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Text File | 1991-07-11 | 21KB | 416 lines

EZ-Cards v1.5 - NEW_EZC.DOC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Program & documentation (C) 1991 BOB-KIT Software Company +------------------------------------------------------------+ | NOTE: Be sure to copy EZC.EXE, EZCARD.CFG, & USERINFO.DAT | | ~~~~ to your EZ-Cards directory BEFORE attempting to run | | the program. | +------------------------------------------------------------+ Table of Contents ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Minor Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Command Line Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Command Line Switches (Cont.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 NEW Commands & Changes to "Old" ones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 NEW Commands & Changes to "Old" ones (Cont.). . . . . . . . . . 4 OTHER Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 OTHER Details (Cont.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 FINAL Thoughts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Registration Form For Your Friends! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Minor Changes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The executable program has been renamed to "EZC.EXE", the command "DELETE" is now "REMOVE", color display users will notice some slight changes which I think make it a bit more pleasant, the files "OPENSCRN.*" have been eliminated, a new file (USERINFO.DAT) is now used/needed by EZ-Cards, AutoSort is even faster, the cursor pad keys now move your Cards in the opposite direction from previous versions, and "Next 10" moves the Cards "down" its window. Those last two may seem a little odd at first, but I believe you'll like this change very quickly - I think it flows more naturally. If, however, you just can't get used to it like this, please let me know - it would not be too difficult for us to add a suitable command switch. Command line switches ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One of my main goals with v1.5 was to offer you more control over the program AND keep it easy-to-operate. I didn't want to clutter up the screen with commands like "Set-up COM port" or "Turn sound ON/OFF". So, I thought the best way to accomplish these things would be through the use of 'command line switches'. If you're a computer novice, this will be a great way to learn how some programs can be configured on start-up. Those with experience will (hopefully) appreciate these revisions. The rest of this section will describe each command switch and its proper syntax [what to type]. Upper- and/or lower-case letters are all okay - "C" or "c" will produce the same results. MONO / COLOR - Like previous versions, you may force the program to run with a "monochrome" influence or full-color by placing an "M" or a "C" on the command line. Please note, however, you must now use a "/" [forward slash] in front of EACH & ALL switch(es). Syntax: EZC /C This would force EZ-Cards to run in color. ----------------------------------------------------------------- TURN ALL SOUND "OFF" - This will suppress any sound that would otherwise be put out by the program - INCLUDING any "wrong key" sounds. Thus, if you press a key and nothing happens, it is a key that serves no purpose at that time. If you're using EZ- Cards in a "professional" atmosphere (business, etc.), this might come in handy. Syntax: EZC /S (Remember "S" for Silence) This turns all sound "OFF" for that entire session with EZ-Cards. Page 1 START WITH AUTOSORT "OFF" - If you have an EZ-File SORTed in a particular manner and want to avoid accidently AutoSorting it after any ADD, COPY or EDIT, use the "O" switch. I believe it will be especially valuable for large files SORTed by 'ranges'. Syntax: EZC /O (The letter, NOT the number "0" (zero)) Starts a session with AutoSort turned "OFF", but you can still toggle it "ON" or "OFF" from within the program. ----------------------------------------------------------------- CHANGE COM PORT SETTING - I've sent your disk with EZ-Cards set to use COM2 for DIALing. If your modem is set on COM1, use this switch - IT ONLY NEEDS TO BE DONE ONCE. However, you can use it anytime to change to either acceptable port (COM1 or COM2). Syntax: EZC /1 (The number "1" (one)) This would change the COM port setting used by EZ-Cards to COM1. NOTE: You could also use a pure ASCII text editor and change the 12th line of USERINFO.DAT to either "COM1" or "COM2". ----------------------------------------------------------------- LOAD AN EZ-FILE IMMEDIATELY - Great for batch files, this allows you to specify a file to be LOADed without starting from the new "EZ-File Menu". NOTE: When using more than one switch, this MUST be the LAST one. Also, DO NOT include the ".EZF" extension. Syntax: EZC /L [filename] This loads the filename specified immediately. ----------------------------------------------------------------- COMMAND LINE SWITCH EXAMPLES: To start the program with no sound and to load a file named "HOME.EZF", you would type: EZC /S /L HOME [ENTER] To begin EZ-Cards with AutoSort "OFF" and change the COM port setting to COM2, type: EZC /2 /O [ENTER] To start out with a forced monochrome display, change the COM setting to COM1, turn the sound "OFF", and load a file named "BUSINESS.EZF", type: EZC /M /1 /S /L BUSINESS [ENTER] NOTE: The order of these switches is not important, with the exception of "/L" which must be used last. Page 2 NEW Commands & Changes to "Old" ones ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As you may know, I have been using this program from the beginning. Sometimes I've said, "Boy, it would be nice if I could...." as I'm sure you may have said, too. So, I took the suggestions most often offered and a couple things I wanted to see and have made this a much more flexible program overall. Of course, I won't be stopping here - future releases will include such "goodies" as importing/exporting ASCII files, printing to 3x5's and rolodex cards, printing mailing labels 2 or 3 across, and whatever else YOU would like to see. Back to the "here and now". The following are our NEW commands along with some interesting new "twists" on others. DIAL - To dial the TopCard's phone number through your modem, press [D]. I can't think of anything easier than that! If it contains an area code (it has 10 numbers) EZ-Cards will also dial a "1" for you. If you're not set to the proper COM port or any other problem arises, EZ-Cards will let you know. FILE MENU - In past releases, you needed to decide if you wanted to LOAD a file or VIEW your file directory. Now, you have both at once! Move the highlight bar to a file you wish to access and press [ENTER]. If you'd like to begin a new file at that time, select "* NEW FILE *". Also, assuming you changed your mind about running the program at all, just press [ESC] from the opening screen and you're back to DOS. Since there is no longer a need to "VIEW" your files, that command has been eliminated. If you select "LOAD" from within the program, you can press [ESC] to cancel. Although I'll credit myself with coming up with this idea, every customer I mentioned it to said, "Yeah, I was going to suggest that!" - so, we ALL deserve a pat on the back! TRANSFER - I really like this one! Take any Card from any file and place it in a different file instantly! An identical "FILE MENU" pops up and, when you select a destination file for the TopCard, press [ENTER] and it's DONE! You can also choose and name a "* NEW FILE *" at that time. Note: A "transferred" Card is placed at the END of the target file. If you want to keep this Card in the current EZ-File as well, first "COPY" it. COPY - Mainly for "transferring while keeping" purposes, I'm sure you'll find uses for it! A copied Card is AutoSorted (if "ON"), so it ends up right next to the original. SORT a Range of Cards - Gives more control with Card arrangement. I haven't had a use for this yet, but many users asked if it were possible, so here it is! Page 3 PRINT a Range of Cards - Mighty useful indeed. Now we can print mailing labels or envelopes from Card #10 through #50 if we so desire. Any range from #1 up to the last Card in the file is acceptable. *NOTE ON RANGES: You'll be asked to name a "FIRST" and "LAST" Card to include in the Sort or Print - "FIRST" refers to the Card to start with, while "LAST" means the last Card to include. ENHANCED EDITING - When typing details in the Name, Company, Address, or City field, EZ-Cards will automatically upper-case the first letter of each word. When you're in the State field, BOTH letters are upper-cased. For those who aren't 60wpm typists, I think you'll find this a welcome improvement. I type fairly well, but like this a lot. When editing the Phone field, "(", ")", and "-" are placed in their proper place for you. If you're typing a local number (no need for an area code), press [SPACE BAR] to automatically enter "( )" for you. Remember this especially for numbers you'll be DIALing - you sure don't want to include the area code for a local call. When ADDing or EDITing a Card, EZ-Cards "remembers" the last details you've typed in EACH field. If this new Card uses the same info as the previous ADDed Card, press [;] (semi-colon) to retrieve those details. It really comes in handy, for example, when ADDing several Cards with the same City, State, and/or Zip. CONTINUOUS ADDING - To keep ADDing Cards without the need to press [F10] then [A] again, just press [+] OR [=]. ENVELOPE PRINTING now allows you to select S)ingle or D)ouble spacing. Some folks believe the double-spacing doesn't look as "bulk-mailish" as single-spacing. (Yep - I just made that word up.) OTHER Details ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To make the program appear a little "smarter", it no longer asks if you want to PRINT A)ll Cards or T)opCard if there is only one in the file. It just goes ahead & PRINTs. Furthermore, it won't allow you to waste your time trying to SORT one Card. When attempting to DIAL a number with less than 7 digits, you'll be informed of your "error". If there's no number at all, you'll also be reminded of this. Most modems are "initialized" when you turn your computer ON and shouldn't need further initialization. If yours is not DIALing, even though it's on the COM port used by EZ-Cards, please read the modem's documentation referring to initialization. You may notice an increase with the speed in which Cards are "shown" when flipping through them - I rewrote that portion of the program completely, so it WOULD be faster. =) Page 4 The most common "problem" users have encounter has been to get their Cards back in 'AutoSorted' order after SORTing another field. Also, I've been asked, "How come, when I SORT the Name field, they aren't indexed by last name?" Well, in previous releases, ANY field you chose to SORT was ALWAYS alphabetized from left to right. So, if you did the Name field, all your "Mr." and "Mrs." Cards would be together in the M's. As shown in the Help Screens and after doing a SORT of any field, all you needed to do was press [E] (for EDIT) and, without even making any changes, press [F10]. If AutoSort was ON, the Cards would immediately be indexed by last name again. To avoid future "problems" with this feature, I gave a lot of thought to: "Why would anyone WANT to sort their names from left to right?" After concluding there wasn't any reason I could think of, I changed that portion of the program to now do an AutoSort if you select the Name field for SORTing. I hope this clears up any dilemma you may have had with the SORT command. I'm often asked, "Will future versions use a different file format and will I have to re-type all my entries?" The answer is: "Maybe the files while change, but you WON'T have to re-type your entries". If I ever feel a need to change the current format of EZ-Files, registered users will be sent a 'conversion' program along with their upgrade that will make this a very painless procedure. To be sure exactly how simple this would be for the user, I have already written and tested such a program. No stress! FINAL Thoughts ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Do you have a program that can........" is another popular question. In fact, it was a question like that which led to our newest program, BallCards. This is a fantastic & easy way for a collector of ANY kind of cards to store/print/etc. baseball, football, hockey or any of 40 user-defined card-types (NOT limited to "sports"). This will be released at the end of July. Do you know someone who'd be interested in such a program? Have them call or write - I'll be happy to send free information. There are other programs on the drawing table, but I'm always glad to explore ideas from YOU! Drop me a note or call any day - let me know how you like this newest release of EZ-Cards and feel free to offer suggestions for revisions you'd like to see in future upgrades. Although this version has not been released as "shareware", we still want to give folks an opportunity to try it RISK FREE. You've found EZ-Cards easy and useful so PLEASE LET YOUR FRIENDS KNOW! A registration form follows which they can use to try out the program. I hope this doesn't come across as presumptuous, but we don't have the resources like 'big' software companies & there's just no better ad than 'word of mouth'. I like to write programs that others find useful and hope to continue doing so. We appreciate your business and continued support! THANK YOU! ~~~~~~~~~ Page 5 +----------------------------------------------------------+ | ___ YES! I want to take advantage this offer! | | Send me EZ-Cards v1.5 for the low introductory | | registration fee of $20. If I'm not 100% | | satisfied after 30 days, I'll return it for a | | FULL unconditional refund of this fee. If I | | keep it, all upgrades will be sent FREE for the | | next year! | | | | ___ I'd like to learn more about using ANSI.SYS | | effectively. Also send a registered, licensed, | | & personalized copy of ANSI-MATE. I'll receive | | the latest version on disk, full documentation, | | an essay on using ANSI.SYS, and a utility to | | enter "ansi escape sequences" right from the | | command line! Registration fee: $10 | | | | _X_ $5 shipping/handling and 1st Class Postage. | | | | $___ Total enclosed. | | | | ___ I'm a sports card collector. Please send FREE | | information about your NEW program, BallCards! | | | | | | Name for free personalization (32 characters max.): | | | | ___________________________________________________ | | | | ___ I have a 5.25" drive on my computer | | | | ___ I need 3.5" disks (I don't have a 5.25" drive) | | | | | | Name:______________________________________________ | | | | Address:___________________________________________ | | | | City:______________________ST:____Zip:_____________ | | | | | | Please send check or money order to: | | +--------------------------+ | | | BOB-KIT Software Company | | | | P. O. Box 13717 | | | | Detroit, MI 48213 | | | +--------------------------+ | | | | If you have any questions, please call our HOTLINE: | | (313)372-2669 10am-6pm ET | +----------------------------------------------------------+ Please make copies of this registration form for your friends!