ARM Club 1

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Text File | 1990-10-20 | 14.6 KB | 355 lines

LABELLER VERSION 2 - ReadMe file ================================== This text describes version 2 of my label program, which offers much the same facilities as the old version but is fully RiscOS compatible. However, for new readers, full instructions are contained in this file. Features * Fully compatible RISCware (well, almost). * Ability to set the size of the label up to 4 inches wide and 4 inches high. Printing position, paper advance and dimension checks are all taken care of. * Operates in two major modes, "Type text" (also referred to as "direct") where label text can be typed and edited in a window and saved as a text file; and "From file" (also "mail-merge") where labels are printed from data in a text file. This file can contain data for any number of labels and be prepared by any editor, word processor or database. * Prints on stock with 1, 2 or 3 labels across the page. * Text can be edited and printed left or right justified, or centred. * Printing in four horizontal pitches and three vertical pitches. * Print style (for enhanced Epson-standard printers such as the Star LC-10) can be any combination of NLQ, bold, underlined, italic or alternate colour (if supported by the printer in use). * Can print via the desktop printer driver, so that printing can be done in the background. Files The Spark format archive contains the following files: ReadMe Text This file Diagram DrawFile Diagram explaining the label measurement system more clearly than this text ever could. !Label Application The application directory, containing: !Boot Obey Initialisation file !Sprites Sprite Application and file sprites !Run Obey Start-up file Label Basic Main application code Sprites Sprite Sprites used by application windows Templates Template Window templates Defaults Label Default settings Installation Simply copy the application directory !Label to its preferred place of residence, and print out the documentation and diagram if you wish. The !Boot file defines a system variable <Label$Scrap> which is used when performing mail-merge from a file which is not permanent (see later). If you perform this operation often you may wish to make this variable point somewhere else, eg a scrap file on the RAM disc. Alter the !Boot file to suit. Running Double-click on the !Label application, in the normal RiscOS way. The Label icon will appear on the icon bar. Alternatively, double-click on a saved settings file in a directory viewer - Label will be run up and that settings file loaded. The !Help application can be used to find out the functions available on the windows, if required. Menu options Click MENU over the icon bar icon or text window to obtain the control menu. The options available are: Info The normal RiscOS-style information box. Files Shows the file names last used to load or save text and settings, and the type of printer driver installed if there is one. This box will also pop up when a file is loaded with no other effect (eg when loading a text file in mail-merge mode) to indicate that the operation was successful. It will disappear on the next mouse operation. Settings... This opens the setting window, which allows the print format and type style to be defined. The selection options available are: Label stock Choose 1, 2 or 3 labels across the page. The selected icon is highlighted. Justification Choose left justified, centred or right justified text. The selected icon is highlighted. Type style Choose Normal for ordinary draft print, or any of the other options in combination (assuming that that combination is supported by your printer). Each option is marked with a star if it is selected. Horizontal pitch Choose 5, 10, 12 or 17 characters per inch. The selected option is marked. Vertical pitch Choose 4, 6 or 8 lines per inch. The selected option is marked. Click the window's close box when all the settings are as required. Sizes... This opens the sizes window, which allows the dimensions of the label stock in use to be defined. To alter a dimension, click on the figure to select it for adjustment, then use the increment or decrement buttons to change it. The dimension settings available are as follows (see the accompanying Draw diagram for a clearer explanation): Label width The printable width of a label. Horiz pitch The horizontal distance between adjacent labels (not applicable if the stock is only one label wide). Print indent The distance between the left edge of the label, and the left hand column of text. First offset The distance of the left edge of the first label from the printer's "home" position. Label height The printable height of a label. Vert pitch The vertical distance between adjacent labels. Width, height and the two pitches can be measured on the label stock and set directly. Print indent is a matter of personal preference. First offset is best set by experiment, when the labels have been loaded into the printer (use "Line up" to print a test pattern). Click the window's close box when all the settings are as required. Reset This leads to a sub-menu with two options: Defaults Resets all the setting and size options to those built into the program. Clear text Clears all the lines in the text entry window to blank. Mode This allows the program's mode of operation to be selected: Type text Label text can be entered into the editing window from the keyboard. From file Labels are prepared and printed using data contained in a text file. The selected option is ticked. Print Leads to a sub-menu which controls printing. The options are: One set Prints one set of labels. Multiple Prints the labels multiple times; the number is entered in the box leading from this option. Line up Prints a test pattern, of the same size and format as would be printed by the current settings but with X's in place of the text. Form feed Performs a form feed on the printer, advancing the paper by the height of one label. Output Controls how the output is sent to the printer: Spooled Output is done in the background, via the printer driver. This means that other desktop tasks can continue while printing is in progress. Direct Output is sent directly to the printer; all other activity is suspended while this takes place. The selected option is ticked. Note that, if no printer driver is installed, attempting to print in Spooled mode will give an error. When Label starts up, the output option is set to Spooled or Direct according to whether a printer driver is installed or not. See "Printing" for more information. Save Leads to a further sub-menu, some options of which in turn lead to "Save as" windows which are used in the normal RiscOS way: Text Only available if in direct mode. Saves the current label text as a text file (type &FFF). Has the label separator/terminator '%%%%%' added to the end, so the format is equivalent to a mail-merge file containing one label. Settings Saves the current settings and sizes to a parameter file (type &407). Note that the format of this file is not compatible with Label version 1. Defaults Saves the current settings and sizes as the permanent default - a chance to confirm or abort is given. These settings will then apply when Label is next started up, or when "Defaults" is chosen from the "Reset" menu. Quit Quits the application and removes it from memory. Entering text (direct mode) Choose "Type text" from the "Mode" menu if required. Then click SELECT on the icon bar icon to open the text window. Only as many lines and characters as will fit on the currently set up label will be displayed. Click SELECT in the window to place the caret, then use the normal Wimp control keys to edit text. Other keys which can be used are: Return Move to the end of the next line. Tab Same as Return. shift-Tab Move to the end of the previous line. Insert Inserts a blank line before the current line. shift-Insert Deletes the current line. Escape Clears the current line. To clear all the text, choose the "Clear text" option from the "Reset" menu. Loading a text file (mail-merge mode) Choose "From file" from the "Mode" menu if required, then drag a text file to the icon bar icon. The Files window will pop up to confirm the load. The format of the file is one line for each line of the label. The label separator is '%%%%%' on a line by itself; text is collected until this is seen and then one label is printed. Excess lines are ignored; if too few text lines are given then the extra ones on the label are left blank. As many label data sets as required may appear in the file, with each one separated as above. Label generation continues until the end of file is reached. Note that if saving a text file from another application (as opposed to loading it from a file), the data will be copied to a temporary file (pointed to by the system variable Label$Scrap). When the Label application is exited, this file will be removed; normally the use of this file should be transparent to the user. Saving text (direct mode) Use the Save,Text menu option to save a text file containing the currently entered text. Saving settings Use the Save,Settings menu option to save a settings file containing the current settings and label sizes. Use the Save,Defaults option to save the current settings as the permanent default. These will be used when the program is next started up, or if Defaults is chosen from the Reset menu. Printing Choose the appropriate option from the Print menu. If the Output option is set to Spooled, the printout is written to a temporary file (pointed to by the system variable Printer$Scrap) and then printed in the background. This means that other desktop tasks can continue as soon as the file has been written. A RiscOS printer driver must be installed to use this method. If the output option is set to Direct, the printer will be driven directly; the printer driver can still be installed and any setting of the destination it makes will be honoured. The hourglass will be displayed while output is in progress. Press Escape to abort printing.