On running the new version, it is immediately apparent that this program has undergone a major overhaul, and several items in Daves [Below] wishlist have been implemented.
The first thing that version 2 users will notice is the new toolbar - you now have lots of buttons to play with, just as with Impression!
TableMate 3 now has the full OLE feature implemented. In previous releases, TableMate was the editor for Impression under Impression's OLE, but you now can use the OLE feature of TableMate to edit your graphics or formula in a similar manner.
It is now possible to join rows vertically as well as horizontally. Also, you have the equivalent tab alignments vertically as for horizontally, obviously renamed to suit as top, middle, and bottom.
You can now use your table as a simple spreadsheet.
Also added is the ability to use double ruleoffs, the new colour pickers and CSV saving.
Conclusion: This is a nice piece of software designed to take the strain out of producing tables, and it does its designed job admirably. In terms of time saved, the cost of the package will soon be recouped by anyone who has a need to produces tables in reports. I would recommend this package to anyone.
David Wilcox
TableMate 2 is a vast improvement over its predecessor and it is pleasing to see that what was undeniably a good idea has also developed into a very useful product.
Word wrap within columns has now been implemented, with the rows automatically expanding to accomodate the extra lines of text. This can be very fiddly to within Impression or with many spreadsheets and it allows for large savings in time when creating tables.
Draw files can be placed inside a cell, if you need to add graphics to your table. Full scaling facilities are provided in TableMate 2 so you can adjust the size of the image without having to keep going back to Draw. The graphics side of TableMate 2 works very well indeed, and I am sure that this will be of much use to primary schools, especially.
The addition and deletion of multiple rows and columns has now been implemented and full colour control is now available, allowing you to adapt the colours of the cell background, text and separating lines (ruleoffs) within your table. The width of ruleoffs can also be adjusted, to provide the final polish to your table.
The cut and paste facilities will be familiar to any Acorn user, and conforms to the accepted standards. Row height and vertical positioning of text can now be specified in absolute measurements, and the package allows you to edit up to sixteen tables at one time.
Data can be imported in the form of CSV,TAB or SID files, or entered directly as you would into a spreadsheet. The importing works perfectly, with rows and columns being added automatically as required.
Criticism: There is very little to criticise about TableMate 2. It can be very easy to forget that it is not Impression at times and that, in order to achieve a desired effect,you have to approach the problem slightly differently.
Wish List: Following the great strides made by Dalriada, I hope that do not rest on their laurels. One extra funtion I would like to see would be fully justified text. The addition of simple spreadsheet funtions would also be very useful, and could only enhance what is already a very useful utility.
Conclusion: If have any need to compile tables, TableMate 2 should prove to be an indispensible addition to your software collection. Those who tried and could not get along with version 1.10 should not allow themselves to be put off by the inadequacies of the earlier release. TableMate supplies almost everything one could wish for. Possibly an essential purchase.
Dave Floyd
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