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PC Publisher Electronic Publishing System Version 2.03b
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(C) Copyright 1993-94 Relative Software Innovations. All Rights Reserved.
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Relative Software Innovations
1515 N. Town East Blvd., Suite #138
Mesquite, Texas 75150
(214) 681-8131
Compuserve ID: 73611,127
BBS Support:
We maintain an RSI BBS on BBS AMERICA.
BBS AMERICA - Dallas, Tx
(214)680-1451 - 9600bps V32
(214)680-3406 - 9600bps V32
(214)994-0093 - 2400bps(rollover lines)
PC PURSUITABLE: TXDAL
FIDO NET: 124/6506
At the BBS America Main Menu, Select 4 for support BBS.
At the Support BBS Main Menu, Select R for the RSI BBS.
Table of Contents
Warranty ........................................................ iii
Legal Notice .................................................... iii
Single User/Site License ........................................ iii
Chapter 1 - Software Installation
Installing the Program .................................. 1
Uninstalling the Program ................................ 1
Loading PC Publisher .................................... 2
Chapter 2 - Main Menu
File .................................................... 2
View Text File .................................. 2
Close Text File ................................. 2
Exit Program .................................... 2
Search .................................................. 3
Find ............................................ 3
Find Next ....................................... 3
Print ................................................... 3
Set Print Area .................................. 3
Print File ...................................... 3
ANSI .................................................... 3
Stand-Alone Art/Animation File .................. 3
Stand-Alone ANSI Text File ...................... 3
ANSI Magazine/Catalog File ...................... 4
ASCII ................................................... 4
Stand-Alone ASCII Text Project .................. 4
ASCII Book/Magazine Project ..................... 4
ASCII Catalog Project ........................... 4
Launch .................................................. 4
Run DOS Command ................................. 4
Add Program To Launch ........................... 4
Help .................................................... 5
Help ............................................ 5
Change Mouse Cursor ............................. 5
About PC Publisher .............................. 5
Chapter 3 - ANSI Magazine/Catalog Projects
Project ................................................. 5
Create New Project .............................. 5
Open Saved Project .............................. 6
Save Project .................................... 6
Make Distribution Disk .......................... 6
Exit to Main Menu ............................... 6
Edit .................................................... 6
Edit Project Heading ............................ 6
Edit Menu Items ................................. 7
Import TOC File ................................. 7
Export to TOC Format ............................ 7
Chapter 4 - ASCII Text Projects
Project ................................................. 8
Create New Project .............................. 8
Open Saved Project .............................. 8
Save Project .................................... 8
Build EXE File .................................. 8
Exit to Main Menu ............................... 8
Page i
Edit .................................................... 8
Edit Current Project ............................ 8
Preview ......................................... 9
Chapter 5 - ASCII Book/Magazine Projects ........................ 9
Project ................................................. 9
Create New Project .............................. 9
Open Saved Project .............................. 10
Save Project .................................... 10
Make Distribution Disk .......................... 10
Exit to Main Menu ............................... 10
Edit .................................................... 10
Edit Project Menu ............................... 10
Cover/Intro Files ............................... 11
Viewer Border/Color Chart ....................... 11
Menu Border/Color Chart ......................... 12
Chapter 6 - ASCII Catalog Projects .............................. 12
Project ................................................. 12
Create New Project .............................. 12
Open Saved Project .............................. 13
Save Project .................................... 13
Make Distribution Disk .......................... 13
Exit to Main Menu ............................... 13
Edit .................................................... 13
Edit Project Menu ............................... 13
Cover/Intro Files ............................... 14
Viewer Border/Color Chart ....................... 14
Menu Border/Color Chart ......................... 15
Page ii
WARRANTY
Relative Software Innovations specifically disclaims all warranties,
expressed or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties
of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.
Your sole and exclusive remedy in the event of a defective diskette is
expressly limited to replacement of the diskette. If the diskette should
fail, return it to RSI with a brief statement describing the defect.
Relative Software Innovations shall not be liable for indirect,
special, incidental or consequential damages resulting from the use of
this product.
LEGAL NOTICE
This software is protected by both United States copyright law and
international treaty provisions. You are strictly prohibited from making
copies of this software except under the following exception. You are
authorized to make archival copies of the software for the sole purpose
of backing-up our software and protecting your investment fom loss.
SINGLE USER / SITE LICENSE
This software is licensed for the number of computers you registered.
A SINGLE USER license may be used by only one computer, but may be freely
moved from one computer to another, so long as there is no possibility of
it being used at one location while it is being used at another.
A SITE license can be used by any number of computers at the same time
at one location, up to the number you registered the program for.
NOTICE:
THIS SOFTWARE MAY NOT BE LOADED ONTO A NETWORK WITHOUT PREVIOUS
WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION FROM RELATIVE SOFTWARE INNOVATIONS.
Page iii
___________________________________________________
PC Publisher v2.1
___________________________________________________
Electronic
Publishing
System
___________________________________________________
Program Documentation
___________________________________________________
(c) Copyright 1993-1994
All Rights Reserved
Relative Software Innovations
1515 N. Town East Blvd., Suite #138
Mesquite, Texas 75150-4142
(214) 681-8131
CHAPTER 1 - SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
_________________________________
Installing the Program
----------------------
To install the software to a floppy or hard disk, insert the
program diskette into your floppy drive. Change to that drive
and type INSTALL d: (d is the letter of your drive you wish to
install to. Don't forget the colon). If you are installing to
drive C then at the DOS command line type:
INSTALL C:
and press <Enter>.
The installation software will ask you to confirm transferring
authorization from the drive you are on to the drive you wish to
install to. If this is correct, press Y. If not, press N to abort
the installation.
Next, the installation program will create the directory to place
the program files (if installing to a hard drive) and copy all the
files onto that drive. If you are installing from 5 1/4" disks you
will be prompted to insert Disk #2.
Uninstalling the Program
------------------------
To uninstall the software from a floppy or hard disk, insert
the program diskette into your floppy drive. Change to that drive
and type UNINSTALL d: (d is the letter of your drive you wish to
uninstall from. Don't forget the colon). If you are uninstalling
drive C then at the DOS command line type:
UNINSTAL C:
and press <Enter>.
The uninstall software will ask you to confirm transferring
authorization from the drive you wish to uninstall from to the
drive you are on. If this is correct, press Y. If not, press N
to abort the uninstall process.
Next, the installation program will transfer authorization from
that drive back to the install count on your original disk so you
do not lose an install. The initial install count is 2.
NOTE: If you DELETE fhe program files from your drive WITHOUT using
the UNINSTALL file to remove the program, you will LOSE an install
from your total install count.
Page 1
Loading PC Publisher
--------------------
To load PC Publisher for a color monitor, at the DOS prompt, type:
pcpub
and for a monochrome monitor type:
pcpub /m
CHAPTER 2 - MAIN MENU
_____________________
Main Menu
---------
The Main Menu selections include:
FILE - Open text files for viewing.
SEARCH - Find a word or text string within a text file.
PRINT - Print all or selected area of a file.
ANSI - Create ANSI projects.
ASCII - Create ASCII projects.
LAUNCH - Launch other programs from PC Publisher
HELP - Program help and information.
File Menu
---------
View Text File
--------------
To view an ASCII text file, select a file from the File
Directory. The file will be displayed in the text file viewer.
The maximum size of the file that can be displayed depends on
your available memory. The maximum number of columns that can
be displayed is 128.
Use the left and right cursor keys, <Tab> and <Shift>+<Tab>
keys to scroll left and right. The up and down cursor keys,
<PgUp>, and <PgDn> scroll the file up and down. The <Home> key
moves the file to the top line of the file and <Ctrl>+<Home>
moves to the top line and first column of the file. <End> and
<Ctrl>+ <End> move the file to the last line and last line, last
column respectively.
Close Text File
---------------
Removes the text file from the viewer.
Exit Program
------------
Exits the program and returns to DOS.
Page 2
Search Menu
-----------
Find
----
Enter a word, phrase, or text string to search within the
current text file.
To search for whole words only or to match upper/lower case,
click the mouse on the check box or use the <Tab> key to move
the cursor and then press the <Space Bar> to place an X in the
box.
To search from the beginning or current position in the file,
use the cursor keys to move the option button to the desired
selection. Select <Ok> when you are ready to start the search
or press <Cancel> to remove the Search Window.
Find Next
---------
To find the next occurrence of the search string you entered,
select Find Next from the menu or press <F3>.
Print Menu
----------
Set Print Area
--------------
To print only a portion of the text file, move the highlight
bar to the first line you want to print and press <Enter>. Next,
move the bar to the last line you want to print and press <Enter>.
Press <Ok> to print, <Cancel> or <Esc> to reset the print area.
Press <Esc> to move back to the previous step and reset the first
or last line.
Print File
----------
Prints the entire file that is loaded in the viewer.
ANSI Menu
---------
Stand-Alone Art/Animation File
------------------------------
Enter the path and name of an ANSI art or animation file you
want to create into a stand-alone EXE file or press <F2> for the
File Directory. When the ANSI file path\filename has been entered,
the EXE path\filename will automatically display in the form with
the same path and name but with an .EXE extension. Change the path
or file name if desired or press <Ok> to create the EXE file. Press
<Cancel> or <Esc> to cancel and return to the Main Menu.
Stand-Alone ANSI Text File
--------------------------
Enter the path and name of an ANSI text file you want to create
Page 3
into a stand-alone EXE file or press <F2> for the File Directory.
When the ANSI file path\filename has been entered, the EXE path\
filename will automatically display in the form with the same path
and name but with an .EXE extension. Change the path or file name
if desired or press <Ok> to create the EXE file. Press <Cancel> or
<Esc> to cancel and return to the Main Menu.
ANSI Magazine/Catalog Project
-----------------------------
Create ANSI Magazine and Catalog projects for use with Readit
v1.00 ANSI Magazine Reader. For detailed information, see Chapter
3 - ANSI Magazine/Catalog Projects.
ASCII Menu
----------
Stand-Alone ASCII Text Project
------------------------------
Create stand-alone EXE files from ASCII text files. Select from
4 different text viewers to use with your projects. For detailed
information, see Chapter 4 - ASCII Text Projects.
ASCII Book/Magazine Project
---------------------------
Create ASCII book or magazine projects using Pop-Up menus you
customize for each project. For detailed information, see Chapter
5 - ASCII Book/Magazine Projects.
ASCII Catalog Project
---------------------
Create ASCII catalog projects using Pull-Down menus customized
for each project. For detailed information, see Chapter 6 - ASCII
Catalog Projects.
Launch Menu
-----------
Run DOS Command
---------------
Enter a DOS command in the text box and press <Ok> to run it or
leave the text box blank and press <Ok> to shell to DOS. You can
view a directory; copy, delete or undelete files; format a floppy
disk; or any DOS command you normally type from the command line.
Press <Cancel> or <Esc> to cancel and return to the Main Menu.
Add Program to Launch
---------------------
Enter the program information in the Launch Manager data form to
add the program to the Launch Menu. Once a program is set up, it
will display in the menu and can be run by selecting it from the
menu. You can add your favorite word processor, text editor, or
any DOS or Windows program (the Windows directory must be in your
PATH statement in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file).
Page 4
Help Menu
---------
Help
----
Display context-sensitive help information by selecting Help
from the Help Menu or by pressing <F1> anywhere in the program.
The necessary help information will be displayed for the topic
your menu or form is displaying.
Change Mouse Cursor
-------------------
Change the mouse cursor from a smooth moving graphics cursor to
a block text cursor and back by selecting this menu option.
About PC Publisher
------------------
About screen displays program copyright information and credits.
CHAPTER 3 - ANSI Magazine/Catalog Projects
__________________________________________
The RIF (Readit Information File) file created by PC Publisher
and the ANSI magazine reader, Readit v1.00, are compatible with
READROOM.TOC files. TOC files can be imported to the RIF format
and ANSI Magazine project files can be exported as TOC files.
ANSI Magazine/Catalog Menu
--------------------------
The ANSI Magazine/Catalog Menu selections include:
Project - Create, open, save project files; make
distribution disks.
Edit - Edit project heading and menu items.
Project Menu
------------
Create New Project
------------------
Create a name for your project that will be used as the file name
to store on disk and to open later when you want to continue working
on the project. Since the project name is used as the file name on
disk, it must follow the DOS file naming convention (NOTE: the file
extension is automatically added to the file by PC Publisher so it
can keep track of the different project files).
Acceptable characters for a DOS file name include the letters A
through Z, the numbers 0 through 9, and the following special char-
acters: underscore (_), caret (^), dollar sign ($), tilde (~), ex-
clamation point (!), number sign (#), percent sign (%), ampersand
(&), hyphen (-), braces ({}), parentheses ( ), at sign (@), apos-
Page 5
trophe ('), and the grave accent (`). No other special characters
can be used. A project name cannot contain spaces, commas, back-
slashes, or periods. And it cannot be the reserved file names:
CLOCK$, CON, AUX, COMn (where n=1-4), LPTn (where n=1-3), NUL, or
PRN.
Open Saved Project
------------------
Opens a previously saved project file for editing, adding cover
or intro files, or creating a distribution disk. Select the project
name from the list box of previously saved project files by double-
clicking it with the mouse or by using the cursor keys and pressing
<Enter>.
Save Project
------------
Saves the current project to disk to save any changes made to the
project.
Make Distribution Disk
----------------------
Copies all files listed in a project file to the directory or
drive you select including a copy of Readit v1.00 and a RIF (Readit
Information File) file that contains the project header and menu
information. Both Readit and the RIF file will be given the name of
your project name. For example, if your project name was ISSUE1, the
reader would be named ISUUE1.EXE & the RIF file would be ISSUE1.RIF.
You can change the names of these files to any legal DOS file name
you want as long as the EXE and RIF files have the same file name.
Exit to Main Menu
-----------------
Exits the ANSI Magazine/Catalog Project area and returns to the
Main Menu.
Edit Menu
---------
Edit Project Heading
--------------------
Customize your project with various foreground and background
colors, cover files, and heading text, style, and border.
Select the color attribute for the project file from the Color
Chart by pressing <F2> at the Color Attribute field. Use the cursor
keys to move the option button to the foreground color you want and
press <Enter>. At the Bright check box, press the <Space Bar> or
click on the check box with the mouse to make the foreground color
bright, or press <Tab> or <Enter> to move to the next field. Select
the background color by moving the option button to the desired
color and press <Enter>.
Page 6
At the Border field press <F2> to see the Border Chart. Enter the
number for the border you want and press <Ok>.
Enter the file path and name of the file to use as a cover file.
This file will be displayed as the magazine is being loaded. The
file can be a standard or stand-alone (EXE or COM) ANSI art,
animation, text, or an ASCII text file.
Set the Style option button to display the header text left,
center, or right justified.
Press <Ok> to save the changes, <Add Menu Items> to add new menu
items for this project, or <Cancel> to cancel any changes made and
return to the menu. To edit existing menu items, see Edit Menu Items
below.
Edit Menu Items
---------------
Displays the data entry form to enter the menu titles and the
files associated with that title. Press <Ok> or <PgDn> to accept
the changes and display the next menu item. Press <PgUp> for the
previous menu item. To add new menu items, see Edit Menu Heading
above.
Import TOC File
---------------
You can import an existing TOC file created with ReadRoom or
other TOC compatible programs. You must first create a project
to place the imported data into using Create New Project.
Enter the TOC file path and name or press <F2> for the file
directory. The header and menu items will be imported as the
current project. Before making a distribution disk you will have
to enter the paths for the cover file and the files associated
with each menu item.
Export to TOC Format
--------------------
You can export a project file to TOC format compatible with
ReadRoom or other TOC compatible programs. Enter the path where
you want to place the file and the program will create a
READROOM.TOC file with the data for the current project.
CHAPTER 4 - ASCII Text Projects
_______________________________
ASCII Text Menu
---------------
The ASCII Text Menu selections include:
Project - Create, open, save project files; make
distribution disks.
Edit - Edit current project and preview.
Page 7
Project Menu
------------
Create New Project
------------------
Create a name for your project that will be used as the file name
to store on disk and to open later when you want to continue working
on the project. Since the project name is used as the file name on
disk, it must follow the DOS file naming convention (NOTE: the file
extension is automatically added to the file by PC Publisher so it
can keep track of the different project files).
Acceptable characters for a DOS file name include the letters A
through Z, the numbers 0 through 9, and the following special char-
acters: underscore (_), caret (^), dollar sign ($), tilde (~), ex-
clamation point (!), number sign (#), percent sign (%), ampersand
(&), hyphen (-), braces ({}), parentheses ( ), at sign (@), apos-
trophe ('), and the grave accent (`). No other special characters
can be used. A project name cannot contain spaces, commas, back-
slashes, or periods. And it cannot be the reserved file names:
CLOCK$, CON, AUX, COMn (where n=1-4), LPTn (where n=1-3), NUL, or
PRN.
Open Saved Project
------------------
Opens a previously saved project file for editing. Select the
project name from the list box of previously saved project files
by double-clicking it with the mouse or by using the cursor keys
and pressing <Enter>.
Save Project
------------
Saves the current project to disk to save any changes made to
the project.
Build EXE File
--------------
Makes the finished EXE file from the options you set in the
projects data entry form.
Exit to Main Menu
-----------------
Exits the ASCII Text Project area and returns to the Main Menu.
Edit Menu
---------
Edit Current Project
--------------------
Displays the data entry form to edit the currently loaded project.
Enter the title you want to display in the finished EXE file.
Select the viewer you want for this project file. TVIEWER1 is a
small (under 6k) viewer for small letters, documents, and info files.
Page 8
It displays the file screen by screen and does not allow scrolling.
The title and border options do not apply to this viewer. TVIEWER2
adds scrolling window , border, and title features. TVIEWER3 adds
pull-down menu and search option. TVIEWER4 adds the print feature.
Select the color attribute for the project file from the Color
Chart by pressing <F2> at the Color Attribute field. Use the cursor
keys to move the option button to the foreground color you want and
press <Enter>. At the Bright check box, press the <Space Bar> or
click on the check box with the mouse to make the foreground color
bright, or press <Tab> or <Enter> to move to the next field. Select
the background color by moving the option button to the desired
color and press <Enter>.
At the Border field press <F2> to see the Border Chart. Enter the
number for the border you want and press <Ok>.
Enter the text file path and name to create the EXE file from or
press <F2> for the file directory.
The EXE file path and name will be entered the same as for the
text file except with an EXE extension. You can change the path or
file name to whatever you like. Make sure the file has the EXE
extension.
Preview
-------
Displays what the finished EXE will look like with the border and
color scheme you have selected.
CHAPTER 5 - ASCII Book/Magazine Projects
________________________________________
ASCII Book/Magazine Menu
------------------------
The ASCII Book/Magazine Menu selections include:
Project - Create, open, save project files; make
distribution disks.
Edit - Edit project menus; add/edit cover and intro files
for project.
Project Menu
------------
Create New Project
------------------
Create a name for your project that will be used as the file name
to store on disk and to open later when you want to continue working
on the project. Since the project name is used as the file name on
disk, it must follow the DOS file naming convention (NOTE: the file
Page 9
extension is automatically added to the file by PC Publisher so it
can keep track of the different project files).
Acceptable characters for a DOS file name include the letters A
through Z, the numbers 0 through 9, and the following special
characters: underscore (_), caret (^), dollar sign ($), tilde (~),
exclamation point (!), number sign (#), percent sign (%), ampersand
(&), hyphen (-), braces ({}), parentheses ( ), at sign (@), apos-
trophe ('), and the grave accent (`). No other special characters
can be used. A project name cannot contain spaces, commas, back-
slashes, or periods. And it cannot be the reserved file names:
CLOCK$, CON, AUX, COMn (where n=1-4), LPTn (where n=1-3), NUL, or
PRN.
Open Saved Project
------------------
Opens a previously saved project file for editing, adding cover
or intro files, or creating a distribution disk. Select the project
name from the list box of previously saved project files by double-
clicking it with the mouse or by using the cursor keys and pressing
<Enter>.
Save Project
------------
Saves to disk any changes made to the current project.
Make Distribution Disk
----------------------
Copies all files listed in a project file to the directory or
drive you select including a copy of the book/magazine reader and a
.MNU file that contains the menu information. Both the reader and
the .MNU file will be given the name of your project. For example,
if your project name was ISSUE1, the reader would be ISSUE1.EXE,
the menu file would be ISSUE1.MNU. You can change the names of these
files to any legal DOS file name you want as long as the EXE and MNU
files have the same file name.
Exit to Main Menu
-----------------
Exits the ASCII Book/Magazine Project area and returns to the
Main Menu.
Edit Menu
---------
Edit Project Menu
-----------------
When creating a new project, the pop-up menu will appear with
blank menu options to be filled in.
To add another menu item, hold the <Ctrl> key down and press A.
A new menu item will be added to the end of the editable menu area.
Page 10
To delete a menu item, move the cursor to the item to be deleted,
hold the <Ctrl> key down and press D.
To insert a new menu item, move the cursor to the location to
insert the new item, hold the <Ctrl> key down and press I.
To edit a menu item, move the cursor to the menu item to be
edited and press <Enter>. The the data entry form for editing menu
items is displayed. Enter the title to be displayed in the menu and
select a hot key to be used for that menu item. You can insert a
horizontal bar to divide areas of the menu by moving the Status
option button to Horizontal Bar (the title information will not be
displayed and the bar will be skipped by the menu manager and no
action will be taken on this selection). Next, enter the path and
file name of the file associated with this menu item or press <F2>
for the file directory. Set the View/Print option button and the
starting line and last line of the file to be viewed or printed.
Press <Ok> to accept any changes or press <Cancel>.
Select <Exit> from the menu or press <Esc> to quit Edit Project
Menu.
Cover/Intro Files
-----------------
The cover file will be displayed as the book/magazine is being
loaded. The file can be a standard or stand-alone (EXE or COM) ANSI
art, animation, text, or an ASCII text file. Enter the file path
and name or press <F2> to view the file directory.
The intro file will be displayed at the beginning of the program.
This file MUST be an ASCII text file.
The exit file will be displayed as the reader is leaving the
book/magazine. The file can be a standard or stand- alone (EXE
or COM) ANSI art, animation, text, or an ASCII text file. Enter
the file path and name or press <F2> to view the file directory.
Press <Ok> to save these selections or press <Cancel> to exit.
Viewer Border/Color Chart
-------------------------
Select the colors and the border for this publications viewer
by entering the numbers in the data form or by pressing <F2> for
the appropriate selection chart.
Select the Pop-Up Menu location where you would like it to be
displayed in the publication (Book/Magazine Projects only).
Press <Ok> to accept the changes or press <Cancel> or <Esc> to
exit without saving the changes.
Page 11
If you want to save these changes permanently you will need to
select Save Project Data from the Project Menu before exiting to
the Main Menu.
Menu Border/Color Chart
-----------------------
Set the desired colors and borders for the Pull-Down or Pop-Up
Menu. Each project can create it's own unique color palette or use
the default color palette.
Set the menu option button to the desired selection and then set
the foreground and background option buttons to the desired color
selections for that item. For example, to set the Pull-Down Menu
bar to black on white, move the menu option button to Menu in the
Pulldown Main box and then move the Foreground option button to
black and the Background option button to white.
As you move each Menu option button and set the Foreground and
Background colors, the new color configuration will be displayed
in the bottom right hand corner of the form.
Set the border, shadow, and zoom style you want by entering the
number in the form or by pressing <F2> for the appropriate chart.
Press <Ok> to exit the edit form with the changes made or press
<Cancel> or <Esc> to cnacel any changes.
If you want to save these changes permanently you will need to
select Save Project Data from the Project Menu before exiting to
the Main Menu.
CHAPTER 6 - ASCII Catalog Projects
__________________________________
ASCII Catalog Menu
------------------
The ASCII Catalog Menu selections include:
Project - Create, open, save project files; make
distribution disks.
Edit - Edit project menus; add/edit cover and intro files
for project.
Project Menu
------------
Create New Project
------------------
Create a name for your project that will be used as the file name
to store on disk and to open later when you want to continue working
on the project. Since the project name is used as the file name on
Page 12
disk, it must follow the DOS file naming convention (NOTE: the file
extension is automatically added to the file by PC Publisher so it
can keep track of the different project files).
Acceptable characters for a DOS file name include the letters A
through Z, the numbers 0 through 9, and the following special char-
acters: underscore (_), caret (^), dollar sign ($), tilde (~), ex-
clamation point (!), number sign (#), percent sign (%), ampersand
(&), hyphen (-), braces ({}), parentheses ( ), at sign (@), apos-
trophe ('), and the grave accent (`). No other special characters
can be used. A project name cannot contain spaces, commas, back-
slashes, or periods. And it cannot be the reserved file names:
CLOCK$, CON, AUX, COMn (where n=1-4), LPTn (where n=1-3), NUL, or
PRN.
Open Saved Project
------------------
Opens a previously saved project file for editing, adding cover
or intro files, or creating a distribution disk. Select the project
name from the list box of previously saved project files by double-
clicking it with the mouse or by using the cursor keys and pressing
<Enter>.
Save Project
------------
Saves to disk any changes made to the current project.
Make Distribution Disk
----------------------
Copies all files listed in a project file to the directory or
drive you select including a copy of the book/magazine reader and a
.MNU file that contains the menu information. Both the reader and
the .MNU file will be given the name of your project. For example,
if your project name was ISSUE1, the reader would be ISSUE1.EXE, the
menu file would be ISSUE1.MNU. You can change the names of these
files to any legal DOS file name you want as long as the EXE and MNU
files have the same file name.
Exit to Main Menu
-----------------
Exits the ASCII Catalog Project area and returns to the Main Menu.
Edit Menu
---------
Edit Project Menu
-----------------
When creating a new project, the pop-up menu will appear with
blank menu options to be filled in.
To add another menu item, hold the <Ctrl> key down and press A.
A new menu item will be added to the end of the editable menu area.
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To delete a menu item, move the cursor to the item to be deleted,
hold the <Ctrl> key down and press D.
To insert a new menu item, move the cursor to the location to
insert the new item, hold the <Ctrl> key down and press I.
To edit a menu item, move the cursor to the menu item to be
edited and press <Enter>. The the data entry form for editing menu
items is displayed. Enter the title to be displayed in the menu and
select a hot key to be used for that menu item. You can insert a
horizontal bar to divide areas of the menu by moving the Status
option button to Horizontal Bar (the title information will not be
displayed and the bar will be skipped by the menu manager and no
action will be taken on this selection). Next, enter the path and
file name of the file associated with this menu item or press <F2>
for the file directory. Set the View/Print option button and the
starting line and last line of the file to be viewed or printed.
Press <Ok> to accept any changes or press <Cancel>.
Select <Exit> from the menu or press <Esc> to quit Edit Project
Menu.
Cover/Intro Files
-----------------
The cover file will be displayed as the catalog is being loaded.
The file can be a standard or stand-alone (EXE or COM) ANSI art,
animation, text, or an ASCII text file. Enter the file path and
name or press <F2> to view the file directory.
The intro file will be displayed at the beginning of the program.
This file MUST be an ASCII text file.
The exit file will be displayed as the reader is leaving the
catalog. The file can be a standard or stand-alone (EXE or COM)
ANSI art, animation, text, or an ASCII text file. Enter the file
path and name or press <F2> to view the file directory.
Press <Ok> to save these selections or press <Cancel> to exit.
Viewer Border/Color Chart
-------------------------
Select the colors and the border for this publications viewer
by entering the numbers in the data form or by pressing <F2> for
the appropriate selection chart.
Select the Pop-Up Menu location where you would like it to be
displayed in the publication (Book/Magazine Projects only).
Press <Ok> to accept the changes or press <Cancel> or <Esc> to
exit without saving the changes.
If you want to save these changes permanently you will need to
select Save Project Data from the Project Menu before exiting to
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the Main Menu.
Menu Border/Color Chart
-----------------------
Set the desired colors and borders for the Pull-Down or Pop-Up
Menu. Each project can create it's own unique color palette or use
the default color palette.
Set the menu option button to the desired selection and then set
the foreground and background option buttons to the desired color
selections for that item. For example, to set the Pull-Down Menu
bar to black on white, move the menu option button to Menu in the
Pulldown Main box and then move the Foreground option button to
black and the Background option button to white.
As you move each Menu option button and set the Foreground and
Background colors, the new color configuration will be displayed
in the bottom right hand corner of the form.
Set the border, shadow, and zoom style you want by entering the
number in the form or by pressing <F2> for the appropriate chart.
Press <Ok> to exit the edit form with the changes made or press
<Cancel> or <Esc> to cnacel any changes.
If you want to save these changes permanently you will need to
select Save Project Data from the Project Menu before exiting to
the Main Menu.
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