On Disk Monthly 73/odm73.zip/LM.TXT

Text File | 1992-10-30 | 28KB | 648 lines

    Do you now type mailing labels on a typewriter -- one at at
time? Do you long for a program that can maintain lists of names,
addresses, phone numbers, and personal notes, and print these
lists upon command? Would you like to be able to print virtually
any size label, even in multiple columns? If you can answer "yes"
or even "maybe" to any of these questions, LABEL MEISTER is the
label program you have been waiting for!


^1PRINTING INSTRUCTIONS

    If you want a printout of these instructions, press F5 now.


^1CONTEXT-SENSITIVE HELP

    Most places within this program have context-sensitive help
screens which can be pulled up by pressing F1.

    Also, at most places in this program you can bring these
instructions up again by pressing F9.


^1RUNNING LABEL MEISTER

    From the instructions screen, press the space bar to start
the program. If you do not specify a file to work with when you
invoke LABEL MEISTER from the command line, you will be asked to
do so on a file-loading screen which will appear. In order to
start the program, you must specify either the name of the file
you wish to load or the name you have chosen for the new file you
are creating.


^1FILE LOADING

    The current drive and path are displayed, followed by a
default filename for the mailing list data file. To accept the
path and filename displayed, press <ENTER>. If you wish to change
the path name, use <UP ARROW> to move the highlight bar to the
path name, and type in the new path name desired, complete with
drive letter designation.

    There are two ways to select a file. The first method is to
type the filename in the filename field without any extension.
(LABEL MEISTER adds its own extensions to its data files.) If the
filename you entered does not exist, it will be created. The
second method of filename selection is used for a data file that
already exists. Previously-created LABEL MEISTER data files
appearing in the displayed path are listed in the lower portion
of the screen. To select one of the displayed files, move the
highlight bar with the UP- and DOWN-ARROW keys to the desired
file and press <ENTER>.

    After you have loaded a file, LABEL MEISTER's Main Menu
appears. You may select a menu option by pressing the first
letter of your choice or by using the RIGHT- or LEFT-ARROW keys
to move the highlight bar to it and pressing <ENTER>.


^1MAIN MENU OPTIONS

   ADD - Add new records to the database.
  FIND - Browse through data in the mailing list to locate,
         update, and/or delete specific records.
 PRINT - Print labels, an address or telephone list, or
         general lists for everyone in the mailing list
         (database), or for a range or group of people
         (records).
  LOAD - Load in a different mailing list (database) to work
         with.
 SETUP - Specify the label size, margins, number of columns
         of labels, and categories (up to 8) for classifying
         different members of your mailing list.
  INFO - Display these instructions.
  QUIT - Exit LABEL MEISTER and return to DOS or ON DISK
         MONTHLY.


^1ADD

    Selecting "ADD" from the Main Menu allows you to add new
records to your database, i.e., new names to your mailing list.
The Menu is replaced with a box containing a list of the function
and movement keys which are active while you add new records. You
are placed in an "editing mode" and are free to enter information
into the template on the screen.

    A highlight bar is on the first field, "First Name." Type in
the first name, if desired, and move to the next field, "Last
Name," by pressing <ENTER>. Continue in this manner until you
have entered all the information you wish to enter. You do not
have to enter data in all of the fields, but you must enter data
in the "Last Name" or "Company Name" fields.

    The UP- and LEFT-ARROW keys may be used to move back up
through the template if you need to change earlier fields. Enter
all of the data exactly as you wish it to appear on the printed
label. The telephone number, comments, and categories or field
designations appear only during the data entry process, not on
the labels themselves.

    When you are satisfied with the data you have entered, press
<F10> to accept the current information and have another empty
template appear. If you do not want to keep what you have
entered, press <ESC> to discard the current template and return
to the Main Menu. When you have completed adding records, press
<ESC>.

    A synopsis of the function and editing keys available while
adding records appears below, followed by a discussion of the
use, marking, and entry of data in the categories.

ADDING RECORDS -- FUNCTION AND EDITING KEYS

         <F1>  -  Pops up a help screen about editing the
                  record.
         <F10> -  Adds the current record and brings up
                  another empty one.
         <ESC> -  Discards the current record and returns to
                  the Main Menu. <ENTER>,<TAB>,
  <DOWN ARROW> -  Move cursor to the next field.
    <UP ARROW>,
   <SHIFT TAB> -  Move cursor to the previous field.
        <HOME> -  Moves cursor to the beginning of the
                  current field (line).
         <END> -  Moves cursor to the end of the current
                  field.
      <DELETE> -  Erases the character under the cursor.
   <BACKSPACE> -  Erases the character to the left of the
                  cursor.
  <LEFT ARROW> -  Moves the cursor one character to the left
                  in the current field.  If the cursor is at
                  the beginning of the field, movement is to
                  the previous field.
 <RIGHT ARROW> -  Moves the cursor one character to the
                  right in the current field.  If the cursor
                  is at the end of the field, movement is to
                  the next field.


^1CATEGORIES

    Normally, we associate people we know with a particular group
or category, such as "friends," "club," or "business."  We
often also need to address these people collectively, as
well as individually. LABEL MEISTER includes a feature which
allows you to group or reference explicit members of your
mailing list. This capability is implemented by associating
each entry in the mailing list with one or more categories
which YOU define (up to 8 different ones). For example, you
can specify that "John Smith" belongs in the category
"Friend" or to both the "Friend" and "Business" categories.

    The categorization feature of LABEL MEISTER can be used in
various ways: you can mark categories as you add or update
records, or specify one or more categories when you try to FIND
one or more persons in the mailing list or when you wish to print
labels or reports.  By using categories, you can print out labels
for everyone on your Christmas list, or for all your business
associates, clients, members of your club, or whatever group you
define.


^1MARKING CATEGORIES

    Before you mark categories for the first time, you may want
to specify your own categories rather than use the ones provided
in the program. You can do so by selecting the SETUP option on
the Main Menu.

    When you are editing information in a record, you can mark
and unmark categories for that particular record or person. Each
category is listed on the screen on the right side of the
template and has a small box beside it. A category when marked
will have a check in its box. To mark or unmark a category, use
the arrow keys to move the highlight bar to the box beside that
category, then press the <SPACE BAR>. The <SPACE BAR> functions
as a toggle, marking or unmarking the category box each time it
is pressed. You can mark none, one, two, or up to all eight
categories for a single record. Mark each category in which you
wish to place the person or company.


^1FIND

    The "FIND" option on the Main Menu allows you to browse
through the entries (records) in your mailing list (database), or
to locate a specific record. When you select the "FIND" option, a
blank template appears with a highlight bar in the "First Name"
field. To "page through" the records, leave the template blank
and press <F10>. To locate a specific person or company, enter
the name to be located in this field, or in the "First", "Last"
or "Company Name" fields.

   If you search by last name or company name, the records will
be arranged alphabetically by the given field, and the closest
one to the requested name will be shown if no exact match exists.
If you specify only a first name for a search, all records
matching this name (or names beginning with the letters you
typed) will be displayed, arranged alphabetically in last-name
order.

    You may also search through one or more different categories
of people by marking the desired categories. The first record in
the category or categories you have marked will be displayed.

    When a record matching your description has been found (or
the nearest alphabetical entry if no exact matches were found
when searching by last name or company), it will be displayed,
and a menu of options which are now available will be displayed
on the bottom of the screen.


^1FIND MENU

     Update - Changes the information in the record on the
              screen.
     Delete - Permanently removes the record displayed on
              the screen. You will be prompted for
              confirmation on deleting the record. A "Y"
              (YES) confirmation will cause the record to be
              deleted.
      Label - Prints one or more labels for the record on
              the screen. When prompted for the number of
              copies to be printed, enter the number
              desired, and press <ENTER>. You will then be
              asked if you wish to view or change the label
              settings. If you answer <Y>ES, the Label
              Settings menu will be displayed. After you
              accept the settings which appear, the labels
              will be printed. Printing may be cancelled by
              pressing <ESC>.
       Next - Displays the next record. (<PAGE DOWN> is a
              shortcut.)  NOTE: The order will be by
              person's name or company name depending on
              which field you searched by.
       Prev - Displays the previous record. (<PAGE UP> is a
              shortcut.)
       Exit - Returns you to the Main Menu.

    As on the Main Menu, an option on the FIND menu can be
selected by pressing the first letter of the option, or by moving
the highlight bar to the option and pressing <ENTER>.


^1UPDATING RECORDS

    Information in a record can be changed by first locating the
record with the "FIND" option and then selecting "UPDATE." The
data in existing records is edited just as it is in adding new
records with use of the same keys for all movement and editing
tasks. <F1>, <F10>, and <ESC> are also active during updating. An
added feature is also available during updating: the ability to
edit the NEXT and PREVIOUS records without a return to the FIND
Menu.

   The functions available during updating are:

    <F1>  -  Help
   <F10>  -  Adds the changes and returns you to the FIND
             Menu.
   <ESC>  -  Discards the changes and returns you to the
             FIND Menu.
   <PAGE  -  Adds any changes and displays the previous
    UP>      record for updating.
   <PAGE  -  Adds any changes and displays the next record
    DOWN>    for updating.


^1PRINT

   When you select "Print" from the Main Menu, a submenu will
appear to allow you to select what you want to print. The options
are:

        Labels  -  Allows you to print mailing labels for
                   all or a part of the mailing list
                   currently in memory.
     Phone List -  Allows you to print a list of names and
                   phone numbers.
       FAX List -  Allows you to print a list of names and
                   FAX numbers.
   Address List -  Allows you to print a list of names and
                   addresses.
   General List -  Allows you to print a list of all
                   information in the records, i.e. a list
                   of names, addresses, phone and FAX
                   numbers, comments, and categories.
           Exit -  Returns you to the Main Menu.


^1PRINTING LABELS:

    The "Printing Labels" Menu consists of the following options:

        Order -  Allows you to specify the order in which
                 you want the labels sorted.
     Criteria -  Allows you to specify which members of the
                 mailing list you wish to print labels for.
                 Without your specification, labels will be
                 printed for everyone in the list.
       Number -  Allows you to specify how many copies of
                 each label you wish to print. The default
                 is 1 label per record.
     Settings -  Allows you to format your labels.
        Print -  Starts the label-printing operation. You
                 will be prompted to prepare your printer.
                 At this point, you can press T for a test
                 print, <ESC> to return to the menu without
                 printing anything, or any other key to
                 start printing. The Test Print feature is
                 used to ensure that labels are being
                 printed correctly, i.e., the alignment and
                 settings are correct.  See if the sample
                 label lines up with your labels, and if it
                 does not, either adjust the labels
                 manually, or press <ESC> to abort, check
                 the settings, and try printing again.
         Exit -  Returns you to the Print Menu.


^1SORT ORDER

    When you select the "Order" option from either the Label or
List Menus, you will be presented with a menu of sort options:
Name, Company, Zip Code, or Unsorted, the default option. Select
the sort order you desire by typing in the first letter of the
option, or by moving the highlight bar to the option and pressing
<ENTER>. The sort order you have selected will be accepted, and
you will be returned to the previous menu. If you decide not to
change the order, select the "Exit" option from this menu.

    If you select "Name" order, the data will be sorted in
ascending order by last name, or by company name if you left the
first and last name fields blank.  If you select "Company," the
data will be sorted by company name, and by last name within one
company's entries.  (If the company name is blank in a record, it
will be inserted alphabetically according to the person's last
name.) If you select "Zip Code" order, data will be sorted in
ascending order by zip code. Selecting or accepting the
"Unsorted" option will print the data in the order in which it
was originally entered into the database.


^1SELECTION CRITERIA

    You may select a range of names, a range of zip codes, and
one or more categories. The criteria can be based on a range of
names only, on a range of zip codes only, on both ranges, on
certain categories only, on a range of names and certain
categories, and so on. To leave the criteria as they are, press
<F10> before entering in any other information.

    The first field on the screen, "From," indicates the
beginning name for the print operation. Enter the name you wish
to start with, or leave it blank to start your printing at the
beginning of the alphabet. The second field, "To," indicates the
end of the alphabetic range you wish to print. Enter the name
with which you wish to conclude, or leave it blank to include
every name above the name in the "From" field.  You can also
enter single letters to specify a range, like "A" through "N", or
combinations of letters like "SA" through "SM", which would
select all names beginning with SA, SB, SC, ..., SM, including
Samuelson and Smith, for instance.

    Note that the "To" field MUST be alphabetically later than
(or equal to) the "From" field, or no records will be printed.
Use "A" to "N", rather than "N" to "A".

    Upper and lower case distinctions are ignored for the purpose
of searching and sorting in this program.

    Records are selected based on the names you enter in these
fields.

    For the name fields, the LAST names will be compared against
the range.  Next comes a similar set of fields giving a range for
COMPANY names.

    Next come the category fields. To select one or more
categories, use the UP- and DOWN-ARROW keys to move the highlight
bar to the desired category, and press the <SPACE BAR> to mark
it.  A check mark will appear in the box next to a category to
indicate it has been marked. If no categories are marked, records
will be selected from all of the categories.

    After the categories comes the zip code range. Enter the zip
codes you wish to start and end with, or leave these fields blank
to begin your printing at the lowest zip code.

    Both the name and zip code ranges are inclusive, i.e., the
names or zip codes in the "From" and "To" fields will be included
in the printing.

    When you have finished entering the selection criteria, press
<F10> to accept what you have entered and return to the menu.

You will then be asked if you want to group the categories as the
data is printed. If you answer "Y," all of the records in the
first category will be printed, followed by all of the those in
the next one, and so on. No grouping will occur if you answer
"N."

    If you have changed the criteria but do not wish to save the
most recent changes, press <ESC>, and the status of the criteria
prior to your editing will be restored. Any changes you have made
will be discarded, and you will be returned to the menu.


^1NUMBER OF COPIES

    You will be asked to enter the number copies of each label
you wish to print. Type in the desired number, and press <ENTER>.
If you decide you do not want to change the number, press <ESC>.
Multiple copies of labels will be printed together, i.e., if you
request three copies of each label, three labels will be printed
for the first person in your group, then three for the second
person, and so on.


^1PRINTING LISTS:

    If you select a list, rather than labels, to print from the
Print Menu, the following menu options become available:

        Order -  Allows you to specify the order in which
                 the data will be listed in the report. The
                 default is the "Unsorted" option.
     Criteria -  Allows you to specify which records will be
                 included in the list. The default is for
                 all records to be included.
        Print -  Allows you to add a title to the top of
                 each page in a list if you so desire.
                 Adding a title is optional. If you wish to
                 omit the title, just press <ENTER> before
                 typing in anything else.  To enter a title,
                 type in the title as you wish it to appear,
                 and press <ENTER>. You will be prompted to
                 prepare your printer. After it is ready,
                 press any key to initiate printing. To
                 abort printing, press <ESC>.
         Exit -  Returns you to the Print Menu.


^1LOAD

    Select the LOAD option if you wish to edit, print, or
otherwise access a different mailing list, either one you have
previously created, or a new one you want to begin building. When
the LOAD option is selected, a FILE-LOADING screen will appear.If
you decide you do not want to change mailing lists (or files)
after all, press <ESC> while at the FILE LOADING screen, and you
will still have access to the current file.


^1SETUP

    The "Setup" option allows you to specify information required
for the printing of labels: their size, number of columns,
margins (bottom, top, left, and right), characters per inch, and
lines per inch. It also allows you to define your own categories.

    All of this information is kept in a special configuration
file called "LABEL.CFG". LABEL MEISTER includes standard default
settings which you may or may not wish to change. If the supplied
settings are satisfactory, you may never need to use this option.
However, it is more likely you will need to customize the default
settings to meet your own requirements for different printing
tasks.

    When you select "Setup," a menu with the following options
will be displayed:

   Label Settings -  View or change the current settings for
                     printing labels, such as label size,
                     margins, or number of labels across.
       Categories -  View or change the names of the
                     categories.
             Exit -  Returns you to the Main Menu


^1LABEL SETTINGS:

   The current label settings are displayed in the center of the
screen with the following menu options:

       Change -  Allows you to change the label settings.
         Save -  Allows you to save to disk the label
                 settings currently on-screen. These
                 settings are saved in a configuration file.
                 A confirmation message will appear when the
                 save operation has been completed.
         Exit -  Returns you to the previous menu.


^1CHANGING LABEL SETTINGS:

    If you select "Change" on the Label Settings Menu, a
highlight bar will appear on the first label setting, Characters
Per Inch. To change a setting, use the UP- and DOWN-ARROW keys to
move the highlight bar to the desired setting, and type in the
new value.

     Additional information on each label setting is available by
pressing <F1> when that setting is highlighted. When you have
entered your changes, press <F10> to save your changes in memory.
If you wish to discard the changes you have made, press <ESC>,
and you will be returned to the Label Settings Menu with the
settings unchanged.

    If you want to save your changes for the next time you run
LABEL MEISTER, be sure to select the "Save" option.


^1CATEGORY NAMES:

    When you select the "Categories" option from the Setup Menu,
the current category name will appear in the center of the screen
with the following menu options:

      Change -  Allows you to change the category names.
        Save -  Saves the category names currently on-screen
                in a special configuration file on disk.
        Exit -  Returns you to the Setup Menu.


^1CHANGING CATEGORY NAMES:

    When you select the "Change" option from the category menu, a
highlight bar will appear on the first category name. Using the
UP- and DOWN-ARROW keys, move the bar to the name or names you
wish to change, and type in the new name. Each name can be up to
eight characters long. If the name you wish to enter is longer,
use an appropriate abbreviation or acronym. The usual editing
functions are available while you are changing category names.

    When you have completed making your changes, press <F10> to
save your changes in memory and return to the Category Menu. If
you wish to discard the changes you made, press <ESC>, and you
will be returned to the menu with the original category names
restored.

    If you have changed any of the category names, you should
select the SAVE option to save the new names to disk, or else,
the next time you run the program, the changes you have made will
not appear.


^1QUIT

    The QUIT option on the Main Menu allows you to exit LABEL
MEISTER and return to DOS, or to wherever you initiated the
program. As a safeguard against exiting the program accidentally,
a prompt to confirm your desire to exit LABEL MEISTER will appear
after you select the QUIT option. Respond with <Y>ES to quit or
leave LABEL MEISTER, or <ESC> or <N> to remain in the program and
be returned to the Main Menu.


^1OPTIONS FOR RUNNING LABEL MEISTER

    LABEL MEISTER automatically detects the type of monitor being
used and adjusts accordingly. However, due to the wide variety of
computer hardware on the market, it is possible that the
program's monitor detection system may not work properly on your
system. For this reason, the options below are provided.

    LABEL MEISTER can be run from the DOS prompt with the
following options:

         /M  -  Starts the program in monochrome mode.
                Select this option if you are using a
                composite monitor, or an LCD.
         /C  -  Starts the program in color mode. Select
                this option if you have a color graphics
                adapter (e.g., CGA, VGA, EVGA).
                (Also: /E or /V.)
         /Q  -  Skips display of these instructions at
                start of run.
         /?  -  Gives more information on command line
                parameters.
 /Ffilename  -  Runs LABEL MEISTER with the mailing label
                data file called "filename".

    NOTE: If you place a space between the "/F" and the
filename, the file will still be loaded.

    EXAMPLE:       LM /M -- will run LABEL MEISTER in
                   monochrome mode

                   LM /C -- will run LABEL MEISTER in
                   color mode

                   LM /Fmlabel -- will run LABEL
                   MEISTER with the mailing list datafile
                   called "mlabel"


^1FILE CONVERSION

    Label Meister has a special feature to import data files that
were created using Mail Master, a program published earlier by
Softdisk Publishing which appeared on issue #38 of BIG BLUE DISK
(the former name of ON DISK MONTHLY).  The data format for that
program is slightly different, so you can't load the files
straight from the Label Meister menu.  To import a Mail Master
data file, run Label Meister from the DOS prompt as follows:

    LM /1PathAndFilename

where "PathAndFilename" represents the name of the Mail Master
file you are converting (with a drive and path if desired, but no
extension), and is preceded by a forward slash (/) and the
numeral "1".  All Mail Master data files end in ".MMD".  (There
are index files associated with them too, but these need not be
present to import them, since they are regenerated by Label
Meister.)  So, if you want to import LABELS.MMD, located in the
directory C:\MM\, type:

    LM /1C:\MM\labels

A Label Meister file of the same name (but with the Label Meister
extensions, ".LMD" for the main file and ".LXZ", ".LXN", and
".LXC" for the index files) will be created in the same drive and
path as the original file, and your data will be imported into
it.  The original Mail Master file will not be disturbed.

If a Label Meister file of the given name already exists, you
will be asked whether you want to delete it, append the converted
data to the existing data in that file (which may produce
duplicate records you'll have to manually delete), save under a
different name or path, or abort.


^C^ICredits

^C^V
^CProgrammed by Carolyn Drain and Daniel Tobias

^CCopyright 1989-92 by Softdisk, Inc.

^CFor help, information, or to report illegal
^Cdistribution of this software call
^CSOFTDISK Customer Service at
^C1-800-831-2694 or 1-318-221-8718