›           Daisy Dot III›       Review By JOHN McGOWAN›     Reprint from  ACE ST. LOUIS›   A short review with some hints.››-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=››THIS DOC IS FORMATTED IN 38 COLS FOR›VIEWING ON THE ATARI EDITOR. COPY TO›E: TO VIEW.››Daisy Dot III is the new incarnation›of Roy Goldman's Daisy Dot programme,›a NLQ print processor for the Atari 8›bit computers with at least 48K.››This latest incarnation is written in›C with ML routines to speed up›processing.››             ----------››Daisy Dot III is available in two›flavours, the plain vanilla,›available as a shareware programme on›your favourite BBS, and the›chocolate-fudge version.››The plain vanilla version is not›fully compatible with the SpartaDOS›cartridge, nor does it allow multiple›fonts in a document. Other than that,›the two versions appear to be›identical.››The chocolate-fudge version is›available only from Roy Goldman for›$25 and includes a nicely printed›(reduced to 5x8) booklet on using DD3›as well as quite a few fonts (which›are, however, PD, and may be uploaded›to your local BBS, so keep an eye out›for them). The booklet has 21 pages›on using DD3 along with information›on using the font editor and font›utility programme. Unless you desire›to change fonts in a document (which›is a VERY important option) the plain›vanilla version will suit you as well›as the chocolate-fudge version.››(If you only use the plain vanilla›version, and have never supported›Goldman in his programming, you can›always just send him $5, $10 or›whatever to show your support!)››             ----------››          Comparison to DD2››Daisy Dot two supported 8 point fonts›(as compared to most printers'›9 point NLQ fonts) in a double pass›format.››Some printers can print every 72nd of›an inch (draft) as well as every›144th (NLQ and high density graphics)›by doing a second pass after moving›the print head down 1/2 pin (one pin›size being one 72nd of an inch). By›having a second pass, one gets extra›resolution and better fonts...this is›generally how a printer does NLQ›printing, however, most printers use›a 9 pin head using either the top 8›or bottom 8 (for descenders) pins,›giving an overall size (from top of›the tallest capital to bottom of the›lowest descender) of 9 points. Daisy›Dot II only uses 8 pins and so›produces but an 8 point font.››Daisy Dot II printed (using a›graphics dump) a first pass, then›advanced the print head minimally,›and prints the second pass. Under›graphics dumps, some printers (as in›their NLQ mode) a minimal advancement›may be 1/2 point (144th of an inch)›and so everything works out fine.›Some printers actually used a 216th›of an inch as a minimal spacing in›GRAPHICS mode. Thus they have the›CAPABILITY of using three pass data›and printing LQ rather than NLQ›(though their NLQ mode only advances›144th of an inch) (advancing 216th of›an inch means that in graphics mode›they can EMULATE a 24 pin printer!).›Both Daisy Dot II and DD3 only do›double pass printing (NLQ) rather›than triple pass printing (as may be›available on some printers) (LQ).›Thus they emulate a 24 pin printer,›using but 16 of the 24 possible›pins.›Due to the improper line advance›(1/216 inch instead of 1/144 inch)›under a magnifying glass (BUT ONLY›UNDER A MAGNIFYING GLASS) Daisy Dot›II print may show up as just a bit›more jagged than the built in NLQ›font in the printer, but for all›intents and purposes, it provides NLQ›print on the 8 bit.›(NOTE: I KNOW OF NO PROGRAMME THAT›ATTEMPTS ANY TRIPLE PASS PRINTING OF›WHICH YOUR PRINTER MAY BE CAPABLE).››Some printers (the StarNX10, but not›most epson compatibles) allow RAM›based NLQ (double pass fonts) and so,›provided a Daisy Dot II font is not›too wide for the format, it can be›converted over to a NLQ font›accessible from any application. The›new programme uses fonts which in›general are taller than 9 points and›so are not capable of being›transformed to RAM fonts for the›printer, and can only be used from›DD3 (unless you write your own›routines to use them).››             ----------››Daisy Dot II supported several›options NOT supported by DD3. In›Daisy Dot II, one could set many›default options from the main menu...›this was very nice for printing with›a font which required zero spacing›(say a hand writing font) and›switching to another font (with›different spacing) and reprinting the›document. Several of these options›are no longer available for›adjustment from the main menu›(spacing for one).››Daisy Dot II supported a very crude›method of including graphics›(VERBATIM) files. However the work to›include a graphic, and may the gods›help you if you wish to edit a file›with a graphic!, was prohibitive (one›had to put a form feed at the top of›a page before the first line, which›should have required printing the›file to disk loading in and adjusting›and then resaving). However, the›availability of TextPro version 4.54›allowed one to automate this›completely.››(for those using Daisy Dot II, here›is the method. In the following, [x]›means the x-key in INVERSE. First›redefine [left-arrow] to be ASC(155)›as a printer equate...actually, this›is the default, and you only have to›do this if you entered your own›configuration file which changes›this...make sure that EVERY page›after the first has as header:›   \N[left-arrow]your header text›and set your page length to 65. Thus›your page is one line short, but›EVERY PAGE gets a form feed so one no›longer has to find places to insert›it.›Next to put in a verbatim file that›takes up 17 lines with a title which›takes 2 lines, use:›   [n]19[+]17 My title first line.›  My title second line.\Vfilespec\›where the file spec is that of the›verbatim file.›The [n], conditional page break,›ensures that your graphic will NOT›cross a page boundary and the›allocation command [+] reserves 17›lines for it.›As long as you know the length of›your verbatim file, this makes›inserting it user transparent.)››DD3 supports NO graphic inclusion›unless you redefine a font to print›out your graphic and switch to the›font with the graphic... I am›thinking of writing a small basic›programme to allow the conversion of›several PS icons to characters in a›DD3 font so that, if you have the›chocolate-fudge version of DD3, you›can include PSicons.››Daisy Dot II allowed Bold face, while›DD3 has no such command. The only way›to emphasize print in DD3 is to›create a bolder font and switch›fonts.››             ----------››Such are the small advantages of DDII›over DD3. Now let us look at the›advantages of DD3.››DD3 allows much nicer, larger, more›complex fonts giving a much better›output.››DD3 allows you to choose the vertical›as well as the horizontal spacing.››In DDII one had to print the document›to disk, forcing one to know how many›characters per line were being›used... but if one changed spacing or›fonts, or even if one did not, since›the fonts are proportional, it was›impossible to guarantee that the font›would print out at all nicely. DD3›does its own formatting, and one›simply saves one's document to disk›with no line breaks letting DD3 use›the proper line breaks for each›line.››In DDII, one always had to turn off›justification on the last line of a›paragraph so that it came out neatly.›In DD3, the last line of a paragraph›automatically has its justification›turned off, and the next paragraph›remains justified if justification is›turned on.››DD3 supports centred and right tabs›as well as standard (left) tabs.››DD3 allows careful positioning with›absolute and relative shift commands,›as well as careful positioning of›headers and footers.››DD3 dox indicate that current formats›are applied when a header is printed›(for example if currently right›positioning is in effect, the header›will print to the right) but one can›change these in a header, and DD3›will re-enforce the defaults before›printing the rest of the document›(thus a header of \r\# will print the›page number on the right, but the›rest of the page will NOT be right›justified, but have the justification›in force before the header is seen).›Somehow I do NOT truly trust this!››             ----------››All in all, the fact that DD3 formats›its own text makes it much more›reliable than DDII. The fonts are›wonderful and the lack of graphics is›about all that I can see that makes›it not an excellent product. Thus I›can not rate it A+, but give it a›rating of A.››          -----------------›          -----------------››      Some hints on using DD3.››        The hard hyphen (\-).›I have never wanted to break a word›like well-done at the hyphen between›lines (like›                              well-›done)›and cannot stand soft hyphens feeling›that hard hyphens should be the›default (a hard hyphen is one which›does NOT allow a line break, but is›treated as a character). The DD3›hyphen is (in default) soft, so if›you want a word NOT to break at a›hyphen, use \-.››             ----------››            Line spacing.››The standard NLQ font on most›printers is 9 point with 3 points›spacing from the bottom of one line›to the top of the next. That is, 1/3›the number of points. DD3 does›spacing in 72nds of an inch (points)›but does NOT list the font heights in›points!›A font which prints out from the font›editor as 31 for a height means that›it uses double pass data, starting at›row 0 and ending at row 31. Thus›there are 32 rows, and as this is›double pass data, the height is›32/2=16 points.›Thus such a font should have spacing›of about (1/3)16 or about 5/72 inch›(use 5 in the vertical spacing›command).›In general, if the font editor gives›a height of "n" the proper spacing›(vertical) for the font is about:›               (n+1)/6›for single spacing.›(thus for n=31 in the above example,›we get 32/6=16/3 about 5).›The unexpanded DD3 fonts are from 15›to 31 in height and one uses a›spacing of from (15+1)/6=2+2/3 to›(31+1)/6=5+1/3›that is from 3 to 5 points (72nds)›spacing. The built in default is 4›which seems fine for single line›spacing, unless you are using a›magnified font. (NOTE: The›denominator of 6 in the above formula›comes from the 1/3 listed above and a›factor of 1/2 for the double pass).››For "k" line spacing (rather than 1›line spacing) for a font which lists›as height "n" the formula for the›vertical spacing should be (this is›the value used in the vertical›spacing command and is in 72nds of an›inch, the command is \XVnn where "nn"›is a two-digit (use 04 for 4) spacing›in points)››           (n+1)*(4*k-3)/6››(NOTE: DD3 cannot be set to do double›spacing...the only thing you can do›is set the single spacing far apart!›the equivalent of double spacing)››Thus for a font height of 15 (DDII›font height) and single spacing, we›get:›   (15+1)(4-3)/6=16/6 or about 3.››For double spacing with a DDII font›(n=15) we get:›       (15+1)(8-3)/6=80/6=40/3›            or about 13.››For triple spacing with a font which›is listed as height 20, we get:›         (20+1)(12-3)/6=63/2›             or about 31››NOTE: THE SPACING USED CAN RANGE ONLY›FROM 00 TO 33 SO THAT TRIPLE SPACING›WITH A 21 POINT FONT IS ABOUT THE›LARGEST SPACING YOU CAN GET.››             ----------››           Changing fonts››NOTE that if you have the›chocolate-fudge version and change›fonts, that the bottom of the›characters does NOT line up... the›TOP of the characters lines up!›Thus, unless you want such an effect,›it is best NOT to change fonts in the›middle of a line unless the UL›(position of character bottom...›underline position) value is the same›for the several fonts on the same›line.›Print your fonts out from the font›editor to check this (and I suggest›making up a table of the vertical›spacing to be used for single, double›and triple spacing).››             ----------››          The "Decimal Tab"››There is NO decimal tab in DD3, there›is only a right tab (which can be›used for decimals).››Suppose we have used \PR to put tabs›at three successive positions at›which we wish decimals to be›printed:››          T          T          T›        12.45     123.45      00.00›     12345.90       0.00      34.›       data      here01        x1    ››and wish to have a table like the›above printed (T indicates the›positions of the tab)›The two lines with data would be›entered as:›Line one:›\T12.\Z45\T123.\Z45\T00.\Z00›Line two:›\T12345.\Z90\T0.\Z00\T34.\Z››Line three:›\Tdata\Z\There0\Z1\Tx1\Z››The entry \T12.\Z tells DD3 to go to›the next tab (which was put in as a›\PR, right tab) and put in the data›with the decimal point (\Z following›it) at the right edge (the tab›position) then the following "45"›puts the "45" immediately after the›decimal point. The next number is›tabbed over to the next right tab and›the decimal point is put at the tab›position (the \Z after it) etc.››There is NO automatic recognition of›the decimal (as there would be in a›true decimal tab) but this is a RIGHT›TAB and one MUST flag whatever›character is to be at the right with›a \Z command (even if it is a›decimal).››             ----------››         Horizontal spacing››Since these are true proportional›fonts, and some of them DEMAND›certain spacing (such as zero for the›handwriting fonts) this cannot be set›in stone. But the non-proportional›NLQ in most printers has 2 column›spacing for fonts of vertical spacing›of 3 points. Thus, the horizontal›spacing, for characters of about the›same proportion (height to width) of›standard fonts, should probably have›a horizontal spacing of about 1/2 to›2/3 of the spacing for single spaced›printing. As reasonable spacing for›single spaced printing is about 4 (in›points) a spacing (horizontal, the \S›command) should be 2 or 3 for most›fonts. The default of 2 seems to work›well. Note that for fonts with other›proportions (very narrow fonts or›wide fonts) a different spacing may›be more pleasing (generally greater›for wider fonts).››             ----------››          Hanging indents:››A hanging indent changes the LEFT›margin, but NOT for the current line.›FOR ALL LINES FOLLOWING THE CURRENT›LINE.››Thus:›This is \XHHa test (more stuff)››Would print out in DD3 as:››This is a test (more stuff......more›        stuff more stuff.....›        more stuff.....)››That is, the left margin will be set›for the following lines.››One can also use the absolute form›(\XHnnn) to specify a new left margin›at "nnn" 40ths of an inch for›following lines.››To stop the hanging indent you MUST›reset the left margin (the \XLnnn›command).››             ----------››Hopefully this brief discussion of›some of the features of DD3 will help›any DDII user to use the programme›and at least whet the appetite of›those who have tried no incarnation›of Daisy Dot.›