can be centered. That is, you put the cursor on the same line as the text (within the cell), and press [Alt][L] for left ____ or [Alt][R] for right. The text will instantly be moved to the left or right edge of the cell. ____ [Alt][L] move text to the left end of a cell ____ [Alt][R] move text to the right end of a cell ____ ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 12 FORMGEN II BASIC OPERATION ______________________________________________________________________ BLOCK OPERATIONS ________________ FORMGEN can define and manipulate rectangular areas (blocks) of text and lines. There are two parts to any block operation: defining the block area to be manipulated - and then manipulating it. Define a Block ______________ Blocks are defined by locking the cursor at the upper left corner, and then stretching it to the lower right corner. The steps are: 1) move the cursor to the upper left corner ______ 2) press [Alt][F6] to anchor the highlight 3) move the cursor to the lower right corner of the area to be included in the block 4) press [Alt][F6] again to register the location of the lower right corner +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ NOTE: A block definition defines only the screen coordinates for a | | future block operation. If you make changes which affect the | | contents of the block coordinates, they will be reflected in any | | future block operations. | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ Once the block is defined, it may be moved to a new location, duplicated in another location leaving the original intact, deleted from the form or saved to the disk. [Alt][F6] start/end a block definition Block Copy __________ A previously defined block may be duplicated elsewhere on the form. The procedure for this is: 1) define the block to be copied 2) move the cursor to the place where the upper left corner of the block is to be copied to 3) press [Alt][F3] [Alt][F3] copy a block ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 13 FORMGEN II BASIC OPERATION ______________________________________________________________________ Delete a Block ______________ A defined block area may be cleared using [Alt][F5]. This is a handy way to erase a large section of a form. [Alt][F5] delete a block +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ USE CAUTION! There is no way to recover a block once it has been | | deleted. Good practice dictates that you should always save before | | making large changes to your form. | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ Move a Block ____________ A block may be moved from one location on a form to another using the block move function. 1) define the block to be moved 2) move the cursor to the place where the upper left corner of the block is to be moved to 3) press [Alt][F4] [Alt][F4] copy a block +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ NOTE: If you wish to move the block again to further reposition it, | | you MUST DEFINE THE BLOCK AGAIN. The old definition still refers to | | the original coordinates. | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ FILE HANDLING _____________ File Names __________ When assigning a new name to one of your forms for storage, you may specify a name of up to 8 characters. You may use letters or numbers, but punctuation in the name is not allowed. For standard form files, FORMGEN will automatically assign an extension (.FRM or .FRX) to the file name. For ASCII files, the extension will be .TXT. Loading a Form ______________ To load a form, press [Alt][F9]. The screen will clear and a directory of all available FORMGEN files will be displayed. Simply ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 14 FORMGEN II BASIC OPERATION ______________________________________________________________________ type in the name of the desired form and press [Enter]. You do not need to type the filename extension when prompted for the filename. [Alt][F9] Load Form Alternately, you may designate a file to be loaded when you start FORMGEN by specifying it on the DOS command line: type:> FORM filename [Enter] ________ +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ NOTE: When loading a form, the incoming file will replace the | | existing form on the Form Design Pad. _______________ | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ Saving a Form _____________ To save a form on the Form Design Pad, hit the [F9] key. You will be _______________ given two options for saving your file: (1) Standard File (2) ASCII Text Forms should always be saved in standard format. This will allow them _______________________________________________ to be retrieved for future revision and printing. You may also save a second copy in ASCII format if you wish to use the form in another program. Next, FORMGEN will show a list of all existing FORMGEN files currently on the disk. You may select one by typing the first part of its name no need to type .FRM - it's added automatically), or you may enter a new name. [F9] Save Form Data Path Definition ____________________ At any time you may change or designate the data path for saving and retrieval by pressing [Alt][P]. It is a good idea to keep your forms in a separate data directory. See your DOS manual for information on creating and accessing separate directories. The data path can also be changed while in the Configuration Module. [Alt][P] Set Data Path Clearing the Pad ________________ At any time, the entire Form Design Pad can be cleared so you can _______________ start a fresh form. FORMGEN II will give you a warning prior to clearing the pad if you have not yet saved the form. Answer Y to clear, any other key will cancel the command. ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 15 FORMGEN II BASIC OPERATION ______________________________________________________________________ [Alt][F7] Clear the Form Design Pad _______________ Copying Files _____________ FORMGEN II saves the frame and text of your form in a file designated as filename.FRM. If the form uses text windows, a second file ________ containing the window information is also created (filename.FRX). ________ When copying FORMGEN files to another diskette, copy both the .FRM and the .FRX files: type:> COPY filename.FR? d: [Enter] ________ PRINTER FUNCTIONS _________________ Printing a Form _______________ To print your form, simply press [F10]. Make sure your printer is turned on and is on-line. The Status Line will prompt for the number of copies required. If ___________ more than one copy is required, enter the number and press [Enter]. If only one copy is required, just press [Enter]. If the form does not print properly, check to see that FORMGEN is properly configured for your printer. We suggest that you carefully read the section on printers in Appendix A before trying to print. __________ [F10] Print Form Landscape / Portrait Switch ___________________________ For laser printers, the orientation of the page can be set before printing. The printer may be toggled between portrait (normal) printing and landscape (sideways) printing by pressing: [Alt][S] landscape/portrait toggle Printer Line Feed _________________ To conveniently advance your printer one line (to assist in setting form position), you can: [Alt][N] Line Feed Printer Form Feed _________________ You may advance your printer to top of form (or eject a partially printed page. [Alt][F]; Form Feed ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 16 FORMGEN II BASIC OPERATION ______________________________________________________________________ OTHER FUNCTIONS _______________ Configuration _____________ The configuration of your copy of FORMGEN can be changed at any time by calling the configuration module. This will allow you to set the screen colors, printer type, printer port and a number of other features. [Alt][F10] Configuration Calling DOS ___________ During a FORMGEN session, it may be necessary to temporarily go to DOS to perform some function. To make this quick and convenient, FORMGEN has a built in function which allows you to run DOS from inside FORMGEN. You can then perform your DOS task and then EXIT back to FORMGEN. The key sequence for this is: [Alt][O] Call Operating System (Temporarily) When you are finished your task, simply: type:> EXIT [Enter] and you will be returned to FORMGEN. +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ NOTE: Do not start any new TSR (Terminate and Stay Resident) type | | programs in this fashion or you will not be able to get back. | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ Quitting ________ To exit FORMGEN and return to the operating system, press: [Alt][X] Exit FORMGEN If your form has not been saved, FORMGEN will remind you to save it. In Case of an Error ___________________ In the case of a program error occurring, FORMGEN will attempt to rescue your current form on the Form Design Pad to a temporary file _______________ called RESCUED.FRM. Simply restart FORMGEN II and load in RESCUED to pick up where you left off. type:> FORM RESCUED [Enter] ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 17 FORMGEN II ADVANCED OPERATION ______________________________________________________________________ ADVANCED OPERATIONS ___________________ The real power of FORMGEN is found in its many advanced features. These are the things that really give you the power to create first rate, professional quality forms. A few minutes spent scanning this section will reward you handsomely in terms of time saved and results gained. AUTO BORDER ___________ To save time, you can quickly create border to mark the edges of your form. This gives your form a nice appearance and also provides limits for the automatic line drawing feature. Start the auto border feature: type:> [Alt][B] You will be asked whether you want a single or double line. type:> 1 if you want a single line - or - type:> 2 if you want a double line You will then be prompted for the width and height of the border. The defaults are set at 80 columns and 60 rows respectively. This size is suitable for a standard 8½ x 11 form. If this size is acceptable, just press return for each parameter. Otherwise enter your desired size. The system will draw the border as requested, joining any adjacent lines it finds on the pad in the process. SPECIAL CHARACTERS __________________ You can use a variety of special form drawing characters with FORMGEN. These will enhance the flexibility and usefulness of your forms. Arrowheads __________ Arrow characters can be put on your forms for use in organizational charts, drawings, and to clarify instructions. With FORMGEN laser fonts, the arrows are specially designed to match exactly with lines for a really nice appearance. ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 18 FORMGEN II ADVANCED OPERATION ______________________________________________________________________ Both light and heavy arrows are provided to match with single and double line weights. Arrow characters can be easily selected from the keyboard. type:> [Shift][F1] for light arrows - or - type:> [Shift][F2] for heavy arrows A small grid will pop onto the screen showing the arrows available. Just type the arrow direction of your choice and it will be put on the form. Halftone Screens ________________ Three different levels of halftone screens are provided. These can be used to enhance titles or differentiate form areas, giving your form a professional look. Halftones are entered using: type:> [Alt][7] for a light screen ++ type:> [Alt][8] for a medium screen ++ type:> [Alt][9] for a dark screen ++ By using the Duplicate Character [F3]function, it is easy to pick up the shading character and paint your form where required. Simply place the cursor over the newly-created shading block, press [F3] and paint using the directional arrows. Text may be printed on top of screens. (See section on text windows.) Other Special Characters ________________________ A small circle for people filling the form to check off is included in the FORMGEN symbol set. On dot matrix printers, circles this small look pretty ragged, so a small box is substituted. type:> [Alt][0] for a check box or circle ADVANCED BLOCK OPERATIONS _________________________ Block Extract _____________ A block may be saved in a separate file for later inclusion in another form. The procedure for this is: 1) define the block area 2) start the extract function type:> [Alt]F8] ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 19 FORMGEN II ADVANCED OPERATION ______________________________________________________________________ 3) enter a filename for the extracted block Each block is treated as a form file, and may be used by FORMGEN as an independent form or as an ingredient in other forms. Merging Forms and Blocks ________________________ Forms and saved blocks may be loaded into existing forms using the block merge function. To merge an external block or form file into a form on the Form Design Pad: _______________ 1) place the cursor at the upper left corner of the area where you ______ want the merged block to go 2) start the block merge function: type:> [Alt][M] 3) specify the filename for the block file: type:> filename [Enter] ________ Merged forms are placed into your current form on the Form Design Pad _______________ in Overtype mode, meaning that they will replace any text to the right and below the cursor position to the depth and width of the file entering. If you are merging a form containing text windows onto your current form which also contains text windows and the combined total of the text windows exceeds the maximum capacity, FORMGEN will not allow the merge operation to take place. Area Fill _________ A block area may be instantly filled with any character. This makes the addition of halftone screens lightning fast. The FORMGEN block fill function is also intelligent. It will sense the contents of the block area and fill only blank or previously shaded areas, leaving text and lines intact. To invoke the auto fill function: 1) define the block area using the keyboard or mouse 2) type the area fill command type:> [Alt][A] 3) enter the desired character for the fill (ie. the medium halftone screen) type:> [Alt][8] ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 20 FORMGEN II ADVANCED OPERATION ______________________________________________________________________ The blank spaces of the defined block area will be instantly filled with the character you specify. +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ NOTE: You can clear an area of halftone screens by specifying | | [space] as the fill character. | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ *** IMPORTANT *** READ THIS SECTION TEXT WINDOWS ____________ Unquestionably, the most powerful capability of FORMGEN lies in the use of text windows. Text windows not only allow the ability to place text in very small areas, but they also significantly reduce the amount of work required to create and revise a form. In FORMGEN II, windows are also the key to sophisticated functions like placing logos and graphic images on your forms. Some Things You Should Know... ______________________________ At FORMGEN, we invented the principle of text windows to solve some significant problems inherent with creating forms on PC's: Firstly, with most monitors in use today, it is impossible to legibly represent very small proportional type. This meant that to get an exact representation of a finished form on the screen, most of our customers would be required to buy expensive hardware upgrades. We felt that there must be another way to represent very fine print without the need for extra hardware. Secondly, in the process of creating a form, lines are moved, cells change size and shape, and entire blocks are transferred from one location to another. It was essential that the user not have to reformat form text each time a change was made. Lastly, most systems will not allow any more than one character at a time in any particular screen position. This makes it impossible to depict things like background halftone screens. Text windows are the solution to both of these challenges. What Are Text Windows? ______________________ Text windows are small markers that can be placed on a form that contain: ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 21 FORMGEN II ADVANCED OPERATION ______________________________________________________________________ - as much as a paragraph of text - a tag for a graphics image (like a logo or picture) to be printed on a form Text windows give forms a professional appearance. This is because the text is proportionally spaced both horizontally and vertically! - _________________________________ Just like professional typesetting! Text windows also allow text to be printed over top of background halftone screens. Text windows speed form creation. Because text is formatted at print time, you never have to manually reformat text to fit a newly changed form. At print time, all words are automatically ``wrapped''. - Just like a word processor. Text windows enhance form accuracy. Not only can an entire paragraph be moved or duplicated as a single unit, but you'll never accidentally break text in another part of the form when you insert a new row or column. Text windows allow use of older screen types. Even though standard monitors can only shown 10 characters in a one inch form space, with text windows, any number of characters can be stored in the same space. Creating Windows ________________ To open a text window, place the cursor at the position where you would like the text to begin, and: type:> [Alt][W] A small blinking window marker () will immediately appear at the _____________ cursor position. At the same time, a menu will pop up, giving you a choice of sizes for the window text. Choose the desired size by typing a number from 1 to 7. The size menu will disappear, and the text window itself will pop up. You may enter text directly into the window, using the arrows keys to move the cursor for corrections. When you hit [Enter], the window will disappear and the window marker _____________ will stop blinking. The text you entered has now been stored in the window marker. _____________ The entire text stored in the window marker may be moved or copied as _____________ a unit. When the form is printed, the text in the window will be expanded to suit the space on the form. The text will be (by default) left ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 22 FORMGEN II ADVANCED OPERATION ______________________________________________________________________ aligned to the position of the window marker. The right edge will _____________ follow the contour of the cell. Words that will not fit will be ____ carried to the next line. Editing a Text Window _____________________ A text window may be opened at any time to edit the text inside. Simply place the cursor on the window marker and: _____________ type:> [Alt][W] Both the text size menu and the text window will instantly pop onto the screen. You may change the text size (or just leave it by pressing [Enter]). The size menu disappears, leaving the text window for editing. The following keys are active for window editing: [up][down][right][left] for moving the cursor in the window [Ins] inserts a blank space at the cursor position [Del] deletes the character under the cursor [Home] moves the cursor to the beginning of the current line [End] moves the cursor to the end of the text, or to the right end of the current line [Bksp] backspaces the cursor, deleting the character to the left of the cursor [Enter] closes the window, saving any changes [Esc] abandons changes to the window text and closes the window Moving a Text Window ____________________ A text window may be moved on the form just like ordinary text. You put the cursor to the left of it on the same line and use [Ins] or [Del] to insert or delete spaces in front of the window. The window marker may also be selected in a block and moved or copied _____________ to a new location. Deleting a Text Window ______________________ In normal usage, FORMGEN will not allow a line to be drawn or text entered on top of a text window. This is to protect the contents of the text window. ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 23 FORMGEN II ADVANCED OPERATION ______________________________________________________________________ To delete a text window, place the cursor directly on the window ______ marker and press [Del]. ______ Background Halftones ____________________ Window text will print right over top of background halftone screens. This enhances the look of forms you design. To put a background screen on your form, simply use the area fill function. Any text windows in the block area will automatically print over the halftone screen. A Note on Printing Text Windows _______________________________ Windows are formatted to suit the space available on the form at the time it is printed. The window format logic notes the position of the window marker and uses this for a left reference. _____________ It then senses the amount of space available to the right of the window marker. This is calculated by looking for a line or text character. The text contained in the window is formatted for this space, with full words being carried to the next line. This process repeats until either all the text is printed, or a character is discovered directly below the text window. Window Memory _____________ There is a limit to the number of windows that can be used on a form. This limit is determined solely by the amount of system memory available to FORMGEN. ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 24 FORMGEN II REFERENCE GUIDE ______________________________________________________________________ RUNNING FORMGEN II __________________ The command to run FORMGEN II is: FORM filename /P ________ FORM-PRT filename /P ________ where: /P is an optional switch which disables hardware port checking for printing. This will allow the use of the software in network environments. /NS is an opitional switch to skip the signon screen. CURSOR CONTROL KEYS ___________________ Move Cursor ___________ [up][down][right][left] The four arrow keys move the cursor around the Form Design Pad. _______________ With a mouse, the cursor can also be moved (within the boundaries of ____________ the screen) by holding the left button of the mouse down and dragging it to the desired location. This can be very handy as the cursor does not draw when being moved with the mouse (regardless of mode), so it can be moved from one location to another without the necessity of disabling and re-enabling a drawing mode. Carriage Return _______________ [Enter] The [Enter] key will move the cursor down one line and then to the left until it encounters a non-blank character position. This will allow the entry of text into block areas defined on the Form Design ___________ Pad. ___ TAB Right / TAB Left ____________________ [-|]/[Shift][|-] Tab stops are set every eight columns across the Form Design Pad. _______________ Pressing these keys will advance the cursor across the pad to the right (or left) until it reaches the next tab stop. Left Edge of Pad ________________ [Home] This key will move the cursor to the left side of the Form Design Pad. _______________ ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 25 FORMGEN II REFERENCE GUIDE ______________________________________________________________________ Right Edge of Pad _________________ [End] This key will move the cursor first to column 80 (if the current cursor position is between column 1 and 79), then upon pressing [End] again, the cursor will move to the extreme right side of the Form ____ Design Pad. __________ Top of Screen _____________ [Ctrl][Home] Holding the [Ctrl] key while pressing [Home] will move the cursor to the upper left corner of the current screen. Bottom of Screen ________________ [Ctrl][End] Holding the [Ctrl] key while pressing [End] will move the cursor to the lower left corner of the current screen. Top of Pad __________ [Ctrl][PgUp] Holding the [Ctrl] key while pressing [PgUp] will move the cursor to the upper left corner of the Form Design Pad. _______________ Bottom of Pad _____________ [Ctrl][PgDn] Holding the [Ctrl] key while pressing [PgDn] will move the cursor to the lower left corner of the Form Design Pad. _______________ Word Left _________ [F7] Pressing [F7] will cause the cursor to jump to the next word (or other non-blank item) to the left. Word Right __________ [F8] Pressing [F8] will cause the cursor to jump to the next word (or other non-blank item) to the right. ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 26 FORMGEN II REFERENCE GUIDE ______________________________________________________________________ DRAWING CONTROL KEYS ____________________ DRAW Single Line ________________ [F1] Pressing this key will cause the cursor to draw a single line on the screen. When pressed, a notation indicating DRAW - Single Line will appear on the command line. As long as the cursor is in this mode, it can be moved about the Form Design Pad, drawing a single line wherever _______________ it goes. To stop the cursor from drawing, select [F1] again, or change to another mode using [F2], [F3] or [F4]. DRAW Double Line ________________ [F2] Pressing this key will cause the cursor to draw a double line on the screen. When pressed, a notation indicating DRAW - Double Line will appear on the command line. As long as the cursor is in this mode, it can be moved about the Form Design Pad, drawing a double line wherever _______________ it goes. To stop the cursor from drawing, select [F2] again, or change to another mode using [F1], [F3] or [F4]. DRAW Thick Line _______________ [Ctrl][F3] Pressing this key will cause the cursor to draw a thick solid line on the screen. When pressed, a notation indicating DRAW - Thick Line will appear on the Status Line. As long as the cursor is in this ___________ mode, it can be moved about the Form Design Pad, drawing a thick line _______________ wherever it goes. To stop the cursor from drawing, select [Ctrl][F3] again, or change to another mode using [F1], [F2], [F3] or [F4]. Duplicate Character ___________________ [F3] Pressing this key will cause the cursor to leave behind a trail of whatever character was under the cursor at the time it was pressed. (For example if a * was under the cursor at the time the [F3] key was pressed, a trail of asterisks will be drawn on the screen when the cursor is moved.) The Status Line will indicate Duplicate (*). As ___________ long as the cursor is in this mode, it can be moved about the Form ____ Design Pad, duplicating the character wherever it goes. To stop the __________ cursor from duplicating, press the [F3] key again or any of the other active modes - [F1], [F2], [F4] or [Ctrl][F3]. Erase _____ [F4] Pressing this key will put the cursor in ERASE mode. While in this mode, the cursor will erase whatever it passes over while being moved around on the Form Design Pad. When pressed, a notation indicating _______________ ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 27 FORMGEN II REFERENCE GUIDE ______________________________________________________________________ this mode will appear on the command line. To stop the cursor from erasing, press the [F4] key again, or select one of the other drawing mode keys. ([F1],[F2],[F3],[Ctrl][F3]) Auto Line Draw: Horizontal Single Line ______________________________________ [Alt][F1] This is a quick and easy way to draw a single horizontal line at the cursor position. The specific action is determined by the current FORMGEN II settings as follows: 1) The contents on either side of the cursor are sensed and the horizontal line is drawn only to the extent that it finds a non- blank character. 2) If Stretch mode is active, any vertical lines through which the new line passes are patched. 3) If Insert mode is active, a new blank line is inserted at the current row. Auto Line Draw: Horizontal Double Line ______________________________________ [Alt][F2] This is a quick and easy way to draw a thick horizontal line at the cursor position. The specific action is determined by the same parameters as for Insert Single Line. Auto Line Draw: Vertical Single Line ____________________________________ [Ctrl][F1] This is a quick and easy way to draw a vertical single line at the cursor position. The specific action is determined by the current FORMGEN II settings as follows: 1) The contents above and below the cursor are sensed and the vertical line is drawn only to the extent that it finds a non- blank character. 2) If Stretch mode is active, any horizontal lines through which the new vertical line passes are patched. 3) If Insert mode is active, a new blank column is inserted at the current column position, shifting the form to the left one column. Auto Line Draw: Vertical Double Line ____________________________________ [Ctrl][F2] This is a quick and easy way to draw a double vertical line at the cursor position. The specific action is determined by the same parameters as for Insert Vertical Single Line. ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 28 FORMGEN II REFERENCE GUIDE ______________________________________________________________________ Auto Border ___________ [Alt][B] To create a perimeter border for your form, press [Alt][B] and complete the prompt questions: 1 = single line border 2 = double line border First Number = columns wide, 80 = default (for standard 8½ x 11); maximum is 170 Second Number = rows deep, 60 = default (for standard 8½ x 11); maximum is 102. Delete Character ________________ [Del] This key is used to delete the character which is currently under the cursor. All characters to the right of the cursor (within the cell) will be shifted to the left by one position. Backspace _________ [Bksp] The [Bksp] key will delete the character to the left of the cursor. The character under the cursor (and all characters to the right of it in the cell) will be shifted one position to the left. Insert Space ____________ [Ins] This key is used to insert a blank space at the current cursor position. The character under the cursor and all characters to the right of it (in the cell) will be shifted to the right by one position. The right most character will be lost. Insert Mode Toggle __________________ [F5] This key toggles between Insert and Overtype modes. When Insert is active, characters to the right of the cursor (in the cell) will be moved to the right to make room for new text as it is entered. When Overtype is active, newly entered text will be written right over any old text under the cursor. This toggle also has an impact on the horizontal line drawing functions previously described. [Alt][F1] & [Alt][F2] ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 29 FORMGEN II REFERENCE GUIDE ______________________________________________________________________ Cursor Position Indicator _________________________ [Alt][Q] The indicator on the Status Line that shows the position of the cursor ___________ as it is moved throughout the Form Design Pad can be toggled to _______________ display five different protocols: Row & Column, Inches, Millimeters, Picas and Printer Points. Pressing [Alt][Q] cycles among the choices. During Block Define, the indicator is referenced to the upper left corner of the block, and so, measures the size of the block. This is handy for measuring areas on the form. FORM TEXT _________ Text material may be entered directly onto the pad simply by typing it at the desired position. The font that will be used will be the standard font for the configured printer. Vertical Text _____________ [Alt][V] FORMGEN II allows you to enter text vertically, meaning that after every character entered, the cursor drops one line down and places the next character directly beneath the previous one. [Alt][V] Toggles Normal/Vertical Typing. The Status Line will indicate Vert. ___________ Set Text Size _____________ [Alt][1] - [Alt][6] Other fonts can be selected by preceding the text with a font control ____________ symbol. The six available font control symbols are generated by ______ ____________________ typing [Alt][1] through [Alt][6] (smallest to largest). During printing, the print module will select the appropriate font from the resident printer fonts whenever it encounters a Font Control Symbol. The new font will be active until the module finds: three consecutive blanks, a line or shading character, or another Font Control Symbol. Download your printer fonts (for laser printers only) before using FORMGEN II. Check Circle ____________ [Alt][0] [Alt][0] (zero) produces a check circle (∙) or box on your FORMGEN II form. Depending on your printer, the check circle will either print as a box or as a circle. Arrow Characters ________________ A number of special arrow characters are available for use on your forms. ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 30 FORMGEN II REFERENCE GUIDE ______________________________________________________________________ The codes for these characters are: [Alt] 16 [Alt] 26 [Alt] 29 [Alt] 17 [Alt] 27 [Alt] 30 [Alt] 24 [Alt] 18 [Alt] 31 [Alt] 25 To get these characters on your form, hold down the [Alt] key, type the code using the numeric keypad, and release the [Alt] key. ________________________ Halftone Screens ________________ [Alt][7]/[Alt][8]/[Alt][9] Three background shading characters are available: light, medium and dark. Center Function _______________ [Alt][C] This combination will automatically center any text in the cell with the region of the cursor. Upon receiving this command, FORMGEN II locates the first line type characters either side of the cursor. These become the boundaries of the cell. If there is text within the cell, it is centered. If there is no text within the cell, FORMGEN II measures the width of the cell and places the marker () at the cell's mid-point. The marker is for visual use and will not be printed, or saved with the form. It should be noted that the center marker will disappear if the operator changes screens (i.e., with [PgDn]) and then returns. To find the center point of a blank line simply move the cursor to the second character position and activate the command and the center marker will appear at the center of the line. Left & Right Text Justification _______________________________ [Alt][L] and [Alt][R] These keys justify text within cells (see Center Text, above) respectively to the Left and to the Right. Place cursor on line of text within cell before justifying. Text Windows ____________ [Alt][W] Typing the [Alt][W] key combination causes a text window to pop onto the screen. If the cursor was positioned over an existing text window, its contents are displayed for editing. Otherwise, a new window is created. As the window is opened, a prompt appears on the Status Line ___________ requesting the definition (or confirmation) of the font to be used ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 31 FORMGEN II REFERENCE GUIDE ______________________________________________________________________ when printing the contents of the window. A selection from 1 to 6 may be entered corresponding to the fonts shown in the on-screen font table. These fonts are directly linked to the printer for which FORMGEN II is configured. The text within the window will use the position of the window symbol on your form as its left vertical margin, and will follow the contours of the nearest vertical line to the right of the window symbol for the right text margin. Deleting Text Windows _____________________ Text windows are deleted by placing the cursor on top of the window symbol and pressing the [Del] key once. Text windows may also be deleted during a column delete or row delete activity if the window is located on the same column or row as the cursor when the delete function is initiated. Moving and Copying Text Windows ________________________________ Text Windows may be moved by two methods: 1) Dragging the window by positioning the cursor on the same line as the window and using the [Del] or [Ins] key to reposition the window symbol; 2) By using the Block Move or Block Copy operation: place cursor on top of window symbol, press [Alt][F6] TWICE, move cursor to location where you wish window to be positioned (or copied), and press [Alt][F3] to copy the window (leaving original window intact) or [Alt][F4] to move the window from its current position to the new position. [Alt][F5] will delete the window. ROW/COLUMN FUNCTIONS ____________________ Insert Row __________ [Alt][I] Holding the [Alt] key while pressing [I] will insert a new row at the position of the cursor. The row the cursor is on, and all subsequent rows, will be moved down one position. Any text or lines on the 102nd row will be lost. (See also Stretch Function.) Delete Row __________ [Alt][D] Holding the [Alt] key while pressing [D] will delete the row which is currently under the cursor. All subsequent rows will be moved up by one. ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 32 FORMGEN II REFERENCE GUIDE ______________________________________________________________________ Insert Column _____________ [Ctrl][right] Holding the [Ctrl] key while pressing [right] will insert a new vertical column at the position of the cursor. The text and graphics in the column under the cursor, and everything to the right of it, will be shifted one position to the right. The contents of column 170 will be lost. (See also Stretch Function). Delete Column _____________ [Ctrl][left] Holding the [Ctrl] key while pressing [left] will delete the column which is currently under the cursor. All text and graphics to the right of the cursor will be shifted one position to the left. Stretch Mode Toggle ___________________ [F6] This key toggles the Stretch mode on and off. When Stretch is enabled, lines in the form will be patched whenever a new line or column is inserted in the form. The state of this mode will be indicated on the command line. BLOCK OPERATIONS ________________ Define Block ____________ [Alt][F6] Pressing this combination will allow the definition of a block for subsequent copy, move, fill, delete or extract operations. Move the cursor to the upper left corner of the intended block and then press the [Alt][F6] combination. Once this is done, FORMGEN is in block define mode and the only keys allowed are the four arrow keys. As the cursor is moved down or to the right, the block will be highlighted. When the complete block area is defined, pressing [Alt][F6] again will complete the definition and eliminate the highlight. At this point, FORMGEN remembers the coordinates of the defined source block area and is ready to copy, move, fill, delete or extract the block. Copy Block __________ [Alt][F3] Once a block has been defined, it can be duplicated elsewhere in the form by moving the cursor to the upper left corner of the destination area and pressing [Alt][F3]. ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 33 FORMGEN II REFERENCE GUIDE ______________________________________________________________________ Move Block __________ [Alt][F4] Once a block has been defined, it can be moved elsewhere in the form by moving the cursor to the upper left corner of the destination area and pressing [Alt][F4]. Delete Block ____________ [Alt][F5] Delete Block the defined block area can be cleared or deleted by pressing the [Alt][F5] combination. Extract Block _____________ [Alt][F8] The defined block can be saved in a file for later use as a stand- alone form, or can be merged into another form. Auto Fill _________ [Alt][A] The defined block may be filled with any character, including special shading characters by pressing the [Alt][A] combination. A prompt for the character used for fill appears when the keys are pressed. Enter the fill character or special character (shading, for instance, would be [ALT][7]) with which you would like to fill the block. The characters will fill only the areas which are blank or halftones, and will not overwrite lines, text or text windows within the defined block. Merge Block ___________ [Alt][M] Merge Block and Merge File are the same operation. Place the cursor in position that will represent the upper left corner of the merged block within your form. Press [Alt][M], enter the filename of the block to merge, and press [Enter]. The block will be imported from disk onto your current form at the cursor position. PRINT FUNCTIONS _______________ Print Form __________ [F10] This will print the custom designed form. Configure FORMGEN II for your printer prior to activating the print module. FORMGEN II prompts for the number of printed copies when [F10] is pressed; default is 1 copy when [Enter] is pressed. ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 34 FORMGEN II REFERENCE GUIDE ______________________________________________________________________ If more than one copy is required, enter the number of copies at the prompt and press [Enter]. Line Feed _________ [Alt][N] This will cause the printer to feed the paper up one line. This function is not available on Laser printers. Form Feed _________ [Alt][F;] Causes the printer to eject the current page, moving to the top of the next. Landscape/Portrait Switch _________________________ [Alt][S] This causes laser printers to change the print orientation between landscape (sideways) and portrait (normal). FILE HANDLING FUNCTIONS _______________________ Save Form _________ [F9] Pressing this key will save a copy of the form that is on the Form ____ Design Pad onto the diskette. Once saved, the forms can be recalled __________ for modification or printing at any time. For FORMGEN II data files, there is no need to type .FRM at the end of the file name as FORMGEN II will automatically add it. When Copying Form Files _______________________ If, in your form, you have used text windows, then FORMGEN II will save your form using two files: an .frm file for the drawn and normal inserted text portion, and an .FRX file for the text window information. When copying your files to another location using DOS or another utility copy program, use the wild card character (?) to transfer both files. type:> COPY filename.FR? B: [Enter] ________ If both types of files are not copied, your form will not print properly. Load Form _________ [Alt][F9] This Function will load a previously saved form design from the diskette into memory for modification or printing. FORMGEN II will ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 35 FORMGEN II REFERENCE GUIDE ______________________________________________________________________ ask for the name of the form. There is no need to type .FRM at the end of the file name as FORMGEN II will automatically add it. FORMGEN II will also load any associated .FRX window files. Merge File __________ [Alt][M] Loads an existing form onto the pad at the current cursor position. See Merge Block under Block Operations. Set Data Path _____________ [Alt][P] Allows the definition of a path to a separate directory for the storage of forms created with FORMGEN II. This definition is automatically stored and will be remembered from session to session. ENVIRONMENT FUNCTIONS _____________________ Help ____ [Alt][H] Help regarding FORMGEN II keys is displayed by pressing the [Alt][H] keys. FORMGEN II will display a complete list of useful function keys grouped according to function. This feature provides ready reference to all FORMGEN II functions. Clear Pad _________ [Alt][F7] Pressing this key will completely CLEAR THE FORM CURRENTLY IN MEMORY. FORMGEN II has a safety feature built in to eliminate accidental loss of unsaved forms. It will ask for confirmation before clearing the current form. Enter Y(es) to clear or N(o) to cancel the command. Exit ____ [Alt][X] This is used to exit FORMGEN II. If the current form has not been saved, FORMGEN II will ask for confirmation before abandoning it. Call Operating System _____________________ [Alt][O] At any time, DOS can be called from within FORMGEN II so that other programs can be run, files can be moved, a diskette formatted, etc. When the [Alt][O] combination is pressed, the screen is cleared and the DOS prompt appears. At this point, all DOS functions are available and other programs may be run (subject to available memory). ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 36 FORMGEN II REFERENCE GUIDE ______________________________________________________________________ To return to FORMGEN II, simply type EXIT at the DOS prompt. Configuration Module ____________________ [Alt][F10] Pressing this combination will load the FORMGEN II configuration module. This will allow the definition of: - video type - screen colors - default data directory - output port or file - printer type - printer carriage width - define the fonts for your forms (see Appendix A for more detail) __________ METHODS OF SAVING FORMS _______________________ When the [F9] key is pressed, a menu similar to that below will be displayed on the bottom line of the screen: Save File Type: [1]-Standard [2]-ASCII Text [1] Standard ____________ This is the standard and recommended method of saving forms for future modification and printing with FORMGEN II. The form may be given any eight character filename. If desired, a three character extension may be specified. If no extension is given, FORMGEN II will attach the suffix .FRM to the end of the filename. (ie. a file given the name SAMPLE would be saved as SAMPLE.FRM) If a file name is selected that is already on the data diskette FORMGEN II will produce a warning and ask if it is to be overwritten. Overwrite will replace the old copy of the form with the new copy. Choose Y (Yes) to complete this function. If the old form is not to be overwritten (and lost), select N (No). [2] ASCII Text ______________ This option will save the form as a standard ASCII text file, complete with carriage returns. This method of saving forms can be used to make them available for use with other programs, for creating screens for BASIC, etc. If no file extension is specified, FORMGEN II will attach the extension .TXT to the end of the file name. ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page 37 FORMGEN II APPENDIX ______________________________________________________________________ INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION ______________________________ SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ___________________ 1) FORMGEN II will operate on IBM and Tandy compatible PC's with a minimum of 384K of RAM (512K recommended). The system requires PC/MS-DOS 3.2 or higher. 2) FORMGEN II forms can be displayed on all monitor types. 3) FORMGEN II supports printers which emulate Hewlett-Packard LaserJet, IBM, Epson, or Tandy printer protocols. TO COPY FORMGEN II __________________ Follow the instructions carefully, step-by-step to ensure everything comes together correctly. To Copy to a Hard Disk: _______________________ 1) Put Disk #1 in the A: drive. 2) Copy the program files: type:> COPY A:*.* [Enter] 3) Put the second disk (if any) in the A: drive. 4) Copy the program files: type:> COPY A:*.* [Enter] 5) Go to the section on Configuration. To Make a Working Program Master Diskette _________________________________________ (For 3½" and 5¼" Diskette Systems) __________________________________ For 3½" Disk Systems: _____________________ 1) Place a copy of DOS in Drive A: and a new blank diskette in Drive B. Format the new diskette: type:> FORMAT B: [Enter] 2) Copy a file called COMMAND.COM onto the newly formatted diskette: type:> COPY COMMAND.COM B: [Enter] 3) Remove the DOS diskette from Drive A: and replace it with your FORMGEN II Program diskette. ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page A-1 FORMGEN II APPENDIX ______________________________________________________________________ 4) Copy all files contained on the FormGen II diskette onto the newly formatted WORKING PROGRAM MASTER. type:> COPY *.* B: [Enter] For 5¼" Disk Systems: _____________________ 1) Place a copy of DOS in Drive A: and a new blank diskette in Drive B. Format the new diskette: type:> FORMAT B: [Enter] 2) Remove the disk from B: and replace it with another new blank diskette. Format the second diskette: type:> FORMAT B: [Enter] 3) Copy a file called COMMAND.COM onto the newly formatted diskette: type:> COPY COMMAND.COM B: [Enter] 4) Remove your DOS system diskette and replace it with the original FormGen II Program diskette in Drive A: Leave your newly- formatted diskette in Drive B: 5) Copy all files contained on the FormGen II diskette onto the newly formatted WORKING PROGRAM MASTER. type:> COPY FORM*.* B: [Enter] 6) Copy the appropriate printer driver file (.DRV) to your working master. 7) Go to the section on Configuration. CONFIGURATION _____________ Start the FormGen configuration module: type:> FORM-CFG [Enter] Select Video Type _________________ This function allows the quick selection of the default screen color set which best suits the video card/monitor combination of the system. The available choices are: Monochrome - for a system with a TTL monitor such as the IBM Monochrome monitor or which use the Hercules Graphics Card. Black & White - for a system equipped with a color graphics card or equivalent used in combination with a composite monochrome monitor. Color - for a system with a Color, EGA or VGA type monitor. ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page A-2 FORMGEN II APPENDIX ______________________________________________________________________ COMPAQ - for a COMPAQ system that uses continuous gray scales instead of colors with a monochrome monitor. Set Screen Colors _________________ This function displays all possible color combinations on the screen in a grid that indicates the component foreground and background colors. Selections for each of the different screen functions can be made to suit your taste, and will be stored for program operation. Set Data Path _____________ This sets the directory where FORMGEN II will store form data files. If you want to store your forms in the same directory as the program files, you may just enter a period (.). Set Output Device _________________ This function allows the selection of a port or disk file for printed output. FormGen II knows what your system has and indicates only what is actually available. LPT1: For printer port # 1 (Most systems select this port) COM1: For communications port #1 or serial printer DISK FILE - to save disk images on disk Select Printer Type ___________________ This displays the currently supported printer types. Select your printer from this list by stepping the cursor down the list. In most cases, there are more printer types than will fit the screen. If you don't see your printer listed, try moving the cursor below the last printer listed. This will cause the list to scroll upward displaying more choices. Set Carriage Width __________________ This function allows definition of the normal print width of the system's printer. Once defined, FORMGEN II will break any form wider than the carriage and print it in a format that will allow later ``paste-up'' of the form. +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ IMPORTANT NOTE: If your printer is a narrow (8.5") carriage dot | | matrix type, you MUST select the 79 column width. Otherwise, your ____ | | forms will have periodic gaps in them when printed. | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page A-3 FORMGEN II APPENDIX ______________________________________________________________________ If a suitable driver is not available, or if you would like to extend the capabilities of and existing driver to better suit your printer, there is a printer driver editing utility included on the last disk of your set (DRV.EXE). Documentation is also included on the last disk (DRV.DOC). Set Screen Speed ________________ For fastest possible performance, FORMGEN II can write directly to the video RAM. With some earlier systems, this may cause ``interference'' on the video display, resulting in a small blizzard every time the screen is updated. If this is a problem, set this option to No. Exit ____ Type [Alt][X] to leave the Configuration module. When you exit, all setting will be stored automatically. IN CASE OF DIFFICULTY _____________________ Registered users can call our Technical Support Line at (416) 857- 0022. ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page A-4 FORMGEN II APPENDIX ______________________________________________________________________ ERROR MESSAGES ______________ All FORMGEN II warning messages are numbered so that a full explanation of the message can be found in this table. HARDWARE MESSAGES _________________ Error 5 - DOS/Internal Error ____________________________ This error usually occurs when a version of DOS lower than 3.2 is used or when the system cannot find COMMAND.COM. Error 24 - Device Timeout _________________________ FORMGEN II is not getting a response from the disk or printer. Make sure the device is turned on and ready, and that the port configuration is correct. This is common when printing multiple copies on a laser printer. Press any key to return to FORMGEN II when the printer has completed printing. Error 25 - Device Fault _______________________ A peripheral hardware error has been encountered. Check all cables, interface cards, status indicators, power connections, and operational readiness of the piece of hardware in question. Error 27 - Out of Paper _______________________ The printer is out of paper or the printer is not turned on. Error 61 - Disk Full ____________________ There is no more room on your disk. Insert another disk which has room for your form (most forms require around 10K of space), or temporarily exit to DOS [ALT-O], remove some non-essential files from your disk, and then return to FORMGEN II by typing EXIT at the DOS prompt. Now you can save your form. Error 68 - Device Unavailable _____________________________ Either the printer is off-line or unavailable to the system as currently requested. ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page B-1 FORMGEN II APPENDIX ______________________________________________________________________ Error 70 - Disk Write Protected _______________________________ The diskette or file has been physically or electronically protected so that new information cannot be entered onto the existing diskette or file. Error 71 - Disk Not Ready _________________________ The computer senses that the disk drive is either not available or it is not in contact with the surface of the diskette (probably due to an improperly closed drive door). If removing and reloading the diskette back into the drive will not cure the problem, check to make sure that all connections to the drive are tight. Error 72 - Media Error ______________________ Generally this indicates a physical or magnetic defect on the disk. Error 91 - Printer Not Connected ________________________________ The computer senses that the printer is not available at the output port. Check that you have selected the proper output port and that your printer is connected properly to the port. Check all cables to the printer. Turn printer on and ensure that the ``On-Line'' status light is lit. Error 92 - Printer Not Turned On ________________________________ The printer power is off. Turn the printer on and ensure that the ``On-Line'' status light is lit. Error 93 - Printer Not On Line ______________________________ The printer is off-line. Turn the printer on and ensure that the ``On-Line'' status light is lit. Error 99 Printer Not Ready ___________________________ The printer is off-line or the power is off. Turn the printer on and ensure that the ``On-Line'' status light is lit. Try the print routine again. If the error continues to appear, check that you have selected the proper output port and that your printer is connected properly to the port. Check all cables to the printer. SYSTEM MESSAGES _______________ Errors 301, 302, 303, 306 - File XXXX.XXX Missing _________________________________________________ A file required by FormGen II is missing. The program will not be able to run. ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page B-2 FORMGEN II APPENDIX ______________________________________________________________________ Errors 304 - File XXXX.HLP Not Available ________________________________________ FORMGEN II can't find the help file. The help function will not be available. Error 305 Warning! File print.drv Not Found ____________________________________________ FORMGEN II can't locate the print driver specified in the configuration program. Go to the configuration module [Alt][F10] and re-select the printer type from the list of available types. Error 311 - COMMAND.COM must be present _______________________________________ FORMGEN II can't locate COMMAND.COM. This is common when installed in a network environment. Call FormGen to obtain a network license and station kits which will eliminate this problem. Error 312 - FORM-PRT.EXE Not Found __________________________________ The print module is missing. Error 313 - Module Missing __________________________ A module required for proper operation is missing. Re-install the system. Error 321 - Insufficient RAM ____________________________ System memory is too full to allow DOS inside FORMGEN II. Error 322 - Insufficient RAM ____________________________ System memory is too full to hold the print module. Save the form, exit to DOS (using [Alt][X]), and then print: type:> FORM-PRT.EXE filename [Enter] ________ Errors 331 to 334 - Window Space _________________________________ There is not enough storage space left to allow the attempted window operation. WARNING MESSAGES ________________ Message 401 - Invalid Data Path _______________________________ You have defined a data path which does not currently exist. This is usually a spelling error or an incorrect use of the \ in the data path. ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page B-3 FORMGEN II APPENDIX ______________________________________________________________________ Message 402 - File Not Found ____________________________ The file you are attempting to load cannot be located in the current data path directory. Check your filename spelling, then the data path configuration [Alt][P] to ensure that FormGen II is conversing with the directory that contains the file in question. Message 403 - Bad File Name ___________________________ You are attempting to use an illegal filename. This is most commonly caused by punctuation symbols in a filename or a bad data path. Message 411 - File exists. - Overwrite it? __________________________________________ FORMGEN II is trying to protect you from over writing an existing file. If you are sure you wish to over write, then enter Y for yes. If you wish to discontinue the save operation, press [Esc] or enter N for no. Message 412 - File has not been saved... ________________________________________ Your file has not been saved since changes have been made to the form. Your options are to (1) enter N for no - don't abandon the form, Y for yes - abandon the form. Message 413 - File has not been saved... Abandon it? ____________________________________________________ Your file has not been saved since changes have been made to the form. Your options are to (1) enter N for no - don't abandon the form, Y for yes - abandon the form. TECHNICAL SUPPORT _________________ +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ For technical support, telephone (416) 857-0022. | | (9am - 5pm Eastern Time Zone) | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page B-4 FORMGEN II INDEX ______________________________________________________________________ INDEX _____ Deleting a Text Window 23 Draw a form 1, 2 Add Text 2, 10 DRAW Double Line 5, 7, 27 Adding text 1, 10 DRAW Single Line 5, 7, 27 Addition 20 DRAW Thick Line 5, 7, 27 Area Fill 20, 24 Draw with character 8 Arrow characters 18, 19, 30 Duplicate Character 19, 27 Arrow keys 2, 8, 25, 33 ASCII files 14 Editing a Form 9 Auto .i.Border 18, 29 Editing a Text Window 23 Auto fill 20, 34 Editing Text 10 Auto line draw 8, 9, 28 Erase 2, 5, 6, 8, 10, 14, 27 EXIT 17, 36, 37 Block Copy 13, 32 Extract Block 34 Block Define 5, 6, 30, 33 Block definition 3, 13 File Names 14 Block Extract 19 Form Feed 16, 35 Block fill 20 FORM-PRT 1, 25 Block merge 20 FORM.EXE 1 Block move 14, 32 Block Operations 3, 10, 13, 19, Halftone screens 1, 19, 20, 21, 33, 36 22, 24, 31 Border 18, 29 Hardware 4, 21, 25 Bottom of Pad 26 Help 2, 4, 12, 36 Bottom of Screen 26 Horizontal Double Line 8, 28 Horizontal Single Line 8, 28 Call Operating System 17, 36 Calling DOS 17 Insert Column 9, 33 Carriage Return 25 Insert mode 4, 8, 9, 10, 28, 29 Center Function 31 Insert Row 9, 32 Center Marker 12, 31 Insert Space 29 Center text 3, 31 Check Circle 30 Landscape/.i.Portrait 35 Clear Pad 36 Left Edge of Pad 25 Clearing the Pad 15 Left justify 3 Column delete 32 Line Drawing 7, 18, 29 Configuration Module 15, 17, 37 Line Feed 16, 35 Copies 3, 16, 34, 35 Load a Form 3, 14 Copy Block 33 Load Form 15, 35 Copying Files 16 Cursor movement 2, 6 Measurement 6 Cursor position indicator 5, 30 Merge Block 34, 36 Merge File 34, 36 Data path 3, 15, 36 Merging Forms 20 Define a Block 13 Mouse 2, 6, 7, 20, 25 Define Block 33 Move Block 34 Definitions 1 Move Cursor 25, 32 Delete Block 34 Moving the Cursor 6, 23, 33, 34 Delete Character 29 Delete Column 10, 33 Overtype mode 4, 8, 9, 10, 20 Delete Row 10, 32 ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page i FORMGEN II INDEX ______________________________________________________________________ Port 17, 37 Portrait 16, 35 Print a Form 3 Print Form 16, 34 Print the form 3 Printing .i.Text Windows 24 Printing a Form 16 Proportional 21 Right Edge of Pad 26 Right justify 3 Save Form 15, 35 Saving a Form 15 Set Text Size 30 Status Line 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 16, 27, 30, 31 Stretch mode 5, 8, 9, 10, 28, 33 Switch 4, 16, 25, 35 Syntax 4 TAB Left 25 TAB Right 25 Text & Travel 2, 5, 8, 10 Text Alignment 12 Text sizes 2, 11 Text windows 2, 3, 10, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 31, 32, 34, 35 Toggle 8, 16, 29, 33 Top of Pad 26 Top of Screen 26 Vertical Double Line 8, 28 Vertical lines 3, 7, 8, 28 Vertical Single Line 8, 28 Vertical Text 30 Vertical Typing Mode 5, 10, 11 Window marker 22, 23, 24 Window Memory 24 Word Left 26 Word Right 26 ______________________________________________________________________ (C) 1987-91 FORMGEN CORPORATION Page ii