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- ╔══════════════════════════════════╗
- ║ How Can Make A Mess Help Me? ║░░
- ╚══════════════════════════════════╝░░
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-
- Make A Mess is a powerful, flexible, easy to use tool. (On top of that, it's
- fun too!). Make A Mess can be used in a wide variety of situations.
-
- The program can be used in Doctor's/Dentist's waiting rooms to inform patients
- about new treatments, provide general health information, outline changes in
- business hours, etc.
-
- Make A Mess can be used by restaurants to let customers know about specials,
- new prices, new menu items, waiting times, etc.
-
- Make A Mess can be used by educators as a kind of automatic flash card system
- for help in memorizing things like State capitols, the order of Presidents, or
- even Bible memory verses.
-
- Make A Mess can be used as an exercise tool to help keep track of the number of
- repititions you have performed, which exercise you should be doing, and how
- long you should wait between each set of repititons.
-
- Make a Mess can be used in office settings to let colleagues know when you will
- return from lunch, where you have gone, who to talk to in your absence, the
- phone number where you can be reached, etc.
-
- Make A Mess is also a good general tool for any business. It can inform
- customers when you will reopen, what your office hours are, new services or
- products offered by your business, etc.
-
-
- Make A Mess is only limited by your imagination. It takes very little work to
- produce attractive, attention-getting messages. Once you begin using Make A
- Mess, you will find more and more ways to take advantage of its features. The
- following section provides information on registering Make A Mess. Please read
- this section and consider registering if you find Make A Mess to be useful.
-
-
- ╔═══════════════════════════════════╗
- ║ Thank You For Trying Make A Mess! ║░░
- ╚═══════════════════════════════════╝░░
- ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
-
-
- If you find Make A Mess useful and continue to use it, you are under legal and
- moral obligation to pay for it. The registration fee is only $25 (for 1 copy),
- and with registration you get a typeset manual, the latest uncrippled version
- of the program, free updates for a year, and my gratitude.
-
- No guarantee is offered about the compatibility of Make A Mess. If the
- shareware version of the program does not work on your computer, then the
- registered version will not work either.
-
- I do guarantee that if you purchase the software and you find a bug, the bug
- will be fixed immediately at no charge to you.
-
- If I am not able to repair the bug that you find, your money will be refunded,
- and you can keep the materials you received with registration.
-
- Prices for Make A Mess go down with the number of copies you buy. The program
- costs $25 for 1 copy, $22 each for 2-5 copies, $20 each for 6-10 copies, and
- $19 each for more than 10 copies.
-
- I have provided a registration form in several formats to make it easy to mail
- in your order.
-
- To print the registration form, you have 3 options. First, you can run the
- program INSTALL by changing to the disk and directory where the Make A Mess
- files are stored, typing INSTALL, and pressing Enter. (If you need further
- instructions on how to run the INSTALL program, refer to the section titled
- THE INSTALL PROGRAM which begins at line 180). This program will allow you
- to print out the form to an ASCII compatible dot-matrix or laser printer. (The
- INSTALL program also allows you to install the program to the hard drive and to
- read and/or print out this documentation).
-
- Second, you can continue viewing this file until the form (which appears
- between lines 122 and 144 of these instructions) is displayed on the screen.
- Then, you can print the form by pressing SHIFT-Print Screen.
-
- Finally, the form has been provided in WordPerfect format in a file called
- REGISTER.WP. Simply load this file into WordPerfect and it will be ready to
- print.
-
- ╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔
- ╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝
-
- If you don't have a printer or don't want to worry with one, you have the
- option of just writing out the information and mailing it in.
-
- If you choose to write out the information, here is all that I need:
-
- Your Name:
- Your Company Name: (if applicable)
- Your Mailing Address:
- Floppy Disk Size: (5.25" high density, 5.25" low density, 3.5" high
- density, or 3.5" low density)
- Number of Copies:
- Total Amount Enclosed:
-
- ╒═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╕
- │ The price will be: 1 copy - $25, 2-5 copies - $22 per copy, │
- │ 6-10 copies - $20 per copy, more than 10 copies - $19 per copy. │
- ╘═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛
- Write this information down and mail it in with your check or money order.
-
- Make your check or money order payable to: Russell Holloway
-
- The mailing address is: Russell Holloway
- 305 Lindenhurst Drive
- Apartment 1138
- Lexington, KY 40509
-
- ╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔
- ╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- The form can also be printed out at this point using Print Screen. Make sure
- that the form is aligned on the screen between the dashed line following these
- instructions and the dashed line following the form. Then, just press Shift
- and Print Screen at the same time and the form should be printed.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Your Name: ______________________________________________
-
- Your Company Name: ______________________________________________
-
- Your Mailing Address: ______________________________________________
-
- ______________________________________________
-
- ______________________________________________
-
- Floppy Disk Size: ( )3.5" High Density ( )3.5" Low Density
- ( )5.25" High Density ( )5.25" Low Density
-
- Number of Copies: _______ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐
- │ Prices: 1 Copy-$25, 2-5 Copies-$22 each │
- │ 6-10 Copies-$20 each, 11 or more │
- │ copies $19 each. │
- Total Amount Enclosed: $______ └──────────────────────────────────────────┘
-
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Make your check or money order payable to: Russell Holloway.
-
- The mailing address is: Russell Holloway
- 305 Lindenhurst Drive
- Apartment 1138
- Lexington, KY 40509
-
-
- ╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔
- ╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝
- ┌──────────────────────────────────────┐
- │ PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS │
- └──────────────────────────────────────┘░░
- ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
-
- To run this program, you must have 420 Kilobytes of free memory, and a VGA
- monitor and VGA video card. It is highly recommended that you run the program
- from a hard disk drive, and that you have a 80386-20 Megahertz computer or
- faster. However, the program will run from a high density floppy, and on a
- computer as slow as the original IBM PC.
-
- The program has a limitation of 300 messages. Each message can have up to 999
- lines, and each line can have up to 20 characters. The registered version of
- the program does not have any time restrictions, but this shareware version
- will display for a maximum of 7 minutes.
-
-
- Now, let's get to what you're really reading this file for:
- ╔═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╦═╗
- ╠═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╬═╣
- ╚═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╩═╝
- ┌─────────────────────────────────┐
- │ HOW TO GET MAKE A MESS TO WORK. │░░
- └─────────────────────────────────┘░░
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-
- ┌─────────────────────┐
- │ THE INSTALL PROGRAM │░░
- └─────────────────────┘░░
- ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
-
- To get Make A Mess to work, you first need to run the INSTALL program that
- comes with Make A Mess. If you received this program through the mail, then
- you will be installing it from a floppy disk drive. If you downloaded Make A
- Mess from a bulletin board, then you will most likely be installing it from a
- hard disk drive.
-
- If you are installing from a floppy disk, first make sure that the computer is
- at the DOS prompt. This prompt will look something like A:> or B:> if you have
- a floppy-based system, or like C:> or D:> if you have a hard disk-based system.
- Next, make sure that the Make A Mess disk is in the floppy disk drive, and that
- the drive is ready to be used. Now, enter the name of the floppy drive that
- the Make A Mess disk is in. For example, if the Make A Mess disk is in drive
- A:, type A: and press Enter. If the disk is in drive B:, type B: and press
- Enter. Next, type INSTALL and press Enter. You should now see a screen with a
- heading at the top that says Make A Mess Installation Program. If you see this
- screen, you are ready to install the program. If you get an error such as FILE
- NOT FOUND, or BAD COMMAND OR FILE NAME, you are either using the wrong floppy,
- or you are trying to run the program from the hard drive. If this is the case,
- go back to the top of this paragraph and follow the instructions again.
-
- If you are installing from a hard drive, first make sure that you are at the
- DOS prompt. The prompt will look something like C:> or D:>. Next, make sure
- that you are in the directory where you uncompressed the Make A Mess files.
- Now, type INSTALL and press Enter. You should see a screen with a heading at
- the top that says Make A Mess Installation Program. If you see this screen,
- you are ready to install the program. If you get an error such as FILE NOT
- FOUND, or BAD COMMAND OR FILE NAME, you are most likely not in the proper drive
- or directory. Make sure that you are trying to run INSTALL from the proper
- drive and directory, then try typing INSTALL and pressing Enter again.
-
-
- When you start the INSTALL program, you are given a menu with 6 choices:
- 1) Install Make A Mess, 2) Read Documentation, 3) Print Documentation,
- 4) Print Registration Form, 5) Display Registration Form For Print Screen,
- and 6) Exit.
-
- You can select these choices either by pressing the number next to the choice
- that you want, or by moving the highlighted bar up and down with the cursor
- keys, and pressing Enter when the choice you want is highlighted.
-
-
- 1) Install Make A Mess: If you select this choice, you will be presented with
- a screen that allows you to install the Make A Mess files to a hard drive.
- This option really doesn't do anything other than copy the Make A Mess files
- from one disk to another. So, if you already have the files in the directory
- where you want them, this step is unnecessary.
-
- The Install screen will ask you for the disk drive letter as well as the
- directory to which you want to install the Make A Mess files. Make A Mess
- defaults to copying the files to hard drive C:, and to putting the files in a
- directory called MAKAMESS (C:\MAKAMESS). These settings should work for most
- users. If these settings do not apply to you, change them to reflect your
- configuration. When the settings are the way you want them, press Enter and
- the installation procedure will begin. If the program detects that you don't
- have enough room, it will inform you of this, and return you to the Main Menu.
- Make A Mess needs about 1 megabyte of disk space to work properly. If you
- don't have enough room, clear up some disk space and run the INSTALL program
- again.
-
- If you prefer to do things the hard way, you can use DOS to install the program
- for you. To use DOS, go to the hard drive where you want to install the files,
- type CD \ and press Enter, type MD MAKAMESS (or whatever DOS name you want to
- use), type CD MAKAMESS (or whatever name you used), then type copy A:*.* or
- B:*.* (depending on which floppy drive the Make A Mess disk is in) and press
- Enter. After the files have been copied, Make A Mess should be ready to run.
-
- ≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡
-
- 2) Read Documentation: This choice allows you to read the file you are reading
- now. Move through the document with the cursor keys, the Page-Up and Page-down
- keys, and the Home and End keys. To exit back to the Install Menu, press the
- Esc (Escape) key.
-
- ≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡
-
- 3) Print Documentation: This choice allows you to print the file you are
- reading now. This option prints only to a printer that accepts straight ASCII
- codes. This applies to just about every printer on the market with a few
- exceptions (Early HP-Laserjet printers, Postscript printers, etc.). If you
- have one of these printers, just load the file DOCUMENT into your word
- processor, and print it that way.
-
- ≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡
-
- 4) Print Registration Form: This choice allows you to print the registration
- form on a printer that accepts straight ASCII codes. If your printer cannot
- print these codes, try using choice 5 (Display Registration Form For Print
- Screen). If choice 5 doesn't work, I have included the file REGISTER.WP, which
- is a WordPerfect version of the form, and REGISTER.DOC which is a text-only
- version of the form. If you are unable to use any of these methods to print
- the form, refer to the first page of these instructions for details on writing
- out your order by hand.
-
- ≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡
-
- 5) Display Registration Form For Print Screen: This choice will display the
- Registration Form to the screen so that you may either copy down the
- registration information by hand, or press SHIFT-Print Screen to print the
- information out.
-
- ≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡
-
- 6) Exit: This choice takes you out of the INSTALL program and back to DOS.
-
- ╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔
- ╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝
-
- ┌───────────────────┐
- │ THE SETUP PROGRAM │░░
- └───────────────────┘░░
- ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
-
- There are two ways to run the SETUP program. First, SETUP is run automatically
- the first time MAKAMESS is run. The second way is to type SETUP when you are
- at the DOS prompt in the MAKAMESS Sub-Directory. SETUP can be run from the DOS
- prompt any time you want to change the defaults that MAKAMESS uses to create
- messages.
-
- When SETUP is run, it presents you with a screen that asks for your preferences
- on justification, screen color, text color, display speed, and display font.
- Remember, you are not locked into these choices when you run Make A Mess, you
- can change any of them as you are writing or editing a message.
-
- The SETUP program shows exactly how your choices will look as you select them.
- This is the same way the lines will look when Make A Mess shows messages.
- However, when Make A Mess shows real messages, you have 10 lines of display
- with up to 20 characters on each line.
-
- Don't worry if you're not exactly sure how you want things to look the first
- time SETUP is run. If things aren't the way you want, simply exit Make A Mess
- and run the SETUP program again.
-
- The SETUP program will give you an initial indication of how Make A Mess works.
- You are given all possible choices on the screen at the same time, and you can
- immediately see the results of any changes that you make. Written instructions
- are really not necessary in most cases, and options do pretty much what you
- expect them to.
-
- Next we will assume that you have run the SETUP program and are now ready to
- begin using Make A Mess.
-
- ╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔
- ╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝
- ┌─────────────────────────┐
- │ THE MAKE A MESS PROGRAM │░░
- └─────────────────────────┘░░
- ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
-
- ┌──────────────────────┐
- │ STARTING MAKE A MESS │░░
- └──────────────────────┘░░
- ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
-
- To start Make A Mess, first change to the disk drive and directory where you
- installed the program. Most likely, this will be a directory called MAKAMESS
- on drive C:. If you used a different drive or directory when you installed
- the program, just substitute that drive and directory for C:\MAKAMESS.
-
- To change to the MAKAMESS directory, first get to the DOS prompt. This will
- look something like A:> or B:> if you are running DOS from a floppy disk drive,
- or like C:> or D:> if you are running DOS from a hard disk drive. When you get
- to DOS, change to the disk drive where you installed MAKAMESS. Most likely,
- this will be hard drive C:. After you have changed to the proper disk drive,
- type CD \MAKAMESS (If you used a name other than MAKAMESS, substitute it here)
- and press Enter. You should now be in the directory where you installed Make
- A Mess.
-
- Make A Mess will not run properly if it is run from another program. For
- instance, if you are running WordPerfect and you use SHIFT-F1 to shell to DOS,
- there won't be enough memory to run Make A Mess. However, Make A Mess runs
- fine under Microsoft Windows.
-
- Now, to start running MAKAMESS, just type MAKAMESS and press ENTER. If you get
- an error like BAD COMMAND OR FILE NAME, make sure that you are trying to run
- the program from the right disk drive and directory (refer to the first two
- paragraphs under STARTING MAKE A MESS to see how to do this).
-
- If this is the first time that you have run MAKAMESS, the program will
- automatically run the SETUP program. The SETUP program sets the defaults that
- Make A Mess uses during message creation. If you see the SETUP PROGRAM screen,
- go now to the next section on THE SETUP PROGRAM.
-
- If you have already run SETUP, you should see a menu with four choices: 1) Show
- Messages, 2) Change Messages, 3) Create Messages, and 4) Exit Program. If you
- do not see this menu or the SETUP menu, read through the instructions under
- STARTING MAKE A MESS again. If you do see this menu, go now to the section
- titled THE MAKE A MESS PROGRAM.
-
- ╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔
- ╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝
- ┌───────────────────┐
- │Things To Remember │░░
- └───────────────────┘░░
- ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
-
- ────┐
- I: │ The first thing to remember is that just about any key that you are
- ────┘ allowed to press is marked on the screen. If the screen indicates that
- you are allowed to press function keys F1 - F4, then there will be no action
- when you press F5.
-
- The program is written this way because I know it will not be the only program
- that you run on your computer. There is no reason to have to remember the keys
- when the program is capable of displaying them on the screen for you. Leaving
- instructions off the screen does make for a prettier display, but after two or
- three uses, you really start wishing they were there.
-
- The only exceptions to the above rule are that you can press the Escape key to
- exit from the (Y)es, (N)o, or (C)ancel instructions, and in the Message Create
- section, you can press the Enter key instead of Escape to get out of the Message
- Format section.
-
- (It is also important to remember that when these instructions state that you
- should press SHIFT and a function key, i.e. SHIFT F6, make sure that you press
- and hold the SHIFT key while pressing the function key at the same time.)
-
-
- ────┐
- II: │ The second thing to remember is that the Escape key can be used whenever
- ────┘ you run into a problem. For instance, if you accidentally ask the
- program to save a message and you don't want to, just press Escape to cancel.
- Repeatedly pressing Escape will eventually take you out to the opening menu
- from any screen you happen to be using.
-
-
- ────┐
- III:│ The third thing to remember is that this is a graphical program. While
- ────┘ this won't make much difference on computers from 20-megahertz 80386's
- and up, the program will run a little sluggishly on slower computers. If you
- are using an older computer, don't be surprised if the program seems to have
- stopped momentarily. It just takes longer to process graphical information
- than textual information. The program was written this way both to improve its
- general appearance, and to allow you to see exactly what you are doing as you
- are doing it.
-
-
- Now, let's get the program to do something!
-
- ╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔
- ╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝
- ┌───────────────────────┐
- │Make A Mess Main Menu. │░░
- └───────────────────────┘░░
- ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
-
- After SETUP has been run and a configuration has been saved, Make A Mess will
- start by showing you the Main Menu.
-
- The opening menu presents you with four choices: Show Messages, Change
- Messages, Create Messages, and Exit Program.
-
-
- ┌──────────────┐
- │Show Messages:│░░
- └──────────────┘░░
- ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
-
- ░░▒▒▓▒▒░░
- ────────┐
- STEP 1: │ The normal way to show messages that you have already created is to
- ────────┘ use SHOW MESSAGES. (The other way is to use SHIFT F10 Message
- Preview which is documented in the CREATE MESSAGES section). When you select
- this option, the program checks the current directory for stored messages. If
- it does not find any, it informs you that you must first create a message and
- then takes you back out to the main menu.
-
- If the program finds one or more messages, it then presents you with a list of
- these messages in a window at the right center of the screen. This menu will
- list up to 50 messages at the same time. If more than 50 messages are found,
- you can display them by using cursor keys displayed on the screen.
-
- To aid in the selection of the proper messages for display, the first 22 lines
- of each message are shown in a window at the left side of the screen as you
- highlight them.
-
- To select a message for display, highlight it using the keys shown on the
- screen, and then press the space bar. The box to the left of the message will
- then be highlighted in red. If you change your mind, just highlight the
- message again and press the space bar. The box will then turn to black and the
- message will no longer be selected. You can highlight as many of the messages
- as you like.
-
-
- I have included 6 demonstration messages in this shareware version. You can
- modify these messages in any way you choose.
-
- The first message, ADVERTIS, will give you an example of how you can use MAKE A
- MESS to advertise specials, events, new products or services, etc.
-
- The second message, DEMO, gives an overview of the features of Make A Mess, and
- provides some ideas about how to create your own messages.
-
- The third message, EDUCATE, shows how you can use Make A Mess in an educational
- setting. Make A Mess can be used much like an automatic flash card system.
-
- The fourth message, EXERCISE, shows how to use Make A Mess to assist you when
- you are doing repititous exercises. How often have you lost count when doing
- exercises? Make A Mess will keep up with your repititions, as well as provide
- an accurate time delay between sets of repititions.
-
- The fifth message, HOURS, is an example of how to use Make A Mess to inform
- customers about business hours. The colorful, animated messages in Make A Mess
- are much more attractive and attention getting than any paper sign. Also, Make
- A Mess gives a more professional image to your establishment.
-
- The last message, ILLBBACK, is a short message that can be used to inform
- others about what time you will return, how long you take for lunch, who to
- talk to in your absence, etc.
-
- You can change any of these messages to suit your tastes, or you can just
- delete them and make new messages from scratch.
-
-
- After you have selected the messages you want to display, press the Enter key
- to advance to step 2. If you press Enter and you haven't selected any
- messages, the program will take you back to step one where you can either
- select a message or return to the main menu.
-
-
- ░░▒▒▓▒▒░░
- ────────┐
- STEP 2: │ At this stage you are asked about the order in which you would like
- ────────┘ to display your messages. There are only two choices, but there
- differences are important.
-
-
- F1-RANDOM │ will display all of the messages you have selected, and do it
- ──────────┘ randomly. There is a possibility that a message can be shown
- several times in a row, but the odds of this happening decrease with the number
- of messages that you select for display.
-
-
- F2-ALPHABETICAL │ will display all of the messages you have selected, and do it
- ────────────────┘ alphabetically. Unless you have selected only 1 message,
- there is no possibility that a message will be displayed twice in a row. The
- alphabetical order is determined from the name of the message itself.
-
-
- ░░▒▒▓▒▒░░
- ────────┐
- STEP 3: │ At this stage you select the number of times that you want to display
- ────────┘ the selected messages.
-
-
- F1-CONTINUOUS │ will display your messages until you press a key. (In this
- ──────────────┘ unregistered version, the program will stop after the 7 minute
- demo time has elapsed).
-
-
- F2-TIMED │ will display messages in random or alphabetical order until the
- ─────────┘ amount of time you have entered has elapsed, or until you press a
- key. You can enter a time of up to 999 Hours, 59 Minutes. (Once again, in
- this version, the program will stop after the 7 minute demo time has elapsed).
-
-
- F3-COUNTED │ will display messages in random or alphabetical order the number
- ───────────┘ of times you have entered, or until you press a key. Each message
- counts once, so if a message is displayed randomly twice in a row, that counts
- as two messages. (Again, in this version, the program will stop after the 7
- minute demo time has elapsed).
-
-
- ░░▒▒▓▒▒░░
- ────────┐
- STEP 4: │ At this stage, you select the amount of time you want to wait between
- ────────┘ messages. If you want messages to show with no break between them,
- just select a time delay of 0 Minutes, 0 Seconds. There will be some extra
- delay between messages depending on the size of the next message, and the speed
- of your computer. (In this unregistered version, the program will stop once
- the 7 minute demo time has elapsed).
-
-
- ░░▒▒▓▒▒░░
- ────────┐
- STEP 5: │ In this step, you select the intermission effect that will be shown
- ────────┘ between messages. If you selected a time delay of 0 in the last
- step, the choice you make at this step is irrelevant. If you want the screen
- to stay black between messages, select F1. If you want the program to randomly
- pick between the intermission effects, select F2. Otherwise, the program will
- show only the effect that you choose. For instance, if you select F3 Lines,
- the program will only show the Lines Intermission between messages. If you
- picked F2 (Random), each display will appear on average 1 out of every 5
- messages.
-
- In this shareware version, F8 (Logo) has been disabled. If you register the
- program, you will have this option available to you. This selection will allow
- you to specify a 16-color PCX, GIF, or BMP file to display. The picture will
- be scaled to fit the screen, so its resolution is not important. This picture
- can be provided by you, or we can scan any picture that you would like to
- display (for a $25 fee). Further details about this function appear in the
- documentation that comes with the registered version.
-
-
- ░░▒▒▓▒▒░░
- ────────┐
- Step 6: │ In this step you review the choices that you have made. If all looks
- ────────┘ correct, just press Enter and the show will begin. If something is
- not right, press the Backspace key until you get to the step that will correct
- it. Pressing Escape at any time will take you back to the main menu.
-
-
- During Display, you can press any key to stop. You will then be taken back to
- step 6. From here, you can return to the main menu, restart the display, or
- modify the display settings.
-
-
- ╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔
- ╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝
- ┌────────────────┐
- │Create Messages:│░░
- └────────────────┘░░
- ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
-
- The first step to take in making a new message is to select CREATE MESSAGES.
- When this option is selected Make A Mess will first present you with a master
- format window. This window will give you a preview of the overall format of
- the message. You can change each line as you enter the message, but each line
- will default to this master format. You can go back and change the master
- format any time you want while you are entering the message. However, you
- should remember that any changes you make will effect the entire message. If
- you change the colors in the master format, each line in the message will then
- take on these new colors. The same holds true for any changes you make in
- display speed and justification. If, for example, you have a message with ten
- lines already entered, and you make a master format change, each of these ten
- lines will take on this new format. This happens regardless of any changes you
- have already made to these lines.
-
- Since the Master Format initially takes on the values you saved using the SETUP
- program, you will not usually need to make any changes to this format. So,
- when you enter the Create Messages menu option, you will usually just want to
- press Enter or Escape immediately to start entering the message. However, this
- option will always be available if you want to make any changes.
-
- It is important to remember that each message is totally independent of any
- other messages. Any changes you make using the Master Format or the SETUP
- program will have no effect on messages you have already saved.
-
- O.K. we're now ready to start entering a message. Try entering a few
- characters and see how they look. For the purpose of speed, the program will
- let you keep typing as it draws characters at the bottom, so if it appears that
- the characters are disappearing, stop typing and they will quickly catch up.
-
- After you have typed a few characters, you can then see how some of the
- commands work (Note that all possible commands are listed on the screen).
-
-
- Cursor Up │ This key moves up the display by one line. When you reach the
- ──────────┘ first line, this key no longer has any effect.
-
-
- Cursor Down │ This key moves the display down by one line. When you reach line
- ────────────┘ 999, this key no longer has any effect.
-
-
- Page Up │ This key moves the display up by 15 lines. When you reach the first
- ────────┘ line, this key no longer has any effect.
-
-
- Page Down │ This key move the display down by 15 lines. When you reach line
- ──────────┘ 999, this key no longer has any effect.
-
-
- Delete │ This key deletes the current line. Be careful, it doesn't ask whether
- ───────┘ or not you are sure you want to do this, it just does it.
-
-
- Insert │ This key inserts a new line. It pushes any text below it down by one
- ───────┘ line and makes a new line that conforms to the settings made in the
- Master Format window.
-
-
- Home │ This key takes you to line 1 of the message.
- ─────┘
-
-
- End │ This key takes you to the last line you have edited.
- ────┘
-
-
- Esc │ This key gets you out of Create Messages and takes you back to the Main
- ────┘ Menu. If the current message contains any text, you will be asked if you
- want to save the current message. If you do, press Y and follow the
- instructions. If you do not want to save, press N. Otherwise, press C or
- Escape again and you will return to the message without saving or exiting.
-
-
- F1: Justification │ This key changes the justification of the text on the
- ──────────────────┘ screen. If you have typed less than 20 characters,
- pressing this key will move the text in both the Preview Window and the Entry
- Window. Try using this option a few times to see what occurs. Make sure that
- you refer to what happens in the preview window because this is exactly the way
- that the text will appear when the message is displayed. Remember, any changes
- you make with this option will affect only the line that you are currently
- editing. Any lines that have not yet been edited will default to the settings
- shown by the Master Format window.
-
- Note that as you make changes with F1, the window just to the right of the
- Entry Window will indicate these changes. This window is also important for
- other functions because it reflects changes in Underline, Text Type, Font, and
- Speed.
-
-
- F2: Text Color │ This choice should be fairly obvious. When you press F2, the
- ───────────────┘ text color on the current line changes. There are 16 possible
- text colors, but the program will not allow you to set a text color equal to
- the screen color (If you want the text color to equal the screen color you
- really want a blank line). The text color will cycle through all of its colors
- as long as you press F2. Once again, any changes you make with this option
- will affect only the line that you are currently editing.
-
-
- F3: Screen Color │ This choice works in exactly the same way as the text color,
- ─────────────────┘ except that it changes the color of the text background. As
- with the text color, you cannot set the screen color to equal the text color.
- Also, once again, any changes you make with this option will only affect the
- line that you are currently editing.
-
-
- F4: Display Speed │ This choice changes the display speed of the line you are
- ──────────────────┘ currently editing. Changes to this setting do not appear
- in the preview window. The speed varies from 100% to 25%. At 100%, the
- message will display as fast as the hardware in your computer and display card
- will allow. However, at 75% and below, the message text will display with a
- delay between each character. This decreased speed should be about the same
- regardless of the hardware used to display it.
-
- Try using this option a few times and then preview the results. You can then
- better judge what speed settings do what on your equipment. As usual, any
- changes you make with this option will only affect the line that you are
- currently editing.
-
-
- F5: Text Size │ This choice allows you to select Normal or Double sized text.
- ──────────────┘ This is a good effect for calling attention to a particular
- line. One thing to remember about this choice is that it cuts down on the
- number of lines that can be displayed on the screen at the same time.
- Normally, you can have 10 lines of text from top to bottom. However, since
- Double text is twice as high as Normal, it takes up twice as much screen space.
- Therefore, if every line is Double size, you can only have 5 lines of text on
- each screen. The width of the display is not affected, you will still have 20
- characters per line. And again, any changes you make with this option will
- only affect the line that you are currently editing.
-
-
- F6: Underline Text │ This choice allows you to turn underline on and off. Both
- ───────────────────┘ Normal and Double sized text is underlined. The only
- thing to remember about this option is that if you select Blinking Text (F9),
- the underline does not blink, only the text it underlines. And guess what, any
- changes you make with this option will only affect the line that you are
- currently editing.
-
-
- F7: Pause Display │ This option is pretty straightforward. It will stop the
- ──────────────────┘ display for as many seconds as you tell it to. When you
- press F7, it will examine the line that you are currently working on. If this
- line contains information, Pause Display will insert a line so that this
- information is not lost. If the line is blank, then Pause Display will simply
- replace it. If you fail to enter a number when Pause Display asks you for a
- delay time, it will default to 0 seconds and have no effect on the message
- display. Pause Display is also used in conjunction with F9 (Blinking Text).
- To get text to blink, you must first select it with F9. This alone will not
- cause the text to blink. You must then issue a pause display. The text will
- not blink until the message reaches this pause. You can put the pause display
- on the line below the blinking text, or you can put it several lines below,
- just so long as the text that is to blink stays on the screen.
-
-
- F8: Clear Screen │ This option also does just what it says. It clears off the
- ─────────────────┘ screen and starts the display from the top. There is
- something extra to remember about this option though. If you have selected a
- top title (F6), a bottom title (F7), or both, Clear Screen will not affect
- them. Only text that is between the top and/or bottom title will be cleared
- away. However, if you issue two Clear Screen commands in a row, the top and/or
- bottom title will be cleared away.
-
-
- F9: Blinking Text │ This option provides a way to make text on the screen blink
- ──────────────────┘ to attract special attention. Any text can be made to
- blink (except for the top and bottom titles), however, only one line on each
- screen can be made to blink at a time. Also, to get text to blink you must
- issue a pause command (see F7 Pause Display for details) at least 1 line after
- the blink command.
-
-
- F10: Next Font │ Unlike any of the above choices, Next Font affects the entire
- ───────────────┘ message. In this version of the program, 3 fonts are
- provided: Courier, Roman, and Helv. You can see what each of the fonts will
- look like by repeatedly pressing F10. The only restriction with this command
- is that you can only have 1 font per message.
-
-
-
- (When the following sections refer to pressing SHIFT and a function key, i.e.
- SHIFT F6, remember to press and hold the SHIFT key while pressing the function
- key at the same time.)
-
- SHIFT F6: Make Top Title │ This option allows you to make a title that will
- ─────────────────────────┘ stay at the top of the screen regardless of what
- happens with the rest of the message. Text is scrolled beneath the top title,
- and if a Clear Screen command is issued, only the text below this title is
- cleared away. To get rid of this top title, you must issue two Clear Screen
- commands in a row. This function works along with the Make Bottom Title (SHIFT
- F7). One thing to remember about this function is that whenever it is used in
- the message it will clear away the rest of the screen.
-
- The only exception to the above rule occurs when you have a bottom title.
- Selecting a new Top Title will not clear away the current bottom title. Also,
- the top (as well as the bottom) title is not affected by the Blinking Text
- command. All other commands work normally. You can issue the Make Top Title
- command whenever you want in a particular message. Just remember that it
- clears away all but the bottom title (if there is one) when it is issued.
-
-
- SHIFT F7: Make Bottom Title │ This option allows you to make a title that will
- ────────────────────────────┘ stay at the bottom of the screen regardless of
- what happens with the rest of the message. Text is scrolled above the bottom
- title, and if a Clear Screen command is issued, only the text above this title
- is cleared away. To get rid of this bottom title, you must issue two Clear
- Screen commands in a row. This function works along with the Make Top Title
- (SHIFT F6). One thing to remember about this function is that whenever it is
- used in the message it will clear way the rest of the screen.
-
- The only exception to the above rule occurs if you have a top title.
- Selecting a new Bottom Title will not clear away the current top title. Also,
- the bottom (as well as the top) title is not affected by the Blinking Text
- command. All other commands work normally. You can issue the Make Bottom
- Title command whenever you want in a particular message. Just remember that it
- clears away all but the top title (if there is one) when it is issued.
-
-
- SHIFT F8: Master Format │ This option allows you to change the current Master
- ────────────────────────┘ Format. It calls up the same screen that is
- presented when you first select Create Messages. The functions work the same
- way when they are called from the message as they do when Create Messages is
- first selected. It is important to remember that any changes you make here
- affect the entire message. If you change the colors, all lines in the message
- are changed, including any lines you have already edited. The same goes for
- changes made in justification and display speed.
-
-
- SHIFT F9: Save Message │ This option allows you to save the message you are
- ───────────────────────┘ currently editing. This option also comes up
- automatically when you press Escape to exit the message and the message
- contains information. The screen should then present you with any necessary
- instructions. It is a good idea to use a name that is indicative of the
- contents of the message so that you can find it more quickly. However, this is
- not absolutely necessary since all messages are automatically previewed before
- you load them back in.
-
-
- SHIFT F10: Preview Message │ This option allows you to preview the message you
- ───────────────────────────┘ are currently editing. This is the way the
- message will appear when displayed using the Show Messages selection from the
- Main Menu. The message will repeat until you stop it by pressing any key.
-
-
- ╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔
- ╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝
- ┌────────────────┐
- │Change Messages:│░░
- └────────────────┘░░
- ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
-
- This selection works essentially the same way as CREATE MESSAGES. The only
- two exceptions are: A Load Message menu initially appears in place of the
- Master Format menu, and a SHIFT F5: Load Message choice appears on the screen.
-
- Since CHANGE MESSAGES differs so little from CREATE MESSAGES, I will only
- document the two exceptions listed above. Just refer to the CREATE MESSAGES
- section for information on all the other functions.
-
-
- When you first select CHANGE MESSAGES, you will be presented with a menu asking
- you what message you want to load. The directory is searched for all messages
- that have been saved, and then they are presented on a selection list. You can
- move up and down through this list like you move up and down through a message.
- All of the allowable keys are displayed on the screen, and no other keys have
- any function.
-
- You can get an idea of the contents of each message as you highlight it in the
- Load Menu. At the left of the screen in the Entry Window, a preview of the
- first fourteen lines of each message will appear. When you have highlighted
- the message you would like to edit, press Enter and the message will load.
-
-
- SHIFT F5 │ Pressing SHIFT and F5 brings up the Load Messages Menu. This can be
- ─────────┘ done at any time during editing. This menu is the same as the one
- that first appears when you select CHANGE MESSAGES from the MAIN MENU. You
- should remember that if you load a new message with this function, it will
- first erase the message that you are currently working on. When you first
- press this button it will ask if you want to save your current message. If you
- select (N)o, the program will then erase the message you are currently editing.
- It will not erase it from the disk, but it will erase any changes you have
- made.
-
- ╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗╔╗
- ╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠╣╠
- ╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝╚╝
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