Help Index
Contents

Command Buttons

Login

Database Browser

Letter Writer

logout

Other features

Spellcheck

Toolbar

Toolbar Buttons

Procedures

Copying Text

Deleting Text

Exiting

Editing

Printing

Keyboard Topics

Windows Key Strokes


For information on how to use Help, press F1 or select Using Help from the Help menu.


Database Browser

The Database Browser allows you to enter new records and delete and Edit old records. Selections can be made using the Find Button which can then be printed out as a list or mailmerged with a previously prepared letter. When the programme is first installed there is no database file. However, one is created when you first run the programme. Click the NEW button to add a new record to the database and enter your own details. This record is not part of the selectable data but is used by the letter writer to add your letterhead. If you include a Company name, the letter writer will create a letter head using your Company name and position it across the top of the page. Below this in smaller letters will be a line of address including the Town below which is the County and postcode. Below this in smaller letters will be the telephone and/or Fax numbers if included. If a Company name is not entered in this first record, then the heading will consist of your address in smaller letters positioned at the right-hand side at the top of the page as in a personal letter.

There are two other options:-

1.	Neither Company nor surname are included in the user record. This will not print a letter head but will leave a space at the top for a pre-printed letter head.

2.	The persons full name is entered and something is entered in the Company box. This will print the persons name and address in small print at the top left-hand side allowing enough space for a pre-printed letter head. This is particularly useful to clubs and societies that have a pre-printed letter head but require the name and address of the Secretary or Treasurer etc.

If you use the Company letter head option, it is also possible to add a heading beneath it by entering the text of this heading in the NOTES section of the user record.

Company Name

ADDRESS 1 - ADDRESS 2 - TOWN

COUNTY - POSTCODE

Tel. 01423 860438          Fax. 01423 860438

HEADING ENTERED IN THE NOTES SECTION


Login

The Login button allows you to enter the name and password of the user. The first entry after installing the programme can be anything and will not be registered. If you require security of data, users may be entered by the System Administrator, along with their password, the first being given system administration powers by ticking the System Administrator box. This user can access buttons two and three. When subsequent users Login, they will only have access to buttons four, five and six. If you do not require data security, do not enter users onto the system via the System Administrator button (button 2), but simply press RETURN when the LOGIN box appears.


Letter Writer

The Letter Writer button gives access to the letter writing section which allows you to enter text into a file for use in writing letters using the Mailmerge button in the Browser section.

You only need to enter the text that occurs after the Dear ... as everything above this is included automatically. Do NOT use RETURN until the end of a paragraph as the text is automatically wrapped when it reaches the end of the screen. The format does not appear on the screen as it will be printed out. This is done during printing to fill justify whatever the paper format or point size used. The letter writer just records the text, not the format. Your letterhead will be automatically added if you have entered the details into the first record in the Database Browser. If a Company name is included, the heading will be across the top of the page, but if there is no Company name, then it will appear at the right-hand side at the top of the page, as with a personal letter. The name and address to which you are sending the letter appears at the left-hand side in a position to coincide with the window of a window envelope. Below this, today's date is added and below this, "Dear first name", if a first name has been entered into the database, "Dear 'Title' surname" if a surname is present, or "Dear Sir" if only a Company name is present. A New document may be opened by clicking the NEW button. A previously created file may be opened by clicking the Load button.

Tokens

It is possible to enter tokens into your text which will be replaced during mail merging with items from the database records. These tokens are the initial letters of the items to be inserted and must be enclosed in triangular brackets <>. The tokens are:-

<A> which is replaced by the first line of the address,

<C> which is replaced by the Company name,

<N> which is replaced by the name of the person as it appears in the Dear ...., and

<T> which is replaced by the Town.


Logout

The Logout button logs the user off the system but does not close the programme. At his point, another user could Login if required, otherwise the programme can be closed by selecting EXIT in the OPTIONS menu on the control panel.


Help Button

The Help button provides access to the help system.

Contents	Help topic contents.


Copying Text

To copy text to a document from the clipboard, position the cursor at the desired insertion point, and choose Button Copy from the Button bar.


Deleting Text

To delete text from a document, select the text, and choose Button Cut from the Button bar.  Cut will put the deleted text in the clipboard. To paste the copied text into another document, or to another part of the same document, choose Button Paste.


Exiting

To exit the section, click button Exit/OKAY on the button bar. This will return you to the Control Panel. To Exit Mailer first Logout using the Logout button and then select the OPTIONS menu and click EXIT.


Editing

The Edit Buttons in this application allow reading, editing, printing and saving text files from the Letter Writer or Database records from the Database Browser.

See also Cut, Copy and  Paste

 It is also possible to Cut, Copy and Paste in any section of the programme where you are entering text by using the keys ctrl + "X" to CUT the selected text, ctrl + "C" to COPY and ctrl + "V" to PASTE it back into a new location.  This also works in the Browser section. E.g. if you are entering a series of records for the same town, you can COPY the first entry to the clipboard and then PASTE it into the Town box each time you come to that entry position.


Drag/Drop from the Program Manager
Drag/Drop from the File Manager

A file can be opened into an editor in the application by dragging the file from the File Manager, and dropping it on exphelp's main window.


Printing

There are two buttons on the Database Browser which support printing of documents from the application. Mailmerge which allows you to select a previously created letter to send to each of the addressees listed in your current selection, or Print causes the current selection list to be printed.


Copy Button

The Copy Button leaves the selected text intact and places an exact copy of it in the clipboard.  To paste the copied text into another document, choose Button Paste.

You can also use the Keys ctrl + "C" to COPY selected text to the clipboard.


Cut Button

The Button Cut command removes the selected text from your document and places the text in the clipboard.  Choose Button Paste to paste the cut text into another document. The text remains selected in the clipboard, and can be pasted multiple times.

You can also use the Keys ctrl + "X" to CUT text out of the document and place it in the clipboard.


Paste Button

The Button Paste command inserts the text currently selected in the clipboard into the current window at the cursor position.

You can also use the Keys ctrl + "V" to PASTE the contents of the clipboard to the current cursor position.


Undo Button

The Button Undo command restores the file in the current window to the way it was before your most recent edit operation.  Undo inserts any characters you deleted, deletes any characters you inserted, replaces any characters you overwrote, and moves your cursor back to a prior position.


Delete Button

The Button Clear All command deletes the entire contents of the current document.  Use Button Undo to restore the contents.


Delete Button

The Button Delete command deletes the currently selected text from the current document.  The text is not placed in the clipboard.  Use the Button Undo command to restore the text.


Exit Button
Exit/OKAY Button

Exit/OKAY closes the currently active window and returns you to the Control Panel.


Exit Button

The Exit/OKAY exits the current section and returns you to the Control Panel.


User Button

The User Button allows you to Create or Edit the User record in the Database Browser section. When first using the Mailer after installation, the first record to be entered MUST be your own details for the letterhead. However, the User button may be used at any time to change this information.

The information fields that are used in the letterhead are the Company name, address 1, address2, Town, County, postcode, telephone and fax numbers. If any of these is left blank they will be omitted.

If the Company name is included, then the letterhead is positioned at the top of the page across the top with the Company name in larger letters. Your own name is not used in this case.

If the Company name is not included, then the address and telephone number are inserted at the top right-hand side for a personal letter.

If neither Company name or surname are entered into the User record, then a space is left at the top for a pre-printed letterhead.


New Button

The New Button opens a new document in the Letter Writer section or a new record in the Database Browser section.


Open Button

The Open Button displays the Open a File dialog box so you can select a file to load into the Letter Writer for editing. The same button, in the Browser section, allows you to load previously saved selection criteria.


Print Button

The Print Button prints the selected list in the Browser section.


Mailmerge Button

Mailmerge opens a window that allows you to select one of your previously created letters for printing.  When this is done, a letter will be printed for each of the records listed in your current selection. This can be either a single addressee or a number of addressees that fall into a preset selection. The name and address data will be taken from each record and added to the letter along with today's date and the "Dear (firstname)(title surname) or (Sir)" depending on the information available from the record. Your own letter heading will be positioned at the top of the page.


File Print Setup Command

The File|Printer Setup command displays the Printer Setup dialog box which allows you to select and configure the printer to be used to print documents in the application.


Save Button

The Save Button saves the document in the Letter Writer section to disk. If the document is unnamed, the Save File As dialog box is displayed so you can name the file, and choose where it is to be saved. In the Database Browser section, the Save button is activated when you are setting the parameters for a selection to be made from the database. If this set of parameters is a commonly used selection, you can save it by clicking the Save button and naming your selection when prompted.


File Save As Command

The File|Save As command allows you to save a document under an new name, or in a new location on disk.  The command displays the Save File As dialog box.  You can enter the new file name, including the drive and directory.  All windows containing this file are updated with the new name.  If you choose an existing file name, you are asked if you want to overwrite the existing file.


Find Button
Find Matching Records

The Find button searches the database for a data pattern to match the data entered. If only an initial letter is entered into one of the fields, all the entries starting with this letter will be listed. If nothing is entered, then all records will be listed, 100 at a time. The More button "+", will list the next 100 records in the selection.


More Button

The More Button repeats the last Find operation, in the Browser section, and lists the next 100 records that match the "Find" criteria.


Search Replace Command

The Search|Replace command searches the current document for a text pattern, and replaces occurrences of the of the pattern with new text.  The command displays the Replace dialog which controls the search/replace process.  Options in the dialog determine whether only whole words are to be matched, and whether the case of characters is significant.  The dialog is also used to specify the pattern to search for, and the text to replace occurrences with.


Windows Arrange Icons Command
Window Arrange Icons Command

The Window|Arrange Icons command arranges all iconized windows into rows along the bottom of the application's main window.


Windows Cascade Command
Window Cascade Command

The Window|Cascade command arranges all document windows from the top-left position of the application's main window so that the title bar of each is visible.


Windows Close All Command
Window Close All Command

The Window|Close All command closes all document windows open in the application.


Windows Tile Command
Window Tile Command

The Window|Tile command arranges all document windows side-by-side in a non-overlapping pattern.


Help table of contents
Window Help table of contents

The Help|Contents displays the help contents page.


Spellcheck

The text of the letter that has either been loaded or created in the Letter Writer is transferred to the Spell Checking window and each word is checked in turn against the dictionary. If the word is found, the next word is checked, but if it is not found, it is placed in the 'Selected Word Box' at the top right hand side of the window and a selection of ten closest matches is displayed in the list box below it. You then have four options:-

1.	Accept the word as it is by clicking APPLY

2.	Accept the word and also add it to the dictionary by clicking '+'

3.	Select one of the suggestions in the list box by clicking it and then clicking APPLY

4.	Manually edit the word in the box and then click APPLY


Toolbar
The Toolbar

The Toolbar is a row of buttons situated somewhere in the window, often at the top, which represent application commands. Clicking one of the buttons allows you to carry out the available commands.  Buttons on the toolbar activate and deactivate according to the state of the application, and when active, a description of its function appears in the status panel at the bottom of the window.

Button	Action	Menu Equivalent

Create a new document or record	New

Create or Edit the User record	User

Load a file or selection	Open

Save a letter or selection	Save

Cut selected text to Clipboard	Cut

Copy selected text to Clipboard	Copy

Paste text from Clipboard	Paste

Check the spelling of listed text. The text will be transferred to another window where each word will be checked. If a word is not found in the dictionary, you can either accept it as it is by clicking APPLY, accept one of the offered alternatives by clicking the one you want in the list and then clicking APPLY, or you can enter a new spelling in the selected word box at the top right of the screen. If the word was correct, you can add it to the dictionary by clicking the "+" button. If there is no good suggestion in the list you can click one of the buttons that allow you to try another type of match. The PHONEME button suggests possibilities using the sound of the word rather than the spelling, and the OCR button assumes that the mistake was caused by a faulty optical character recognition.	Spellcheck

Undo previous editor action	Undo

Search for Records matching selection	Find

Find next 100 records matching selection	More

Print list of current selection	Print

Mailmerge selected records with letter	Mailmerge

Print labels for current selection

Display help file contents	Contents

Exit the Database Browser Section and return to the Control Panel

Exit this section and return to the Control Panel

CONTROL PANEL BUTTONS

 Login new user	Login

 USER ADMINISTRATOR - Accessible to System Administrator only - allows users to be added or deleted as required, or passwords changed.

 DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR - Accessible to System Administrator only - rebuild database and import comma separated data.

 DATABASE	Database Browser

 LETTER WRITER	Letter Writer

 Logout user	Logout

 Set the font for the Company name in the printed letterhead.

 Set the font for the Company address in the printed letterhead.

 Set the font for the remainder of the text in the printed letter.

If you do not set these the default fonts will be used. It is only necessary to use these buttons if you particularly wish to change the appearance of your letter.

If you are not a Company and the Company field in your User Record has been left blank, the Header and Address fonts will not be affective as only the Text Font is used in a personal letter heading.

 Set up the label format for printing labels. A dialog box allows you to state the number of rows and columns on the sheet of labels, and the width and height of each label.

SPELLCHECK BUTTONS

 Abandon the spell checking and return to the Letter Writer.

 Add current word to the dictionary.

 Replace the current word in the text file with the word displayed in the selection box.

 Apply best match selection. This is the default setting when you enter the Spell Checker.

 Apply selection using Phoneme matching. Once selected, it remains in operation until you either select another option or leave the Spell Checker.

 Apply selection allowing for OCR mistakes. Once selected, it remains in operation until you either select another option or leave the Spell Checker.

 Displays current word if it is not recognized by the dictionary. This does not necessarily mean that the word is wrong. It might be a special word or abbreviation that you are happy with. If this is the case, just click 'APPLY' to leave it as it is, or click '+' to add it to the dictionary.

 This is a set of 10 suggested correct spellings using the match type selected previously; e.g. NORMAL, PHONEME or OCR. If one of these words is, in fact, the correct spelling, click on it and then click 'APPLY' to replace your word with the correct spelling.


Windows Keys

Cursor Movement Keys

Dialog Box Keys

Editing Keys

Help Keys

Menu Keys

System Keys

Text Selection Keys

Window Keys


Cursor Movement Keys

Key(s)	Function

Arrow key	Moves the cursor left, right, up, or down in a field.

End or Ctrl+Right Arrow	Moves to the end of a field.

Home or Ctrl+Left Arrow	Moves to the beginning of a field.

Pape Up or Page Down	Moves up or down in a field, one screen at a time.


Dialog Box Keys

Key(s)	Function

Tab	Moves from field to field (left to right and top to bottom).

Shift+Tab	Moves from field to field in reverse order.

Alt+letter	Moves to the option or group whose underlined letter matches the one you type.

Arrow key	Moves from option to option within a group of options.

Enter	Executes a command button.

Or, chooses the selected item in a list box and executes the command.

Esc	Closes a dialog box without completing the command. (Same as Cancel)

Alt+Down Arrow	Opens a drop-down list box.

Alt+Up or Down Arrow	Selects item in a drop-down list box.

Spacebar	Cancels a selection in a list box.

Selects or clears a check box.

Ctrl+Slash	Selects all the items in a list box.

Ctrl+Backslash	Cancels all selections except the current selection.

Shift+ Arrow key	Extends selection in a text box.

Shift+ Home	Extends selection to first character in a text box.

Shift+ End	Extends selection to last character in a text box


Editing Keys

Key(s)	Function

Backspace	Deletes the character to the left of the cursor.

Or, deletes selected text.

Delete	Deletes the character to the right of the cursor.

Or, deletes selected text.


Help Keys

Key(s)	Function

F1	Gets Help and displays the Help Index for the application. If the Help window is already open, pressing F1 displays the "Using Windows Help" topics.

In some Windows applications, pressing F1 displays a Help topic on the selected command, dialog box option, or system message.

Shift+F1	Changes the pointer to [image] so you can get Help on a specific command, screen region, or key. You can then choose a command, click the screen region, or press a key or key combination you want to know more about.

(This feature is not available in all Windows applications.)


Menu Keys

Key(s)	Function

Alt	Selects the first menu on the menu bar.

Letter key	Chooses the menu, or menu item, whose underlined letter matches the one you type, when a menu has focus.

Alt+Letter key	Pulls down the menu whose underlined letter matches the one you type.

Left or Right Arrow	Moves among menus of the main menu bar.

Up or Down Arrow	Moves among menu items within a drop-down menu.

Enter	Chooses the selected menu item.


System Keys

The following keys can be used from any window, regardless of the application you are using.

Key(s)	Function

Ctrl+Esc	Switches to the Task List.

Alt+Esc	Switches to the next application window or minimized icon, including full-screen programs.

Alt+Tab	Switches to the next application window, restoring applications that are running as icons.

Alt+PrtSc	Copies the entire screen to Clipboard.

Ctrl+F4	Closes the active window.

F1	Gets Help and displays the Help Index for the application. (See Help Keys)


Text Selection Keys

Key(s)	Function

Shift+Left or Right Arrow	Selects text one character at a time to the left or right.

Shift+Down or Up	Selects one line of text up or down.

Shift+End	Selects text to the end of the line.

Shift+Home	Selects text to the beginning of the line.

Shift+Page Down	Selects text down one window.

Or, cancels the selection if the next window is already selected.

Shift+Page Up	Selects text up one window.

Or, cancels the selection if the previous window is already selected.

Ctrl+Shift+Left or Right Arrow	Selects text to the next or previous word.

Ctrl+Shift+Up or Down Arrow	Selects text to the beginning (Up Arrow) or end (Down Arrow) of the paragraph.

Ctrl+Shift+End	Selects text to the end of the document.

Ctrl+Shift+Home	Selects text to the beginning of the document.


Window Keys

Key(s)	Function

Alt+Spacebar	Opens the Control menu for an application window.

Alt+Hyphen	Opens the Control menu for a document window.

Alt+F4	Closes a window.

Alt+Esc	Switches to the next application window or minimized icon, including full-screen programs.

Alt+Tab	Switches to the next application window, restoring applications that are running as icons.

Alt+Enter	Switches a non-Windows application between running in a window and running full screen.

Arrow key	Moves a window when you have chosen Move from the Control menu.

Or, changes the size of a window when you have chosen Size from the Control menu.