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1992-01-29
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Back & Forth Professional Version 2.00
1 February 1992
Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992 by Progressive Solutions, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Progressive Solutions
Sandi & Shane Stump
Box 276125
San Antonio, Texas 78227
Sales: (800) 833 4400
: (512) 670 0882
Technical Support: (512) 670 1061
Fax: (512) 670 1061
BBS 1200/9600: (512) 670 0954
BBS 2400/9600: (512) 670 1809
Compuserve: GO ZENITH section 13
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 1
______________________________________________________________________________
The Shareware Principle
Shareware is one alternative to the increasingly high price of
commercial software. Good software is made available for a
limited test period to users for their evaluation. Once that
test period is over, you should determine if you think the
program is useful. If you use the program, you should send
the requested contribution to the author of the program.
Otherwise, you should delete the software from your machine.
This software is not intended as a "freebie". Just as you
work hard for a living and do not want people taking advantage
of you by not paying you for your work, this is our occupation
and it takes a TREMENDOUS amount of time, $$$money$$$, energy,
and effort. If software authors are not reimbursed for their
work, they will eventually quit writing for the shareware
public.
Unregistered All unregistered copies of Back & Forth display a registration
Copies information screen and require a randomly generated key to be
pressed. Unregistered versions also allow only 2400k of swap
space for use. When you register your copy of the program,
you receive a key file which eliminates this nuisance. This
key file may be used with all later versions of Back & Forth.
This lets you easily update B&F whenever you find a new
version.
Single User On the opening screen of Back & Forth, our name, address,phone
Registration number, limits, and requested registration price is displayed.
The phone number is only provided for use in registering your
copy or for REGISTERED users to call for phone support. We
cannot give extensive phone support to unregistered users. If
you have a question or a problem, we will try to help you, but
if you do not intend to register your copy, please do not call
Registered users receive the latest version,full phone
support, and a complete, printed manual. Registered users
also get a key file which is used to remove the annoying
Shareware screen from all future versions of the registered
product.
Registration We accept Mastercard, Visa, AMEX, checks, money orders, and
purchase orders.
The registration fee is $69.95 plus shipping.
If registering by mail, please send your name and address
printed clearly along with a check or money order for the
registration fee plus $6.00 shipping. When ordering outside
of the United States, either send a check or money order drawn
on a US bank in US funds or use your bank card. For overseas
orders, please add $15.00 for Air mail delivery. Otherwise,
we have to send it by boat (and you know how long that can
take!).
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 2
______________________________________________________________________________
If you wish to make any comments or suggestions, we recommend
that you write us a letter rather than phone so that we can
keep a record. If you are not a registered user and you wish
a response to your letter, please send a self-addressed,
stamped envelope (SASE).
Corporate & Registration is based on the number of users using the program
Multiple and the number of systems that the program is installed on.
Copy/ What this means is that the single-user registration fee does
Network NOT register an entire user group, business, school district,
Registration or any other multiple user/computer organization. For cases
like these, we have quantity pricing. Please see ORDER.DOC for
volume purchases, network pricing, and site licenses.
Dealers!!! Please call 512-670-1061 for dealer pricing!
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 3
______________________________________________________________________________
Section 1: Introduction
Program Back & Forth Professional is a versatile program management
Description tool that gives you the power to load up to 20 programs at
once. Now you can switch between your favorite word processor,
database, graphics program, and TSR utilities at will without
having to exit one to open and use another. Its features
include:
* Delivers a flexible task management environment where up to 20
programs may be open in memory, with each provided as much
memory as needed.
* Occupies only 23-40k of memory, less than 1k if loaded high.
* Offers an easy-to-use, colorful, & customizable environment.
* Supports CGA, EGA, Hercules, VGA, SVGA, and 1024x768 video
modes.
* Enables the use of a Microsoft-compatible mouse.
* Uses expanded memory (EMS), extended memory, RAM disks, hard
disks, and conventional memory to store swapped programs.
* Permits you to select the hot keys used to pop up Back & Forth,
other B&F commands, and all defined programs.
* Accepts the definition of 50 programs for use within Back &
Forth.
* Provides an alternative menu list for use in defining menus and
programs for use within Back & Forth.
* Runs a selected list of programs automatically when first
loaded.
* Provides a set of desktop accessories that include an address
book, time and event scheduler, graphics screen capture,
editor, tape and RPN calculator.
* Signals when specific appointments occur. Tasks can also be set
to run at scheduled times using the Overtime! appointment
handler.
* Lets you cut text from a running program and either place it in
a folder for later pasting, print it, or write it to a separate
file.
* Allows you to edit the contents of the cut buffer and save
text.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 4
______________________________________________________________________________
* Dials a number from the screen if a modem is available.
* Assigns a sequence of keystrokes to a single macro key for use
in simplifying command execution within a program or DOS.
* Replaces special abbreviations with commonly-used words, names,
and phrases to save typing time.
* Permits color customization where you can choose the colors
that suits your tastes rather than someone else's. Supports all
video modes provided by UltraVision.
* Switches the [Ctrl] and [Caps Lock] keys.
System To run Back & Forth, your computer system must meet or exceed
Requirements the following specifications:
* IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2, or 100% PC compatible with 512k of main
memory.
* EMS memory, XMS memory, RAM disk, or hard disk for use in
storing file information swapped to disk.
* MS-DOS 3.0, PC-DOS 3.0, or later version, DRDOS, or 4DOS.
* A Microsoft-compatible mouse is optional. If a mouse is to be
used with Back & Forth, its driver must be installed in memory
before Back & Forth is run.
* A color monitor is optional.
* A modem is needed if the dialer is to be used.
* EMS with either 386-to-the-Max, QEMM, Netroom, EMM386, QRAM, or
Move'em loaded, if high memory is to be used.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 5
______________________________________________________________________________
Back & Forth The Back & Forth package contains the following files.
Files
BFP.EXE The full Back & Forth program.
BFPHIGH.EXE The part of B&F loaded into high memory.
BFPLOW.COM The part of B&F loaded into lower memory. This
must be run immediately after BFPHIGH.
BFPLOAD.COM Back & Forth high memory loader.
BFP00#.OVL The 11 Back & Forth command overlays.
BFP00#.HLP The Back & Forth help files.
BFPA.EXE, Version of BFP.EXE and BFPHIGH.EXE without the
BFPHIGHA.EXE print buffer, clock, screen blanker, and
keyboard macros. This reduces the amount of
memory Back & Forth uses by 10k.
BFPB.EXE, Version of BFP.EXE and BFPHIGH.EXE without the
BFPHIGHB.EXE print buffer. This reduces the amount of memory
Back & Forth uses by 2.5k.
BFPC.EXE, Version of BFPA.EXE & BFPHIGHA.EXE without a
BFPHIGHC.EXE command stack for users of DOSKEY, PCED, etc.
BFPD.EXE, Version of BFP.EXE and BFPHIGH.EXE without the
BFPHIGHD.EXE print buffer and command stack for users of
DOSKEY, PCED, etc.
BFPE.EXE, Version of BFP.EXE and BFPHIGH.EXE without the
BFPHIGHE.EXE command stack for users of DOSKEY, PCED, etc.
BFPHELP.EXE Back & Forth help function.
BFPSETUP.EXE Creates the executable batch files.
BNFCLOCK Lets you turn off the clock within a partition.
BNFEGA.EXE Video driver TSR used by Back & Forth to
correctly store EGA video settings.
*.ACC The Back & Forth BackPack accessories.
KBSTEAL.EXE Utility run before programs like Windows which
is used to allow the use of hot keys for
switching between B&F, other tasks,and Windows.
KEYLOAD.EXE, Loads/Saves keyboard macro file at the DOS
KEYSAVE.EXE prompt.
KEYPLAY.COM Plays back a macro from the DOS prompt.
SWITCH.COM Utility which lets you switch partitions from
the DOS prompt.
NOBNFPRO Used with Higgins version 2.4 and later to
replace the limited version of B&F provided
with Back & Forth Professional.
TSRWAIT.COM Program that allows special TSRs to be loaded
within Back & Forth. Such TSRs require a
program to be run within it.
WHICHBNF Utility used in batch files to determine which
B&F executable file to run.
VIDTYPE.EXE Utility used to determine whether BNFEGA needs
to be loaded.
README.B&F Last second hints / additions to Back & Forth.
COMPAT.DOC Hints on using Back & Forth with some specific
software and hardware configurations.
HISTORY.B&F Lists bug fixes and changes made to B&F.
*.DOC, *.B&F Other files including order form, product list,
etc.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 6
______________________________________________________________________________
Permanent Back & Forth creates several files which are used to store
Data Files configuration information for various aspects of the program.
The "###", as used below, represents the network user number.
B&FPRO.BAT The batch file used to set up and execute Back
& Forth. Run this way, B&F uses 23-40k.
B&FHIPRO.BAT The batch file used to set up, load high,& run
Back & Forth. Run this way, B&F uses 1k.
BPVARS The file that holds all Back & Forth settings
including swap space allocation, program list,
hot keys, color scheme, etc.
CLIPBORD.### The contents of the Cut & Paste buffer.
KEYFILES.### Master list of all Cut & Paste key folders.
KEY#####.### Individual Cut & Paste key folders.
*.M## Key macro storage files. The eight character
file name is defined by the user.
Temporary Back & Forth also creates several temporary storage files which
Storage Files are deleted after B&F is exited.
AUTOTYPE.### Keystroke files used by B&F to pass data to DOS
DIRTREEx.MAP The directory tree of the named disk.
SWAPFILE.00# The files used to store program data.
About this Two divergent philosophies exist about the writing of program
Manual manuals. Some manuals are written from the point of view that a
user intends to sit down with the book and read it from cover
to cover before attempting to use the program. When a writer
adopts this attitude, the manual can be written without
excessive detail, since the writer assumes that once the
process of using a menu or invoking a quick key has been
described, the user will remember that procedure and not need
to have it described again. This assumption can significantly
streamline the writing process.
Unfortunately, it has been our experience that most users jump
right into their recently-purchased program, perhaps only
skimming the first pages of the manual for information about
installing the program. These users may never open up the
manual until a problem occurs. The big problem with this
attitude is that the writer cannot ever be sure that the user
has read a particular page describing the use of a particular
aspect of the program.
With this in mind, this manual has been written in the style of
a reference book, with each section treated as if you have not
read the rest of the manual. Instead of describing the process
of invoking a command or menu once then assuming throughout the
rest of the manual that you have read and understood that
paragraph, we detail the process step-by-step within each
command as needed. You occasionally will be referred to other
parts of the manual for more information on specific commands
when the subject in question is more involved than a single
paragraph can cover. Most of the time, however, you only will
have to go to one section of the manual to find the answer to
your questions about the operation of a command.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 7
______________________________________________________________________________
This manual has been broken down into seven sections and seven
appendices. Section 1: Introduction contains a program
description, the system requirements, the program files, and
this description of the manual. Section 2: Back & Forth
QuickStart outlines the steps necessary to get up and running
quickly. Section 3: Installing Back & Forth delineates the
steps necessary for installing Back & Forth on your system and
setting up the swap space requirements. Section 3: Configuring
Swap Space for Back & Forth Pro details the swap space
requirements and the allocation process. Section 4: Setting Up
Back & Forth Pro itemizes the options provided within the
default [F7] Setup menu. Section 5: Running Back & Forth
describes the use of the default display mode of Back & Forth
once it has been set up. Section 6: Special Features of Back &
Forth Pro contains descriptions of the command stack, Cut &
Paste, Back & Grab (a graphics screen grabber), key macros,
Shorthand, and other features provided for use with tasks run
from Back & Forth. Appendices A-G contain our program credits,
a list of error messages and their probable causes, a
troubleshooting guide, a description of the use of memory
resident programs (TSRs), network installation instructions,
optimization instructions and a glossary.
For those of you who habitually read a software manual from
beginning to end before using the program, we apologize for the
excessive detail. If it is any consolation to you, while
sifting through some of the necessarily extraneous information,
you may find many useful commands which may not be obvious to
other users who do not read the manual.
Other Three reference utilities are available for use in locating
Reference program information. These are the table of contents, the
Information index, and the help utility included with the program. Each is
sufficiently detailed to make the process of locating seemingly
elusive items of information about any subject a relatively
painless task.
The README As with most programs, the version of Back & Forth that you
File have in your hand (or in your disk drive) may have already
undergone a few modifications and additions since the printing
of the manual. A description of any such changes is provided
within the Back & Forth README.B&F file. All users should read
this file before using Back & Forth. In this way, you are
notified of any interesting changes to the program and you may
pick up some useful tips on using Back & Forth.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 8
______________________________________________________________________________
If You If you experience any difficulties with any of the commands,
Experience first read the more detailed explanation of the command and its
Problems usage contained in the appropriate section of the manual or
refer to the extensive help provided on-line. A list of error
messages produced by B&F can be found within Appendix B.
If this does not help, consult the README.B&F and COMPAT.B&F
files. These files cover additions and modifications made to
Back & Forth since the manual was printed and outline hints on
using B&F with other programs and hardware configurations.
If the above suggestions do not help, then consult Appendix C:
Troubleshooting. This section lists common problems and ways to
overcome them. Please read this section before contacting us.
Remember, the more unnecessary phone calls we take, the less
time we have to produce more features, additions, and updates.
Common Most computer-specific terms used within this manual are
Terminology defined within Appendix G: Glossary. Other terms are used
interchangeably throughout this manual. These include:
Program, Task All refer to the program being run. Task and
Application Application are generic words describing a
program and its use.
Partition Partition refers to the system environment
used by the program; it covers the swap
space, memory, and program in use.
DOS partition A partition where you are placed at a DOS
prompt within Back & Forth. At this prompt,
you may run any program and still use the
hot keys to swap to other programs.
Execute, Run All refer to running a program within Back &
Open, Load Forth. Open refers to opening a new
partition for the program's use, Load places
the program into memory either by running it
or by retrieving it from the swap drive.
Switch, Swap Used in conjunction with hot key use. These
Pop back words refer to the process of switching from
one program to another.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 9
______________________________________________________________________________
Section 2: Back & Forth QuickStart
This QuickStart manual outlines the basic procedure used to
install Back & Forth on your system, allocate swap space,
configure program entries, and execute these tasks.
Installing An Install program has been included to help you install Back &
Back & Forth Forth. This copies the files to a selected directory, extracts
them, and creates a batch file for use in running Back & Forth.
To install Back & Forth, place the B&F Install diskette in a
floppy drive, log to that drive, and type INSTALL. For example,
if the Install disk is in drive A, type the following:
A: [Enter] INSTALL [Enter]
Now follow the instructions shown on the screen.
The Back & Once Back & Forth has been installed, you will find that either
Forth Batch one or two batch files have been created. The first batch file,
Files named B&FPRO.BAT, runs Back & Forth using conventional memory;
the second batch file, B&FHIPRO.BAT, loads B&F into high
memory. B&FHIPRO.BAT is created only if high memory is detected
and a program such as QEMM, QRAM, Netroom, 386-to-the-Max,
Move'em, or EMM386 is used to initialize it.
These batch files must be copied to a location along your DOS
path so that they can be available at all times.
Changing the Before running Back & Forth for the first time, check the
CONFIG.SYS CONFIG.SYS found in your root directory on your primary drive
to ensure that at least 80 file handles are available.
Important: FILES=80 are the minimum number recommended for use
by Back & Forth. If you attempt to run B&F with less, an error
message is shown. Any text editor that creates ASCII text may
be used to edit the CONFIG.SYS file. If you do not have an
ASCII editor, you may be able to use a word processor that lets
you either save or export a file in non-document (unformatted)
mode.
Running B&F Once the installation process has been completed, run Back &
for the First Forth by typing B&FPRO or B&FHIPRO at the DOS prompt.
Time
If a problem is encountered when running one of these batch
files, verify that the batch files are located within a
directory along your DOS path.
Swap Drive When Back & Forth is first run, the Swap drive setup screen is
Setup shown. This is where swap space is allocated for Back & Forth.
Swap space is used to reduce the amount of memory Back & Forth
uses while it is not active, i.e. when Back & Forth and its
inactive tasks are not shown on the screen.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 10
______________________________________________________________________________
Initially, let's set up a simple swap space configuration. You
can later come back to the Swap Drive setup and reset these
values, if necessary.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Nov 1, 1991 Back & Forth Pro version 2.0 6:47:00am │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Manage EMS memory: No │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Save EGA/VGA fonts: No │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Print buffer size: 0 │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Swap to XMS memory: Off 0 │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Swap to EMS memory: Off 0 │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Program swap drive 1: D:\ 5008 │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Program swap drive 2: 0 │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Program swap drive 3: 0 │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Total swap space including 619 of conventional memory 5625 │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Some DOS applications manipulate the EMS memory in a way that is │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ incompatible with B&F's mark/release function. If you experience EMS│▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ (or unexplained) lockups, toggle this option to No. │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
U D Move between fields L R Move within field F1 Help F9 Accept F10 ExitBF
Press the [Down] cursor key five (5) times to move the
selection bar down to the first program swap drive entry. Type
in the name of a drive and directory where at least 5000k is
free for use. To use our example above, type D:\ and press
[Enter] Now enter the amount of swap space to be allocated, in
this case 5000. This should be enough to load and use 6-8
programs simultaneously within Back & Forth. When [Enter] is
pressed, the number is rounded up to the next multiple of 16,
which in this case is 5008. If running a shareware version of
B&F, only 2400k of swap space is allowed. The second and third
program swap drive entries are available for use if you need to
allocate swap space on more than one drive.
If you have XMS or EMS memory available for use by Back &
Forth, you can move the cursor to the correct entry and
pressing the [Left] cursor key until "On" is shown. Now press
[Enter].
The Back & The main Back & Forth screen is composed of four distinct
Forth Screen parts. In the center of the screen is shown two program lists,
with all open tasks identified in the top list, and all tasks
available for execution named in the bottom. The first time B&F
is run, both program lists should be empty.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 11
______________________________________________________________________________
Pull-Down The top lines show the pull-down menu entries, consisting of
Menus BackPacks, Program, Setup, Usage, and Quit. These entries are
activated when the [F2] Menu key is pressed. Use the [Left] and
[Right] cursor keys to open one of these pull-down menus, use
the [Up] and [Down] cursor keys to highlight the desired menu
option. The BackPacks menu contains the optional B&F desktop
utilities such as the Calculator, Editor, graphics screen
Grabber, Overtime! event scheduler, and RoloBack address and
telephone database. The Program menu contains the task
definition and execution options of B&F. The Setup menu holds
the various configuration options available, like hot key setup
and color selection. The Usage tracking menu contains the log
commands that let you monitor what tasks are used and how long
each are used.
Function Keys The function key commands are shown at the bottom of the
screen. [F1] displays the help information available within
Back & Forth, [F2] activates the pull-down menus shown at the
top of the screen, [F5] summarizes the memory, swap space, and
print buffer space in use, [F6] clears the screen and password
protects your system while you are away from your computer, and
[F10] removes all tasks from memory and exits Back & Forth. The
Program setup is found within the [F2] Program menu.
Using a Mouse For those of you with mice scampering around on your desks,
with Back & Back & Forth may be set up to run with a Microsoft compatible
Forth mouse. When a mouse is used with Back & Forth, a separate
blinking block mouse cursor is shown on the screen. With it,
you may move to and select any option shown on the screen
including function key commands and program list entries.
Simply position the mouse cursor within the desired item and
press the [Left] mouse button. To exit a menu, press the
[Right] mouse button.
[F1] Help The [F1] Help key displays information describing the use of
selected Back & Forth options. When pressed, help is shown
about the currently displayed window. The help text is a
compilation of the contents of the User manual.
To change the help index, press the [F5] Index key. A menu
lists all defined help topics. Use the [Up] or [Down] cursor
key to highlight the desired index. Press [Enter] to view the
help information for the highlighted index.
To scroll the help text one line at a time, use the [Up] or
[Down] keys. Use [PgDn] or [PgUp] to show the next or previous
pages of text. When you have finished, press [Esc] to exit
Help.
[F2] Menu The Program setup is available for selection within the
pull-down menus, shown at the top of the screen. To define one
or more tasks for use within B&F, press [F2] to activate the
pull-down menus, press [P] to open the Program menu, and press
[P] again to select the Program setup option. You can also
activate the Program menu by pressing [Alt][P], then pressing
[P] to open the Program setup.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 12
______________________________________________________________________________
Adding a To add a new task to the Program setup list, press the [F2]
Program Entry key. This shows a task information screen containing all of the
information needed by Back & Forth to run the task. More
specialized task and environment information is shown within
the [F8] Advanced task definition window. Many of the entries
contained within this menu can be used to customize the use of
Back & Forth with the task being defined.
Below is a brief description of each entry. Use the mouse or
cursor keys to move the highlighted entry bar to each field.
Use the [Left] or [Right] cursor key to move the cursor within
the field. If the entry is a Yes/No field, pressing the [Left]
or [Right] key changes the setting between Yes/No. Press the
[Ins] key to switch the text entry mode between Insert (small
block cursor) and Overwrite (underline cursor). Press [F9] to
save the changes and exit, press [F10] to exit without saving
the changes.
Description Enter a description of the task being defined.
Memory needed Set the amount of memory needed by the task to run to 0, which
allocates all available memory. Later you may want to determine
the actual amount of memory needed, to maximize swap resources
and minimize swap time.
Icon Enter an eight character description that is used within the
description Icon menu view option to identify this program entry on the
screen.
ID Type a 2 character identification code for use in quickly
jumping to and executing a task in the Program list. All
entries must have an ID; however, you may wish to assign an
obscure ID like "()" to programs that you do not want to
execute by accident.
Hot key Press [F7] to open the hot key definition window. Now select a
hot key that you wish to use to jump to and run this task. Hot
keys let you jump between various open tasks and/or Back &
Forth at will. To select a hot key combination, simply press
the key combination desired. The hot key must be a combination
of one or more key flags [Alt], [Ctrl], [Left Shift], [Right
Shift] and a function or alphanumeric key. Press [F9] to save
the hot key.
Type of task Select the type of task. For now, leave this set to "Program".
The other three options are: "DOS partition", "Program without
Comspec", and "Special TSR".
DOS command If the task being defined is an actual DOS command like COPY,
DIR, or CHDIR, set this to Yes; otherwise leave this set to No.
Program path Identify the directory path where the executable program file
can be found. You can either type in the drive and directory
path or you can press [F7] to pick the path from a directory
tree. While within the directory tree, press [F8] to select
another disk and press [F9] to save the path.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 13
______________________________________________________________________________
Program name Type in the name of the executable program file to be run. This
file must end with the extension EXE, COM, BAT, or BTM. To
select from a list of all executable files located within the
defined program path, press [F7]. If the program is not shown
in this list, change the program path.
Work path Name the directory containing the data files used by the
program. If this path is set, the program is actually run from
this directory, using the program directory only to locate the
program files. Some programs (like some versions of WordStar)
must be run from their program directories; for these tasks,
leave this field blank. [F7] may also be used to select a
directory for this field.
Fixed options If you ordinarily type in consistent command line information
when running this task, enter this information here. For
example, when defining the DOS FORMAT program to format a 3½
inch, 720k diskette located in drive B:, the fixed command line
information would be: B: /n:9 /t:80 (or) B: /f:720 (depending
on your version of DOS).
Ask for Set this ON only if you wish to be prompted each time the
options program is run for command line information.
Custom prompt If "Ask for Options" is turned On, type in the prompt that you
wish to appear when the task is chosen for execution. This
should be used to describe the command line information needed
by a program.
Action when Leave this entry set to "Return" unless the program either is a
done TSR or short DOS / utility programs. If configuring a TSR that
runs itself then exits to a DOS prompt, you should set this to
"Stay at DOS". If setting up a utility that runs itself and
exits, like CHKDSK, set this to "Pause".
Other program definition options are available within the [F8]
Extended program definition window. These options are generally
not necessary to setup programs for execution. In fact, most of
these entries configure aspects of B&F like macro use, clock
display, screen blanker mode, etc. To see a description of
these entries, consult the Program setup documentation in
Section 5.
Press [F9] to save the program configuration. You are then
returned to the Program setup list, where the newly defined
task should be shown. To define more program entries, press
[F2] again; to edit the highlighted task in the list, press
[F7]. Once you have defined the tasks to be used, press [F9] to
save and exit the Program setup.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 14
______________________________________________________________________________
Sample Program Below are two sample program definition screens. The first one
Definitions configures a partition to execute Word Perfect and open a phone
notebook. The second one sets up a DOS prompt environment where
you can execute any program.
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ Task description: Word Perfect Phone Notes Memory needed (K): 0 │▒▒
▒▒│ Icon description: WP Phone ID: PN│▒▒
▒▒│ Hot key: Alt-Ctrl-N │▒▒
▒▒│ Type of Task: Program DOS command: No│▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ Program path: C:\WP │▒▒
▒▒│ Program name: WP.EXE │▒▒
▒▒│ Work path: D:\NOTES │▒▒
▒▒│ Fixed options: PHONBOOK │▒▒
▒▒│ Ask for options: No │▒▒
▒▒│ Custom prompt: │▒▒
▒▒│ Action when done: Return │▒▒
▒▒└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
To define a task entry that executes Word Perfect and automatically loads the
data file called PHONBOOK.DOC, follow these steps:
[F2] Enter task definition window to add a new
Word Perfect PhoneNotes[Enter] task
0 enter task description
WP Phone set the maximum amount of memory
PN[Enter] enter 8 character icon description
[F7] enter ID characters to be used
[Alt][Ctrl][N] enter the hot key selection menu
[F9] simultaneously press the hot keys to be used
[Enter] save the hot key selected
[Enter] leave program type set to Program
C:\WP[Enter] leave DOS command set to No
WP[Enter] path where program is found
D:\NOTES[Enter] name of program
PHONBOOK[Enter] path where data file is found
[Enter] info typed after task name when run
[Enter] leave Ask for Options set to No
[Enter] leave custom prompt blank
[F9] leave action type set to Return
[F10] save program definition
exit Program setup
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 15
______________________________________________________________________________
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ Task description: DOS Partition Memory needed (K): 0 │▒▒
▒▒│ Icon description: DSPrompt ID: DP│▒▒
▒▒│ Hot key: Alt-Ctrl-D │▒▒
▒▒│ Type of Task: DOS Partition DOS command: No│▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ Program path: │▒▒
▒▒│ Program name: │▒▒
▒▒│ Work path: │▒▒
▒▒│ Fixed options: │▒▒
▒▒│ Ask for options: No │▒▒
▒▒│ Custom prompt: │▒▒
▒▒│ Action when done: Return │▒▒
▒▒└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
To define a task to open a DOS prompt where any program can be run at your
discretion, follow these steps:
[F2] Enter task definition window to add a new
DOS Partition [Enter] task
0 enter task description
DSPrompt[Enter] set the maximum amount of memory
DP[Enter] define an 8 character icon description
[F7] enter ID characters to be used
[Alt][Ctrl][D] enter the hot key selection menu
[F9] press the hot keys to be assigned
P[Enter] save the hot key selected
[Enter] set the program type to DOS partition
[F9] leave DOS command set to No
[F10] save program definition
exit Program setup
More sample program setups appear within the Program setup, found within
Section 5.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 16
______________________________________________________________________________
Familiarizing Yourself with Back & Forth
Using Back & Now that a few programs have been set up for use within Back &
Forth Pro Forth, you are probably ready to try using them. Once you have
exited the Program setup, you are returned to the main Back &
Forth screen with the defined tasks shown in the Program list
window.
The Back & The following is a representation of the Back & Forth main
Forth Screen program screen.
BackPacks Program Setup Usage Quit
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒┌─────────────────────────────Active Programs─────────────────────────────┐▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ No active tasks found │▒▒
▒▒└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒┌───────────────────────────────Program List──────────────────────────────┐▒▒
▒▒│ Word Perfect Phone Notes 618 'Alt-Ctrl-N ' [PN] │▒▒
▒▒│ DOS Partition 618 'Alt-Ctrl-D ' [DP] │▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ Quick run: _ Tab Change windows U D Move bar Ent Open task │▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
1Help 2Menu 5Info 6LockKb 9RetPgm 10ExitBF
Active Program The Active Program list identifies all active tasks open within
List Back & Forth. Up to 20 tasks may be open at once. Tasks are
"active" when they have been run within Back & Forth and have
not been exited and removed from memory. When no tasks have
been opened, a message is shown stating "No tasks are active".
Program List The Program list window names all tasks defined within the
Program setup for execution within Back & Forth, the estimated
amount of memory needed by the task to run, the task ID code,
and its hot key.
Program List At the bottom of the current program list (the one with the
Commands selection bar), the following commands are shown.
Quick Run Jumps to and executes a task when its task ID
code is typed. This ID is shown on the far
right side of the Program list. For example,
to run the DOS Partition from the above
screen, type DP.
[Tab] Change Moves the selection bar between the Active
windows Program list and the Program list.
[Up][Down] Moves the file selection bar.
[Enter] Runs the highlighted program.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 17
______________________________________________________________________________
Running a Use the [Up] or [Down] cursor keys to move the selection bar to
Program highlight the task to be run then press [Enter] or [Ins]. You
can also run a task by typing its two character task ID or by
pressing its hot key. For example, to execute Word Perfect from
the above Program list, either highlight "Word Perfect Phone
Notes" in the Program list and press [Enter], type "PN", or
press [Alt][Ctrl][N] simultaneously.
While within a task, you can cut & paste selected blocks of
text. Other features include: keyboard macros, onscreen clock,
screen blanker, and a DOS partition command stack.
Switching Back & Forth may be used to open up to 20 tasks in memory at
Between Active once if enough swap space is available. To switch between
Tasks tasks, either use the Back & Forth hot key to return to the
Back & Forth Active Program list to select the next task, or
use the hot keys assigned to each task to open and switch
between them at will.
To switch from one program to another, press the program's hot
key. Pressing the hot key assigned to an open program swaps the
current program out of memory to the allocated swap space and
swaps the program identified by the hot key into memory,
restoring it to the state that it was in before it had been
swapped out. For example, if you are typing in Word Perfect and
decide that you wish to jump to the DOS Partition, press the
DOS Partition hot key, [Alt][Ctrl][D]. To jump back to Word
Perfect, press [Alt][Ctrl][N].
Switching Back To pop-back to Back & Forth, press the Back & Forth hot key.
to Back & This is set within the Setup menu Hot key option. To use the
Forth default Back & Forth hot key to pop back to Back & Forth from a
running program, press [Alt], [Ctrl], and [Space] keys
simultaneously.
When you exit a program, you are returned to the Back & Forth
Active Program list. From here you may return to another open
program within this list or you may use the Program list to
select other programs for execution. To jump back into the
Program list, press the [Tab] key.
Caution! Do not pop-back while a communications program is connected to
another system and input is expected. When a program is swapped
out of memory, it ceases execution until it is recalled to the
screen. One other caveat, do not use disk modification programs
while Back & Forth is open and other tasks are in memory. Many
programs create temporary files while open which are deleted
when the programs are exited normally. These files could be
altered, truncated, or removed by programs like disk optimizers
or CHKDSK /F. Using one of these programs may result in loss of
data or a program "lock up".
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 18
______________________________________________________________________________
[F10] Exit To exit Back & Forth, first exit all active tasks. To do this,
Back & Forth move the selection bar to highlight each program entry within
the Active Program list and press [Enter]. Once within that
program, save any open data files and use the program's Exit
command to remove the program from memory naturally. If the
highlighted task is a DOS partition, type 'EXIT' at the DOS
prompt. Once the program has been exited, control is returned
to the Active Program list. Continue this procedure until the
Active Program list shows the message "No tasks are active".
Now press the [F10] ExitBF key. If all tasks have been properly
closed, the swap files are then deleted, Back & Forth is
removed from memory, and the program is exited. If any tasks
are still open when the [F10] key is pressed (either because of
accidental oversight or because the program is unwilling to
relinquish memory), you are then prompted to verify whether you
wish for all open programs to be forcibly removed. Press [Y] to
exit Back & Forth and remove all programs, press [N] to remain
within Back & Forth. You should make every attempt to exit all
open programs naturally so that you can ensure that all data
files are properly closed and all temporary files are correctly
handled.
Warning! If all open programs are not exited normally, i.e. via their
own exit command, all data files may not be updated and closed,
and temporary files may still exist on the disk. If this
occurs, upon running CHKDSK /F or other disk checking software,
you may find a number of lost clusters or unidentified program
swap files.
Do not turn off your computer before exiting Back & Forth. If
Back & Forth is not exited normally, i.e. via the [F10] ExitBF
key, not only may lost clusters occur but also its swap files
will still occupy space on your disk. The On/Off power switch
is not a viable alternative to the [F10] ExitBF command.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 19
______________________________________________________________________________
Section 3: Installing Back & Forth Pro
The Install An Install program has been included to assist you in
Program installing Back & Forth Professional onto your system. This
copies the compressed files to a selected hard disk directory,
extracts them, and creates a batch file for use in running Back
& Forth. The Installation program does NOT modify the
AUTOEXEC.BAT.
To install Back & Forth, place the B&F Install diskette in a
floppy drive, log to that drive, and type INSTALL. For example,
if you have placed the Install disk in drive A, type the
following:
A:[Enter]
INSTALL [Enter]
Selecting the When Install is loaded, you are prompted to press any key. It
B&F Directory then seeks out the SET B&FPRO variable. If found, the B&F files
are copied from the diskette to the path designated by that
variable. Else, you are prompted for the path to be used to
store Back & Forth. The default path is C:\B&FPRO.
Extracting B&F Once the directory is chosen, the Back & Forth files are
extracted from the storage file and listed to the screen.
Creating the Once Back & Forth has been installed, you will find that either
Back & Forth one or two batch files have been created. The first batch file,
Batch Files named B&FPRO.BAT, runs Back & Forth using conventional memory;
the second batch file, B&FHIPRO.BAT, loads B&F into high
memory. B&FHIPRO.BAT is created only if high memory is detected
and a program such as QEMM, QRAM, Netroom, 386-to-the-Max,
Move'em, or EMM386 is used to initialize it. Once the batch
files are created, copy them to a directory along your DOS
path.
The SET B&F An important component of both batch files is the SET B&FPRO
Statement statement, which is used to locate Back & Forth's executable
files, overlays, help, and data files without having to rely on
the DOS PATH command. If for any reason, you change the path
used to hold Back & Forth, you must be sure to edit these batch
files and reset the path specified to the new path containing
B&F.
Loading B&F The contents of the B&FHIPRO.BAT file is the same as that of
High with B&FPRO.BAT except for the method in which Back & Forth is
B&FHIPRO.BAT executed. The high memory loader used by B&FHIPRO.BAT is
BFPLOAD.EXE, which is included with B&F. Using this loader, B&F
can remove itself from high memory when it is exited. The last
two lines of B&FHIPRO.BAT appear as follows:
BFPLOAD
IF errorlevel == 0 BFPLOW %1 %2 %3 %4 %5
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 20
______________________________________________________________________________
Loading B&F If you choose to use the high memory loader included with QEMM,
High 386-to-the-Max, or other memory management software product to
load Back & Forth into high memory, B&F will not be able to
remove itself from high memory when it is exited. This is a
limitation imposed by the third-party high memory loader used,
not by Back & Forth.
Back & Forth must be the last program loaded into high memory.
To load Back & Forth high, use the high memory loader to load
BFPHIGH.EXE, then run BFPLOW.COM immediately after it. For
instance, to load Back & Forth into high memory using QEMM,
change the last two lines of B&FHIPRO.BAT to the following:
C:\QEMM\LOADHI BFPHIGH
BFPLOW %1 %2 %3 %4 %5
Command Line Command line options are those options typed at the DOS prompt
Options following the executable batch file name (either B&FPRO or
B&FHIPRO). These options control the Back & Forth environment.
GO Bypasses the Swap drive setup screen and goes
directly to the Program List window of Back & Forth.
LITE Executes a smaller, "stripped down" version of Back
& Forth. This version is 10k smaller than the
standard version of Back & Forth with the following
features removed: print buffer, clock, screen blank,
and keyboard macros.
NOPRINT Runs Back & Forth without the Back & Print option.
USER Identifies an individual using Back & Forth on a
network by his or her assigned user number. When
used, this takes the form "USER:###", with the
actual user number typed in the place of ###. The
"USER" option is documented under Appendix E:
Network Installation and Use.
VIDEO Defines the video mode. Back & Forth can normally
determine what video mode is being used. But a few
VGA and Hercules cards may not be correctly
interpreted. For these cards, set VIDEO:VGA or
VIDEO:HERC. These options disables non-standard
video display modes. Also, when using a Hercules
video card, make sure that BNFHERC.EXE is loaded
first.
Once you have established a pattern of usage, you may wish to
preset the command line options that you use every time you run
B&F. To do this, edit the executable batch files and add the
desired command line option to the executable program line. For
example, to add the command line option "GO" to B&FHIPRO.BAT,
change the last line of the batch file to the following:
IF errorlevel == 0 BFPLOW GO %1 %2 %3 %4
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 21
______________________________________________________________________________
Copying the Once the batch files have been created, copy them to a location
Batch Files along the DOS path for easy use. This lets you invoke Back &
Forth at any time, irrespective of the current path.
Changing the Before running Back & Forth for the first time, check the
CONFIG.SYS CONFIG.SYS found in your root directory on your primary drive
to ensure that at least 80 file handles are available. If you
attempt to run Back & Forth with less file handles allocated
than 80, an error message is shown. File handles are allocated
via use of the following statement:
FILES=80
Important: The amount shown for FILES command above is the
minimum recommended for use by Back & Forth. To determine a
more representative number, multiply the number of tasks you
expect to run within Back & Forth at one time by 8 and use this
value if it is greater than 80. Some programs, like databases,
open more files. Keep this in mind when you set the FILES
variable.
Any text editor that creates ASCII text like EDLIN.COM or the
Back & Forth editor may be used to modify the CONFIG.SYS file.
If you do not have an ASCII editor, you may be able to use a
word processor that lets you either save a file in non-document
(unformatted) mode or export the file to an ASCII text format.
Editing the Once you have checked the CONFIG.SYS, examine the contents of
AUTOEXEC the AUTOEXEC.BAT and remove any unnecessary TSR programs. Most
TSRs should be run within Back & Forth to save memory and
minimize conflicts. Exceptions include: disk cache programs,
mouse and other device drivers, and DOS commands like MODE,
PATH, PROMPT, and SET.
Adding Back & To load B&F automatically each time you turn your computer on,
Forth to append the contents of B&FPRO.BAT or B&FHIPRO.BAT to the end of
AUTOEXEC AUTOEXEC.BAT. Remember to include "GO", if desired.
If the AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS is changed, exit all open
programs and reboot your computer to reset this information
before continuing.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 22
______________________________________________________________________________
Section 4: Configuring Swap Space for Back & Forth
Running Back & Once the installation process has been completed, run Back &
Forth for the Forth by typing B&FPRO or B&FHIPRO at the DOS prompt. This sets
First Time the DOS variables, changes directories, and runs the
appropriate version of Back & Forth.
If a problem is encountered when running one of these batch
files, verify that the batch file is located within a directory
along your DOS path. Also make certain that no other executable
file exists along the path with the same name.
Swap Drive The first time Back & Forth is run, the Swap drive setup screen
Setup is shown. This is also shown whenever Back & Forth is executed
without the "GO" command line option.
Back & Forth controls the amount of memory that it uses by
swapping most of itself out of memory to a storage file when a
task is run. The storage space used is allocated here within
the Swap drive setup. If Back & Forth is loaded into high
memory, less than 1k of main memory and 23-40k of high memory
is used; else approximately 23-40k of main memory is needed.
Either way, DOS requires an additional 3-4k of memory.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Nov 1, 1991 Back & Forth Pro version 2.0 6:47:00am │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Manage EMS memory: No │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Save EGA/VGA fonts: No │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Print buffer size: 0 │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Swap to XMS memory: Off 0 │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Swap to EMS memory: Off 0 │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Program swap drive 1: D:\ 5008 │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Program swap drive 2: 0 │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Program swap drive 3: 0 │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Total swap space including 619 of conventional memory 5625 │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Some DOS applications manipulate the EMS memory in a way that is │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ incompatible with B&F's mark/release function. If you experience EMS│▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ (or unexplained) lockups, toggle this option to No. │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
U D Move between fields L R Move within field F1 Help F9 Accept F10 ExitBF
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 23
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Swap Drive The Swap drive setup identifies the resources used to store
Setup Menu swapped program information. Most of its entries require the
selection of a swap path and the allocation of disk space.
Manage EMS If set to Yes, removes tasks from EMS memory
memory when they are exited. Set to No if "lock-ups"
occur that cannot be resolved using the
procedures outlined within Appendix C.
Save EGA/VGA Saves the additional screen information
fonts generated by tasks that either use their own
text fonts or use text modes other than 80x25,
28, 43, or 50. Set this to No if you are using
B000 on some 80286 machines as high memory.
Print buffer Sets aside EMS/XMS memory for use by Back &
size Print, the print redirection and buffer
utility. This amount is removed from the total
amount of EMS and XMS allocated below.
Swap to XMS Sets whether extended memory (XMS) is to be
memory used, and if so, how much. If an XMS
compatible device driver is not detected, this
is not shown.
Swap to EMS Sets whether expanded memory (EMS) is to be
memory used and if so, how much. If none is found,
this option cannot be chosen.
Program swap Selects the paths used to hold the swap files
paths 1-3 and the amount of allocated disk space. This
swap space is used as an extension of memory,
storing programs that are open but not
currently in use. Up to 3 disk-based swap
areas may be chosen. Note: allocating several
smaller swap files to the same drive is slower
than using one large swap file on one drive.
Total swap Shows the total swap space allocated above
space plus conventional memory. Conventional memory
is the memory available for use after DOS,
device drivers, TSRs, and Back & Forth are
loaded. To determine the maximum amount of
swap space needed, multiply the maximum number
of tasks to be run at any one time by the
amount of conventional memory available.
Use the [Up] or [Down] key to highlight the setting to be
changed. When entering a path, either type in the directory
path or press [F7] to use the directory tree. When selecting
the swap space amount, type in the amount to be allocated. When
choosing between Yes and No, press either the [Left] or [Right]
cursor key.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 24
______________________________________________________________________________
[F7] Directory If the [F7] Directory tree is used to select a path, the
Tree directory structure of the chosen drive is displayed. If a
drive letter has been specified on the path line, that drive is
used. Otherwise, the current system path is used. Use the [Up],
[Down], [Left], [Right], [Home], and [End] cursor keys to
highlight the desired directory and press [Enter] to set. To
show the directory tree of another disk, press [F8] and select
the drive letter from the menu.
Swap Space When a task is swapped out of memory, Back & Forth saves an
Requirements exact replica of the system environment and task screen. The
amount of swap space occupied by each task depends upon the
amount of space allocated to the program within the Program
setup, the amount of system information to be stored (based on
the programs loaded globally), and the video mode in use. Each
task requires at least 16k of system information storage space.
If PCED has been loaded globally, add 32-64k of storage space
per task, if ANARKEY is used, add 16k per task. If KeyBack!
macros are used within a task and EMS memory is used for
storage, allot 16k per task for macro buffer space.
The amount of video storage space required for each partition
depends upon the video mode in use and the complexity of the
screen being saved. If UltraVision is loaded globally, add
another 32k to the estimated video space requirements for each
task.
For example, if you are running a text-based VGA program
requiring 600k of memory to execute with UltraVision loaded
globally and using EMS memory to store the contents of the
macro buffer, you should expect to need approximately 712k
(600k + 16k + 48k + 32k + 16k) to store the program when it is
swapped to disk.
Video mode Graphics mode Text mode
Monochrome, MDA N/A 16k
CGA 16k 16k
Hercules 64k 64k
EGA 16-256k 48k
VGA 16-256k 48k
SVGA 16-512k 48k
1024 x 768 mode 256-1024k
To estimate the amount of swap space needed, multiply the
number of tasks (maximum of 20) that you intend to have open at
once by the estimated amount of program, system, and video
storage space needed by the tasks as outlined above. For
example, if you have 600k of conventional memory and you
normally expect to run up to 2 graphics-based VGA programs and
4 text-based programs using the maximum amount of conventional
memory, with 2 of these tasks making use of KeyBack!, you
should allocate 4,688k of swap space (approximately). [4,688k =
256k (B&F storage space) + 600k x 6 (program memory needed) +
16k x 6 (system information space) + 256k x 2 (maximum VGA
graphics space) + 48k x 4 (VGA text space) + 16k x 2 (macro
buffer space)].
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 25
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Disk Selection When selecting the drives to be used as swap locations for Back
Criteria & Forth, the fastest storage devices available on your system
should be chosen. We recommend that you use EMS memory, XMS
memory, RAM disk, and hard disks as available. Of course, you
must balance Back & Forth's need of swap space with the needs
of other programs that you use. If your other programs are
configured to use EMS memory or other disk space, you must make
certain that the amount allocated to Back & Forth does not
conflict with the amount needed by those other programs.
When Back & Forth is run, the specified amount of swap space is
automatically allocated to files named SWAPFILE.00# on each
respective drive. This ensures that enough swap space is
available when a program is swapped and lets Back & Forth
manage the contents of those files efficiently. The drawback to
this is that the space is occupied and not released until Back
& Forth is exited.
If using Back & Forth on a network, only specify swap
directories where you have read/write privileges.
Function Keys Three function key commands are shown at the bottom of the
screen. They are:
[F1] Help Shows Help for the Swap drive setup menu.
[F9] Accept Saves the selected settings, exits the Swap
drive setup menu, and runs Back & Forth.
[F10] Cancel Exits the Back & Forth Swap drive setup menu
without saving the changes made.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 26
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Section 5: Setting Up Back & Forth Pro
After pressing [F9] to save the changes made within the Swap
drive setup, control is passed to the main Back & Forth screen.
You are now ready to not only define the programs that are to
be made available for execution from Back & Forth but also
configure other operational aspects of Back & Forth, including
its hot keys, print buffer, autoload list, color selection, et
cetera. This section describes the commands available within
Back & Forth.
The Back & The following is a representation of the main Back & Forth
Forth Screen screen. This screen is composed of four distinct parts. The top
line contains the pull-down menu options. Below this is shown
two program lists, with all open tasks identified in the top
list, and all tasks available for execution named in the
bottom. At the bottom of the screen, the function key commands
are shown. The first time Back & Forth is run, both program
lists should be empty.
BackPacks Program Setup Usage Quit
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒┌─────────────────────────────Active Programs─────────────────────────────┐▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ No active tasks found │▒▒
▒▒└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒┌───────────────────────────────Program List──────────────────────────────┐▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ Quick run: _ Tab Change windows U D Move bar Ent Open task │▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
1Help 2Menu 5Info 6LockKb 9RetPgm 10ExitBF
Program List The Active Program list identifies all active programs open
Windows within Back & Forth. Up to 20 tasks may be open at once.
Programs are "active" when they have been run from within Back
& Forth and have not been exited and removed from memory.
The Program List window names all programs defined for use
within Back & Forth and their relevant hot keys, command ID
codes, and swap space amounts.
The first time Back & Forth is run, both of these windows
should be empty. To define the programs that are to be made
available, press [F2], press [P] to select the Program menu,
and press [P] again to select the Program setup option.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 27
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Using a Mouse For those of you with mice scampering around on your desks,
with Back & Back & Forth may be set up to run with a Microsoft compatible
Forth mouse. When a mouse is used with Back & Forth, a separate
blinking block mouse cursor is shown on the screen. With it,
you may move to and select any option shown on the screen
including pull-down menus, function key commands and program
list entries. Simply position the mouse cursor within the
desired item and press the [Left] mouse button. To exit a menu,
press the [Right] mouse button.
A scroll bar is shown on most Back & Forth windows for use in
positioning the selection bar on the screen with the mouse.
This vertical bar is found on the far right side of the screen
with up and down arrows located at each end. When the mouse
cursor is moved to and clicked on one of these arrows, the
selection bar highlights the item above or below it in the
active window. Moving the mouse cursor to a location within the
scroll bar and pressing the [Left] mouse button moves the
selection bar to highlight the entry at that relative position
within the window.
To use a mouse, the mouse driver must be installed on your
system before Back & Forth is run and mouse support must be ON.
This driver should be placed in the AUTOEXEC.BAT for automatic
installation. The mouse support setting is located within the
Setup Miscellaneous options menu.
Function Keys The following function key commands are shown at the bottom of
the Back & Forth screen.
[F1] Help Shows help information for Back & Forth.
[F2] Menu Activates the pull-down menus. Its options
include BackPacks, Program, Setup, and
Usage. The contents of these menus are
outlined above.
[F5] Info Summarizes the memory and swap space in use
and the space allocated to Back & Print.
[F6] LockKB Clears the screen and password protects your
system while you are away from your
computer.
[F9] RetPgm Returns to the last active program in
memory.
[F10] ExitBF Removes all programs run from Back & Forth
from memory and exits Back & Forth.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 28
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[F1] Help The [F1] Help key displays information describing the use of
selected Back & Forth options. When selected, help information
is displayed about the currently displayed window. The help
text is a compilation of the contents of this manual.
To change the help index, press the [F5] Index key. A menu
lists all defined help topics. Use the [Up] or [Down] cursor
key to highlight the desired index. Press [Enter] to display
the help information for the highlighted index.
To scroll the help text one line at a time, use the [Up] or
[Down] keys. Use the [PgDn] or [PgUp] keys to show the next or
previous pages of the text. When you have finished reading this
information, press [Esc] to exit Help.
[F2] Menu Pressing the [F2] Menu key activates the pull-down menus shown
at the top of the screen. Once the [F2] key has been pressed,
use the [Left] or [Right] cursor key to open the desired menu
or press the first letter. A quicker method of activating a
menu is to press the [Alt] key simultaneously with the first
letter of the menu label.
BackPacks Contains the desktop accessory functions available
within Back & Forth. These include a calculator,
text editor, graphics screen grabber, RoloBack
address book, and Overtime! appointment scheduler
and automated program execution option.
Program Contains the program definition and execution
functions of Back & Forth. These are Autoload and
Program setup.
Setup Contains the commands used to configure the
operation of Back & Forth. These include setup
options for the BackPack accessories, Back &
Print, cursor, disk monitoring, hot key usage,
icon display mode, keyboard options, miscellaneous
Back & Forth settings, screen blanker timer, and
clock setup.
Usage Contains the usage tracking display and setup
functions of Back & Forth. These include usage log
setup, delete usage records, and browse existing
usage records.
Quit Exits Back & Forth.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 29
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[F5] The Information summary details the maximum amount of memory
Information that can be allocated to a single task, the total amount of
swap space allocated within the Swap drive setup, and the
amount of swap space left over after opening the tasks shown in
the Active Program list. The amount of memory available for a
task is based on the amount of memory installed in your
computer, the version of DOS used, the device drivers and
programs run before Back & Forth, and the amount of memory Back
& Forth itself requires (approximately 23-40k if not loaded
into high memory, 1k if loaded high). Back & Forth occupies
about 256k of the allocated swap space, the rest is provided to
the open tasks. Swap space is allocated when Back & Forth is
first run, thus ensuring that enough is available to run any
tasks. These swap files are removed from the disk when Back &
Forth is exited. To change the amount of allocated swap space,
exit and execute Back & Forth without the "GO" option to modify
the Swap drive setup values.
If space for Back & Print has been allocated, information about
its status is shown. Also, if the "Manage EMS memory" option is
set On within the Swap drive setup, EMS usage by each task is
listed.
[F6] Lock The Lock keyboard command lets you restrict access to your
Keyboard system while you are away from the computer. This keyboard lock
is not intended as full security protection for your system, if
the system is turned off then turned on again, another person
could conceivably gain access to your system. This is meant
only to keep co-workers and passersby from using your computer
and getting into your files without your knowledge while you
are away from your computer briefly.
When selected, you are prompted for a password to be used to
control access to your system. The password can be up to 30
characters in length. Capitalization and use of spaces and
punctuation must be exact.
Once a password has been chosen, the screen is blanked and the
message "Press a key to unlock" is moved around the screen.
To return to Back & Forth, press a key. At the prompt, enter
the password you had selected. Once the password is entered
correctly, control is returned to Back & Forth.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 30
______________________________________________________________________________
[F10] Exit The [F10] ExitBF command exits Back & Forth, deletes its
Back & Forth temporary files, and removes the program from memory. If
BFPLOAD.COM was used to load B&F into high memory (this is used
by default within the B&FHIPRO.BAT), the EMS memory used by
Back & Forth is then freed. If another memory management loader
was used, the computer system must be rebooted to regain that
memory.
To exit Back & Forth, make certain that the Active Program list
shows the message "No tasks are active" then press [F10]. If
any tasks are still open when the [F10] key is pressed (either
due to accidental oversight or because the program is unwilling
to relinquish memory), you are then prompted to verify whether
you wish for all open tasks to be forcibly removed. Press [Y]
to exit Back & Forth and remove all tasks, press [N] to remain
within Back & Forth. You should make every attempt to exit all
open programs naturally so that you can ensure that all data
files are properly closed and all temporary files are correctly
handled.
Caution! If all open programs are not exited normally, i.e. via their
own exit command, all data files may not be updated and closed,
and temporary files may still exist on the disk. If this
occurs, upon running CHKDSK /F or other disk checking software,
you may find a number of lost clusters or unidentified program
swap files.
Do not turn off your computer before exiting Back & Forth. If
Back & Forth is not exited normally, i.e. via the [F10] ExitBF
key, not only may lost clusters occur but also its swap files
will still occupy space on your disk. The On/Off power switch
is not a viable alternative to the [F10] ExitBF command.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 31
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The [F2] Five options, BackPacks, Program, Setup, Usage, and Quit, are
Pull-Down Menu shown at the top of the screen. These are selected by pressing
Options the [F2] function key and using the [Left] or [Right] cursor
key to open the desired menu or pressing the first letter of
that menu entry. A menu may also be selected by pressing the
[Alt] key combined with the first letter of the menu label.
Finally, if you have a mouse, you can select one of the menu
entries simply by moving the mouse cursor to the desired menu
and clicking the [Left] mouse button to open the menu. The
options contained within the pull-down menus activated by the
[F2] Menu option are as follows:
BackPacks - The desktop accessory functions of Back & Forth.
Calculator - Provides a simple tape calculator and a
sophisticated RPN calculator with financial,
statistical, scientific, and computer number
functions.
Editor - Opens a simple-to-use ASCII text editor that can
be used to edit selected files.
Grabber - Grabs a graphics image from the screen and
saves to a PCX file.
Overtime! - Sets up and displays the time management
program created for use within Back & Forth. It acts
as an appointment book with a calendar, daily memo,
and to-do list. When an appointment time arrives, it
can be set to sound an alarm, pop a message onto the
screen, run a defined task, or do nothing.
RoloBack - Displays an address book/phone listing which
can be used to store names and personal information
for viewing, searching, printing, and dialing.
Program - The task definition and execution functions.
Autoload - Specifies the tasks run automatically when
Back & Forth is loaded.
Program - Opens the Program editor, where tasks are
defined for use within Back & Forth.
Setup - The Back & Forth configuration options.
BackPack setup - Lets you set the hot keys and keyboard
macro settings used with each BackPack.
back & Print - Contains the Back & Print settings
including: destination of output, port trapped,
throughput, etc.
Cursor - Lets you select the shape of the text cursor.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 32
______________________________________________________________________________
Disk monitor Activates a disk monitor symbol to be shown
whenever a disk is written to or read from.
Hot key - Defines the hot keys used within Back & Forth.
Icon menu view - Sets B&F to display the task icons
defined within the Program setup. With this mode,
all active and defined tasks are shown on the screen
for selection.
Keyboard - Chooses such options as: keyboard buffer,
click,speed-up, and [Caps Lock]/[Ctrl] key switch.
Miscellaneous - Lists the following: screen background
character selection, color setup, CGA snow checking,
[Ctrl][Alt][Delete] reboot restriction, number of
text lines shown, mouse activation toggle, external
editor, and screen title.
Screen blanker - Sets the screen blanker mode and the
number of minutes between the last keystroke entered
and the blanking of the screen. This can be set to
either display a graphics image or blank the screen.
Time (clock) - Sets the default clock settings.
Usage - Usage tracking log control.
Browse usage database - Lists the usage log entries
occurring between two dates, sorted by either date,
task description, or project code.
Change project code - Sets the 15 character project code
used to group log entries by job.
Delete records from database - Removes records from the
usage log based on a date range.
Setup usage tracking parameters - Activates program usage
tracking and project code entry. When selected, a
menu is shown listing two entries: Keep usage log
and Require project codes. Setting the Usage
tracking option to Yes activates the usage log
which keeps a list of all programs run from Back &
Forth with the times that they were used. Setting
the Project codes option to Yes prompts you for a
project code each time Back & Forth is run.
Quit - Back & Forth exit command.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 33
______________________________________________________________________________
The BackPacks Menu
The BackPacks menu entry contains the desktop accessory
functions available within Back & Forth. These include:
Calculator Provides a simple tape calculator and a
sophisticated RPN calculator with financial,
statistical, scientific, and computer number
functions.
Editor Opens a simple-to-use ASCII text editor that
can be used to edit selected files.
Grabber Grabs a graphics image from the screen and
saves to a PCX file.
Overtime! Sets up and displays the time management
program created for use within Back & Forth. It
acts as an appointment book with a calendar,
daily memo, and to-do list. When an appointment
time arrives, it can be set to sound an alarm,
pop a message onto the screen, run a defined
task within a new partition or do nothing.
RoloBack Displays an address book / telephone listing
which can be used to store names and personal
information for viewing, searching, printing,
and dialing.
To select one of these BackPacks from the BackPack menu, press
the [F2] Menu key. When activated, this menu should be
highlighted and opened at the top of the screen. Use the
[Right] cursor key to highlight the desired BackPack and press
[Enter] or press the first letter to select.
To set up the operational aspects of these BackPacks, use the
BackPack setup option, located within the Setup menu. This
allows you to specify a hot key, keyboard macro file, starting
macro, and other settings.
The BackPack accessories are documented within Part II: The
Back & Forth BackPacks.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 34
______________________________________________________________________________
The Program Menu
The Program menu contains the task definition and automatic
loading options of Back & Forth.
Autoload Specifies the tasks run automatically when Back &
Forth is loaded.
Program Opens the Program editor, where tasks are defined
for use within Back & Forth.
To select one of these options, press the [F2] Menu key and
either press the [Right] cursor key or [P] to highlight the
Program menu. When highlighted, the above menu options should
be shown in a pull-down menu. Use the [Down] cursor key to
highlight the desired option and press [Enter] or press the
first letter to select.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 35
______________________________________________________________________________
Autoload Setup The Autoload setup is used to select tasks or BackPacks for
automatic loading when Back & Forth is first run. Tasks
selected for autoloading should be those that you use on a
day-to-day basis. Only the BackPacks and those tasks defined
within the Program setup are selectable. Programs requiring
user-input, i.e. those with the Program setup "Ask for Options"
entry turned On, cannot be loaded using this option.
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒┌─────────────────────Autoload Statistics─────────────────────┐▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒│ Number of partitions to autoload 0 │▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒│ Size of autoload partitions 0 k│▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒│ Autoload delay time (in seconds) 0 │▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒┌───────────────────────────Program List──────────────────────────────┐▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Time to Wait before │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Task Description Memory Loading Next Task │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Calculator 192 │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Editor ALL │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Grabber 224 │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ Overtime! 256 │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ RoloBack 320 │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ DOS Partition ALL │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒│ » Marks autoload task Use cursor keys to move selection bar │▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
1Help 3SetOn 4SetOff 5Start 10Exit
Screen The top window shows the number of programs chosen for
Description automatic loading, the amount of swap memory they require, and
the total amount of time needed to load them. The bottom window
contains the program list defined within the Program setup and
the BackPacks list. Programs marked for automatic loading show
the » character immediately to the left of the program
description.
Cursor Keys Use the [Up] and [Down] cursor keys to scroll the selection bar
through the list of defined programs. Pressing the [PgUp] or
[PgDn] keys moves up or down 11 entries in the list. The [Home]
or [End] keys move to the first or last entry in the list.
Function Key The following function keys contain the commands available
Commands within the Autoload setup.
[F1] Help Presents help describing Autoload setup.
[F3] Set On Activates the autoload capability for the
highlighted task. You are then asked for
additional Autoload information.
[F4] Set Off Removes the autoload designation from the
highlighted task.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 36
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[F5] Start Marks the highlighted task as the last
program to be loaded using Autoload. Once
this program is loaded, you are left within
this program rather than being returned to
the Back & Forth Active program list.
[F10] Quit Exits the Autoload setup and returns to the
Setup menu.
Selecting a Move the selection bar to highlight the task to be
Task for automatically loaded and press either [Enter] or [F3] Set On.
Autoloading When selected, you are prompted for the following information:
Task description Describes the highlighted task in the
Program list. This field cannot be changed
within the Autoload setup.
Action type Sets the action used to determine when the
task has finished loading. The "Wait for
keyboard request" option waits for the
program to request a key before starting to
load the next task. Most tasks can be loaded
using this method since key input is usually
not requested by the program until after it
has completed loading. This method is faster
since it is based on the actual amount of
time needed to load the task rather than
your best guess. The "Time countdown" option
waits a specified number of seconds before
loading the next task marked in the Autoload
list. This should be timed carefully so that
the computer is not left idle for too long
while allowing for deviations in load time
due to changes in data file size, etc. We
recommend that you first try loading your
tasks using the "Wait for keyboard request".
If a task does not load completely, switch
to "Time countdown". Press the [Space] key
to toggle between these two values.
Time to wait: Designates the number of seconds needed to
load a task when the "Time countdown" option
is selected. To determine the number of
seconds needed, display the clock then load
the program to determine precisely how many
seconds should be designated.
Use the [Up] or [Down] cursor key to move to the field to be
edited. Press [F9] to save the changes and exit this window,
press [F10] to exit without saving the changes.
Note: For Overtime! alarms to be able to notify you of defined
events, this BackPack must be active in memory. For this
reason, we recommend that you select this task to be one of
those that you automatically load each time Back & Forth is
run.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 37
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Program Setup The Program Setup is one of the most important aspects of Back
& Forth. It is used to define the tasks listed within the
Program List that are available for execution within Back &
Forth. Up to 50 tasks may be defined. When selected from the
Program menu, a program list similar to that shown on the main
screen is shown.
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒┌────────────────────────Setup Program List───────────────────────────────┐▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ B&F Manuscript 618 'Alt-Ctrl-B ' [MB] │▒▒
▒▒│ Back-up work files 256 'Alt-Ctrl-LShift-B ' [BC] │▒▒
▒▒│ DOS Partition 618 'Alt-Ctrl-D ' [DP] │▒▒
▒▒│ File Commando 618 'Alt-Ctrl-F ' [FC] │▒▒
▒▒│ Format disk 64 ' ' [3½] │▒▒
▒▒│ Lotus 123 Checkbook 618 'Alt-Ctrl-L' ' [LC] │▒▒
▒▒│ PC-Paintbrush 618 'Alt-Ctrl-P ' [PB] │▒▒
▒▒│ Small DOS Prompt 128 'Alt-Ctrl-S ' [SD] │▒▒
▒▒│ Word Perfect Letter 618 'Alt-Ctrl-W ' [WP] │▒▒
▒▒│ Word Perfect Phone Notes 618 'Alt-Ctrl-N ' [PN] │▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ Quick run: _ │▒▒
▒▒└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
1Help 2Add 3Copy 4Delete 5Move 7Edit 8Sort 10ExitBF
Function Key The function keys shown at the bottom of the screen contain the
Commands commands available under the Program Setup.
[F1] Help Presents help describing the Program Setup.
[F2] Add Adds a new task to the list.
[F3] Copy Copies the highlighted task entry to a new
entry. This is useful when you have to define
several entries using the same basic program
information.
[F4] Delete Deletes the highlighted task entry.
[F5] Move Moves the highlighted task entry to another
position in the list.
[F7] Edit Edits the highlighted task entry.
[F8] Sort Sorts the entries by description, hot key, icon
label, or ID.
[F10] Quit Exits and returns to the main Back & Forth
screen.
Edit Program Once [F2] Add or [F7] Edit is selected, the standard program
Entry information window is shown. If [F7] was selected, the
information shown is that of the task highlighted in the
Program setup list; if [F2] was selected, the information
window is blank.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 38
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Standard Entry The standard program setup window lists the basic information
Fields generally required by Back & Forth to successfully execute a
task. Extended program setup options are contained within the
[F8] setup form. These options let you configure the amount of
EMS memory and environment space used by the program, the
position of the clock, the interval before the screen is
blanked, the availability of Overtime!, the particulars of
macro usage, etc.
Within either window, use the [Up] or [Down] key to move to the
field to be edited. Use the [Left] or [Right] cursor key to
move the cursor within the field. Press the [Ins] key to switch
the text entry mode between Insert (small block cursor) and
Overwrite (underline cursor). Press [F9] to save the changes
and exit, press [F10] to exit without saving the changes.
Task description Describes the task in the Program list. This
field is 20 characters long.
Memory needed Defines the amount of memory needed by the
task to execute. When set to 0, all available
memory is allocated.
Icon description Assigns an eight character description used
within the Icon menu view option to identify
this program entry on the screen.
ID Designates a 2 character identification code,
which is used as a quick method of jumping to
and executing a task from the Program list.
All entries must have an ID; however, you may
wish to assign an obscure ID like "()" to
tasks that you do not want to execute by
accident. This ID may also be used to switch
between partitions via the SWITCH program.
SWITCH is described within Section 7.
Hot key Designates the hot key used to run this task.
Hot keys let you jump between open tasks
and/or Back & Forth at will. Press [F7] to
show the hot key prompt and press the key
combination to be defined. The hot key must
be a combination of one or more key flags
[Alt], [Ctrl], [Left Shift], [Right Shift]
combined with a function or alphanumeric key.
Press [F9] to save the hot key.
Type of task Determines the type of task: Program, DOS
partition, Program without Comspec, and
Special TSR. When set to "Program", the
defined task is run after COMMAND.COM or
4DOS.COM is loaded. Batch files must be run
using this option. If "Program without
Comspec" is set, the COMMAND.COM is not
loaded before the task is run. The "DOS
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 39
______________________________________________________________________________
partition" option opens a DOS environment
where any program can be run from the DOS
prompt. The "Special TSR" option should be
used when running a TSR (like Sidekick Plus)
that requires a program to be run within it.
This loads the TSR then runs a dummy program.
DOS command Identifies the task as a DOS or 4DOS command
when set to Yes. Use [Right] or [Left] to
select between Yes or No. DOS commands
include COPY, DIR, but do not include FORMAT
or CHKDSK (these are programs and should be
defined as such).
Program path Locates the directory where the program can
be found. Either type in the path at this
prompt or press [F7] to pick the path from
the directory tree. To change drives within
the tree, press [F8] and select the drive
letter. Press [Enter] to set the path. If the
task being defined is a DOS command, no path
need be set.
Program name Identifies the program to be run. This file
must end with the extension EXE, COM, or BAT.
Either enter the file name at this prompt or
press [F7] to select from a list of
executable files found within the Program
path. If using the file list, move the
selection bar to highlight the file and press
[Enter]. If the program is not shown in this
list, change the program path.
Work path Names the directory holding the data files of
the task. If this path is set, the task is
actually run from this directory, using the
program directory only to locate the program
files. Some programs (like some versions of
WordStar) must be run from their program
directories; for these tasks, leave this
field blank. [F7] may also be used to select
the path.
Fixed options Defines the information usually entered after
the program name when the task is run. This
field is 57 characters long. For example, to
format a 3½ inch, 720k diskette placed in
drive A: using DOS FORMAT, the fixed options
should be set to: A: /n:9 /t:80 (or) A:
/f:720 (depending on the version of DOS).
Ask for options Determines whether you are prompted for
command line information each time the task
is run. Use the [Left] or [Right] key to
select Yes or No.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 40
______________________________________________________________________________
Custom prompt When "Ask for Options" is On, defines the
prompt that is shown when the task is run.
This should be used to describe the command
line information needed by a program. The
field is 57 characters long.
Action when done Establishes what happens after the task is
exited. The options are: Return, Pause, or
Stay at DOS. "Return" (default) returns to
B&F once the task is exited. "Pause" returns
after a key is pressed, letting you see the
screen produced when the task is exited.
"Stay at DOS" is used to run TSRs that exit
to a DOS prompt after installing themselves
in memory. Use [Left] or [Right] to set this
option.
[F8] Extended The [F8] Extended program setup window contains the less often
Entry Fields used aspects of the program setup. Most of these entries
control the way Back & Forth operates with the task, the other
entries set little-used program operation options.
Environment size Sets the amount of extra space allocated for
the COMMAND.COM. When set to 0, the default
DOS amount is used. If this task sets any
DOS variables, set this value to 1024.
Maximum EMS Limits the amount of expanded memory the
allocated task is allowed to use. When set to 0, the
program is allowed to determine the amount
of EMS that it will use. Some programs
automatically grab as much EMS memory as
they can, whether they need it or not.
Examples of programs that do this are
Quattro Pro and Paradox. For these programs,
either disallow EMS usage by setting this to
-1, or define the maximum amount of EMS that
you wish for it to use.
Disable hot keys Chooses whether the hot keys defined within
Back & Forth are disabled while this task is
running. Only the B&F Super key (default
[Ctrl][Alt][Left Shift]) is left active.
This is useful when running a program which
makes extensive use of keyboard commands.
Use [Left] or [Right] to set this option.
Clock display Defines the appearance and placement of the
clock on the screen. When [F7] is pressed, 5
options are listed: mode, format, row,
column, and color. Mode may be set to
"Default", which uses the default settings
defined within Time setup, "Off", which
keeps the clock off the screen, and "On",
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 42
______________________________________________________________________________
which shows the clock in the below format.
Format choices are HH:MM-AM/PM, HH:MM:SS-
AM/PM, HH:MM-Military,HH:MM:SS-Military. Row
and column sets the clock's screen position.
Color selects the color used to display the
time.
Screen blanker Sets the screen blank mode and interval for
support the task. Set the mode OFF when defining a
task making extensive use of a mouse, since
mouse input is not recognized as key input
by the screen blanker.
Overtime! support Establishes whether Overtime! is allowed to
interrupt operation of the task. Set this to
"No" when defining a communications task.
UV mode Presets an UltraVision video display mode.
This is only shown if UltraVision has been
loaded into memory before B&F. Press [F7] to
list all UltraVision modes available. Use
the [Up] or [Down] key to highlight a mode
and press [Enter] to set. The default
setting is 80x25.
Macro/paste delay Resets the rate at which text is fed to the
task from the Macro and Paste commands. If
random characters are lost, increment the
delay to compensate.
Auto Shorthand When On, automatically scans the typed text
for defined shorthand abbreviations, deletes
those found, and inserts the words or
phrases they represent.
Shorthand delete Names the key used within the program to
sequence backspace over text to the left of the
cursor. This is required when a Shorthand
sequence is encountered, where the
abbreviation must be deleted and the correct
replacement word or phrase inserted. The
options are <Bksp>, <Ctrl-Bksp>,<Left-Del>.
Some programs, like older versions of
WordStar, do not support the [BkSp] key,
instead the [Ctrl][BkSp] is used to delete
characters to the left of the cursor. If a
program does not support either key, use the
[Left][Del] to simulate a backspace.
Max number of Determines the number of keyboard macros
macros that may be defined for use within the task.
Macro buffer size Configures a storage area used to store the
(0-16k) macros used with this task. Each keystroke
occupies 2 bytes of space.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 43
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Macro save option Sets the method used to save newly defined
key macros when a task is exited. The
options are: "Don't save macros", "Automatic
save", and "Prompt for filename". The "Don't
save macros" option does not save the macros
unless the Save file option is selected from
the Macro menu File command. The "Automatic
save" option saves the macro buffer
automatically to the open macro file when
the task is exited and the partition is
closed. The "Prompt for filename" option
prompts for the file to be used to store the
macros when the task is exited. This lets
you select from a list of all existing macro
files or lets you create a new file.
Macro file name Identifies the file used to store the key
macros for this task. Either enter the file
name at this prompt or press [F7] to select
from a list of macro files. If the file list
is used, highlight the file & press [Enter].
Starting macro Names a macro that is replayed automatically
when the task is run. This is useful in
feeding keys to a program to get past
opening screens and configuring it for use.
If this task is chosen for autoloading, this
macro is not played.
Programs to be Some programs should not be run from within B&FPro, others
Cautious Of require special treatment. These categories are listed below.
Disk cache program and programs that optimize, edit, check, or
diagnose disks should not be run within Back & Forth. Many
programs open temporary disk files without properly allocating
them at the DOS level. By deleting or moving these files,
precious data may be corrupted or lost.
Asynchronous communications software can only be used while it
is on-screen and in memory. Once the program is swapped out of
memory, it is deactivated.
Programs that intercept all keystrokes may be run, but only the
B&F super key, [Alt][Ctrl][Left Shift], will be available for
use in swapping back to Back & Forth.
Programs that directly change EGA video settings may cause
garbled screens. Attempt to avoid this by using the program in
a standard text format or by redrawing the screen once you
return to that program.
Memory resident programs (TSRs) may be run from within Back &
Forth as long as they are set to stay at DOS when done.
Windows version 3.0 can be run from within Back & Forth as long
as the program KBSTEAL.COM is run before Windows. This allows
the B&F hotkeys to operate.Windows can only be run in Real mode
from Back & Forth. To use Back & Forth with Windows in enhanced
mode, you must run Back & Forth from inside a Windows DOS box.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 44
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Sample Program Below are some sample program configurations. To begin defining
Definitions a new program entry, press [F2]. Once you have finished
defining a program definition entry, press [F9] to save. When
you are finished defining program entries, you may wish to
press [F8] to sort the program entries by either description,
hot key, or ID.
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ Task description: Word Perfect Letter Memory needed (K): 0 │▒▒
▒▒│ Icon description: WPLetter ID: WP│▒▒
▒▒│ Hot key: Alt-Ctrl-W │▒▒
▒▒│ Type of Task: Program DOS command: No│▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ Program path: C:\WP │▒▒
▒▒│ Program name: WP.EXE │▒▒
▒▒│ Work path: D:\LETTERS │▒▒
▒▒│ Fixed options: │▒▒
▒▒│ Ask for options: Yes │▒▒
▒▒│ Custom prompt: Enter name of letter file to edit: │▒▒
▒▒│ Action when done: Return │▒▒
▒▒└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ Task description: PC-Paintbrush Memory needed (K): 0 │▒▒
▒▒│ Icon description: WPLetter ID: PB│▒▒
▒▒│ Hot key: Alt-Ctrl-P │▒▒
▒▒│ Type of Task: Program DOS command: No│▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ Program path: C:\PC-PAINT │▒▒
▒▒│ Program name: PAINT.BAT │▒▒
▒▒│ Work path: │▒▒
▒▒│ Fixed options: │▒▒
▒▒│ Ask for options: No │▒▒
▒▒│ Custom prompt: │▒▒
▒▒│ Action when done: Return │▒▒
▒▒└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 45
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▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ Task description: Back-up work files Memory needed (K): 256│▒▒
▒▒│ Icon description: WPLetter ID: BC│▒▒
▒▒│ Hot key: Alt-Ctrl-LShift-B │▒▒
▒▒│ Type of Task: Program DOS command: Yes│▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ Program path: │▒▒
▒▒│ Program name: COPY │▒▒
▒▒│ Work path: │▒▒
▒▒│ Fixed options: C:\DATA\*.DAT B: │▒▒
▒▒│ Ask for options: No │▒▒
▒▒│ Custom prompt: │▒▒
▒▒│ Action when done: Return │▒▒
▒▒└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ Task description: Small DOS Partition Memory needed (K): 128│▒▒
▒▒│ Icon description: SmallDOS ID: SD│▒▒
▒▒│ Hot key: Alt-LShift-D │▒▒
▒▒│ Type of Task: DOS Partition DOS command: No│▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ Program path: │▒▒
▒▒│ Program name: │▒▒
▒▒│ Work path: │▒▒
▒▒│ Fixed options: │▒▒
▒▒│ Ask for options: No │▒▒
▒▒│ Custom prompt: │▒▒
▒▒│ Action when done: Return │▒▒
▒▒└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ Task description: Lotus Checkbook Memory needed (K): 0 │▒▒
▒▒│ Icon description: Checkbk ID: LC│▒▒
▒▒│ Hot key: Alt-Ctrl-L │▒▒
▒▒│ Type of Task: Program DOS command: No│▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ Program path: C:\123 │▒▒
▒▒│ Program name: 123 │▒▒
▒▒│ Work path: D:\CHECKBK │▒▒
▒▒│ Fixed options: │▒▒
▒▒│ Ask for options: No │▒▒
▒▒│ Custom prompt: │▒▒
▒▒│ Action when done: Return │▒▒
▒▒└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘▒▒
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The Setup Menu
The Setup menu contains the various configuration options of
Back & Forth. When the Setup menu is opened, the following
options are listed.
BackPack setup Lets you set the hot keys used and the
keyboard macro settings used with the Back &
Forth BackPacks.
back & Print Contains the Back & Print settings including:
destination of printed output, port trapped,
throughput, the print buffer hot keys, etc.
Cursor Lets you select the shape of the text cursor.
Disk monitor Sets up a disk monitor symbol to be shown
whenever a disk is written to or read from.
Hot key Defines the hot keys used within Back & Forth
including the Cut & Paste keys, Back & Grab
keys, Hercules keys, the clock toggle, macro
definition keys, and Back & Forth hot keys.
Icon menu view Sets B&F to display the task icons defined
within the Program setup. With this mode, all
active and defined tasks are shown on the
screen for selection.
Keyboard Chooses such options as: keyboard buffer,
click, speed-up, and [Caps Lock] / [Ctrl] key
switch.
Miscellaneous Lists the following options: screen background
character selection, color setup, CGA snow
checking, number of text lines displayed,
[Ctrl][Alt]32768▒[Delete] reboot restriction,
mouse activation toggle, external editor, and
screen title.
Screen blanker Sets the screen blanker mode and the number of
minutes between the last keystroke entered and
the blanking of the screen. This can be set to
either show a graphics image or blank the
screen.
Time (clock) Shows a menu listing the default clock
settings.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 47
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BackPacks The BackPacks setup menu lets you configure the hot keys and
Setup macro information used by the BackPack accessories. When a
BackPack accessory is selected from the BackPack menu, it is
executed just like any other defined program within Back &
Forth. This lets you use a hot key to jump between accessories
and other tasks. It also lets you define and use the keyboard
macro commands of Back & Forth.
When selected, the BackPack entries are shown with their
designated hot keys, amount of swap memory needed to be loaded,
selected macro file, number of macros allowed, and macro file
size. To select an entry from this menu for modification, use
the [Up] or [Down] cursor keys to highlight the desired
BackPack accessory and press [Enter].
Once a BackPack accessory is selected, the following entries
are shown on the screen.
Description Identifies the BackPack in the Program list.
This field can not be modified.
Hot key Designates the hot key used to run this
task. Hot keys let you jump from the
BackPack to other tasks and/or Back & Forth
at will. Press [F7] to show the hot key
prompt and press the key combination to be
defined. The hot key must be a combination
of one or more key flags [Alt], [Ctrl],
[Left Shift], [Right Shift] combined with a
function or alphanumeric key. Press [F9] to
save the hot key.
Max number of Determines the number of keyboard macros
macros that may be defined for use within the
BackPack.
Macro buffer size Configures a storage area used to store the
(0-16k) macros used with this BackPack. Each
keystroke occupies 2 bytes of space.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 48
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Macro save option Sets the method used to save newly defined
key macros when the BackPack is exited. The
options are: "Don't save macros", "Automatic
save", and "Prompt for filename". The "Don't
save macros" option does not save the macros
unless the Save file option is selected from
the Macro menu File command. The "Automatic
save" option saves the macro buffer
automatically to the open macro file when
the BackPack is exited. If a file has not
been loaded and macros have been defined,
you are then prompted for the name of the
file to be used. The "Prompt for filename"
option prompts for the file to be used to
store the macros when the BackPack is
exited. This lets you select from a list of
all existing macro files or lets you create
a new file.
Macro file name Identifies the file used to store the key
macros for this BackPack. Either enter the
file name at this prompt or press [F7] to
select from a list of macro files. If the
file list is used, highlight the desired
file and press [Enter{Enter}].
Starting macro Names a macro that is replayed automatically
when this BackPack is selected. If this
BackPack is chosen for autoloading, this
macro is not played.
Use the [Up] or [Down] key to move to the field to be edited.
Use the [Left] or [Right] cursor key to move the cursor within
the field. Press the [Ins] key to switch the text entry mode
between Insert (small block cursor) and Overwrite (underline
cursor). Press [F9] to save the changes and exit, press [F10]
to exit without saving the changes.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 49
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Back & Print The Back & Print setup menu contains the operational settings
Setup of the printer redirection utility provided for use with Back &
Forth. This option can be selected from the Setup menu only if
print buffer space has been allocated within the Swap drive
setup.
Mode of Chooses the destination of output printed once
operation Back & Print is activated via the Back & Print
hot key. The options are: Straight to printer,
Print buffer, Redirect to file, or Bit bucket.
The Straight to printer option does not affect
the operation of the printer. This should be
used when printing to printers that have no
hardware buffer or when printing long graphics
files using downloadable fonts, like that
produced by desktop publishers. The print
buffer option uses EMS/XMS memory set aside
within the Swap drive setup to buffer output
destined for the printer. This reduces the
amount of time the system is tied up waiting to
finish printing. The Redirect to file option
sends the output to a file instead of the
printer. This file can later be edited or
printed using a print utility. The last option,
Bit bucket, discards the output being sent to
the printer. This is useful when a program has
an automatic print command or when printing is
inconvenient. Press the [Left] or [Right] key
until the desired setting is shown.
Printer port Picks the parallel port used by the program as
a destination for the printed output. Select
either LPT1, LPT2, or LPT3. Use the [Left] or
[Right] cursor key to scroll the entries until
the desired one is shown.
Throughput Measures the speed in which output is fed to
the printer from the buffer. This is measured
in multiples of 18 characters/second. If set
too high, printing may slow down because not
enough time is given to the program; if set too
slow, the printer will not make optimal use of
its time. On 8088 machines, set this to 54-100,
on 80286s, set to 100-200, on 80386s, set to
200-300, on 80486s, set to 300-400. Use the
increase and decrease hot keys to fine tune the
print speed.
Wait time on Designates the number of seconds (1-9) that
errors Back & Print will wait before halting printing
when a print error occurs.
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Strip 8th bit Sets whether the 8th (or high) bit is stripped
from printed output. Each ASCII character is
symbolized by an eight bit value, with the 8th
bit represents the 127th - 255th part of the
ASCII character code. The 8th bit is often used
as a control character embedded by a program
for formatting text. A notable example is the
text of WordStar files.
Redirection Names the file used to store print output when
filename the operation mode is set to Redirect to File.
This file contains exactly what is sent to the
printer. In the case of more sophisticated
printers (i.e. laser printers), this output may
not appear the way you expect it to.
Back & Print Sets the hot key used to activate/deactivate
hot key Back & Print. Once pressed, any output sent to
the printer is processed by using the options
set within this menu. The default hot key is
[Alt][BkSp].
Increase print Selects the hot key used to increase throughput
speed key without having to stop printing and return to
Back & Forth to reset the Throughput value. The
default hot key is set to [Alt][+].
Decrease print Chooses the hot key used to decrease throughput
speed key without having to stop printing and return to
Back & Forth to reset the Throughput value. The
default key is set to [Alt][-].
To move the cursor to a field within this menu, use the [Up] or
[Down] cursor keys. Use the [Left] or [Right] cursor keys to
change the menu setting. Press [F9] to save the changes made to
this menu, press [F10] to return to the Setup menu without
saving.
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Cursor Setup The Cursor selection menu lets you choose the shape of the text
cursor shown within Back & Forth and the programs executed from
it. This does not affect the shape of the cursor shown within
programs in graphics mode.
Mode Activates or deactivates text cursor
redefinition. When ON, the cursor defined by
this menu will be shown within Back & Forth and
all text-based programs run within B&F.
Shape Determines the shape of the cursor. Four
options are available, they are: underline,
overhead bar, half-block, and full block
cursor.
Interval Sets the number of seconds before the cursor
shape is reset to the above shape. Most
programs do not change the shape of the cursor,
for these programs set this value to 60
seconds.
To move the cursor to a field within this menu, use the [Up] or
[Down] cursor keys. Use the [Left] or [Right] cursor keys to
change the menu setting. Press [F9] to save the changes made to
this menu, press [F10] to return to the Setup menu without
saving.
Disk Monitor The Disk monitor setup lets you monitor disk access by
Setup activating a signal shown in the top leftmost corner of the
screen when the disk is accessed. This displays a "R" when the
disk is being read from, a "W" when the disk is being written
to, a "F" when formatting a disk, or an "O" when other disk
activities are performed.
Mode When On, activates the disk monitoring feature.
Color Selects the color of the disk monitor symbol
shown on the screen. Press [F7] to display the
color palette. Use the [Up], [Down], [Left],
[Right] cursor keys to move the selection box
to outline the desired color and press [Enter]
to select.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 52
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Hot Key Setup The Hot key setup menu lets you select the combination of keys
used to invoke the various Back & Forth commands listed below.
For example, the default hot key used to return to Back & Forth
from an open task is [Alt][Ctrl][Space].
Before continuing, make sure that the hot key combinations do
not conflict with the commands of programs that you normally
use. If a hot key is set to the same key combination as that of
a command of a program run from Back & Forth, that command is
deactivated in favor of the hot key.
When pressed, a menu is displayed listing the following Back &
Forth program hot keys with their default settings.
Active task menu hot key [Ctrl][Esc]
Back & Forth super key [Alt][Ctrl][Left Shift]
Back & Forth hot key [Alt][Ctrl][Space]
Cut & Paste menu [Alt][Left Shift][C]
Cut / Grab hot key [Alt][Ctrl][C]
Paste hot key [Alt][Ctrl][P]
Clock toggle [Alt][Left Shift][\]
KeyBack off/on hot key [Ctrl][6]
Next task [Ctrl][Up]
Previous task [Ctrl][Down]
Hercules text key [Alt][Ctrl][T]
Hercules video page 0 [Alt][Ctrl][0]
Hercules video page 1 [Alt][Ctrl][1]
Macro begin/end record [Alt][=]
Macro menu [Alt][\]
Use the [Up] or [Down] cursor key to move the selection bar to
highlight the hot key to be changed and press either [Enter] or
[F7] to open the hot key selection window. Press [F10] to exit
this menu.
Hot Key When an option other than the B&F Super key is selected from
Selection the Hot key menu, you are asked for the key combination to be
used. Press either [Alt], [Ctrl], or both along with one
alphanumeric or function key. The [Left Shift] and/or [Right
Shift] keys may also be used as part of the hot key. For
example, to select [Alt][Ctrl][F10] as the B&F hot key, press
the [Alt], the [Ctrl], and the [F10] keys simultaneously.
Each hot key is key specific. What this means is that if you
use the [Shift] key found on the left side of your keyboard
with the [Alt] key and the [1] key found on the number keypad,
these are the only keys that can be used to invoke the command
assigned to that hot key.
[F9] Save Hot Once the desired hot key has been selected, press [F9] to save.
Key Press [F10] to exit the hot key screen without changing the set
hot key.
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B&F Super Key If the Back & Forth super hot key entry is selected, you are
shown a short list of possible key combinations. The super hot
key is used to pop back when the program intercepts all key
input (for example, XYWrite) or when you select to disable hot
keys within that program. To select, move the selection bar to
highlight the desired hot key. The available keys are:
[Alt][Ctrl]
[Alt][Left Shift]
[Alt][Right Shift]
[Ctrl][Left Shift]
[Ctrl][Right Shift]
[Alt][Ctrl][Left Shift]
[Alt][Ctrl][Right Shift]
[Alt][Ctrl][Left Shift][Right Shift]
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 54
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Icon Menu View The Icon entry window option resets the display mode to show
the eight character task icons defined within the Program
setup. With this mode, all active and defined tasks are shown
on the screen for selection. This simplifies selection of tasks
by those of you who make use of a mouse.
BackPacks Program Setup Usage Quit
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▒▒┌─────Active Tasks────┬───────────────────Program List────────────────────┐▒▒
▒▒│ WPLetter▒ DSPrompt▒ │ B&F Doc ▒ Checkbk ▒ DSPrompt▒ FCmmndo ▒ Format ▒ │▒▒
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▒▒│ WPLetter▒ DSPrompt▒ │ PC-Paint▒ SmallDOS▒ WkBackup▒ WPLetter▒ WP ▒ │▒▒
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1Help 2Menu 5Info 6LockKb 9RetPgm 10ExitBF
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 55
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Keyboard Setup The Keyboard setup contains the keyboard configuration options
of Back & Forth. When selected, the following options are
displayed:
Buffer When On, expands the size of the keyboard buffer
to 128 characters. The keyboard buffer is the
storage area used to store the keys typed ahead
of the computer response. For example, when you
type DIR then type another command like COPY, the
COPY command is stored in the keyboard buffer
until the DIR command finishes listing to the
screen.
Click When On, activates a key click, which sounds each
time a key is pressed.
Fixup When On, switches the function of the [Caps Lock]
and [Ctrl] keys. This fixes the irritating and
illogical setup of the newer keyboards.
Speedkey When On, speeds up key entry. When the keyboard
buffer is filled, more keys are not accepted
until the buffer empties.
Delay Sets the time interval used to control repeating
keystrokes. This determines how long a key must
be held down before it begins typing the
repeating character.
Repeat Sets the repeating character rate used to control
the number of repeating characters allowed per
second.
Use the [Up] or [Down] cursor key to move to the option to be
selected or press the highlighted letter. Press [F9] to save
the changes and exit this window, press [F10] to exit without
saving the changes.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 56
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Miscellaneous The Miscellaneous setup menu contains various operational
Setup settings for Back & Forth.
Boot watch Deactivates the [Ctrl][Alt][Del] DOS reboot
command, if On.
Color Contains the color setup of Back & Forth. Select
from five preset color combinations or customize
your own set of colors.
Exit Determines whether control is returned to Back &
handling Forth or to another task when a task is exited.
Fill Sets the character used to fill in the background
character of the Back & Forth screens. When chosen, the 254
ASCII characters available are shown. Use [Left],
[Right], [Up], [Down] to move the cursor to
highlight the character and press [F9] to accept.
Indicator When On, shows a "Swapping" message when a
(swapping) program is being swapped in or out of memory.
Lines Determines the number of text lines shown within
Back & Forth. If an EGA video card is detected,
either 25 or 43 line mode may be selected. If a
VGA card is detected, either 25 or 50 line mode
may be chosen. If UltraVision is detected, a list
of all 80 column screen mode settings for your
video card is shown. Programs run from Back &
Forth are not affected by this display mode.
Mouse Activates/deactivates mouse support. This is
shown only if a Microsoft compatible mouse is
detected.
Snow Toggles snow checking On or Off for CGA video
checking systems. "Snow" is the flickering seen when the
screen is redrawn by a program. This option is
only available when a CGA system is detected.
Title Defines the title shown at the top of the Back &
Forth screen, between the date and time.
eXternal Replaces the default editor used to edit the Cut
editor setup & Paste clipboard and the key macros. When this
option is chosen, you are first asked to select
either Internal (the B&F editor) or External. A
picklist then names all executable files within
the current directory. To pick another directory,
press [Tab] and highlight the path where the
program is located. Now press [Alt][F] to move
the selection bar back into the file list,
highlight the program name, and press [F9]. The
editor must be able to not only edit and save
text in a straight ASCII format but also accept
the text file name on the command line.
Use [Up] or [Down] to move to the option to be selected or
press the highlighted letter. Press [F9] to save the changes
and exit this window, press [F10] to exit without saving the
changes.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 57
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Color Setup The Color setup contains the color options of Back & Forth.
Several preset color combinations have been included for you to
choose from, or you may create your own color scheme.
A Customize colors Lets you select your own set of colors to
be used to display Back & Forth.
B Black & white Sets the mode to black and white for use
with liquid crystal or composite
displays.
C Blue & cyan set Selects the blue and cyan color set. The
background is blue with text in cyan &
white, the menus are cyan with blue text.
D Black & blue set Selects the black and blue color scheme.
The background is black with text in cyan
& white, the menus are blue with cyan
text.
E Black & green set Selects the black and green color scheme.
The background is black with text in
green & yellow, the menus are blue with
green text.
F White & black set Selects the white and black color scheme.
The background is white with text in
black & blue, the menus are cyan with
black text.
To select, use the [Up] and [Down] cursor keys to move the
highlighted selection bar to the desired option and press
[Enter], or press the label letter. To exit this menu, press
[Esc].
Customize When [A] is selected, the screen is redrawn showing a menu on
Colors the left side breaking down the screen regions of Back & Forth.
On the right, a sample Back & Forth screen is shown. This is
provided to help you in deciding not only what each named
region and text type is, but also what colors would look best
there.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 58
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Color Regions The menu options shown below select the screen region whose
colors are to be changed.
Application screen Sets the colors of the main B&F screen.
Error colors Sets the colors of the error window,
which is shown when an error is detected.
Function key colors Sets the colors of the function keys
shown at the bottom of the screen.
Help colors Sets the colors of the help window.
Input colors Sets the colors of the input menus, which
are used to gather information. Examples
include the Standard and Advanced Program
definition windows.
Menu colors Sets the colors of the Setup menu and its
sub-menus.
Pop-up colors Sets the colors of the pop-up menus,
which are menus that list options for
selection. An example is the Program
setup task list.
Verify colors Sets the colors of the verify windows.
These are the Yes/No windows, like the
Quit Editor window.
Restore original Restores the colors to those found in the
colors Back & Forth configuration file.
Quit,don't save Exits the color setup without saving the
changes changed color settings.
Save changes and Saves the colors settings to the BPVARS
exit file and exits.
Use the [Up] or [Down] cursor key to move the selection bar to
highlight the desired option and press [Enter] to select, or
press the first letter of the menu option.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 59
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Region Items When a screen region is selected, a list of up to four items
are shown describing the different parts of the region. Each
region has slightly different items. The following lists the
region and the screen parts that can be set.
Application screen Border
Normal Text
Selected Item
Title & Prompts
Error colors Border
Message Text
Title
Function key color Function key number
Name of command
Help window Border
Index
Normal text
Title
Input colors Border
Prompt text
Response text
Title & instructions
Menu colors Border
First letter
Normal & unavailable
Selected item
Pop-up colors Border
Normal & unavailable
Selected item
Title & first letter
Verify colors Border
Prompt text
Selected item
Title & first letter
Use the [Up] or [Down] keys to move the selection bar to
highlight the desired item and press [Enter], or press the
first letter of the option. Press [F10] to exit and return to
the color setup menu.
The Color Once a specific screen item is selected, a color palette is
Palette displayed on the left side of the screen showing the 128 color
combinations available. Use the [Up], [Down], [Left], and
[Right] cursor keys to move the selection bar around the
palette until the correct color is outlined. At the same time,
the sample Back & Forth screen on the right shows you an
approximation of what that item in the actual Back & Forth
program would look like. Once the color is set, press [Enter].
You are then returned to the region item menu.
Exiting the Once all of the color regions and their items have been
Customize customized to your liking, press [S] to save the changes made
Command and exit the Color customization menu.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 60
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Screen Blanker The Screen blanker setup option lets you set the number of
Setup minutes between the last keystroke entered and the blanking of
the screen and what is actually shown on the screen when it is
blanked. You have a choice between blanking the screen
completely or displaying a graphics image. If the mode is set
to display a graphics screen image, you are given the ability
to select a PCX file or Back & Grab image for display.
One note: In order to display a graphics image within a task,
both Overtime! and screen blanker support must set On within
the task definition window.
Mode of Determines what takes place when the screen blank
operation interval is exceeded. The actions are: Hardware
screen blanking and Display graphics image.
Image file If "Mode of operation" is set to display a
name graphics image, this specifies the image that is
shown. This accepts either a PCX graphics file
(files conforming to the PCX file format and
having the file name extension PCX) or a Back &
Grab graphics screen image folder. When selected,
3 function keys are shown. They are: [F2] View
image, which displays the selected graphics image
onto the screen for previewing; [F7] Pick a PCX
file, which lists all PCX files found in the
designated directory; and [F8] Pick a Back & Grab
folder, which lists all Back & Grab folders found
in the current directory.
Interval Sets the number of minutes of keyboard activity
(minutes) required before the above action is initiated
(either blanking the screen or displaying the
graphics image). One note: mouse activity is not
considered keyboard activity. If a program makes
heavy use of the mouse, use the Program setup to
reset the screen blank mode to Off. Set this to
0 to deactivate the screen blank function.
To redisplay the screen after it has been blanked, press any
key. The contents of the screen are not affected. Blanking the
screen after several minutes of inactivity prevents monitor
burn-in.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 61
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Time (Clock) The Time setup option presents a menu listing the available
Setup clock display options for use within the programs run within
Back & Forth. The clock, if turned On, is shown in the
designated format at the selected spot on the screen of each
program run within Back & Forth.
When the Time option is selected from the Setup menu, the
following items are displayed within a sub-menu.
Don't display time Turns off the clock displayed in the
upper right-hand corner of the screen.
AM/PM clock display Displays a clock showing the hour and
minutes based on the 12 hour, AM/PM
system.
Military (24 hour) Displays a clock showing the hour and
clock display minutes based on the 24 hour system.
Seconds clock display Adds a seconds display when either the
(use with A & M) AM/PM or military clock is selected.
Row Sets the row where the clock is shown
within each partition.
Col Sets the column where the clock is
placed on the screen within each
partition. If the column value entered
is greater than can be correctly
displayed, it is adjusted to fit on the
screen, ending in column 80.
cLock colors Sets the color of the clock shown on
the screen within each partition.
Use the [Up] or [Down] cursor key to move the selection bar to
highlight the option to be selected or press the first letter.
Press [F9] to save the changes and exit this window, press
[F10] to exit without saving the changes.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 62
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The Usage Tracking Menu
The Usage tracking menu lets you configure and view the usage
log produced by Back & Forth. The usage log keeps track of all
programs run with the time and date they were run, the project
code (if one was used), and name of the user. This log may be
sorted in three different ways, either by task description,
project code, or by date/time.
When selected, the following menu is shown:
Browse usage database Lists the usage log entries occurring
between two dates, sorted by either
date, task description, or project code.
Change project code Sets the 15 character project code used
by the usage tracking function to group
log entries.
Delete records from Removes records from the usage log based
database on a date range. When selected, you are
prompted to define the Start and Stop
dates of the usage records to be
deleted.
Setup usage tracking Activates program usage tracking, and
parameters logon and project code requirements.
When selected, a menu is shown listing
three entries: Keep usage log, Require
Logon, and Require project codes.
Setting the Usage tracking option to Yes
activates the usage log which keeps a
list of all programs run from Back &
Forth with the times that they were
used. Setting the Project codes option
to Yes prompts you for a project code
each time Back & Forth is run.
Browse Usage The Browse usage database option displays the records collected
Database by the usage tracking feature of Back & Forth. Usage records
are only kept when "Keep a usage log?" under Setup usage
tracking parameters is set to Yes. This usage log, when
activated, keeps track of every task run from the Back & Forth
Program list and notes the date and time it was used, the
project code, and the name of the user.
Project Code One hint, do not select the project code as a primary or
Use secondary sort key unless both "Require project code?" is set
to Yes within the Setup usage tracking parameters menu and
several different project codes have been used while within
Back & Forth to group programs.
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Usage Record When selected, you are first prompted for the usage record
Selection selection criteria.
Primary key Selects the topic used to sort the usage
records by. This may be set to Task
description, Date/Time, or Project code.
Use the [Left] or [Right] cursor keys to
change the setting to correspond with
the desired sort option.
Secondary key Selects the sort key used to
differentiate between two or more usage
records having matching primary sort
field entries. This may be set to one of
the two remaining sort options as
mentioned above.
Start date Sets the earliest date for which program
records should be included within the
usage log.
Stop date Sets the last date for which records
should be included in the displayed
usage log.
Use the [Up] or [Down] cursor keys to move between the fields
shown in this menu. Press [F9] to use these settings and create
the usage log, press [F10] to cancel and return to the Setup
menu.
Usage Log Once the display parameters have been defined, the selected
range of usage records are sorted and saved to a temporary
file. Once this file is created, the first usage records are
listed to the screen. Each usage record is two lines long,
identifying the name of the user, the date and time (start and
stop) when the task was in use, the description of the task,
the project number (if one is used), and the amount of elapsed
time spent within that program.
At the bottom of the screen, the available function keys are
shown:
[F1] Help Displays help for the Usage log.
[F5] Totals Summarizes the usage records based on the
primary sort key.
[F7] Export Exports the displayed usage log entries to a
selected file in the selected ASCII format:
either one field per line, comma delimited
records, or fixed length records.
[F9] Print Prints the usage log in the format specified by
the print formatter provided.
[F10] Exit Exits the Usage log.
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[F5] Totals The [F5] Totals option condenses the log entries based on the
primary sort key. All usage log records sharing the same entry
field are grouped together in one line of data. For example, if
the primary sort field is set to Date/time, all usage records
having the same date are grouped together as one line of data.
Summarizing the usage log based on different sort keys provides
different types of information. With the sort key set to
Date/time, the summary shows the amount of time each day that
Back & Forth was used. With the sort key set to Task
description, the summary breaks down the amount of time spent
in each program. With the sort key set to project number, the
summary identifies the amount of time spent within each
project.
To reset the primary sort key, you must exit the usage log
command, re-select the Usage tracking option from the Setup
menu, and pick a different primary sort key.
[F7] Export The [F7] Export command saves a copy of the usage log to a file
in a selected ASCII format. Using this file, you can then
import its contents into your favorite database, editor, etc,
to incorporate usage log information into reports, charts, or
usage history file.
Once the usage records have been safely exported to a data file
or printed to paper, they should be deleted from the Back &
Forth usage log. This lessens the amount of time spent in
sorting unwanted records and the amount of space used in
storing the data. To delete usage records, use the Delete
option found within the Usage tracking menu.
Export Menu When selected, a menu is shown prompting for the following
information:
File format Determines the ASCII data format used to store
the usage records in the exported file. The
options are: comma delimited, one field per
line, and fixed length records. An example of
each follows.
Output dir Specifies the drive and directory used to store
the exported data file. To select, either type
in the path at the cursor or press [F7] to use
the directory tree. If the tree is chosen, use
the cursor keys to move the selection bar to
highlight the desired path and press [Enter] to
select. To change drives, press the [F8] Newdrv
key.
File name Names the new file created to hold the exported
usage log. The file name can be up to twelve
characters in length and cannot already exist
within the above directory.
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File Format Three file formats are offered to make transporting usage
Example records from Back & Forth to your other programs as painless as
possible. Most programs allow importation of ASCII data.
Consult your program's documentation for more information on
the recommended format of imported data.
If the following sample usage record is shown within the Browse
window, selecting each of these file formats produces the
following lines of data within the exported data file.
User: Shane Stump Start: 02/14/1991 Stop: 21:54
Task: File Commando II 21:31 Elapsed:
Proj#: None 00:22:48
Comma When the Comma delimited format is used, each record entry is
Delimited enclosed within quotation marks and is separated by commas.
"Shane Stump", "File Commando II", "None", "02/14/91", "21:31",
"21:54", "00:22:48"
One Field per When the One Field per line format is used, each record entry
Line is placed on a separate line enclosed in quotation marks. Each
record is separated by a blank line.
"Shane Stump"
"File Commando II"
"None"
"02/14/91",
"21:31",
"21:54",
"00:22:48"
Fixed Length When the Fixed length record format is used, each record entry
Record is shown at its maximum length. Each field is also enclosed in
quotation marks and separated by commas. The column position of
each record entry follows the example.
"Shane Stump ", "File Commando II ", "None ",
"02/14/91", "21:31", "21:54", "00:22:48"
User name 2 - 31 Start date 76 - 83
Task description 35 - 54 Start time 87 - 91
Project code 58 - 72 Finish time 95 - 99
Elapsed time 103 - 110
[F9] Print Log The Print command prints the usage log using the information
provided by the displayed, customizable print formatter. This
print formatter controls many aspects of the printed appearance
of the usage log, such as page length regulation and use of
page numbers, line numbers, headers, subheaders, and footers.
Before printing the usage log, check the printer to make
certain that it is properly connected to your computer, that it
is turned on, and that plenty of paper is available.
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Print Once the [F9] Print usage log option is selected, a window is
Formatter displayed to the screen naming the usage log and outlining the
various print options that can be set.
Number of copies Sets the number of copies to be printed.
Pause between If On, you are prompted before each page is
pages printed. This is used when you must
hand-feed each page to the printer.
Add line numbers Prints a line number on each line of output.
Strip high bit Strips the high bit from the printed output.
This is not used in printing the usage log.
Truncate long If On, the contents of the line extending
lines past the right margin is not printed.If Off,
the remaining text is put to the next line.
Starting page Sets the value of the first page number
number printed (the page number must be specified
in either the header, subheader, or footer).
Page length Sets the number of lines that can be printed
onto one page. This is used to align the
next page after a page is printed. With the
printer set to print 6 lines per inch, 8½ x
11 paper contains 66 lines per page.
Line spacing Sets the number of lines shown between each
printed line. If set to one, no blank lines
appear between text lines.
Tab expand size Sets the number of spaces a tab character is
replaced by.
Top margin Sets the number of lines from the top of the
page where the first line of text is printed
Left margin Sets the number of columns from the left
side of the page to be skipped before the
first character of each line is printed.
Right margin Sets the number of columns from the right
side of the page where printing is stopped.
Bottom margin Sets the number of lines from the bottom of
the page where printing stops.
Header Defines a line of text to be printed at the
top of a page.
Header offset Sets the number of lines from the top of the
page where the header is to be printed. This
must be less than the top margin value.
Subheader Defines a second line of text to be printed
below the header.
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Subheader offset Sets the number of lines from the top of the
page where the subheader is to print. This
also must be less than the top margin.
Footer Defines a line of text to be printed at the
bottom of the page, below the last line of
text.
Footer offset Sets the number of lines from the top line
of the bottom margin. This cannot be greater
than the bottom margin value.
Move the highlighted selection bar by pressing the [Up] or
[Down] cursor key. To exit this menu and return to the browse
window, press [F10]. Press [F9] to begin printing the selected
files.
Headers, The information printed within the header, subheader, and
Subheaders, footer may be divided into three groups. These groups are left
and Footers justified text, centered text, and right justified text. To
separate the contents of these groups, use the "|" character.
Do not place any spaces in the text other than where you want
spaces to appear. For example, the following line creates a
header with your name, your company's name, and your phone
number.
Header: Your Name | Your Company's Name | (xxx) xxx-xxxx
To center a title at the top of each page, enter the following:
Header: |Title
Print Macros Several macros have been provided to allow you to insert file
and system specific information. To select any of these
options, enter the macro onto the line as text. Each two
character macro is preceded by a caret, "^". The following
macros are available:
^CD Displays the current system date.
^CT Displays the current system time.
^FD Displays the file date.
^FT Displays the file time.
^FN Displays the name of the file.
^FP Displays the entire path of the file.
^PN Displays a sequential page number, starting
with the value defined under Start page
number.
For example, to print a footer with the file name and date on
the left and the page number on the right, enter the following:
Footer: ^FN ^FD | | ^PN
Printing Files Once [F9] is pressed, a message box is displayed naming the
file being printed. Once the usage log has started to print,
you can exit by pressing [Esc]. No other command may be issued
until the usage log is finished printing.
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Section 6: Running Back & Forth Pro
Using Back & This section assumes that you have run Back & Forth at least
Forth Pro once, at which time you had set up the swap areas, had used the
Program setup to define a list of programs to be run, and had
used the Setup menu to configure the color scheme, hot keys,
and other settings to be used. If you have not, please refer to
Section 4: Configuring Swap Space for Back & Forth Pro and
Section 5: Setting Up Back & Forth Pro.
Back & Forth is a task switching program which allows you to
open and switch between as many as 20 different programs.
Switching between tasks is easy, either use the hot keys, the
ID codes, or the Program list. You can move "back & forth"
between programs smoothly and efficiently without the
inconvenience of exiting one program when you need to use
another.
When Back & Forth is loaded into conventional memory, using
B&FPRO.BAT, only 23-40k of system memory is occupied. Using
B&FHIPRO.BAT to load Back & Forth into high memory requires
only 1k of system memory. If the high memory loader included
with Back & Forth is used, upon exiting Back & Forth, all high
memory used by B&F and programs run within B&F is released.
B&F Command Several command line options are provided to make executing
Line Options Back & Forth easier and more flexible. These options let you
bypass the Swap drive setup menu, use multiple B&F data files,
run a reduced memory version of B&F, and specify network users.
The GO Option The "GO" command line option bypasses the Swap drive setup,
moving you directly into the main Back & Forth screen. If you
need to reset any of the swap settings, do not use the "GO"
option. To bypass the Swap drive setup, type the following:
B&FPRO GO (or) B&FHIPRO GO
The NOPRINT A separate version of Back & Forth has been provided for those
Option of you who do not wish to use the Back & Print option. Running
Back & Forth with this command line options reduces the amount
of memory required by Back & Forth by approximately 2.5k.
B&FPRO NOPRINT (or) B&FHIPRO NOPRINT
The LITE For those of you who have no need for the print buffer, clock,
Option screen blanker, and keyboard macros, a special version of Back
& Forth has been provided. The amount of memory used by this
version of B&F is reduced by approximately 10k.
B&FPRO LITE (or) B&FHIPRO LITE
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The USER Back & Forth was written to function as a single-user task
Option switching environment. To use B&F on a network, a unique Back &
Forth data file must be configured for each user. This file
contains the swap area settings, the program list, and other
Setup options. The "USER" option is used to identify each user
and his or her data file when Back & Forth is loaded.
Assign each user a unique number between 1-999. For instance,
to run Back & Forth using the fifth user's data file.
B&FPRO USER:5 (or) B&FHIPRO USER:5
For more information about setting up and running B&F on a
network, consult Appendix E: Network Installation and Use.
Note If multiple users will be using Back & Forth on a network, a
special network version must be purchased for each file server.
Project Codes If the usage log has been set to require project codes, you
Prompt will be prompted each time Back & Forth is run for a project
code identifying the job that you are performing. Project codes
are used to group tasks within the usage log according to the
job that they are being used to do. The project code may be
reset within the Usage tracking option.
Autoloading If programs had been selected for automatic loading within the
Programs into Program menu Autoload option, once Back & Forth is active,
Back & Forth those programs are loaded. The amount of time required to load
each task depends upon the method chosen to end program
loading. If Back & Forth does not completely load a program
within the Autoload list, reset the load method to "Time
countdown" or increment the number of seconds needed to load
the program. The program is not affected by the interrupted
load process, when you switch back to that partition, it will
finish loading and be ready to run.
The Back & The following is a representation of the main Back & Forth
Forth Screen screen. This screen is composed of four distinct parts. The top
line contains the pull-down menu options. Below this is shown
two program lists, with all open tasks identified in the top
list, and all tasks available for execution named in the
bottom. At the bottom of the screen, the function key commands
are shown.
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BackPacks Program Setup Usage Quit
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒┌─────────────────────────────Active Programs─────────────────────────────┐▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒│ No active tasks found │▒▒
▒▒└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒┌───────────────────────────────Program List──────────────────────────────┐▒▒
▒▒│ B&F Manuscript 618 'Alt-Ctrl-B ' [MB] │▒▒
▒▒│ Back-up work files 256 'Alt-Ctrl-LShift-B ' [BC] │▒▒
▒▒│ DOS Partition 618 'Alt-Ctrl-D ' [DP] │▒▒
▒▒│ File Commando 618 'Alt-Ctrl-F ' [FC] │▒▒
▒▒│ Format disk 64 ' ' [3½] │▒▒
▒▒│ Lotus 123 Checkbook 618 'Alt-Ctrl-L' ' [LC] │▒▒
▒▒│ PC-Paintbrush 618 'Alt-Ctrl-P ' [PB] │▒▒
▒▒│ Small DOS Prompt 128 'Alt-Ctrl-S ' [SD] │▒▒
▒▒│ Word Perfect Letter 618 'Alt-Ctrl-W ' [WP] │▒▒
▒▒│ Word Perfect Phone Notes 618 'Alt-Ctrl-N ' [PN] │▒▒
▒▒│ │▒▒
▒▒└───────Quick run: _ Tab Change windows U D Move bar Ent Open task─────┘▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
1Help 2Menu 5Info 6LockKb 9RetPgm 10ExitBF
Active Program The Active Program list identifies all active tasks and
List BackPacks open within Back & Forth. Up to 20 tasks may be open
at once. Programs are "active" when they have been run within
Back & Forth and have not been exited and removed from memory.
When no tasks have been opened, a message is shown stating "No
tasks are active".
Program List The Program list window names all programs defined for
execution within Back & Forth, the estimated amount of memory
and swap space needed by the program to run, the program ID
code, and its hot key. Press the [Tab] key to move the
selection bar into the Program list from the Active Program
list. If the program you wish to run is not shown within this
list, you must either run the program from a DOS partition or
select the Program setup option to define the program for use.
Program List At the bottom of the current program list (the one with the
Commands selection bar), the following commands are shown.
Quick Run Allows the entrance of a two character ID
code used to jump to and run a program. This
code is shown on the far right side of the
Program list. For example, to run File
Commando from the above screen, type FC.
[Tab] Change Moves the selection bar between the Active
windows Program list and the Program list.
[Up][Down] Move Moves the selection bar to highlight the
bar next or previous entry in the list.
[Enter] Open Runs the highlighted program entry as
configured. The [Ins] key may also be used.
[Del] Close Removes the highlighted task.Do not use this
as a replacement of the exit command for the
program. Instead, use this to close memory
resident programs, DOS partitions, programs
with no means to exit, or "locked" programs.
This is an Active Program list command.
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Types of When a task was defined, it may have been set up as a program,
Programs a DOS partition, or a TSR. If a task defined as a program entry
is picked, Back & Forth executes the program defined within the
Program Setup; whereas if a task set up as a DOS partition is
chosen, a DOS environment is created where any program or DOS
command can be run from the DOS prompt. If the task configured
as a Special TSR is selected, the program defined within the
Program Setup is run followed by a special dummy program. This
dummy program stabilizes some TSRs, like Sidekick Plus, that
require a program to be run after them before they allow the
system to be switched from. Program entries provide quick, easy
execution of commonly used programs set up within Back & Forth,
Special TSRs take care of special cases of TSR programs, and
DOS partitions allow flexible access to a DOS prompt for
execution of random programs, utilities, and DOS commands.
Command Line Some programs require user input before they can be run. For
Options instance, if 'Word Perfect Letter' is selected from the program
list, you are prompted for the file name of the letter to be
edited. When a task requiring user input is selected from the
Program list, a prompt is shown asking for this information.
Running a To move the selection bar into the Program list, press the
Program [Tab] key. Now use the [Up] or [Down] cursor keys to move the
selection bar to highlight the task that you wish to run then
press [Enter] or [Ins]. You can also run a program by typing
its two character program ID or by pressing its hot key. If the
program needs user input, you are prompted for it as explained
above. Back & Forth then runs the program.
While within the programs, several Back & Forth features are
available. These include: cut & paste, screen clock, keyboard
macros, graphics screen capture, event notification via the
Overtime! scheduler, and a command stack for use within a DOS
partition. These features are described in Part II: The Back &
Forth BackPacks.
Switching Back & Forth may be used to open up to 20 tasks in memory at
Between Active once. To switch between tasks, either use the Back & Forth hot
Tasks key to return to the Active Program list to select a program,
or use the hot keys assigned to each program to open and switch
between them at will.
To switch from one program to another, press the program's hot
key. Hot keys are assigned to programs when they are defined
within the Program Setup, and are shown on the right side of
the Program list. Pressing the hot key assigned to an open
program swaps the current program out of memory to disk and
swaps the program identified by the hot key into memory,
restoring it to the state that it was in before it has been
swapped out.
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Switching Back To pop-back to Back & Forth, press the Back & Forth hot key.
to Back & This is set within the Setup menu. To use the default Back &
Forth Forth hot key to pop back to Back & Forth from a running
program, press [Alt], [Ctrl], and [Space] keys simultaneously.
When you exit a program, you are returned to the Back & Forth
Active Program list. From here you may return to another open
program within this list or you may use the Program list to
select other programs for execution.
Caution! Do not pop-back while a communications program is connected to
another system and requires input. When a program is swapped
out of memory, it ceases execution until recalled to the
screen. One other caveat, do not use disk modification programs
while Back & Forth is open and other tasks are in memory. Many
programs create temporary files while open which are deleted
when the programs are exited normally. These files could be
altered, truncated, or removed by programs like disk optimizers
or CHKDSK /F. Using one of these programs may result in loss of
data or a program "lock up".
The Function The following function key commands are shown at the bottom of
Keys the Back & Forth screen.
[F1] Help Shows help information for Back & Forth.
[F2] Menu Activates the pull-down menus. Its options
are BackPacks, Program, Setup, Usage,& Quit.
[F5] Info Summarizes the memory and swap space in use
and the space allocated to Back & Print.
[F6] LockKB Clears the screen and password protects your
system while you are away from your desk.
[F9] RetPgm Swaps B&F from memory and returns control to
the last program loaded.
[F10] ExitBF Removes all programs run from Back & Forth
from memory and exits Back & Forth.
Using a Mouse For those of you with mice scampering around on your desks,
with Back & Back & Forth may be set up to run with a Microsoft compatible
Forth mouse. When a mouse is used with Back & Forth, a separate
blinking block mouse cursor is shown. With it, you may move to
and select any option shown including function key commands and
program list entries. To select an item, put the mouse cursor
on the desired command and press the [Left] mouse button.
A scroll bar is shown on most Back & Forth windows for use in
positioning the selection bar with the mouse. This vertical bar
is found on the far right side of the screen with up and down
arrows located at each end. When the mouse cursor is moved to
one of these arrows and clicked, the selection bar highlights
the previous or next entry in the active window. Moving the
mouse cursor to a spot within the scroll bar and pressing the
[Left] mouse button moves the selection bar to highlight the
entry at that relative position within the window.
To use a mouse, the mouse driver must be installed on your
system before Back & Forth is run. This driver should be placed
in the AUTOEXEC.BAT for automatic installation. Consult your
mouse documentation for more information.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 73
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The mouse support toggle is found in the Setup Miscellaneous
menu.
Exiting Back & To exit Back & Forth, first remove all programs active in
Forth memory. To do this, move the selection bar to highlight each
program entry within the Active Program list and press [Enter].
Once within that program, save any open data files and use the
program's Exit command to remove the program from memory
naturally. If the highlighted task is a DOS partition, type
'EXIT' at the DOS prompt. Once the program has been exited,
control is returned to the Active Program list. Continue this
procedure until the Active Program list shows the message "No
tasks are active".
Now press the [F10] ExitBF key. If all tasks have been closed
as recommended above, the swap files are deleted, Back & Forth
is removed from memory, and the program is exited. If any tasks
are still open when the [F10] key is pressed (either because of
accidental oversight or because the program is unwilling to
relinquish memory), you are then prompted to verify whether you
wish for all open programs to be forcibly removed. Press [Y] to
exit Back & Forth and remove all programs, press [N] to remain
within Back & Forth. You should make every attempt to exit all
open programs naturally so that you can ensure that all data
files are properly closed and all temporary files are correctly
handled.
Caution! If all open programs are not exited normally, i.e. via their
own exit command, all data files may not be updated and closed,
and temporary files may still exist on the disk. If this
occurs, upon running CHKDSK /F or other disk checking software,
you may find a number of lost clusters or unidentified program
swap files.
Do not turn off your computer before exiting Back & Forth. If
Back & Forth is not exited normally, i.e. via the [F10] ExitBF
key, not only may lost clusters occur but also its swap files
will still occupy space on your disk. The On/Off power switch
is not a viable alternative to the [F10] ExitBF command.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 74
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Section 7: Special Features of Back & Forth Pro
Overview Several special features have been provided to give you more
power and capability when running programs or DOS environments.
These commands let you:
* Cut and paste selected text from one program to another,
* Record and replay macro keystrokes for use in simplifying
program execution,
* Replace special abbreviations with commonly-used words,
names, and phrases to save typing time,
* Save and re-use commands issued from the DOS prompt via use
of a command stack,
* Display a marker on the screen when disk activity occurs,
* Turn off the screen when your computer is left idle.
A separate program, SWITCH.COM, has been furnished to aid in
switching to Back & Forth or to another task from the command
line.
The hot keys assigned to the Cut/Grab command, the Paste
command, the Cut & Paste menu, the clock toggle, and the Record
key macros option are set within the Setup menu Hotkey option.
The ID characters used by SWITCH.COM to switch directly to a
program are defined within the Program menu Program setup.
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Screen Blank The screen blank feature changes the screen display after a
specified number of minutes of inactivity. You can select
either to blank the screen completely or to display a
preselected graphics image until any key is pressed. The time
interval, display mode, and graphics image to be used is set
within the Screen blank Setup menu.
You can also directly activate the screen blank feature
immediately by pressing the [5] key located on your numeric
keypad while the [Num Lock] key is off.
This feature can be deactivated for a specific task by changing
the extended program definitions for that task.
Clock Toggle A digital clock is, by default, shown on the screen when the
program is in text mode. This clock can be repositioned on the
screen or even permanently deactivated by changing the Extended
program definition for the task.
You may sometimes wish to temporarily remove the clock from the
screen, especially if it covers some important information. If
it is inconveniently placed for your program, you should change
its placement on the screen by using the [F7] Setup menu
Program setup to reset the clock display field. But if it only
interferes with a particular screen, you can simply turn it off
within that task by pressing the clock toggle key. The default
clock toggle hot key is set to [Alt][Left Shift][\]. To reset
the clock toggle key to another hot key, use the Setup menu Hot
key option.
The Switch The Switch program has been furnished to aid in switching to
Command Back & Forth or to other programs within B&F from the command
line. This is useful when running certain applications which
cannot be swapped out of memory directly by Back & Forth due to
their own inherent limitations. It is also useful for those of
you who wish to build batch files that will automatically
switch to another program within Back & Forth.
Before using for the first time, copy the SWITCH.COM file to a
location along your DOS path. This allows you to use it from
any directory location on your system without having to change
directories back to the Back & Forth directory.
To view a list of all identification codes assigned within Back
& Forth, type the following at the DOS prompt:
SWITCH LIST
To switch to a specific program defined within the Back & Forth
Program list, type SWITCH followed by the two letter
identification code assigned to the program. For example, to
switch to Menu Commando (ID set to MC), type the following at
the DOS prompt:
SWITCH MC
To switch directly back to Back & Forth, type:
SWITCH MENU
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The Command Stack
The Command stack is available when a DOS partition is opened.
It is used to store and recall commands issued at the DOS
prompt. This is like using the [F3] key at the DOS prompt,
except the [F3] key only remembers the last command typed.
Command stacks are useful when performing repetitive tasks or
correcting improperly typed commands. The command stack stores
the last 512 bytes of commands issued at the DOS prompt (about
30-40 commands) in a circular buffer for re-use. If a command
is entered more than once, it is only stored once.
If 4DOS, PCED, CED, DOSKEY, or ANARKEY is detected, the B&F
command stack is disabled, which lets you use their command
stacks.
[F3] or [Up] Displays the previous command in the stack.
[Down] Displays the next command in the stack.
[Ctrl][F] Searches the stack for a previously issued
command. This is described on the next page.
[Left] Moves the cursor one character to the left.
[Right] Moves the cursor one character to the right.
[Ctrl][Left] Moves the cursor to the previous word.
[Ctrl][Right] Moves the cursor to the next word on the line.
[Home] Moves the cursor to the beginning of the line.
[End] Moves the cursor to the end of the line.
[Ins] Sets text entry mode to Insert or Overwrite.
[Del] Deletes the character at the cursor.
[Ctrl][] Deletes all characters from the cursor to the
first space encountered to its left.
[Ctrl][T] Deletes all characters from the cursor to the
next space encountered.
[Ctrl][End] Deletes from the cursor to the end of the line
[Esc] Deletes the contents of the entire line.
[Ctrl][Enter] Runs the command without putting it in the
stack.
[Ctrl][R] Clears the stack of all previous entries.
[Ctrl][F] Find The [Ctrl][F] Find command searches the command stack for a
Command previously issued command. To use this command, enter the first
letters of the desired command line and press [Ctrl][F]. The
command stack is then searched for the last occurrence of a
matching command line entry. If one is found, it is then
displayed at the DOS prompt.
For example, if the command stack contains the following
entries, typing 'ch' and pressing [Ctrl][F] replaces the 'ch'
with 'chkdsk a:'. Keep pressing [Ctrl][F] to display each
command entry in the stack beginning with the specified
characters.
chkdsk b:
format a:
chkdsk a:
copy d:*.* a:
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 77
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KeyBack! Keyboard Macros
KeyBack! is Back & Forth's implementation of keyboard macros
for use with tasks run from Back & Forth. Keyboard macros are
defined sequences of keys that are assigned to a single key and
are replayed each time that key is pressed. Macros let you
automate sequences of commands or often-typed phrases within a
task.
The macros provided within Back & Forth are local, which means
they are specific to the task in which they are located. Macros
cannot be used to switch between tasks, select Back & Forth
commands, or call other macros. Local macros reduce memory and
disk storage space by only allocating space for tasks where
macros are actually defined. They also let you re-use the same
macro keys with different tasks, since different programs use
different keys to perform the same commands (like loading a
file or exiting the program).
Two different types of macros can be created and used within
Back & Forth. Conventional key macros differ from Shorthand
text macros in that they are assigned to hot keys and are
activated only when that hot key combination is pressed.
Shorthand text macros are assigned to short abbreviations that
are automatically replaced while typing within your program.
For example, if you define a Shorthand macro to replace "asap"
with "as soon as possible", when "asap" is typed within your
program, that abbreviation is automatically replaced with "as
soon as possible". One note, Shorthand and KeyBack! only
function in text mode.
Macros can be used to give your widely different programs a
consistent command interface. Macros can also be used to "lock
out" the use of a command or key. For example, you may wish to
redefine the [Shift][PrtSc] key to do nothing rather than dump
the screen contents to the printer.
The number of macros and the macro buffer size is configurable
within the Program setup. At the present time, up to 255
keystroke macros may be defined per task, occupying a buffer of
up to 16k. Both of these fields must be set to a value greater
than 0 before macros are allowed within that task.
A Special For those of you who have EMS memory available, a special
Environment environment variable has been created for use by KeyBack!. This
Variable is BNF_MACRO_BUFFER and is used to store the contents of the
macro buffer into EMS memory. When this environment variable is
set, the macro buffer size is automatically set to 16k for
every task where macro support is enabled. Macro support is
enabled when both the "Maximum number of macros" and "Macro
buffer size" are set to values greater than 0.
To use the environment variable, add the following line to the
executable batch file B&FHIPRO.BAT or B&FPRO.BAT.
SET BNF_MACRO_BUFFER=EMS
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Recording a KeyBack! is a powerful typing aide that can be utilized to
Macro store and retrieve often-used phrases and lengthy series of
program instructions. To define a key macro, follow these
steps:
* Use the Program Setup to make certain that all tasks that
allow the use of keyboard and Shorthand macros have macro
space allocated within them. Check the [F8] Extended task
definition window for the following settings: Auto Shorthand
should be set On to automatically replace Shorthand
abbreviations; Shorthand delete sequence should be set to an
acceptable backspace character; Maximum number of macros set
to at least 10; Macro buffer size set to at least 4k; Macro
file name set to a default macro storage file that is to be
automatically loaded when the task is run.
* Once the program configuration has been checked, save the
settings and run the program.
* Now you are ready to define a key macro. Press [Alt][=]
Begin/End macro key.
* Press the key combination to be used as the activation key
for the macro. If this macro is to be a Shorthand text
macro, press [Enter] then type in the abbreviation to be
used.
* Control is then returned to the program. Press the keys and
type in the text to be assigned to the macro. The program is
"active", which means that the program responds as if
KeyBack! is not there.
* If you press a key by mistake while recording a macro, you
can either wait and use the Edit command available within
the Macro menu or you can press the KeyBack! backspace
command (default is set to [Ctrl][H]).
* Once you have completed recording the macro, press [Alt][=].
The following options are shown: Abandon, Cut, Paste,
Resume, and Save. Press [S] to save the newly-recorded
macro.
* Finally, once you have recorded several macros, use the
[Alt][\] Macro menu and select the File option to save the
macros to a file.
Example Below is a step-by-step example of defining a macro for use
within a DOS partition.
* Run a task defined as a DOS partition.
* Press [Alt][=] to begin defining a macro.
* A window is then shown asking you for the hot key to be used
to activate this macro. Press [Ctrl][Tab].
* When control is returned to the DOS prompt after defining
the hot key, anything you type will be remembered. For this
example, we'll define the ubiquitous DIR command. Type at
the DOS prompt: DIR[Enter]
* Now press [Alt][=] followed by [S] to save the macro.
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Another Here is another step-by-step example, this time defining a
Example Shorthand macro for use within a text editor.
* Run a text editor.
* Press [Alt][=] to begin defining a macro.
* A window is then shown asking for a hot key and description.
Press [Enter]. You are then prompted for an eight character
abbreviation used to represent the text macro. Type "bf".
* When control is returned to the editor, anything you type
will be remembered. For this example, type the words "Back &
Forth Professional".
* Now press [Alt][=] followed by [S] to save the macro.
Other Ways to Keyboard macros can be defined in other ways. The [Alt][\]
Record a Macro Macro menu Edit command not only is used to modify existing
macros to make corrections or additions, but it can also be
used to create a new macro. This is described under Edit macro.
Selecting the Record macros option from the Macro menu emulates
the use of the [Alt][=]. When pressed, control is returned to
the program in macro record mode. Until [Alt][=] is pressed
again, every keystroke pressed is recorded into the macro.
Playing Back a Once a macro is recorded, you probably would like play back
Macro that macro to verify. To do so, press its hot keys. For example
if you had defined the DIR macro shown above, press [Ctrl][Tab]
within the task. This types DIR[Enter] at the DOS prompt just
as if you had typed it in directly. The computer then lists the
directory for the current drive.
To observe how Shorthand text replacement works, first make
certain that Automatic Shorthand replacement is turned On for
the task. This is located within the Program Setup. Then type
the Shorthand abbreviation and press a separator key.
Separators include:
[Enter] [Space] , . / \ ; : ? ! " ' + - = * < > [ ] { } _ |
Using the example defined above, type the following within the
text editor:
bf!
The abbreviation "bf" is deleted and the following is typed in
its place:
Back & Forth Professional!
If Automatic Shorthand replacement is turned off within this
task, Shorthand may still be used to replace defined
abbreviations. Press the Shorthand hot key, default is
[Alt][Space] to replace any Shorthand abbreviation found to the
left of the cursor with its replacement text.
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Macro Menu The Macro menu holds the record and playback macro commands
along with all relevant settings used to control the use of
KeyBack!. To display the Macro menu, press its hot key (default
is [Alt][\]).
In the top half of the screen, information about the macro
environment is listed. This identifies the number of macros
allocated within the task, the number of macros already
defined, the maximum size of the file measured in keystrokes,
the amount of space still free, the Shorthand mode, the
deletion command defined for the task, and the delay rate used
to replay the macro.
Below the macro information block, the macro menu options are
shown. When a macro file contains no macro entries, the Clear
and Playback options are deactivated. As soon as at least one
macro or Shorthand abbreviation is defined, they are
reactivated.
Clear Deletes all macros within the current file and
resets the buffer. This lets you start anew.
Edit Lists all defined macros by their macro key and
allows you to create new macros or macro menus,
edit existing macros, and delete obsolete macros.
File Lets you load or save a macro file to disk.
Whenever macros have been created or modified,
they must be saved to their macro file.
Options Sets such options as the Shorthand deletion
character, the replay delay factor that slows down
key replay rate for those tasks that cannot accept
keys as fast as B&F can feed them, the Shorthand
automatic search and replace mode, and the hot
keys assigned to the Macro menu, the Begin and End
macro definition commands, and various macro
commands that can be inserted into a macro being
defined.
Playback Replays the keystroke contents of a selected macro
within the current task.
Record Returns to the open task and allows you to record
a macro. Macros may also be recorded using either
the Edit macro command or the [Alt][=] Begin/End
macro definition key within the active task.
Quit Exits the Macro menu and returns to the task.
Use the [Up] or [Down] key to move the selection bar to
highlight the desired option and press [Enter], or press the
first letter. Press [Esc] or [Q] to exit the Macro menu and
return to the running task.
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Edit Macros The Edit Macros option allows you to modify existing macros to
update or correct them. It also lets you delete obsolete macros
and create new macros.
When selected, all existing macros are listed with the
following function key commands shown at the bottom:
[F2] Add Lets you add a new macro or macro menu to the list
of existing macros. Creating a macro here is
significantly different from creating a macro
using either the Record macro command or the
[Alt][=] Begin/End macro definition key.
[F4] Delete Deletes the highlighted macro from the file.
[F7] Edit Displays the contents of the highlighted macro and
allows you to modify its contents along with the
macro description and the hot key/Shorthand
abbreviation used to invoke it. Each key defined
within the macro is shown. To begin editing the
macro keystroke field, move the selection bar to
the window and press [Ctrl][Enter].
[F10] Quit Returns to the Macro menu.
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Adding a Macro Once [F2] Add is selected from the Edit macros window, you are
prompted for the macro type to be created. The two types are:
1) Hot key/Shorthand macro and 2) Menu of macros. Select "1" to
create a Hot key/Shorthand macro, which are standard keyboard
commands assigned to either a hot key or a keyword. Select "2"
to create a menu of macros, which is a menu listing up to 26
pre-defined macros. A macro menu is useful in identifying
available macro commands for easy access and selection while
within a task.
Editing a Key Once a Key/Shorthand macro is selected for creating or editing,
Macro Entry a macro definition screen is shown. This lists the macro
description, its hot key or Shorthand abbreviation, and the
contents of the macro. Each key defined within this macro is
shown.
To begin editing the macro keystroke field, move the selection
bar to the window and press [Ctrl][Enter]. This shows several
function key commands at the bottom of the screen. These are:
[F5] Command Identifies the commands that can be embedded
list into the macro. These are: delay, display file,
fixed field, select filename, select path,
sound, and variable field. A complete
description of each follows.
[F6] Key list Lists all keyboard keys that can be defined for
use in the macro. A key may be selected from
this list by using the [Up] or [Down] cursor
keys to highlight the desired key and press
[Enter]. These keys may also be typed in as
they appear here or simulated using the [F8]
key.
[F8] Return Inserts a selected keyboard command into the
key to macro macro. Using this key, any legal key
combination can be included in the macro. For
example, to add the [Ctrl][F1] key, press [F8]
then press the [Ctrl] key and the [F1] key
simultaneously. It then is inserted into the
macro as <CtrlF1>.
[F10] Quit Returns to the Macro menu.
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Macro Command The [F5] Command list identifies the commands that can be
List embedded into a macro. Most of the following have at least one
user-specified option, shown in italics. When selected from
this list, you are prompted for this option. These commands may
also be directly typed into the macro. To do this, after typing
the colon ":", enter the appropriate value. Other macro
commands listed below show On|Off following the colon. This
requires that you set the macro command either On or Off.
<ASCII Table> Shows an ASCII table that allows characters to be
returned to the open task.
<CapsLock:On|Off> Turns on / off the [Caps Lock] key.
<Cls> Blanks the screen. Once the screen has been cleared,
pressing any key restores it.
<Cut> Activates the Cut command. When replayed, the system is
placed into cut mode, where the [+] key is used to
mark the beginning of the block of text to be cut, and
[Enter] marks the end of the block. You are then asked
to select the destination for the cut text. More on
the Cut command can be found within the Cut & Paste
section of the manual.
<Delay:duration> Sets a timed delay to occur within the macro
when played back. When chosen, enter the number of
timer ticks (18 per second) that you wish to pause
when this command is encountered in the macro. To set
a 3 second pause, type <Delay:54>.
<Display file:filename> Lists the contents of a predetermined
file within a simple file viewer. When selected, you
are asked for the file name. Highlight the file to be
listed and press [Enter]. When this macro is replayed,
the file is listed with three search commands shown.
These are: [F5] Find next, [F6] Find previous, and
[F7] Continue last find. Use the cursor keys to scroll
the file; when finished, press [F10].
<Editor:filename> Opens the editor with the text of the
selected file. To use a picklist to select a file,
type Select file for the file name in the macro.
<Fixed field:length> Allows you to type in text at this point
in the macro. When selected, you are asked for the
number of keystrokes that are to be accepted. This is
useful when the entry requires consistent input; for
instance, when entering a disk drive, zip code, or
phone number. To define a fixed field for phone number
entry, type <Fixed field:10>. Once the set number of
keys are typed (in this case, 10), the macro continues
with its next command.
<NumLock:On|Off> Turns on / off the [Num Lock] key.
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<Paste> Pastes the contents of the active Cut folder. More on
the Paste command can be found within the Cut & Paste
section of the manual.
<Return current path> Returns the current directory path.
<Return date:pattern> Returns the date in the format specified.
Any characters specified in the template not listed
below are passed through unchanged to the resulting
date. The format is determined by the following
patterns:
dd = day value (1 to 31)
mm = month value (1 to 12)
yy = last two digits of the year, i.e. 91
yyyy = entire year value
ddd = day abbreviation (Sun,Mon,..,Sat)
mmm = month abbreviation (Jan,Feb,..,Dec)
dddd = day (Sunday,..,Saturday)
mmmm = month (January,..,December)
<Return time:pattern> Returns the time in the format specified.
hh = hours, based on a 12 hour format
mm = minutes
ss = seconds
tt = hours, based on a 24 hour format
xx = am/pm label display
XX = AM/PM label display
<ScrollLock:On|Off> Turns on / off the [Scroll Lock] key.
<Select directory> Returns a directory path selected from a
displayed directory tree.
<Select filename> Returns a file name chosen from a picklist.
This is useful when defining a macro to load/save a
file. This command does not return the path. When this
macro is replayed, a picklist is shown listing the
files and directories in the current path. Use the
[Tab] key to move the highlighted bar between the
various parts of the window. To change the drive,
highlight the path entry at the top of the window and
type in the drive. To change directories, move the
selection bar into the directory list, use the cursor
keys to highlight a directory,and press [Enter]. To
select a file, highlight the desired file and press
[Enter] again. Once a file is chosen, that file name
is returned to the macro for use.
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<Select pathname> Lets you select a file and path name from a
picklist. This command has no options. When this
command is replayed, a picklist is shown listing the
file and directory contents of the current path. Use
the [Tab] key to move the highlighted selection
between the various parts of the file list. To change
the drive, highlight the path entry and type in the
drive letter. To change directories, move the
selection bar into the directory list, use the cursor
keys to highlight a directory, and press [Enter]. To
select a file, use the cursor keys to highlight the
desired file in the list and press [Enter]. Once a
file is selected, that file name along with its full
path is returned to the macro for use.
<Sound:freq:duration> Sounds a tone when encountered. This has
two user-defined options, frequency and duration.
Frequency can have a value between 20 and 32000 Hz.
Duration is measured in timer ticks, which occur 18
times a second. To set a 2400 Hz tone to sound for one
second, type <Sound:2400:18>.
<Variable field> Allows text entry by the user at this point in
the macro. A variable field may be any length and is
ended by an [Enter].
Use the [Up] or [Down] key to highlight the desired macro
command and press [Enter]. Press [Esc] to exit the Command
list.
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Editing a Menu If you select to create or edit a Macro menu entry, a macro
Macro Entry menu editor is shown on the screen with the following entries:
Description Labels the macro menu entry with a 20
character description used to identify it in
the macro list.
Hotkey Assigns a hot key to the macro used to
activate the macro menu from the open task.
Press [F7] to enter the hot key selection
window.
Title Defines the title shown at the top of the
macro menu when displayed.
Top row Sets the topmost row of the macro menu. To
center the macro menu on the screen, set this
to "-1". If you set this to a value greater
than the number of possible screen rows, the
macro menu will be displayed at the bottom of
the screen.
Left column Sets the leftmost column of the macro menu. To
center the macro menu on the screen, set this
to "-1". If this is set to a value greater
than the number of screen columns, the macro
menu will be displayed in the center of the
screen.
Border style Sets the type of border used to outline the
macro menu on the screen. The four choices
are: Single line, Double line, Single/Double
line (a single line used for the top and
bottom, a doubled line used for the left and
right aspect of the macro menu), and
Double/Single line (a doubled line used for
the top and bottom, a single line used for the
left and right aspect of the macro menu).
Press the [Left] or [Right] cursor key to set.
Shadow window Sets whether a shadow should be shown outside
the macro menu. This can be set either ON or
OFF. Press the [Left] or [Right] cursor key to
change.
Macros on menu Lets you select up to 26 defined macros for
display within the macro menu.
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File Menu The Macro menu File option lets you load and save macro files
for use with the current task. Remember, after defining macros
by either using the [Alt][=] Begin/End macro command or using
the Macro menu Edit or Record commands, these macros must be
saved to permanently add them to the macro file.
When selected, a sub-menu is shown identifying the two file
options. These are:
Load Loads a new macro file into memory.
Save Saves the changes made to the selected file.
When selected, a file selection window is shown on the screen.
This window is comprised of five parts. The top line identifies
the drive and directory whose contents is displayed. Two large
boxes in the center of the window list the directories and
*.MAC files. On the right side are two mouse buttons, the [A]
Accept and [C] Cancel commands. At the bottom, the size,
creation date and time of the highlighted file is shown.
To select a different drive, use the [Tab] key to move the
selection bar to highlight the path and enter the desired
drive. To select a different directory within that drive, use
the [Tab] key to move the selection bar into the directory
window and use the [Up] or [Down] cursor keys to highlight it.
To select an existing file from the list, again use the [Tab]
key to move the bar into the file list and highlight the
desired file name. To open a new file, highlight the [New file]
entry within the file list and enter a new file name when
prompted.
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Options Menu The Macro Options menu contains various settings that control
the way macros operate. The entries include:
Backspace Defines the key command used to backspace over the
Shorthand abbreviation. Some programs like older
versions of WordStar do not support the use of the
[BkSp] key for deleting the character preceding
the cursor. For programs like this, set this to
one of the other two key commands provided that
will work within the task. These are: [Ctrl][BkSp]
and [Left][Del].
Delay Sets the rate at which text is pasted into the
task from the Macro Playback command. Some
programs cannot accept keys as fast as Back &
Forth can feed them, for these programs increment
the delay to compensate.
Hotkey Lists all hot keys used within KeyBack!. These
keys display the Macro menu, start and end macro
definition, Shorthand translation key, and other
macro commands.
Shorthand Activates/Deactivates automatic replacement of
Shorthand abbreviations with their corresponding
text. When set Off, Shorthand abbreviations are
not replaced until the Shorthand translation key
is pressed (default is [Alt][Space]).
Use the [Up] or [Down] key to move the selection bar to
highlight the desired option and press [Enter], or press the
first letter. Press [Esc] or [Q] to exit the Macro menu and
return to the running task.
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Hot Key Setup The Hotkey setup option lists all hot keys assigned to various
KeyBack! macro functions within Back & Forth.
Macro menu Displays the KeyBack Macro menu, which
contains the macro settings for the open task.
Default is set to [Alt][\].
Begin/end macro When pressed within a task, begins the
definition of a key macro. You are then
prompted for either the hot key to be assigned
to the macro or the abbreviation to be
assigned to the Shorthand replacement phrase.
When pressed a second time, ends that macro.
Default is set to [Alt][=].
Backspace while Removes the last key assigned to a key macro
defining during macro definition. The default hot key
is set to [Ctrl][H].
Fixed length Defines a fixed length fill-in-the-blanks
field field for input during macro playback. This
allows you to define commands that require a
user response having a specific length. For
instance, to allow the selection of a drive
during the playback of a macro, when defining
that macro, press the Fixed length field hot
key, type in an example of the expected
response, and press the fixed hot key again.
In this case, press "c". A more extensive
explanation of fixed and variable fields
appears on the next page. The default hot key
is set to [Ctrl][[].
Variable field Defines a variable length field for user
input. This lets you enter text into the macro
each time it is replayed. For example, to
define a variable length field used to accept
a file name for use by the macro, press the
Variable field key at the position in the
macro where the file name is to be entered.
Now the macro will accept the entrance of any
sequence of keys. Press the variable field key
to end the field. A more extensive explanation
of fixed and variable fields appears on the
next page. The default hot key is set to
[Ctrl][]].
Skip Deactivates the macro assigned to the next key
translation of pressed. This is necessary when a key is
next key defined as a macro hot key and is also used
within the program as a command. For example,
you may wish to assign as a macro key a
seldom-used program command key, like [F5].
When you actually need to select the command
assigned to that hot key within the program,
press this key ([Ctrl][2]) first, followed by
[F5]. The default hot key is set to [Ctrl][2].
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Shorthand Replaces a Shorthand abbreviation found to the
translation left of the cursor with its defined text. This
hot key is used to activate Shorthand
translation when the Auto Shorthand is turned
Off.The default hot key is set to [Alt][Space]
Use the [Up] or [Down] key to move the selection bar to
highlight the desired option and press [Enter], or press the
first letter. Press [Esc] or [Q] to exit the Macro menu and
return to the running task.
Text Entry Macros wouldn't be very powerful or flexible if they could only
Fields play back what had been predefined. Many commands require some
user-specified text entry, like the name of a file or path. Two
different macro commands, fixed and variable fields, have been
provided to facilitate field definition. These commands suspend
macro playback and allow the user to enter the requested
information.
Fixed Length Fixed field definition allows the user to enter a specified
Fields number of characters. For instance, to define [Ctrl][Tab] to be
used to list a directory of a chosen disk within a DOS
partition, press the following keys:
[Alt][=][Ctrl][Tab]DIR[Space][Ctrl][[]C[Ctrl][[]:[Enter][Alt][=]
[S]
When this macro is played back, it types "DIR" and then waits
for you to type a drive character. Once the drive has been
selected, the macro continues its playback by adding the drive
colon and pressing [Enter].
Variable Variable field definition is a more flexible option for use.
Length Fields This command lets you enter variable length text into the macro
each time it is replayed. For example, to define [Alt][Tab] to
copy a user-specified file, press the following keys:
[Alt][=][Alt][Tab]COPY[Space][Ctrl][]]filename[Ctrl][]][Space]A:
[Enter][Alt][=][S]
In the above example, the [Space] key represents a space in the
macro. When this macro is played back, it types "COPY" and then
waits for you to type the file name. Press [Enter] to end the
variable length field. This [Enter] command is not passed on
through the macro. The macro then continues its playback by
typing a space, typing the drive where the user-selected files
are to be copied (A:), and pressing [Enter]. This results in
the selected file being copied to drive A:.
Playback Plays back the selected macro within the open task. This option
Macros lets you select the desired macro from the list of defined
macros.
Record Macros Emulates the [Alt][=] Begin macro command key. When selected,
control is returned to the open task where you are prompted for
the macro hot key or abbreviation and the contents of the
macro. When finished, press [Alt][=] to end recording and [S]
to save the newly recorded macro.
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The Cut & Paste Command
The Cut & Paste command lets you pick up information shown on
the screen of one program and copy it into another program. For
example, when using a word processor to type a letter, you may
wish to enter the database to retrieve an address. With the Cut
& Paste command, you can simply mark the beginning and end of
the desired address, switch to the word processor, and press a
key to insert it into the letter.
The Cut option also allows you to dial a number from the
screen. This is done using the Cut option to highlight the
phone number to be dialed then selecting the Cut Dialer
command.
Although the Cut & Paste command cannot cut & paste the
contents of graphics screens, the Cut key can be used to
capture the contents of the entire screen and save it. This is
a function of Back & Grab, the graphics screen grabber provided
with Back & Forth. The image captured by Back & Grab cannot be
pasted. This is described in more detail within Part II: The
Back & Forth BackPacks.
Three main components make up the Back & Forth Cut & Paste
command. These are the Cut & Paste menu, where both its options
may be set and commands may be chosen; the Cut command,
selectable by pressing the Cut hot key or by using the Cut &
Paste menu; and the Paste command, selectable by pressing the
Paste hot key or by using the Cut & Paste menu.
Cut & Paste The hot keys used by the Cut & Paste commands are set within
Hot Keys the Setup Hot key menu. This is described within Section 5 of
the manual. The default hot keys assigned to Back & Forth for
use with the Cut & Paste option are as follows:
Cut & Paste menu [Alt][Left Shift][C]
Cut command [Alt][Ctrl][C]
Paste command [Alt][Ctrl][P]
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Cut & Paste To display the Cut & Paste command menu, press its hot key. The
Menu default key sequence is [Alt][Left Shift][C]. This menu
contains the Cut & Paste commands along with the settings used
to control each command.
Cut Exits this menu and displays the program screen for
cutting. Move the cursor and press [+] to mark the
first character. Now highlight the last character to
be marked and press [Enter] or [F9]. Cut may also be
used to pick out and dial a number from the screen.
Dialer Configures the dialer settings, including the baud
rate, dial mode, communications port, and the 3
phone codes.
Edit Displays and allows you to edit the contents of the
default folder (selected within the Folder option).
This editor is described in more detail within the
BackPack Accessories manual.
Folder Lists all available keystroke folders. Keystroke
folders are used by the Cut & Paste commands for
storage and retrieval of text. CLIPBORD.### is used
by default.
Manual Dials a number entered at the prompt.
Options Defines the settings used to control the cut
process. These include rectangular or text cut
modes, end of line treatment, numbers-only cutting,
and the display of the cut help window.
Paste Exits this menu and moves the contents of the
selected folder (default is CLIPBORD.###) into the
running program at the cursor.
Quit Saves the settings, exits the cut menu, and returns
to the running program.
Use the [Up] and [Down] cursor keys to move the selection bar
to highlight the desired option and press [Enter], or press the
first letter. Press [Esc] or [Q] to exit the Cut & Paste menu
and return to the running program without cutting or pasting.
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Cut Command With the Back & Forth Cut command, it is easy to select text
displayed on one screen and move it into another program.
Cutting text is a multi-step process. These steps are:
* Use your program to show the text to be cut on the screen.
* If the cut mode, key folder, or other Cut & Paste option
needs to be changed, press the Cut & Paste menu hot key
(default is [Alt][Left Shift][C]) and press [O] to set the
cut mode. The cut mode may be set to either Rectangle or
Text. This is described under Options menu.
* Select the Cut command. If within the Cut & Paste menu,
press [C], else if within the program, press the Cut hot key
(default is [Alt][Ctrl][C]).
* View the cut help window (if On) and press [Enter] to remove
it from the screen. This is shown only if toggled On within
the Cut & Paste Options menu and is described on the next
page.
* Move the cursor to the first text position to be marked and
press [+].
* Move the cursor to highlight the end of the text block to be
cut and press [F9] or [Enter] to mark. As the cursor is
moved, the text between the marked position and the cursor
is highlighted with a contrasting background color.
* A menu is then shown listing the possible cut destinations.
These include appending or overwriting the contents of the
selected folder, creating a new file to store it, or
printing it. The folder is stored for later editing and/or
pasting. This menu is described in more detail following the
Cut Help window.
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Cut Cursor Key Once the Cut command is selected, if the Cut help option has
Help been toggled On within the Options menu, a window lists the
cursor keys and how they can be used within the Cut command.
The Cut command is selected either from the Cut & Paste menu or
via the Cut hot key (default is [Alt][Ctrl][C]).
[+] Marks the beginning of the cut block.
[F9],[Enter] Marks the end of the block to be cut and
shows the Clipboard status menu.
[F10],[Esc] Aborts the cut operation and returns to the
Cut & Paste menu.
[Left][Right] Moves the cursor left or right one column.
[Ctrl][Left] Moves the cursor to the left or right one
[Ctrl][Right] word. A word is a series of characters
terminated by a space or punctuation.
[Home][End] Moves the cut cursor to the first or last
column on the current row.
[Up][Down] Moves the cut cursor up or down one row.
[PgUp][PgDn] Moves the cursor to the first or last row on
the screen, leaving the cursor in the same
column.
[Ctrl][Home][Ctrl] Moves the cursor to the first row and column
[End] or the last row and column on the screen.
[#] Searches for the first string of three or
more digits for use in dialing. Once the
desired number is highlighted, press [D] to
dial.
[D] Dials the number within the highlighted
block of text using the modem settings
chosen within the Cut & Paste menu.
Press [Enter] to clear this window and display the program
screen. The cut cursor is then placed at the top corner. Use
the keys described above to move the cursor to the first
character to be marked and press [+]. Now move the cursor to
the last character to be cut. As the cursor is moved, the text
between the first character marked and the cursor is
highlighted. Once the desired text block is highlighted, press
either [Enter] or [F9] to cut.
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Cut Once [Enter] or [F9] is pressed, completing the marking of the
Destination text, a menu is displayed listing the possible destinations for
Menu use in holding the cut text.
Append Places the cut text at the end of the
CLIPBORD.### file without deleting its previous
contents. This is used when cutting several
blocks of related text from different screens for
pasting within another task.
Dial Dials the number highlighted within the cut
buffer. This is the equivalent to the Cut Dial
command.
File Creates a new data file or overwrites the
contents of an existing file for use in storing
the cut block of text. This is useful when you
need to store the cut block separately from other
data. This file cannot be pasted directly using
Back & Forth, but you probably can read its
contents into a program by accessing the file by
name.
Overwrite Clears the contents of the CLIPBORD.### file and
moves the cut block of text into it. This should
be the option most often used when cutting text.
Print Sends the contents of the block of cut text to
the printer for printing.
Quit Exits the cut command and returns to the running
program or Cut & Paste menu without saving the
cut block of text.
Use the [Up] and [Down] cursor keys to move the selection bar
to highlight the desired item and press [Enter], or press the
first letter. Press [F10] or [Q] to exit and return to the
running program without saving the cut text. Press [O] to clear
the cut storage file and save the cut text for future pasting.
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Dialer Menu The Dialer menu establishes the baud rate, communications port,
dial mode, and phone codes used when a number is selected for
dialing from the screen.
The following settings must be set before using the Dial option
for the first time.
Comm port Sets the serial port to be used.
Baud rate Chooses the baud rate of your modem. Choose
between 300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600.
Dial mode Selects the dial method, either Tone or Pulse.
Dial codes Defines the description and contents of each of
1-3 the three dialing codes. The dialing codes are
useful in prefacing a phone number with the
proper dialing sequence for calling the number.
For instance, long distance numbers must be
prefaced by a "1".
Use the [Up] and [Down] cursor keys to move the selection bar
to highlight the desired item to be changed. Use the [Left] or
[Right] cursor keys to scroll the available options. Press [F9]
to save the settings and return to the Cut & Paste menu, press
[F10] to exit without retaining the settings. These settings
are saved within the BPVARS file.
Edit Folder The Edit option allows you to modify the contents of the
selected keystroke folder selected within the Folder List
option. This lets you "clean up" cut text before it is pasted
and it lets you embed commands for execution of selected
functions when the folder is pasted.
Features of the Back & Forth editor include: an ASCII table,
list of command keys, text movement commands (Block), displayed
column ruler, text wrap, folder & file functions, delete
options, and search and replace commands.
An external editor can be defined for use within Back & Forth
by using the External editor setup located within the Setup
menu. This editor must be capable of executing in 256k and must
be able to specify a file name on the command line for editing.
The operation of this Editor is documented within Part II: The
Back & Forth BackPacks.
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Folder List The Folder option lists all folders that have been created
within the Back & Forth Cut & Paste command. A folder is a
storage area for cut text and embedded keyboard commands.
Separate folders may be created and kept to store often used
blocks of text (like addresses) or strings of keyboard commands
used in a program to perform specific tasks. The default folder
used by Back & Forth to store cut & paste text is CLIPBORD.###.
When selected, a description of the available folders and their
creation dates are shown with the following function key
commands.
[F1] Help Displays help for the Folder option.
[F2] Add Adds a new, empty folder entry.
[F3] Copy Copies the contents of the highlighted folder to
another folder with the same name. After this is
copied, use the [F6] Edit Description command to
change the name of the newly created folder.
[F4] Delete Deletes the highlighted folder and its contents
from the list.
[F5] Move Moves the highlighted folder to another position
in the folder list.
[F6] EdDes Allows you to edit the folder description.
[F7] Edit Lets you edit the contents of the highlighted
folder.
[F8] Sort Sorts the list of folders by its description or
date.
[F9] Select Selects a default folder for use with the Edit,
Cut, and Paste commands.
[F10] Exit Exits this list and returns to the Cut & Paste
menu.
Manual Dial A phone number may be dialed using Back & Forth in one of two
ways: either manually or by cutting the number from the screen
and selecting Dial. Dialing using the Cut command is described
in the Cut Command section.
The manual dial option allows you to type in a telephone number
at a menu prompt and select a phone code for dialing. When this
option is selected, you are prompted for the telephone number
to be dialed. This number may be up to 30 digits in length.
Once the number has been entered, press [F9] or [Enter] to
accept, press [F10] or [Esc] to exit.
A menu is then shown listing the typed phone number and the
possible dial codes. Either select to dial the number as it
appears, or choose one of the defined phone codes. These dial
codes are defined within the Cut & Paste Dialer menu.
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Options Menu The Options menu defines the settings used to control the cut
and paste commands. These include rectangular or text cut
modes, end of line treatment during pasting, numbers-only
pasting, and the display of the cut help window.
Rectangle Selects the Rectangle cut mode. The Rectangle
mode marks the upper left and lower right corners
of the text, cutting the highlighted text.
Text Selects the Text cut mode. The Text mode marks
the first and last character of the text.
Normal EOL Ends each cut line of text using a carriage
return([Enter]). This is the character used by
most programs to end each line.
Spreadsheet Ends each cut line of text with a carriage return
and down arrow ([Enter][Down]). This is usually
used to enter data into a spreadsheet cell.
Word Selects to remove the end of line character and
processor excess spaces from the cut text. This is used
when pasting text into an editor, word processor,
or text formatter having word wrap capability.
Digits only Sets whether to strip characters from the cut
text except digits 0-9 and periods. This removes
text, $$$, and commas from data for planting
within spreadsheets and other number-based
programs.
Cut help Toggles the cut help window, which lists the cut
cursor commands. This window is shown when the
Cut command is chosen using either the Cut &
Paste menu or the Cut hot key. Once you have
become accustomed to using the Cut command, set
this Off.
Paste delay Sets the rate in which characters are pasted to
the program. If random characters are dropped
while pasting text, increase the paste speed.
Use the [Up] or [Down] key to highlight the menu option and
press [Enter], or press the first letter. This places a
checkmark to the left of that option. Only one option within
each delimited section may be set. Press [F10] to exit and
return to the Cut & Paste menu. These settings are saved within
the BPVARS file.
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Paste Command Once the cut text has been placed within the CLIPBORD.###
storage file, you can begin the paste process. The Paste
command simply feeds the contents of the CLIPBORD.### storage
file through the keyboard to the running program. This
simulates the process of typing in the text directly from the
keyboard. Once the Paste command has been selected, you can
stop pasting into your program by pressing [Esc]. The contents
of the clipboard may be pasted as many times as you wish as
long as the clipboard file is not deleted from the disk.
To paste the contents of the clipboard file, observe the
following steps. These are:
* Open the program that is to accept the pasted text and move
the cursor to the position within the program where the cut
text is to be written to.
* Press the Cut & Paste menu hot key (default is [Alt][Left
Shift][C]) and press [O] Options menu key to set the end of
line treatment and number mode. The end of line treatments
includes Normal EOL, Spreadsheet, and Word processor. This
is described within the Options menu. The Digits-only option
should be selected if the data is to be entered into a
spreadsheet. This step is only necessary when one of these
entries must be changed.
* Select the Paste command. If still within the Cut & Paste
menu, press [P], else if within the program to be pasted to,
press the Paste hot key (default is [Alt][Ctrl][P]).
* Now the contents of the CLIPBORD.### file is pasted into the
running program. When the text is pasted, it is entered
through the keyboard, just as though you were typing it into
the program. To abort the Paste process, press [Esc]. You
may paste the contents of the clipboard as many times as you
wish.
Note: Graphics screens cut using the Cut / Grab key cannot be pasted.
They can be imported into a program if that program has the
ability to access and display graphics files.
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Dialing a The Back & Forth Cut command allows you to dial a phone number
Phone Number selected from the text screen of a program. The steps to do
this are similar to those of cutting text. They are:
* Display the text containing the phone number on the screen
with your program.
* If the modem settings or dialing codes need to be changed,
press the Cut & Paste menu hot key (default is [Alt][Left
Shift][C]) and press [D] to open the Dialer menu. Now select
the correct communications port, baud rate, dial mode, and
dial codes to be used.
* Select the Cut command. If within the Cut & Paste menu,
press [C], else if within the program, press the Cut hot key
(default is [Alt][Ctrl][C]).
* View the cut help window (if On) and press [Enter] to remove
it from the screen. This is shown only if toggled On within
the Cut & Paste Options menu.
* Move the cursor to the first digit of the phone number and
press [+]. To search automatically for the first numeric
sequence, press [#].
* Move the cursor to highlight the end of the phone number to
be dialed and press [D].
* A menu is then shown listing the highlighted phone number
and the possible dial codes. Either select to dial the
number as it appears, or choose one of the defined phone
codes. These dial codes are defined within the Cut & Paste
Dialer menu.
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Part II: The Back & Forth BackPacks
Back & Forth provides desktop accessory functions for use
within Back & Forth. These include a calculator, text editor,
graphics screen grabber, RoloBack address book, and Overtime!
appointment scheduler and automated program execution option.
To select one of these BackPacks from the BackPack menu, press
the [F2] Menu key. When activated, this menu should be
highlighted and opened at the top of the screen. Use the [Down]
cursor key to highlight the desired BackPack and press [Enter]
or press the first letter to select.
Calculator Provides a simple tape calculator and a
sophisticated RPN calculator with financial,
statistical, scientific, and computer number
functions.
Editor Opens a simple-to-use ASCII text editor that can
be used to edit selected files.
Grabber Grabs a graphics image from the screen and saves
to a PCX file.
Overtime! Sets up and displays the time management program
created for use within Back & Forth. It acts as an
appointment book with a calendar, daily memo, and
to-do list. When an appointment time arrives, it
can be set to sound an alarm, pop a message onto
the screen, run a defined task within a new
partition or do nothing.
RoloBack Displays an address book/phone listing which can
be used to store names and personal information
for viewing, searching, printing, and dialing.
To set up the operational aspects of these BackPacks, use the
BackPack setup option, located within the Setup menu. This
allows you to specify a hot key, keyboard macro file, starting
macro, and other settings.
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The MathBack! Calculators
Overview Two different types of calculators are available for use within
Back & Forth. The RPN Calculator is a sophisticated calculator
with financial, programmer, statistical, and scientific
functions. The Tape Calculator is a simpler calculator with a
scrolling tape that can be saved for later use.
Pull-Down Menu At the top of the Calculator screen, several pull-down menu
Options options are shown. These are:
Calculator Lists the four different calculator types that can
be chosen for use. These are Financial, Programmer,
Scientific/Statistical, and Tape. When selected,
the appropriate function key commands are changed
to reflect the available commands. The commands
available within the Function menu are also changed
to reflect the command set selected. The Tape
calculator is described in Section 2.
Function Outlines the groups of functions available within
the activated calculator. These correspond to the
function keys shown.
Options Displays the Calculator options available. At this
time, only the number format is settable from this
menu. The Print and Save tape to disk options are
accessible only from the Tape Calculator.
Return Returns the value shown in the calculator window
value (the x-value) to the active task.
Quit Exits the Calculator BackPack.
To select one of these menu options, press the [Alt] key and
the first letter of the menu label simultaneously. This
highlights the selected menu option and displays the contents
of its menu.
The entries found within these menus are described in the
following pages, under their assigned function keys.
Calculator When [Alt][C] is pressed, the following options are shown:
Option
Financial Selects the Financial calculator function
set. This disables the statistical,
programmer, and tape functions.
Programmer Selects the Financial calculator function
set. This disables the statistical,
scientific, financial, and tape functions.
Scientific Selects the Financial calculator function
/Statistical set. This disables the financial, tape, and
programmer functions.
Tape Selects the Financial calculator function set.
This disables the RPN calculator functions,
which includes the financial, statistical,
scientific, and programmer functions.
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Function When [Alt][F] is pressed, the groups of functions available
Option within the activated calculator are listed within a secondary
pull-down menu. These commands may also be selected by pressing
their assigned function key. These functions are not available
within the Tape calculator.
Exponential Contains the square root, square, reciprocal,
functions power, logarithm, antilogarithm, natural log,
natural antilog.
Financial Contains the business operations such as
functions calculation of depreciation, internal rate of
return, net present value, percentage,
% difference, number of days between 2 dates,
amortization, future value, interest rate,
number of payments, present value, payment
amounts, financial number entry modes, etc.
Logical Contains the number base functions such as
functions decimal/ octal/ hexadecimal conversion, AND,
OR, NOT, XOR, etc.
Statistical Contains summation, calculation of mean,
functions standard deviation, weighted mean, linear
regression, combinations, permutations, and
estimation of x or y given y or x.
Trigonometric Contains sine, cosine, tangent and their
functions inverse and hyperbolic values, conversion of
degrees to radians, conversion of radians to
degrees, and the value of pi.
Memory/register Contains the register and stack functions of
functions the calculator. These include commands that:
store, clear, recall, and display selected
registers; roll stack up or down, interchange
the last x and x values, interchange the x
and y values, and clear the x value.
Other Contains the alphabetic functions shown at
functions the bottom of the calculator screen. These
include: add, subtract, multiply, divide,
absolute value, change sign, integer, compute
a factorial, & entering an exponential value.
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Options When [Alt][O] is pressed, the contents of the options menu is
shown. In both the RPN and Tape calculators, the number format
is settable. Within the Tape calculator, two other options are
available. These let you View or Print the tape.
Number Format Selects the mode used to format the number and
the number of digits that follow the decimal
point. The display format can be set to either
[F] Fixed to display the number without
exponents or [S] Scientific to display the
number in scientific notation. More information
on the number format option can be found under
the [Shift][F7] Display number command.
View Tape Scrolls the entire tape using the cursor keys
within the Tape Calculator. This can also be
selected by pressing [Alt][F8].
Print Tape Prints the contents of the tape within the Tape
Calculator.
Return Value When [Alt][R] is pressed, the value shown within the calculator
window (the x-value) is returned to the active task. The active
task is the last task used before the calculator was entered.
Pressing [F9] also returns to the active task.
Quit When [Alt][Q] is pressed, the calculator status, register
values, and stack are saved to the continuous memory storage
file (CALC.###) and the calculator is exited.
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Section 1: The RPN Calculator
Overview The RPN Calculator is a Reverse Polish Notation calculator with
continuous memory and the most commonly found mathematical
functions of hand-held calculators. These functions encompass
the Scientific, Statistical, Programmer and Financial
functions. If you are not familiar with the use of RPN
notation, many examples are given throughout this section to
guide you in its use.
Calculator When the RPN Calculator is invoked, a calculator is drawn in
Display the center of the screen. The left side of the screen displays
the calculator commands; the right side displays the stack and
the contents of the first ten registers used by the current set
of calculator functions.
Register The Register display is located in the lower right corner of
Display the screen. Ten user registers are available for use along with
five financial and six statistical registers. The register set
displayed on the screen is based on the calculator mode in use.
Stack Display Between the register and the calculator displays appears the
Stack Display. The five entry stack places are shown in a
logical bottom-to-top display showing the last-x, x, y, z, and
t entries. For those of you not familiar with stack use and
operation, a description of stack usage appears near the end of
Section 1.
Calculator The calculator number window appears above the number keys. The
Number Window value that appears here is normally the same as the value found
in the x position of the stack. The calculator is initially set
to display four digits after the decimal point.
Error Messages Error messages are displayed below the calculator number
window, when necessary. A list of these error messages and
their probable causes follow at the end of Part II.
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Current Mode Above the calculator number window, the current mode settings
Settings for the calculator are shown. Possible mode settings that may
appear here are as follows:
DEG Identifies the trigonometric entry mode used, either
RAD Degrees or Radians. To set the mode to Degrees,
press [Ctrl][F9] while in the Scientific calculator,
to set the mode to Radians, press [Ctrl][F10].
BEGIN Marks when payments are expected, either at the
END beginning or end of the payment period. To toggle
this mode, press [Ctrl][F1] while in the Financial
calculator.
MDY Specifies the format used by date entry: either
DMY month- day-year or day-month-year. To toggle this
mode, press [Ctrl][F2] while in the Financial
calculator.
C Sets the method used to calculate interest: either
S simple or compound. To toggle this mode, press
[Ctrl][F3] while in the Financial calculator.
DEC Names the programmer's calculator number entry mode,
HEX either decimal (base 10), set by pressing [Alt][F1];
OCT hexadecimal (base 12), set by pressing [Alt][F2]; or
octal (base 8), set by pressing [Alt][F3].
Continuous The RPN Calculator has a continuous memory feature that saves
Memory all stack values, registers, and mode settings to a file
(CALC.###) for future use. The next time this calculator is
entered, these values reappear on the screen, just as though
you had never left.
Pull-Down Menu At the top of the screen are shown several pull-down menu
Options options. These are: Calculator, Function, Options, Return
value, and Quit. To select one of these options, press the
[Alt] key and the first letter of the menu label
simultaneously. This highlights the selected menu option and
displays the contents of its menu. Menu entries shown in bold
type are available for selection.
Exiting the To exit the Calculator and return to the Back & Forth Main
Calculator Menu, press either [F10] or [Alt][Q].
Calculator Numbers may be entered into the calculator window simply by
Command Keys pressing the associated key on the keyboard. To use the keypad
found on most keyboards, the [Num Lock] key must be activated.
[Enter] The [Enter] command enters the displayed value (the x-value)
Command into the y position of the stack. Once another number is
entered, the window clears and shows the new number.
[BkSp] Key The [BkSp] key lets you backspace through the currently
displayed value (the x-value) to any point in the number. This
allows you to modify an incorrectly entered value without
having to start all over again. Once any key other than a
number or decimal point is pressed, pressing this key clears
the window and displays the new value of zero.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 107
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Function Key The calculator uses the function keys to represent the various
Commands commands. Those shown under the Function heading are invoked by
pressing the function key. The commands shown under the Shift,
Control, and Alternate headings are invoked by pressing the
[Shift], [Ctrl], or [Alt] keys, respectively, simultaneously
with the identified function key. By changing the Calculator
type, the Financial, Statistical, and Programmer commands
assigned to the function keys are identified. Below the
calculator diagram, Alphabetic key commands are shown. These
are invoked by pressing the indicated letter.
The Basic These four commands, the [+ - * /] keys, are located on the
Functions calculator keypad, with their activation keys corresponding to
[+ - * /] the [+], [-], [*], and [/] keys on the keyboard. Any key that
returns one of these characters can be used to simulate the
operation. For example, the [PrtSc] key can be pressed to
perform a multiplication operation. In RPN notation, a
calculation is done by typing the first number, pressing
[Enter], typing the second number, then pressing the desired
operation [+-*/].
Example 1 To Calculate: Keystrokes Display
14.5 + 10.25 - 2 14.5 14.5
[Enter] 14.5000
10.25 10.25
[+] 24.7500
2 2.0000
[-] 22.7500
5 * 9 5 5
[Enter] 5.0000
9 9
[*] 45.0000
24 / (4 + 2) 24 24
[Enter] 24.0000
4 4
[Enter] 4.0000
2 2
[+] 6.0000
[/] 4.0000
Remember that division by zero is frowned upon; if you
accidently instruct the calculator to do so, it returns with
the message,
Attempt to divide by zero
Pressing any key clears this message from the screen, and
allows you to continue working. If you had been in the midst of
a calculation when this occurred, use the [Shift][F3] key to
roll down the stack one position and continue as before.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 108
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Alphabetic Keys - Number Alteration Functions
[A] Absolute Pressing [A] yields the absolute value of the x-value. The
absolute value of a number is the positive value of the number.
[C] Change Pressing [C] changes the sign of the x-value from positive to
Sign negative and back. To enter a negative value into the
x-position in the stack, key in the number and press [C].
[E] Exponent Pressing [E] allows you to key in exponential values. First,
enter the value of the mantissa, then press E and enter the
value of the exponent. If a negative mantissa is required,
press [C] before pressing [E]. If a negative exponent is
required, press [C] after keying in the value of the exponent.
The maximum and minimum values of the exponent that can be
entered into the calculator are 99 and -99, respectively.
[I] Integer Pressing [I] replaces the x-value with the integer portion of
the x-value.
[R] Reciprocal Pressing [R] calculates the reciprocal (1/x) of the x-value.
This is obtained by dividing the current number into 1.00.
[!] Factorial Pressing [!] computes the factorial of the x-value. The x-value
must not have a fractional value.
*Example 2 To Calculate: Keystrokes Display
-9.452 9.452 9.452
[C] -9.4520
9.452 [A] 9.4520
-3 E-08 3 3
[C] -3.0000
[E] -3.0000 E 00
8 -3.0000 E 08
[C] -3.0000 E-08
1 E 10 0 0
[E] 1.0000 E 00
10 1.0000 E 10
[Enter] 1.0000 E 10
5! 5 5
(5*4*3*2*1) [!] 120.0000
Integer (5/3) 5 5
[Enter] 5.0000
3 3
[/] 1.6667
[I] 1.0000
1.75 - Integer(1.75) 1.75 1.75
[Enter] 1.7500
1.75 1.75
[I] 1.0000
[-] .7500
1/25 25 25
[R] 0.0400
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 109
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Exponential Math Functions
[F1] HELP Pressing [F1] displays information about the displayed
calculator and its functions.
[F2] SQ ROOT Pressing [F2] computes the square root of the x-value. The
x-value must be positive.
[F3] X^2 Pressing [F3] calculates the square of the x-value.
[F4] Y^X Pressing [F4] raises the y-value to the power of the x-value.
First enter the base number (y), press [Enter], enter the
exponent value (x), and press [F4] to calculate the result.
*Example 3 To Calculate: Keystrokes Display
Root 25 25 25
[F2] 5.0000
5^2 5 5
[F3] 25.0000
8^1/3 8 8
(cube root of 8) [Enter] 8.0000
3 3
[R] 0.3333
[F5] 2.0000
[F5] LOG x Pressing [F5] calculates the logarithm (base 10) of the
x-value. Log cannot be computed for a number equal to or less
than zero.
[F6] 10^x Pressing [F6] calculates the antilogarithm of the x-value. This
is the result of raising 10 to the power of the x-value. For
example, if you take the LOG of 2.00, the result is 0.3010. The
antilog of this value, computed when [F6] is pressed, is again
2.00.
[F7] LN x Pressing [F7] calculates the natural log (base e) of the
x-value.
[F8] e^x Pressing [F8] calculates the natural antilogarithm of the
x-value, that is, the result of raising e to the power of the
x-value.
*Example 4 To Calculate: Keystrokes Display
log 14 14 14
[F5] 1.1461
10^1.1461 [F6] 14.0000
LN 14 [F7] 2.6391
e^2.6391 [F8] 14.0000
[F9] RETPGM Pressing [F9] swaps the calculator from memory and returns to
the last active task.
[F10] EXIT Pressing [F10] exits the RPN Calculator and returns to Back &
Forth. [Alt][Q] also exits the calculator.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 110
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The Register & Stack Functions
Selecting a To select any of the following ten register and stack
Command functions, press the [Shift] key and the desired function key
simultaneously.
Register The [Shift][F1] and [Shift][F2] commands are used to store and
Commands recall a value to or from a register. At the present time, 10
user registers are available, with the first five shown on the
screen. There are also 10 statistical and 10 financial
registers available for use. The statistical registers
correspond to the six accumulation values used in statistical
computation, with N as register 0, Sum x as 1, Sum x^2 as 2,
Sum y as 3, Sum y^2 as 4, and Sum x*y as 5. The financial
registers correspond to the five basic financial values, with
number of periods as register 0, interest rate as 1, present
value as 2, future value as 3, and payment as 4. More about
registers follows at the end of the RPN Calculator section.
[Shift][F1] The [Shift][F1] function stores the x-value into a specified
STO x register. To store the current x-value into a selected
register, press [Shift][F1] followed by the set of registers
that you wish to use ([F] Financial, [S] Stat, or [U] User),
followed by the register number. This function can also add,
subtract, multiply, or divide the x-value into the register
value. To perform an arithmetic operation upon the register,
before entering the register number, press the operation [+-*/]
that you wish to perform upon the register. The result of the
operation does not change the x-value, only the register value.
[Shift][F2] The [Shift][F2] function removes the value from the designated
RCL x register and places it into the x-position of the stack. To
recall a register value to the window, press [Shift][F2]
followed by the set of registers that you wish to access ([F]
Financial, [S] Statistical, or [U] User), and the register
number. This function can also add, subtract, multiply, or
divide the x-value by the register value. To perform an
arithmetic operation using the register as data, before
entering the register number, press the operation [+-*/] that
you wish to perform upon the x-value. The result of the
operation does not change the register value, only the x-value.
[Shift][F3] Pressing [Shift][F3] rotates the values located on the stack
R Down down one position. The x-value is moved into the t position, y
is moved into x, z is moved into y, and t is moved up into z.
* Before Function Press [Shift][F3] to Roll Down
╔═════════════╗ ╔═════════════╗
T: ║ t ║ T: ║ x ║
╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢
Z: ║ z ║ Z: ║ t ║
╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢
Y: ║ y ║ Y: ║ z ║
╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢
X: ║ x ║ X: ║ y ║
╚═════════════╝ ╚═════════════╝
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 111
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[Shift][F4] Pressing [Shift][F4] rotates the values located in the stack up
R Up one position. The x-value is moved into the y position, y is
moved into z, z is moved into t, and t is moved down into x.
* Before Function Press [Shift][F4] to Roll Up
╔═════════════╗ ╔═════════════╗
T: ║ t ║ T: ║ z ║
╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢
Z: ║ z ║ Z: ║ y ║
╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢
Y: ║ y ║ Y: ║ x ║
╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢
X: ║ x ║ X: ║ t ║
╚═════════════╝ ╚═════════════╝
[Shift][F5] Pressing [Shift][F5] allows you to exchange the x-value and the
x <-> y y-value in the stack.
* Before Function Press [Shift][F5] to Swap x <-> y
╔═════════════╗ ╔═════════════╗
T: ║ t ║ T: ║ t ║
╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢
Z: ║ z ║ Z: ║ z ║
╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢
Y: ║ y ║ Y: ║ x ║
╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢
X: ║ x ║ X: ║ y ║
╚═════════════╝ ╚═════════════╝
[Shift][F6] Pressing [Shift][F6] retrieves the last x-value and places it
LASTx into the x position of the stack. This value is the last number
entered into the calculator before an operation is performed.
The following operations save the x-value to the last x stack
position.
* + Root SIN Sum + DEC
- x^2 COS Sum - HEX
* y^x TAN EST y OCT
/ LOG x ARC C y,x AND
! 10^x HYP P y,x OR
ABS LN x D -> R XOR
INT e^x R -> D NOT
1/x 2CMP
SH L
SH R
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 112
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[Shift][F7] Pressing [Shift][F7] lets you select the number entry and
DISP display mode. When pressed, a menu is displayed with two
entries:
Display format Sets the number format mode, either Fixed or
Scientific mode. The Fixed notation mode sets
the calculator to display a fixed number of
digits following the decimal point. An exponent
is only shown if the number is too large or too
small for the window. The Scientific notation
mode uses the exponent to signify the number of
decimal places. For example, the number 1.0000
E 6 represents 1,000,000; 1.0000 E-6 represents
0.000001. The maximum and minimum exponential
values displayed are 308 and -308,
respectively, but only exponents ranging
between 99 and -99 may be entered as data.
# of digits Sets the number of digits shown following the
decimal point. The window can show up to 12
digits or a maximum of 9 digits following the
decimal point. Scientific notation shows all
numbers with one digit preceding the decimal
point, a predefined number of digits following
the decimal point, and the exponential value.
The calculator is initialized to FIX 4 mode,
with 4 decimal places shown after the decimal
point.
These entries allow you to select the mode used to format the
number in the display and the number of digits to follow the
decimal point. Selecting [F] displays the number without
exponents, selecting [S] displays the number in scientific
notation.
[Shift][F8] Pressing [Shift][F8] lets you select the register set to be
REGS displayed on the screen. Selecting [U] shows the 10 user
registers (R0-R9), [F] shows the 5 financial registers (n, i,
PV, FV, PMT), and [S] shows the 6 statistical registers (N,
Sum x, Sum x^2, Sum y y, Sum y^2, Sum x*y).
These next two functions clear various portions of the
calculator and its numeric display and reset them to zero.
[Shift][F9] Pressing [Shift][F9] clears the calculator window and the x
CL x position.
[Shift][F10] Pressing [Shift][F10] resets the selected registers to zero.
CLREG When selected, a menu is displayed identifying the four
register sets available for clearing. These are: All,
Financial, Statistical, and User registers. To clear all
registers, stack, and current window value, press [A]. To clear
the Financial, the Statistical, or the User registers, press
[F], [S], or [U], respectively.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 113
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Selecting the Calculator Type
The commands assigned to the [Alt] and [Ctrl] function keys are
dependant upon the type of calculator selected for use. These
calculators are listed for selection under the [Alt][C]
Calculator pull-down menu.
To select a new calculator type, press [Alt][C] to display the
contents of the Calculator menu. When chosen, the following
four types of calculator available for selection are shown:
Financial, Programmer, Scientific/Statistical, and Tape. The
Tape calculator is described in Section 2.
If the Scientific/Statistical calculator is selected, the
trigonometric functions are assigned to the [Ctrl] function
keys, the available statistical commands are assigned to the
[Alt] function keys, and the six dedicated statistical
registers are shown. To display the general user registers, use
the [Shift][F8] REGS command and select [U]. If the
Programmer's calculator is selected, the computer science
number commands are assigned to the [Alt] function keys, the
[Ctrl] function keys are deactivated, and the register display
is cleared. If the Financial calculator is selected, the
business commands available are assigned to the [Ctrl] and
[Alt] function keys and the register display shows the five
dedicated business registers (number of payments, interest
rate, present value, future value, and payment amount).
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 114
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The Scientific/Statistical Calculator
When the Scientific/Statistical Calculator is selected from the
Calculator menu, the following trigonometric and statistical
commands are assigned to the [Ctrl] and [Alt] function keys.
Trigonometric Functions
Be sure the calculator is set to the desired trigonometric mode
(DEG/RAD). These functions are activated by pressing the [Ctrl]
key and the either [F9] or [F10] simultaneously.
[Ctrl][F1] Pressing [Ctrl][F1] selects the arc (or inverse) toggle. This
ARC is the first keystroke of two, the next being one of
trigonometric functions, either sine, cosine, tangent, or the
hyperbolic toggle.
[Ctrl][F2] Pressing [Ctrl][F2] selects the hyperbolic toggle. After
HYP selecting [Ctrl][F2], you must follow with the selection of one
of four trigonometric functions. These options include the
sine, cosine, and tangent function and the arc (or inverse)
toggle.
[Ctrl][F3] Pressing [Ctrl][F3] computes the sine of the x-value. Cosecant
SIN can be evaluated by computing the sine value and taking the
reciprocal of the result.
[Ctrl][F4] Pressing [Ctrl][F4] computes the cosine of the x-value. Secant
COS can be evaluated by computing the cosine of the value and
taking the reciprocal of the result.
[Ctrl][F5] Pressing [Ctrl][F5] computes the tangent of the x-value.
TAN Cotangent can be evaluated by computing the tangent of the
value and taking the reciprocal result.
[Ctrl][F6] Pressing [Ctrl][F6] returns the numeric representation of pi.
Pi When selected, it places the value 3.1416 into the x-value.
[Ctrl][F7] Pressing [Ctrl][F7] converts the x-value from degrees to
D->R radians.
[Ctrl][F8] Pressing [Ctrl][F8] converts the x-value from radians to
R->D degrees.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 115
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*Example 5 To Calculate: Keystrokes Display (DEG Mode)
sine 45 deg 45 45
[Ctrl][F3] 0.7071
arc cosine 0.7071 [Ctrl][F1] 0.7071
[Ctrl][F4] 45.0000
hyperbolic cos 1.25 1.25 1.25
[Ctrl][F2] 1.2500
[Ctrl][F4] 1.8884
arc hyp cos 1.8884 [Ctrl][F1] 1.8884
[Ctrl][F2] 1.8884
[Ctrl][F4] 1.2500
cotangent 30 deg 30 30
[Ctrl][F5] 0.5774
[R] 1.7321
Pi [Ctrl][F6] 3.1416
convert 360 deg to rads 360 360
[Ctrl][F7] 6.2832
convert to degs [Ctrl][F8] 360.0000
These next two functions change the number entry mode and do
not change the x-value. Instead, they affect all subsequent
trigonometric calculations.
[Ctrl][F9] Pressing [Ctrl][F9] changes the current trigonometric mode to
DEG degrees. An indicator appears in the top right-hand corner of
the calculator indicating DEG. The calculator is initialized in
the DEG mode.
[Ctrl][F10] Pressing [Ctrl][F10] changes the current trigonometric mode to
RAD radians. An indicator appears in the top right-hand corner of
the calculator indicating RAD.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 116
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Statistical Functions
When the Statistical mode is selected, the registers are
automatically set to display the statistical registers. If
these registers are not shown on the screen, press [Shift][F8]
and select [S] for the Statistical register display.
Statistical Registers
╔════════════════════════════╗
║ N 0 ║
║ Sum x 1 ║
║ Sum x^2 2 ║
║ Sum y 3 ║
║ Sum y^2 4 ║
║ Sum x*y 5 ║
╚════════════════════════════╝
To use any of these register values, use the [Shift][F1] STO or
[Shift][F2] RCL function, select [S], then enter the number of
the register to be accessed. The numbers assigned to each
appear above. Before beginning a new summation using [Alt][F1],
make certain that the statistical registers are cleared by
pressing [Shift][F10], followed by [S].
[Alt][F1] Pressing the [Alt][F1] key adds the x and y values to the
Sum + accumulator registers. Before starting a new summation,remember
to press [Shift][F10] and select [S] to clear the Statistical
registers. Otherwise, your calculations will be incorrect.
[Alt][F2] Pressing the [Alt][F2] key subtracts the x and y values from
Sum - the accumulator registers. If you find that you have entered
data incorrectly, you must re-enter both the x and y values as
they were entered and press [Alt][F2]. Now enter the correct x
& y values and add these values back using [Alt][F1].
*Example 6 Sum (4,7) (2.95,9) Keystrokes Display
(5,4.95)
Show Stat Regs [Shift][F8] SHO REGS: F S U
[S] 0.0000
Clear Stat Regs [Shift][F10] CLEAR: A F S U
[S] 0.0000
Enter Data Points 4 4
[Enter] 4.0000
7 7
[Alt][F1] 1.0000
2.95 2.95
[Enter] 2.9500
9 9
[Alt][F1] 2.0000
5 5
[Enter] 5.0000
4.95 4.95
[Alt][F1] 3.0000
Recall Sum x [Shift][F2] RCL F S U
[S] RCL __
1 20.9500
Recall Sum y [Shift][F2] RCL F S U
[S] RCL __
3 11.9500
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 117
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[Alt][F3] Pressing the [Alt][F3] key computes the average of the
MEAN accumulated x and y values.
[Alt][F4] Pressing the [Alt][F4] key computes the weighted average of the
WTMN y value based on the x-value's weight. First, type in the value
of the item, press [Enter], enter the item's weight, then press
[Shift][F1] to store x and y into the accumulator. After all
values are entered, press [Alt][F4] to compute the weighted
mean.
[Alt][F5] Pressing the [Alt][F5] key computes the sample standard
SDEV deviation of the accumulated data. The sample standard
deviation is the estimate of the population deviation from a
sample of data. If the total population is known and used, the
true deviation can be computed by adding the x and y mean
values to the accumulated values, then computing [Alt][F5].
[Alt][F6] Pressing the [Alt][F6] determines the line that best fits the
LREG given x, y values. This function returns the slope of the line
to the y position of the stack, and returns the y-intercept to
the x position.
[Alt][F7] Pressing the [Alt][F7] key interpolates the x-value given the
EST x y-value. To calculate, first enter the population into the
accumulator, enter the matching y-value, then press [Alt][F7].
The correlation coefficient is stored in the y position of the
stack. This value measures the reliability of the estimation,
with values nearing 1 and -1 indicating reliable data forming a
more straight line.
[Alt][F8] Pressing the [Alt][F8] key interpolates the y value given the
EST y x-value. To calculate, first enter the population into the
accumulator, enter the matching x-value, then press [Alt][F8].
The correlation coefficient is stored in the y position of the
stack. This value measures the reliability of the estimation,
with values nearing 1 and -1 indicating reliable data forming a
more straight line.
*Example 7 To Calculate: Keystrokes Display
(from above) 11.9500
Mean of x and y [Alt][F3] 6.9833
[Shift] 3.9833
[F5]
Standard deviation of x [Alt][F5] 2.0251
[Shift][F5] 1.0251
and y
Y Intercept of Line [Alt][F6] 7.5176
Slope [Shift][F5] -0.5061
Given 11, Estimate Y 11 11
[Alt][F8] 1.9505
Correlation Coefficient [Shift][F5] -0.9998
Given 2, Estimate X 2 2
[Alt][F7] 10.9022
Correlation Coefficient [Shift][F5] -0.9998
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 118
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[Alt][F9] Pressing the [Alt][F9] computes the number of arrangements of y
C y,x items in groups of x. No items are repeated and different
orders of the same items are not counted separately.
[Alt][F10] Pressing the [Alt][F10] computes the number of arrangements of
P y,x y items in groups of x. No items are repeated and different
orders of the same items are counted separately.
*Example 8 To Calculate: Keystrokes Display
Combinations 52 of 5 52 52
[Enter] 52.0000
5 5
[Alt][F9] 2598960.0000
Permutations 6 of 4 6 6
[Enter] 6.0000
4 4
[Alt][F10] 360.0000
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 119
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The Programmer's Calculator
Programmer To access the programmer's calculator functions, press [Alt][C]
Functions to open the Calculator type menu and select [P]. The commands
assigned to the [Ctrl] function keys are blanked and the
programmer's commands are assigned to the [Alt] function keys.
All computer base functions work on a 32 bit integer operand.
The numerical limits on values are different for each base.
Trigonometric, logarithmic, and exponential functions are not
operable under this calculator.
[Alt][F1] Pressing [Alt][F1] converts all displayed numbers to base 10.
DEC The range of decimal values is -2,147,483,648 and
2,147,483,647.
[Alt][F2] Pressing [Alt][F2] converts all displayed numbers to base 16.
HEX Any number entered into the calculator while this toggle is on
is assumed to be a hexadecimal value. The range of hex values
is (negative) 7FFF FFFF and 8000 0000. The numbers 0-9 are
accepted, along with A, B, C, D, E, F keys.
[Alt][F3] Pressing [Alt][F3] converts all displayed numbers to base 8.
OCT Any number entered into the calculator while this toggle is on
is assumed to be an octal value. The range of octal values is
(negative) 20 000 000 000 and 17 777 777 777. Only the numbers
0 and 7 can be entered.
*Example 9 To Convert: Keystrokes Display
10 (DEC) in HEX [Alt][F1] 0
10 10
[Alt][F2] A
10 (DEC) in OCT [Alt][F3] 12
Binary ╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
Operations ║ Operand #1 Operand #2 AND OR XOR ║
║ 0 0 0 0 0 ║
║ 0 1 0 1 1 ║
║ 1 0 0 1 1 ║
║ 1 1 1 1 0 ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
[Alt][F4] Pressing [Alt][F4] ANDs the y value to the x-value. And is used
AND to mask, filter, or strip certain bits. And operates based on
the binary representation of the number. It sets the bit to '0'
if either the x or y bit values contain a '0', and sets the bit
to '1' if both x and y share a '1'.
[Alt][F5] Pressing [Alt][F5] ORs the y value with the x-value. It sets
OR the bit to '1' if either the x or y bit values contain a '1',
and it sets the bit to '0' if x and y share a '0'.
[Alt][F6] Pressing [Alt][F6] XORs the y value with the x-value. XOR is
XOR used to mask, filter, or strip certain bits. It sets the bit to
'1' if the x and y bit values differ, and it sets the bit to
'0' if x and y bit values are the same.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 120
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*Example 10 To Compute: Keystrokes Display
Change to DEC [Alt][F1] 0
8 AND 15 8 8
[Enter] 8
15 15
[Alt][F4] 8
8 OR 15 8 8
[Enter] 8
15 15
[Alt][F5] 15
2 XOR 4 2 2
[Enter] 2
4 4
[Alt][F6] 6
[Alt][F7] Pressing [Alt][F7] NOTs the x-value. This simply reverses the
NOT bit representation of the number. Every '1' bit is changed to a
'0' bit and vice versa.
[Alt][F8] Pressing [Alt][F8] returns the two's complement of the x-value.
2 CMP This, in effect, negates the x-value, like the change sign key
does in normal calculator operations.
[Alt][F9] Pressing [Alt][F9] shifts left the y value based on the number
SH L of bits set by the x-value. For example: Given a y value of 32
DEC and an x mask value of 3, the result would be 256.
[Alt][F10] Pressing [Alt][F10] shifts right the y value based on the
SH R number of bits set by the x-value. For example: Given a y value
of 256 DEC and an x mask value of 4, the result would be 16.
*Example 11 To Compute: Keystrokes Display
NOT 8 8 8
[Alt][F7] -9
2CMP -9 [Alt][F8] 9
Shift 9 Left 2 2 2
[Alt][F9] 36
Shift 36 Right 3 3 3
[Alt][F10] 4
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 121
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The Financial Calculator
To access the financial functions, press [Alt][C] to open the
Calculator type menu and select [F]. The commands found under
the Control and Alternate headings are then changed to show the
Financial commands and the financial registers are shown.
Selecting a To select a command from under either the Control or Alternate
Command command headings, press the [Ctrl] or [Alt] key simultaneously
with the function key desired.
The number of digits is automatically set to six digits
following the decimal point. This is to handle any date values
to be entered. Remember the financial sign convention, money
paid out is denoted by a negative sign, money received is
denoted by a positive sign.
Control The following functions keys contain data entry toggles,
Financial percentage calculations functions,and cash flow entry commands.
Functions The 3 data toggles are used by various financial calculations
listed under the Alternate function key list. They should be
pressed before entering the data that they are to affect.
[Ctrl][F1] Pressing [Ctrl][F1] toggles the payment/annuity mode between
B / E END to BEGIN. This represents when the payments are made during
the month and is necessary for the five basic financial
functions under [Alt][F3] CALC.
[Ctrl][F2] Pressing [Ctrl][F2] toggles the date entry mode. The default
MD/DM date entry mode is M.DY. If the mode is M.DY, enter the month
value, enter a decimal point, enter the two digit day value,
then enter the four digit year value. Two digits must be
entered for the day. For example, to represent the date
December 11, 1986, enter 12.111986. If the date mode is D.MY,
enter the values in the same manner, just reversing the month
and day. Under D.MY mode the above value would look like
11.121986.
[Ctrl][F3] Pressing [Ctrl][F3] toggles the interest mode. The [C]
C / S represents Compound, [S] represents Simple. This is used mainly
in the computation of the [Alt][F3] CALC when the number of
payments is not a whole number. This occurs when interest
begins to accrue before the first payment is due.
[Ctrl][F4] Pressing [Ctrl][F4] rounds the currently displayed value to two
ROUND decimal places. If the fractional portion is less than 0.005,
the value is incremented by 0.01, else it is disregarded.
[Ctrl][F5] Pressing [Ctrl][F5] computes the percentage of the y-value to
% the x-value.
% = (Base(y) * Rate(x)) / 100
[Ctrl][F6] Pressing [Ctrl][F6] computes the change between the y-value and
% CHG the new x-value.
%CHG = 100 * (New Amt(x) - Base(y)) / Base(y)
[Ctrl][F7] Pressing [Ctrl][F7] compares the new x-value to that of the y
% TTL base value and computes the resulting percentage.
% TTL = 100 * (New Amt (x) / Base (y))
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 122
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*Example 12 To Calculate: Keystrokes Display
30% of 365.25 365.25 365.25
[Enter] 365.250000
30 30
[Ctrl][F5] 109.575000
% difference between 525 525
$525.00 and $500.00 [Enter] 525.000000
500 500
[Ctrl][F6] -4.761905
what % of $110.95 110.95 110.95
is $35.75 [Enter] 110.950000
35.75 35.75
[Ctrl][F7] 32.221721
[Ctrl][F8] Pressing [Ctrl][F8] stores the initial cash flow found in the x
CF 0 position into the cash flow register and clears the remaining
cash flow registers. The cash flow values are used by the net
present value and the internal rate of return functions.
[Ctrl][F9] Pressing [Ctrl][F9] stores the next cash flow into the cash
CF N flow registers and increments the number of total cash flows by
one. When entering grouped cash flows, the number of cash flows
must be entered after the cash flow value is entered,
otherwise, the number associated with this cash flow is assumed
to be one. Up to twenty discreet cash flows can be entered.
[Ctrl][F10] Pressing [Ctrl][F10] stores the number associated with the
# CF grouped cash flows. This value must be entered immediately
after the affected cash flow, since the internal counter is
incremented after each cash flow. If no cash flow number value
is entered, it is assumed to be 1.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 123
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Alternate In the following ten functions, the financial registers are
Financial used extensively. Throughout the rest of this section, these
Functions registers are referred to as FR# with the number sign
signifying the register number. These registers can be filled
by entering the number into the calculator window and by
pressing either the [Shift][F1] key, followed by [F] and the
number of the register that you wish to fill or the [Ctrl] key
coupled with the alphabetic label assigned to it. These
registers are displayed below, with their label on the left,
their selection key in the middle, and their corresponding
register number on the right.
Financial Registers
╔════════════════════════════╗
║ N [Ctrl][N] reg 0 ║
║ I [Ctrl][I] reg 1 ║
║ PV [Ctrl][P] reg 2 ║
║ FV [Ctrl][F] reg 3 ║
║ PMT [Ctrl][T] reg 4 ║
╚════════════════════════════╝
When entering values for interest, remember to enter it based
on the units used. For example, if interest is paid monthly,
divide the annual rate by 12; if it is quarterly, divide by 4.
When entering the number of periods, enter this also based on
the units used. When entering present value, future value, and
payments, remember the sign convention. Money paid out is
denoted by a negative value, money received is denoted by a
positive value.
Before beginning a new calculation, clear the contents of the
financial registers by pressing [Shift][F10], followed by [F].
[Alt][F1] Pressing [Alt][F1] uses the stored cash flow values and
NPV interest rate to calculate the net present value. To calculate
NPV, use [Ctrl][F8] to store the initial cash flow, [Ctrl][F9]
to store the remaining cash flows, and [Ctrl][I] to store the
interest rate for the period. When calculated, the value
appears both in the display and the present value reg (FR2).
[Alt][F2] Pressing [Alt][F2] uses the stored cash flows to compute the
IRR internal rate of return. The accuracy of the estimated rate is
checked by computing its net present value. This calculation
can take several minutes, especially if the resulting rate is
large. During this time, the message "Calculating IRR" is
shown. Upon finding an answer, it is shown in the window and in
the interest register (FR1). IRR can theoretically have a
single answer, multiple answers, or no answer at all. This
function is only equipped to determine the first answer it
discovers. Pressing [Esc] aborts the calculation and returns
the last tested interest rate. If the net present value
computed using this rate results in an answer approaching 0, it
is a good approximation.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 124
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*Example 13 To Calculate: Keystrokes Display
Clear Financial Registers [Shift][F10] Clear: A F S U
[F] 0.000000
Enter Cash Flows 100000 100000
-100000 [C] -100000.000000
[Ctrl][F8] -100000.000000
-3000 3000 3000
[C] -3000.000000
[Ctrl][F9] 1.000000
7250 7250 7250
[Ctrl][F9] 2.000000
8500 8500 8500
[Ctrl][F9] 3.000000
8500 2 2
[Ctrl][F10] 2.000000
135000 135000 135000
[Ctrl][F9] 4.000000
Enter Interest Rate 9.5 9.5
[Ctrl][I] 9.500000
Compute NPV [Alt][F1] 1449.027529
Compute IRR [Alt][F2] 9.840000
[Alt][F3] Pressing [Alt][F3] calculates one of the five basic financial
CALC calculations, given at least three of the five register values.
When [Alt][F3] is pressed, the following menu is displayed:
A. Compute number of payments (N)
B. Compute interest (I)
C. Compute present value (PV)
D. Compute future value (FV)
E. Compute payment (PMT)
Calculate To calculate the number of payments, first enter the interest
Number of rate into register FR1, and two of the three remaining values:
Payments present value (FR3), future value (FR4), or payment (FR5). If
payment is entered, check the payment mode, and set its value
to either Begin or End. The number of payments computed is a
whole number. Then press [Alt][F3] and select [A].
Calculate To calculate the interest rate, first enter the number of
Interest Rate payments into FR0 and two of the remaining three values, as
outlined above. If a non-integer number of payments is entered,
the Interest Mode must be set to the correct value, either
Compound or Simple. Then press [Alt][F3] and select [B].
Calculate To compute the present value, the future value, or the payment
PV, FV, or amount requires the entrance of the number of payments involved
Payment (FR0), the periodic interest rate (FR1), and one of the
remaining two variables. Then press [Alt][F3] and select either
[C] to compute the present value, [D] to compute the future
value, or [E] to compute the amount of each payment.
Check the financial registers and make certain that all
unnecessary values are set equal to zero. When [Alt][F3] is
pressed, the resulting answer is displayed in both the
calculator window and in the register position corresponding to
the answer.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 125
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*Example 14 Calc Number of Payments Keystrokes Display
Clear Financial Registers [Shift][F10] Clear: A F S U
[F] 0.000000
Enter Payment Amount 132.5 132.5
[C] -132.500000
[Ctrl][T] -132.500000
Enter Present Value 10000 10000
[Ctrl][P] 10000.000000
Enter Interest 10 10
[Enter] 10.000000
12 12
[/] 0.833333
[Ctrl][I] 0.833333
No. of Payments [Alt][F3] Calc: N I F P M
[N] 120.000000
No. of Years 12 12
[/] 10.000000
Last Partial Payment [Alt][F3] Calc: N I F P M
[F] 71.544796
[Shift][F2] RCL: F S U
[F] RCL __
4 -132.500000
[+] -60.955204
[Alt][F4] Pressing [Alt][F4] calculates the amount of the payment applied
AMORT to the interest and principle. To compute this schedule, the
periodic interest rate (FR1), the present value (FR2), and the
payment amount (FR4) must be entered into the financial
registers. The payment amount must be negative and the payment
mode set to either Begin or End. Enter the number of payments
to be amortized into the x position of the stack, then press
[Alt][F4]. The calculation returns the portion of the payment
applied to the principle to the x position of the stack, and
the remainder applied to the interest to the y position. The
payment period just amortized is stored in the last-x position,
while the total number of payments amortized is incremented by
that amount and stored into the number of payments (FR0)
register. The new present value is stored in the present value
(FR2) register.
*Example 15 To Calculate: Keystrokes Display
Clear Financial Registers [Shift][F10] Clear: A F S U
[F] 0.000000
Enter Interest 10.5 10.5
[Enter] 10.500000
12 12
[/] 0.875000
[Ctrl][I] 0.875000
Enter Present Value 60000 60000
[Ctrl][P] 60000.000000
Enter Payment 566.51 566.51
[C] -566.510000
[Ctrl][T] -566.510000
Amortization for 12 12
first 12 months [Alt][F4] -6275.315412
Amt toward principle [Shift][F5] -522.792865
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 126
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[Alt][F5] Pressing [Alt][F5] computes simple interest based on both a 360
S INT and 365 day year. Store the number of days before maturity into
register FR0, store the amount of the principle into the
present value register (FR2), and store the interest rate into
FR1. Now press [Alt][F5] to calculate the simple interest
accrued. The value displayed in the x position of the stack is
the interest accrued based on a 365 day year, the value placed
into the z position is calculated based on a 360 day year.
*Example 16 To Calculate: Keystrokes Display
Clear Financial Registers [Shift][F10] Clear: A F S U
[F] 0.000000
Enter Present Value 1000 1000
[C] -1000.000000
[Ctrl][P] -1000.000000
Enter Interest 10 10
[Ctrl][I] 10.000000
Enter No. of Days 90 90
[Ctrl][N] 90.000000
Simple Interest 365 [Alt][F5] -25.000000
[Shift][F4] -1000.000000
Simple Interest 360 [Shift][F4] -24.657534
[Shift][F4] -1000.000000
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 127
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[Alt][F6] Pressing [Alt][F6] computes the straight line depreciation
SLDEP value given the asset's original cost, stored in the present
value register (FR2); salvage value, stored in the future value
register (FR3); and useful life expectancy in terms of years,
stored in the number of payments register (FR0). Once these
values are entered, enter the year for which depreciation is to
be calculated into the x position and press the [Alt][F6] key.
The amount of the depreciation is then shown in the x position
of the stack, with the remaining book value in the y position.
[Alt][F7] Pressing [Alt][F7] computes the sum of years depreciation given
SOYD the original cost of the asset, stored in the present value
register (FR2); its salvage value, stored in the future value
register (FR3); & its useful life expectancy in terms of years,
stored in the number of periods register(FR0).Once these values
are entered, enter the year for which depreciation is to be
calculated into the x position and press the [Alt][F7] key. The
amount of the depreciation is then shown in the x position,
with the remaining book value placed in the y position.
[Alt][F8] Pressing [Alt][F8] computes the depreciation using the
DDB declining balance method given the original cost of the asset,
stored in the present value register (FR2); its salvage value,
stored in the future value register (FR3); the useful its life
expectancy in terms of years, stored in the number of periods
register (FR0); and the declining balance factor to be used,
stored as a percentage into the interest register (FR1). For
example, if the declining balance rate was equal to 200%, enter
200 into the interest register FR1. Once these values are
entered, enter the year for which depreciation is to be
calculated into the x position and press the [Alt][F8] key. The
depreciation amount is then shown in the x position of the
stack,with the remaining book value placed in the y position.
*Example 17 To Calculate: Keystrokes Display
Clear Financial Registers [Shift][F10] Clear: A F S U
[F] 0.000000
Enter Book Value 25000 25000
[Ctrl][P] 25000.000000
Enter Salvage 5000 5000
[Ctrl][F] 5000.000000
Enter No. of Years 5 5
[Ctrl][N] 5.000000
Year to Depreciate 2 2
[Enter] 2.000000
6 6
Straight Line Dep [Alt][F6] 4000.000000
Amount Left [Shift][F5] 19000.000000
2 2
[Enter] 2.000000
6 6
Sum of Years Dep [Alt][F7] 6000.000000
Amount Left [Shift][F5] 10666.666667
DDB Rate 150 150
[Alt][I] 150.000000
2 2
[Enter] 2.000000
6 6
Declining Balance Dep [Alt][F8] 6375.000000
Amount Left [Shift][F5] 9875.000000
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 128
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[Alt][F9] Pressing [Alt][F9] computes the new date given one date and a
DATE number of days. Before executing this function, be sure to set
the date format mode to either M.DY or D.MY. Then enter the
date to base the calculation on, with 6 digits following the
decimal point. Next, enter the number of days difference
between the entered date and the desired day. Now press
[Alt][F9] to calculate the actual date. The number that appears
in the x position of the stack is the date based on an actual
365 day year, the number shown in the y position is the date
based on a 30 day month, 360 day year.
[Alt][F10] Pressing [Alt][F10] computes the number of days between two
#DAYS dates. Before executing this function, the date format mode
must be set by toggling the [Ctrl][F2] MD/DM key. Then two
dates must be entered conforming to the mode selected with
exactly 6 digits following the decimal place. Now press
[Alt][F10] to calculate the number of days. The actual number
of days (including leap years) is shown in the x position of
the stack, while the number of days based on a 360 day year is
shown in the y position.
*Example 18 To Calculate: Keystrokes Display
6mos after 4/24/87 4.241987 4.241987
[Enter] 4.241987
180 180
based on actual year [Alt][F9] 10.211987
based on 360 day year [Shift][F5] 10.241987
number of days between 11.051991 11.051991
11/5/91 & 12/11/92 [Enter] 11.051991
12.111992 12.111992
based on actual year [Alt][F10] 402.000000
based on 360 day year [Shift][F5] 396.000000
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 129
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About the Stack
The operation of this set of calculators is based on a
mathematical logic known as Reverse Polish Notation (RPN). The
calculator uses RPN to solve complicated calculations in a
simple, straightforward manner without the use of clumsy and
confusing parentheses. This is achieved by automatically
retaining and returning intermediate calculated results to a
memory stack. The stack is set up as follows:
╔═════════════╗
T: ║ t ║
╟─────────────╢
Z: ║ z ║
╟─────────────╢
Y: ║ y ║
╟─────────────╢
X: ║ x ║ Working Register
╚═════════════╝
Any number that is keyed in or results from the execution of a
numeric function is placed into the x position of the stack at
the time it is displayed in the calculator number window. This
action causes the stack to be either "pushed", "popped", or
only the x-register to be changed. The three stacks drawn below
illustrate the three types of stack movement. Assume x, y, z,
and t represent any numbers which may be on the stack.
*Stack Push ╔═════════════╗ ╔═════════════╗ ╔═════════════╗
T: ║ t ║ ║ t ║ ║ z ║
╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢
Z: ║ z ║ ║ z ║ ║ y ║
╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢
Y: ║ y ║ ║ y ║ ║ 12.0000 ║
╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢
X: ║ x ║ ║ 12.0000 ║ ║ 12.0000 ║
╚═════════════╝ ╚═════════════╝ ╚═════════════╝
Keys: original stack 12 [Enter]
In the case above, the diagram of the original stack shows it
before any key is pressed. Once you begin entry of a number, in
this case 12, the number in the x position is changed along
with the value entered into the calculator window. When you
press [Enter], the value currently in the x position, in this
case the 12, is pushed into the y position. The value in the y
position is likewise pushed up into the z position, with the z
value pushed up into the t position. The old t value is pushed
off the top of the stack and is no longer accessible.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 130
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*Stack Pop ╔═════════════╗ ╔═════════════╗ ╔═════════════╗
T: ║ t ║ ║ t ║ ║ t ║
╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢
Z: ║ z ║ ║ z ║ ║ t ║
╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢
Y: ║ 12.0000 ║ ║ 12.0000 ║ ║ z ║
╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢
X: ║ 12.0000 ║ ║ 24.0000 ║ ║ 36.0000 ║
╚═════════════╝ ╚═════════════╝ ╚═════════════╝
Keys: (from above) 24 [+]
In this case, the first diagram of the stack shows it as it was
after 12 is pushed onto it. When a new number is entered, in
this case 24, the number in the x position is changed to
reflect the new number entered. Now when the [+] is pressed,
the number in the y position is taken off the stack and added
to the number in the x position. This results in the value in
the t position being dropped down to the z position, and the
value in the z position dropped into the y position. The number
in the x position reflects the result of the operation, in this
case: 12 + 24 = 36
*X Operation ╔═════════════╗ ╔═════════════╗
T: ║ t ║ ║ t ║
╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢
Z: ║ z ║ ║ z ║
╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢
Y: ║ y ║ ║ y ║
╟─────────────╢ ╟─────────────╢
X: ║ 36.0000 ║ ║ 6.0000 ║
╚═════════════╝ ╚═════════════╝
Keys: (from above) [F1]
In this case, the first diagram of the stack shows it as it was
after adding 12 + 24. The stack at this point displays the
value 36.0000. If you enter one of the defined mathematical
functions located below the register and stack display, in this
case [F2] Root, the value located in the x position is the only
value in the stack altered. The result of the square root of 36
appears in the x position and in the calculator window.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 131
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The Use Of Memory Registers
The RPN Calculator provides you with 10 memory cells called
registers. Registers are used to store immediate results for
later use. When numbers are stored, they are copied from the x
position of the stack to the storage registers. When numbers
are recalled from a register, the value is copied from the
designated register to the x position of the stack. In both
cases, the source is not changed. Ten Statistical registers and
ten Financial registers are also available.
Storing and Recalling Numbers
The next two commands are used to store and recall values to
and from the data registers.
[Shift][F1] The Store register function places the value found in the
STO x calculator window into the selected register.
When selected, a menu is displayed prompting you for the
register set to be used. Press either [F] for Financial, [S]
for Statistical or [U] for User. You are then asked to select
the number of the data register (between 0 and 9, inclusively)
to be filled. After a register number is supplied, this
function copies the value from the calculator window into that
data register.
[Shift][F2] The Recall register function gets the value from the selected
RCL x register and places it into the calculator window and the x
position of the stack.
When selected, a menu is displayed prompting you for the
register set to be accessed. Press either [F] for Financial,
[S] for Statistical or [U] for User. You are then asked to
select the number of the data register (between 0 and 9,
inclusively) to be recalled. After a register number is
supplied, this function copies the value from the specified
data register into the x position of the stack.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 132
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Arithmetic Operations On Data Registers
The four mathematical operators [+-*/] may be used to directly
operate on a specified data register.
[Shift][F1] This can be used to perform an arithmetic operation on a data
STO x register and store the result in the same register without
changing the x-value. This is accomplished by performing the
requested operation on the specified data register using the
value located in the x position of the stack. When asked for
the register number, simply enter the arithmetic operation to
be performed, followed by the register number that the
calculation is to be performed upon. The following example
multiplies data register 04 containing the number 100 by the
number 12 [R4 * 12].
*Example 19 Keys Pressed Display X-Value User REG 04
(initial) 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000
100 100 100 0.0000
[Shift][F1] STO REGS: 100.0000 0.0000
[U] STO __ 100.0000 0.0000
4 STO 04 100.0000 100.0000
12 12 12 100.0000
[Shift][F1] STO REGS: 12.0000 100.0000
[U] STO __ 12.0000 100.0000
[*] STO * __ 12.0000 100.0000
4 STO * 04 12.0000 1200.0000
[Shift][F2] This is used to perform an arithmetic operation on the value
RCL x located in the x position on the stack without "pushing" the
stack. Pushing the stack is the process of moving the values of
the stack up one position (x -> y, y -> z, z -> t, t -> off
stack). The value located in the register is not changed. The
operation is done on the number located in the x-position of
the stack. When asked for the register number, simply enter the
arithmetic operation to be performed, followed by the register
number that is to supply the value to be used. The following
example extracts the value located in register 0 and divides it
by 2 [R0 / 2].
*Example 20 Keys Pressed Display X-Value User REG 00
(initial) 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000
100 100 100 0.0000
[Shift][F1] STO REGS: 100.0000 0.0000
[U] STO __ 100.0000 0.0000
0 STO 00 100.0000 100.0000
2 2 2 100.0000
[Shift][F2] RCL REGS: 2.0000 100.0000
[U] RCL __ 2.0000 100.0000
[/] RCL / __ 2.0000 100.0000
0 RCL / 00 50.0000 100.0000
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 133
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Error Messages
These are the possible error messages that can be displayed under the RPN
Calculator. When one is encountered, press any key to resume calculations.
Attempt Negative Factorial
This error can appear when executing the [!] factorial, the
[Alt][F9] Cy,x combination or the [Alt][F10] Py,x permutation
function. It results from the attempt to use a negative x or y
value.
Attempt Non-Integer Factorial
This error can appear when executing the [!] factorial, the
[Alt][F9] Cy,x combination or the [Alt][F10] Py,x permutation
function. It results from the attempt to use an x or y value
with a fractional part, for example 1.5000.
Attempt To Divide By Zero
This error results when an attempt to divide by zero is
recognized.
Not Enough Data Points
This error can appear when executing a statistical calculation
such as mean, weighted mean, standard deviation, linear
regression, correlation, or linear estimation of x or y. Each
of these calculations require at least 2 data points except for
mean, which requires at least one data point.
Overflow
This error can occur when a calculation returns a number larger
than the calculator can handle.
Under / Overflow
This error can occur when a calculation returns either a number
too large or too small for the calculator to handle.
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Section 2: The Tape Calculator
Overview The Adding Machine is a different type of calculator than the
RPN Calculator. It is simplified with only the basic four
mathematical functions, square root, square, percentage, and
sign changes. Ten memories (registers) are available for use,
and the four basic functions can be performed using their
contents. You can also save the contents of the displayed tape
to a disk file, where it can later be printed or used as data.
When the Calculator BackPack is first entered and when the
[Alt][C] key is pressed, the calculator types menu is shown on
the screen enumerating the four calculator types to choose
from. To select the Tape calculator, either use the [{Down}]
cursor key to move the selection bar to the last entry in the
menu or press [T].
Calculator A calculator is drawn in the center of the screen. The left
Display side of the screen displays the calculator commands and the 10
registers; the right side displays the tape.
Exiting the To exit the Adding Calculator and return to Back & Forth
Calculator Professional, press [F10] QUIT.
[BkSp] Key The [BkSp] key lets you backspace through the currently
displayed value to any point in the number. This allows you to
modify an incorrectly entered value without having to begin
again. Once any key other than a number or decimal point is
pressed, pressing this key clears the window and resets the
value to zero.
Register Registers are places where values can be stored for later use
Functions in a calculation. Both the store and recall functions, [F5] and
[F6], can also perform arithmetic computations with the value
when the arithmetic operator is entered before the register
number. These four mathematical operators [+-*/] may be used to
directly operate on a specified register.
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Pull-Down Menu At the top of the screen are shown five pull-down menu options.
Options These are:
Calculator Lists the four different calculator types that can
be chosen for use. These are Financial, Programmer,
Scientific/Statistical, and Tape. When selected,
the appropriate function key commands are changed
to reflect the available commands. The Financial,
Programmer, and Scientific/Statistical calculators
are all described within Section 1.
Function Outlines the groups of functions available within
the activated calculator. These correspond to the
function keys shown.
Options Displays the Calculator options available. This
includes the number format and save tape to disk
options. The number format sets the number of
digits displayed after the decimal point.
Help Opens a help window with information about the use
of the activated calculator.
Return Returns the value shown in the calculator window
value (the x-value) to the active task.
Quit Exits the Calculator BackPack.
To select one of these pull-down menu options, press the [Alt]
key and the first letter of the menu label simultaneously. This
highlights the selected menu option and displays the contents
of its menu.
The entries found within these menus are described in the
following pages, under their assigned function keys.
The [+-*/] These four commands, the [+-*/] keys, are located on the
Operators calculator keypad, with their activation keys corresponding to
the [+], [-], [*], and [/] keys on the keyboard. Any key that
returns one of these characters can be used to simulate the
operation. For example, the Print Screen key can be pressed to
return an '*' to perform a multiplication operation. To execute
any of these four functions, enter the first number, then press
the function [+-*/] that is to act upon it. Now enter the
second number. If a string of additions or other functions are
to be done, simply press the desired function after every
number but the last. A running total is kept in the calculator
window, but is not displayed on the tape until [=] or [Enter]
is pressed.
[Enter] and When a string of numbers and operations are entered, a running
[=] Keys total is kept. To end a calculation and perform a final total,
press either the [=] or the [Enter] key.
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Alphabetic The following commands are shown below the calculator diagram
Commands and are selected by pressing the indicated alphabetic letter.
[!] Factorial Pressing [!] computes the factorial of the current value. This
cannot compute the factorial of a number with a fractional
value.
[%] Percent Pressing the [%] key returns the percentage value of the
current number in the calculator window.
[A] Absolute Pressing [A] yields the absolute value of the current value.
The absolute value of a number is the positive value of that
number.
[C] Change Pressing the [F3] key negates the current value in the
Sign calculator window. If the value is positive, pressing [F3]
renders it negative.
[F] Fraction Pressing [F] removes the integer portion of the current value.
For example: the fractional portion of 1.75 is .75.
[I] Integer Pressing [I] removes the fractional portion of the current
value.
Tape Commands Three commands are available for manipulation of the tape
produced by this calculator. These commands let you view,
print, or save the tape to disk.
Save Tape to Saves contents of tape to a disk file. If a previously created
Disk file is specified, you can choose to either overwrite the file
or append the tape to the end of the file. To select, press
[F8].
View Tape Scrolls the entire tape using the cursor keys. To select, press
[Alt][F8].
Print Tape Prints the contents of the tape. To select, press [Alt][O] to
open the Options menu and select [P].
Showing the When an operator is entered, the tape displays the last number
Total entered, followed by the operator. When [=] is entered to total
the numbers, the last entered value is placed on the tape, a
line is drawn below the list of numbers, and the total is
displayed below it with the label 'T' after it.
Type in 69.95 and press [+] 69.95 +
Type in 49.95 and press [+] 49.95 +
Type in 49.95 49.95
Press [Enter] or [=] ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
169.85 T
The above tape displays the calculation that adds 69.95 + 49.95
+ 49.95 to give the result 169.85.
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Function Key Ten function keys contain various commands that operate on the
Operations current value. These are shown on the left side of the screen.
[F1] HELP Displays Help information about the tape calculator.
[F2] ROOT x Returns the square root of the current number.
[F3] x^2 Returns the squared value of the current number (x * x).
[F4] RESET Clears the calculator value and resets the tape.
[F5] STO Pressing [F5] stores the current value into a register (0-9).
It can also perform an arithmetic operation on a register and
store the result back into the same register. This is done by
pressing [F5] STO, followed by the operation [+-*/] and the
register number. It then takes the displayed number and the
register value and does the specified operation. The result is
then restored to the register.
[F6] RCL Pressing [F6] recalls the value from the specified register and
places it into the display. This can also perform an arithmetic
operation on the value located in the window using the register
value. This is accomplished by pressing [F6] RCL, followed by
the operation [+-*/] and the register number. It then takes the
displayed number and the register value and does the specified
operation. The register is not changed by this operation.
[F7] CLREG Resets the contents of each register to zero(0).
[F8] SAVE Saves contents of tape to disk file.
[F9] RETPGM Swaps out of the calculator and returns to the last active
task.
[F10] EXIT Exits the Tape Calculator and returns to Back & Forth.
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The Editor
Editor Command The editor included with Back & Forth is a simple-to-use text
and keystroke editor. It is useful in creating and editing
simple ASCII text files.
This editor is also used as the Cut & Paste keystroke editor,
when selected from the Cut & Paste menu. It is useful in
creating and editing keystroke files containing keyboard
commands along with Cut & Paste text. The modified keystroke
file may then be replayed by selecting the Paste command.
This editor includes such features as: an ASCII table, list of
command keys, text movement commands (Block), displayed column
ruler, text wrap, folder & file functions, delete options, and
search and replace commands.
Limitations The maximum file size allowed within this editor is 300-400k.
When used as a Cut & Paste clipboard, the maximum size is
80-100k (depending on the amount of free memory available).
Another limitation is the line length. The maximum line length
accepted and displayed is 512 columns. Any line whose length is
greater than this will be continued on the next line. Please
note, the file is saved in this form.
Editor Screen When the Editor is selected, the first page of text is shown in
the center of the screen. At the top of the screen appears the
menu options, available when the [F2] Menu command is selected.
Below this appears an editor information box containing the row
and column cursor position, the editor settings (set under the
Options menu), the amount of memory left, and the file name. An
asterisk appears to the left of the file name once its contents
have been modified. A representation of the screen appears
below.
Block Delete File Jump Line Miscellaneous Options Print Search
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Line: 1 Col: 0 Ins Ind Wrap Mem: 140k *Path\Filename │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
1Help 2Menu 3Savfil 4NewFil 5Addlne 6Dellne 7Find 8Replac 9RetPgm 0Exit
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Entering Text The main reason for an editor's existence is the entrance and
modification of text. This is easy to do. Text is entered into
the file by positioning the cursor and typing the desired
characters. To end a line and begin a new one, press [Enter].
The cursor keys can also be used to move the cursor to another
location.
To enter a special ASCII character at the cursor, either use
the ASCII table or press the [Alt] key down while typing in its
decimal value. For example, to enter "¢", press [Alt] while
entering the number 155 from the keypad.
Text Entry When text is entered into the file, the editor uses the format
Modes settings defined within the Options menu to control text entry.
These settings include the wrap mode, indent mode, and tab
treatment within the editor.
Inserting / Text is entered into the file according to the selected edit
Overwriting mode, either Insert or Overwrite. When in Insert mode, typing a
Text character inserts it before the character shown at the cursor.
When in Overwrite mode, typing a character overwrites the
character at the cursor. To change the edit mode, press the
[Ins] key until either "Ins" or "Ovr" is shown at the top of
the screen.
Indenting Text The Indent mode determines where the cursor is placed after the
end of line is reached. When "Ind" is shown, upon reaching the
end of a line, the cursor is positioned directly below the
first non-blank character of the line above; otherwise, when
"Ind" is off, the cursor is moved to column one of the next
line when the end of line is reached. This is toggled when
[Shift][F10] is pressed.
Wrapping Text The text wrap mode determines the way text is treated when the
right margin is exceeded. When a character has been typed past
the right margin, the last word entered is moved to a new line
along with the cursor. When off, the line of text is ended only
when the [Enter] key is pressed, a cursor key is pressed, or
the line length reaches 512 characters. The wrap feature does
not wrap text that has been changed by inserting or deleting
text at any point in a line other than at the right margin. To
reformat an altered paragraph, use the [Ctrl][F7] Format
command.
Treatment of The [Tab] key lets you enter a set number of spaces at the
Tabs cursor. Tabs are commonly used to indent the first lines of
paragraphs or separate columns of information. The tab size may
be set under the Options menu.
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Cursor The cursor keys are used to move the highlighted cursor around
Movement the file and within the menus. When the editor is in text mode,
the following keys moves the text cursor in the indicated
direction.
[Up] or [Down] Moves the cursor to the character directly
above or below its current position.
[Left] or [Right] Moves left or right one character. If the
cursor is at the beginning of a line,
pressing [Left] moves to the end of the
above line. If the cursor is at the end of
a line, pressing [Right] moves to the
beginning of the line below.
[PgUp] or [PgDn] Shows the next or previous text page in
the file. A page is the amount of text (20
lines) that can be shown on the screen at
one time.
[Ctrl][PgUp] or Moves the cursor to the first or last
[Ctrl][PgDn] character on the displayed page of text.
[Home] or [End] Moves the cursor to highlight the first or
last character on the current line of
text.
[Ctrl][Home] or Moves the cursor to the first or last
[Ctrl][End] character of the file.
Wordstar This editor supports most of the basic commands of the Wordstar
Cursor Keys editor. The Wordstar cursor movement keys are shown below
matched with their cursor key equivalent (as defined above).
[Up] [Ctrl][E]
[Down] [Ctrl][X]
[Left] [Ctrl][S]
[Right] [Ctrl][D]
[PgUp] [Ctrl][R]
[PgDn] [Ctrl][C]
[Ctrl][PgUp] [Ctrl][Q][E]
[Ctrl][PgDn] [Ctrl][Q][X]
[Home] [Ctrl][Q][S]
[End] [Ctrl][Q][D]
[Ctrl][Home] [Ctrl][Q][R]
[Ctrl][End] [Ctrl][Q][C]
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Invoking the The editor enters command mode when the [F2] menu is invoked or
Editor when a quick key is pressed. When in command mode, the
Commands highlighted selection bar is shown within the active menu.
Commands may be invoked in one of three ways, by either
selecting from the [F2] Menu, typing the Wordstar emulation
quick keys, or pressing the function key quick keys.
Invoking a The command mode ordinarily used is the menu mode. This mode
Command via lets you select a command by sequentially stepping through the
[F2] Menu menus and choosing the desired options. To invoke a command
using the menu mode, press the [F2] Menu key and, using the
[Left] or [Right] cursor key, move the selection bar across the
menu line to highlight the desired option. Press [Enter] or the
[Down] cursor key to display the contents of the menu. Now use
the [Up] or [Down] cursor key to move the selection bar to the
desired command in the pull-down menu and press [Enter] to
select.
Invoking a The other two command selection modes use quick keys to invoke
Command via the desired commands. One set uses the [Ctrl] key coupled with
Quick Keys the designated alphabetic keys to invoke commands similar to
the quick keys used by the Wordstar editor. To invoke a command
using this set of quick keys, press the [Ctrl] key down while
pressing the alphanumeric character(s) assigned to the command.
These are listed within the command menus.
The other set of quick keys uses the [Shift], [Ctrl], and [Alt]
keys coupled with the ten (10) function keys to invoke
commands. These keys are shown at the bottom of the editor
screen. To see the commands assigned to each set of function
keys, hold down either the [Shift], [Ctrl], or [Alt] key for a
moment. After a brief delay, the function keys shown at the
bottom of the screen are changed to display those corresponding
to the key being pressed. To invoke a command using these quick
keys, press the function key with either [Shift], [Ctrl], or
[Alt] key.
All quick keys may only be issued while the editor is in text
mode. The editor is in text mode when a cursor key or character
entered from the keyboard is shown in the text of the file.
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Function Key Most of the function keys shown at the bottom of the screen
Commands correspond to options found under [F2] Menu.
[F1] Help Displays Help about the editor.
[F2] Menu Invokes the menu at the top of the
screen.
[F3] SavFil Found under File menu: Save file
[F4] NewFil Found under File menu: Load a new file.
[F5] AddLne Found under Line menu: Add a line
[F6] DelLne Found under Delete menu: Line
[F7] Find Found under Search menu: Find
[F8] Replac Found under Search menu: Replace
[F9] RetPgm Returns to the last active program.
[F10] Exit Exits the editor.
[Alt][F1] AscTbl Found under Options menu: ASCII table
[Alt][F2] GoLine Found under Jump menu: Line number
[Alt][F3] InsFil Found under File menu: Read in file
[Alt][F4] WrtFil Found under File menu: Write to file
[Alt][F5] DupLne Found under Line menu: Duplicate line
[Alt][F6] DelBol Found under Delete menu: Front of line
[Alt][F7] JoinLn Found under Line menu: Join line
[Alt][F8] SplitL Found under Line menu: Split line
[Alt][F9] LineShl Found under Line menu: Left Shift
[Alt][F10] LineShr Found under Line menu: Right Shift
[Ctrl][F1] BlkBeg Found under Block menu: Begin block
[Ctrl][F2] BlkEnd Found under Block menu: End block
[Ctrl][F3] BlkHid Found under Block menu: Unmark block
[Ctrl][F4] BlkCpy Found under Block menu: Copy block
[Ctrl][F5] BlkMov Found under Block menu: Move block
[Ctrl][F6] BlkDel Found under Block menu: Delete block
[Ctrl][F7] BlkPrt Found under Block menu: Print block
[Ctrl][F8] BlkWrt Found under Block menu: Write block
[Ctrl][F9] BlkShl Found under Block menu: Shift left
[Ctrl][F10] BlkShr Found under Block menu: Shift right
[Shift][F1] Ruler Found under Options menu: Ruler
[Shift][F2] CenLin Found under Line menu: Center line
[Shift][F3] SetMrk Found under Jump menu: Set marker
[Shift][F4] GoMrk Found under Jump menu: Goto marker
[Shift][F5] InsLne Found under Line menu: Insert line
[Shift][F6] DelEol Found under Delete menu: End of line
[Shift][F7] TopScn Found under Jump menu: Top of screen
[Shift][F8] CenScn Found under Jump menu: Center of screen
[Shift][F9] BotScn Found under Jump menu: Bottom of screen
[Shift][F10] SetInd Found under Options menu: Indent mode
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[F1] Help The [F1] Help key displays information describing the Editor
and its commands. The help text is a compilation of the
contents of this manual.
To change the help index, press the [F5] Index key. A menu
lists all defined help topics. Use the [Up] or [Down] cursor
key to highlight the desired index. Press [Enter] to view the
help information for the highlighted index.
To scroll the help text one line at a time, use the [Up] or
[Down] keys. Use [PgDn] or [PgUp] to show the next or previous
pages of text.
When you have finished reading the help information provided,
press [Esc] to exit Help.
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[F2] Menu The [F2] Menu contains the command menus for the editor. When
selected, the editor is placed in command mode and the
selection bar appears at the top of the screen. The options are
as follows:
Block Contains the block commands which let you
define, copy, delete, move, unmark, write, &
shift one column to the left or right the block
of text.
Delete Contains the delete commands that allow you to
delete characters, words, parts of words, lines,
parts of lines, and blocks.
File Contains the commands that let you read, write,
or view a list of files.
Jump Contains the commands that let you mark a spot
in the text, and move to a marked location, line
number, or the top or bottom of the file.
Line Contains the commands that allow you to add,
center, duplicate, insert, join, shift left or
right, and split the line at the cursor.
Miscellaneous Contains the Reformat paragraph command.
Options Contains the ASCII table and editor settings
such as: left/right margins, tab ruler, indent,
insert, and wrap modes.
Print Contains the print options for the editor.
Search Contains the find, replace, continue commands.
Use the [Left] or [Right] cursor key to move the selection bar
across the menu line to highlight the desired option. Press
[Enter] or the [Down] cursor key to display the contents of the
highlighted menu.
Menu Quick The following list shows the quick keys that have been assigned
Keys to the command menu options. These quick keys may be used only
while in text entry mode.
Block [Alt][B] Miscellaneous [Alt][M]
Delete [Alt][D] Options [Alt][O]
File [Alt][F] Print [Alt][P]
Jump [Alt][J] Search [Alt][S]
Line [Alt][L]
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Block Menu The Block menu contains the text manipulation commands of the
editor. They are used to copy, move, delete, shift, and write
to disk a selected group of lines of text. The word "block"
refers to the rectangular appearance of the highlighted text,
selected by defining the top and bottom lines of contiguous
lines of text. The minimum size of a block is one complete line
of text; the maximum size of a block is based on the amount of
memory available.
Begin block Defines the top line of a block of text.
End block Defines the bottom line of a block of text.
Copy Copies the highlighted block of text to the
line where the cursor is located.
Delete Deletes the highlighted block of text.
Move Moves the block to the line where the cursor
is at, deletes the block from its former
location.
Print Prints the block of text.
Unmark Unmarks the highlighted block of text.
Write Writes the highlighted block of text to a
file.
Left Shift Moves the highlighted block to the left 1
column.
Right Shift Moves the block of text to the right 1 column.
Use the [Up] or [Down] cursor key to move the selection bar to
highlight the desired option and press [Enter], or press the
first letter of the menu option. To exit this menu, press
[Esc].
Block Quick The following lists the quick keys that have been assigned to
Keys the Block menu. These keys can only be used while in text mode.
Block menu [Alt][B] [F2][B]
Begin Block [Ctrl][K][B] [Ctrl][F1]
End Block [Ctrl][K][K] [Ctrl][F2]
Copy Block [Ctrl][K][C] [Ctrl][F4]
Delete Block [Ctrl][K][Y] [Ctrl][F6]
Move Block [Ctrl][K][V] [Ctrl][F5]
Print block [Ctrl][K][P]
Unmark Block [Ctrl][K][H] [Ctrl][F3]
Write Block [Ctrl][K][W] [Ctrl][F8]
Shift Block Left [Ctrl][F9]
Shift Block Right [Ctrl][F10]
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Begin block Selecting Begin Block defines the top line of a block of text,
based on the cursor location. If a previously defined block
exists and is located below the cursor (even if it is not shown
on the screen), this option redefines the top line of that
block. If a block exists but is located above the cursor,
selecting this option unmarks the previously defined block and
defines the top line of the new block.
For example, if the cursor is located at the underlined
character in this paragraph, selecting Begin block defines the
first line of this paragraph as the top line of a new block.
End block Selecting the End Block option defines the bottom line of a
block of text, based on the cursor location. Once the top and
bottom lines of the block have been set, the block of text is
highlighted.
Continuing the above example, if the cursor is then moved to
the underlined character found in this paragraph, selecting End
block defines the last line of this paragraph as the last line
of the block and highlights the text in these three paragraphs.
Copy When Copy is selected, the highlighted text is copied to the
line where the cursor is located without deleting it from its
original place in the file.
If this command is issued using the block defined above and the
cursor is moved to appear at the underlined character at the
beginning of this paragraph, the contents of the three
paragraphs would be copied to appear between the above
paragraph and this one, leaving the first copy of the block in
place but unmarked.
Delete When Delete is selected, you are first asked to verify the
block delete request. Answer [Y] to delete the defined block.
Be careful when deleting text since no Undo command is
provided.
Continuing the example shown under the Copy command, selecting
Delete deletes the three highlighted paragraphs that were
copied between the two Copy block paragraphs.
Move When Move is selected, the highlighted block is moved to the
line where the cursor is located, deleting the text from its
former spot.
If this command is issued using the block selected under the
Begin and End block examples and the cursor is moved to appear
at the underlined character, the three marked paragraphs would
be deleted from their original position and moved between this
paragraph and the one above.
Print When Print is selected,the highlighted block is printed using
the format specified in the displayed form. This form is
documented within the Print menu.
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Unmark When Unmark is chosen, the block is unmarked and shown in the
normal text color. This text is no longer grouped together as a
block and any block commands issued no longer affects this
text.
Write When Write is selected, a picklist shows all non-executable
files found in the current directory. To create a new file,
highlight [New file], press [Enter], and type in a new file
name. To open another directory, press [Tab] to move the
selection bar into the directory window, highlight the desired
path, and press [Enter].
Left Shift When the Left Shift option is selected, the highlighted block
of text is moved one column to the left. Be careful when using
this command; any text appearing in column one will be replaced
by the contents of column two. This command may be used to
reposition a block of text on the screen.
Right Shift When the Right Shift option is selected, the highlighted block
of text is moved one column to the right and a space is placed
in column one. This may be used to indent the block of text.
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Delete Menu The Delete menu contains the text deletion commands available
under the editor. These commands, with the exception of the
Block command, operate on the specified text located at the
cursor. Therefore, before selecting any of these commands,
first move the cursor to the desired location. In the case of
the Delete Block command, a block of text must first be defined
by using the Begin and End Block commands. You should use
caution when selecting any of the text deletion commands, since
no Undo command is available to restore accidental deletions.
When selected, the following options are shown:
Character Deletes the character at the cursor. For
example, if the cursor is located at the
underlined character in this sentence, the
letter "u" would be deleted.
Previous Deletes the character to the left of the
Character cursor. For example, if the cursor is located
at the underlined character, the letter "n"
would be deleted.
Word left Deletes all characters in the word up to the
cursor. For example, if the cursor is at the
underlined character, the letters "under" would
be deleted.
word righT Deletes the rest of the word from the cursor. A
word is delimited by a space. For example, if
the cursor is located at the underlined
character, the word "underlined " would be
deleted.
End of Line Deletes the text from the cursor to the end of
the line. For example, if the cursor is at the
underlined character, the words "at the" would
be deleted.
Front of Line Deletes the text from the beginning of the line
to the cursor. For example, if the cursor is
located at the underlined character, the words
"at the under" would be deleted.
Line Deletes the entire line of text where the
cursor is located. For example, if the cursor
is located at the underlined character, the
entire line from the word "the" to the word
"the" is deleted.
Block Deletes the highlighted block of text.
Use the [Up] or [Down] cursor key to move the selection bar to
highlight the desired option and press [Enter], or press the
first letter of the menu option. To exit this menu, press
[Esc].
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Delete Quick The following lists the quick keys that have been assigned to
Keys the Delete menu. These keys can only be used while in text
mode.
Delete menu [Alt][D] [F2][D]
Character [Ctrl][G] [Del]
Previous character [BkSp]
word righT [Ctrl][T]
Word left [Ctrl][BkSp]
End of Line [Ctrl][Q][Y] [Shift][F6]
Front of Line [Alt][F6]
Line [Ctrl][Y] [F6]
Block [Ctrl][K][Y] [Ctrl][F6]
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File Menu The File menu contains the commands used to identify, read in,
and save text files and keystroke folders. When selected, the
following options are shown:
Load a new file Reads the selected text file into the editor.
Insert file Reads the selected file and inserts its
contents into the editor at the cursor.
Save the file Saves the file to disk.
Write to a file Saves the contents of the editor to a file
selected from the file list.
Directory Displays all files found in the current
directory matching a user-specified wildcard.
Use the [Up] or [Down] cursor key to move the selection bar to
highlight the desired option and press [Enter], or press the
first letter of the menu option. To exit this menu, press
[Esc].
File Quick The following list shows the quick keys that have been assigned
Keys to the File menu. These quick keys can only be used while in
text mode.
File menu [Alt][F] [F2][F]
Load a new text file [Ctrl][K][R] [F4]
Insert file [Alt][F3]
Write text file [Alt][F4]
Save file [Ctrl][K][S]
Directory [Ctrl][K][F]
Load a New The Load a new text file command reads a text file into the
File editor.
When selected, a file picklist is shown naming all
non-executable files found in the current directory. To use the
picklist, use the cursor keys to move the selection bar to
highlight the desired file name and press [Enter]. To create a
new file, select the [New file] option and enter a file name.
Insert File The Insert file option reads a selected text file into the
editor and places the text into the open file at the cursor.
Before selecting this command, move the cursor to the position
in the open file where you wish the contents of the selected
file to be inserted.
When selected, a file picklist is shown naming all
non-executable files found in the current directory. To use the
picklist, use the cursor keys to move the selection bar to
highlight the desired file name and press [Enter]. To create a
new file, select the [New file] option and enter a file name.
Save File The Save file option saves the contents of the open file.
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Write File The Write file option allows you write the contents of the open
file to an ASCII file.
When selected, a picklist is shown naming all non-executable
files found within the current directory. The use of this
picklist is detailed on the following page.
Highlight the desired file name within the picklist and press
[Enter] to select. To create a new file, highlight the [New
file] entry, press [Enter], and type in the name of the new
file.
Directory The Directory option displays all files found in the current
directory. This lets you view a list of existing files without
having to invoke one of the above commands.
To use the picklist, use the cursor keys to move the selection
bar and press [Enter] to select. Press the [Tab] key to move
the selection bar from one windows to another.
To set a new search pattern, press [Alt][S], press [End] to
move the cursor to the end of the pattern, and edit the
displayed pattern. This search pattern narrows down the files
listed within the Files window to only those matching the
wildcard pattern.
Press [Alt][D] to move the selection bar into the directory
window. This window shows all subdirectories and recognized
drives found within the current path. Now highlight the drive
where the desired directory is located and press [Enter]. All
directories found within the root directory of that drive are
then shown. If the desired directory is a subdirectory,
continue highlighting and selecting its parent directories
until the desired directory can be chosen.
Pressing [Alt][F] moves the selection bar back into the file
window. The highlighted file name within this window is listed
at the bottom of the screen along with its creation date and
size.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Search pattern: │
│ C:\B&F\*.TXT │
│ │
│ ┌──Files─────────┐ ┌──Directories───┐ ┌────────────╖ │
│ │ [New file] │ │ .. │ │ Ok ║ │
│ │ │ │ [A:DRIVE] │ ╘════════════╝ │
│ │ │ │ [B:DRIVE] │ │
│ │ │ │ [C:DRIVE] │ ┌────────────╖ │
│ │ │ │ [D:DRIVE] │ │ Cancel ║ │
│ │ │ │ [E:DRIVE] │ ╘════════════╝ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ └────────────────┘ └────────────────┘ │
│ [New file] 00/00/80 12:00a 0 │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
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Jump Menu The Jump menu contains the commands used to move the cursor
other than the cursor keys themselves. These commands let you
move the cursor to various locations within the file. When
selected, the following options are shown:
Top of file Displays the first page of the file.
Bottom of file Displays the last page of text in the file.
Jump to line Moves the cursor to the specified line number.
Set marker Links one of the 9 available markers to the
cursor position in the file. This is used in
conjunction with Goto marker.
Goto marker Moves the cursor to the selected marked
position in the file.
First line on Moves the line containing the cursor to the
screen top of the editor screen.
Center of Moves the line containing the cursor to the
screen center of the screen.
Last line on Moves the line with the cursor to the bottom
screen line of the screen.
Use the [Up] or [Down] key to move the selection bar to
highlight the desired option and press [Enter] to select.
Jump Quick Below is a list of the quick keys assigned to the Jump menu and
Keys its entries.
Jump menu [Alt][J] [F2][J]
Top of file [Ctrl][Q][R] [Ctrl][Home]
Bottom of file [Ctrl][Q][C] [Ctrl][End]
Jump to line [Ctrl][Q][L] [Alt][F2]
Goto marker [Ctrl][Q][1..9] [Shift][F4]
Set marker [Ctrl][K][1..9] [Shift][F3]
First line on screen [Shift][F7]
Center of screen [Shift][F8]
Last line on screen [Shift][F9]
The [1..9] key shown above represents a numeric key between 1
and 9. The first digit entered is accepted.
Jump to Line The Jump to line number option lets you move the cursor to a
specified line number in the file. When selected, you are
prompted to enter the line number where the cursor is to be
moved. This appears as follows:
Which line (0..xxx)? 0
The numbers appearing in the parentheses constitute the range
of line numbers contained in the file. Enter the desired line
number and press [Enter]. Press [Esc] to exit this prompt and
return to the Jump menu.
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Set Marker The Set marker option allows you to set an place marker at the
cursor position to mark the beginning of an important section
of text. This may be likened to a bookmark used in a book to
mark the point where you stopped reading. Markers are used to
quickly locate marked sections of text for easy movement. Up to
nine markers may be set, each at any location in the file.
These markers are used in conjunction with the Goto marker
command, described below.
Before selecting this command, the cursor must be moved to the
location in the file that you wish marked for future reference.
When Set marker is selected, a menu displays the settings of
all edit markers. If no marker has previously been set, the
marker values default to the last line of the file. Use the
[Up] or [Down] cursor key to move the selection bar to
highlight the marker to be redefined and press [Enter] or enter
the marker number. Press [Esc] to exit this prompt and return
to the editor window.
Goto Marker The Goto marker option moves the cursor to one of 9 preset
markers in the file. These markers are defined using the Set
marker command. When Goto marker is selected, the marker menu
lists the 9 markers and their defined line positions in the
file. Use the [Up] or [Down] cursor key to highlight the
desired marker and press [Enter] or enter the marker number.
Press [Esc] to exit this prompt and return to the editor
window.
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Line Menu The Line menu contains the line manipulation commands. These
commands let you add, center, copy, split, shift and join lines
of text at the cursor. When selected, the following options are
shown:
Add a line Adds a blank line to the file at the cursor and
moves the current line beneath it.
Center line Centers the line of text using the length of
the text and the left and right margins as a
guide.
Duplicate line Duplicates the current line.
Insert a line Adds a line after the current line.
Join line Joins the current and next lines together.
Left shift Shifts the contents of the current line one
column to the left. This may be used to
emphasize a line in the text, distinguishing it
from the remaining indented text. The character
appearing in column one is deleted when this
command is issued.
Right shift Shifts the contents of the current line to the
right one column. This command is used to
indent lines of text from those shown above and
below it.
Split line Splits the contents of the current line between
two lines at the cursor position.
Use the [Up] or [Down] cursor key to move the selection bar to
highlight the desired option and press [Enter], or press the
first letter of the menu option. To exit this menu, press
[Esc].
Line Quick Below is a list of the quick keys assigned to the Line menu and
Keys its entries.
Line menu [Alt][L] [F2][L]
Add a line [F5]
Center line [Ctrl][O][C] [Shift][F2]
Duplicate line [Alt][F5]
Insert a line [Shift][F5]
Join line [Alt][F7]
Left shift [Alt][F9]
Right shift [Alt][F10]
Split line [Enter] [Alt][F8]
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Miscellaneous The Miscellaneous menu contains the command that lets you
Menu reformat the paragraph using the defined editor settings.
Miscellaneous Below is a list of the quick keys assigned to the Miscellaneous
Quick Keys menu and its entries.
Miscellaneous menu [Alt][M] [F2][M]
Reformat paragraph [Ctrl][B]
Reformat Selecting the Reformat paragraph command formats the current
Paragraph paragraph of text from the cursor onward. Formatting text is
the process of redefining the end of each line of text to fit
between the left and right margins. This is necessary when text
has been inserted or deleted from the middle of a line of text
or when the left or right margins have been changed. For
example, if the right margin has been set to 60 and you wish to
reformat a paragraph, move the cursor to the beginning of the
paragraph in question and press [Ctrl][B]. This wraps all text
at column 60 up to the first empty line (a line consisting only
of spaces or a carriage return).
When the text is wrapped, a ragged right edge results. This
editor does not support right justified text.
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Options Menu The Options menu contains the following options:
ASCII Table Lists the 256 ASCII characters. Each character
is shown with its decimal, octal, hexadecimal,
and binary values. Multiple characters may be
entered into the text using the buffer shown at
the bottom of the window.
Ruler When On, displays a ruler marking the columns
and tab stop positions on the screen. This is
helpful when positioning text on the screen.
Tab setup Displays a tab ruler with the defined tab
stops. To define irregular tab stop intervals,
position the cursor and press the [Tab] key.
Editor setup Displays a menu listing editor settings such as
the edit mode, indent mode, wrap status, left
and right margins, and tab width.
Save settings Saves the editor settings to EDITOR.CFG.
Use the [Up] or [Down] cursor key to highlight the desired
option and press [Enter], or press the first letter of the menu
option. To exit this menu and return to the edit screen, press
[Esc].
Options Quick Below is a list of the various quick keys assigned to the
Keys Options menu and its entries.
Options menu [Alt][O] [F2][O]
ASCII Table [Shift][F1]
Ruler [Ctrl][O][R] [Alt][F1]
Tab Ruler [Ctrl][O][T]
Indent mode [Ctrl][O][I] [Shift][F10]
Insert/Overwrite mode [Ins]
Wrap mode [Ctrl][O][W]
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ASCII Table The ASCII Table displays the IBM ASCII character set. This
table may be used to enter selected characters into the body of
the text. When selected, the first 15 characters are listed.
Each character is shown with its decimal (base 10), octal (base
8), hexadecimal (base 16), and binary (base 2) values. Use the
cursor keys to scroll the selection bar. Press [Esc] to exit
the table.
Entering To select a character from the ASCII table for addition to the
Characters file, highlight the character and press [Ins]. This places the
into the Text character into the text buffer shown at the bottom of the
window. Pressing [F9] inserts these characters into the file at
the cursor. To exit without inserting the selected characters,
press [F10].
Tab Setup The Tab ruler lets you customize the tab spacing. Up to 16 tabs
may be set. When chosen, a ruler is shown with numbered
columns, the 16 tab positions, and the available commands. Use
the [Left] or [Right] key to move the cursor and press [Tab] to
set a tab stop. Pressing [Ins] inserts a space at the cursor in
the ruler; pressing [Del] deletes a space. These two commands
affect the spacing of all tab stops to the right of the cursor.
To remove a tab stop, move the cursor to highlight the tab and
press [Tab].
Several function key commands are also available. Use [F3] to
reset the tabs to their original settings. Use [F7] to clear
all settings. Press [F9] to store the tab stops and return to
the editor screen. To save these tab stops to the editor
configuration file, use the Options menu Save command. Press
[F10] to exit the Tab ruler without storing the tab settings.
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Editor Setup The Editor setup contains the settings responsible for
controlling various aspects of text entry and formatting within
the editor. When selected, the following options are shown:
Backup mode Sets the procedure used to save the edited file.
The options are: None, which saves the file
normally; '.BAK' copy, which renames the original
copy of the file with the '.BAK' extension then
saves the edited file; and Incremental, which
renames the original file to a file with a
numbered extension then saves the edited file.
The first time a file is saved in Incremental
form, it is renamed with the '.BAK' extension;
each subsequent time it is saved, the file is
given a numeric extension. For example, if Backup
mode is set to Incremental and the file called
LETTER.TXT has been saved 2 times, then three
copies of the file will be found, LETTER.TXT,
LETTER.001, LETTER.BAK.
Edit mode Determines the way in which text entry affects
surrounding text. When set to Insert mode, typed
text is inserted in front of the text at the
cursor. When set to Overwrite, typed text writes
over the text at the cursor.
Indent mode Determines the placement of the cursor when text
is wrapped or when [Enter] is pressed. When On,
the cursor is moved under the first column of
text in the line above; when Off, the cursor is
moved to column one.
Wrap mode Determines the action taken when the right margin
is exceeded. If Wrap mode is set On, typing a
character past the right margin moves the last
word entered to the next line. When set Off, the
right margin setting is ignored. To wrap a
contiguous block of text, move the cursor to the
top line of the block and press [Ctrl][B] Format.
Left margin Specifies the leftmost column of the file. Only
blanks are shown to the left of this position.
This value must be less than the right margin
value.
Right margin Specifies the rightmost column of the file. This
is used by word wrap and the [Ctrl][B] Format
command to determine the column where text wrap
takes place. When text is typed past this column,
the last word typed is moved to the next line. If
Wrap mode is turned Off, this value is ignored.
The maximum number of columns is 512.
Tab width Specifies the number of spaces used to expand tabs.
Press the [Up] or [Down] key to highlight an option and use the
[Left] or [Right] key to change its setting. Once all options
have been set,press [F9] to set these options and return to the
edit screen or press [F10] to abandon them.To save the settings
to the configuration file, use the Options menu Save command.
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Print Menu The Print menu contains the commands used to print the contents
of a file or block of text using the customized format. When
selected, the following options are shown:
Block Prints the highlighted block of text.
File Prints the open file in the editor.
To exit this menu, press [Esc]. Once one of the above options
is selected, a print format screen is displayed. The entries
within this form control the appearance of the printed text.
Note Before printing, check the printer to make certain that it is
properly connected to your computer, that it is turned on, and
that plenty of paper is available.
Print Quick Below is a list of the various quick keys assigned to the Print
Keys menu and its entries.
Print menu [Alt][P] [F2][P]
Print block of text [Ctrl][K][P] [Ctrl][F7]
Print Format The Print Formatter window outlines the various print options
Window that can be set which are used to format the text when printed.
Name of file Identifies the file being edited. This field
cannot be changed from this window.
Number of copies Sets the number of copies to be printed.
Pause between If On, you are prompted before each page is
pages printed. This is used when you must
hand-feed each page to the printer.
Add line numbers Prints a line number on each line of text.
Strip high bit Strips the high bit from the printed output.
Truncate long If On, the contents of the line extending
lines past the right margin is not printed. If
Off, the remaining text is put to the next
line.
Starting page Sets the value of the first page number
number printed (the page number must be specified
in either the header, subheader, or footer).
Page length Sets the number of lines that can be printed
onto one page. This is used to align the
next page after a page is printed. With the
printer set to print 6 lines per inch, 8½ x
11 paper contains 66 lines per page.
Line spacing Sets the number of lines shown between each
printed line. If set to one, no blank lines
appear between text lines.
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Tab expand size Sets the number of spaces a tab character is
replaced by.
Top margin Sets the number of lines from the top of the
page where the first line of text is
printed.
Left margin Sets the number of columns from the left
side of the page to be skipped before the
first character of each line is printed.
Right margin Sets the number of columns from the right
side of the page where printing is stopped.
Bottom margin Sets the number of lines from the bottom of
the page where printing stops.
Header Defines a line of text to be printed at the
top of a page.
Header offset Sets the number of lines from the top of the
page where the header is to be printed. This
must be less than the top margin value.
Subheader Defines a second line of text to be printed
below the header.
Subheader offset Sets the number of lines from the top of the
page where the subheader is to print. This
also must be less than the top margin.
Footer Defines a line of text to be printed at the
bottom of the page, below the last line of
text.
Footer offset Sets the number of lines from the top line
of the bottom margin. This cannot be greater
than the bottom margin value.
Move the selection bar by pressing the [Up] or [Down] cursor
key. Press [F10] to exit the print formatter, press [F9] to
begin printing.
Headers, The information printed within the header, subheader, and
Subheaders, footer may be divided into three groups. These groups are left
and Footers justified text, centered text, and right justified text. To
separate the contents of these groups, use the "|" character.
Do not place any spaces in the text other than where you want
spaces to appear. For example, the following line creates a
header with your name, your company's name, and your phone
number.
Header: Your Name | Your Company's Name | (xxx) xxx-xxxx
To center a title at the top of each page, enter the following:
Header: |Title
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Print Macros Several macros have been provided to allow you to insert file
and system specific information. To select any of these
options, enter the macro onto the line as text. Each two
character macro is preceded by a caret, "^". The following
macros are available:
^CD Displays the current system date.
^CT Displays the current system time.
^FD Displays the file date.
^FT Displays the file time.
^FN Displays the name of the file.
^FP Displays the entire path of the file.
^PN Displays a sequential page number, starting
with the value defined under Start page
number.
For example, to print a footer with the file name and date on
the left and the page number on the right, enter the following:
Footer: ^FN ^FD | | ^PN
Printing Files Once [F9] is pressed, a message box is displayed naming the
file being printed. Once the usage log has started to print,
you can exit by pressing [Esc]. No other command may be issued
until the usage log is finished printing.
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Search Menu The Search menu contains the text search commands of the
editor. You can select to either search for a match to an
entered string, replace text matching a specified string, or
continue a previously defined search or replace command from
the cursor position. When selected, the following commands are
shown:
Find Searches for a match to the specified search
text.
Replace Searches for a match to the search text and
replaces it with the specified replacement
text.
Next match Continues the last issued Search or Replace
command from the current cursor position in the
file. This uses the information set when the
Search or Replace command was initiated.
To make a selection, either use the [Up] and [Down] cursor keys
to move the selection bar to highlight the desired option and
press [Enter], or press the first letter of the menu option. To
exit this menu and return to the edit screen, press [Esc].
Search Quick Below is a list of the quick keys assigned to the Search menu
Keys and its commands. These keys may only be used while within text
entry mode.
Search menu [Alt][S] [F2][S]
Find [Ctrl][Q][F] [F7]
Replace [Ctrl][Q][A] [F8]
Next match [Ctrl][L]
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Find and When either the Find or the Replace command is selected from
Replace the above Search menu, a menu identifies the applicable search
Prompts parameters. The only difference between the two menus is the
Replace text string entry within the Replace command menu. The
Find and Replace parameters are as follows:
Search string Identifies the text string that is used to
search the file. This may be up to 50
characters in length and may contain any
typeable character.
Replace string Defines the text used to replace the located
search string. This may be up to 50 characters
in length and may contain any typeable
character. This entry is only shown within the
Replace menu.
Direction Sets the direction in the file to be searched.
The search may begin from the cursor and move
forward to the end of the file, it may begin at
the cursor and move back to the beginning of
the file, or it may begin at the beginning of
the file.
Case Sensitive Determines the treatment of case differences in
the text. If set to Yes, the file is searched
for any text matching the search string,
regardless of case. If set to No, the file is
searched for an exact match to the search
string, including its use of capitalization.
For example, if looking for the word "Cats",
searching with case sensitivity set to No
ignores occurrences of "CATS" and "cats".
Whole words Restricts matching text to only whole words
separated by spaces or punctuation. If set to
Yes, only whole words are matched. If set to No
(default), any matching text is located. For
example, if this is set to Yes and the search
string is set to "the", only the word "the" is
located in the file, not text such as "their"
or "other".
To make a selection, use the [Up] or [Down] cursor key to
highlight the desired entry and press [Enter] or [Space]. To
begin searching the file using these settings, press [F9]. To
exit this menu without searching the file, press [F10].
[F9] Return to The [F9] Return to Program command returns to the last task
Program executed within Back & Forth.
[F10] Exit Pressing [F10] exits the editor. If the file has any unsaved
modifications, you are prompted whether you wish to save the
changes made before exiting. Answer [Y] to save the changes
made to the file, [N] to ignore the changes made and exit
anyway, or [Esc] to abort the exit procedure and return to the
editor. Once [F10] has been pressed, control is returned to
Back & Forth.
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Back & Grab - The Graphics Screen Grabber
Capturing a With the Back & Grab command, it is easy to capture a graphics
Graphics Image image from the screen and save it to a Grab folder. This image
can then be reviewed and exported to a .PCX data file for use
with paint programs, or other programs supporting the use of
graphics images. This image can also be shown on the screen
when the system is not in use, via the screen blanker graphics
display option.
To grab an image from the screen, follow these steps:
* Use your program to show the graphics image to be cut.
* Press the Cut / Grab hot key (default is [Alt][Ctrl][C]).
* If the screen is successfully captured and saved, a short
series of tones will sound. If the capture is not
successful, a long low beep will sound. Back & Grab may fail
to capture a screen when insufficient space is available to
store the screen image within the Back & Forth program
directory, when attempting to cut Hercules or monochrome
screens, or when the displayed graphics mode is unsupported.
* To examine a captured graphics image, return to Back &
Forth, open the BackPacks menu, select Grabber, and then
select Folder. A list of saved screen images is then shown,
identified by an editable description, the application where
they were captured, and the date and time of capture. Move
the selection bar to the desired image and press [F2] or
[Enter]. This shows the captured image exactly as it looked
when it was grabbed. Press any key to return to the folder
list.
* To export a selected image to a .PCX file, press [F3]. You
are then shown a picklist file window. Press [Tab] to move
the highlighted bar between the search path, file list, and
directory list. The first file name entry in the list is
[New file] which is used to create a new file in the
directory to hold the exported file. To select an existing
file to hold the graphics image, highlight the desired file
and press [Enter] or [O]. If [New file] is selected, you are
then prompted for an 8 character file name. After entering a
name, press [Enter] to export the file.
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Back & Grab To display the Back & Grab settings menu, enter the BackPacks
Menu menu and select Grabber. When chosen, two options are shown.
These are:
Folder Lists all captured Back & Grab graphics screen
images. These images are created by pressing the
Cut hot key when the screen is in graphics mode.
This saves an exact image of the screen to a storage
folder for later export to .PCX files.
Quit Saves the settings and returns to the running
program.
Use the [Up] or [Down] keys to highlight the desired option and
press [Enter], or press the first letter. Press [Esc] or [Q] to
exit the Back & Grab menu and return to the running program.
Folder List The Folder option lists all Back & Grab graphics images that
have been captured. These images are created when the Cut/Grab
hot key is pressed while the screen is in graphics mode. These
images can be exported to a .PCX file, which lets you import
the image into paint programs and/or desktop publishing
applications.
When selected, a list of images along with a description of the
tasks where they had been captured and their creation dates and
times are shown along with the following function keys.
[F1] Help Displays help for the Folder option.
[F2] View Displays the highlighted image to the screen.
Press any key to return to the Folder list.
[F3] Export Saves the highlighted image to a named .PCX file.
[F4] Delete Deletes the highlighted image from the list.
[F5] Move Moves the image to another position in the list.
[F6] EdDes Allows you to edit the description of the image.
[F8] Sort Sorts the list of images by its description, the
description of the originating task, or date.
[F10] Exit Exits this list and returns to the Back & Grab
menu.
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The Overtime! Event Scheduler
Overtime! Overtime! is a time management utility provided for use within
Setup Back & Forth. With Overtime!, you can outline the day's
activities using the appointment book, remind yourself of
important events using the memo pad, keep track of things that
you need to do using the To-Do list, set alarms to warn you of
scheduled events and activities, and execute tasks at specified
times.
Note: Overtime! alarms are only active while Overtime! is loaded in
memory within Back & Forth. The best way to make certain that
it is loaded is to specify Overtime! for automatic execution
within B&F's Autoload setup. When the Lite version of Back &
Forth is run, Overtime! alarms are not available for use.
Overtime! When Overtime! is selected from the BackPacks menu, a calendar
Screen is shown on the left side of the screen with the memo pad
underneath. The schedule of the day's events and the To-Do list
are shown on the right.
File Appointment Calendar To-Do list Options Window Quit!
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒╔══════════ Calendar ═══════════╗▒┌────────────── Appointments ──────────────┐▒
▒║ █▀▀█ █▀▀█ ▀▀▀█ █ AM ║▒│ Saturday, 1 of February 1992 │▒
▒║ █ █ █▀▀█ ▀▀▀█ █ ║▒├───┬──────┬───────────────────────────────┤▒
▒║ ▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀ ▀ 45 ║▒│ │ │ │▒
▒╟─┬───────────────────────────┬─╢▒│ │ │ │▒
▒║ │ February 1992 │ ║▒│ │ │ │▒
▒║ ╞═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╡ ║▒│ │ │ │▒
▒║ │Sun│Mon│Tue│Wed│Thu│Fri│Sat│ ║▒│ │ │ │▒
▒║ ╞═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╡ ║▒│ │ │ │▒
▒║ │ 1│ ║▒└───┴──────┴───────────────────────────────┘▒
▒║ │ 2 3 4 5 6 7 8│ ║▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒║ │ 9 10 11 12 13 14 15│ ║▒┌───┬─────────── To-Do List ───────────────┐▒
▒║ │ 16 17 18 19 20 21 22│ ║▒│ │ │▒
▒║ │ 23 24 25 26 27 28 29│ ║▒│ │ │▒
▒║ │ │ ║▒│ │ │▒
▒║ ╞══════════ Memo ═══════════╡ ║▒│ │ │▒
▒║ │ │ ║▒│ │ │▒
▒║ │ End of Data │ ║▒│ │ │▒
▒║ │ │ ║▒│ │ │▒
▒╚═╧═══════════════════════════╧═╝▒└───┴──────────────────────────────────────┘▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
1Help 2Menu 3Calen 4Appts 5Memo 6To-Do 7Weekly 8Month 9RetPgm 10Exit
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 166
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The Calendar The Calendar, shown in the upper left side of the screen,
displays the current system time, the date, and days of the
month. Pressing the following cursor keys moves the cursor from
day to day. As each new day is highlighted, the information
shown within the appointment book, memo pad, and to-do list
changes to reflect the schedule for that particular day.
[Left],[Right] Moves from day to day.
[Up],[Down] Moves from week to week.
[Home] Moves to the first day of the month.
[End] Moves to the last day of the month.
[PgUp],[PgDn] Moves from month to month.
[Ctrl][PgUp],[Ctrl][PgDn] Moves from year to year.
[Ctrl][Home] Moves back to today's date.
[Tab] Moves cursor from the calendar into
the appointment book. If pressed
again, the cursor is then moved
into the memo-pad; if again, then
into the to-do list.
[Enter] Moves into the Appointment book.
Under the time, four triangle keys are also shown. Clicking the
mouse on one of these triangle keys shows the last or next
month or the last or next year.
The Memo Pad The Memo pad is displayed directly below the calendar. This can
be used to display information that is not time-specific, like
birthdays, holidays, vacation days, and other special events.
To edit the memo field, press the [F5] key and type in the
memo.
The On the right side of the screen, appointments for the day are
Appointment shown. Each entry contains the description of the appointment,
Book its start time, and the status symbol. A musical symbol (a pair
of sixteenth notes) marks those appointments set to either
sound an alarm, pop-up a message, or run a program. If a note
has been attached to an appointment entry, a == symbol is shown
in the left column.
If Overtime! mode is set to Off within the open task and the
appointment is set to either sound an alarm, display a message,
or run a program, a series of tones will sound at the specified
time at 15 second intervals without otherwise interrupting the
task in use. An alarm symbol is also shown to the right of the
screen clock. This alarm continues to sound until you either
press [Esc] or until you swap back to the Back & Forth or
Overtime!. Once there, alarm appointments simply shut off while
message alarms show the appointment description, and program
execution appointments load and run the designated task.
If Overtime! mode has been set to On within the active task,
the alarm sounds after the appointment time is reached. If the
appointment's alarm type is set to Message or Program, control
is then automatically returned to Overtime! where either the
message is displayed or the task is run.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 167
______________________________________________________________________________
To add or edit an appointment entry, press either [Tab] or [F4]
and move the highlighted bar to the time slot to be filled and
press [Enter]. The Appointment entry field definition window is
described in the following pages. The time interval, starting,
and end time can be set within the Options menu Appointment
settings.
The To-Do List The To-Do list is shown below the Appointment book. This is a
convenient way of listing and keeping track of important tasks
that need to be accomplished. These may or may not be
date-sensitive rather than time-sensitive, as are the
Appointment book entries. Events are shown within this list as
their warn-by dates are reached. This is a self-maintaining
list, with each day's unfinished entries added to the next
day's to-do list.
The status of each to-do list item is shown in the left column.
An "!" identifies an item that has not been finished by its due
date, "!!" marks an item that has not been accomplished even
after its due date. The "==" symbol marks those items with
notes attached. Items that have been done are marked by a
check. To reset the status of an item, press [+] to mark the
item as done, press [-] to reset the item to pending.
To open the To-Do list, press either the [F6] key or the [Tab]
key until the cursor is placed in the To-Do list window.
Each line of the to-do list shows a description of each item
and its status. To edit an item in the To-Do list, move the
highlighted bar to the desired entry and press [Enter]. To add
a new to-do list item, press [Alt][T] and select [N].
Function Key The function keys shown at the bottom of the screen identify
Commands the various windows that can be entered while using Overtime!.
[F1] Help Presents help describing Overtime!
[F2] Menu Activates the pull-down menus shown at the top
of the screen.
[F3] Calend Moves the cursor into the Calendar window.
[F4] Appts Moves the highlighted bar into the Appointment
book window.
[F5] Memo Moves the cursor into the Memo pad.
[F6] To-Do Moves the highlighted bar into the To-Do list.
[F7] Weekly Displays a condensed appointment report for the
current week.
[F8] Monthly Displays six month calendars.
[F9] Return Swaps Overtime! from memory and returns to the
last program executed.
[F10] Quit Exits and returns to Back & Forth.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 168
______________________________________________________________________________
Pull-Down Menu At the top of the screen, seven pull-down menu options are
Options shown. These options may be selected either by pressing the
[F2] Menu function key and using the [Right] or [Left] cursor
keys to open the menu, or by pressing the [Alt] key combined
with the first letter of the menu name. For example, to select
the Appointment menu option, you may either press the [F2] key
and press the [Right] key once, or you can press [Alt][A].
File Lists the File options. These let you create,
load, delete, print, or save an appointment
file.
Appointment Lists the Appointment options. These let you
add, edit, or delete an appointment.
Calendar Lists the Calendar options. These let you jump
to a specified day or month.
To-Do list Lists the To-Do list options. These let you
add, edit, or delete a To-Do list entry.
Options Lists the available options. These control the
Appointment settings, 43/50 line display mode,
printer setup options, and delete outdated
entries.
Window Jumps into either the Calendar, Appointment
book, memo pad, to-do list, week-at-a-glance,
month-at-a-glance, and usage graph.
Quit! Exits the Appointment book and returns to Back
& Forth.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 169
______________________________________________________________________________
File Menu The File menu contains the file manipulation options of
Overtime!. These include:
Load/new Loads a file and/or creates a new file for use
within Overtime!. When selected, a file menu is
opened on the screen showing all appointment
files found in the current directory and the
new file entry. The names of the appointment
files have the file extension of 'A##' with the
'##' representing the user number. To create a
new Overtime! file, select the [New file] entry
and press [Enter]. You are then prompted for
the file name of the new Overtime! data file.
Delete Deletes the information contained within the
selected file. When selected, a file list is
shown containing all Overtime! data files found
in the current directory. You cannot delete the
open Overtime! data file.
Print Prints the appointments and to-do list for the
selected range of days. This uses the printer
information selected within the Options menu,
Printer setup option.
Save Saves the information stored within the memo
pad, Appointment book, and to-do list to disk.
Print The Print option prints the appointments and to-do list for the
Appointments selected range of days. This uses the printer information
selected within the Options menu, Printer setup option. When
selected, you are prompted for the following information:
Start date Chooses the first day of information to be
printed.
Stop date Sets the last day to be printed.
Print Sets the print mode to either Letter quality,
quality which is the most legible, or Draft, which is the
fastest.
When the above entries are filled, printing of the selected
days begins. To abort printing, press [Ctrl][Break]. Each day's
information is printed in the following format:
January 1, 1992 Wednesday January 1, 1992
┌───────────────────────────────┐┌────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat ││ Appointments │
│ 1 2 3 4 ││ │
│ 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 ││ │
│ 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 ││ │
│ 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 ││ │
│ 26 27 28 29 30 31 ││ │
└───────────────────────────────┘│ │
┌───────────────────────────────┐│ │
│ To-Do ││ │
│ ││ │
│ ││ │
│ ││ │
│ ││ │
└───────────────────────────────┘└────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 170
______________________________________________________________________________
Appointment The Appointment menu contains commands that enable you to add,
Menu edit, or delete an appointment.
New Adds a new appointment to the list.
Edit Edits the highlighted appointment entry. The
highlighted appointment may also be modified by
pressing [Enter].
Delete Deletes the highlighted appointment entry. When
selected, you are asked to verify the delete
request. The highlighted appointment may also
be deleted by pressing [Del].
List all Lists all appointments defined within the
Appointment book, regardless of defined date.
Adding an When either Add or Edit is selected, the appointment book entry
Appointment definition window is shown.
Description Defines a 30 character description used to
identify the appointment within the appointment
book.
Alarm type Sets the alarm type to: Off, Program, Sound
only, or Message. The alarm type identifies the
action taken when the appointment time is
reached. When set to 'Off', nothing happens.
When set to 'Program', a task is executed when
the time occurs and control is returned either
to Back & Forth or Overtime!. When set to
'Sound only', a musical tone is sounded and a
musical notation is shown next to the screen
clock to notify you that the alarm has been
reached. When set to 'Message', the alarm
sounds as described above until control is
returned to Back & Forth or the Overtime!
module. Once there, the appointment description
is shown on the screen in a window.
Date Sets the first date in which the appointment is
to be listed. The date format used is
MM/DD/YYYY, with the first two digits
representing the month, the second two digits
representing the day, and the last four digits
representing the year. To move an appointment
from the current day's schedule to that of
another day, change this date.
Start time Sets the beginning of the appointment. The
format is HH:MM, with the first 2 digits
denoting the hour, the last 2 digits denoting
the minutes.
Stop time Sets the scheduled end of the appointment. This
is useful in planning your day's schedule by
letting you avoid overlapping appointments.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 171
______________________________________________________________________________
Frequency Sets the number of times this event is to
occur. The options are: Once, Daily, Weekly,
and Monthly. Use the [Right] or [Left] cursor
key or press the [F7] List key to select.
Following the frequency aspect is a breakdown
of weekdays when the event can occur. Each
weekday can be toggled to Yes or No. If
frequency is set to Once and that day is set
Off, the alarm will not go off. Furthermore,
you can set events to occur several times a
week by setting the frequency to Daily and
setting to Yes the week days that the alarm
should go off.
Repeat until Sets the final date in which the appointment is
to be repeated.
Program to run Names the task to be run. This does not need to
be filled unless the Alarm type is set to
'Program'. To select from a list of all tasks
defined within Back & Forth, press the [F7]
List key.
Ask before When set to Yes, prompts before running the
launching program. This stops execution of the task if it
task? is not necessary or ill-timed.
Notes When [Ctrl][Enter] is pressed, enters a memo
editor which lets you type a reminder that is
attached to the appointment. Press [Esc] to end
the memo, press [Alt][H] to display a short
list of editor cursor commands.
Use the [Up] or [Down] key to move to the field to be edited.
Use the [Left] or [Right] cursor key to move the cursor within
the field. Press [F9] to save the changes and exit, press [F10]
to exit without saving.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 172
______________________________________________________________________________
Sample Below are some sample appointment definitions. To begin
Appointments defining a new appointment entry, highlight the day of the
appointment and press [F4] to move the selection bar into the
appointment book display. Now press [Alt][A] to activate the
Appointment menu and press [N] to select to define a new entry.
Once you have defined an appointment entry, press [F9] to save.
Note: It is not necessary to open the Appointment book to the
day in which you would like to create a new Appointment entry.
Instead, select to create a new Appointment and enter the date
in which the appointment is to occur.
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ Message: Lunch date with Cassandra Alarm type: Off │
│ │
│ Date: 01/01/1992 Start time: 11:30a Stop time: 12:00p │
│ │
│ Frequency: Daily Sun:Y Mon:Y Tue:Y Wed:Y Thu:Y Fri:Y Sat:Y │
│ │
│ Repeat until: 12/31/1992 │
│ │
│ Task to run: Ask before task is launched: No │
│ │
│ Notes: │
│ │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The above appointment simply creates a note which appears within the
appointment book. It places a notice of this appointment each Monday at 9:30
am. Below is another appointment which sounds an alarm when the time occurs.
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ Message: Morning meeting at 10:00am Alarm type: Sound only │
│ │
│ Date: 01/01/1992 Start time: 09:50a Stop time: 10:30a │
│ │
│ Frequency: Weekly Sun:N Mon:Y Tue:N Wed:N Thu:N Fri:N Sat:N │
│ │
│ Repeat until: 12/31/1992 │
│ │
│ Task to run: Ask before task is launched: No │
│ │
│ Notes: │
│ │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 173
______________________________________________________________________________
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ Message: Doctor appointment at 2:30pm Alarm type: Message │
│ │
│ Date: 01/08/1992 Start time: 02:00p Stop time: 4:00p │
│ │
│ Frequency: Once Sun:N Mon:N Tue:N Wed:Y Thu:N Fri:N Sat:N │
│ │
│ Repeat until: 01/08/1992 │
│ │
│ Task to run: Ask before task is launched: No │
│ │
│ Notes: │
│ │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The above appointment sounds an alarm when the appointment time occurs. It then
displays the defined message. Below is appointment which runs a copy of Word
Perfect and opens a phone book log where you can type in notes about your
telephone conversation while you place a call. If the current program has
Overtime! support turned Off, only the alarm goes off until you switch back to
Back & Forth or one of its BackPacks (including Overtime!). Once within B&F,
the message is displayed or the program is executed.
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ Message: Call client Alarm type: Program │
│ │
│ Date: 01/06/1992 Start time: 01:00p Stop time: 1:15p │
│ │
│ Frequency: Monthly Sun:N Mon:Y Tue:N Wed:N Thu:N Fri:N Sat:N │
│ │
│ Repeat until: 12/31/1992 │
│ │
│ Task to run: Word Perfect Phone Notes Ask before task is launched: Yes │
│ │
│ Notes: Make notes on conversation within the PHONBOOK file │
│ │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 174
______________________________________________________________________________
List All Appts The List All Appointments option available for selection from
the Appointments menu lets you list every appointment defined
within the Overtime! event scheduler. This shows a condensed
report with relevant appointment information. At the bottom of
the screen, several function keys are shown identifying the
commands available. The function of editing and adding
appointments is documented in the preceding pages.
[F1] Help Displays help information about this screen.
[F3] Add Adds a new appointment entry.
[F4] Delete Deletes the highlighted appointment entry.
[F7] Edit Edits the highlighted appointment entry.
[F10] Exit Exits the Appointment list window.
┌──────────────────────────── Appointment List ─────────────────────────────┐
│ Date Start Stop Description Alarm Type Notes │
│ 01/01/92 11:30a 12:00p Lunch date with Cassandra Off No ░
│ 01/01/92 9:50a 10:30a Morning meeting at 10:00 Sound No ░
│ 01/06/92 1:00p 1:15p Word Perfect Phone Notes Program Yes ░
│ 01/08/92 2:00p 4:00p Doctor appointment at 2:30 Message No ░
│ ░
│ ░
│ ░
│ ░
│ ░
│ ░
│ ░
│ ░
│ ░
│ Use cursor keys to move selection bar │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
1 Help 3 Add 4 Delete 7 Edit 10 Exit
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 175
______________________________________________________________________________
Calendar Menu The Calendar menu contains commands that let you move to
specific dates within Overtime!. These are:
goto Day Jumps to a specified day. When selected,
you are prompted for the day, month, and
year where you wish to jump to.
goto Month Jumps to a selected month. When chosen,
you are asked for the month and year where
you wish to jump.
goto Current date Jumps to today's date.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 176
______________________________________________________________________________
To-Do List The To-Do list menu contains commands that enable you to add,
Menu edit, or delete to-do list items.
New Adds a new To-Do list item to the list.
Edit Edits the highlighted to-do list item.
The highlighted item to be modified may
also be selected by pressing [Enter].
Delete Deletes the highlighted to-do list item.
This item may also be removed by pressing
[Del].
Set item to dOne Resets the status of the highlighted item
to Done.
Set item to Pending Resets the status of the highlighted item
to Pending.
List all Lists all to-do list items defined,
regardless of status or warning date.
Adding a To-Do When either the New or Edit command is selected from this menu,
List Item the To-Do list item definition window is shown. This contains
the following entries.
Description Defines a 30 character description used to
identify the item within the to-do list.
Status Marks the status of the To-Do list item,
with Pending used to denote items that
have not been accomplished and Done!
removing those items from the list that
have been.
Priority Designates the relative importance of this
item. This is used when sorting the To-Do
list with the High priority items
appearing at the top of the list, followed
by Medium, then Low priority items.
Due Date Sets the date in which this item should
have already been accomplished. The date
format used is MM/DD/YYYY, with the first
2 digits representing the month, the next
2 digits representing the day, and the
last 4 digits representing the year. If an
item is still listed as pending after its
due date, an exclamation mark is shown to
its left in the list.
Warn by date Sets the first date in which this item is
enumerated in the To-Do list. This item is
not shown until this date is reached.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 177
______________________________________________________________________________
Notes When [Ctrl][Enter] is pressed, enters a
memo editor which lets you type a reminder
that is attached to the to-do list item.
Press [Esc] to end the memo, press
[Alt][H] to display a short list of editor
cursor commands.
Use the [Up] or [Down] key to move to the field to be edited.
Use the [Left] or [Right] cursor key to move the cursor within
the field or to scroll the available options. Press [F7] to
list the available options in a small window. Press [F9] to
save the changes and exit, press [F10] to exit without saving.
Sample To-Do Below is a sample to-do list item definition. To define a to-do
List Entry list item, press [F5] to move the selection bar into the to-do
list. Now press [Alt][T] to activate the To-Do list menu and
press [N] to select to define a new item. Once you have defined
a to-do list item, press [F9] to save.
┌──────────────────────────────── New Item! ────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ Description: Finish manual and send to printer █
│ ░
│ Status: Pending Priority: High ░
│ ░
│ Due Date: 01/20/1992 Warn by date: 01/17/1992 ░
│ ░
│ Notes: ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ ░
│ │ Complete manual and have proofread. Check indexes, table │ ░
│ │ of contents, and pagination. │ ░
│ │ │ ░
│ │ │ ░
│ │ │ ░
│ │ │ ░
│ │ │ ░
│ │ │ ░
│ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ░
│ Enter text │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 178
______________________________________________________________________________
List All To-Do The List All To-Do list items option available for selection
List Items from the To-Do list menu lets you list every to-do list item
defined within the Overtime! event scheduler. This shows a
condensed report with relevant to-do list item information. At
the bottom of the screen, several function keys are shown
identifying the commands available. The function of editing and
adding appointments is documented in the preceding pages.
[F1] Help Displays help information about this screen.
[F3] Add Adds a new to-do list item entry.
[F4] Delete Deletes the highlighted to-do list item.
[F7] Edit Edits the highlighted to-do list item.
[F10] Exit Exits the to-do list window.
┌────────────────────── To-Do Item List ───────────────────────┐
│ Due Date Description Status Notes │
│ 01/20/1992 Finish manual and send to printer Pending █
│ ░
│ ░
│ ░
│ ░
│ ░
│ ░
│ ░
│ ░
│ ░
│ ░
│ ░
│ Use cursor keys to move selection bar │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
1 Help 3 Add 4 Delete 7 Edit 10 Exit
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 179
______________________________________________________________________________
Options Menu The Options menu lets you set the following options.
Appointment Sets the time range and format shown by default
settings in the Appointment book. This menu contains
three options: Display range, which sets the
range of times shown; Resolution, which sets
the number of minutes between each appointment;
and Format, which sets the mode to either
Standard 12 hour or Military 24 hour entry mode
43/50 line If selected, displays the Overtime! screen in
mode 43/50 line mode (depending on the type of
monitor and video card being used). This moves
the To-Do list under the Calendar and allows
the Appointment book to use the entire right
side of the screen to display the schedule.
Printer setup Configures the printer for use in printing the
Overtime! information. This holds the following
entries: Printer type, device port, baud rate,
number of data bits,number of stop bits,parity,
and number of minutes before aborting print.
Delete old Removes all appointments and To-Do list items
entries that have been marked Done! from the file
occurring on or before the date specified. When
selected, you are prompted for the date to be
used. Once entered, you are then asked to
verify the deletion request.
Use the [Up] or [Right] key to move to the field to be edited.
Use the [Left] or [Right] cursor key to move the cursor within
the field or to scroll the available options. Press [F9] to
save the changes and exit, press [F10] to exit without saving.
Appointment The Appointment settings menu lets you set the range and format
Settings of appointment times shown by default in the Appointment book.
Display Delimits the range of appointment times normally
range shown. This is only a guideline; when defining an
appointment, you can set the time to any time
that is appropriate and the screen will show it.
Resolution Sets the number of minutes between each
appointment. The options are Appointments only,
10, 15, 20, 30, and 60 minutes. Again, this is
only used as a guideline; when defining an
appointment, you can set the time to anytime you
wish. For instance, even though the resolution is
set to 15 minutes, you can still define an
appointment to appear at 8:02.
Entry format Selects between Standard and Military time
formats. Standard shows the time based on a 12
hour clock, whereas Military shows the time based
on a 24 hour clock. For instance, 3:00pm
(standard) is the same as 15:00 (military).
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 180
______________________________________________________________________________
Printer Setup The Printer setup menu lets you configure your printer for use
in printing the Overtime! information.
Printer Selects the make and model of printer being used.
If your printer is not listed here, then set the
printer type to either Generic for dot matrix
printers or LaserJet for laser printers. Press
[F7] and use the [Down] and [Up] keys to scroll
the list.
Device Selects the port where the printer is connected,
either: LPT1(default), LPT2, LPT3, COM1, or COM2.
Baud rate Sets the maximum baud rate accepted by the
printer, either: 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, or
9600.
Data bits Sets the number of data bits used by the printer
to either 7 or 8 (default).
Stop bits Sets the number of stop bits to 1 (default) or 0.
Parity Sets the parity to None (default), Even, or Odd.
Time out Sets the length of time that Overtime! will wait
for the printer to respond before aborting print.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 181
______________________________________________________________________________
Window Menu The Window menu contains the various display options available
within Overtime!.
Calendar Moves the day cursor into the month calendar.
Appointments Moves the highlighted bar into the appointment
book. From here, appointments may be added,
alarms may be set, and programs can be
configured to execute at specified times.
Memo pad Moves the cursor into the Memo pad field,
located below the Calendar. This field is
useful for noting important information about
that day, like birthdays, holidays, vacations,
etc.
To-Do list Moves the highlighted bar into the To-Do list.
This is a useful device for listing things that
must be done but that are not bound by a
schedule.
Weekly Displays the appointments scheduled for the
selected week. Use the [Right] or [Left] cursor
keys to change days, use the [Down] or [Up]
cursor keys to scroll the appointments for that
day.
Monthly Displays the six month calendar.
Usage graph Graphs the appointment schedule for the week
beginning with the current day. The graph is
broken down into 30 minute intervals with the
duration of an appointment marked by a happy
face character. Overlapping appointments are
marked with exclamation marks.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 182
______________________________________________________________________________
Week At A The Weekly Appointment report condenses the appointment entries
Glance to appear on one screen for easier viewing of weekly events.
Press the [Left] or [Right] cursor key to move the selection
bar from day to day. Use the [Up] or [Down] cursor key to move
the selection bar sequentially through the day's appointments.
To edit the highlighted appointment entry, press [Enter]; to
add a new appointment to that day, press [Ins]. The [Del] key
is used to delete the highlighted appointment entry.
┌─────────────────────────────── Weekly View ───────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ ▄ ▄ 27 January 1992 to 2 February 1992 ▄ ▄ │
│ ▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀ │
│ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │
│ ▌ Mon Jan 27,1992 │ Tue Jan 28,1992 │ Wed Jan 29,1992 ▐ │
│ ▌ │ │ ▐ │
│ ▌ │ │ ▐ │
│ ▌ │ │ ▐ │
│ ▌ │ │ ▐ │
│ ▌ │ │ ▐ │
│ ▌ │ │ ▐ │
│ ▌───────────────────────┼───────────────────────┼───────────────────────▐ │
│ ▌ Thu Jan 30,1992 │ Fri Jan 31,1992 │ Sat Feb 1,1992 ▐ │
│ ▌ │ │ █▐ │
│ ▌ │ │ ▐ │
│ ▌ │ ├───────────────────────▐ │
│ ▌ │ │ Sun Feb 2,1992 ▐ │
│ ▌ │ │ ▐ │
│ ▌ │ │ ▐ │
│ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Month At A The Month option displays the six monthly calendars, beginning
Glance with the current month. Press the [PgUp] or [PgDn] cursor key
to move from month to month.
┌────────────────────────────── Monthly View ───────────────────────────────┐
│ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ │
│ ▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀ January 1992 - June 1992 ▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀ │
│ Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa │
│ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │
│ ▌ January 1992 │ February 1992 │ March 1992 ▐ │
│ ▌ 1 2 3 4 │ 1 │ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ▐ │
│ ▌ 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 │ 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 │ 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 ▐ │
│ ▌ 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 │ 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 │ 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 ▐ │
│ ▌ 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 │ 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 │ 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 ▐ │
│ ▌ 26 27 28 29 30 31 │ 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 │ 29 30 31 ▐ │
│ ▌ │ │ ▐ │
│ ▌───────────────────────┼───────────────────────┼───────────────────────▐ │
│ ▌ April 1992 │ May 1992 │ June 1992 ▐ │
│ ▌ 1 2 3 4 │ 1 2 │ 1 2 3 4 5 6 ▐ │
│ ▌ 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 │ 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 │ 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 ▐ │
│ ▌ 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 │ 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 │ 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 ▐ │
│ ▌ 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 │ 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 │ 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 ▐ │
│ ▌ 26 27 28 29 30 │ 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 │ 28 29 30 ▐ │
│ ▌ │ 31 │ ▐ │
│ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 183
______________________________________________________________________________
Usage Graph The Usage graph provides an alternate way of looking at the
Display daily schedule. It maps the appointments allotted for the day,
with each appointment marked with a happy-face character,
overlapping appointments are marked by a '#' character.
┌───────────────────────── Time Usage Graph ─────────────────────────┐
│ ▄ ▄ │
│ ▀▀▀▀ 1 February 1992 to 7 February 1992 ▀▀▀▀ │
│ 1 1 1 1 1 1 │
│ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 │
│ Sat Feb 1 ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ │
│ ........................ │
│ Sun Feb 2 ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ │
│ ........................ │
│ Mon Feb 3 ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ │
│ ........................ │
│ Tue Feb 4 ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ │
│ ........................ │
│ Wed Feb 5 ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ │
│ ........................ │
│ Thu Feb 6 ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ │
│ ........................ │
│ Fri Feb 7 ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ │
│ │
│ Appointment ! Conflicting appointments ▒ Free │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Quit! Saves the appointment entries, exits Overtime!, and returns to
Back & Forth.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 184
______________________________________________________________________________
Overtime! Error Messages
A program must be specified for PROGRAM alarm type!
This error occurs when [F9] is pressed before a program is defined within
an program alarm entry.
Appointment date is AFTER repeat until date!
This occurs when one of the two dates within the edit appointment entry is
incorrect.
Back & Forth Professional kernel only supports 50 active alarms!
This error occurs when you attempt to define more than 50 alarms.
Due date is BEFORE warning date!
This error occurs within the edit To-do list entry window when one of the
two dates is entered incorrectly.
Invalid date!
This error occurs when the date entered is incorrect. The month makes up
the first two digits (1-12), the day is the second two digits (1-31), and
the year is the last four digits.
No appointments in current scheduler file to delete!
This error occurs when the Delete Appointment command is selected within
an empty appointment book.
No scheduler files for user x to delete!!
This error occurs when the Delete Appointment command is selected within
an empty Overtime! scheduler file.
Overtime! only supports 250 appointments per scheduler file!
This error occurs when you try to create more that 250 appointment
entries. Use the Options menu Delete old entries command to clean up the
file.
Overtime! only supports 80 items per To-Do list!
This error occurs when you try to create more that 80 to-do list items.
Examine the list and mark those items that have been finished as done by
pressing [+].
Overtime! only supports 100 memos per scheduler file!
This error occurs when you attempt to create more that 100 memo entries.
Use the Options menu Delete old entries command to clean up the file.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 185
______________________________________________________________________________
Printer database not found!
This error is shown when attempting to print. Check to make certain that
the printer database file, PRINTERS.DB, is located within the Back & Forth
directory. If this file cannot be found, exit Back & Forth and use your
master Back & Forth diskettes to re-install Back & Forth.
Program scheduled to run at xx:xx is no longer defined!
This error occurs when a program alarm entry has been deleted from the
appointment book before it goes off.
Scheduler configuration file corrupted! Default values will be used.
This error appears when something happens to corrupt the Overtime!data
file. You will have to reset configuration options.
Start time is AFTER stop time!
This occurs when either the start or stop time is entered incorrectly
while defining an appointment entry.
Stop date cannot be BEFORE the start date!
This occurs when either the start or stop time is entered incorrectly
while defining an appointment entry.
Unable to find printer database!
This error is shown when attempting to print. Check to make certain that
the printer database file, PRINTERS.DB, is located within the Back & Forth
directory and that it has not been overwritten by some other file. If this
error occurs, exit Back & Forth and use your master Back & Forth diskettes
to re-install Back & Forth and the printer database file.
Unable to save appointments (disk full??)!
This error occurs when [F9] is used to save the last entered appointment
entry. Check if enough space is free on the disk. This may occur when this
disk is also used for swap space within B&F. In this case, swap Overtime!
from memory and free up some more disk space. Only the last record entered
will be lost. To ensure that this does not happen again, either reduce the
amount of swap space allocated on that disk or use a different disk for
swap space.
Unable to save scheduler configuration (disk full??)!
See above.
You cannot delete the active scheduler file!
This error occurs within the File menu Delete command when the current
scheduler file is selected for deletion. If you truly wish to delete the
current file, use the Load/new file command to open a new or different
file then use the Delete command to delete.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 186
______________________________________________________________________________
The RoloBack Address Minder
RoloBack RoloBack is a address and telephone database provided for use
Address System within Back & Forth. With RoloBack, you can organize and save
the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and personal
information of important individuals. A telephone number can
also be dialed directly from the highlighted person's record.
Screen When RoloBack is selected from the BackPacks menu, the
Description telephone list display is shown by default with its index keys
placed above it. The information contained within the telephone
list is based upon the index used to sort the address book. You
can also select to display the contents of the address book one
record at a time. The default index used to sort and display
the address book is based on each person's name.
File Dial Index Options Print Records Search Tag Window Quit!
A ▄ B ▄ C ▄ D ▄ E ▄ F ▄ G ▄ H ▄ I ▄ J ▄ K ▄ L ▄ M ▄ ▄ Name ▄ City ▄
▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀
N ▄ O ▄ P ▄ Q ▄ R ▄ S ▄ T ▄ U ▄ V ▄ W ▄ X ▄ Y ▄ Z ▄ ▄ State ▄ Zip ▄
▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀
┌─┤File: X├─────────────────────────────────────────────────┤Index: Name ├─┐
│ Name Home Phone Business Phone │
│ ............................... ................... ................... │
│ ............................... ................... ................... │
│ ............................... ................... ................... │
│ ............................... ................... ................... │
│ ............................... ................... ................... │
│ ............................... ................... ................... │
│ ............................... ................... ................... │
│ ............................... ................... ................... │
│ ............................... ................... ................... │
│ ............................... ................... ................... │
│ ............................... ................... ................... │
│ ............................... ................... ................... │
│ ............................... ................... ................... │
│ Use cursor keys to move selection bar + to tag - to untag │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤Cards: 13├─┘
1Help 2Menu 3Add 4DelMnu 5Search 6Window 7Edit 8Dial 9RetPgm 10Exit
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 187
______________________________________________________________________________
Movement The following commands are used to move the selection bar
Commands within the list, change the index, tag or untag a record, and
edit the highlighted record.
[Up],[Down] Moves from week to week.
[Home],[End] Moves to the first or last record in the
database.
[PgUp],[PgDn] Moves up or down 13 records.
[A],[B],...,[Z] Moves to the first record in the list whose
index begins with the pressed alphanumeric
character.
[+],[-] Tags or untags the highlighted entry.
[Ctrl][N] Sorts the address book by name.
[Ctrl][C] Sorts the address book first by city, then by
name.
[Ctrl][S] Sorts the address book by state and name.
[Ctrl][Z] Sorts the address book by zip code and name.
[Enter] Edits the highlighted address record.
Mouse Use The mouse can also be used to select any of the commands shown
on the screen, including the alphabetic movement keys, the
index selection keys, the pull-down menus, and the function
keys. To select a command shown on the screen, position the
mouse cursor within the desired item's label and press the
[Left] mouse button. To exit a menu, press the [Right] mouse
button.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 188
______________________________________________________________________________
Function Key The following function keys control various aspects of the
Commands operation of RoloBack.
[F1] Help Presents help describing the RoloBack address
book.
[F2] Menu Activates the pull-down menus shown at the top
of the screen.
[F3] Add Opens the record definition window, where the
individual's name, address, telephone number,
and personal notes can be entered.
[F4] Delete Deletes the highlighted record entry from the
list.
[F5] Search Searches the database for the first occurrence
of the specified text. The search can be
restricted to only the displayed index or it
can encompass all fields within the database.
[Shift][F5] Continues the search from the current position
Next in the list using the information defined
within the [F5] Search menu.
[F6] Window Changes between the telephone list and the
single card display.
[F7] Edit Opens the highlighted record for editing.
[F8] Dial Dials the selected number from the highlighted
record.
[F9] RetPgm Swaps RoloBack from memory and returns to the
last program executed.
[F10] Exit Exits and returns to Back & Forth.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 189
______________________________________________________________________________
Pull-Down Menu At the top of the screen, ten pull-down menu options are shown.
Options These options may be selected either by pressing the [F2] Menu
function key and using the [Right] or [Left] cursor keys to
open the menu, or by pressing the [Alt] key combined with the
first letter of the menu name. For example, to select the Index
menu option, you may either press the [F2] key and press the
[Right] key twice, or you can press [Alt][I].
File Lists the File options. These let you create,
load, or delete a selected address book
database.
Dial Dials a selected telephone or fax number from
the highlighted record. When a number is dialed
using RoloBack, the "Last called field within
the record is updated with the current system
date.
Index Sorts the RoloBack address database. When
selected, four indices are identified: name,
city/state/name, state/name, and zip code/name.
Options Lists the available options. These control the
43/50 line display mode, dialer settings, and
printer setup options.
Print Prints the information in the database in
either an address book or telephone list
format.
Records Lets you add, edit, or delete an address book
record entry.
Search Lets you search through the database for a
match to the specified search text.
Tag Provides options to group selected records
together.
Window Sets the display mode used by RoloBack, either
the condensed telephone list or one record at a
time.
Quit! Exits RoloBack and returns to Back & Forth.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 190
______________________________________________________________________________
File Menu The File menu contains the file manipulation options of the
RoloBack address book. These include:
Load/new Loads a file and/or creates a new address book
file for use within RoloBack. When selected, a
file menu is opened on the screen showing all
database files found in the current directory
and the new file entry. Each database is
comprised of three files with the extensions
"*.NX", "*.ST", and "*.MP". To create a new
RoloBack file, select the [New file] entry and
press [Enter]. You are then prompted for the
file name.
Delete Deletes the selected set of database files.
When selected, a file list is shown containing
all RoloBack data files found in the current
directory. You cannot delete the open RoloBack
data file.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 191
______________________________________________________________________________
Dial Menu The Dial menu contains the telephone dialing options provided
within Back & Forth. When a number is dialed from an address
record, its "Last call" entry is updated with the current
system date. The dial options include:
Current record Dials a selected phone number from the
highlighted address book entry. If the
highlighted record has more than one defined
telephone number, you are prompted to select
the number to be dialed.
Manual dial Lets you type in a phone number to be
dialed.
Once the phone number has been selected, a dialing method menu
is shown. This menu identifies the phone number that is to be
dialed and shows the dialing codes defined for use. The options
available for selection are:
Dial number as is Dials the number as it appears.
1-3 Dial codes Appends the defined dial code to the phone
number and dials the number. These dial
codes are shown only when defined within the
Options menu Dialer setup.
Cancel Cancels the Dial command request.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 192
______________________________________________________________________________
Index Menu The Index menu contains the four index options available for
use in sorting the RoloBack address book. These are:
Name Sorts the address book by name.
City/state/name Sorts the address book by city, followed
by state and name.
State/name Sorts the address book by state and by
name.
Zip code/name Sorts the address book by zip code and by
name.
Use the [Up] or [Down] key to move to the index to be selected.
Press [F9] to select, press [F10] to exit without re-sorting
the address book.
You can also re-sort the address book directly, without having
to enter this menu by press the [Ctrl] key coupled with the
first letter of the index to be used. For instance, to sort the
database by zip code, press [Ctrl][Z].
The name field is used to resolve conflicting address records.
When the records are sorted by name, they are ordered by the
last name followed by the first and middle name.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 193
______________________________________________________________________________
Sample Screens Changing the index also changes the information shown on the
screen within the Telephone listing window. Below is a
representation of the differences between each when displayed.
The name index display is shown at the beginning of this
section.
┌─┤File: ROLOBACK├──────────────────────────────────────────┤Index: City ├─┐
│ │
│ City Name Home phone Business phone │
│ ................... .................... ............... .............. │
│ ................... .................... ............... .............. │
│ ................... .................... ............... .............. │
│ ................... .................... ............... .............. │
│ ................... .................... ............... .............. │
│ ................... .................... ............... .............. │
│ ................... .................... ............... .............. │
│ ................... .................... ............... .............. │
│ ................... .................... ............... .............. │
│ ................... .................... ............... .............. │
│ │
│ Use cursor keys to move selection bar + to tag - to untag │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤Cards: 13├─┘
┌─┤File: ROLOBACK├──────────────────────────────────────────┤Index: State├─┐
│ │
│ State Name Home Phone Business Phone │
│ ................... .................... ............... .............. │
│ ................... .................... ............... .............. │
│ ................... .................... ............... .............. │
│ ................... .................... ............... .............. │
│ ................... .................... ............... .............. │
│ ................... .................... ............... .............. │
│ ................... .................... ............... .............. │
│ ................... .................... ............... .............. │
│ ................... .................... ............... .............. │
│ ................... .................... ............... .............. │
│ │
│ Use cursor keys to move selection bar + to tag - to untag │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤Cards: 13├─┘
┌─┤File: ROLOBACK├──────────────────────────────────────────┤Index: Zip ├─┐
│ │
│ Zip Code Name Home Phone Business Phone │
│ ........... ....................... ................ .............. │
│ ........... ....................... ................ .............. │
│ ........... ....................... ................ .............. │
│ ........... ....................... ................ .............. │
│ ........... ....................... ................ .............. │
│ ........... ....................... ................ .............. │
│ ........... ....................... ................ .............. │
│ ........... ....................... ................ .............. │
│ ........... ....................... ................ .............. │
│ ........... ....................... ................ .............. │
│ │
│ Use cursor keys to move selection bar + to tag - to untag │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤Cards: 13├─┘
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 194
______________________________________________________________________________
Options Menu The Options menu lets you set the following options.
43/50 line mode If selected, displays the RoloBack
telephone list screen in 43/50 line mode
(depending on the type of monitor and
video card being used).
Dialer setup Configures the dialer settings, including
the baud rate, dial mode, communications
port, and the 3 phone codes.
Printer setup Configures the printer for use in printing
RoloBack information. This holds the
following entries: Printer type, device
port, baud rate, number of data bits,
number of stop bits, parity, and number of
minutes before aborting print.
Use the [Up] or [Down] key to highlight the field to be
selected. Press [F9] to save the changes and exit, press [F10]
to exit without saving.
Dialer Setup The Dialer setup menu establishes the communications port, baud
rate, dial mode, and phone codes used when a number is dialed.
These must be set before using the Dial option for the first
time.
Comm port Sets the serial port to be used: either 1, 2, 3,
or 4.
Baud rate Chooses the baud rate of your modem. Choose
between 300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600.
Dial mode Selects the dial method, either Tone or Pulse.
Dial codes Defines the description and contents of each of
1-3 the three dialing codes. The dialing codes are
useful in prefacing a phone number with the
proper dialing sequence for calling the number.
For instance, long distance numbers must be
prefaced by a "1".
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 195
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Printer Setup The Printer setup menu lets you configure your printer for use
in printing RoloBack information. Press [F9] when you are
finished to reset the printer setup, press [F10] to exit
without saving.
Printer Selects the make and model of printer being used.
If your printer is not listed here, then set the
printer type to either Generic for dot matrix
printers or LaserJet for laser printers. Press
[F7] and use the [Down] and [Up] keys to scroll
the list.
Device Selects the port where the printer is connected,
either: LPT1(default), LPT2, LPT3, COM1, or COM2.
Baud rate Sets the maximum baud rate accepted by the
printer, either: 300,600,1200,2400,4800, or 9600.
Data bits Sets the number of data bits used by the printer
to either 7 or 8 (default).
Stop bits Sets the number of stop bits to 1 (default) or 0.
Parity Sets the parity to None (default), Even, or Odd.
Time out Sets the length of time that RoloBack will wait
for the printer to respond before aborting print.
Print Menu The Print menu contains the print options available within
RoloBack. Before printing for the first time, make certain to
check the printer setup options, found within the Options menu.
Address list Prints the name (last name first), company
information, address, and phone numbers of the
selected RoloBack records.
Telephone list Prints the name (last name first) and telephone
numbers of the selected RoloBack records.
When either of the above options are selected, a menu is shown
asking you to choose the records to be printed & the print mode
Records to Chooses what set of records to be printed. The
print three options are Every, Tagged, and Untagged.
The Every option prints all address book
records found in the database, Tagged prints
only those records that have been tagged
(entries with an * to the left of the name in
the telephone list), and Untagged prints all
untagged records.
Print quality Sets the print mode to either Letter quality,
which is the most legible, or Draft, which is
the fastest.
When the above entries are filled, press [F9], Press [F10] to
exit the print menu without printing. To abort printing, press
[Ctrl][Break].
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 196
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Printing the The format of the address book list output is as follows. The
Address Book name is printed with the last name first, followed by the first
List and middle names sorted by the active index. This list only
prints those fields with information actually entered. For
example, if no company name or title has been entered, they are
skipped in the printout. Each individual's address record is
separated by a line in the printout. To abort printing, press
[Ctrl][Break].
Address List
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Last name, First name Middle name │
│ Title │
│ Company name │
│ Address line 1 │
│ Address line 2 │
│ Address line 3 │
│ City, State, Zip code │
│ Home: telephone number │
│ Business: phone number │
│ Fax: phone number │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Next person, First Middle │
│ Company name │
│ Address line 1 │
│ City, State, Zip code │
│ Home: telephone number │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Printing the The format of the telephone list output is as follows. The name
Telephone List is printed on the left side of the list with the last name
first, followed by the first and middle names sorted by the
active index. The phone numbers are printed on the right side.
To abort printing, press [Ctrl][Break].
Telephone List
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Last name, First name, M Home telephone number (H) │
│ Business phone number (B) │
│ Fax phone number (F) │
│ Next person Next person's number (B) │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 197
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Record Menu The Record menu contains the commands used to add, edit, or
delete an address record from the address database.
Add Adds a new address book entry to the list. This
may also be selected by pressing [F3].
Edit Edits the highlighted appointment entry. This
command may also be selected by pressing [F7]
or [Enter].
Delete Deletes the highlighted appointment entry. When
selected, you are asked to verify the delete
request. The highlighted appointment may also
be deleted by pressing [F5] or [Del].
Adding an When either Add or Edit is selected from the Record menu, the
Address Record RoloBack address record definition window is shown. When Add is
selected, the entries shown are blank; when Edit is selected,
the information contained within the highlighted address
record.
┌─┤File: X├───────────────── Adding New Record ─────────────┤Index: Name ├─┐
│ First name: Middle: Last:
│ █
│ Company: Title: ░
│ ░
│ Address 1: ░
│ Address 2: ░
│ Address 3: ░
│ City: State: Zip: ░
│ ░
│ Home phone: Business phone: ░
│ Last call: 00/00/0000 Fax phone: ░
│ ░
│ Notes: ░
│ ░
│ Enter text
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤Cards: 13├─┘
UD Move between fields LR Move within field F1-Help F9-Accept F10-Cancel
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 198
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Address Record The address book record definition window is composed of the
Definition following fields. Of the fields shown, only the name field must
be filled.
Name Provides three entries for entrance of a
person's name. The database entries are sorted
by last name followed by the first name.
Company name Defines the 30 character name of the company
where this individual is employed.
Title Defines the title of the individual within the
company.
Address 1-3 Provides 3 lines for use in entering the street
address information.
City Identifies the 20 character city name where
this address is located.
State Identifies the 15 character state name where
this address is located.
Zip code Identifies the 10 character zip code for this
address.
Phone numbers Provides 3 telephone number entries, home,
business, and fax. These numbers may be
selected for dialing using the dial command and
a modem.
Last call Sets the last date that a phone number was
called using the Dial option within RoloBack.
This entry cannot be changed using the Add or
Edit command.
Notes When [Ctrl][Enter] is pressed, enters a memo
editor which lets you type notes that you wish
to attach to this address book record. Press
[Esc] to end the memo, press [Alt][H] to
display a short list of note editor cursor
commands.
Use the [Up] or [Down] key to move to the field to be edited.
Use the [Left] or [Right] cursor key to move the cursor within
the field. Press [F9] to save the changes and exit, press [F10]
to exit without saving.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 199
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Search Menu The Search menu contains the text search commands of RoloBack.
You can select to either search for a match to an entered
string or continue a previously defined search from the cursor
position. When selected, the following commands are shown:
Find Searches for a match to the specified search
text.
Next match Continues the last issued Search command from
the current cursor position in the database.
This uses the information set when the Search
command was initiated.
To make a selection, either use the [Up] and [Down] cursor keys
to move the selection bar to highlight the desired option and
press [Enter], or press the first letter of the menu option.
Find Fields When Find is selected from the above Search menu, you are
prompted for the text to be searched for and the search
parameters.
Search text Identifies the text string that is used to
search the file. This may be up to 50
characters in length and may contain any
typeable character.
Case Sensitive Determines the treatment of case differences in
the text. If set to Yes, the file is searched
for any text matching the search string,
regardless of case. If set to No, the file is
searched for an exact match to the search
string, including its use of capitalization.
For example, if looking for the word "Cats",
searching with case sensitivity set to No
ignores occurrences of "CATS" and "cats".
Fields to Searches All fields of the database or only the
search Name fields for a match.
To begin searching the address book using these settings, press
[F9]. To exit without searching the database, press [F10].
To invoke the Find command directly from the address book
without having to use the pull-down menus, press [F5]. To
continue the last issued Find command, press [Shift][F5].
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 200
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Tag Menu The Tag menu contains the record grouping commands of RoloBack.
Tagging lets you group together multiple address records for
printing. Tagged cards are marked by an asterisk, '*',
appearing to the left of its entry in the telephone list. When
selected, the following commands are shown:
Current card Tags the highlighted record. This record can
also be tagged by pressing the [+] key.
Every card Tags all cards in the address book.
cLear all tags Untags all tagged records.
Matching Tags all address cards matching a typed text
string. This uses the current index to
determine the field that this entry is to be
compared to.
Untag current Untags the highlighted record. A tagged record
card can also be untagged by pressing the [-] key.
Window Menu The Window menu entry lets you select the display format used,
either the telephone listing or the address record display.
One card at a Sets the display mode to show the current
time address record in its entirety on the screen.
This looks like the Record definition window
described under the Record menu. Pressing the
[Up] or [Down] cursor keys change address
cards.
Telephone list Sets the display mode to show the condensed
telephone list, with each address record
represented by one line of information on the
screen. This is the default display mode.
To switch between the two modes, press the [F6] key.
With both window modes, the [Up] and [Down] cursor
keys moves sequentially through the address book, with the
order based on the index currently in use. The [Home] key
displays the first address record in the database, whereas the
[End] key displays the last.
Quit! Saves the appointment entries, exits Overtime!, and returns to
Back & Forth.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 201
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RoloBack Error Messages
A LAST name must be specified!
This is shown when [F9] is pressed within the RoloBack Add/Edit record
definition window before a last name has been entered. Each address record
must have a last name defined, since the last name is used to resolve
matching indexes when address records are sorted.
Current record has NO phone numbers!
This error is shown when an address record with no telephone numbers is
selected for dialing.
No matching records to print!
This is shown when either Tagged or Untagged is selected from the Print
menu and no records have been tagged/untagged.
No ROLOBACK files to delete!
This is shown when the File menu Delete file command is used on a
directory containing no RoloBack files.
Printer database not found!
This error is shown when attempting to print. Check to make certain that
the printer database file, PRINTERS.DB, is located within the Back & Forth
directory. If this file cannot be found, exit Back & Forth and use your
master Back & Forth diskettes to re-install Back & Forth.
RoloBack configuration file corrupted! Default values will be used.
This error appears when something happens to corrupt the RoloBack data
file. You will have to reset configuration options.
Unable to add card to RoloBack (disk may be full).
This error occurs when [F9] is used to add a record to the database. Check
if enough space is free on the disk. This may occur when this disk is also
used for swap space within Back & Forth. In this case, swap RoloBack from
memory and free up some more disk space. Only the last record entered will
be lost. To ensure that this does not happen again, either reduce the
amount of swap space allocated on that disk or use a different disk for
swap space.
Unable to add tag mark to record in database (disk may be full)!
This error occurs when attempting to tag a file. See the explanation
above.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 202
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Unable to create rolodex file = <filename>
This error may occur under several conditions: if a root directory is used
and 255 files already exist in that directory; if you do not write
privileges in that directory; or if not enough space exists on that drive.
Unable to find printer database!
This error is shown when attempting to print. Check to make certain that
the printer database file, PRINTERS.DB, is located within the Back & Forth
directory and that it has not been overwritten by some other file. If this
error occurs, exit Back & Forth and use your master Back & Forth diskettes
to re-install Back & Forth and the printer database file.
Unable to open rolodex file!
This error occurs when attempting to run RoloBack. It means that your
system has run out of file handles. To correct this problem, exit all open
tasks, exit B&F, increment the FILES statement in your CONFIG.SYS by 10,
then re-run B&F.
Unable to save ROLOBACK configuration (disk full??)!
If this occurs, check to see if enough space is free on the disk. This may
occur when the disk is also used for B&F swap space, especially if
graphics programs are used and swapped from memory. In this case, swap
RoloBack from memory and exit one of the programs in memory. You may later
wish to reduce the amount of swap space allocated on the disk.
Unable to update record to RoloBack (is disk full??).
Check if the current disk is full. If it is, you must return to Back &
Forth and clear some disk space for the data file. Once you have
successfully saved the database, return to B&F, remove all programs from
memory, exit B&F, and re-run B&F to change the swap space allocation.
Either select a different drive for swap space use or reduce the amount of
space allocated on the drive.
You cannot delete the active RoloBack file!
This error occurs within the File menu Delete command when the current
database file is selected for deletion. If you truly wish to delete the
current database file, use the Load/new file command to open a new or
different database file then use the Delete command to delete the database
file.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 203
______________________________________________________________________________
Appendix A: Program Credits
Back & Forth was created by Sandi & Shane Stump for Progressive Solutions,
Copyright (C) 1990,1991,1992.
A special note must be made about the impact one person has made on the
creation of the latest version of Back & Forth. Cassandra Mia Stump has done
something no one and no thing has been able to do -- distract and divert
Shane's attention away from the computer. This is not necessarily bad, when he
actually gets to work, he works even harder.
This program and manual could not have been written without the significant
help of our cats, past and present: Wickett, Princess, Mr. Moby, Allegro,
Merlin, Tabitha, Buster and Genghis, Bagheera Jr., Panda Bear, Rocky-Squirrel,
Fela and Toby.
A few people also helped along the way. We would like to thank the following
individuals for their invaluable aid in testing, suggesting, and supporting
Back & Forth. They are (alphabetically) Michael Ash, Rick Berenstein, David
Brinner, Mike Callahan, Andrew Chalk, Ted DeCastro, Jack De Sola, Joel
Dreyfuss, Dave Fredericks, Larry Hayden, John Jurewicz, Charles Kleis, Pete
Lang, Paul Licht, Jonathan Matzkin, Edward Mendelson, Stephen Paulker, Jerry
Powell, Michel Slivitzky, Ted Thompson, Randy Wallin, Bob Willoughby, Ed Zotti
and many, many more.
This program was written using Borland's Turbo-C, TASM, and Debugger, and vLIB
by Pathfinder Associates on a Digitron 80486, Toshiba T5200/100, ALR 80386, and
the Compaq Portable 80386.
This manual was written using Lotus Manuscript on a Digitron 80486 with a
Hewlett-Packard LaserJet III.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 204
______________________________________________________________________________
Appendix B: Back & Forth Error Messages
A hot key must be selected!
This error occurs within the Hot key setup when you attempt to exit
without selecting a hot key for Back & Forth.
A program description must be entered. Press Esc
This error occurs within the Program Setup Add/Edit command when [F9] is
pressed before a task description is entered. Either press [F10] to exit
without defining the task entry or enter a task description before
pressing [F9].
A program name must be entered. Press Esc
This error occurs within the Program Setup Add/Edit command when [F9] is
pressed before a program name is entered. Either press [F10] to exit
without defining a task entry or enter the program name before pressing
[F9].
A program path must be entered. Press Esc
This error occurs within the Program Setup Add/Edit command when [F9] is
pressed before a program directory is entered. Either press [F10] to exit
without defining the program entry or define the program directory.
A 2 letter/digit program ID must be specified.
This error occurs within the Program Setup Add/Edit command when the [F9]
is pressed before a program id is entered. Either press [F10] to exit
without defining the program entry or enter a 2 character id before
pressing [F9].
AUTOLOAD exceeds total swap space! Swap space needs to be at least xxxk!
This error occurs when not enough swap space has been allocated to load
the tasks selected within the Autoload setup. Control is then returned to
the Swap drive setup window, where more swap space should be allocated.
B&F definition file has been corrupted!
This occurs when the BPVARS file has been corrupted or deleted. Do not
delete any files created by Back & Forth while it is running. If this
error occurs, B&F closes all tasks and returns to DOS. To correct the
problem, copy BPVARS from your most recent backup or re-install Back &
Forth.
B&F only supports PCED version 2.0 or higher.
Back & Forth cannot swap earlier versions of PCED from memory. We
recommend that you update your copy of PCED.
Back & Forth currently only supports 20 open tasks!
This error is shown when you attempt to run more than 20 tasks within Back
& Forth. You must close one of the 20 open tasks before running a new one.
Contact Progressive Solutions to get an expanded version, if needed.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 205
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Back & Forth only allows 50 programs to be defined!
This error occurs when adding program entries within the Program Setup. At
this time, only 50 program entries may be defined. Define only those
programs used regularly. Please contact us if more are needed.
BFPHIGH must be loaded HIGH!
This error occurs when BFPHIGH is run without the necessary high memory
loader.Instructions on loading Back & Forth high are outlined in Section 3
Cannot find COMSPEC environment variable.
This error is shown when Back & Forth cannot locate COMMAND.COM or
4DOS.COM. Back & Forth uses the COMSPEC (DOS command processor) to run
programs or to load a secondary copy of DOS. If this error message is
shown, you must exit Back & Forth and use the SET command to specify where
COMMAND.COM or 4DOS.COM can be found.
COMSPEC file does not exist!
This error message is shown when the file specified in the COMSPEC
environment variable does not exist. This could happen if you used a
floppy disk to boot up your machine. In this case, you must copy the
COMMAND.COM or 4DOS.COM file to the hard disk, RAM disk, or installed
floppy disk and reset the COMSPEC command to that location.
DOS/Video swap drive must be specified!
This error is shown within the Swap drive setup when [F9] is pressed
before a DOS/Video swap path has been set. The DOS/Video swap path is used
to store system and screen information for each open task. The path
selected should have between 144k-2304k unused disk space available,
depending on the programs loaded globally and each program's screen mode
and complexity. More information is provided within Section 4.
'File' cannot be found in the program directory. Press Esc
This error occurs within the Program Setup Add/Edit command when typing in
the executable program name. This may be due to two different problems;
either the file name was misspelled when being typed in, or the program
path specified is incorrect. To check the contents of the program
directory, press [F7] to display the file list. If the desired program
name is not shown within this list, then change the program path and try
again.
Internal task handle table is full. Please contact PSI for help!
This error should never occur. If it does, contact us.
Invalid path has been specified!
This error occurs within the Program Setup Add/Edit command when typing in
a program or work path. Most likely a typographical error crept into the
path name specified. Use the [F7] Directory tree to select the desired
path.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 206
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Memory allocation error -> label.
If this error occurs, Back & Forth will close all tasks and exit to DOS.
Contact us and tell us how it happened, what was loaded, and the label
shown so that we can correct the problem.
No executable file exists for the specified program name. Press Esc
This error occurs within the Program Setup Add/Edit command when the
program name cannot be found within the defined program path. Either press
[F7] to pick the file from the file list or select a different program
path.
No matching files found in 'path name'.
This error occurs within the Program Setup Add/Edit command when typing in
the executable program name. This probably occurs when the wrong program
directory is specified. You must change the program directory path to one
containing executable files and try again.
No programs defined for use within B&F. Use Program Setup.
This error occurs when you attempt to use the Autoload setup without
defining any program entries. To solve this problem, use the Program setup
to define the programs that you wish to run within Back & Forth.
No swap drives have been specified!
This is shown within the Swap drive setup program when [F9] is pressed
before any swap space has been allocated. Program swap paths are used to
store program information when switching between tasks. The selected swap
paths should have enough unused disk space to hold the prospective number
of running tasks using the maximum amount of memory.
Not enough disk space on drive 'x' for Program Swap Drive #
This error occurs when Back & Forth attempts to create the program swap
files. If not enough space is available within any of the selected paths,
you are returned to the Swap drive setup to correct its value.
Not enough memory to run Back & Forth!
Back & Forth needs at least 192k of free memory to run. If this error
occurs, check the AUTOEXEC.BAT for unnecessary TSR programs.
Not enough swap memory available to run 'program name'!
This error occurs when you attempt to run a program from the Program List
which needs more swap memory than is available. To run this program, you
must close enough active partitions to accumulate enough swap memory for
the program. If this happens on a regular basis, you should use the Swap
drive setup to allocate more program swap space.
Only 20 programs can be AUTOLOADed!
This error is shown when more than 20 tasks are selected for within the
Autoload setup. No more than 20 tasks can be loaded at one time.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 207
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Program does not exist in specified path!
This error occurs within the Program Setup Add/Edit command when typing in
the program name. This may be due to two different problems; either the
file name was misspelled when it was typed in or the program path
specified is incorrect. To list the executable files within the program
directory, press [F7]. If the desired program is not shown, check the
program directory.
Specified ID is not unique!
This error occurs within the Program Setup when you press [F9] to save the
program definition with the two character ID set to one that has
previously been used. Change the ID to another two character code.
Swap file on drive 'x' does not exist!
This error message is shown when one of the swap files has been deleted
from the disk or corrupted. Do not delete any files created by Back &
Forth while the program is running. If this error occurs, Back & Forth
closes all tasks and exits to DOS. Once Back & Forth has been exited, you
may re-enter Back & Forth and begin using the program again.
The program name must end with COM, EXE, or BAT. Press Esc
This error occurs within the Program Setup Add/Edit command when the
program name is given a file extension other than EXE, COM, or BAT. Press
[F7] to select the file from the file list. If the desired program name is
not shown, change the program directory to a new path and try again.
Unable to create AUTOTYPE file.
This is shown when a program is selected for execution and not enough disk
space is available within the Back & Forth directory for use in storing
the AUTOTYPE.### file. The AUTOTYPE.### file is used to feed keystrokes
between Back & Forth and the DOS prompt. Check the amount of disk space
available within the Back & Forth directory.
Unable to create clipboard file!
This error occurs when you run out of disk space while using the Cut &
Paste command to store cut information. Check the amount of disk space
within the Back & Forth directory.
Unable to create swap file on drive 'x'!
This error message is shown when there is not enough space on a disk to
create the swap file. If this error occurs, you can delete unnecessary
files on the swap disk in question, change the amount of swap space
allocated within the Swap drive setup, or use another swap path.
Unable to create task environment file!
This occurs when no space is left in the DOS/Video swap path for use by
B&F in creating a system swap file. Exit Back & Forth and either remove
some of the files on the drive used by the DOS/Video swap path or use the
Swap drive setup to select another swap path.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 208
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Unable to find Back & Forth overlay --> BFP00#.OVL
When Back & Forth is first invoked, it searches the B&F directory for all
of its overlay files. If one is not found, Back & Forth is exited and this
message is shown. Check the B&F directory for all program files, if any
are missing, re-install Back & Forth onto your system.
Unable to load BFP00#.OVL!
Unable to load Back & Forth module!
This error message is shown when one of the Back & Forth overlay files or
the program itself has been deleted from the disk or corrupted. Do not
delete the BFP.EXE file or any of the four BFP00#.OVL files while the
program is running. If this occurs, Back & Forth closes all tasks and
exits to DOS. Without these files, Back & Forth cannot run. To fix this
problem, use your backup copy of Back & Forth to reload the lost or
damaged files.
Unable to save the B&F definition file (disk may be full).
This error appears when the BPVARS file cannot be created, opened, or
saved either when [F9] is pressed within the Swap drive setup or changes
have been made to the pull-down menu entries within Back & Forth. To fix
this problem, exit Back & Forth and check the amount of disk space left
within the Back & Forth directory and the status of the BPVARS file.
Unrecognized A20 hardware.
This error is produced when the HIMEM.SYS device driver does not recognize
the A20 hardware of your system. The A20 line is the 21st address line of
the 80x86 CPU. If this error occurs, it is probably because the system is
not one supported by this release of Microsoft's HIMEM.SYS.
Unsupported hot key combination. Try again
This error occurs within the Hot key setup when an disallowed hot key
combination is selected. The hot key must consist of at least two keys,
one alphanumeric or function key and one or more of the following keys:
[Alt], [Ctrl], [Left Shift], [Right Shift].
User ## is already in use.
This error occurs when the network version of Back & Forth discovers
already created and in use for the user number in question. See the Back &
Forth Network manual for more details.
You cannot AUTOLOAD a program that requires prompting!
Programs requiring user input, i.e. those whose program definitions have
the "Ask for options" field set to Yes, cannot be loaded automatically
using the Autoload option.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 209
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You cannot edit an active program entry!
This error occurs when you select the [F7] Edit program entry command
within the Program Setup. Back & Forth does not allow the modification of
a program entry while that program is open within the Program List. You
must close the program entry before you can edit its information.
You cannot delete an active program!
This error occurs when you select the [F4] Delete program entry command
within the Program Setup. Back & Forth does not allow the deletion or
modification of a program entry while that program is open within the
Program List. You must close the program before you can delete it.
You must run BFPHIGH first!
This error occurs when you try to execute BFPLOW before BFPHIGH.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 210
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Appendix C: Troubleshooting
Can't Run Here are some suggestions to help if you can't get Back & Forth
B&FPRO to run.
* Type B&FPRO at the DOS prompt. This is one of two batch
files created during installation. If it cannot be found,
then the batch files have either been deleted, never been
copied to a directory along the path, or never been
created. To create the batch files, go to the B&F directory
and run BFPSETUP.
* If B&FPRO.BAT and B&FHIPRO.BAT do exist and are located
along the path, check their contents. These batch files are
described within Section 3.
* Some keyboard enhancement programs do not approve of the
use of the "&" character in file names. In this case,
rename the batch files to BFPRO.BAT and BFHIPRO.BAT.
* Check your CONFIG.SYS and make sure that the FILES
statement is greater than 80.
Can't Load B&F If you experience problems loading Back & Forth into high
into High memory, check the following:
Memory
* Make sure the EMS manager has been properly loaded. Consult
the EMS software manual for more information.
* Now check that enough contiguous high memory is available.
Back & Forth requires 35k of contiguous high memory, the
"NoPrint" version uses 32k, the "Lite" version uses 24k.
* Some high memory managers, like DR DOS EMM386.SYS, cannot
be used with BFPLOAD. In this case, you must use the loader
provided by your EMS management software to load B&F into
high memory (with DR DOS, use HILOAD). Using a loader other
than BFPLOAD disables Back & Forth's ability to remove
itself and other programs from EMS after exiting.
* BFPLOW must be run immediately after BFPHIGH is loaded.
Can't Swap to If extended (XMS) memory is available on your system but B&F
XMS cannot detect it, this probably means either HIMEM.SYS was not
used to initialize the memory or it has all been earmarked for
use by some other program. Check your CONFIG.SYS for the
statement DEVICE=HIMEM.SYS.
DOS 4.0 Usage Back & Forth runs with DOS 4.0 with two restrictions. DOS 4.0
includes an EMS memory manager that is not fully compatible
with standard EMS usage. For this reason, do not use their EMS
manager or load any of the DOS commands into EMS memory using
the /X option. Instead, purchase an EMS manager like
386-to-the-Max, QEMM, Netroom, EMM386, Move'em, or QRAM.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 211
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Exception 13 This error may occur when using QEMM to load Back & Forth or
Error is another program into high memory. An Exception 13 error occurs
Reported when memory has been incorrectly referenced by a program. If
this occurs, check the following:
* Check the number of programs being loaded into high memory,
the amount of space they occupy, and their position in
extended memory. Try running Back & Forth using the LOADLOW
command line option.
* If you have Stacks=0,0 in your CONFIG.SYS, remove it,
reboot, and retry Back & Forth and your other programs.
Some programs need the DOS stack area.
* If it still doesn't work, deactivate all device drivers
from your CONFIG.SYS except the FILES, BUFFERS, and hard
disk drivers. Also deactivate all entries within your
AUTOEXEC.BAT except the PATH, SET, and PROMPT statements.
To deactivate a line within these files, type REM at the
beginning of the line. DOS will then bypass this statement.
* Now reboot your system. Add each device driver and program,
one at a time, re-running Back & Forth after each addition.
When the error returns, remove the last program added and
add the rest of your programs. Check the manual for the
program in question. If this offers no help, try reloading
the programs and drivers in differing orders.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 212
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Can't Run A When defining a program entry within the Program setup, you are
Program asked to enter a lot of information about that program, some of
which may not be obvious to you. If the program does not run
properly when picked from the Program list, check the
following:
* Press [F2] to activate the pull-down menus, press [P] twice
to enter the Program setup menu, move the cursor to the
program giving you trouble, and press [F7]. Examine the
program information. Check that enough memory has been
allocated to the program to run properly. If you do not
know how much is needed, set this value to 0. This provides
all available memory to the program.
* Set the partition type to "Program". Some TSRs require a
program to be run after it is loaded before they function
properly. In this case, set the partition type to "TSR".
* Check the program name, path, work path, fixed and
user-specified options. Some programs, like WordStar,
cannot be run outside their program directory. For these
programs, leave the work path blank.
* Some programs may need an indeterminate amount of disk or
EMS space to store their own temporary files. Make sure
that enough disk space is left over for the program after
the amount used by Back & Forth is allocated for its swap
area.
* If the program will not run as a defined task within
Program setup, select a DOS partition from the Program List
and try running the program from the DOS prompt.
* If the program still won't run, or will run only if another
program is removed from memory, you may be running out of
DOS file handles. Check your CONFIG.SYS and set the FILES
variable to a minimum value of 80. Increment this value by
20 and try running B&F and your programs again.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 213
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Programs to be Below is a list of programs that either should not be run from
Careful Of within Back & Forth or require special treatment.
* Disk caches, network drivers, and video enhancement
programs like UltraVision should be run before Back & Forth
if they are to be used by all of your programs.
* Print spoolers, background communications, electronic mail
programs, or other programs run in the background must be
run before Back & Forth is loaded.
* The mouse driver should be loaded before Back & Forth if it
is to be used with B&F. If it is used only with a few of
your programs, load it within a program partition using a
batch file. In this case, the mouse cannot be used with
Back & Forth.
* Disk altering programs like CHKDSK /F, disk optimizers,
disk editors, etc, should not be run within Back & Forth.
* Other TSR programs, menu programs, utilities such as
PC-Tools or shells such as DOS 4.0 DOSSHELL should be set
up as a program entry and run from within Back & Forth.
Lost or Many programs open temporary files to store intermediate
Corrupted information like unsaved changes to files, data scrolled off
Files the screen, memory information, and program settings. Use of
disk altering programs such as CHKDSK /F, disk optimizers, disk
editors, etc, may adversely affect these files. These temporary
files are usually reported by CHKDSK as lost clusters. Try
closing and exiting all open programs before using such
programs.
Diskette If a program is using a diskette, close that program or file
Swapping before removing that diskette or swapping the program from
memory. Back & Forth does not keep track of the identity or
status of removable disk media on your system. Changing
diskettes without warning can cause the contents of that disk
to be overwritten or corrupted.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 214
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Hot Key Back & Forth uses "hot keys" to jump between the programs and
Doesn't Work B&F. The default B&F hot key is set to [Alt][Ctrl][Space]. If
you cannot pop back to Back & Forth, try doing the following:
* Press the selected hot key simultaneously. For instance, if
the hot key is set to [Alt][Ctrl][Space], hold down the
[Alt] key and the [Ctrl] key while pressing the [Space]
bar.
* Some programs intercept all keyboard activity and do not
pass these keys along to the other programs in memory
(namely B&F). In this case, use the B&F Super key, whose
default setting is [Alt][Ctrl][Left Shift].
* Some programs like Windows require a special program to be
run before it to monitor keyboard activity. Set up a batch
file to execute KBSTEAL before running the program.
* If you hear a high-pitched beep, the video swap disk is
full. This symptom is described under "Can't Swap Program".
* If pressing the hot key does not return you to Back &
Forth, exit the program naturally. This should
automatically return you to the Back & Forth main screen.
* Now press [F2] to activate the pull-down menus, press [S]
to enter the Setup menu and select [H] to open the Hot key
menu. The B&F hot key is shown at the top of this screen.
If [Shift] is used, the exact one must be pressed.
Hot keys may also be assigned to other programs run from the
Program List. If the hot key assigned to an open program does
not seem to work, check the following:
* Pop back to B&F either by using the B&F hot key or by
exiting the program. Examine the hot key shown for the
program in the list to make sure that you tried the correct
combination.
* To define a hot key for the program, exit that program
naturally. Once you have returned to B&F, press [F2] to
activate the pull-down menus, press [P] to select the
Program menu, press [P] again to select Program setup,
highlight the program entry in the list, and press [F7].
Move the cursor to the hot key and press [F7] to open the
key selection window. Choose an appropriate hot key for use
with that program and press [Ins], press [F9] twice to save
the changed program entry and try again.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 215
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Can't Swap Back & Forth makes a single, high pitch beep when an error
Program occurs during swapping. If you hear two beeps, this indicates
that a problem has been encountered in swapping the video
settings. Either the drive set aside for your video swap files
is full, or you are using an unsupported video display mode.
Try the following:
* First, exit the program naturally. This obviates the need
to store a video image of the task.
* Once you have returned to the B&F Program List, exit and
close all open tasks. Then exit Back & Forth.
* Now run B&F again without the "GO" option to enter the Swap
drive setup menu. Check the drive used to store the video
files. A table is included within Section 4 which
quantifies the range of file sizes created by each video
mode when saved. The higher the video resolution, the more
space needed to store the resulting image file. If not
enough space is free on that disk, either remove
unnecessary files from the disk or select a different disk
with more space free.
* If plenty of space is available on the drive, use a disk
diagnostics program to check for disk read/write problems.
* If the problem is due to an unsupported video mode, contact
us with the pertinent video information and we will try to
help you. In the meantime, use a different display mode.
EGA Graphics Back & Forth restores graphic screens generated by well-behaved
Aren't programs on CGA, VGA, and most EGA systems. Unfortunately, some
Restored programs designed for use on EGA systems write directly to the
video system, bypassing DOS and the ROM BIOS. The video
settings cannot be read by B&F, therefore it cannot be stored.
When one of these programs is swapped, the screen may not be
restored properly. We suggest you take the following actions:
* If the program has a redraw command, use it to refresh the
screen when you return to it.
* Force the program into text mode before swapping.
* Run the program or the monitor in black & white mode.
Lose Keys If keys are lost during macro playback within a program, press
During Macro [Alt][\] to display the Macro menu, press [O] to select the
Use Options menu, and increment the Delay option.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 216
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Lose Text When When pasting text, Back & Forth feeds the keystrokes through
Pasting the keyboard to the program receiving the text. Sometimes, if
the text is being fed too quickly, random characters can be
lost. To slow down the paste speed, press the Cut & Paste menu
key (default is [Ctrl][Left Shift][C]), select the Options
menu, select the Paste delay entry, then increment the value
shown.
Text may also be lost when third-party keyboard buffers are
loaded before B&F. In this case, exit all loaded tasks, exit
B&F, remove the key buffer program (comment it from the
AUTOEXEC.BAT if necessary), reboot the machine, and try Back &
Forth again.
Lose Text Some programs fetch keystrokes directly from the keyboard
While Typing buffer, bypassing the BIOS. An example of this is early
versions of BASIC. These programs may not be compatible with
the extended keyboard buffer function provided with Back &
Forth. The solution to this problem is turn the keyboard buffer
option Off. To do this, return to Back & Forth, press [F2] to
activate the pull-down menus, press [S] to open the Setup menu,
press [K] to select Keyboard setup, and toggle the keyboard
buffer Off by pressing [B].
Lost Mouse Back & Forth uses a textured background character to display
Cursor the screen. Sometimes this makes it difficult to see the block
mouse cursor. In any case, check the following:
* Make sure mouse support has been toggled On within the
Miscellaneous Setup menu. It is on when checkmark appears
to the left of the Mouse menu entry and when a scroll bar
is shown on the screen. To toggle mouse support On, move
the selection bar to highlight "Mouse support" in the menu
and press [Enter].
* Determine if the mouse cursor is blending into the
background of the screen. If this is the case, try setting
the background fill character to a space or other innocuous
character.
* Exit Back & Forth and make sure that the mouse driver is
correctly installed and that the mouse works. First try
running another program that uses the mouse. If the mouse
still does not work, reboot the system and install it
again. Consult your mouse manual for more information.
* Make sure that your mouse is Microsoft-compatible and that
it is in Microsoft mode.
Mouse Use in When Back & Forth is used to execute a program that goes into
Graphics extended graphics mode, it is necessary for you to position the
Programs mouse cursor at the top left-hand corner of the screen before
swapping back to Back & Forth. If this is not done, upon
returning to the program, moving the mouse may result in "mouse
droppings" trailing the mouse as it is moved across the screen.
This occurs because the mouse driver used by your mouse does
not properly save the mouse settings for extended graphics
modes.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 217
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Overtime! If you have defined one or more alarms within the Overtime!
Alarms Aren't event scheduler but they did not go off when they were supposed
Working to, check the following:
* Make certain that Overtime! is loaded in memory. To check
this, swap back to the Back & Forth main program screen by
pressing the B&F hot key (default is [Alt][Ctrl][Space]).
If Overtime! is not shown in the Active Program list (the
program list in the top half of the screen), then you must
run Overtime!.
* Enter the program definition window for each of the tasks
that you are using and make sure that Overtime! support is
set On. If Overtime support is set to No, Overtime! will
not interrupt that program. After resetting Overtime!
support mode to Yes, you must exit each affected task and
reload it so that it is loaded with the updated program
information.
* Return to Overtime! and check the alarm time and mode has
been set properly. First check that the alarm mode is set
to either Sound, Message, or Program (depending on its
intended action). If it is set Off, it will only provide a
message within the Appointment book and will not notify you
when the time occurs.
Also check the date and time to make certain that it is
correct. Remember, 12:00am is midnight whereas 12:00pm is
noon.
* Make sure that the system time and date is correct.
Clock is Many games, especially those by Sierra, speed up the system
Running Too clock to fool the program into running faster. When you swap
Fast out of one of these programs, the clock will run faster. The
only solution is not to swap such a program out without exiting
it or live with the faster clock. This is not a Back & Forth
problem and, at this time, we do not have a more elegant way to
compensate for the other program's shortcomings.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 218
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B&F 'Locks Up' Back & Forth has been extensively tested and should provide no
trouble to you if it has been properly configured. If you do
experience a problem running Back & Forth, check the following:
* If using a VGA card, try running Back & Forth using the
command line option VIDEO:VGA. This forces Back & Forth
into standard VGA mode.
* Remove all memory-resident tasks from your AUTOEXEC.BAT
file. Close all open programs, exit Back & Forth, and
reboot the system by pressing [Ctrl][Alt][Del]. Now run B&F
again. If the problem goes away, try replacing the TSRs one
by one, until you determine the culprit. Most memory
resident programs should be run within B&F. This lets Back
& Forth swap the TSR from memory which increases the memory
available to all of your programs. This also diminishes the
chance of conflicts occurring when running those programs.
* If you use BUFFERS /X within CONFIG.SYS, remove the /X.
* Increment by 20 the number of files allocated within your
CONFIG.SYS.
* If the problem still occurs, make a copy of your
AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS so that you can refer to them
later when you are ready to rebuild them.
Edit and remove all non-essential statements from your
CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT by typing the word "REM" at the
beginning of each line. Any ASCII text editor may be used
to change these files, if you do not have one, you can use
your word processor if it lets you save files in ASCII
format (either in non-document mode or by exporting it in
ASCII format). Leave statements that are required by your
system, like FILES, BUFFERS, and hard disk drivers. Within
the AUTOEXEC.BAT,remove everything except PATH,SET,& PROMPT
Reboot your system with the modified CONFIG.SYS and
AUTOEXEC.BAT files by pressing [Ctrl][Alt][Del].
Try running Back & Forth within this "clean" environment.
You may have to change the Swap drive setup options.
If Back & Forth now runs without a hitch, try reinstating
the statements, one-by-one to the CONFIG.SYS and
AUTOEXEC.BAT files. Be patient and systematic.
Once you find out which program, command, or device driver
is causing the problem, first check its manual. It may
mention command line switches that may be used to
reconfigure it. Try changing the order of the device
drivers within the CONFIG.SYS. Strangely enough, this can
affect how the drivers interact together and with B&F.
Try contacting the developer of the software in question.
They may know what your problem is.
If all else fails, contact us.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 219
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Technical If none of the above suggestions help you solve your problem,
Support then contact us by mail, fax, BBS, Compuserve, or phone at the
Checklist address listed at the beginning of the manual. When you contact
us, please have the following information ready and available.
Remember, the longer we stay on the phone with you, the less
time we have to write and release new features and products.
- The make and model of your computer.
- The type and size of all storage devices available,
including lower memory, EMS memory, XMS memory, RAM disks,
and hard disks.
- The video board in use.
- The version of DOS that you are using (if you do not know,
type VER at the DOS prompt).
- The contents of your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT.
- The sequence of events leading up to the problem and the
programs in memory at the time the problem occurs. Please
include all TSRs, device drivers, disk cache, and EMS
management software run before Back & Forth is loaded.
- The version of Back & Forth and its serial number.
- And the error message (if one is produced) exactly as shown
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 220
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Appendix D: Memory Resident Programs
Memory resident programs are small applications that remain in
memory, ready to be invoked and used at a moment's notice. They
encompass such tasks as file maintenance utilities, appointment
calendars, calculators, address books, keyboard macro programs,
et cetera. Also known as TSR (terminate and stay resident)
programs, these utilities are very convenient but may also be
equally troublesome, especially if you use more than one.
A prime source of irritation often lies in the amount of memory
each one occupies. Memory is a precious commodity on personal
computers, very few (dare I say none) of us have enough of it
to do all that we may wish to. Many programs gladly gobble up
all memory available on the system and are still hungry for
more.
Types of TSRs Memory resident programs may be divided into several different
classes: file and system drivers, keyboard enhancers, and
accessories. File and systems drivers are usually found within
the CONFIG.SYS file and include commands used to set the mode
or path and device drivers used to set up and maintain expanded
memory, RAM disks, disk caches, mice, print spoolers, etc.
These should be loaded before Back & Forth. Keyboard enhancers,
like SuperKey and ProKey, are programs that learn and repeat
keystroke sequences when activated. These programs may be
loaded before or after Back & Forth. Accessories have been
created to do almost anything imaginable and include such tasks
as DOS command stacks, file maintenance utilities, desktop
utilities, calculators, notepads, telephone dialers, etc. These
programs should be loaded within a partition.
Running a TSR Running memory resident programs within a program partition
provides the following benefits:
* Frees the maximum amount of memory for the programs that
really need it like word processors, desktop publishing
packages, databases, spreadsheets, etc.
* Reduces the conflicts that occur between TSRs, other
programs, and Back & Forth. A common problem is hotkey
conflicts, where more than one program uses the same key
combination to perform a command.
* Minimizes screen conflicts. Many TSR programs do not
store and redraw graphics screens correctly. These TSRs
either will not pop-back when a graphics screen is shown
or will not restore the screen properly.
* Removes the programs when desired. Some TSRs do not
provide an easy way to remove itself from memory once you
no longer need it.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 221
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Loading a TSR You can run memory resident programs in several ways. To load a
TSR into a partition then go to a DOS prompt (the way a TSR is
normally loaded), define a program entry within the Program
Setup naming the TSR as the program to be run and setting the
"Action when done" to Stay at DOS. To load one or more TSR
programs before an application, create a batch file naming the
TSR programs and the application program. Use this batch file
as the executable program name when defining the program entry
within the Program Setup. Finally, you can run any program
(including a TSR) from the command line within a DOS partition.
Removing a TSR To remove a TSR from memory, exit all programs run after that
TSR in that partition, return to Back & Forth, move the
selection bar to highlight the task entry containing that TSR,
and press [Del].
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 222
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Appendix E: Network Installation and Use
Network Use Back & Forth has been designed to function on Novell-compatible
networks as well as single-user systems. To use Back & Forth on
a network, a unique B&F data file must be configured for each
user. This file stores the swap area information, the program
list, personal color and customization options, etc.
Assign each user a unique number. For instance, to run Back &
Forth using the fifth user's data file:
B&FPRO USER:5
To make Back & Forth easier for the network users to use, we
recommend that the network supervisor set up a batch file
containing a series of batch statements matching the name of
the user with his or her user number. This batch file can then
execute Back & Forth and pass it the correct user number.
Note Back & Forth supports up to 256 users per file server on
networks that use the NETBIOS. When Back & Forth Net is
registered, you will receive a security number file that allows
multiple users per file server. The executable files and swap
areas can be placed in common areas.
If multiple users will be using Back & Forth on a network, a
special network version must be purchased for each file server.
Ordering information can be found within the ORDER.NET file.
Setting Up the The Back & Forth configuration file can be created either by
Network each individual using Back & Forth or by the network
Version supervisor. Once the file is created, each user can customize
the settings at any time. Each data file contains the program
list, color settings, autoload setup, swap settings, and other
program settings. To set up the network version of Back &
Forth, follow these steps.
Logging On First, log onto the network before running Back & Forth. This
provides Back & Forth access to the network.
Installing Install the Back & Forth files by following the instructions
Back & Forth found in Section 3.
Creating the Now run Back & Forth without specifying a user number. This
BPVARS Data creates the default BPVARS file, which can later be used to
File initialize all other user data files.
To run Back & Forth using the default BPVARS file, enter one of
the following. The B&FPRO.BAT file sets up, changes
directories, and runs Back & Forth using conventional memory.
The B&FHIPRO.BAT file runs Back & Forth using high memory, if
available.
B&FPRO (or) B&FHIPRO
When run, the Swap drive setup screen is shown. This is
described at the beginning of this section.
Back & Forth Professional version 2.0 page 223
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Once [F9] is pressed, control is passed to the main Back &
Forth screen. You are now ready to set up the general data file
used to initialize each new user file. Press [F2] [P] [P] to
open the Program setup menu, where tasks should be defined for
use. This should include the programs that most (or all) users
regularly execute. After this information has been set, exit
Back & Forth.
Creating the Now re-run Back & Forth using the first user number to be
User Data defined. To do this, type one of the following:
Files
B&FPRO USER:1 (or) B&FHIPRO USER:1
If that user data file has not yet been created, you will be
prompted that the file does not exist. The two choices are:
"Default values" and "User 0 values". To use the default BPVARS
file to initialize its contents, select "User 0 values".
Control is then passed to the Swap drive setup, as before.
Check the settings shown and change them, if necessary. Each
user must have "create file" privilege for each of the swap
paths specified. Press [F9] to save these settings to the first
user's BPVARS file.
Now set up the programs to be made available to the first user,
press [F2] and press [P] twice to activate the Program setup
option. Other program settings may also be customized within
the Setup menu.
After you finish setting up the first user's data file, re-run
Back & Forth using the next user number to be defined. Continue
this process until all user data files have been created.
Running Back & Once the data files have been created for each user, you are
Forth ready to begin using Back & Forth. To bypass the opening Swap
drive setup screen, add the "GO" command line option when
running Back & Forth. To do so, type:
B&FPRO USER:### GO (or) B&FHIPRO USER:### GO
USER=### designates a number between 0 and the number of
registered users. If the number is already in use on the
network, B&F terminates and shows an appropriate error message.
Back & Forth uses the network user number to create a unique
swap file for each user. These files are not randomly
generated, however. If Back & Forth is abnormally terminated,
B&F automatically overwrites the swap files in the next
session.
