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VINST.REF
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VINST.REF
---------
Instructions for VDE Installation Utility:
version 1.64 (14 Aug 1992)
(c)1987-92, E. Meyer
================================ CONTENTS ==================================
1. RUNNING VINST. What VINST is, and how to use it.
2. INSTALLATION. Installing for different computer hardware, colors, etc.
3. MENUBAR MODE. Choice of operating mode; customization of User menu bar.
4. USER OPTIONS. Customization of many initial VDE settings.
5. PRINTER INSTALLATION. Using printer features: print modes, graphics, etc.
6. DEFAULT MACRO KEYS. Installing a default set of macro keys.
7. DEFAULT FUNCTION KEYS. Installing the function keys.
8. GRAPHICS. Modifying the default set of graphics characters.
9. CHARACTER WIDTHS. Modifying the default set of character widths.
10. RESTORE DEFAULTS. Undoing previous modifications.
=========================== 1. RUNNING VINST ===============================
VINST is a utility that lets you modify your copy of the VDE editor:
* Installing for use on non-standard computers
* Selecting or customizing a driver for your printer
* Configuring settings and options to suit your tastes
VDE comes configured for a standard IBM PC; you will need to make some
changes before using it on a non-IBM compatible computer, or a graphics card
(like old IBM CGAs) that experiences snow (see INSTALLATION). You will want
to choose the correct driver for your printer, and may eventually want to make
some small modifications to it. And, once you start editing with VDE, you
will probably discover some of its many settings and options that you would
like to change. For example, if you dislike MenuBar mode, you can make
Command mode the default instead.
NOTE: VINST allows VDE to be customized for best
performance on a variety of computer hardware. If you are
using equipment (computer, graphics card, printer, etc)
which VDE does not work well with, or does not seem to be
taking full advantage of, please provide the appropriate
technical or programmer's information from your manual so
that future versions of VDE can support it.
You should begin using VINST soon; once you have made changes to VDE, the
initial welcome/copyright messages in VDE and VINST will no longer appear.
Your copies of the program files will be called VDE.COM and VINST.COM,
though of course you can rename them (I usually call them V.COM and VI.COM).
To run VINST simply type:
C>vinst if your copy is still called "VDE.COM"
or C>vinst V.COM if it's called "V.COM" (or whatever).
VINST can also read and write various "auxiliary data files" (type .VDx),
for user options, macro definitions, graphics, and printer support; see DATA
FILES. VDE's ability to load such files allows modifications to these
features during editing. In addition, they can make updating to a new version
of VDE easier: just save your old settings to files with the old VINST, and
then install them in your new copy of VDE with the new VINST.
NOTES: VINST modifies the file VDE.COM; always keep an unmodified
original copy of all VDE files in case problems arise!
Because installation features change with almost every release, the
version numbers of VINST and VDE must agree. Auxiliary data files (.VDx)
change format less often, and VINST can usually read files created by other
recent versions. In either case, if VINST can't load an older file, you will
get a "<Version error>" message, and must re-create the file.
VINST is fully menu-driven; it will present you with a set of categories
that corresponds to each section below, starting with Installation; within
each category, each value is named and displayed, giving you the opportunity
to change it. The program is largely self-documenting, and steps you through
each item individually. The main menu also offers a "Help" option, which
displays some of the following information on screen to assist you.
VINST uses several types of data entry for different parameters:
TEXT - Just type in the character(s).
LOGICAL - Yes/No. Just type "Y" or "N".
DECIMAL - Enter a number from 0 to 255.
HEX - Enter two-digit hexadecimal byte value 00-FF. (Don't omit lead 0's.)
BYTE STRING - The value shown in (parentheses) is the length of the current
string. Enter a new series of byte values. Each may be
entered either in HEX, as above, or by pressing the single
quote key (`) followed by the appropriate ASCII character. (To
enter a null value, press ^J or ^[Enter].)
In each case, the current value will display, and then you will be
prompted for a new one. (Just press [Enter] to leave the existing setting.)
VINST can't always check for illegal values; be careful what you enter!
At most points in VINST, you can press [Esc] to return immediately to the
Main Menu, or ^C to abort the program.
For the entry of codes in the Printer Installation, you may find the
following equivalence table for decimal, hexadecimal, and character values
helpful.
ASCII TABLE
ASCII ASCII
Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char
------------------------------------------------------------------------
0 00 ^@ 26 1A ^Z 54 36 6 80 50 P 106 6A j
1 01 ^A 27 1B ^[ 55 37 7 81 51 Q 107 6B k
2 02 ^B 28 1C ^\ 56 38 8 82 52 R 108 6C l
3 03 ^C 29 1D ^] 57 39 9 83 53 S 109 6D m
4 04 ^D 30 1E ^^ 58 3A : 84 54 T 110 6E n
5 05 ^E 31 1F ^_ 59 3B ; 85 55 U 111 6F o
6 06 ^F 32 20 space 60 3C < 86 56 V 112 70 p
7 07 ^G 33 21 ! 61 3D = 87 57 W 113 71 q
8 08 ^H 34 22 " 62 3E > 88 58 X 114 72 r
9 09 ^I 35 23 # 63 3F ? 89 59 Y 115 73 s
10 0A ^J 36 24 $ 64 40 @ 90 5A Z 116 74 t
11 0B ^K 37 25 % 65 41 A 91 5B [ 117 75 u
12 0C ^L 38 26 & 66 42 B 92 5C \ 118 76 v
13 0D ^M 39 27 ' 67 43 C 93 5D ] 119 77 w
14 0E ^N 40 28 ( 68 44 D 94 5E ^ 120 78 x
15 0F ^O 41 29 ) 69 45 E 95 5F _ 121 79 y
16 10 ^P 42 2A * 70 46 F 96 60 ` 122 7A z
17 11 ^Q 43 2B + 71 47 G 97 61 a 123 7B {
18 12 ^R 44 2C , 72 48 H 98 62 b 124 7C |
19 13 ^S 45 2D - 73 49 I 99 63 c 125 7D }
20 14 ^T 46 2E . 74 4A J 100 64 d 126 7E ~
21 15 ^U 47 2F / 75 4B K 101 65 e 127 7F del
22 16 ^V 48 30 0 76 4C L 102 66 f --graphics:--
23 17 ^W 49 31 1 77 4D M 103 67 g 128 80
24 18 ^X 50 32 2 78 4E N 104 68 h 129 81
25 19 ^Y 51 33 3 79 4F O 105 69 i 130 82 ...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
============================= 2. INSTALLATION ==============================
VDE can display text on the screen in two very different ways: on an IBM
PC compatible (and some "near-compatibles") it can write directly to video RAM
for greater speed; otherwise, it will run on any MSDOS computer, using normal
character output with ANSI codes for screen positioning.
The IBM PC installation requires an IBM standard BIOS and video adapter
(MDA,CGA,EGA,VGA). A Hercules (HGC) card should also work, as it is MDA
compatible. On an EGA/VGA system the use of color mode is recommended, even
with a monochrome monitor (MODE CO80 or BW80, not MONO). You can adjust the
keyboard handling, display colors, and cursor type to your preferences.
Special installations are available for certain "near-compatibles":
Hewlett-Packard (HP) Portable Plus, and Otrona 8:16 with IBM video emulation.
(The HP 95LX palmtop requires no special installation; VDE adapts to it when
installed for IBM PC. But see the notes below on using VDE on the 95LX.)
The Generic (non-IBM) installation will run on any MSDOS system that
supports ANSI standard screen control sequences (you must have the statement
DEVICE=ANSI.SYS or equivalent in your CONFIG.SYS file). You must also specify
the size of your screen. This installation can of course also be used on IBM
compatibles, in the event that direct video access is undesirable. It will
even work in "remote" applications, such as high-speed modem connections, with
appropriate terminal software on the user's end.
VINST can use Installation files to store your installation, menubar, and
user option settings. These should have a file type of ".VDI", for ease of
identification. You have the option to read in or write out such a file, as
well as proceeding to edit your installation. VDE can load such files with
its AltU command; only the computer choice (IBM PC, etc) remains unaffected.
IBM PC PARAMETERS:
Screen colors - you can select different colors for: normal text; block text;
markers and printer codes; soft CRs and hyphens; header; menus and
prompts; header/menu highlights; and error messages. Each is specified by
an "attribute byte" consisting of two hex digits, for a background and
foreground color. ("17" = "1", blue background, & "7", white text.) You
will see a color palette displayed on screen; the color digits are:
*0 = BLACK 4 = red *8 = GREY C = bright red
1 = blue 5 = magenta 9 = bright blue D = bright magenta
2 = green 6 = brown A = bright green E = yellow
3 = cyan *7 = WHITE B = bright cyan *F = BRIGHT WHITE
(* - All MDA screens can display black, white, and bright white; in some
cases, grey may also be visible.)
If you have an EGA/VGA display, the palette will include all 256
colors (00-FF). Otherwise, you will see only 128 (00-7F); on MDA/CGA
systems, the background attributes 8-F produce blinking video (ugh).
(Note: if your soft CR color has the same background as normal text,
VDE will adjust its background to match block text as well.)
Border colors - you can select two border colors: one to operate within VDE,
the other to restore on exit to DOS. Each is one digit from the list
above. Example: to set a white border within VDE, then return to black on
exit, enter "70". To keep a black border at all times enter "00".
Cursor type (D/B/U) - You can choose the cursor type you want during editing.
A full "B"lock cursor is more easily visible on the LCD displays of laptop
computers; some prefer "U"nderline. Choose "D"efault to leave it whatever
it was before VDE was run. (In 40+ line mode, it is always a block.)
Screen size (A-G,blank) - You can choose your default screen size; normally
this is BLANK, " ", meaning whatever is in effect when VDE is loaded. The
letter codes have the same meaning as at the AltE command prompt: "F",
for example, automatically changes to 50 lines on entering VDE.
On VGA: A...G = 20,25,28,33,40,50,57 lines
(UltraVision: B,D,F,G = 25,36,50,63)
On EGA: A...F = 17,25,29,35,43,50 lines
(UltraVision: B,D,E,G = 25,34,43,60)
Video card for 132 col mode (N...) - VDE's AltA command (132 column toggle)
works only with supported types of video cards. Choose:
"S" for Boca SVGA and other cards that use the "standard"
video modes 23h and 22h for 132 column text
"A" for ATI (e.g. "EGA Wonder") -- also works with
Diamond Speedstar VGA (Tseng chipset)
"C" for Cardinal VGA (Chips & Tech chipset)
"P" for Paradise VGA+
"T" for Trident SVGA
If you have a different card, you can experiment to see whether any of
these will work; if not, enter "N" for none -- AltA will work only if you
are running UltraVision.
NOTE: Paradise VGA users may need to avoid setting a border color,
since this seems to interact undesirably with 132 column display colors.
Need to avoid "snow" (Y/N) - Normally No. Some video cards (like old IBM
CGAs) experience ugly "snow" or noise when programs write directly to
video memory. If this happens to you, select "Y", and VDE will time its
video access according to horizontal retrace intervals. (Display speed
will be somewhat reduced.)
Keyboard type (A/X/T) - Normally "A" for AT; actually, VDE detects whether you
have an AT (enhanced) or XT keyboard, and uses the appropriate input. But
some "popup" (TSR) programs do not work properly with AT keyboard input;
if you have this problem, set this to "X" for XT. (F11, F12, and a few
other key combinations will not work.) Finally, the Tandy 1000 uses
different scan codes for its F11-F12 keys; set to "T" if you have a Tandy.
Retain basic Print Screen (Y/N) - Normally No; if you have EGA/VGA video, VDE
selects the enhanced routine in the video BIOS so that the [PrtSc] key
will print the correct number of lines with different screen sizes. But
this appears to conflict with use of [PrtSc] by some other software,
including the Intel Aboveboard print buffer, and possibly DOS 5.0. If VDE
interferes with your use of [PrtSc], set this to Yes, then reboot.
HEWLETT-PACKARD 95LX PALMTOP USAGE NOTES
For the HP95LX, use the "IBM PC" installation; VDE will auto-detect the
95LX and adapt to its display. Any PC installation choices above that you may
have made will be overridden by parameters appropriate for the 95LX; thus you
can run the same copy of VDE.COM that you use on your desktop PC, without
reinstallation. (Note: VDE maintains a separate set of colors for use on the
95LX. If you want to change these, you must run VINST on the 95LX.)
You can use either HP's optional Connectivity Pack, or the HP82222A
serial cable together with the 95LX COMM utility and the PC communications
program of your choice, to transfer VDE.COM from your desktop PC onto the
95LX. Use the fastest speed supported, 19200 bps. You will not need
VDEOPT.DAT.
As a DOS application, VDE can be run from Filer by highlighting VDE.COM
and pressing F4 (Run); you can also exit to DOS from Filer and run VDE from
the DOS prompt. You can make VDE pop up from a hot-key over the internal
applications with a special EXM "loader"; see VDE-EXM, under ACCESSORIES. You
cannot pop up internal applications over VDE, because it is not "system
manager compliant". VDE may work best without Sysmgr loaded; in any case,
allocate plenty of system RAM to DOS.
On 95LX's, the serial port may be on by default; using the command
"SERCTL /O" before running DOS applications can significantly extend battery
life. VDE will power up the serial port before attempting to print, and will
turn it off again afterward. To save disk space, omit VINST.COM when you no
longer need it, and turn off backup files (see OPTIONS); VDE.COM itself can
also be compressed with DIET, LZEXE, or PKLITE. (VINST will not work on it in
this state.)
See remarks on narrow screens under SCREEN SIZE. When installed for the
95LX, VDE uses only the 40x16 visible area of the display, so use of the HP
Alt-Arrow keys for scrolling will not be necessary while editing. (Exception:
a few menus will need to be scrolled with VDE's Left/Right arrow keys.) A
right margin of 38 will allow you to write without having the text scroll back
and forth continually.
The 95LX [MENU] key will bring up VDE's MenuBar (whether VDE is in
MenuBar mode or not). Due to the 95LX's nonstandard keyboard, the ^[BkSp] key
does not work; the grey [+],[-] keys do not scroll the screen (use ^W,^Z); and
[Shift] cannot be used with arrow keys to mark a block (use ^KB,^KK). The
95LX uses the Roman8 character set; extended characters entered on the 95LX
will not look the same when the file is viewed on a desktop PC with the PC8
set. To print these characters, you will need a printer that supports Roman8
(as most Laserjet fonts do), and you should select the "PC8" set (!) in your
printer driver to avoid translation. (VDE will override any other selection
when it is running on the 95LX.)
SPECIAL INSTALLATIONS:
The "near-compatible" installations have no user-changeable parameters:
everything is preset for the particular computer. They are:
HEWLETT-PACKARD PORTABLE PLUS - all models.
OTRONA 8:16 - This is for the Otrona model with IBM video emulation only.
The standard model 8:16 must use the Generic ANSI.SYS installation.
GENERIC (ANSI.SYS) PARAMETERS:
Screen colors - you can select different colors for: normal text; markers and
printer codes; soft CRs and hyphens; header; menus and prompts;
header/menu highlights; and error messages. Each is specified by an
"attribute byte" consisting of two hex digits, for a background and
foreground color. ("17" = "1", blue background, & "7", white text.) You
will see a color palette displayed on screen; the color digits are:
*0 = BLACK 4 = red
1 = blue 5 = magenta
2 = green 6 = yellow
3 = cyan *7 = WHITE
(* - Monochrome screens can only display black and white.)
There is no block highlighting in the generic installation, and so no
block text color choice.
Running on IBM PC - set this to "Y" to enable the display of IBM graphics
characters (ASCII 00-1F,80-FF) in text. Use "N" if not running on a PC
compatible; codes 00-1F will display as highlighted letters, 80-FF as a
highlighted underline "_".
Terminal initialization - enter an optional string of code (#),bytes to be
sent to the screen after clearing the screen, before (re)entering VDE.
Terminal deinitialization - another string of code (#),bytes to be sent to the
screen upon exiting from VDE back to DOS. (Max. lengths: 15 bytes.)
Viewable columns (80-255) - normally 80; set to the column width of your
display, if different.
Viewable lines (16-255) - normally 25; if you have a shorter or longer default
display (on entry to VDE), enter the length here.
Fast scroll supported (Y/N) - Does your computer respond to the ANSI sequences
for insert/delete line (Esc[L,Esc[M)? If so, set this to "Y" for a faster
display; otherwise "N". (MSDOS ANSI.SYS does not support these codes;
some enhanced console drivers, such as NANSI.SYS, do.)
DEC VT/Rainbow keyboard (Y/N) - If you have a DEC computer or terminal, answer
"Y" here. VDE will then support its arrow keys for cursor movement, plus
the following special keys: "Help" = help menu; "Find" = find; "Select" =
cut; "Insert Here" = paste; "Remove" = block delete; "Prev/Next Screen" =
page back/forward. (NOTE: the VDE command to define a macro will be
changed from Esc[ to Esc{ if you select this option.)
============================= 3. MENUBAR MODE ==============================
You can choose which operating mode you prefer (MenuBar or Command). In
addition, the "User" menu bar can be configured to your taste: to provide
different keywords for accessing functions, or to add functions that are not
otherwise available in the existing menu bars. (The default installation has
the "Ruler" function (^OT) in place, the other four left blank.)
VINST can use Installation files to store your installation, menubar, and
user option settings. These should have a file type of ".VDI", for ease of
identification. VDE can load such files with its AltU command. They are
accessed through the INSTALLATION menu choice.
Use MenuBar mode (Y/N) - Do you want to start out in MenuBar mode? If not,
Command mode is used. See OPERATING MODES.
"User" menu bar - If you will be using MenuBar mode, there is a special menu
bar provided for you to configure yourself. The five items on this bar
are referred to as {User: item 1-5}. To define each, you have to provide
two things: a "keyword" and the "command" to execute. (As usual you can
just press [Enter] to leave the existing value alone.)
The keyword appears in the menu bar display, like "Center" or "rUler"
in the "Text" menu: it describes what the item will do if selected, and
the capital "C" or "U" indicates which key letter must be pressed to
select it. Your keyword can be up to 12 characters long, and must contain
exactly ONE capitalized letter (A-Z), which will be the selection key.
(Don't use the same key for more than one item.) An unused entry may be
simply left blank, or filled with "---" if you prefer.
The command determines the function which will be performed when the
item is selected from the menu. (See COMMAND MODE for a full listing.)
Each command consists of one or two keystrokes.
For example: the "sCreen" menu has an item "Window" which gives you a
split window on two files, but there is no way to split the window on two
locations in the SAME file (as you can with the ^OW command) via existing
menu bars. However, you can easily add this to the User menu bar:
For "{User: item #}" type "One-file win"
For "Command:" type "^OW"
You now have a new MenuBar command, {User:One-file win}, which is invoked
by pressing [Esc],U,O.
============================= 4. USER OPTIONS ==============================
You can change a variety of default settings in your copy of VDE,
according to your taste. "Default" means the state assumed when VDE is first
run, or in the absence of any previous user commands.
VINST can use Installation files to store your installation, menubar, and
user option settings. These should have a file type of ".VDI", for ease of
identification. VDE can load such files with its AltU command. They are
accessed through the INSTALLATION menu choice.
Autosave interval (min.) - Enter your choice for the interval in minutes. A
value of 0 turns this feature off.
Preserve BAKup files (Y/N) - Should a backup file (.BAK) be kept when you save
over an existing file? Choose "Y" to play safe, "N" to save disk space.
Use ^Z as EOF mark (Y/N) - Should an EOF marker (^Z, 1Ah) be used to mark the
end of an ASCII file (modes /A,U,N,C)? MSDOS software should not require
this, but some early programs (like their CP/M predecessors) did still use
this convention.
Filetypes to exclude - You can specify six filetypes (or type masks, using "?"
wildcards) to "hide" from VDE. (Originally set to ".COM" and ".EXE".)
Such files will not show in the ^KF directory display (unless the filetype
is specified explicitly), and cannot be edited. This is a protection
feature, for non-text files which can be damaged by trying to edit them.
To leave an entry unused, type "...", NOT blanks.
Default file mode - Which of the file modes (D,A,U,N,C,W,S,P,F,X,M) described
in VDE.DOC do you want as the default? (Originally "D"ocument.)
Auto mode select filetypes - You can specify six filetypes (or type masks,
using "?" wildcards) as exceptions to the above default: for example, you
could declare all ".ASM" files to default automatically to "N" mode, or
all files ".89?" to "W" mode. To leave an entry unused, type "...".
Header on (Y/N) - Should the header (^OQ) start out ON?
Ruler on (Y/N) - Should the ruler (^OT) start out ON?
Insert mode (I/W/O) - Which insert (^V) setting do you want to start out with:
Insert, Word insert, or Overstrike (insert off)?
Auto format (Y/N) - Should auto format (^OM) start out ON?
Right justify (Y/N) - Should right justification (^OJ) start out ON?
Double spacing (Y/N) - Should double spacing (^OS) start out ON?
Proportional spacing (Y/N) - Should proportional spacing (^OK) start out ON?
Hard CR display (Y/N) - Should Hard CR display (^OB) start out ON when editing
in document modes?
Hyphenation (Y/N) - Should hyphenation (^OH) start out ON in documents?
Case-INsensitive search (Y/N) - Do you want string searches (^QF) to be case
insensitive by default? Normally, No. (If Yes, specifying the "U"pper-
case option while using ^QF will force a case SENSITIVE search.)
Left and Right margin columns (1-255) - Default margin settings for Document
modes. Set both to 1 to disable wordwrap and reformatting entirely.
Fixed tab display width (4,8,16) - Hard tabs display at fixed column
intervals. (Normally 8; 4, 8, and 16 are the ONLY legal choices.)
Reserve status line (Y/N) - Do you want VDE to reserve the bottom (normally
25th) screen line for use as a status or function key line by other
software? (Normally No, VDE uses this line for text.)
Scroll overlap (0-255) - This is the number of lines of overlap between
screens when scrolling: the smaller, the larger the scroll. Originally 2,
for a nearly full scroll. Must be smaller than your screen size!
Align new page with screen (Y/N) - When you use the page find commands ^QI,
^QL, ^QN, do you want the first line at the top of the screen? Originally
No, it is positioned in the same way as an ordinary Find.
Beep on error (Y/N) - Do you want a beep when a VDE error message displays?
[BkSp] (^H) deletes to left (Y/N) - Should the [BackSpace] (^H) key delete
characters? Originally No, it just moves the cursor left.
[Del] deletes at cursor (Y/N) - Should the [Del] key delete the cursor
character? Originally No, it deletes the previous one.
^[BkSp] deletes word left (Y/N) - Should ^[BackSpace] delete the word to the
left? Originally No, it deletes only the previous character.
[Home,End] go to screen top/bottom (Y/N) - Should [Home,End] move to the top
or bottom of the screen? Originally No, they move to line start or end.
Variable tab stops - Enter up to 8 variable tab stop columns, in ascending
order. Fill unused values with 0. Originally: 6, 15, 35, 55.
Show time as AM/PM (Y/N) - Do you want the time stamp to display in 12 hour
format (AM/PM)? Originally Yes. If No, the time shows in 24 hour format.
(Affects AltT command and ^T in print headers.)
Show date in Euro format (day,mo,yr) (Y/N) - Do you want the date to display
in European format? Originally No, meaning US Format (mo,day,yr).
(Affects AltD command and ^D in print headers.)
Show date numerically (Y/N) - Do you want AltD to enter the date numerically
(1/15/88)? Originally No, meaning verbose (January 15, 1988).
========================= 5. PRINTER INSTALLATION ==========================
Printers vary enormously. VDE can accomodate two printer drivers, each
of which can be installed to take advantage of your printer's special
features. (Within VDE, the AltV command can be used to select the driver to
use when printing.) The default installed in VDE is a "SIMPLE" driver that
can send plain text to any printer, but does not support any print controls
other than underline and strikeout. (The "SIMPLE" driver is also recommended
for many daisy-wheel or typewriter-style printers.) Many pre-defined drivers
for other printers can be selected from a menu within VINST.
One thing you are likely to want to modify is the printer initialization,
to which you can add codes to modify the default page margins, tab settings,
etc for your printer.
Most of the drivers in the VINST menu implement only basic codes for
print effects like italics and proportional printing; you can, however, modify
them to your taste, to implement any additional features (fonts, etc) you have
available. After choosing a driver from the Menu, return and select "Edit
current driver". (To modify the Alternate driver, you must switch it to the
primary one, then switch it back afterward.)
An example of a more fully configured driver is "HPLJ-PacPg 25in1". This
can be used with a Hewlett-Packard LaserJet printer equipped with a Pacific
Page 25-in-1 cartridge (or any other that provides the fonts indicated below).
It offers the following effects:
CODE EFFECT
Normal print Prestige Elite 10 point font, printer margin set to column 6
^OK Times Roman 10 point proportional font
^B,^S,^Y Boldface, Underline, Italics (all fonts)
^T,^V Superscript, Subscript using 7 point Prestige font
^D switch to Times Roman from Prestige and back
^A,^N switch to Courier 12 point from Prestige and back
^Q Mini Gothic 3.6 point
^W Presentation Bold 18 point
^E Math Elite 10 point
^R return to Prestige from ^Q,^W,^E
If your printer is not on the driver menu, but emulates or resembles one
that is, start out using that driver, and refine it as needed. Failing this,
you can start out with the "SIMPLE" driver and, referring to your printer
manual, install all the necessary codes yourself. (In this event, please
consider sending this information so that a new driver can be added to VINST.)
VDE does not support Adobe Postscript; but you may be able to add the codes to
switch into your printer manufacturer's native mode, then return to
Postscript, to your printer initialization and deinitialization (see below).
VINST can use special Printer Driver files to store and retrieve other
printer definitions. This makes it easy to save your installation and to pass
it along to others. These files should have a type of ".VDP". When editing
in VDE, the AltU command may be used to load such a file, putting any number
of different printer drivers at your disposal. In VINST, you have the option
to read in or write out such a file, as well as editing the following values
individually.
Printer ID - Identify the printer you are installing. (16 characters)
Printer device - Normally "PRN", but you can choose a specific port (like
LPT2) if your system has several printers.
Extended character set (P/R/N) - Specifies how "extended ASCII" characters 80-
FF (graphics or foreign characters) will print. This depends on the
sequence of characters in your printer's fonts. Your choices are:
<P>C8 - the standard IBM PC character set. No translation in printing.
<R>OMAN8 - an arrangement common in laser printer fonts. VDE will
translate IBM graphics into Roman8 equivalents where possible.
<N>one - your printer doesn't print characters in this range at all.
VDE will "emulate" IBM graphics, choosing overstruck pairs of
standard characters that come close.
Note that if you are using a non-standard screen font that agrees with
your printer font, whatever it may be, you should choose "P".
Printer type (H/F/L/O) - Enter "H" for HP LaserJet or DeskJet compatible, "F"
for Epson FX (9 pin) or compatible, "L" for Epson LQ (24 pin) or compat-
ible, or "O" for any other type.
Send LF after CR (Y/N) - Normally Yes. But with a few printers, which manu-
facture their own LineFeed on receiving a Return, you will need No here.
Page length (0-255) - The number of text lines to print on a page. An 11"
sheet gives 66 lines of print at a standard spacing of 6 lpi; most sheet-
feed printers can actually print about 62. Be sure also to leave room on
the page for the following margin settings, if used. Default is 58.
Top margin (0-255) - The number of blank lines to skip as a top margin before
printing the number of text lines set above. Default is 0.
Top margin if header used (0-255) - The number of lines to skip as a top
margin before printing the header. Default is 0.
Lines to skip between header and text (0-255) - Blank lines to leave between
header and text. Also determines lines between text and bottom page
number, if used. Default is 2.
Left margin (0-255) - Set the number of blank columns to skip as a left margin
before printing each line. Useful if you can't set the margin on your
printer with an initialization string. Default is 0.
[A]-Initialization, etc - The following menu choices allow you to modify the
codes that are part of your printer driver. The first choice is an
optional string of code to send to the printer before each print job,
usually to set default margins, font, etc. (NOTE: the ^KP command has an
option to specify additional codes at print time. See PRINTING.)
For all of these codes, the existing values (if any) will display,
first in more or less readable "character" form and then as a string of
hex digits, preceded by the length in parentheses. Press [Return] to
leave the codes unchanged, or ^[Return] to delete them, or enter new codes
-- either in hexadecimal, or as character values by pressing the single
quote (`), then a character. When finished, press [Return].
Any one string can be up to 127 bytes long; the total available for
use is about 450 bytes.
[B]-Deinitialization - The next choice is another string to send after each
print job, to restore the printer to the desired state on exit.
[C]-Envelope setup - This string will be sent in place of the usual
initialization when you address an envelope with ^KPA (see ENVELOPES).
For many printers you will need no special codes here; or, you might find
that a linefeed or two, perhaps also a left margin command, is useful to
position the print properly on the envelope. You should use a pica font
(fixed, 10 cpi).
The setup codes in VINST's HP LaserJet drivers assume that you will
insert the envelope end-on in the default paper tray, and consequently
they use a landscape font (Courier 12). They do not specify "envelope
size" forms, so there is no need to change the form size on the printer
panel. If you have a LaserJet with a second paper tray for envelopes, you
will have to add codes here to specify this tray, and to your
deinitialization to return to the default tray.
Printing envelopes can be complicated. See your printer manual.
[D]-Proportional (^OK) - Enter the codes needed to produce a proportionally
spaced font when you select it with ^OK. Like the "toggles" below, you
also need to supply a second string to turn this off and return to fixed
spacing.
TOGGLES: [E]-Bold, etc - For six of the seven printer toggles (not ^X), you
need to tell VDE the codes to send to your printer to produce the desired
effect, then turn it off again. The conventional meanings of the toggles
are: ^B boldface ^Y italic/ribbon color
^D doublestrike ^T superscript
^S underline ^V subscript
but you can use them for anything you want. Example: Epson FX printers
require three-byte sequences to turn continuous underlining on and off:
Underline on "Esc - 1" hex 1B 2D 31 decimal 27 45 49
off "Esc - 0" 1B 2D 30 27 45 48
You can enter the data in hex or characters, or any mixture thereof:
[G]... : 1B 2D 31 <--- entry in hex format
...and off: `Esc `- `0 <--- or by characters
You should find all necessary codes in your printer manual.
(NOTES: ^PS will underline text by overstriking with "_" if you do
not install codes for it. ^PX requires no installation at all.)
SWITCHES: [K]-User1, etc - The same idea, but for switches, which send the
same codes every time they are used. WordStar calls the switches:
^Q,W,E,R user 1,2,3,4 (no standard meaning)
^A,N alternate, normal pitch
But once again, you can use them for different fonts, printer bin
selection, or anything else you like.
========================== 6. DEFAULT MACRO KEYS ===========================
VDE has a set of 36 macro keys assignable to the commands Esc0...9 and
EscA...Z. The default macro definitions are those attached to these commands
when VDE is first entered. By changing them you can configure VDE to suit
your own specialized writing requirements. (Any keys defined with Esc] while
using VDE override these defaults.)
VINST can use Key Definition files to store macro key sets. These should
have a file type of ".VDK", for ease of identification. You have the option
to read in or write out such a file, as well as editing the keys individually.
(VDK files can also be read or saved with VDE's AltU command, but only VINST
can display the definitions, or change those in VDE.COM itself.)
VINST gives you a display much like this:
Macro Keys: (___ bytes free) <---- note room available
[Esc0]<>
[Esc1]<> <---- "<>" flag means undefined key
[Esc2]<>
[Esc3]^[;^C <---- normal macro definition
[Esc4]<>
[Esc5]<N>World Wide Widgets Inc. <---- "<N>" flag means No-rpt key
[Esc6]<>
[Esc7]<Q>^QR^KB^QC^KK^KC <---- "<Q>" flag means Quiet key
[Esc8]<>
[Esc9]<>
Just select the number of the key you want to redefine, then type in the new
definition, much as you would in VDE. All the same rules apply; there is a
128-character length limitation. ^U aborts; ^P must be used to enter ^U,
[Enter] (^M), [BkSp] (^H), or ^P itself.
There are several different ranges of keys, which can be displayed and
modified in a set of 10 at a time (for example, keys 0-9 as above, or A-J).
You can also copy definitions from one macro or function key to another.
VDE comes with a macro key file EXAMPLES.VDK, containing several macros
discussed above under MACROS and MACRO PROGRAMMING:
[Esc0]<QN>^QR^NAltD^OF ;put date at top right
[Esc1]<QN>^QS^S^S^[= [^D^D ;move to start of paragraph
[Esc2]<QN>^[~.1^S^[1^[~.<^D^[= 2^[=^M2 ;move to start of sentence
^S^S^[!1^[2^D^[= 2^[=^M2
[Esc3]<QN>^QS^X^[= ]^[=^M]^S ^D^[![ ;soften hard-CR paragraph
Note that "Esc" displays as "^[". Furthermore, any IBM PC keystrokes that you
may have recorded in a macro will display as graphics characters, so your
macros will be more legible if you use their WordStar equivalents.
========================= 7. DEFAULT FUNCTION KEYS =========================
VDE also has a set of 48 Function Keys (available in command mode only!),
corresponding to the [F1]...[F12] keys in their normal, Shift-, Ctrl-, and
Alt- usage (referred to collectively here as F1...F48). These are identical
in features and functions to the Macro Keys discussed above. You can easily
configure these to match the standard function-key configuration for
Wordstar's key overlay, to correspond to Word Perfect function-key usage, or
in any other way you like.
VINST can use Function Key Definition files to store function-key sets.
These should have a file type of ".VDF", for ease of identification. You have
the option to read in or write out such a file, as well as editing the keys
individually. (VDF files can also be read or written with VDE's AltU command,
but only VINST can display the definitions, or change those in VDE.COM itself.)
VINST gives you a display much like this:
Function keys, #1-10: (___ bytes free) <---- note room
[F1]<>
[F2]<> <---- "<>" flag means empty
[F3]<>
[F4]<QN>^OL5^M^OR60^M <---- quiet, no-repeat key
[F5]<>
[F6]<>
[F7]<>
[F8]<>
[F9]<QN>^PS
[F0]<QN>^PY
This works just like the macro keys above, with four sets of 10 keys to define
(Normal, Shift, Ctrl, Alt), and if you have an enhanced keyboard, a separate
additional set of 8 keys for the [F11],[F12] keys in each of those states. In
addition, you can copy definitions from one macro or function key to another.
VDE includes sample function-key files which you can read in to define
the function keys according to the usage of WordStar or Word Perfect. The
WordStar default definitions (for version 4 and later) in WS4.VDF are:
WS4.VDF NORMAL SHIFT CTRL ALT
[F1] ^J ^OB ^QF Vertical bar graphic
[F2] ^U ^OC ^QA Horizontal bar
[F3] ^PS ^L Upper-left corner
[F4] ^PB ^QI Upper-right corner
[F5] ^Y ^KY ^OL Lower-left corner
[F6] ^T ^KH ^OR Lower-right corner
[F7] ^KV Upper T graphic
[F8] ^KC Lower T
[F9] ^KS ^KB ^QS Left T
[F0] ^KD ^KK ^QD Right T
The WP.VDF file will not "turn VDE into Word Perfect", but it does provide a
considerable degree of keystroke compatibility. You can assign any other
functions desired to unused keys (e.g. [F9]):
WP.VDF NORMAL SHIFT CTRL ALT
[F1] ^U Esc?Y AltR
[F2] ^QF ^QA
[F3] ^J Esc?C ^OD
[F4] ^I^OL^M Esc?B Esc?B
[F5] ^KF AltD ^KM
[F6] ^PB ^OC ^OF
[F7] Esc?E Esc?P
[F8] ^PS Esc?T Esc?S Esc?S
[F9]
[F0] ^KS Esc?F Esc[
========================== 8. GRAPHICS CHARACTERS ==========================
VDE allows text to contain a limited, but variable, set of 32 characters
in the range 80-FFh (on an IBM PC, these are typically graphics or foreign
characters; see FOREIGN CHARACTERS and GRAPHICS). In addition, the code ^Z
(1Ah) must be treated as a graphics character. VINST lets you specify your
own default graphics set. Keep a fair amount of space free in it if you
frequently work with files with many foreign or graphics characters, in order
to avoid overflowing the table.
VINST can use Graphic Definition files to store graphic character sets.
These should have a file type of ".VDG", for ease of identification. You have
the option to read in or write out such a file, as well as editing the keys
individually. VDE can also write such files with its AltU command.
You will be shown the current definitions, in the same format as the VDE
Graphics command. You may select any entry to redefine (A-Z, 1-6) whether
vacant or not; or, you may clear them all. In VINST, new graphic codes must
be entered by hex value, from 80 to FF (and 1A); a full list of graphics
characters (80-FF) can be displayed for your selection if you need it, by
typing "?" at the definition prompt. Simply pressing [Enter] means "free" or
undefined.
Note that your Printer Installation determines how graphics will print.
=========================== 9. CHARACTER WIDTHS ============================
In order to judge the margins correctly when formatting, VDE's
proportional printing feature (^OK) needs to know how wide each character is
when it prints. The default width table, based on a 10-point Times Roman
font, will probably work fairly well with any proportional font ("m" is wider
than "i", and so on).
If you would like to fine-tune this table to correspond to your favorite
font instead, use VINST to modify the width table as needed: you can select
each character, then enter its width (in units of 1/360") as a decimal value.
The easy way to determine these widths is to print out a file with lines
of 60 of each character. (Don't type that out by hand; use the macro command
to repeat each letter 60 times.) Measure the length of each line in inches,
and multiply by 6: that is the character width in 1/360". The result is
typically between 16 and 48.)
Note that changing the width table doesn't affect how your printer
operates -- just how VDE judges the length of each line for reformatting in
proportional mode.
VINST can use Character Width files to store width data for the
proportional font(s) you use. These should have a file type of ".VDC", for
ease of identification. You have the option to read in or write out such a
file, as well as editing the width table. VDE can load such files with its
AltU command.
========================== 10. RESTORE DEFAULTS ============================
This option on the VINST menu is provided in the event that you want to
undo any changes that have been made to your copy of VDE. This will return
VDE.COM to the state it was distributed in: installation for IBM PC; all User
Options restored to their original defaults; no Macro or Function Keys
(except, for convenience, [F1]=help); SIMPLE printer driver; original Graphics
characters and Character widths.
===================================[end]======================================