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VINST.REF
---------
Instructions for VDE Installation Utility:
version 1.85 (21 Jan 1998)
(c)1987-98, E. Meyer
=============================== CONTENTS ==================================
1. RUNNING VINST. What VINST is, and how to use it.
2. INSTALLATION. Choices for different computer hardware, colors, etc.
3. USER MENUBAR. Adding items to the User menu bar.
4. OPTIONS. Choosing initial defaults for many VDE settings.
5. PRINTER INSTALLATION. Control of printer features and settings.
6. DEFAULT FUNCTION KEYS. Installing function keys in your copy of VDE.
7. GRAPHICS. Modifying the default set of graphics characters.
8. CHARACTER WIDTHS. Modifying the default set of character widths.
9. RESTORE DEFAULTS. Undoing previous modifications.
========================== 1. RUNNING VINST ===============================
The VINST utility lets you modify your copy of the VDE editor:
* Installing for use on non-standard computers
* Selecting or customizing drivers for your printer
* Configuring settings and options to suit your tastes
Your copies of the program files will be called VDE.EXE and VINST.COM,
though of course you can rename them for ease of use (I usually call them
V.EXE and VI.COM). To run VINST simply type:
C>vinst if your copy is still called "VDE.EXE"
or C>vinst V.EXE if it's called "V.EXE"
Any changes you make while running VINST -- choosing different options,
reading in data files, etc -- are in memory only. You can choose "Quit" from
the main menu and VDE.EXE will remain unchanged. Only when you choose "Save"
(or "Restore defaults") does VINST modify the file. Once you have made
changes to your copy of VDE, the initial welcome/copyright messages will no
longer appear.
VINST can 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.
Because installation features often change with a new release, the
version numbers of VINST and VDE must agree. Auxiliary data files (.VDx)
change format less often, and VINST can often read files created by other
recent versions. In either case, if VINST can't load an older file, you'll
see a "<Version error>" message, and must re-create the file.
VINST uses the same search technique as VDE to find a data file if you
don't specify a path yourself: it looks in any "SET VDE" directory, then in
the directory VINST.COM was run from, then the current DOS directory. This
order applies equally to writing data files, if no path is specified.
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. (Include any 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. You
can also press ["] to duplicate the existing value. (To enter
an empty string (00), press ^[Enter].)
In each case, the current value displays, and then you're 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
Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
0 00 ^@ NUL 26 1A ^Z EOF 54 36 6 80 50 P 106 6A j
1 01 ^A 27 1B ^[ ESC 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 BS 34 22 " 62 3E > 88 58 X 114 72 r
9 09 ^I TAB 35 23 # 63 3F ? 89 59 Y 115 73 s
10 0A ^J LF 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 FF 38 26 & 66 42 B 92 5C \ 118 76 v
13 0D ^M CR 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 Ç
24 18 ^X 50 32 2 78 4E N 104 68 h 129 81 ü
25 19 ^Y 51 33 3 79 4F O 105 69 i 130 82....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
============================ 2. INSTALLATION ==============================
Because VDE responds to the special keys of a PC keyboard, and writes
directly to video RAM for greater display speed, its default installation
requires an IBM PC compatible BIOS and video adapter (MDA, CGA, EGA, VGA, or
equivalent). On an EGA/VGA system the use of color mode is recommended, even
with a monochrome monitor, to take advantage of a wider variety of "grey
shades". Special installations are also available for certain "near-
compatibles", including the Hewlett-Packard 95/100/200LX palmtops and
Portable Plus.
Versions of VDE prior to 1.7 also offered a "Generic" installation using
standard MSDOS output, requiring only compatibility with ANSI standard screen
control sequences. This worked on non-PC compatibles, as well as on
compatibles in situations where direct video access is undesirable -- even in
"remote" applications, with appropriate terminal software on the user's end.
If you require such capabilities, VDE 1.65 remains available.
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.
IBM PC PARAMETERS:
Screen colors - you can select different colors for: normal text; block text;
markers and printer codes; soft CRs/hyphens, tabs, and EOF; 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.
*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'll see only 128 (00-7F); on MDA/CGA
systems, the background attributes 8-F produce blinking video. On some
portable computers, "colors" produce underlining or grey shades instead.
(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 (overscan) colors to frame the
screen: 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". (Note: no border is visible under
DESQview or UltraVision.)
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's always a block.)
Screen size (A-E,blank) - You can choose your default screen size; normally
this is BLANK, " ", meaning whatever is in effect when VDE is loaded. The
letter codes (for the AltE command) produce the following sizes:
EGA/VGA: A=19/20 B=25 C=31/33 D=43/50 E=50/57 lines
Video card for 132-col mode (N...) - VDE's AltA command (132-column toggle)
works only with supported types of video card. Choose:
"A" for ATI (e.g. "EGA Wonder, VGA Wonder")
"C" for Cardinal VGA (Chips & Tech chipset)
"D" for Diamond (e.g. Speedstar Pro SVGA)
"P" for Paradise VGA+
"T" for Trident SVGA
"S" for some other SVGA types (e.g. Boca)
"V" for VESA standard (works on most SVGA cards since 1995)
If your video card is not among the types shown, you can experiment to see
whether any of these will work -- noting that the results of using AltA
with an incorrect setting are unpredictable, and might even require you to
reboot your computer. If no choice works, enter "N" for none -- AltA will
work only if you're running UltraVision.
NOTE: Users of older Paradise VGA cards may need to keep the border
color black, to avoid a problem affecting 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. (This will slow
down the display slightly.)
Keyboard type (T/A/X) - Normally "T" for Test; VDE tries to determine whether
you have an AT (enhanced) or XT keyboard, and use the appropriate input
method. Alternatively, you can specify "A"T or "X"T. If you have an AT
keyboard but VDE fails to detect it -- causing F11, F12, and other AT-only
keys to be ignored -- select "A". If you rely on older "popup" (TSR)
programs that don't work properly with AT keyboard input, you can select
"X" (though this means losing the use of the AT keys in VDE).
Mouse driver present (T/N/Y) - Normally "T" for Test; VDE tries to detect a
mouse driver, and use it if installed. Alternatively, you can specify
"Y"es or "N"o. If VDE fails to detect your mouse, you may be able to use
it anyway if you select "Y". If your mouse doesn't function properly with
VDE, you can disable it by selecting "N".
SPECIAL INSTALLATIONS:
HEWLETT-PACKARD 95LX or 100/200LX PALMTOP - You could just run VDE on
these palmtops as IBM compatibles, but choosing one of these installations
gives you direct support for the 40x16 and 64x18 screen modes, so you won't
need to use the LX's scroll feature to window an 80-column screen. Also,
potential problems with the LX's power saving routines are avoided. You can
select your own "colors" (shades or video attributes) in these installations;
other parameters are preset. Note that file mode /L supports MEMO files.
The LX [MENU] key will bring up the VDE MenuBar. Mode changes made with
the 100/200LX [ZOOM] key are not detected until the current operation, if
any, is completed. The keypad [+],[-] keys and the Alt-arrow combinations
cannot be used to scroll or shift the screen; on the 95LX, the ^[BkSp]
command also will not work, and the shifted cursor keys cannot be used to
mark a block.
For 40 or 64 column use, see remarks on narrow screens under SCREEN SIZE.
Like all standard DOS software, VDE is designed to operate in code page 437:
on the 100/200LX, you should choose this setting in Setup; on the 95LX (or if
you choose to keep your 100/200LX in code page 850) you'll have to set your
VDE printer driver to <R>oman8 character set instead. Serial port power must
be on, and the correct speed selected, to print (you can run the HP SERCTL
command if necessary with AltR).
If you want to set up VDE to launch from the 100/200LX Application
Manager, it may be best to select the VINST option to prompt for a filename.
To install VDE in AppMgr, put the icon VDE.ICN in the same directory as the
program VDE.EXE. Run AppMgr (press [&..]) and press [F2] (Add). For Name,
enter "&VDE editor" (making "V" the launch letter). Enter the appropriate
Path; it's also best to include a memory allocation of about 256k, to ensure
room to edit several files or run the speller, for example: "C:\UTIL\VDE.EXE
|256". Under Comments, enter the reversed question mark (press Fn-?) to
return to AppMgr upon exit. Go to the Icon window and press down-arrow (if
necessary) until the VDE icon appears. Last, press [F10] (OK).
HEWLETT-PACKARD PORTABLE PLUS - all models. This installation accommo-
dates the Portable's nonstandard video memory structure; don't try it on any
other computer. All parameters are preset.
OLDER MDA/CGA PC COMPATIBLE - This installation is for IBM PC compatible
computers with 80x25 monochrome or low-resolution color displays, whose
outdated BIOS may not properly support the functions normally used to detect
later video systems and keyboards. (Example: Otrona 8:16 with IBM video
emulation.) Try this if VDE won't run on your older computer in the normal
PC/XT/AT installation. All parameters are preset.
============================ 3. USER MENUBAR ==============================
The "User" menu bar can be configured to your taste: to provide different
keywords for accessing functions, or to add functions that aren't available
in the existing menu bars.
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. VINST can
access them under the INSTALLATION menu choice.
"User" menu bar - The five items on this bar are referred to as {User: item
1-5}. To define each, you must 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 displays in the menu bar: it describes what the item will
do if selected, and a capital letter indicates which key letter must be
pressed to select it. A keyword can be up to 12 characters long, and must
contain exactly ONE capitalized letter (A-Z), which will be the selection
key. (Each of the five entries must use a different key.) 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 SUMMARY for a full listing.)
Each command consists of one or two keystrokes. The default user menu
includes the sample entry "Autosave", which invokes the command ^KA if you
press "A".
Example: The command ^OE, which makes the cursor line the top line on
the screen, is not accessible via existing menu bars. However, you can
easily add it to the User menu bar:
For "{User: item #}" type " make Top "
For "Command:" type "^OE"
You now have a new MenuBar command, {User:make Top}, which is invoked by
pressing ^[Esc],U,T.
============================== 4. OPTIONS =================================
VINST can change a variety of default settings in your copy of VDE,
according to your taste. "Default" means the initial state, before any
command has changed it. (Note that several more settings are also accessible
through the Esc* command, TOGGLE CONTROL, and can be included in an autoexec
macro if you wish to make new settings permanent.)
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. VINST can
access them under the INSTALLATION menu choice. (Note that the file format
and screen settings below are defaults, and loading a .VDI file doesn't
change settings for files already being edited.)
Prompt for filename if none (Y/N) - When you invoke VDE with no filename,
should it prompt for one? Normally No, you get an "untitled" work area.
Autosave interval (min.) - Enter your choice for the default frequency of
automatic file saving (^KA), or 0 to turn this feature off.
Preserve BAKup files (Y/N) - Should a backup file (.BAK) be kept when you
modify 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,D,U,N,C)? Normally "N"; set to "Y" to
produce files for older MSDOS programs that used this convention.
Filetypes to exclude - You can specify six filetypes (or type masks, using
"?" wildcards) to "hide" from VDE. Files with these types won't appear in
any File Browser listing, unless specified explicitly (i.e. "*.COM" or
"VINST.COM"), and you cannot load or write to such a filename. This
feature is intended to protect non-text files, which cannot be viewed with
VDE and can be damaged by trying to edit them. To leave an entry unused,
type "..."; blanks indicate a blank filetype. (Originally, ".COM" and
".EXE" are excluded types.)
Default file mode - Which of the file modes 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 ".WS?" 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?
Function key labels on (Y/N) - Should the key labels (^OU) 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/tab display (Y/N) - Should Hard CR/tab display (^OB) start out ON
when editing in document modes?
Hyphenation (Y/N) - Should hyphenation (^OH) start out ON in documents?
Ignore case in searches (Y/N) - Do you want find and replace (^QF,^QA) to be
case INsensitive by default? If Yes, specifying the "C"ase option while
editing 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, or 16 are the ONLY legal choices.)
Scroll overlap (0-255) - This is the number of lines of overlap between text
screens when scrolling [PgUp/Dn]: the smaller, the larger the scroll.
(Originally 2.) Must be smaller than your screen size!
Beep on error (Y/N) - Do you want a beep when a VDE error message displays?
Cut (AltC) deletes block (Y/N) - Should the block Cut command (AltC) delete
the block after copying it into the cut buffer? Originally "N"o.
Variable tab stops - Enter up to sixteen 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 "Y"es. If "N"o, the time shows in 24 hour
format. (Affects AltT,AltK commands 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 "N"o, meaning US Format (mo,day,yr).
(Affects AltD,AltK commands and ^D in print headers.)
Show date numerically (Y/N) - Do you want AltD to enter the date numerically
(1/15/88)? Originally "N"o, meaning verbose (January 15, 1988).
Strikeout (^PX) character - Specify the character you want to use for the
strikeout effect when printing. Originally "-"; some prefer "/", etc.
======================== 5. PRINTER INSTALLATION ==========================
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.) You can use
these for two different printers, or different styles of printing on the same
printer. The default is a "SIMPLE" driver that can send plain text to any
printer, but doesn't 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.
Today's printers are numerous, complex, and vary widely; a comprehensive
set of fully configured drivers for them would be prohibitively large and
require constant updating. Instead, VINST offers a number of basic drivers
which will allow you to get started printing on most printers; you can choose
one of them as a skeleton to build upon as you customize your own driver.
Your printer manual should tell you what standard printer yours emulates in
general (what language it speaks -- HP PCL or Epson FX, for example), and
list the specific codes needed to control each of its features.
If your printer is not listed on VINST's driver menu, but emulates or
resembles one that is, then 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 doesn't support Adobe Postscript; but you may be
able to get VDE to talk to your Postscript printer in its native mode
instead, by adding the codes to switch into that mode, and then those to
return to Postscript, to the driver's initialization and deinitialization.
Most VDE users will want to customize their printer driver in some way.
You will probably want to add codes to your printer initialization to
establish the default settings (page margins, tab settings, paper source,
etc) you prefer. Since most of the drivers in VINST implement only basic
codes for print effects like italics and proportional printing, you may want
to modify or add to these codes 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 back afterward.)
An example of a fully configured driver is "HPLJw/PacPg25in1". This can
be used with a Hewlett-Packard LaserJet printer (or compatible) 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
Initialize Prestige Elite 10 point font, printer margin set to column 6
^OK proportional Times Roman 10 point font
^B,^S,^Y Boldface, Underline, Italics (any font)
^T,^V Superscript, Subscript using 7 point Prestige font
^D switch to proportional 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
The "HP LaserJet 4P" driver is also fully configured, with similar effects
(using the built-in Courier, Garamond, Gothic, and Albertus fonts).
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're installing. (16 characters)
Printer device - Normally "PRN", but you can choose a specific port if your
system has several printers (LPT# for parallel, COM# for serial). If you
use a serial printer, you should properly initialize the port parameters
(speed etc) with the DOS MODE command before printing with VDE.
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 PC graphics into Roman8 equivalents where possible.
<N>one - no characters in this range at all. VDE will "emulate" PC
graphics with overstruck pairs of characters that come close.
Note that if you're using a non-standard screen font that agrees with your
printer font, whatever it may be, you should choose "P" (no translation).
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 "Y"es. But with a printer that manu-
factures its own LineFeed on receiving a Return, you'll need "N"o 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
printers can actually print about 60-64 lines. Be sure also to leave room
on the page for the following margin settings, if used. Originally 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.
Top margin if header used (0-255) - The number of lines to skip instead as a
top margin before printing the header, if one is used.
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, when used.
Left margin (0-255) - Set the number of blank columns to skip as a left
margin, shifting the entire printout to the right. (Note: most printers
offer an Esc command to set an internal left margin in dot-columns or
inches. If you need a left margin, you can get more consistent and
reliable results by including such a command in your initialization
string. If you can't do that, install a value here.)
The following menu allows you to modify the codes that are part of your
printer driver. Whichever function you select, the existing code sequence
(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. For
example, if you examine the Doublestrike code in the "HP LaserJet" driver,
you'll see:
^[(s7B <--- ASCII representation
(05) 1B 28 73 37 42 <--- hexadecimal values
(Note that in this context, "^[" indicates "Esc".)
At the prompt, press [Enter] to leave this code sequence unchanged, or
press ^[Enter] to delete it entirely, or enter a new one -- either in
hexadecimal, or as character values by pressing the single quote ['], then a
character. Note that the double quote ["] will duplicate the existing code.
When finished, press [Enter]. Any one string can be up to 127 bytes long;
the total available for use is about 450 bytes.
[A]-Initialization, etc - This is an optional string of code to send to the
printer before each print job, usually to set default margins, line
spacing, font, etc. (NOTE: the ^KP command has an option to change, skip,
or add to these codes at print time; see PRINTING.)
[B]-Deinitialization - This 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'll need no special codes here; or, you might find a
linefeed or two, or perhaps a left margin command, is useful to position
the print properly on the envelope. You should also select a pica font
(fixed, 10 cpi) for proper spacing on the envelope.
The setup codes in VINST's HP LaserJet drivers assume that the
envelope is inserted end-on in the default paper tray, and consequently
they use a landscape font (Courier 12). They don't specify "envelope
size" forms, so there's no need to change the form size on the printer
panel. If you're feeding envelopes from a different paper tray, you'll
have to add codes here to specify this tray.
You must also be sure that your deinitialization contains any codes
necessary to return to the default tray, orientation, etc after addressing
an envelope.
[D]-Proportional (^OK) - Enter the codes needed to produce a proportionally
spaced font when you print while in proportional mode (^OK). Like the
"toggles" below, you also need to supply a second string to turn this off
and return to fixed spacing afterwards.
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 or 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 don't
install codes for it. ^PX requires no installation, but see USER OPTIONS
to specify the strikeout character.)
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 tray
selection, or anything else you like.
======================== 6. DEFAULT FUNCTION KEYS =========================
VDE has a set of 48 Function Keys, invoked by the [F1]...[F12] keys in
their normal, Shift-, Ctrl-, and Alt- usage, which can have macro definitions
assigned to them. The default definitions are those that will be active when
you first enter VDE. By changing these, you can easily customize VDE for an
approximate match to the standard function-key configuration for Wordstar or
Word Perfect, or to suit any special requirements of your own. (Any keys
redefined with ^M while using VDE will override these defaults.)
VINST can use Function Key Definition files to store function-key sets,
which should have a file type of ".VDF". You have the option to read in or
write out such a file, as well as editing the keys individually. (These
files can also be read or written with VDE's AltU command, but only VINST can
display the definitions, or change the defaults in VDE.EXE itself.) During
the key editing process, you can also read an individual key definition from
or write it to a data file, which should have a type of ".VDK"; VINST can
thus move a single definition from one set to another. (Quiet/No-repeat
setting and label are included in a .VDK file; Autoexec and alias are not.)
The key editing display will look something like this:
Function keys: (___ bytes free) <---- note room available
F1:<>
F2:<> <---- "<>" means undefined
F3:<>
F4:< Scan >[Esc];^C <---- " Scan " is key's label
F5:<>
F6:<QN>^OL5[Enter]^OR60[Enter] <---- Quiet, No-repeat key, no label
F7:<>
F8:<EscU><Undrln ><N>^PS <---- "EscU" also invokes this key
F9:<EscB>< Bold ><N>^PB
F10:<QN>^QS[!v] <---- "[!v]" means Shift-Downarrow
You can select one of several ranges of definitions to display: 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.
Or at any time you can press the [F]-key you want to define, and type in the
new definition. While doing this, ^[Break] aborts; ^P must be used to enter
[Enter], [BkSp], or ^P itself.
The Esc key and special PC keys like PgUp will display by name within
brackets: [Esc], [>], [PgUp]. Shift, Ctrl, and Alt combinations are
indicated by "!", "^", and "@", as in "[!v]", "^J", "@D". (Many of these
keys merely display as "*" at VDE's macro definition prompt, but VINST
identifies them more clearly.)
To keep the existing definition, Esc key, label, or Q/N option, just
press [Enter]. To blank (remove) a definition, press ^[Enter]. To blank an
existing Esc key, label, or Q/N option, use [Space].
Any single definition can be up to 253 bytes long; the total space
available is about 2000 bytes.
VDE initially comes with [F1] installed for command help (^J), [F10] for
the MenuBar (^[Esc]), and other definitions blank. Sample function-key files
are also included; EXAMPLES.VDF contains several macros discussed in
VMACRO.REF:
F2:<QN>^QS^S^S[Esc]= [^D^D ;Move to start of paragraph
F3:<QN>[Esc]~.1^S[Esc]1[Esc]~.<^D[Esc]= 2[Esc]=^M2 ;Move to start
^S^S[Esc]!1[Esc]2^D[Esc]= 2[Esc]=^M2 ; of sentence
F4:<QN>^QSEsc(0)Esc1Esc+^DEsc~^M1Esc2Esc-]Esc-] ;Move to center
^SEsc!2 ; of line
F5:<QN>[Esc]1^S[Esc]>@<[Esc]='1[Esc]=-1^D^KB[Esc]<A] ;Mark word as block
[Esc]2^D[Esc]>@>[Esc]='2[Esc]=-2^KK
F6:<QN>^QR^N@D^OF ;Put date at top right
F7:<N>[Esc]$3^QF@@^[Enter][Esc]$$^D^D[Esc]=A1[Esc]~N[ ;Mail-Merge
@N^KB^QD^KK@C^QS@N[Esc]!2[Esc]1@N^X^KB ;(see instructions)
^QF^M^M^[Enter]^KK@C^QB^E@N[Esc]2^A^G^G^G
@P[Esc]![[Esc]3^KP[Enter]^KL^F[Enter]@N
^QF^M^M^[Enter]^D^D[Esc]<_]@N[Esc]![
F8:<QN>[Esc]*f^QR[Esc]B]Esc]>~X[Esc]=^MN[Esc]<_X ;Convert file to
[Esc]N^D[Esc]!B[Esc]X^G[Esc]!B ; pure ASCII
F9:<QN>^QC^QS^E[Esc]1[Esc]$E^QS^E^KB^QS^X^KK ;Alphabetic sort
[Esc]$3[Esc]2[Esc]@3^QS^X[Esc]!2 ; by line
[Esc]3^KV^QP[Esc]!1[Esc]E^KH
The files WS4.VDF and WP.VDF can be used to define the function keys
according to the usage of WordStar or Word Perfect. The WordStar 4 default
definitions 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
F5 ^Y ^KY ^OL Lower-left
F6 ^T ^KH ^OR Lower-right
F7 ^KV Upper T graphic
F8 ^KC Lower T
F9 ^KS ^KB ^QS Left T
F10 ^KD ^KK ^QD Right T
The WP.VDF file doesn't "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:
WP.VDF NORMAL SHIFT CTRL ALT
F1 ^U [^Esc] AltR
F2 ^QF ^QF AltJ ^QA
F3 ^J [^Esc]V ^OD
F4 ^OG [^Esc]B [^Esc]B
F5 ^KF AltD
F6 ^PB ^OC ^OF
F7 [^Esc]F ^KP
F8 ^PS [^Esc]S [^Esc]T [^Esc]S
F9
F10 ^KS [^Esc]F
========================= 7. GRAPHICS CHARACTERS ==========================
VDE allows text to contain a limited, but variable, set of 32 characters
in the range 80-FFh (see FOREIGN CHARACTERS and GRAPHICS). (Actually, a few
low-ASCII codes like ^Z (1Ah) are also treated as graphics characters.)
VINST lets you specify your own default graphics set.
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; 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 (PC8/Roman8/None) determines how
graphics will print.
========================== 8. 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
generally wider than "i", and so on).
If you'd 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 easiest way to determine these widths is to print out a file with
lines of 60 of each character. (Rather than type that out by hand, you can
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". To measure spaces (blanks), put a visible character at the end.
Widths for normal-sized fonts are 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, or from the command line.
========================= 9. 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. It returns VDE.EXE
to the state it was distributed in: installation for IBM PC; all User Options
restored to their original defaults; no Function Keys (except, for
convenience, [F1]=help and [F10]=menu); SIMPLE printer driver; original
Graphics characters and Character widths. VINST prompts you to confirm that
you really want to do this before proceeding to restore and save the file.
=============================[end VINST.REF]=================================