Copyright: ® 1993 TANSTAAFL Software


Help Contents
3x3 Labeler

© 1993 TANSTAAFL Software

Introduction

Overview

Installation

Quick Instructions

Main Screen

Credits

Command Buttons

   Diskette Label Selection

  Drive Listbox

  Selected Buttons

  All Buttons

Menu Options

File

Defaults

Help

Troubleshooting

Unexpected Error: Quitting

Fonts in Label Preview

Printer Errors

Defaults

Alignment Problems

Future Features

Filename Columns

Banner Text

Diskette Cataloging

Other Enhancements

User Interface

Order Information

Addresses

Prices

Order Form

Legalese

Revision History

12/06/93   1.5

11/15/93   1.4

10/10/93   1.3

9/28/93     1.2

8/15/93     1.1

7/5/93       1.0


Overview

3x3 Labeler produces labels for 3 ½" diskettes.  This program supports the Avery 5196, which contains three rows of three labels each on an 8 ½" by 11" page, suitable for a laser or inkjet printer.  Each label can contain file names, directory names, or multi-line text.  Each label can have different fonts, sizes and edge/banner text, or can use the default global values.  Different sets of label defaults can be loaded and saved by name.


Installation

3x3 Labeler is distributed as a .ZIP file.  Unzip this file into the directory of your choice.  Move the THREED.VBX, CMDIALOG.VBX and MHGTXT.VBX files into your \WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.  Move the 3x3.DLL file into your \WINDOWS directory.  To run, select 3x3.EXE from your shell or desktop.

This program is written in Visual Basic, and requires the run-time library VBRUN300.DLL, which should be available at the bulletin board where you obtained 3x3 Labeler (It's also included on the registered version disk).  COMMDLG.DLL is also required, and is included with Windows 3.1.  Place VBRUN300.DLL in your \WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.

NOTE: Some versions of 3x3 might contain VBRUN300.DLL.


Quick Instructions

Turn on label preview by clicking in the Preview box.  Select your 3 ½" drive using the drop-down drive list.  Insert a diskette into the drive.  Click on one of the diskette icons in the 3x3 grid to select a label to work with.  This grid corresponds to the 3x3 label format.  After selecting a label, you can edit the label information or read the diskette's contents by pressing the Edit or Read buttons, respectively.

When the program has read the contents of the diskette, the diskette icon changes to a diskette icon with an 'F' or 'D' on the label.  You can change the default edge text, banner text, body type and contents, fonts and sizes for the selected label by pressing the Edit button.  Repeat this process for up to 9 diskettes.  Press the Print button to send the information to the default printer.  Press the Wipe button to revert the icons and reset to the default values, or use the Clear button to clear just the selected label.

It is not necessary to use all nine labels in each pass.  Since you can specify which label to read a disk to, you can print some now and some later.  We've had the best luck on partial pages by doing the "bottom" labels first.

Banner text will print above the contents listing.  Edge text will print above the banner, and will be on the edge of the diskette when the label is properly applied.  Banner text will also print upside-down above the edge text, and will be on the back side of the diskette when the label is properly applied.  These options can be saved in 3x3.INI by using the File/Save as Defaults option.

WARNING: Printing label pages in multiple passes may violate the warranty of your laser printer.  Consult your laser printer manual or manufacturer for further information.  TANSTAAFL Software assumes no responsibility for any damage incurred by the use of 3x3 Labeler.


Main Screen


Credits

Original Idea by Miles Andrews

User Interface & Software by Dana Cline

Documentation by Dana Cline

Beta testing and feedback by:
Robert Long
Tim Stone
Mike Barker
Rajan Ramaswami
Peggy Pitchford
David White
Dwight Espe
and others...

Program Created by Visual Basic 3.0
Custom Text Control by MicroHelp

Help File Created by Doc-To-Help


   Diskette Label Selection

There are nine diskette buttons, in a 3x3 grid.  Each button corresponds to a label on the Avery 5196 page.  Press one of these buttons to select the label to work with..  This button can have three states.  The non-selected cleared state, is represented by a standard picture of a 3 ½" disk.  When a button is selected, the icon changes to a diskette with a red asterisk  [image].  After the diskette file names have been read, the icon changes to the 3x3 icon.  In the icon, the area of the label body will contain an 'F' to indicate the diskette contains filenames [image], a 'D' to indicate directory names [image], or a 'T' to indicate text [image].


  Drive Listbox

This box should point to your 3 ½" drive.  The drive initially points to C:, but you can change the default by changing the drive, then saving the defaults using the menu selection File/Save as Defaults.  When you next run 3x3 Labeler, the drive listbox will point to your 3 ½" drive, but only if you have a disk in the drive when you start 3x3 Labeler.  This appears to be a Visual Basic quirk.


  Selected Buttons

Read

Edit

Clear

Preview


Read

Read reads the diskette's contents into the selected label.  The current disk drive is used for the read operation.  File or directory names are organized in three columns and up to twenty rows, for a total of 60 names.  The bytes used and free counts are also read from the diskette.


Edit

Edit allows you to change the edge text, alignment, font and size, banner text, alignment, font and size, divider style, body style, text, alignment, font and size for the selected label.  The file pattern text box can be used to specify which file names appear on the label, and is active when the Files button is selected.  This box can contain more than one file pattern, separated by a semi-colon (for example, *.EXE;*.COM to read just the executable filenames).  This box can also contain a directory file pattern or body text.  After changing the pattern, you must reread the diskette, if you've already read it.  Reset will reset the selected label to the current global defaults.

If you want to use the disk volume ID as edge or banner text, just use <VOL> as the text.  When you click the Read button, the text will be replaced with the volume ID.


Clear

Clear deletes any information associated with the selected label, including any edge or banner text.  The selected label is then loaded with the global default values.


Preview

Preview toggles the label preview window.  This window deserves special explanation.  It is hard-coded to the size of an individual Avery label.  The contents of the label preview are updated when exiting the Edit box, after Reading the contents of a diskette, and when selecting a different label.


  All Buttons

Print

Wipe


Print

Print prints the diskette file information to a page of labels.  The default printer should be online, in portrait mode, with labels loaded.  Each press of this button will print one page of labels.


Wipe

Wipe resets the Diskette button icons to show an "empty" diskette.  All information about diskette contents are cleared and reset to current default values.


File

Load Label Set

Save as Label Set

Save as Defaults

Print Setup

Exit


Load Label Set

This option allows you to load a different set of defaults.  A file selection dialog box initially looks for files with the 3x3 extension, in the directory containing 3x3 Labeler.


Save as Label Set

This option allows different default values to be saved in named files.  When 3x3 Labeler is first run, it loads the defaults from the 3x3.INI file in the /WINDOWS directory.  All label sets follow the same format as the 3x3.INI file, and default to the 3x3 directory and an extension of .3x3.  The load and save options allow me to have one set for 3x3, one set for documents, and another set for another shareware program I sell.


Save as Defaults

This option saves the default drive, label options, and margins to the 3x3.INI file.  Next time 3x3 is started, these defaults are used.  Due to a quirk in Visual Basic's drive listbox, 3x3 will change to the floppy drive at startup only if it has a disk in it.


Print Setup

This option starts the standard Printer Setup dialog box.  Changes take effect when returning from the dialog box.


Exit

This option exits the 3x3 Labeler.


Menu Options - Defaults
Defaults

Label

Margins


Label

This option allows you to specify the default label contents.  For further information, refer to the command button Edit.


Margins

The margin option allows you to fine-tune label placement to your particular printer.  As the top value increases, the text moves down on the page.  As the left value increases, the text moves right on the page.  All values are in TWIPS, which are 1440/inch, or 20/point.  The margin control allows up to a half-inch adjustment in any direction.


Help

Contents

About


Contents

This option runs the Windows Help program with 3x3.HLP.


About

This option shows the About box, containing the program name, version number and other information.


Unexpected Error: Quitting

This error occurs when first running 3x3.  The  guys at Microsoft identified it as a VB error message indicating an incorrect version of a custom control.  Search for THREED.VBX, MHGTXT.VBX and CMDIALOG.VBX.  Delete any older copies.  That should cure it.


Fonts in Label Preview

If the contents of the body area are unreadable, set the font size smaller.  I've noticed that some fonts, rather then "overprint" stuff, kind of get lost and put garbage on the screen.  Lowering the font size a point or two should fix it.  This is good reason to use label preview.


Printer Errors

The VB manual has one kind of printer error, which makes it difficult to tell where the error really comes from.  If there is an error, the software calls AbortDoc, which should flush the page.  One thing to try is check the free space on the drive pointed to by the TEMP environment variable.  Generally, this is the hard disk but may point to a RAM disk.  This drive should have 1.5Mb of free space to hold the spool file.  If problem persists, call us.


Troubleshooting - Defaults
Defaults

Can't seem to get new default values to take effect?  After you change the default label options, save them.  Then press the Wipe button.  This will apply the new defaults to all labels.


Alignment Problems

Several tricks can be used to obtain perfect alignment.  3x3 prints two horizontal lines on the label, between rows 1 and 2 and rows 2 and 3.  Vertically, this line should be directly between the two rows.  Horizontally, it should align exactly with the middle column of labels.

Another trick is to apply the labels to the diskette face first.  We get good results by placing the lower-left corner of the label onto the diskette, then align the bottom of the label to the bottom of the diskette label area.  Everything then seems to align when the label top is wrapped to the back of the diskette.

One problem we've seen is where the label looks good in the preview but is missing parts when it prints.  This appears to be a combination of clipping/margin/font problem.  The current work-around is to print on regular paper first, and adjust the font size of the offending text.


Filename Columns

This version will auto-adjust the number of columns based on the number of files or directories to be printed.  If there is any interest, the user could specify the column layout or the filenames could be split into name and extension, similar to a DOS DIR command output.


Banner Text

An option under consideration is auto-sizing of the banner text to fit all the way across the label, with centering. Probably 2.0 for this enhancement.

One major feature would allow you to use a .BMP bitmap containing a company logo, for instance.  This enhancement would include the ability to print the bitmap upside down for the back side label.  This enhancement was planned for 2.0, but may be indefinately delayed until I get a custom imaging control.  In regular Visual Basic, I can easily deal with just .BMP files, but seems like people want to use .PCX and .TIF files too, which require a custom control.  We'll see.


Diskette Cataloging

Yes, this is also in the works.  Your feedback here is appreciated...What kind of information should it capture?  Filenames, sizes, dates?  Banner or edge text?  Searchable by any field?  From 3x3, or from a separate (included) program?

This option will be the core of the 2.0 version.  Plus, it will give us an opportunity to try out VB 3's database engine, and more custom controls.


Other Enhancements

There has been some interest in printing a directory tree of the diskette instead of the columns of filenames.  Feedback?.

On the subject of printers, is there much interest in color labels?  We hear one user prints fine on an HP inkjet, so color is a distinct possibility.  Possibly version 1.60, but might wait until 2.0.  Main drawback is borrowing one to test with.

Someday, 3x3 will use a standard Setup program, to allow easier distribution of all of the related files.  Probably 2.0 for this, too, since adding database will add more VBX's and stuff.

Any interest in this same program, but for labels for 5 ¼" floppies instead?  It couldn't have edge text, but could have more than 3 columns of files.

Version 1.5 will be modified to create 2x4, which will handle Avery labels for the European A4 page.  Look for it at a BBS near you.


User Interface

Feedback on the user interface will be appreciated.  We've tried to make a program that performs with minimum mouse clicks and keystrokes, while still being easy to learn and use.  Have we succeeded?  Any changes we should make?


Addresses

TANSTAAFL Software can be contacted via several methods.  All orders should be mailed to the Post Office box.  Questions and technical support for registered users can use mail, phone, or several flavors of Email.  If you call, please call between the hours of 8 AM and 10 PM, Mountain Time.  Since I have to work during the day, the best times to call are in the evening.

Dana W. Cline

TANSTAAFL Software
P.O. Box 260075
Lakewood, CO  80226

(303) 989-7389

CompuServe:	73700,3053

GENIE:	tanstaafl

Internet:	73700.3053@compuserve.com


Prices

3x3 Labeler is available for $20 for the latest version.  This is a good deal for two reasons.  First, by supporting the concept of shareware, you encourage development by individuals and small companies.  Second, your $20 will likely get you a newer version than the one you may have, with more features or certainly less bugs.

Payment should be in the form of a check or money order.  Cash is accepted but discouraged.  Sorry, no company P.O.'s.

Foreign orders should include $5 for shipping, and the check or money order should be payable in US Dollars, on a US Bank.

Source code is available.  Contact us for further details.


Order Form

TANSTAAFL Software	Version 1.50

NAME:     __________________________________________________

COMPANY:_________________________________________________

ADDRESS:  _________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

CITY:     ____________________________________________________

STATE:    ________________________  ZIP CODE:  ________________

PHONE:    __________________________________________________

E-MAIL ADDRESS: ___________________________________________

WHERE DID YOU RECEIVE 3x3?  _______________________________

___________________________________________________________

DISK SIZE NEEDED: [  ] 3-1/2      [  ] 5-1/4

COMMENTS:  ________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Basic Registration	@ $ 20.00	__________

Colorado sales tax	(7.1%)	__________
(CO residents only)

Non-US Shipping	@ $5.00 	__________

(Payments must be in US Dollars, US bank)

                                                         TOTAL:  $__________

Checks or money orders only.  Sorry, no company P.O.'s or credit cards.

Remit to:

Dana W. Cline
TANSTAAFL Software
P.O. Box 260075
Lakewood, CO  80226


Legalese

3x3 Labeler is Copyright 1993 by TANSTAAFL Software.  3x3 Labeler is released as shareware.  The unregistered version should be used for evaluation purposes only.  Users are expected to pay for the registered version of this program.  3x3 Labeler is not warranted for anything, and TANSTAAFL Software is not responsible for any damages arising from the use of this program.

All product or company names mentioned are probably copyrighted or trademarked by their respective owners.

If you want to give this program away, please distribute the original .ZIP file.  If you want to distribute this program via CD-ROM or software library service, please contact us for the latest shareware version.


12/06/93   1.5

Fixed (embarassing!) bug in using <VOL> to put volume label in edge and banner text.  Added bytes used and free counts to labels containing file or directory names.  Added ability to load and save different defaults as named label sets.  Added more troubleshooting information to help file.


11/15/93   1.4

Added printer setup, common font selection dialogs.  Now sort files by name and extension.  Adjusted positioning of upside-down banner text.  Fine-tuning of the printer routines to reduce printer errors.  Allow provision for edge or banner text to contain the disk volume ID.  Fixed bug where reading directory names would also get file names.


10/10/93   1.3

Limited release.  Added upside-down banner text to both printed and viewed labels.  Changed font default from Arial to the first available printer font.  Edit boxes for banner, edge, and body text no longer use the selected font.


9/28/93     1.2

Added alignment to all text boxes on labels.  Each box (edge, banner, body) can have separate fonts & sizes.  Added divider line between banner and body.  Added label preview.  Fixed a couple of bugs.  Added support for label body to contain file names, directory names, or multi-line text.  Added fine-tuning for different laser printers.  Rearranged label options screen to cram more stuff on it.


8/15/93     1.1

Added local edge text, local banner text, and local font name and sizes.  Changed the user interface to allow easy selection and editing of local data.  Improved error handling.   Added the ability to change global font name and sizes.  Improved help file.  Added filename patterns.


7/5/93       1.0

Original release, did minimum necessary to produce disk labels.