<><><> PAGE Editor: A Review› ---------------------› by JOHN SEBASTIAN MCGOWAN for› OL' HACKERS newsletter.››Page Editor is a page layout›programme by Alan Kirk and was›written recently (Version 3.3,›October 1992) which is similar to›NewsStation.››Like NewsStation it permits the›creation of pages of 80 column text›including larger text and graphics›(converted from PrintShop icons).›Unlike NewsStation, it displays the›page as four panels, each of which›extends fully from the left to the›right of the page.›It has utilities to convert icons›from PrintShop graphic disks to›PageEdit format, allow the›importation of text from text files›(at one, two or three columns) and to›create 80 column print fonts from›Atari fonts.›The programme requires an Epson›compatible printer (top pin = 128)›with dot addressable graphics.› -----››The programme claims to be WYSIWYG›("What you see is what you get") and›IS WYSIWYG for graphics (and large›text), however 80 column text is ONLY›displayed in a standard font (though›it can be printed with other fonts).›The programme claims to work with›Epson compatibles and though it does›NOT work with most Epson compatibles›as written, it can be modified to›work with such.› -----› Setting up a page:› ------------------››To set up a page, PageEdit allows one›to type in text (80 col) which is›displayed in a fixed font (but can›later be printed with other fonts) or›to use large text, add clip art›graphics (PrintShop icons converted›to PageEdit format) or draw›graphics.›Large fonts (for which one can use›any Atari type font) are bit-mapped›onto a Graphics 8 screen (and so are›treated as graphics instead of›text).›The drawing capabilities of PageEdit›are fairly standard (circles, fill...›but the fill is a rectangular fill,›NOT a fill based on the edges of a›graphic!): but Graphics (clip art,›large text) can only be started at›byte oriented positions of the GR. 8›screen (every eighth position of the›320 pixel wide screen... as 80 col›text uses four pixels to display text›in an 80 col font, this is at every›other column of 80 columns of text).›To PageEditor each byte is either an›80 column text byte OR a WYSIWYG›(graphics) byte (large text is›bit-mapped from Atari type fonts and›is treated as graphics). Because of›this you canNOT overlay 80 column›text on graphics and any attempt to›do so will simply erase the›underlying graphic. Thus you have to›pay attention and set up your panels›making sure that graphics do NOT›conflict with 80 col text.››NOTE: That while one can use several›fonts for large text (as all such›text becomes bit mapped graphics),›80 col text will be printed with but›ONE font throughout the entire page.›Thus one can mix fonts for large›text, but not for 80 col text.› ------› PANELS› -------------››The creation of panels is straight›forward, and it is easy to add clip›art (expanded, flipped, inversed) or›graphics to your text above, below,›to the left or to the right (but›don't try to overlay them!). Clip art›(and large text... which is just›graphics) can be expanded, moved...›all the normal graphics type actions,›and blocks of text can also be moved›around. One can even import text from›other text processors. In short, it›is quite easy to create the panels›for a page... well done!› -----› Printing a page:› ----------------››PageEdit sets the line spacing to›25/216th of an inch in order to›provide a bit more spacing between›80 col text lines.›PageEdit prints 640 dots per line and›uses single density.›These two items occasion some›difficulty.›First, as the graphics are 8 pin›graphics (each pin taking 1 point or›1/72 inch), each printed line is 8/72›or 24/216 inch high (each line is›printed using a graphics dump on an›Epson type printer). Using 25/216th›(or even 26/216th inch) provides a›bit more spacing between text lines›(so the text does not look so›compressed on the printed page) BUT›provides small white horizontal lines›in the middle of graphics!›I STRONGLY suggest ( for use of›graphics) that one change this to›1/9 inch.›To make the change-consider line 800›in the PEPRINT.BAS programme. It has›the command to erase top and bottom›margins (in case your printer has›them set as printer defaults)›(,O) and then the command›,3,CHR$(25) (to use 25/216th›inch line feeds). I suggest you›change this to ,3,CHR$(24) in›line 800.›If your printer does NOT support›216th inch line feed commands, you›can use ,A,CHR$(8) or›,A,CHR$(8),,2 (depending on›whether your printer is non -2›Epson compatible or -2›compatible) to set 8/72 inch (the›same as 24/216th) or use a command to›use 1/9 inch if your printer supports›it.›While this will cause 80 column text›to be very slightly compressed in a›vertical direction (less space›between lines), it will make graphics›print out better.›The horizontal spacing is done in›line 880 of the PEPRINT.BAS programme›and is less easily treated. In›line 880 one finds the commands›,K,CHR$(128),CHR$(2) to choose›single density (,K) with›128+2*256=640 dots. While there are›SOME Epson compatibles for which›single density is 80 dots per inch,›on MOST Epson compatibles single›density is 60 dots per inch! At›60 dots per inch, 640 dots is›10 2/3 inches!›To get PageEdit to work on most Epson›compatibles you will have to modify›line 880. If you have a printer that›supports 80 dots per inch, simply use›that code (for example, on a StarNX10›one can change ,K to›,*,CHR$(4) to get 80 dots per›inch). If your printer does NOT›support 80 dots per inch but DOES›support 240 dots per inch, you can›replace the ,K,CHR$(128),CHR$(2)›with ,Z,CHR$(128),CHR$(7) (for›quadruple density, 240 dots per inch›with 128+7*256=1920 dots) and replace›? #N3;PRNT$(1,640) with:››FOR IX=1 TO 640:PUT #N3,0:›PUT #N3,ASC(PRNT$(IX)):PUT #N3,0:›NEXT IX:PUT #N3,155››(this may require adding a line 881›to fit everything)›(This prints blank dots surrounding a›printed dot and triples the number of›dots, blanks and printed, that are›dumped to the printer, hence the›change to 1920 dots)›(I have made the modifications and›alternate PEPRINT.BAS programmes are›around)›Either of the above changes will get›the printout of PEPRINT.BAS to fit in›8 inches (NOTE: IF your printer has›80 dots per inch as the default›single density OR you have a wide›carriage printer, you need make no›changes... though you MAY want to›change the vertical spacing as›mentioned above).›With the needed changes, PageEdit›prints out fairly nice pages. The›modification to 240 dots per inch›(and 1920 bytes for each line) will›slow up the printing... if your›printer supports 80 dots per inch, it›is best to make the change for that›density (as mentioned for the›StarNX10).›In printing one can choose whatever›font one desires for printing the›80 col text (these must be converted›fonts... converted from Atari type to›the bit pattern of Atari fonts is›horizontal and the bit pattern used›on the printhead is vertical). The›resulting fonts are single pass›8 point fonts (that is, similar to›DRAFT density fonts on the printer,›NOT NLQ fonts!). If you choose to use›a new font for printing the 80 col›text it will NOT be shown on the›screen version of the page panels›(the screen font must have only›4 pixels width for 80 characters in›320 pixels while the printed font is›8 dots wide... because of this the›printing of graphics from the screen›and 80 column text is different...›thus the difference between text and›graphics regions and the›impossibility of overlaying 80 col›text and graphics).›The resulting print out can take›awhile (depending on whether one uses›TurboBasicXL or AtariBasic and›whether one must use the 240 dots per›inch modification and print thrice as›many bytes or can set the printer to›80 dots per inch) and produces›results that are quite nice (for›draft density printouts including›graphics/clip art).› --------› WARNING!› --------››There is one caveat here... if you›convert most Atari fonts, the›printout will NOT look too good! The›reason is that, while an Atari font›supports a width of 8 pixels, most›are designed for screen display and›to avoid colour artifacting the fonts›are intentionally made "chunky" (that›is, one never has one pixel on and›the surrounding ones off, or›vice versa... this leads to›chunkiness: for example, the "i" in a›screen Atari font is:›› ** *›› ** instead of *› ** *› ** *››Because of this, one should either›design one's own Atari fonts for the›printer (using font editors) or›modify Atari fonts (for the screen)›to remove the chunkiness before›converting to *.TYP fonts.›This is a problem in converting Atari›fonts ("chunky" to avoid artifacting›on the screen) to good printer fonts›for any programme. Converting Atari›fonts to DaisyDot fonts or draft›printer fonts a la PaperClip has the›same problem. If you want a good›printout you must convert Atari fonts›that are NOT "chunkified," so most›Atari fonts will not convert too well›without prior improvement. This holds›for any printing of Atari fonts,›including the Atari fonts that you›may use in PageEdit for large text.)› -----› Comparisons:› ------------››In order to permit the overlay of›80 col text and graphics, or to have›true WYSIWYG (including the 80 column›text) one would need to represent›screen fonts by 8 pixels on screen,›limiting the screen to 40 characters›of width (on a GR. 8 screen of›320 pixels). To do so would require›two panels of width for each part of›the page, the panel format used by›programmes like NewsRoom and›NewsStation. Thus the latter two›programmes can permit greater›flexibility in creating page›layouts.››So, NewsRoom has greater flexibility›in creating pages... but PageEdit has›the capability of importing text›files (at one, two or three columns),›will run on 48K machines, supports a›ramdisk (if your computer supports›one) and is written in Basic›(allowing needed modifications to the›print module and allowing it to run›under faster basics, such as›TurboBasicXL).››PageEdit is easy to use and the use›of one panel across the page makes›for easier page layout (with a loss›of flexibility).›The documentation of PageEdit is›fine, except for the needed changes›for most Epson compatible printers›and a note that most Atari fonts are›designed for the screen (instead of›the printer) and to avoid artifacting›are intentionally "chunky" and should›be improved before conversion to›It is an easy programme to use and›CAN provide nice pagelayouts (with›modified fonts and the printer›patches) on 48K systems (with›graphics/large text, etc.).› -----› Public Domain Page Layout progs:› --------------------------------››There are other page editing›programmes (such as Antic Publisher›from the December 1987 issue of Antic›and the European›Digital Editor (Redacteur)) which›also use Graphic 8 screens and permit›the use of 80 column text. These›other programmes also allow the›importation of›MicroPainter/Illustrator files (or›parts thereof) and produce saved›files that are simple bit maps of›Gr. 8 screens.›There are advantages to this method,›since simple bit maps (rather than›separate text/graphics regions)›permit overlaying text and graphics.›However, to have a bit map of›80 columns of text on a Gr. 8 screen,›the font must be only 4 dots wide›(lower resolution).›One can use these other programmes›and only use 40 column text and›create Gr. 8 screens to print out on,›say, the left side of the page, and›another on the right side (using›BILBOARD to print the panels next to›each other rather than printing the›panels of such width as to take up›the width of the page) in which case›one can use Atari fonts of 8 pixels›resolution horizontally and have two›adjacent pictures with 40 col text›(for a result of 80 columns).›I do not know of a programme that›will allow one to take eight Gr 8›pictures and print them out as:›› PIC1 PIC2› PIC3 PIC4› PIC5 PIC6› PIC7 PIC8››other than using BILBOARD.›Such a generic print programme (if›one were to write one) would enable›the use of ANY Gr. 8 editor to create›8 panels for a page layout›(permitting WYSIWYG) using›Atari fonts for 80 col printing (two›adjacent 40 column printings).›Antic Publisher and the Digital›Editor (Redacteur) create GR. 8›screens with the option of printing›out the full width (limiting 80 col›fonts to four pixels in width)... but›CAN be used with BilBoard (or write›your own GR.8 screen dump) to print›adjacent panels.›Such a screen dump would allow any›GR.8 editor to be considered a page›layout programme.›The advantage of PageEditor is that›it supports (by having text sections›and graphic sections) full width›panels while still permitting 8 pixel›wide 80 column text fonts, and it has›the printer module written (perhaps I›will write a dump for eight GR. 8›panels which could then be used with›any GR.8 editor to have a page layout›programme!).››I have to recommend it for ease of›use and the ability to run on 48K›systems and supporting ramdisks...›but for more flexibility I usually›use NewsRoom (and spend the extra›time). For a good printout (taking›less time to set up and allowing the›importation of text) I rely on›PageEdit.› =====› END› =====›