DESCRIPTION OF COMPUSTITCH

   CompuStitch is a relatively simple and easy to use
program for designing and printing cross stitch
designs in your spare time. It behaves much like a
normal word processor, but instead processes
stitches. The editor uses a few WordStar commands for
compatibility and easier learning. This version
supports three colors and six stitch types: cross
(x), forward tent (/), reverse tent (\), bargello
(|), horizontal (-), and french knot (o). There are
207 different stitch combinations possible since
bargello and horizontal stitches can be combined with
the other four stitch types for outlining.

SETUP

   The first time you run CompuStitch you will need
to run SETUP. SETUP will ask you if you have a
Microsoft mouse, if you want the sound on, and if you
want the screen dimmer on. The last response SETUP
will ask you for is printer control codes to be sent
to the printer before and after each pattern is
printed. If you have a 132 column IBM compatible dot
matrix printer, you shouldn't need to enter any
codes. If you have an 80 column dot matrix printer,
you will need to enter the control codes to start and
stop compressed printing. Compressed printing and an
IBM compatible printer are required because each page
is 120 characters wide and uses the extended
character set. You may need to cancel the form feed
on your printer to avoid blank sheets of paper
between pages.

USING THE EDITOR

   The following keys and key combinations are used
in the editor:

[Up arrow]         Moves the cursor up one line

[Down arrow]       Moves the cursor down one line

[Left arrow]       Moves the cursor left one
                   position

[Right arrow]      Moves the cursor right one
                   position

[Ctrl]-[Right]     Scrolls the grid to the right

[Ctrl]-[Left]      Scrolls the grid to the left

[PG UP]            Scrolls the grid up

[PG DN]            Scrolls the grid down

[Home]             Moves the cursor to the first
                   position on the current line

[End]              Moves the cursor to the last
                   position on the current line

[SPACE] or [Ins]   Draws a stitch in the current
                   color and stitch type at the
                   current cursor location

[Del]              Erases the stitch at the current
                   cursor location

[F10] or [Esc]     Activates the pull-down menu
                   system

[Alt]-[F]          Activates the file menu

[Alt]-[S]          Activates the stitch menu

[Alt]-[C]          Activates the color menu

[Alt]-[B]          Activates the block menu

[Alt]-[O]          Activates the options menu

[ESC]              Closes the pull-down menu system
                   when it is activated

[Alt]-[X]          Exits CompuStitch

[F1]               Activates the online manual

[F2]               Saves the current pattern to disk

[Alt]-[F2]         Saves the pattern with a new name

[F3]               Loads a pattern from disk into
                   the work area

[F4]               Displays a directory of
                   CompuStitch pattern files (.CSP)
                   and loads a file

[F9]               Prints the pattern currently in
                   the work area

[Ctrl]-[K]         Block command subset keys
   [B]                Begin block
   [K]                End block
   [C]                Copy block
   [V]                Move block
   [Y]                Delete block
   [H]                Hide block (undefine block)

USING A MOUSE

   If you are using a Microsoft mouse, you can
activate any of the menus by clicking either button
on the menu bar. You can use the scroll bars by
clicking on any of the four arrow heads. You can also
change stitch types or colors by clicking on the
icons appearing along the right hand side of the
screen.  Please note that the current color is
indicated by the cursor color and the current stitch
type is shown below the mouse icons.  You can use the
auto stitch function with a mouse, although it is not
recommended.  The only way to cancel auto stitch is
to activate the options menu (Alt-O) and press
[Enter] on the first option.
   When using the mouse to draw stitches on the grid,
The left button will move the cursor to where the
mouse arrow points and draw a stitch.  The right
button will move the cursor without drawing a stitch.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

   CompuStitch was written in Turbo Pascal 5.0.  It
requires about 256K RAM, DOS 3.0 or higher, and CGA
or anything higher that is compatible with CGA (EGA,
VGA).
   Please let me know if anybody runs into difficulty
that should be fixed or listed here in the future.

END OF HELP TEXT
