OS/2 Shareware BBS: Product/Product.zip/mwm216.zip/README.TXT

Text File | 1996-09-29 | 31KB | 665 lines

    Mesa(tm) Spreadsheet for OS/2 from Sundial Systems
    Release Notes (README.TXT) for Mesa 2 2.1.6 Working Model
    September 1996


    Thank you for trying the Working Model of Mesa 2 for OS/2. This file
    contains information which became available after the printed materials
    went to press.

    Before using the Mesa 2 Working Model, it must be installed on your
    hard disk. (It cannot be run from a floppy diskette nor from a CD-ROM
    drive.)  To install it, you need at lease 4.5 megabytes of free space on
    your hard disk for a full installation of all the Mesa 2 programs and
    files.

    To install the Mesa 2 Working Model, just run the INSTALL program
    in the same directory as this file, and follow the instructions which
    appear.


    What Is and Is Not In The Working Model

    The Working Model is a near full-function version of Mesa 2.  When
    you run it, you'll be asked if you have a license number.  Since you
    don't, just press OK and you'll then be able to use all of Mesa's
    features and functions in "demonstration mode."

    The only limitation imposed by the demonstration mode is that you are
    limited to spreadsheets that are at most 32 rows by 32 columns (and
    at most 7 layers deep).

    Details about using the Working Model appear later in this document
    as well as in the on-line Tutorial information.


    What is Version 2.1.6?

    Version 2.1.6 is the first full release of Mesa 2 under the Sundial
    Systems label.  (Mesa 2 was previously a product of Athena Design, Inc.)
    It is also the first full release of the Mesa 2 2.1 series -- previous
    releases of 2.1 by Athena Design were preliminary or beta in nature.

    The Mesa 2 2.1 series represents a significant enhancement over the
    earlier 2.0 series.  In particular, Mesa 2 2.1 offers:

    * Much faster recalculation engine.
    * Reduced memory footprint.
    * Numerous feature enhancements.
    * Several new menu items to make things easier.
    * New, smaller file format.

    Note that files created in Mesa 2 2.0.x can be read into 2.1.x, but not
    the other way around.  Before using this version, make sure the files
    created will not need to be read into 2.0.4 (or earlier).


    Feature Enhancements

    There are a number of new and changed features in Version 2.1.6 that
    are not described in the printed Mesa 2 documentation:

    * Indexed functions such as VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, etc...  now use the Excel
      convention for the index.  Excel is 1 based instead of 0 based.  The
      Lotus style functions (@VLOOKUP, @HLOOKUP, etc...) remain 0 based.
      Also, the default search types for the different lookup functions are
      now different for the Excel- and Lotus-style functions and thus match
      the corresponding defaults in those products. This allows Excel users
      to work as they are used to and Lotus users to work as they are used to.

    * Significant enhancements have been made in handling formatting
      information when importing or exporting from/to WK3, WK4, and XLS
      format files.

    * Significant improvements have been made for import from WB1 format
      files.

    * Support has been added for importing Excel 4 Workbook (XLW) files.

    * The Goto panel has been enhanced to include a list of named ranges
      as well as recent Goto destinations.

    * The positions of the toolbar and formula bar can now be flipped.

    * Backup files are now created by copying, rather than renaming, the
      original.  This allows file objects on the desktop to work as intended.

    * Graphic objects are now copied to the clipboard in Metafile format
      and in bitmap format thus allowing more flexibility when using
      graphics with other programs.  Graphic objects can also be DDE linked
      into other applications as well.

    * Mesa 2 now uses the OS/2 country settings for things like the list
      separator.  If your country uses a comma for the decimal separator,
      then you can set the list separator in the OS/2 country setting to
      specify a different separator for function arguments. Mesa 2 also now
      recognizes dates entered in many additional international formats.

    * For use with REXX, SetFeed and GetFeed are now exported from the
      MESAFEED.DLL so they can be used in ANY REXX program through the use
      of RxFuncAdd.

    * Also for use with REXX, GetSignalData(NAME) can be used to get
      data from the SIGNAL() function.  This blocks the REXX program until
      the signal is raised.  (This is also exported from MESAFEED.DLL.)

    * Several new formula functions have been added.  These include AND,
      OR, EVEN, ODD, FLOOR, CEILING, MROUND, ROUNDUP, ROUNDDOWN, TRUNC,
      and WEEKDAY, as well as COSH, SINH, TANH, ACOSH, ASINH, and ATANH.
      The corresonding @ functions have also been added. For details on
      using these new functions, see the on-line documentation.

    * Several new MScript functions have been added.  These include
      SORT, FIND, REPLACE, REPLACEALL, SIZECOL, SIZECOLUMN, SIZEROW,
      SETBASECELL, SETREDISPLAY, SETFONT, SETFONTATTR, SETFONTATTRIBUTE,
      SETALIGN, SETALIGNMENT, and SETBORDER.   For details on using these
      new functions, see the on-line documentation.

    * Several improvements, only of interest to Addin developers, have been
      made to the AddIn functionality.  For information regarding the AddIn
      functions, contact Technical Support.


    OS/2, Presentation Manager, and Workplace Shell Compatibility:

    Mesa 2 is designed specifically for use with OS/2 Version 2, 3, or 4
    and the Workplace Shell.  This includes all of the following releases:

        OS/2 Warp 4
            "General Availability" release
        OS/2 Warp Server
            "General Availability" release
        OS/2 Warp Connect
            "Red Box" (for use with Windows) release
            "Blue Box" (with Win-OS2) release
        OS/2 Warp (OS/2 Version 3)
            "Red Box" (for use with Windows) release
            "Full Pack" (with Win-OS2) release
        OS/2 2.1
            "Manufacturing Refresh" (2.11) release

    Most "FixPak" levels of OS/2 Warp, Warp Connect, and Warp Server have also
    been tested.

    Note that releases prior to OS/2 2.11 (including OS/2 2.0 and 2.1) are
    not supported.


    Limitations

    Listed below are some known limitations which may impact your use of
    the current version of Mesa 2.  Many are related to problems in
    particular OS/2 versions for which there is currently no workaround.

    * Installing over a previous version may cause a SYS2070 error to be
      displayed at run-time.  Sometimes, when using the installer to delete
      a previous version of Mesa, or to install over a previous version, it
      does not always find all of the earlier versions of Mesa's DLL's.
      Thus the software is not updated completely and the SYS2070 error is
      displayed by OS/2 when you try to use Mesa.  If this happens, the
      easiest solution is to type the following command at the root
      directory of each drive that could be accessed via OS/2's LIBPATH:

        DIR MESACORE.DLL /s

      This will locate any previously existing copies of the Mesa DLL's.
      Switch to the directory indicated by the results of that command, and
      either delete or rename the Mesa DLL's that are there.  Then
      re-install Mesa 2.  If that does not resolve the problem, please
      contact technical support for further assistance

    * There are a number of issues concerning the relationship between
      file-name extensions and file-type associations during file saving and
      exporting.  Currently, if you do not include an extension in your file
      name, Mesa 2 automatically appends one based on the file type
      you have chosen.  If you do include an extension, Mesa 2 sets
      the file type based on that extension.  If the extension is ambiguous
      (as with XLS, which can mean either Excel 3 or Excel 4 format), Mesa 2
      chooses between the permissible options based on the file type menu
      settings.  If the file-type menu setting is not an allowable option
      (for example, if the file name is output.xls and the file-type menu
      reads Mesa 2 spreadsheet file), an intelligent default is chosen (in
      this case, Excel 4 worksheet format).

    * When loading files, the Type of File listbox refers to extended
      attributes as well.  If you have (for example) Lotus 123 files created
      from a DOS or Windows version of Lotus, those files probably do not
      have the 123 DOS Spreadsheet extended attribute set, so you must set
      the Type of file to All Files, and then type the filename mask that
      you desire in the Open Filename box.

    * Not all formatting information is necessarily preserved when
      importing or exporting, and this varies to some degree from one file
      format to another.

    * Within Mesa 2, Excel means Excel 3 and 4 worksheets and Excel 4
      workbooks.  Currently, Mesa 2 does not support Excel 5 workbook import
      or export or Excel 4 workbook export.

    * Graphs do not take text as headers for 3x3 ranges; all other ranges
      work correctly.

    * If you select a discontinuous range and graph it, Mesa builds a
      virtual range by appending the second and subsequent ranges underneath
      the first.  This is not the desired behavior if you have selected
      multiple selected columns.

    * Pie charts default to Group Rows, even if you really want Group
      Columns.  Thus, if you select a single column of data and create a pie
      chart from it, the graph will appear as a single color.  As a
      workaround, right-click on the graph, choose Graph Settings, and
      change the Orientation radio button from Group Rows to Group Columns,
      and you will see the pie chart draw itself correctly.

    * There have been a number of printer problems identified by our
      customers with past versions of Mesa 2 and particular OS/2 printer
      drivers.  Many of these problems were fixed by the printer drivers
      shipped with OS/2 Warp "Full Pack" release, the Warp Connect release,
      or by OS/2 Warp FixPak 17 and the related printer driver fix pack.
      However, there are still a number of issues left unresolved that we
      will be working on for future releases.  Among the issues that have
      been reported are:

        * Row and Column headings are sometimes inverted
        * Colored text sometimes prints as black
        * Non-outline fonts are extremely slow
        * Landscape printing doesn't work on HP IIIP PostScript printer
          (Apple LaserWriter Plus emulator)
        * Blank pages are often added to the ends of files on HP DeskJets
          and LaserJets

    * There is a known problem with OS/2 Warp FixPak 17 and Mesa 2 such that
      when Mesa 2 is open, windows won't come to the front when activated.
      This is a bug in FixPak 17.  There is a file with a new PMMERGE.DLL
      (available from IBM) that fixes the problem.


    Using the Mesa 2 Working Model

    Starting Mesa 2

    Once Mesa 2 has been installed, you can run it by double-clicking the
    Mesa program icon.

    When you first run Mesa, it will prompt you for a license number.  If
    you do not enter a valid license number, Mesa will run in demo mode.  In
    this mode, most Mesa features are available, but the maximum size of a
    single layer is 32 rows by 32 columns, and you are limited to 7 layers.

    Whenever you launch Mesa, the application window will appear on your
    desktop.  This window will continue to exist for as long as you are
    using Mesa.  Next, a workbook file called autoload.m2 is automatically
    loaded and displayed in a file window.  This workbook contains sample
    files that will help you familiarize yourself with Mesa features.

    You can rename this workbook to prevent it from loading automatically,
    or you can change the name of the file that Mesa automatically loads by
    entering a new file name under File to autoload in the Preferences
    panel.  If the file Mesa is looking for is not available, a new, empty
    workbook will be created.

    Creating and Opening Files

    Whenever you create or open a Mesa workbook file, it is displayed in a
    separate file window inside the Mesa application window.

    * To create a new Mesa file from within Mesa, choose File->New (Ctrl+n).

    * To open an existing Mesa file from the OS/2 desktop, double-click the
    file icon or drop it onto the Mesa program icon.  If Mesa is already
    running, the file window will be opened inside the existing application
    window; otherwise, Mesa is launched automatically.

    * To open an existing file from within Mesa, choose File->Open...
    (Ctrl+o) and select the file name you want from the list box.

    Mesa can open Lotus 1-2-3(tm), Microsoft Excel(tm), and Quattro(tm) Pro
    files, as well as delimited text files.

    * To create or open multiple files, choose File->New (Ctrl+n) or
    File->Open...  (Ctrl+o) again.  The new files will appear in additional
    file windows within the boundaries of the Mesa application window.

    Filling In Your Data

    As with all spreadsheets, Mesa stores your data in cells.  Many
    different kinds of data can be entered into a cell - numbers, dates,
    text, formulas, etc.  When you type a line of text, a number, a formula,
    etc., that data is entered into the current base cell.  For example, to
    enter your name in cell B5:

         1. Click cell B5 to select it.

         2. Type your name.

         (Notice that the Formula Bar at the top of the Mesa window is
         activated when you begin typing, and displays every character
         you type.)

         3. Press Enter.

         (Notice that the Formula Bar is deactivated, and cell B5 now
         displays the new cell contents - your name.)

    Whenever you enter data in a cell, you replace the previous contents of
    that cell.  You can also edit the existing cell contents instead of
    replacing them; see Editing Your Data below for an explanation.

    Using Formulas To Make Calculations

    A formula is an instruction that tells Mesa how to calculate a value,
    often (though not always) by reference to values in other cells.

    Some examples of formulas (and the cells they might be entered into):

    * (in cell A1)
         =AVE(5,7,12)
         Returns 8.

    * (in cell B1)
         @COS(PI)
         Returns -1.

    * (in cell C1)
         C1:  =A1*B1
         Returns -8.

    * (in cell D1)
         =B1
         Returns -1.

    The value of an argument is used to calculate the value of the formula.
    For example, in cell D1 above, B1 is an argument which returns the value
    of cell B1.  The formula in D1 returns the value of its argument, which
    is -1.  (This is sometimes called an echo formula, and is the simplest
    formula available in Mesa.)

    More complicated formulas, like those in cells A1 through C1, use
    functions or operators to determine how the formula calculates its
    value.  For example, in cell A1 above, the function AVE instructs Mesa
    to calculate the average of its arguments, 5, 7, and 12.  In cell C1
    above, the multiplication operator (*) instructs Mesa to calculate the
    product of its arguments, A1 and B1.

    If the first character in your input is an equals sign (=), Mesa will
    interpret your input as a formula; otherwise, it will probably be
    interpreted as a text entry.  For example, if you replace =B1 with B1 in
    cell D1 above, Mesa will display the text entry B1 rather than the
    calculated value -1.  (There are other ways to make Mesa interpret
    formula input as well.)

    For a full list of Mesa functions and operators, including the type of
    argument that each one expects, see the Formula and MScript Functions
    section of the on-line documentation.  Or see the Functions, Operators,
    and Arguments section of the on-line documentation for more information
    about formulas and how they work.

    When you need to refer to a range of cells in a formula, a rectangular
    range can be addressed by specifying two cells at opposite corners of
    the range.  The cell addresses should be separated by a colon(:)  or two
    dots(..).  For example:

    * A1:C15 - All cells between A1 and C15, inclusive (45 cells altogether)

    * C1...C15 - All cells between C1 and C15, inclusive (15 cells altogether)

    (Mesa supports the cell and range address syntax from several other
    spreadsheets, so that you can continue to use the habits you have
    already acquired.)

    You can assign memorable names, called labels, to ranges of cells.  Once
    you do this, you can refer to those labels elsewhere in a workbook, and
    use them to build easy-to-understand formulas and to navigate quickly
    through your workbooks.  You can also set a labelled range to AutoGrow,
    so that the label automatically updates when the range is expanded.  See
    the on-line documentation for details.

    The Difference Between Formulas and Values

    When you select a cell, the Formula Bar displays the contents of that
    cell.  You may notice that the appearance of the Formula Bar differs
    from the appearance of the cell itself.  This is because the cell
    displays the cell's value, while the Formula Bar displays the cell's
    contents.

    First, a few definitions:

    * The term "cell contents" refers to whatever data, formulas,
    formatting, and other information actually reside in a cell.  It is most
    often used to refer to the formulas, numbers, text, and other items that
    you enter into a cell.

    * The term "cell value" refers to a number, a series of characters, or
    some other item that is returned when the cell contents are interpreted.

    For example, cell A1 contains the formula =5+5; its value is 10.  Cell
    A2 contains the number 10; its value is also 10.  The contents of these
    cells are completely different (A1 contains a formula, A2 contains a
    number), but the values of the two cells are the same.

    Another example:  cell A3 contains the formula = RAND * 100, which
    generates a random number between 0 and 100 every time it is
    recalculated.  While A3 changes its value regularly, its contents remain
    unchanged.

    This is an important distinction to keep in mind.  Generally, any
    reference to a cell will refer to its value alone; how that value is
    arrived at is completely irrelevant.  The formulas =A1 and =A2 will both
    return the number 10, even though A1 contains a formula and A2 contains
    a constant.

    In addition to formulas and constants, cells may contain formatting
    information.  If a cell contains none of these things, it is an empty
    cell.

    Editing Your Data and Formulas

    There are two ways to edit the contents of a cell after you've entered it:

    * Directly within the cell

         1. Click on a cell to select it.

         2. Press F2 to display cell contents inside the cell.

         3. Point the mouse inside the cell at the beginning of the text to
         be edited and click to position the insertion point.

         4. Use the keyboard and/or the mouse to edit text as needed.

         5. Press Enter when finished.

         The cell remains selected and shows a value corresponding to the
         edited contents.

    * Inside the Formula Bar

         1. Click on a cell to select it.

         2. Press F2 or click on the Formula Bar.

         The background color of the Formula Bar will change from grey to
         white to indicate that it is in editing mode.

         3. Point the mouse inside the cell at the beginning of the text to
         be edited and click to position the insertion point.

         4. Use the keyboard and/or the mouse to edit text as needed.

         5. Press Enter when finished.

         The cell remains selected and shows a value corresponding to the
         edited contents.

    Moving and Copying Your Data

    Mesa supports a number of different commands for copying or moving cell
    contents from one range to another, or linking cells together so that
    changes in one cell are reflected in another.  Many of these are
    one-click or direct-manipulation commands designed to make range
    manipulation fast and easy.

    For example, to move the contents of A1:D5 elsewhere in the same layer:

         1. Select A1:D5.

         2. Drag the range using mouse button 2 (the right button).

         3. Drop the range where you want it.

    You can copy a range in much the same way - just press the Ctrl key
    while you drag and drop it where you want it.  See Copying and moving
    formulas in the on-line documentation to learn how to build formulas
    that either vary or remain fixed as they are moved and copied from cell
    to cell.

    Mesa supports standard OS/2 clipboard commands such as Cut, Copy, and
    Paste, as well as several special commands for transferring information
    through the OS/2 clipboard.  You can also delete the contents of a
    range, without affecting the clipboard, by selecting the range and
    choose Edit->Clear (Delete).

    Mesa's Fill commands copy the contents of a single cell, row, or column
    into the entire selected range.  SmartFill commands take this process a
    step further, allowing you to link the entire selected range to a single
    cell, row, or column.  For example, if you SmartFill a range using the
    formula in cell A1, whenever you change that formula, the entire
    SmartFilled range will automatically update itself and use the new
    formula.  See Filling and SmartFilling a range in the on-line
    documentation for more information.

    Formatting Your Data

    To emphasize or draw attention to a range of data, you can add
    formatting information to each cell, which controls how the cell and its
    value appear on the screen or the printed page.

    Normally, every cell in a layer has the default format defined for that
    layer.  You can change the format of a cell or range of cells, leaving
    the rest of the layer unchanged, through the Range Settings view of the
    Selection Manager.  You can also select a range and apply menu commands
    (from the Range Menu) to it.  The types of formatting you can use
    include:

    * Display format - Controls how the cell's value is displayed.  For
    example, the numeric value 10000 might be displayed as one of the
    following:

         10,000
         $10,000.00
         1.00e+04 or
         18-May-27

    depending on the display format.

    * Font - The font, typeface, and size of each character in a cell can be
    changed, using the OS/2 font palette.

    * Color - The values within each cell and the background of each cell
    can be set to different colors, using the OS/2 color palette.

    * Borders - The lines around each cell can be drawn in different colors
    and thicknesses.  Use borders to organize data into tables or to
    separate regions in a layer.

    * Alignment - The contents of each cell can be centered or aligned
    against any side of the cell.  You can also control whether text in the
    cell spills over into other cells in the same row, or wraps around
    within the same cell.

    Additionally, the sizes of rows and columns in a layer can be
    manipulated to control where information appears on a page.

    Using Multiple Layers

    A workbook file can be as simple as a single layer, or it can contain
    hundreds of related layers and other pages (see 3-D Workbooks in the
    on-line documentation for an introduction to Mesa workbook files).

    If you are using a multiple-page workbook, it is important to be able to
    move quickly to the page you want to work with.  The easiest way to do
    this is by clicking the Page Tabs at the bottom of each file window or
    using the GoTo option on the Edit menu.

    Often, the contents of a page will not fit in a single window.
    Naturally, you want to be able to display the part of the page you are
    interested in.

    The easiest way to display different parts of a page is by dragging or
    clicking the scrollbars that are part of each file window.  You can also
    use the GoTo panel to move directly to a range, or several keyboard
    commands to move quickly through a layer.

    Saving Your Data

    To save the current workbook, choose File->Save (Ctrl+s).  If it is a
    new file, you will be prompted for a file name.

    If it is not a new file, the original file name will be used and you
    will not be prompted for a file name.  If you wish to save an existing
    workbook under a different name, choose File->Save As...
    (Ctrl+Shift+S).  You will be prompted for a file name, as above.

    By default, Mesa saves files in .m2 format.  You can export files in
    other spreadsheet file formats through the Save As panel, as well:

         * To export Lotus .wk1, .wk3, or .wk4 files, give the file a wk1,
         wk3, or wk4 extension and save it, or choose 123 .WK1 Format File,
         123 .WK3 Format File, or 123 .WK4 Format File from the Save file as
         type menu.

         Note:  Because there exist two mutually exclusive formats for wk3
         files- one for Windows and one for OS/2 - wk3 files exported from
         Mesa may not appear identically when read in from OS/2 products and
         from Windows products.  We have concentrated our efforts on the
         OS/2 products; there is some chance that reading in wk3 files from
         a Windows product will not work properly.

         * To export Excel 3.0 or 4.0 files, you must choose Excel v3.0 .XLS
         File or Excel v4.0 .XLS File from the Save File As Type menu.  You
         cannot simply give the file an xls extension, since xls describes
         both file formats.

    Printing Your Data

    The File->Print...  (Ctrl+p) command behaves in different ways,
    depending on what objects are selected:

    * If a range of two or more cells is selected, the range is printed.

    * If only a single cell is selected, the entire current layer is
    printed.

    Mesa will only print up to the last row and the last column in the layer
    that contains data - for example, if the layer is 200 rows by 300
    columns, but only the first 10 rows and columns have anything in them,
    only the first 10 rows and columns will be printed.

    When you print an object (range, graphic, or layer), it appears in the
    printout precisely as it does on the screen.  For example, if you select
    a range to be printed, it normally appears at 100% scale, with all cells
    formatted as they appear on the screen.  If any pictures appear on the
    screen in the selected area, they are printed as well.  In other words,
    what you see is what you get.

    You can change many of these settings when you print, through the Print
    panel.

    And When You're Done

    Choose File->Exit...  (Alt+x), or Close from the system menu on the
    application title bar, or double-click the application system-menu icon,
    or press Alt+F4 to quit Mesa.  Mesa will prompt you to save all open
    workbooks with unsaved changes, as above.


    The Legal Fine Print

    Mesa is a trademark of Athena Design, Inc., and is used by Sundial
    Systems Corporation under license.

    Other phrases used herein may be brand names, trademarks, or registered
    trademarks of Athena Design, Inc., CompuServe Incorporated, Corel
    Corporation, Lotus Development Corporation, IBM Corporation, Microsoft
    Corporation, Sundial Systems Corporation, or others.  All such names and
    trademarks remain the property of their respective companies.


    Technical Support

    We at Sundial Systems are committed to supporting you, our customer.

    We track all questions, comments, and "bug reports" concerning our
    products and use this information in planning future releases.  If
    there are features you particularly like or things you think should
    be added to our products, please let us know.

    Please consult your license agreement and the on-line documentation
    for details about the level of technical support to which you are
    entitled.

    If you have questions or suggestions, please call us at [phone]
    between 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific time, Monday through Friday.
    You can also FAX your questions and comments to us at [phone].

    On the Internet you can send email to [e-mail], or to
    [e-mail]; or visit us on the web at www.sundialsystems.com.

    Technical support is also available on CompuServe through the Sundial
    Systems section of the OS/2 Application Vendor forum.  Start
    connecting with Sundial Systems and other CompuServe members by
    calling 800-524-3388 and ask for Representative #456.  (In the United
    Kingdom, call 0800 289 378.  In Germany, call 0130 37 32.  In the rest
    of Europe, call ([phone].  Outside the U.S., Canada, and
    Europe, call 614-457-0802.  Be sure to ask for Representative #456).
    If you're already a CompuServe member, enter GO OS2AVEN at the !
    prompt to access the Sundial Systems Section of the OS/2 Vendor Forum
    on CompuServe.

    Also, please note that our area code will be changing from (310) to (562)
    after January 1997.

    Thanks in advance,
    Sundial Systems Support Services.