# This is a specially formatted file, and should not be edited.
# This file provides On-line help for HANDBOOK.
~Main
#
Help 1.37

HANDBOOK prints a personalized Handbook from an ASCII file created with
 a word processor (Wordstar, VDE, QEdit, etc.).

The Handbook is printed on both sides of 8-1/2 by 11 inch paper.

Print/View options allow three layouts:

 1) Handbook: Approximately 3 inch by 5-1/2 inch Handbook designed for
    staple binding

 2) Mini-Manual: Approximately 5-1/2  by 8-1/2 inch double-sided
    Mini-manual pages. On LaserJet Printers, Landscape mode is used to
    allow staple binding.

 3) Letter: Letter-Size, 8-1/2 by 11 inches, double sided loose-leaf
    binder pages.

Special Features:
     Centered Headers
     Major Headers Printed Double Width
     Alphabetic Index
     Multiple Copies During Single Run
     Support for Epson, C.Itoh, IBM, and HP LaserJet Printers
     Supports LaserJet Landscape and Duplex modes
     Accepts Continuous Forms or Cut Sheets
     Automatic Page Numbering
     Set Initial Page Number
     Configurable Month Calendar
     View feature helps identify flaws before printing
     Blank Line and Pagination Control
     Configurable Tab Interval and Wrap Indentation
     Partial Printout
     "NOTES" pages

To print the entire document, select (P)rint All from the Main Menu.

A portion of a document can be printed by selecting Print (S)ome, then
 tagging the front, back, page or range of pages you want printed.
 Tagging either the front or back pages resets all previous tags.
 HANDBOOK tries to make tagging a bit easier by only requiring that a
 single page number be manually tagged to tag all the pages printed on
 that sheet. I hope this is a suitable method and not too confusing. The
 tagging routines have been tested using handbooks of up to 400 pages
 with no problems.

To Enter your personalized Handbook text:

 You may edit a text file by selecting (E)dit from the HANDBOOK Main
  Menu. You must first have configured both the text file name and the
  Editor path/name. Choose (C)onfigure from the Main Menu for access to
  those parameters.
 
 To begin a new Handbook text file, select "New File" from the list of
  available Handbook files, then enter the new file name when prompted.
  Note: This choice will NOT overwrite an existing text file, and it
  will NOT erase any existing Handbook text, even if you enter an
  existing text file name.
 
 A text file may also be edited outside HANDBOOK using any ASCII editor.
  If your editor of choice is a large program, there may not be enough
  free memory to run it from within HANDBOOK. You could still use that
  editor by exiting from HANDBOOK and running the editor from the DOS
  prompt. Open a file using the ASCII or Non-document mode of a word
  processor such as WordStar.

 An excellent shareware editor, VDE, written by Eric Meyer, is included
  with HANDBOOK. If you elect to use VDE, please refer to the VDE
  documentation for registration information.
 
 The default text file name used by HANDBOOK is SAMPLE.HBK, however you
  can configure HANDBOOK to process any file ending with ".HBK".
 
 Format your text just as you want it to appear. The Handbook has 36
  columns, Mini-Manual pages have 46, Letter size pages have 66. Longer
  lines wrap to the next line.

 Use Dot commands starting in column one to enter Headers, etc. :
     .bl <number>     Blank line(s) (Number is optional, default is one)
     .ca <parameter>  Insert Six Month Calendar based on <parameter>
     .cm #            Set the number of months per calendar page
     .cp <number>     Set number of pages for next calendar
     .dt              Insert Current System Date
     .dw              Print Major Headers double width (default)
     .h1 <text>       Major Header line (major index entry)
     .h2 <text>       Minor Header line (minor index entry)
     .ix <text>       Major Index entry
     .mn <0-20>       Minimum NOTES pages after index, default 3
     .no              Insert NOTES page
     .ni              No Index (Index is disabled)
     .ns              Do NOT sort index
     .pa <number>     Start new page if less than <number> lines left on
                        on current page. If no <number>, start new page.
     .pn <number>     Set inital page number. Must be used at start of
                        text file.
     .qu              Quiet Mode (No advertisement on final NOTES page)
     .sw              Print Major Headers single width
     .ta <2,4,8>      Set tab interval in columns
     .tr              Disable word wrap; truncate at page width
     .wi <number>     Set word wrap indentation in columns
     .wr              Enable word wrap (default)
     ..  <text>       Comment (not printed)

 Command examples:
  .pa             (Unconditional new page)
  .pa 5           (Start new page if less than 5 lines left)
  .h1 Phone List  (New major header, Index, Start new page.
  .h2 Local Nmbrs (New minor header, Index, Start new paragraph.
  .bl 8           (Leave block of eight lines blank)
  .ix Special Mod (Index text using current page)
  .ca             (Insert calendar starting system month)
  .ca 07-04-1776  (Insert calendar starting July, 1776)
  .ca Prompt      (Prompt for calendar starting date)
  .dt             (Insert current system date)
  .mn 1           (Minimum of 1 NOTES page at end of Handbook text or Index)
  .no             (Insert "NOTES" page)
  .ta 4           (Set tab interval to four columns)
  .wi 0           (Set wrap indentation to zero columns)

 Each page contains 36 (Handbook), 46 (Mini-Manual), or 56 (Letter) text
  lines, including headers and page numbers.

 Header (.h1) commands begin a new page with the header centered at the
  top.

 A blank line is always printed between the Headers and surrounding
  text.

 All major header (.h1) commands will create a major index entry, if the
  index is enabled.

 All minor header (.h2) commands will create a minor index entry under
  the preceding major header (.h1) major index entry, if the index is
  enabled.

 The Handbook Index is limited to a maximum of ten pages containing no
  more than 200 .h1 entries and no more than 55 .ix entries.

 When the blank line (.bl) command is used with a parameter, and there
  are not enough lines left on the current page, a new page will be
  started.

 Blank lines that happen to fall at the top of a page will be printed
  only if the blank line (.bl) command is used.

 Default tabs are set each 8 columns. This can be adjusted using the .ta
  # command. Valid #'s are 2, 4, or 8.

 A NOTES page can be inserted anywhere using the notes (.no) command

Select (P)rint all to print the entire Handbook. Print (S)ome is
 intended to allow the reprinting of selected Handbook pages if
 necessary.

 When printing side two, insert the paper to print on the back side, and
  when using Cut Sheets, ensure the pages feed in the same order as side
  one.

Select (R)eset to force Handbook to process the Handbook text before
 viewing or printing. The main use for this is to allow you to manually
 enter a new calendar date, if configured, between printings.

#
~Config
#
HANDBOOK looks for a file called HANDBOOK.CFG on the default drive,
 expecting to access user configuration parameters.

If the access is successful, HANDBOOK accepts that configuration and
 displays the Main Menu. You can change the configuration parameters
 after selecting (C)onfigure from the Main Menu.

If the file is not found or is corrupted, HANDBOOK will Display the
 default configuration and allow you to accept or change the parameters.
 When you exit to the Main Menu, a new HANDBOOK.CFG file will
 automatically be created. Note that the file is AUTOMATICALLY created
 only when it does not already exist.

(S)ave the parameters to make changes available to HANDBOOK. When
 HANDBOOK.CFG is found as HANDBOOK starts, HANDBOOK will skip directly
 to the Main Menu.

Select e(X)it from the Configure Menu to go to the Main Menu WITHOUT
 SAVING any changes (unless HANDBOOK.CFG does not already exist, in
 which case it will automatically be created, saving the configuration).

(D)ata Drive refers to the drive which contains your Handbook text file.
 The default text file name is SAMPLE.HBK, however you can configure
 HANDBOOK to process any file ending with ".HBK".

(W)ork Drive refers to the drive which will be used to contain the
 temporary work file, HANDBOOK.WRK.

You can select any valid drive, including a RAMdisk, as either drive. A
 RAMdisk has a considerable performance advantage over a Flex Disk,
 which makes a big difference when processing the Handbook file.

Work Drive Capacity:
    Layout:                 Required per page:
    Handbook                ÷ 1.3 Kb
    Mini-Manual             ÷ 2.2 Kb
    Letter                  ÷ 3.8 Kb

Select a drive from the displayed menu of valid drives, or press <Enter>
 to select the Default Drive.

HANDBOOK can be configured for different printers:

 Select (P)rinter from the Configuration Menu, then choose a printer by
  menu number. If the printer is "H-P LaserJet IId/IIId", you can use
  Duplex mode and print both sides of the paper without having to reload
  the paper to print side two.

Multiple copies of the Handbook can be printed during a run:

 Select (C)opies from the Configuration Menu, then enter a number from
  "1" to "9".

HANDBOOK can be configured to use Continuous Forms or Cut Sheets.

 Select (F)orms from the Configuration Menu, then enter "F" for
  Continuous Forms, or "S" for Cut Sheets.

 When "Cut Sheets" is selected, HANDBOOK will pause for you to change
  the paper and press a key between pages.

 Select "Continuous Forms" when using Hewlett-Packard LaserJet printers
  and most cut-sheet feeders.

The Handbook can be printed in three different layouts:

 Handbook layout prints a set of 3" by 5-1/2" pages, arranged for staple
  binding.

 Mini-Manual layout prints a sheaf of 5-1/2" by 8-1/2" pages, suitable
  for a medium size loose leaf binder. If you use a LaserJet printer,
  Landscape mode will be used to conserve paper and make staple binding
  possible. If you use a dot-matrix printer, you can select Landscape
  mode at the expense of speed and fancy fonts you may have available.

 Letter layout prints letter-size (8-1/2" by 11") pages, suitable for
  loose leaf binders. Each page has 56 usable lines, including the page
  number. Text lines can be up to 66 characters long.

 Select (L)ayout from the Configuration Menu, then enter "H" for
  Handbook, "M" for Mini-Manual, or "L" for Letter. Minus, Plus, and
  Vertical Bar signs are printed around the printed pages when
  appropriate to show you where to cut out the pages or where to fold
  and bind them.

HANDBOOK can be configured to process any text file ending with ".HBK".

 Select (T)ext file from the Configuration Menu, then select one of the
  file names displayed, press <ESC> to retain the original name, or
  select "New File" to create and select a new Handbook text file.

HANDBOOK can display in four video modes.

 Select Video (M)ode from the configuration menu, then select the mode
 by menu letter.

    25x80 mode is always available and displays both Handbook and
     Mini-Manual and Letter layout pages split when using (V)iew.

    43x80 requires EGA video, and allows 36-line Handbook pages to be
     displayed as facing pages.

    50x80 requires VGA, and also allows 46-line Mini-Manual pages to be
     displayed in one column on a single screen.

    60x80 requires VGA, and allows a Letter layout page to be viewed on
     a single screen. This is a graphics mode, and displays somewhat
     slower than the other modes. Only one background color can be used
     at a time, so it may be necessary to adjust text colors when used
     this mode. When (E)dit is selected in this mode, 50-line mode is
     selected during the editing operations, but 60-line mode will be
     used upon return to the main menu.
    
Select Video (A)ttributes to adjust Colors, and Bold and Blink
 attributes for the color video display.

 Attributes can be set for:
  Normal Text, such as this Help Text
  Bright Text, such as the Key Selections at the bottom of the Help Screen
  Hot Keys, displayed with various menus
  Borders and Boxes, displayed with several screens
  Input Fields
  Error Messages 

 Brief instructions for key usage are displayed on the configuration
 screen.
    
You can configure HANDBOOK to use any ASCII editor. Select (E)ditor from
 the configuration menu, then enter the compete path and filename of
 your editor program. If your editor of choice is a large program, there
 may not be enough available memory to run it within HANDBOOK. You can
 still use such an editor by exiting HANDBOOK and running the editor
 from the DOS prompt.

VDE, Video Display Editor, is provided with HANDBOOK. VDE is the
 copyrighted property of Eric Meyer. If you wish to use this editor,
 please refer to the documentation on the VDE disk for detailed
 operating and licensing instructions. If you are familiar with
 Wordstar, you should be comfortable with VDE as well.

The default configuration parameters can be restored by selecting
 (R)estore from the Configuration Menu. These are the same parameters
 displayed initially when HANDBOOK.CFG, the configuration file, does not
 exist.

Configuration parameters can be saved to HANDBOOK.CFG on the default
 disk by selecting (S)ave from the Configuration Menu. You must select
 (S)ave to make configuration changes available to HANDBOOK. If the save
 fails, you will see an error message and be prompted to (T)ry again or
 (A)bort. Some operating systems error traps may take precedence over
 this message. If an operating system message is displayed, recover
 using operating system procedures.

Disk Drive Assignments:
 HANDBOOK.EXE, the program file, can be in any valid drive, including a
  RAMdisk, if present. However, it makes sense to have this file on the
  default drive along with its support files.

 HBKCFG.EXE, the configuration program file, should be in the default
  drive, and must not be renamed. If it is not found, the "Configure"
  selection on the Main Menu will not operate. This program can be run
  from the Main Menu or from the DOS prompt. When the configuration is
  saved, the configuration file, HANDBOOK.CFG will be written to the
  default drive.

 HANDBOOK.CFG, your configuration file, should be in the default drive.
  If it is not found, you will be prompted for configuration data. You
  may accept the default configuration or enter your own. The selected
  options will automatically be saved upon exit to the Main Menu,
  creating HANDBOOK.CFG. On subsequent runs, HANDBOOK.CFG will be found
  and HANDBOOK will immediately display the Main Menu.

 HANDBOOK.HLP, the help text file, this file, should be in the default
  drive. If it is not, no on-line help will be available.

 HBKPRT.EXE, the HANDBOOK printing module, must be in the default
  directory and must not be renamed. The print module is called
  automatically by HANDBOOK and is not intended to be run from the DOS
  command line.

 HANDBOOK.PRT contains all the configurable parameters for each of the
  printers supported by HANDBOOK, with the exception of the fonts used
  by the dot-matrix printers for Mini-Manuals printed in Landscape mode.

 ITOH.FNT, EPMX.FNT, and IBM.FNT are the fonts used by the dot-matrix
  printers for Mini-Manuals printed in Landscape mode.

 HBKSET.EXE is a bare-bones utility which allows the sophisticated and
  patient user to modify or create new fonts for the dot-matrix
  printers, and to alter the control codes, from HANDBOOK.PRT, sent to
  all the printers during printing. I wrote it only to ease the
  development of HANDBOOK, and have mixed feelings about including it.
  However, it seems justified because it may allow the use of printers
  which do not conform to any of the supported standards. A potential
  problem is that it is really, really easy to disable HANDBOOK by
  corrupting either font files or HANDBOOK.PRT. With this in mind, I
  STRONGLY suggest that you NEVER modify your original HANDBOOK disk,
  and that any changes to HANDBOOK.PRT be accomplished ONE at a time,
  with printer manual in hand, and with a clear record of the changes.

 Your personal Handbook text files can be on any valid drive, including
  a RAMdisk, if present. The default text file name is SAMPLE.HBK,
  however you can configure HANDBOOK to use any file ending in ".HBK".
  HANDBOOK is limited to a maximum of 26 Handbook text files in any
  single directory.

 HANDBOOK.WRK and HANDBOOK.MXP, temporary work files, can be assigned to
  any valid drive, including a RAMdisk, if present.

#
~ViewHbk
#
Viewing a Handbook provides a preview of what will be printed without
 having to print. This should help in correcting errors, especially in
 formatting, before both time and paper are wasted printing a flawed
 Handbook.

Use the "Page Up", "Page Down", "Home", and "End" keys to scroll through
 the viewed Handbook.
 
Jump directly to any page by entering the page number and pressing
 "Enter".

To search for text in the Handbook, select (S)earch, then enter the text
 you want to locate and the parameters for the search.

 Valid parameters are (G)lobal, (I)gnore case, and (B)ackward.

 With no parameters specified, the search begins on the NEXT page and 
  proceeds to the LAST page.

 (B)ackward causes the search to begin with the PREVIOUS page and 
  proceed to the FIRST.

 To search the ENTIRE file, specify (G)lobal.

 (I)gnore case means that Upper and Lower case letters are treated 
  alike.

 "Found" text is displayed highlighted (Color) or using UPPER case 
  (Monochrome).

The (V)ideo Mode selected from the Configuration Menu affects how the
 Handbook will be displayed.

 In 25-line mode, each page is presented on a single screen,  split into
  top and bottom halves. This mode is available using any video card and
  monitor, and is the default mode.

 43-line mode is available when using EGA and VGA video hardware. This
  allows 36-line Handbook pages to be viewed as facing pages.

 50-line mode, available only when using VGA video hardware, offers no
  advantage when viewing a Handbook, but is useful when working with
  46-line Mini-Manual pages.

 60-line mode, available only when using VGA video hardware, offers no
  advantage in other than Letter layout, when a full page can be viewed
  on a single screen. This is a graphics mode and is somewhat slow to
  display. Also, only one background color can be used at a time, so
  text colors may be different when using this mode.

# 
~ViewMini
#
Viewing a Mini-Manual provides a preview of what will be printed without
  having to print. This should help in correcting errors, especially in
  formatting, before both time and paper are wasted printing a flawed
  Mini-Manual.
 
Use the "Page Up", "Page Down", "Home", and "End" keys, to scroll
  through the viewed Mini-Manual.
 
Jump directly to any page by entering the page number and pressing
  "Enter".

To search for text in the Mini-Manual, select (S)earch, then enter the
  text you want to locate and the parameters for the search.

 Valid parameters are (G)lobal, (I)gnore case, and (B)ackward.

 With no parameters specified, the search begins on the NEXT page and 
  proceeds to the LAST page.

 (B)ackward causes the search to begin with the PREVIOUS page and 
  proceed to the FIRST.

 To search the ENTIRE Mini-Manual, specify (G)lobal.

 (I)gnore case means that Upper and Lower case letters are treated 
  alike.

 "Found" text is displayed highlighted (Color) or using UPPER case 
  (Monochrome).

In 25-line and 43-line modes, select (T)op and (B)ottom to view the
  entire Mini-Manual page. These options are not used with 50-line mode.

The (V)ideo Mode selected from the Configuration Menu affects how the
  Mini-Manual will be displayed.

 In 25-line mode, each page is split between two screens, each
  displaying either the top or bottom half. This mode is available using
  any video card and monitor, and is the default mode.

 43-line mode is available when using EGA and VGA video hardware. This
  offers no advantage when viewing 46-line Mini-Manual pages, but allows
  36-line Handbook pages to be viewed as facing pages.

 50-line mode, available only when using VGA video hardware, allows an
  entire 46-line Mini-Manual page to be viewed on a single screen.

 60-line mode, available only when using VGA video hardware, offers no
  advantage in other than Letter layout, when a full page can be viewed
  on a single screen. This is a graphics mode and is somewhat slow to
  display. Also, only one background color can be used at a time, so
  text colors may be different when using this mode.

#
~ViewLetter
#
Viewing a Letter size page provides a preview of what will be printed
 without having to print. This should help in correcting errors,
 especially in formatting, before both time and paper are wasted
 printing a flawed book.
 
Use the "Page Up", "Page Down", "Home", and "End" keys, to scroll
 through the viewed text.
 
Jump directly to any page by entering the page number and pressing
 "Enter".

To search for text in the Handbook, select (S)earch, then enter the text
 you want to locate and the parameters for the search.

 Valid parameters are (G)lobal, (I)gnore case, and (B)ackward.

 With no parameters specified, the search begins on the NEXT page and 
  proceeds to the LAST page.

 (B)ackward causes the search to begin with the PREVIOUS page and 
  proceed to the FIRST.

 To search the ENTIRE file, specify (G)lobal.

 (I)gnore case means that Upper and Lower case letters are treated 
  alike.

 "Found" text is displayed highlighted (Color) or using UPPER case 
  (Monochrome).

In 25-line mode, select (T)op, (C)enter, and (B)ottom to view the entire
 page. These options are not used with 60-line mode.

In 43-line and 50-line modes, select (T)op and (B)ottom to view the
 entire page. These options are not used with 60-line mode.

The (V)ideo Mode selected from the Configuration Menu affects how the
 book will be displayed.

 In 25-line mode, each page is split between three screens, each
  displaying either the top, center, or bottom third. This mode is
  available using any video card and monitor, and is the default mode.

 43-line mode is available when using EGA and VGA video hardware. This
  allows pages to be viewed as top and bottom halves.

 50-line mode, available only when using VGA video hardware, allows
  pages to be viewed as top and bottom halves.

 60-line mode, available only when using VGA video hardware, allows
  Letter size pages to be viewed on a single screen. This is a graphics
  mode and is somewhat slow to display. Also, only one background color
  can be used at a time, so text colors may be different when using this
  mode.

#
~PageRange
#
This menu selection provides a means of printing a portion of a Handbook
 text file. The idea is that you can reprint pages that may have printed
 poorly during a full text file printout, perhaps due to a paper jam or
 ribbon failure. You could also use this option to print a section of
 pages which required minor editing after the initial printing. However,
 if the editing moves text to or from a later page, you will also need
 to reprint whatever additional pages are affected by the editing.

To print selected pages, select (T)ag. Enter "F" or "B" to print the
 Front or Back page set, or enter the page number or page range and
 press Enter. When you select "F" or "B", any previous tags are reset.
 If you are using a Duplex printer, "F" and "B" are not available. When
 you select pages by number, Handbook tries to make the job a little
 simpler by automatically tagging all the pages to be printed on a sheet
 when any one of them is tagged. Hopefully this is an appropriate method
 and not too confusing.

(U)ntag works the same way as (T)ag, deselecting a page or range of pages
 in response to your input, except it doesn't make much sense to untag
 the front or back page set (all tags are reset with either choice).

If you are working with a very large Handbook, the entire range of pages
 may be divided among more than one screen. If you select a page number
 which is not currently being displayed, it will still be tagged. You
 can select PageUp or PageDn to display the additional page numbers,
 though it is not necessary in order to print them.

To print tagged pages, select (P)rint.

If you change your mind, press ESC to cancel the print job and return to
 the Main Menu.

# 
~EndOfFile
 

f
