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F L O D R A W
version 1.10
Reference Manual
Copyright (c) 1987 George Freund
i
Disclaimer
I offer FLODRAW as is, with no warranty. I will not be
responsible for damages resulting from the use or inability to use
this program. However, I will do my best to maintain FLODRAW
free of errors.
Trademarks
IBM and Epson are registered trademarks.
ii
Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction to FLODRAW 1.1
Introducing FLODRAW 1.1
System Requirements 1.2
Files Included with FLODRAW 1.3
Chapter 2. Getting Started 2.1
Installation 2.1
Backup Your Disks 2.1
DEMO - a FLODRAW Tutorial 2.2
Drawing Your First Flowchart 2.2
Examples of FLODRAW Documents 2.4
Examples of FLODRAW Libraries 2.4
Help Screen of Program Keys 2.5
Starting the Program 2.5
Chapter 3. Entry menu 3.1
Entry Screen 3.1
File Number 3.1
File Loaded 3.1
Error Line 3.1
Directory Display 3.1
Menu 3.1
Entry Menu Selections 3.1
Return to Edit [F1] 3.1
Preview Document [F2] 3.1
Load New File [F3] 3.2
Save File with Same Name [F4] 3.2
Save File with New Name [F5] 3.3
Print Current File [F6] 3.3
Print All Flagged Files [F7] 3.3
Setup Options [F8] 3.4
Load New Symbol Library [F9] 3.5
Directory Options [F10] 3.5
Switch Files [Alt-F1] 3.6
Contributions [Alt-F9] 3.6
Help Screen [Alt-H] 3.6
Exit to DOS [ESC] 3.6
iii
Chapter 4. TEXT Mode Editing 4.1
The Edit Screen 4.1
Ruler Lines 4.1
Menu Lines 4.1
Error Line 4.1
ESC Key 4.1
Text Mode Editing 4.1
Cursor 4.1
Cursor Movement 4.1
Drawing with the Cursor 4.2
Using the Tab Keys 4.2
Moving Around the Document 4.2
Menu Selections 4.2
Switching to DRAW Mode [F1] 4.2
Preview Document [F2] 4.2
Block Functions [F3] 4.2
Mirror 4.2
Rotate 4.2
Move 4.3
Copy 4.3
Delete 4.3
Font Menu [F4] 4.3
Small Font 4.3
Font Mode 4.3
Text 4.3
Draw 4.3
Character 4.3
Line Functions [F6] 4.4
Save Functions [F7] 4.4
Save Symbol 4.4
Save File 4.5
Merge File [F8] 4.5
UNDO [F9] 4.6
Symbol Menu [F10] 4.6
Switch Files [Alt-F1] 4.7
HELP [Alt-H] 4.7
iv
Chapter 5. DRAW Mode Editing 5.1
Cursor 5.1
Cursor Movement 5.1
Drawing with the Cursor 5.1
Menu Selections 5.1
Switch to TEXT Mode [F1] 5.1
Preview Document [F2] 5.1
Block Functions [F3] 5.1
Move 5.2
Copy 5.2
Delete 5.2
Line [F4] 5.2
Circle [F5] 5.3
Misc [F6] 5.4
Save [F7] 5.5
UNDO [F9] 5.5
HELP [Alt-H] 5.5
Chapter 6. Using FLODRAW 6.1
Using Tab Keys 6.1
Starting Your Document with a Standard Form 6.1
Drawing Organization Charts 6.2
Printing Documents 6.3
Chapter 7. Symbol Libraries 7.1
Creating Symbols 7.1
Editing Symbols 7.2
Creating Libraries 7.3
Maintaining Libraries 7.4
Appendices
Error Messages A.1
Library Charts B.1
Index X.1
Chapter 1. Introduction to FLODRAW 1.1
Introducing FLODRAW
I began development of FLODRAW several years ago as a
flowchart generator for personal use. But it soon developed into
an all purpose symbol oriented graphics program. Over time,
FLODRAW developed into a graphics program that I felt might be
useful to others. I introduced FLODRAW 1.0 in the spring of 1987
as user-supported software. This is the first upgrade to FLODRAW.
FLODRAW is a "what-you-see-is-what-you-get" graphics editor
that produces black and white diagrams on an IBM PC or compatible
computer. FLODRAW has been designed to handle symbols quickly and
conveniently. For that reason, it is ideal for documents such as
flowcharts, organization charts, system diagrams, and other symbol
oriented documents. FLODRAW is completely keyboard controlled and
does not support a mouse.
FLODRAW offers a choice of character fonts for entering text.
And you can combine text and graphics on the same document. You
can do basic graphics editing to generate lines and circles, and
you can edit your document at the pixel level if you need to (each
dot on the screen is a pixel). FLODRAW will generate lines and
arrows to help you create diagrams like flowcharts.
The FLODRAW program disk comes with a flowchart symbol
library. Additional libraries are included on the supplementary
documentation disk. These libraries include a HIPO symbol
library, an electric symbol library, and an organization chart
library. New symbols can be designed, saved, and added to the
existing libraries or combined in new libraries.
FLODRAW documents can be saved. printed, and edited again.
All FLODRAW document files are condensed to take up a minimum
amount of space on your diskette or hard disk. FLODRAW
supports three formats for printing documents.
1. Portrait 8.5 X 11 inches.
2. Landscape 11 X 8.5 inches (printed sideways).
3. Large landscape 16 X 11 inches (printed on two 8.5 X 11).
Portrait and landscape are terms that refer to how a rectangular
page is oriented. Portraits are upright. Landscapes are sideways.
Introduction to FLODRAW 1.2
System Requirements
FLODRAW requires:
- An IBM PC, XT, AT or close compatible. Some "compatible"
PC's may not be compatible enough to run FLODRAW.
- 320k of memory.
- A color graphics adapter with either a color or black and
white monitor. FLODRAW does not support the EGA, although
FLODRAW will run on an EGA in CGA mode. FLODRAW might work
with a Hercules board using software to emulate a CGA, but
I haven't tried it.
- DOS 2.0 or later.
- EPSON FX printer or IBM Proprinter. An EPSON MX printer can
be used for draft quality documents. I recommend an EPSON FX
printer for speed. Printers that are graphics compatible
with the EPSON FX or the IBM Proprinter may also work, but
you will have to try your printer to find out. Okidata,
Toshiba, and HP LaserJet will not work with this upgrade.
Toshiba and HP LaserJet may be supported in the next upgrade.
Introduction to FLODRAW 1.3
Files Included in the FLODRAW System
FLODRAW 1.1 is distributed with 1 program disk (disk 1) and 1
supplementary documentation disk (disk 2). Disk 1 contains the
following files.
FLODRAW.EXE is the FLODRAW program.
SYMBOL.LIB is the default FLODRAW symbol library. It is
distributed as a flowchart library.
OPTION.FIL is the file of user selected options such as
printer type and default font.
DEMO is the document used as a FLODRAW tutorial.
README.1 is an overview of FLODRAW plus instructions
for using the DEMO.
Disk 2 contains the following files.
FLODRAW.DOC is the FLODRAW Reference Manual on disk.
FLOCHART.LIB is a library of flowchart symbols. This is the
same library as SYMBOL.LIB on disk 1, except
this library does not contain the flowchart
heading symbol. You may want to design your own
heading symbol and add it to this library.
FLOCHART.PIC is a chart of all the symbols in the FLOCHART
library.
HIPO.LIB is a library of HIPO symbols.
HIPO.PIC is a chart of all the symbols in the HIPO
library.
ELECTRIC.LIB is a library of electrical symbols.
ELECTRIC.PIC is a chart of all the symbols in the ELECTRIC
library.
ORG.LIB is a library of symbols used in organization
charts.
ORG.PIC is a chart of all the symbols in the ORG
library.
MISC.LIB is a library of miscellaneous symbols.
MISC.PIC is a chart of all the symbols in the MISC
library.
LIBRARY.BAT is the batch file used to create and
maintain FLODRAW libraries.
SAMPLE.FLO is a sample flowchart document.
SAMPLE.ELC is a sample electrical diagram.
SAMPLE.FRM is a sample standard form for flowcharts.
SAMPLE.ORG is a sample organization chart.
README.2 is a brief description of the files on disk 2.
Chapter 2. Getting Started 2.1
Installation
If you haven't already done so, make a backup copy of the
distribution disks. From now on, we'll call disk 1 the program
disk since it has the FLODRAW program and the default library
file. We'll call the disks you use for keeping your FLODRAW
documents the data disks.
Instructions for running the tutorial DEMO appear later in
this chapter. After you've taken the tutorial, you can erase the
DEMO file from your program disk. You can also erase the README.1
file. If you need to refer to these files later, you will still
have them on your backup disks.
The only files required on the program disk are FLODRAW.EXE,
SYMBOL.LIB, and OPTION.FIL. When you run FLODRAW, the program
will look for SYMBOL.LIB and OPTION.FIL in the current directory.
For that reason, you must run FLODRAW from the current directory.
After the program has been loaded into memory and the two files
SYMBOL.LIB and OPTION.FIL have been read, they will no longer be
needed on the disk drive, and you can remove the program disk
from the disk drive if you need to.
The supplementary documentation disk (disk 2) contains
additional library files. If you plan to create and maintain your
own libraries, you'll find it more convenient to move the .LIB
files and the LIBRARY.BAT file to a separate disk or directory.
We'll call the disk with your library files the library disk.
Just a word on naming conventions. FLODRAW requires library
files to have a file extension of LIB. Symbol files must have an
extension of SYM. Your document files can have any extension you
like for example P01, P02, ... for multi-page documents. For
single page documents, we suggest using an extension that
describes the type of document. For example, FLO for flowcharts.
Backup Your Disks
After every session with FLODRAW, you should backup your data
disks to protect yourself against a disk failure. If you keep
your data on floppy disks, your DOS reference manual will tell you
how to use the DISKCOPY command. If you keep your data on a hard
disk, use the BACKUP command or any of the commercially available
backup packages.
Getting Started 2.2
DEMO - a FLODRAW tutorial
The FLODRAW tutorial is included on the program disk to help
you become familiar with the FLODRAW program. The tutorial is
called DEMO and was designed to introduce you to the important
features of FLODRAW in 15 minutes. Start the DEMO with the
following files on the same disk. These files should be on your
program disk.
FLODRAW.EXE
SYMBOL.LIB
OPTION.FIL
DEMO
Now follow these instructions to take the tutorial.
1. Put this disk in drive A.
2. At the A> prompt, type FLODRAW DEMO and press carriage
return.
3. Your computer will load FLODRAW into memory. FLODRAW will
read the option and symbol files, and then read the DEMO file.
FLODRAW will display the DEMO file on the edit screen. Then
just follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
Drawing Your First Flowchart
After the tutorial, you're ready to start on your own. The
symbol library on the program disk is a library of flowchart
symbols. So you're all set to draw your first flowchart. The
following instructions will help you get started. Let's assume
you have an idea for a flowchart. If not, you can make one up as
you go.
1. Put this disk in drive A.
2. Put an empty formatted disk in drive B as the data disk for
your flowchart. If you have a single drive system, wait until
the program has loaded before removing this disk and inserting
your data disk.
3. At the A> prompt, type FLODRAW B:MY_CHART.FLO where
MY_CHART.FLO is any valid filename you've chosen for your
file. For single drive systems, type FLODRAW MY_CHART.FLO.
4. FLODRAW will prompt you for a document format. Select portrait
for your first flowchart.
Getting Started 2.3
5. When the edit screen appears, let's add a heading to your
flowchart. Press HOME twice to move the cursor to the upper
left corner of the screen. Now press F10 to display the symbol
library. Press F10 twice again to display the last symbols in
the symbol library. Press F3 to select the heading symbol.
When the heading appears on the screen, press ESC to return
to the TEXT menu.
6. Use the TAB keys to move the cursor to the location of your
first symbol. Use Alt C to find the center of the page, then
Alt D to tab down to where you want to put your first symbol.
You can press Alt H if you forget what keys are used to tab.
7. Press F10 for the symbol menu again. You may have to press
F10 several times to find the symbol you want to use.
8. Remember to let FLODRAW draw the lines between symbols. When
you return to the TEXT menu, press F6 for the line function.
9. You're on your own, now. When you're finished with your
flowchart, press ESC to return to the entry menu.
10. At the entry menu, press F4 to save your flowchart.
11. Press F6 for the print menu. Press F5 until your printer
type appears on the menu.
12. Turn your printer on and align the print head with the top of
the page.
13. Press F6 to start printing.
14. After printing is finished, press ESC to return to DOS.
Getting Started 2.4
Examples of FLODRAW Documents
The supplementary documentation disk contains a number of
files you can read and edit with FLODRAW. All the SAMPLE files and
all files ending in .PIC are FLODRAW document files. The files
ending in .PIC are documents containing all the symbols in one
library. The files beginning with SAMPLE are examples of
documents created with FLODRAW. Use this procedure to load a
file.
1. Put the FLODRAW program disk in drive A.
2. Put the supplementary documentation disk in drive B.
3. Type FLODRAW B:filename to load the file into FLODRAW. For
example, to read the sample flowchart, type
FLODRAW B:SAMPLE.FLO
Another way to load a file is to use the "Load new
file" function on the entry menu. Put the program disk in drive A
and at the DOS prompt, enter
FLODRAW
When the entry menu appears, select F3, the "Load new file" function.
When prompted for a file name, type
B:SAMPLE.FLO
And FLODRAW will read your file into memory and then display the
file on the edit screen.
Examples of FLODRAW Libraries
All the files ending in .LIB are library files. The library
files contain the symbols you use while editing your documents.
Use the following procedure to try a new library.
1. Put the FLODRAW program disk (disk 1) in drive A.
2. Put a blank formatted data disk in drive B. If you have
already started a data disk, you can use it.
3. Type FLODRAW B:filename to load FLODRAW and read or start
a flowchart document.
4. Remove the program disk from drive A.
Getting Started 2.5
5. Put this disk in drive A. FLODRAW will always look for
library files on the default drive.
6. Press ESC to return to the entry screen.
7. Press F9 on the entry screen to get the Load New Library
menu.
8. Enter the name of the library you want to load. For example,
to load the library of organization chart symbols, enter
ORG
9. FLODRAW will load the new library and return you to the
entry screen. Now press F1 to edit your document.
10. Press F10 to try out the new symbols.
HELP Screen of Program Keys
While you're still getting familiar with FLODRAW, you can
call up a HELP screen to remind you of the cursor movement keys
that are available. You can call this HELP screen from either
TEXT or DRAW mode edit screens or the entry menu. Press Alt-H to
call the HELP screen.
Starting the Program
Let's assume that you have already booted your computer. Put
the program disk in drive A. At the DOS prompt, enter the
command,
FLODRAW
When the entry menu appears, you can use the "Load new file" function
to load your document.
You can bypass the entry menu if you enter the document name
following FLODRAW on the DOS command line. Prefix the drive
letter if your document is not in the default drive. For example,
let's say you want to create a document called MY_CHART.FLO. And
you want to keep the document on the data disk in drive B. You
would enter the following command.
FLODRAW B:MY_CHART.FLO
Since this is a new document, FLODRAW will prompt you for the
page format before taking you to the edit screen. After you
create the document, save it, and exit FLODRAW, you will use the
same command when you want to edit it again.
Chapter 3. Entry menu 3.1
Entry Menu
The entry menu is the first screen you see after the title
screen. The entry menu provides functions that are not used
during editing. The layout of this screen is described below.
File number. This number is on the second line of the entry
menu and determines which document you are working with when you
have more than one file loaded. It will be "1" for all landscape
format documents. When you are working with portrait format
documents, you can load a second document and switch back and
forth between them. The file number will be "1" when you are in
the first document and "2" when you are in the second document.
File loaded. The name of the file loaded is at the bottom of
the entry menu. If no file has been loaded, the message "No file
loaded" will appear.
Error line. The error line is the line below the entry menu
box. The program will report errors on this line. For example,
if you press a key that is not available on the entry menu, you
will get the message, "Try another key" on the error line.
Directory display. The right side of the entry menu displays
the files in the current directory. You can browse the list of
files using the PgUp and PgDn keys. Subdirectories are displayed
with a "d" following the name.
The following functions are available from the entry menu.
Return to Edit [F1].
Use this function to return to the edit screen. You can only
use this function if a file has been loaded.
Preview Document [F2].
Use this function to see a bird's eye view of the entire
document. A window frame inside the preview screen shows you
which part of the document appears on the edit screen. You can
use the cursor keys to move the window frame around the document.
Exit the preview screen by pressing ESC. The edit screen will
reflect the position of the window frame on the preview screen.
If you have two portrait format documents loaded, you can switch
the window frame to the other document by pressing Alt-F1.
Entry Menu 3.2
Load New File [F3].
Use this function to load a new document. If a document is
already loaded, you will overlay it when you load a new document.
If a document is already loaded and you haven't saved it, you
will get the "Are you sure?" message to give you a chance to use
the "Save" function before you load a new file.
This function will prompt you for the file name that you want
to load. You may enter any valid DOS file name. When you enter
the file name, you can also enter the drive id (for example, B:)
if the file is not on the default drive. If the file does not
exist, the program will prompt you for the page format before taking
you to the edit screen.
Three page formats are available. The portrait format is 8.5
X 11. If you use this format, you can load a second portrait
format document and switch back and forth between edit windows.
The landscape format is also 8.5 X 11, but is printed
sideways. The landscape format does not print as nicely as the
portrait format. This is because the line spacing has been
reduced in an attempt to retain the same aspect ratio for graphic
symbols as in the portrait format. Unfortunately, this can also
causes a problem in print clarity when graphics symbols or
characters cross a character boundary. You can avoid print clarity
problems in landscape format, if you follow one rule:
Avoid using the font menu in draw mode.
FLODRAW will override your option font with a slightly
narrower font that prints much nicer in this format. If you
override this font, some of your characters will overlap when
printed. Also, using the font menu in draw mode may place the
characters off their normal line position, so that a character may
need two lines to print. Because the line spacing has been
reduced, this can cause some characters to print distorted.
The large landscape format is 16 X 11, but is printed on two
8.5 X 11 that can be connected side by side after printing. The
large landscape format does not have the problem with print
clarity since it is printed as a double portrait.
Save File with Same Name [F4].
Use this function to save the current document with it's
original name. This is the most common way to save your work
before quitting FLODRAW.
Entry Menu 3.3
Save File with New Name [F5].
Use this function when you want to create another version of
the file you are editing. The program will prompt you for the new
file name. You can use any valid DOS file name. And you can
prefix it with the drive-id.
Print Current File [F6].
Use this function to print the current document. This
function will present a print menu with the following options.
Save with same name [F4]. The "Print" function will not
save the file. But you can save the document with this
option, if you like.
Printer model [F5]. Change printer model by pressing F5.
FLODRAW is set to default to an EPSON model FX printer in
a single strike mode. You can use the option menu to
change the default. Refer to the section on Setup Options.
Start printing [F6]. After you check that the printer
is on, and the paper is lined up correctly, press F6 to
start printing.
Pause printing [F7]. At anytime during printing, you
can press F7 to pause the printer. Pressing F7 again
starts the printer.
Stop printing [F9]. At anytime during printing, you can
press F9 to abort printing of the current document. You
will get the "Are you sure?" message to make sure that's
what you really want to do.
Print Flagged Files in Directory [F7].
Use this function to flag the current document, or to print
all files in the current directory that have been flagged. This
function is useful when you have several documents to edit and
print. When you save a document, the print flag is turned on.
When all documents have been edited, use this function to print
them. The program will search the current directory and print
every document that has the print flag turned on. After printing
each document, the program turns the flag off. This function will
present a print menu with the following options.
Toggle print later flag [F1]. Pressing F1 will toggle
the print later flag. If the flag is off, it will turn
on. If the flag is on, it will turn off.
Entry Menu 3.4
Save with same name [F4]. The "Print flagged files" function
will erase your current file. Use the "Save" option before
selecting the "Print" option if you are editing a document.
Printer [F5]. Change printer model by pressing F5.
FLODRAW is set to default to an EPSON model FX printer in
a single strike mode. You can use the option menu to
change the default. Refer to the section on Setup Options.
Print all flagged files [F6]. Pressing F6 will select a
menu of options similar to the "Print current file" function.
Pressing F6 again will start the search for files.
Pause printing [F7]. At anytime during printing, you
can press F7 to pause the printer. Pressing F7 again
starts the printer.
Stop printing [F9]. At anytime during printing, you can
press F9 to abort printing of the current document. You
will get the "Are you sure?" message to make sure that's
what you really want to do. Since the print later flag
is not turned off until after printing the document, you
can always restart this function if you abort it.
Setup Options [F8].
Use this menu to change the following default options set for
the program. When you set the options in this menu, they are used
by the program until you reset them or leave the program. If you
save the options with F10, the saved options will be loaded as the
default options the next time you load the program.
Set tabs [F1]. This option allows you to change the
position of the horizontal and vertical tabs on the
editing ruler lines. Pressing F1 to change the position
of the horizontal tabs will present you with an edit
screen. You can use all the cursor commands to move the
cursor to a tab location. Press F1 to put a tab at that
horizontal location. Press F2 to clear the tab.
Vertical tabs work the same way. Press ESC to exit.
Printer [F2]. This option selects the default print model.
Press F2 to select another print model. The print models
are discussed in detail in chapter 6. This option can
be overridden at print time.
Lines [F3]. This option determines whether lines are
continuous or dashed. Press F3 to change the option.
This option can be overridden in the F6 line menu in
TEXT mode.
Entry Menu 3.5
Arrow [F4]. This option determines whether arrowheads
are placed at the end of lines when using the F6 line
menu in TEXT mode. Press F4 to toggle between arrow and
no arrow. This option can also be overridden in the
F6 line menu.
Images [F5]. This option determines whether your symbols
will cover (delete anything under them) or superimpose
(underneath shows) when you place them on the document.
Press F5 to toggle between cover and superimpose.
Font [F6]. This option selects which of the six standard
size fonts you normally want to use when entering text.
Press F6 to select the font. This option can be overridden
on the font menu in TEXT mode. Remember that when you're
using a landscape format document, FLODRAW will override
your font selection with a narrow font. Your default option
will return when you load a portrait format document.
Save Setup Options [F10]. Press F10 to save your option
selections on the file OPTION.FIL. FLODRAW will look for
this file in the default drive when the program starts.
It will use your saved options to set the defaults.
Load New Symbol Library [F9].
Use this option to load another library of symbols. The
program will prompt you for the name of the symbol library. Enter
the name without the .LIB extension. The symbol library must be
on the default drive.
Directory Options [F10].
This menu has the following options.
Change default drive [F1]. The program will prompt you
for the drive-id letter. The directory display will
reflect the change in default drive.
Change search name [F3]. Press F3 to enter a directory
display mask to search for certain files in the directory.
The mask may contain the DOS global filename characters
"?" and "*", sometimes referred to as wildcard characters.
For example, if you only want to see files in the
directory display that have an extension of ".FLO", you
would enter the mask "*.FLO".
Entry Menu 3.6
Change current directory [F5]. This option lets you
change the current directory. It works the same as the
DOS command CHDIR. Press F5 and enter the directory
path. The current directory displays at the top of the
screen. Note that only 22 characters are allowed for
path names in this version.
Switch Files [Alt-F1].
Use this function to switch to the second file when you have
a portrait format document loaded. You have to have at least one
portrait format document loaded to use this function. If you load a
portrait format file, and then press Alt-F1, you will switch to file
2. You can then load another portrait format file using the "Load
new file" function, or you can transfer to the edit screen and use
file 2 as a scratch pad.
Registration [Alt-F9].
I appreciate your support.
Help Screen [Alt-H].
This is the edit HELP screen.
Exit to DOS [ESC].
This function will return the message "Are you sure?", if you
haven't saved your work. If you reply "Y" to the "Are you sure?"
message, the program will exit to DOS, and you will lose any
changes you made since the last save. If you reply "N", the
program will return you to the entry menu, and you can use the
"Save" function to save your work.
If your work has been saved, the program will exit to DOS
immediately.
Chapter 4. Text Mode Editing Screen 4.1
The Edit Screen
The editing screen provides a window to a part of your
document. While you are in the window, you can draw dots, lines
and circles, symbols, and write text. There are two modes of
editing available, TEXT mode, and DRAW mode, and each mode has
unique capabilities.
The TEXT mode edit screen lets you work with character areas.
The character area is the area defined by the TEXT mode cursor.
In addition to writing text, you can draw symbols from the symbol
library. And you can draw lines with the cursor keys. But all
TEXT mode functions work with nothing smaller than the size of the
TEXT mode cursor.
The DRAW mode edit screen lets you work with pixels. Each
pixel is one dot on the edit screen. In DRAW mode, each function
works with pixels, so you can draw free-hand and draw lines and
circles.
The layout of the editing screen is the same for both TEXT
and DRAW modes and is described first.
Ruler lines. These are the measuring lines at the bottom and
right hand side of the screen. They measure the text character
rows and columns that are available on the document. Tabs are
marked on these lines as the letter "t".
Menu lines. Two menu lines are at the bottom of the screen.
The menu lines define what functions are available at any time.
The menu lines will change depending on the functions you select.
Error line. The error line overlays the bottom ruler line.
The ruler line returns with the next key press.
ESC key. The ESC key always takes you back to the previous
function. By pressing the ESC key several times, you will work
your way back to the edit screen, then the entry menu, and finally
back to DOS.
TEXT Mode Editing
Cursor. The TEXT mode cursor is a little box about the size
of a character.
Cursor movement. You can move the TEXT mode cursor all
around the window using the horizontal and vertical cursor keys.
You can also move the window by moving the cursor against the side
of the window, or by pressing one of the cursor movement keys,
like PgUp or PgDn.
TEXT Mode Editing 4.2
Drawing with the cursor. You can draw lines in TEXT mode by
holding down the shift key and pressing one of the cursor keys.
Lines generated this way run through the center of the TEXT mode
cursor. Note that the TEXT mode line drawing function generates
lines the same way. To erase in TEXT mode, use the space bar.
Using the tab keys. The tab key is located above the Ctrl
key on the left side of the keyboard. Pressing the tab key moves
the cursor to the next horizontal tab position. Pressing the
shift key and the tab key moves the cursor to the previous tab
position. Pressing Alt-U tabs up and pressing Alt-D tabs down.
Moving the window around the document. You can move the
window around the document in two ways. First, you can move the
window one row or column at a time by pushing the cursor against
the edge of the window. Second, you can move the window by using
the PgUp or PgDn keys to move the window up or down the document.
Or you can use the grey "+" or grey "-" keys on the right side of
the keyboard to move the window right ("+") or left ("-"). You
can use the Alt R key combination to move right and Alt L to move
left.
Menu selections. The following functions are available in
TEXT mode.
Switching to DRAW Mode [F1].
The F1 key will toggle you back and forth between TEXT mode
and DRAW mode. You can tell which mode you are in by the shape of
the cursor or by the capitalized description of the mode on the
menu next to F1.
Preview Document [F2].
The F2 key will show a view of the entire document. This
feature is the same as discussed with the entry menu.
Block Functions [F3].
Block functions operate on a block of the document which you
define by marking the upper left corner and the lower right
corner. The function will prompt you to move the cursor key and
press the function key in order to outline the block you want to
operate on. The following functions are available.
Mirror [F1]. This function reverses the image of the
block.
Rotate [F2]. This function rotates the image 90
degrees. Due to the aspect ratio of the screen, the
shape of the image is distorted when you use this
feature.
TEXT Mode Editing 4.3
Move [F3]. This function moves a block from one
location in the document to another. This function can
also move a block between two portrait format documents.
Use Alt-F1 to switch to the other document when prompted
for the target location.
Copy [F4]. This function copies a block from one
location in the document to another. This function can
also copy a block between two portrait format documents.
Use Alt-F1 to switch to the other document.
Delete [F5]. This function deletes a block in the
document.
Font Menu [F4]
The font menu displays the active font and list the fonts
that are available. Any one of the six standard fonts can be
selected as the active font. FLODRAW will use the active font
when you leave the font menu.
Small font. The small font is smaller than the standard
fonts and the characters are placed proportionately
closer together. When you select the small font, the
mode changes to DRAW so you can adjust the cursor
position for the change in font size. After you have
moved the cursor, press F1 to change the mode to CHAR
mode before typing text. The small font can only be
used while you are in the font menu. If you leave the
font menu without changing back to a standard font, the
program will select the default font as the active font.
Mode [F1]. There are three modes available on the font
menu. Pressing F1 changes the mode. When you are in
DRAW or CHAR mode, you must keep the cursor more than
one character from the edge of the window. Change to
TEXT mode move the window.
TEXT mode. This is the standard mode for entering
text and is the same as TEXT mode on the edit
screen. The program determines how the characters
are aligned on the screen.
DRAW mode. This mode allows you to move the cursor
one pixel at a time. You can determine where the
characters will be aligned. You can enter text in
DRAW mode, but if you have to move the cursor, you
should change to CHAR mode.
TEXT Mode Editing 4.4
CHAR mode. This mode leaves the cursor aligned the
way you set it in DRAW mode, but now the cursor keys
move the cursor one character at a time.
Line Function [F6].
This function draws an arrow between two symbols. This
function works by looking for starting and ending points along the
direction of the line. This means you must have lines or other
objects drawn to determine the starting and ending points of the
line. The lines can be drawn in eight directions as shown by the
arrows on the "Line" function menu. If the "Arrowhead" option is on,
the arrowheads will be drawn in the direction shown on the menu.
This function has additional options and the status of these
options is capitalized on the menu line.
Arrowheads [F9]. Arrowheads or no arrowheads at the end
of the line. Press F9 to toggle between them.
Line [F10]. Dashes or a straight line. Press F10 to
toggle between them.
Save Function [F7].
This function has two options.
Save symbol [F1]. Use this option to create your own
symbols. This option will prompt you to move the cursor
to the following locations.
1) Move the cursor to the upper left corner of the
symbol, then press F1.
2) Move the cursor to the first cursor position
in the symbol, then press F1. This location
determines where the cursor will be set when
you call up the symbol from the symbol library.
If it doesn't matter, you can leave the cursor
in the upper left corner, and press F1.
TEXT Mode Editing 4.5
3) Move the cursor to the center of the symbol,
then press F1. This location determines how
the symbol will be located on your document
when you call it up from the symbol library.
The program will align the center of the symbol with
the cursor on the screen. The location of the
center is entirely up to you. The only
restriction is that it must be inside the symbol
block.
4) Move the cursor to the lower right corner of
the symbol, then press F1.
Next, the program will prompt you for a symbol name.
The extension must be SYM in order for the file to be
used by the library batch file that maintains the symbol
libraries. The file name can be anything, but I
suggest that you try to use descriptive names. This
will help you keep track of what is in the symbol files.
The program will return you to the edit screen after it
writes the symbol file to the disk.
Save file [F7]. Use this option to save the current
document. This option was provided here to make it easy
for you to save your work. Just press F7 twice from the
edit screen menu.
Merge File Function [F8].
This function merges a symbol or other file into your
document. You may have stand-alone symbols that are too big to
use in a symbol library. Or you might want to use another
document as a template or form to start your next document. The
"Merge" function will read a file from the disk and merge it into
your document. There are 3 options to determine how the merged
file will be positioned on your document.
Upper right corner [F3]. Use this option to position
the upper left corner of the merged file at the cursor
location.
Center [F7]. Use this option to position the center of
merged file at the cursor location. Remember that the
center of the symbol is defined when you create the
symbol using the "Save symbol" option of the "Save"
function on the TEXT mode edit screen.
TEXT Mode Editing 4.6
UNDO [F9].
When you see the F9UNDO function on the menu line, it means
you can undo the last function you performed. The UNDO function
is removed from the menu line if you write text or draw lines on
the document.
Symbol Library [F10].
This function displays up to eight symbols from the symbol
library that is currently loaded. You can select one of the eight
symbols to draw on the document, or you can request more symbols
from the library. The options for this function are as follows.
Symbols [F1 thru F8]. Each function key represents the
symbol shown beneath it on the menu line. If you press
one of the function keys, the symbol will be centered at
the location of the cursor on the screen. While you're
in the symbol library, you can use any of the tab keys
and document location keys to move the cursor around the
document. You can also enter text.
After centering the symbol on the screen, the program
will locate the cursor according to the first cursor
location defined for that symbol. This is usually to
make it easy to enter text. But it can also be used for
drawing lines. For example, the HIPO library contains
symbols for drawing wide lines. When you select one of
the line symbols, the beginning of the line symbol is
centered at the cursor, and then the cursor is moved
over one character to the first cursor location. By
repeatedly pressing the same key, you can generate a
line of any length.
UNDO [F9]. After you draw the symbol, you can "undraw"
it if you change your mind. You might want to use a
different symbol or change the location.
More symbols [F10]. Pressing F10 displays the next
eight symbols in the symbol library. After you get to
the end of the library, you will start again with the
first eight symbols in the library.
Exit the symbol library [ESC]. Pressing ESC takes you
back to the TEXT mode edit screen.
TEXT Mode Editing 4.7
Switch Files [Alt-F1].
This key is available only when you have a portrait format
document loaded. You can switch to file 2 even if you don't have
a document loaded as file 2. This allows you to use file 2 as a
scratch pad. You can design symbols on the scratch pad, and then
copy them onto your document in file 1. You can also exit to the
entry menu of file 2 and save your scratch pad using the "Save
with new name" function.
HELP Screen of Cursor and Tab Keys [Alt-H].
The HELP screen has key definitions for cursor movement, tab,
and document location.
Chapter 5. DRAW Mode Editing 5.1
The DRAW mode editing screen has the same layout as the TEXT
mode editing screen, but there are some differences in the cursor
and how it is used. These differences are described below.
Cursor. The DRAW mode cursor is a curved arrow that points
to the upper left. The tip of the cursor is a blinking dot. The
blinking dot is the current cursor location.
Cursor movement. You can move the cursor with the
horizontal, vertical, and diagonal cursor keys. The cursor must
stay within the current window. If you need to move the window,
you must toggle to TEXT mode, move the window, then toggle back to
DRAW mode.
Drawing with the cursor. Drawing free-hand with the cursor
is the same as for TEXT mode. While holding down the shift key,
press one of the cursor keys. To erase, toggle the F8 key from
WRITE to ERASE. The cursor will change to an outline of the DRAW
cursor. The cursor will now work as an eraser.
Menu selections. The following functions are available in
DRAW mode. Several are similar or the same as functions that are
available in TEXT mode.
Switching to TEXT Mode [F1].
The F1 key will toggle you back and forth between TEXT mode
and DRAW mode. You can tell which mode you are in by the shape of
the cursor or by the capitalized description of the mode on the
menu next to F1.
Preview Document [F2].
The F2 key will show a view of the entire document. This
feature is discussed with the entry menu.
Block Functions [F3].
Block functions in DRAW mode operate on an area in the
window. You define the area by drawing around it with the cursor.
The function is used like this.
1. First this function will prompt you to select an option
of move, copy, or delete, by pressing the F3, F4, or F5
key.
DRAW Mode Editing 5.2
2. The function will prompt you to draw around the area using
the shift key and the cursor keys. You can draw around
the area in any shape you like, but the line you draw must
completely enclose the area. The enclosed area does not
include what is underneath the line you draw. After
drawing the line, press the function key.
3. The function will prompt you to move the cursor to a
point inside the area you enclosed. This reference
point will determine how to locate the area. Press the
function key after you have moved the cursor. If you are
using the "Delete" option, this completes the deletion.
4. Move the cursor to the target area and press the function
key. The enclosed area will be moved or copied to the
target area. The program will align the reference point
in the enclosed area with the location of the cursor.
5. Press ESC once to return to the block edit menu, twice to
return to the DRAW mode menu line.
The following block functions are available.
Move [F3]. This option moves an area from one location
in the window to another.
Copy [F4]. This function copies an area from one
location in the window to another.
Delete [F5]. This function deletes an area in the
window.
Line Function [F4].
This function draws a line between two points in the window.
The function will draw a straight line or dashes depending on how
the "Line" option F10 is set. The "Line" option will appear when
you select this function. The function works like this.
1. The function will prompt you to move the cursor to the start
of the line, and then press F4. The starting point will
flash on the screen until the line is completed.
2. The function will prompt you to move the cursor to the end
of the line and press F4. The program will then draw a line
between the two points. Now, you have several options.
DRAW Mode Editing 5.3
a. You can continue drawing a line using the last point
as the first point of the next line. Just move the
cursor to the end of the new line and press F4. The
program will draw a line between the end of your
last line and your new point. You can repeat this
as often as needed.
b. You can UNDO the line you just drew by pressing the
F9 key. Your first point will still flash, so just
move the cursor to a new end point and press F4.
c. Press ESC once if you want to start a new line
somewhere else in the window.
d. Press ESC twice to return to the edit screen menu.
Circle [F5].
This function draws a circle or ellipse using points you mark
inside the window. The actual circle or ellipse can extend
outside the window. The function works like this.
1. The function will prompt you to move the cursor to the
center of the circle and press F5, or select the "Ellipse"
option with F6. Let's consider the circle first.
2. After you've selected the center of the circle, the program
will mark that location with a flashing dot. The program
will then prompt you to move the cursor to the edge of the
circle and press F5. The edge can be in any direction.
It doesn't have to be along the horizontal, although
that's usually the most convenient.
3. The program will draw the circle. You now have four
options.
a. You can draw another circle using the same center,
just by moving the cursor to the edge of a new
circle and pressing F5.
b. You can UNDO your circle by pressing F9, and then
redraw the circle by moving the cursor to the edge
of the circle and pressing F5.
c. You can press ESC once to start another circle
somewhere else in the window.
d. You can press ESC twice to return to the edit
screen.
DRAW Mode Editing 5.4
If you select the "Ellipse" option, you will need to define the
height and width of the ellipse in addition to the center.
1. The function will prompt you to move the cursor to the
center of the ellipse and press F6.
2. After you've marked the center of the ellipse, the
program will prompt you to move the cursor to the top of
the ellipse and press F6. You are actually marking the
height, so you don't have to worry about centering the
cursor on the vertical axis. The program will remember
the spot even though it doesn't mark it with a flashing
dot.
3. The program will prompt you to move the cursor to the side
of the ellipse and press F6. Again, you are actually marking
the width, so you don't have to stay on the horizontal,
and you can use the left or right side. After you press
F6, the program will draw the ellipse. Now you can do
one of the following.
a. You can draw another ellipse using the same center,
just by repeating steps 2 and 3.
b. You can UNDO your ellipse by pressing F9, and then
redraw the ellipse by repeating steps 2 and 3.
c. You can press ESC once to start another ellipse or
circle somewhere else in the window.
d. You can press ESC twice to return to the edit screen.
Miscellaneous Functions [F6].
There is only one miscellaneous function at this time. This
function will draw an arrowhead in any one of eight directions.
Press F6 to get the arrowhead menu. The arrowhead menu shows a
function key for each of the eight arrowhead directions. Move the
cursor to the location in the window where you want the point of
the arrowhead to appear, and then press the function key for the
arrowhead.
DRAW Mode Editing 5.5
Save Function [F7].
This function has only one option in DRAW mode.
Save file [F7]. Use this option to save the current
document. This option was provided here to make it easy
for you to save your work. Just press F7 twice from the
edit screen menu.
UNDO [F9].
When you see the F9UNDO function on the menu line, it means
you can undo the last function you performed. The UNDO function
is removed if you draw a line with the cursor.
HELP Screen of Cursor and Tab Keys [Alt-H].
The HELP screen has key definitions for cursor movement, tab,
and document location.
Chapter 6. Using FLODRAW 6.1
Using Tab Keys
Using the tab keys is the easiest way to ensure that your
symbols will be aligned correctly. The tab locations form an
invisible grid on your document, and as long as symbols are
entered on the tab locations, they will appear aligned and evenly
separated.
After you've entered any headings on your document, use Alt-G
(get nearest tab), then Alt-S (start line) to find the first tab
location in the document. You may want to use Alt-D (down) to
find the next lower tab location if you have several lines of
headings.
If you're starting symbols in the middle of the document,
align them with the tab locations if possible. You can find the
nearest tab location by pressing Alt G.
If your document will be a complex diagram, it's helpful to
sketch it roughly on paper first. Your rough sketch doesn't have
to be neat, but you'll find it's faster to start your diagram
using paper and pencil. Depending on the type of diagram, you
might want to try different designs using paper and pencil until
you find the best one. Then, using FLODRAW, you can concentrate on
making it neat.
You may want to change the tab marks if your symbols are
consistently smaller or larger than the size of the flowchart
symbols. You can change the location of the tab marks using the
"Setup options" function on the entry menu. And you can save the
tab locations so they will be reloaded the next time you use
FLODRAW.
Starting Your Document with a Standard Form
If you use FLODRAW to create diagrams on a standard form,
save the standard form as a separate document. Each time you
create a new document, merge the standard form into the document
before you start to edit it. I have included a file called
SAMPLE.FRM on the supplementary documentation disk. This file is
an example of a standard form used for drawing flowcharts. You
could also include the standard form on your symbol file. Here is
the procedure for merging a form into your empty document.
1. Put the program disk in drive A.
2. Put your data disk in drive B.
3. Enter "FLODRAW B:YOURDOC.FLO" where YOURDOC.FLO will
be the name of your new document.
Using FLODRAW 6.2
4. FLODRAW will prompt you for a page format. Reply with
F1 for a portrait format document.
5. When FLODRAW shows a blank edit screen, press F8 for
the "Merge" function. Press F8 again to merge center.
When you're merging a file into a document and they
are both the same size, it doesn't matter which
"Merge" option you use, or where the cursor is.
FLODRAW will align the merge file correctly.
6. FLODRAW will prompt you for the merge file name. Now
remove the program disk, and put the supplementary
documentation disk with SAMPLE.FRM in drive A. Type
the filename SAMPLE.FRM and FLODRAW will merge the
file into your document.
7. Press ESC to return to the edit menu.
You can easily create standard forms in TEXT mode using the
cursor to draw lines (holding down the shift key and pressing the
cursor key). You can draw long lines quicker by drawing the start
and end of the line using the cursor keys, then using the "Line"
function to fill in the middle. Press F6 for the "Line" function,
then press F9 to toggle the ARROW option off, before selecting
your line option.
Drawing Organization Charts
You can draw organization charts using one of the flowchart
box symbols. Or you can load the library ORG.LIB that contains an
assortment of organization chart symbols. I've included an
example of an organization chart on the supplementary
documentation disk called SAMPLE.ORG. To illustrate how to draw
organization charts quickly, here is the procedure to draw a
simple two level chart. Our example has a president at the top
level and two vice-presidents at the second level. First we'll
draw the boxes. Then we'll draw the connecting lines, and
finally, we'll fill in the text. In this example, we'll use the
box symbol from the flowchart library in SYMBOL.LIB.
We'll draw the chart using the TEXT mode edit screen. The
symbols have been designed so that the lines drawn with the TEXT
mode cursor will connect with the lines of the symbol.
1. Draw the box for the president.
a. Press F10 to bring up the symbol menu.
b. Position the cursor at the location for the first
chart entry by pressing Alt C for center, then
Alt G for get nearest tab. Press F1 to draw the
box.
Using FLODRAW 6.3
2. Draw the box for the first vice-president.
a. Press Alt-D to tab down to the second level.
b. Tab left to position the cursor for the first box
on the second level, and press F1 to draw the box.
3. Draw the box for the second vice-president.
Tab right twice and press F1 to draw the second box.
4. Draw the lines connecting the boxes using the shift
key and the TEXT mode cursor.
5. Now finish by adding text to the boxes.
Printing Documents
FLODRAW uses the entire area of a document as the drawing
area. This means you must allow for your own margin space at the
top, bottom, and sides, if you expect to see margins on your
printed document. For example, if you want a 1 inch margin on the
left side of the document for a 3 hole punch, you would leave the
first 10 columns of the document blank.
Since row 1 is at the top of the page, you will normally
start your drawing several rows below 1 to give your document a
margin at the top of the page. Make sure the print head is
aligned with top of the paper before printing, so that the first
several blank rows will provide the margin you expect.
Printer Support
Due to differences in printer design between makes and models
of printers, FLODRAW will not support all printers. This release
supports the EPSON MX and FX and the IBM Proprinter. I will try
to add more printers with each upgrade. For printers that FLODRAW
does support, here are some guidelines for selecting printer
modes.
EPSON FX - FLODRAW was originally designed to work with the
FX printer's CRT graphics mode (640 dots per 80
character line). It's the fastest print mode
supported and the print quality is good. It's
called single strike on the print menu.
The bold strike uses quad density (1920 dots per
80 character line), but takes 3 times as long.
However, the print quality is very good.
Using FLODRAW 6.4
Average time for portrait format chart
Single strike - 3 min.
Bold strike - 9 min.
EPSON MX - FLODRAW uses the double density bit mode on the MX
printer (960 dots per 80 character line).
Unfortunately, this produces an uneven print
quality which is only fair at best. But it's
acceptable for draft quality. This is the only
print mode for the MX printer.
Average time for portrait format chart - 10 min.
IBM Proprinter - FLODRAW uses quad density (1920 dots per 80
character line) for both single strike and bold
strike on this printer. So the print time will
be the same. If you have a Proprinter, try both
modes and select the one you like best. Print
quality is good to very good.
Average time for portrait format chart
Single strike - 9 min.
Bold strike - 9 min.
I have made some changes to the EPSON FX printer driver to
make it more compatible with other EPSON printers. If your
printer is not listed here, try using the EPSON FX model in bold
strike first. If you can't get your printer to work with FLODRAW,
send me a postcard with your printer model. I'll let you know if
I have plans to support it.
Chapter 7. Symbol Libraries 7.1
Symbols are diagrams that may be used repeatedly when drawing
a document. Usually, they're small, since the program was
designed to display small symbols. However, symbols could be the
size of the document itself. This program makes it easy to draw
documents that require the use of standard symbols. For example,
drawing an electrical diagram may require the same drawing of a
resistor several times. By having the resistor symbol already
stored in the computer's memory, you can call it up whenever you
need it. This saves the time of drawing it or copying it each
time you need a diagram of a resistor.
A symbol library is a collection of symbol files in one file.
A symbol library usually contains symbols that are related or used
in the same application. For example, the symbol library called
FLOCHART.LIB contains symbols that are used to draw computer
system flowcharts. A DOS batch file called LIBRARY.BAT is used to
collect the symbol files into a single file. I'll discuss how
you can create your own symbols and then add them to a library.
Creating Symbols
You create symbols while you're editing a document. It
doesn't matter whether you're working on a document and suddenly
realize you need a symbol. Or you have an idea for a library of
symbols, and just want to bring up the edit screen to create
symbols. The procedure is the same.
If you are already in the edit screen of a document, you're
ready to start. If you aren't working on a document, and just
want to create symbols for later use, start FLODRAW and use the
name of any file, say TEMP (for temporary). We won't save the
temporary file. It will just provide us with an area to work in.
If you are working with a portrait format document, you might
want to toggle to TEXT mode, and then press Alt-F1 to switch to
file 2. This will provide you with a large scratch pad to design
your symbol, so you don't mess up your document by mistake. After
you've completed the symbol and saved it, you can move it back to
your document in file 1.
Now you can design your symbol using the drawing tools in
FLODRAW. Let's say you want to create a library of symbols for
documents describing how furniture should be arranged in a room.
One of the symbols you will need will be a chair. So, in our
example, you will draw a symbol of a chair and call it CHAIR.SYM.
Symbols must have an extension of SYM in order to be recognized by
the batch file, LIBRARY.BAT.
Symbol Libraries 7.2
After you have drawn the symbol for the chair, toggle to TEXT
mode if you're not already in TEXT mode. Press F7 for the "Save"
function. Then press F1 for the"Save symbol" option. The "Save
symbol" option will prompt you for the following cursor locations.
1. The upper left corner of the symbol. Symbols are always
stored as rectangular blocks. Move the cursor to the upper
left corner of the symbol. The cursor row and column define
the top row and left column of the symbol. Then press F1.
2. The first cursor location in the symbol. When the program
draws the symbol on a document, if will locate the cursor
inside the symbol at the location you specify here. This is
handy if you expect to write text inside the symbol. You can
have the cursor appear at the first character location for
text. If you don't care where the cursor appears, you can
leave it at the upper left corner. Press F1 to continue.
3. The middle of the symbol. This is a reference point for
locating the symbol. When the program draws the symbol, it
will align the middle of the symbol with the location of the
cursor. This is usually in the middle of the symbol, but it
doesn't have to be. Press F1 to continue.
4. The lower right corner of the symbol. The cursor row and
column will define the bottom row and right column of the
symbol. Press F1.
5. The name of the symbol. In our example, we would enter
CHAIR.SYM. And our symbol for the chair is saved as
CHAIR.SYM on the default drive.
6. To verify that you have successfully saved the symbol the
way you wanted to, use the "Merge" function. Select the
"Merge" option to center the symbol, and move the cursor
to an empty area of the document or scratch pad. When
prompted for the name, enter CHAIR.SYM. You should now
see your symbol displayed on the document.
Editing Symbols
You can edit a symbol by merging it into a document, or by
editing the symbol file itself. In either case, when you save the
symbol, you have to use the "Save symbol" option of the "Save"
function in TEXT mode, and you will have to enter all the
locations required by the "Save symbol" option. If you try to use
the "Save file" option, you will save the whole document, rather
than just the symbol.
Symbol Libraries 7.3
Where possible, use the TEXT mode line drawing option.
You'll find it's faster and easier to correct symbols drawn in
TEXT mode.
Creating Libraries
You use the batch file LIBRARY.BAT to add symbols to a new or
existing library. LIBRARY.BAT will work with 8 symbols at a time,
but your symbol library can be much larger than that. The symbol
library can be as large as 16k which is large enough for
thirty-two 500-byte symbols, although most symbols are only
several hundred bytes. FLODRAW will allow up to 64 symbols in a
library.
Let's call your library ROOM.LIB. Let's say you've created
three symbols for your library. And those symbols are called
CHAIR.SYM, TABLE.SYM, SOFA.SYM. You'll use LIBRARY.BAT to create
your library like this.
1. Put your three symbol files and the LIBRARY.BAT file on
a new disk that we'll call a library disk. If you're
going to create your own symbol libraries, you'll find
it more convenient to have all your library files, your
symbol files, and LIBRARY.BAT on one disk.
2. Run the batch file with the following command. We'll
assume you will run the batch file from the default drive.
LIBRARY ROOM CHAIR TABLE SOFA
This command executes the batch file LIBRARY.BAT to add
to or create a library called ROOM.LIB using the symbol
files CHAIR.SYM, TABLE.SYM, and SOFA.SYM.
3. The batch file will look for the library ROOM.LIB, and
when it can't find it, it will create a new library using
your three symbol files. Before it creates the library,
it will tell you what it's going to do. You can abort
the batch command at this point and start over.
After you have created the library ROOM.LIB, you are
ready to use it. When you want to use these library
symbols in a document, select the "Load new symbol
library" function from the entry menu. This function
will prompt you for the library name. Put your library
disk in drive A and answer the program prompt with
"ROOM". The program will load the library, and you can
return to the edit screen to use the symbols in library
ROOM.
Symbol Libraries 7.4
You can also make any library the default library that
the program loads at start-up. The default library is
called SYMBOL.LIB. SYMBOL.LIB is distributed as
a copy of FLOCHART.LIB. You can change SYMBOL.LIB to
another library simply by copying your library to
SYMBOL.LIB. Since SYMBOL.LIB must be on your program
disk, let's say you're going to copy ROOM.LIB from your
library disk in drive B to your program disk in drive
A. Type in the following DOS command.
COPY B:ROOM.LIB A:SYMBOL.LIB
This command copies the library file ROOM.LIB to the
default library file SYMBOL.LIB. The next time you use
FLODRAW, the library ROOM.LIB will be loaded as the
default library.
Maintaining Libraries
After you have created a library, you can still add symbols
to it. Use the batch file LIBRARY.BAT the same way as you used to
create a new library. As an example, suppose you created two new
symbols for your library, ROOM.LIB. These symbols are LIGHT.SYM
and DESK.SYM. To add these symbols to your library, copy the
symbols to the library disk. Then type the following DOS command.
LIBRARY ROOM LIGHT DESK
This command will execute the batch file LIBRARY.BAT. LIBRARY.BAT
will look for the library file ROOM.LIB, and finding it, will prepare
to add your symbol files to it. LIBRARY.BAT will prompt you to
continue before it actually adds the symbols to the library.
If you want to replace a symbol in the library, you must
delete the old library and recreate it from the beginning using
the replacement symbol. If you want to change the sequence that
the symbols appear on the symbol menu, you must also delete the
old library. You can then recreate it by entering the symbols in
the sequence you want them to display on the symbol menu.
You can create the original symbol files by editing the PIC
files using FLODRAW. The PIC files are library charts containing
descriptions of all the original library symbols. You can create
a symbol file from each symbol using the "Save symbol" option of
the "Save" function. I did not include the symbol files with the
FLODRAW system. It is much easier to package the symbols in
charts rather than individual symbol files.
Appendix A - Error Messages A.1
When FLODRAW detects an error, it beeps to get your
attention, then displays a message on the error line. The error
line is at the bottom of the entry menu or on the ruler line if
you're in the edit screen. The format of the error message is:
(error number) (error description)
This is a list of the possible errors. An explanation is
supplied following the description.
001 A graphics monitor is required.
FLODRAW will only work with a monitor driven by a color
graphics adapter.
003 Try another key.
Not all key presses are valid with each menu. Look at
the menu line for a list of valid function keys. ESC
will work at any time to take you back to the previous
screen.
006 File name invalid.
The name you entered as a file name is not a valid DOS
file name. Follow the rules for naming DOS files.
008 Write unsuccessful - disk full.
There is not enough space on the disk to save your
document file. Use a disk with sufficient free space.
009 Temporary file could not be deleted.
FLODRAW tried to delete a temporary file that you did not
want to save, but could not. You can delete the file
yourself with the DOS ERASE command.
010 File cannot be found.
Your file name cannot be found in the current directory.
Check that you spelled the name correctly.
011 Cannot find end of line.
FLODRAW is trying to generate a line but cannot find a
starting or ending point for the line.
013 Second cursor entry is invalid.
The function you are using requires that the cursor
location be within certain bounds.
Appendix A.2
015 Symbol is too close to edge of screen
FLODRAW won't draw a character of arrowhead if it is
too close to the edge of the screen. Move the window
so you won't be as close to the edge of the screen.
021 Symbol library is too large to load.
You are trying to load a symbol library that is larger
than the space available.
022 This is not a FLODRAW file.
You have tried to load a document that did not come from
the FLODRAW system.
023 Too many symbols in library.
You are trying to load a library that has more symbols
than FLODRAW can handle.
024 Symbol too large to load.
You are trying to load a library that has a symbol too
large for FLODRAW to handle.
026 File is too large to load.
You are trying to load a file that is larger than the
current document. This would occur if you tried to
merge a sideways document into a standard document.
027 Error saving block. Please retry.
FLODRAW was not successful with the last "Save" function.
031 No files found in directory.
The current directory has no files in it.
032 Invalid drive letter.
You have specified a drive letter that is not on your
system.
033 Scratch file-save with entry menu.
You are trying to use the "Save" function on the edit
screen with a file that has not been named. Return to
the entry menu and use the "Save with new name"
function.
108 Bottom of page.
You have reached the bottom of the document.
109 Top of page.
You have reached the top to the document.
110 Right side of page.
You have reached the right side of the document.
Appendix A.3
111 Left side of page.
You have reached the left side of the document.
121 2nd file is not active.
You are trying to switch to the 2nd file, but you can
only do it if you have at least portrait format
document loaded.
201 Subject too large to copy or move.
You are trying to use the TEXT mode "Copy" or "Move"
block function, but your block is too big for FLODRAW
to handle.
205 Subject too large to save for undo
You are trying to use a function that would allow you to
use the UNDO function, but there is not enough room.
Retry with a smaller block.
211 Check line boundary or reference point.
You are trying to do a DRAW mode block function, but you
did not completely enclose your subject, or you did not
set the reference point inside the enclosure.
901-999 are reserved for system error messages.
Appendix B - Library charts B.1
It's a good idea to document your library symbols. To get
you started, I've included library charts for FLOCHART.LIB,
HIPO.LIB, ELECTRIC.LIB, ORG.LIB and MISC.LIB. These library
charts are on the library disk and have an extension of PIC.
Print them using the FLODRAW "Print" function, and then insert
them in the manual in place of this page.
Index X.1
Are you sure? 3.3, 3.4
arrow 3.5, 4.4
arrowhead 4.4, 5.4
backup 2.1
batch file 1.3, 7.1, 7.3
character 4.1
CHAR mode 4.3
circle 5.3
color graphics adapter 1.2
columns 4.1
copy - DRAW mode 5.2
copy - TEXT mode 4.3
create symbols 7.1
current directory 3.6
cursor 4.1
cursor movement keys 4.2, 4.7, 5,5
data disks 2.1
default drive 3.5
default library file 7.4
delete - DRAW mode 5.2
delete - TEXT mode 4.3
DEMO 1.3, 2.2
directory display 3.1, 3.5
directory display mask 3.5
DISK 1 1.3
DISK 2 1.3
distribution disks 1.3
document window 4.1, 5.1
dot 4.1
DRAW mode 4,3, 5.1
DRAW mode cursor 5.1
drawing free-hand 4.1
drawing with cursor 4.2, 5.1
drive 3.5
edit screen 4.1
edit symbols 7.2
EGA 1.2
ELECTRIC.LIB 1.3
ELECTRIC.PIC 1.2
ellipse 5.3, 5.4
entry menu 3.1
erase - see delete
error line 4.1
error messages A.1-A.3
ESC key 3.6, 4.1
examples 1.3, 2.2, 6.1, 6.2
exit to DOS 4.1
Index X.2
file extension 2.1, 4.5, 7.1
file loaded 3.1
file number 3.1
flag current document 3.3
FLOCHART.LIB 1.3, 7.4
FLOCHART.PIC 1.3
FLODRAW.DOC 1.3
FLODRAW.EXE 1.3, 2.1, 2.2
font 3.2, 3.5, 4.3
format 1.1, 3.2
help screen 4.7, 5.5
HIPO.LIB 1.3, 4.6
landscape format 1.1, 3.2
large landscape format 1.1, 3.2
library - see symbol library
library disk 2.1, 7.3
LIBRARY.BAT 1.3, 7.3
line - dashed 3.4, 4.4
line - DRAW mode 5.1, 5.2
line - TEXT mode 4.2, 4.4, 4.6
line - straight 3.4, 4.4
line - wide 4.6
load new file 3.2
load symbol library 3.5
memory required 1.2
merge file 4.5
move - DRAW mode 5.2
move - TEXT mode 4.3
naming convention 2.1
narrow font 3.2
option menu 3.4
organization charts 6.2
page format 1.1, 3.2
pixels 4.1
portrait format 1.1, 3.2
preview document 3.1, 4.2, 5.1
print - current file 3.3
print - flagged files 3.3
print document 3.3
print later flag 3.3
printer model 3.3, 3.4
printer pause 3.4
printer start 3.4
printer stop 3.4
printer support 6.2, 6.3
program disk 2.1
Index X.3
README.1 1.3
README.2 1.3
return to edit 3.1
rows 4.1
ruler lines 4.1
SAMPLE.ELC 1.3
SAMPLE.FLO 1.3, 2.4
SAMPLE.FRM 1.3, 6.1, 6.2
SAMPLE.ORG 1.3, 6.2
save file 4.3, 5.5
save setup options 3.5
save symbol 4.4
save with new name 3.3
save with same name 3.2
scratch pad 4.7, 7.1
set tabs 3.4
single drive computer 2.2
size - memory 1.2
size - symbol 7.1
size - symbol library 7.3
small font 4.3
standard font 4.3
standard forms 6.1
starting the program 2.5
supplementary documentation disk 1.3
switch files 3.1, 3.6
SYMBOL.LIB 1.3, 7.4
symbol - cover option 3.5
symbol library 1.1, 1.3, 3.5, 7.1
symbol library - create 7.1, 7.3
symbol library - load 3.5, 4.6
symbol library - maintain 7.4
symbol- superimpose option 3.5
system requirements 1.2
TEXT mode 4.1, 4.3
tab keys 4.2
tabs - horizontal 3.4
tabs - vertical 3.4
tutorial 2.2
UNDO 4.6, 5.5
window - document 4.1
The End
