═══ 1. What is ClipBoard Text Utility? ═══ ClipBoard Text Utility is a 32 bit clipboard viewer for OS/2 Warp or OS/2 2.x. It adds several features that the clipboard viewer included with Warp does not have. Specifically, it features the ability to append text to the viewer, save text to an ASCII file, send the text to the printer, actively edit or add text to the viewer, and update either the viewer or the clipboard. It also has the capability to start minimized and run in Auto Prompt Mode. This allows a user to run ClipBoard Text Utility in the background and be prompted (whether to send text to printer or to append to a file ) automatically each time any text is copied into the clipboard. ClipBoard Text Utility can save time and aggravation! ═══ 1.1. Program Requirements ═══ ClipBoard Text Utility is a 32 bit OS/2 program. It requires OS/2 Warp or OS/2 2.x. It will NOT make any changes to ANY system or configuration files. It does NOT scatter program files or .DLL files all over creation. It creates its own .ini file in the directory where it is installed. ═══ 1.2. Program Limitations ═══ ClipBoard Text Utility can only hold a maximum of 64kb text data. It can not import bitmaps or any other data format. Printing is also limited to a straight ASCII dump to the default print object. It is not a word processor. ═══ 1.3. Registration ═══ Registration fee is $25.00 for a single registration. Please contact me for multiple registration price listing. Personal checks or money orders are the main accepted form of payment. Members of COMPUSERVE may register through the SWREG program on line. On Compuserve type GO SWREG. I will also accept checks drawn on foreign banks. However, since banking charges may vary per country please contact me for pricing and payment information before ordering. After sending registration fees you will be sent a CODE word that will disable the ugly SHAREWARE screen that comes up every time you start the program. You will be registered for ALL future updates or versions of CBTU and will NOT have to pay any additional fees. Send all fees and inquiries to : Gary L. Robinson 600 Apt. D Mumford Dr. Troy, OH 45373 internet e-mail address ==> hkypuck@ibm.net Compuserve ==========> 76547,503 ═══ 2. Installation ═══ ClipBoard Text Utility has no installation program. It consists of Three files CBTU.EXE, CBTU.HLP, and ORDER.FRM. After you unzip it, copy CBTU.EXE and CBTU.HLP to a utilities directory or where ever you want them to reside. The file ORDER.FRM is an order form to register CBTU and can be easily printed to make registering an easy and almost painless chore. After CBTU is started for the first time it also will create another file - CBTU.INI. This file will store your settings and program position/size coordinates. Migrate CBTU to the desk top or use a program template to put an icon on the desktop for it. Or you could run it from the command line to test it. Whatever serves your purpose. ═══ 3. Quick Start ═══ To get started quickly do the following : 1. Copy CBTU.EXE and CBTU.HLP to a directory of your choice 2. Migrate it to the desktop 3. Click twice on the CBTU icon 4. Open up the system editor ( or any editor ) and load in a file 5. Highlight some text and copy it into the clipboard 6. It will appear instantly in CBTU 7. Perform a drag operation off of the text area in CBTU 8. Drop the icon on the desktop This gives you a quick idea on how to get going. You could have dragged the text to the printer or to a word processor. You can also accomplish the same through Options menu. You can also set different settings in the Settings menu - especially the first four. You might want to read a little more of the on line documentation before trying the Auto Prompt Mode. See Notes on Auto Prompt Mode. Most settings and options are plainly evident. Settings can be toggled and will change the behavior of CBTU. Options will cause an immediate event to happen. ═══ 4. Main Screen ═══ The main screen has several things of note. The most important of these is the ability to save clipboard text to a file by using drag and drop. Put the mouse pointer directly on the text area ( multi-line entry field ) and press the right mouse button. Hold it down and drag the text to the Desktop, a printer object, or a word processor. If you drop it on the desk it will be named temp.txt. Use direct editing ( press ALT key and click on the file name below the icon ) to change the file name to whatever you desire. Also note that CBTU can be maximized, minimized, or sized to any shape. it will memorize its shape and position. One last item is that the text area can be edited by the user or set for read only status through the menu settings. ═══ 5. Menu Items ═══ A listing of all the menu selections and their functions. ═══ 5.1. Options ═══ Print This sends the contents of CBTU to the printer. It is a straight ASCII dump and does NOT pay attention to the Word Wrap feature. To format or do extensive manipulation save the text to an ASCII file and load into your favorite word processor. Save to File This gives the user a standard Save As dialog box. Navigate the file system and save the file to whatever name and directory you wish. Copy CBTU to Clipboard This copies whatever is in CBTU to the actual clipboard memory area. This is in case you do some manual editing and want to update the clipboard. Clear CBTU This clears only the text in the CBTU viewer - NOT the clipboard memory area. Clear Clipboard and CBTU This clears both the text in the CBTU viewer and the actual clipboard memory area. ═══ 5.2. Settings ═══ Read Only This will toggle the read only status of the CBTU viewer. If you have no need to actually manually edit any of the text you can leave it checked for read only. Word Wrap This will toggle the word wrap feature. It is convenient to use at times for long text lines. Saves time not having to use the scroll bars. However, it does NOT affect the printing in any way. Append Mode This toggles the Append Mode. This allows the viewer to accumulate text that is sent to the clipboard instead of clearing it every time something is sent to it. Append Mode can not be checked when in Auto Prompt Mode. When Auto Prompt Mode is checked Append Mode is automatically deselected and vice-versa. See Auto Prompt Mode below for more information. Add Spaces to Append Mode This gives the user the ability to add two lines ( as a spacer ) between accumulated text that is sent to the clipboard when CBTU is in Append Mode. This will not affect the Auto Prompt Mode. It has it's own separate facility. Auto Prompt Mode This toggles the Auto Prompt Mode. When Auto Prompt Mode is checked Append Mode is deselected automatically. Auto prompt Mode was added primarily to give the user a faster way to go through large or multiple documents and appending many segments quickly into a file or sending numerous segments to the printer. In some ways it accomplishes much of the same functionality of the Append Mode. CBTU is USUALLY minimized during the Auto Prompt Mode. Every time you copy any text to the clipboard ( no matter what document or program ) it will prompt you to either append to a file or send to the printer. See Notes on Auto Prompt Mode for more. Minimize on Startup This will make CBTU start minimized ( or hidden ) when it first starts. This is especially useful, but not limited, to the Auto Prompt Mode. ═══ 5.3. About ═══ This is the notorious Shareware beg screen - complete with a bitmap graphic of the author. ═══ 5.4. Help ═══ If you really need to know what a help selection is on a menu - go directly to DOS and STAY there. It'll be safer for all of us. ═══ 6. Misc. Topics ═══ Topic or items not covered in other areas of the help file. ═══ 6.1. Drag and Drop ═══ Drag and Drop is very limited in CBTU. I did not think it appropriate to enable dragging text files to drop onto CBTU. It is not primarily a text editor - though I did enable it to be set Read Only or editable. If enough users would want it, I can easily add the capability to drop files into it. Any other suggestions on where drag and drop could be used will also be considered. Presently I don't see where else it would be useful. ═══ 6.2. Printing ═══ Printing support is very minimal. It will send the ASCII text to the Default printer. The same effect as doing a Print command from the C prompt. Long lines will not be wrapped and using the word wrap in the program will not affect this. To get better or more control of printed text - drag the text to a word processor and format it as you like. ═══ 6.3. Notes on Auto Prompt Mode ═══ The Auto Prompt Mode was added mostly because of the different ways that people work. What can be accomplished in Auto Mode usually can be done in Append Mode. It is just a matter of taste. In Auto Prompt you may gain a little if you want to combine a number of text passages directly into a ASCII file or to quickly send a series of text notes to the printer. Try both ways and see which you prefer. To use Auto Prompt Mode : 1. click on Auto Prompt Mode in the Settings Menu 2. Then minimize CBTU 3. Then open a text file with an and copy some text into the clipboard 4. CBTU will prompt you to either save the text ( append to ) to an ASCII file, send it to the printer, or Cancel CBTU arbitrarily uses the file name : CBTU.TXT and puts (copies) it onto the desktop. This makes it easy to drag the file quickly to a printer object, open up, delete, etc. You can type in another name and/or path any time you like in the entry field at the top of the Auto Prompt dialog box. If you select the print button, the text ( what was just entered into the clipboard memory area - not what is in the file ) will be sent to the printer immediately. Continue and copy other text items as needed. Every time you copy any text into the clipboard memory area ( a shared memory area for the OS/2 system ) CBTU will prompt you. When you are finished, bring up the OS/2 Window list, select CBTU, and close it.