Copyright: Copyright Graphic Impact 1993, 1994


WinCover Help
Welcome To WinCover

If You Send Paper Faxes Or Own A Fax Modem, You Need WinCover!

WinCover (formerly QFCS) is a useful Sharewareprogram for printing facsimile cover sheets under Windows 3.1 or newer. It allows the user to set up default sender information which will load whenever WinCover is started as well as the option to select alternate sender information. It also allows the user to set up a database of frequently used receivers along with their fax numbers. All records in this database may be printed or exported to a delimited ascii file. Fax cover sheets may also be saved to disk for later reference. The user may opt to engage a log file to record details of all printed cover sheets. A system to drag and drop Senders, Receivers, bitmap source files and saved cover sheets insures ease of use. All system fonts are supported. Custom bitmaps may be included on the cover sheet (postcript printers not supported for bitmap printing). Accurate positioning of the bitmap image, font sizing and page alignment is accomplished via a full WYSIWYGpage preview. All user configurable settings are saved in a standard .ini file format in the Windows directory. The TrueType font named Courier New must be installed on your system in order to print a correctly formatted list of all receivers in the database. The TrueType font named WingDings is also required. These fonts are included with Windows 3.1. Support is also included for WinFax Pro 3.0 or newer. You may print direct to WinFax as a means of exchanging quick messages or you may use WinCover to generate an attachment file for use as a cover page with WinFax. 29 custom bitmaps for cover sheet use may be obtained separately as WCVPIX.ZIP.

Shareware Registration, Distribution, Network & Corporate Site Pricing
  French Speaking Europe
 All Other Countries Including U.S.
 Shareware Distribution

Program Information
 Files Included With WinCover
Installation Instructions
Upgrading From A Prior Version
Setting Up The Sender Information
Setting Up Receivers
Fax Cover Sheets
The Notes (Message) Field
Print Preview/Bitmap & Page Setup
The Floating Tool Bar
General Configuration
Using WinCover With A Fax Modem
How To Get A Message To The Author
Trouble Shooting And Known Bugs
Acknowledgements
Warranties And Legal


Files Included With WinCover

These are the files that are included and their functions. An asterisk (*) indicates that this is a file necessary to the function of the program. A pound symbol (#) indicates that this file is installed by default in the Windows System directory.

*WINCOVER.EXE - main program file.

*WINCOVER.HLP - this help file.

*DEFAULT.SND - the default sender data file.

*RECEIVER.DB - the default receiver database file.

#*STATUS.DLL - dynamic link library.

#*PPFONT.DLL - dynamic link library.

#*PSETUP.DLL - dynamic link library.

#*BTTNCUR.DLL - dynamic link library.

#*TOOLBUTT.VBX - custom control.

#*3DLABEL.VBX - custom control.

#*HMETER.VBX - custom control.

#*VBDIA.VBX - custom control.

SAMPLE.FCS - sample fax cover sheet file.

ALT1.SND - an alternate sender example file.

FAXHIST.LOG - fax history log file.

README.TXT - initial instructions.

SITE.WRI - corporate site agreement and order form.

BASIC(1-6).BMP - six simple bitmap images.

INSTALL.EXE - installation program.

INSTALL.INF - standard installation data.

CONVERT.EXE - a utlity for converting Sender and Fax data from WinCover 3.0 or QFCS 2.0 or newer.

FILE_ID.DIZ - Standard BBS description file.


Installation Instructions

Execute INSTALL.EXE from within Windows. Install will create a sub-directory of your choice, copy all distribution files and create a Program Manager Group for WinCover if you desire OR you may manually copy all distribution files to the directory of your choice & use Windows Program Manager or an equivalent process to install. Requires VBRUN300.DLL, not included - (Can be downloaded from Compuserve, also available from most BBS's).

29 custom bitmaps for cover sheet use may be obtained separately as WCVPIX.ZIP.


VBRUN300.DLL
VBRUN300.DLL is the Visual Basic Runtime Library Version 3.0 and is required to run any Visual Basic 3.0 program. (VBRUN100.DLL and VBRUN200.DLL were for version 1.0 and 2.0 respectively).


Upgrading From A Prior Version

 WHEN UPGRADING FROM QFCS VERSION 2.4 OR OLDER ONLY:

If you have been using a version of QFCSolder than V2.0, do not use your existing .DAT (Sender) files. A new field was added in V2.0 that provides for a description of the Sender, if you try to load the existing file two error messages will result "Input Past End Of File" & "File Already Open" - You will probably have to re-boot your system at this point so DON'T USE OLD .DAT FILES!. Erase your old .DAT files before installation! The RECEIVER.DB file is still compatible, however due to the file handling structure of V2.0+, no other .DB files other than RECEIVER.DB are usable. If you created other .DB files for different categories of receivers they will no longer be accessible from the program.

For QFCS 2.0 or newer:

COPY & RUN CONVERT.EXE IN THE QFCS DIRECTORY to convert to the new Sender and Fax file formats. See the Help menu of CONVERT.EXE for further instructions. YOU MUST CONVERT YOUR OLD DATA TO USE VERSION 3.1. DON'T USE THIS UTILITY ON FILES FROM VERSIONS OLDER THAN 2.0.

When upgrading run install to a new subdirectory and then copy your old RECEIVER.DB into the subdirectory overwriting the new RECEIVER.DB file. Any existing cover sheet .FAX files (if converted to .FCS format) from version 2.0 may be loaded, however, only the first line of notes text will be loaded since newer versions now have a single multi line text box instead of the previous four single line boxes.

Pre-existing QFCS.INI or QFCSR.INI files may be deleted since, starting with V2.3,a standard .ini file is created in the Windows directory.

 WHEN UPGRADING FROM VERSION 3.0 ONLY:

1> Delete ENUMFONT.DLL from your disk. It was installed by default in the Windows System directory.

2> Copy PPFONT.DLL and PSETUP.DLL to your Windows System directory.

3> Copy WINCOVER.EXE and WINCOVER.HLP to the WinCover directory.

4> RUN CONVERT.EXE IN THE WINCOVER DIRECTORY to convert to the new Sender and Fax file formats. See the Help menu of CONVERT.EXE for further instructions. YOU MUST CONVERT YOUR OLD DATA TO USE VERSION 3.1.

 WHEN UPGRADING FROM VERSION 3.1 ONLY:

1> Copy  VBRUN300.DLL to your Windows System directory. VBRUN300.DLL is available from Compuserve and most BBS's.

2> Copy WINCOVER.EXE, WINCOVER.HLP to the WinCover directory.

 Version 3.1a incorporates the following changes:

1> Recompiled with Visual Basic version 3.0 (now requires VBRUN300.DLL)

2> Option menu added for user selectable date format. MM/DD/YY or DD/MM/YY.

3> Clarifications in online help.

4> Several minor bug fixes

5> Change of author's company name, address and payment options (now accept VISA & MasterCard)

6> Corporate site application and agreement included as SITE.WRI

7> Change of data sequencing in all .FCS (saved fax files). A bug in version 3.1 caused improper data sequencing in .FCS files if carriage returns were added to the notes section. This has been fixed in 3.1a. Any .FCS files saved with version 3.1 will no longer be fully readable with 3.1a with comments, date and notes entries out of sequence. The only way to recover these files is to manually re-sequence the data which is actually quite easy. IF YOU MUST RECOVER THESE DATA FILES CONTACT THE AUTHOR FOR INSTRUCTIONS.

 Version 3.1b & 3.1c & 3.1d incorporates the following changes:

1> European distributor information and order form added.

2> Multiple printer connection bug fix. Printer setup dialog box revised. 3D control effects dropped due to 3rd party control bugs.


QFCS
WinCover was formerly called QFCS, short for Quick Fax Cover Sheet. It was renamed starting with version 3.0.


Setting Up The Sender Information

After starting the program for the first time you will want to change the default Sender to match your needs - click CLEAR SENDER. Fill out the Sender fields as you want them to appear each time the program is started. Click SENDER menu and click SAVE CURRENT AS DEFAULT - click Yes on the warning message box. The default Sender has now been saved in a file called DEFAULT.SND in the same directory as WINCOVER.EXE.

You may save Alternate Senders as follows: Click CLEAR SENDER. Type in the alternate Sender. Click SENDER menu - click ADD SENDER AS ALTERNATE. You will be prompted to enter a file name for this alternate Sender - it must have a .SND extension! You may also enter a description of the Sender which will appear when you recall an alternate Sender later (useful if many people are using the same Fax machine). Click OK - Repeat for as many Alternate Senders as you like and save each in it's own individual .SND file. The alternate Sender of your choice may now be recalled at any time by: Clicking the Sender menu, Click SELECT AN ALTERNATE SENDER. Click on the Sender of choice and drag it to the main program window or double click the Sender file of choice - (a sample called ALT1.SND is included with the program). Senders may be updated and deleted with the appropriate menu choices. The delete dialog box offers the option of dragging the Sender to a graphical trash can which opens for the Sender to be dropped in or you may simply double click or tap the spacebar once the Sender is selected.

You may also initiate the above functions using the appropriate Tool Barchoices.


Setting Up Receivers

The default Receiver data file, RECEIVER.DB, automatically loads when the program is started and since the database file with the package contains only the Author's fax number, you will want to add your own list of frequently used Receivers. Click CLEAR RECEIVER. Enter your first Receiver - A COMPANY NAME MUST BE ENTERED & EACH FIELD IS LIMITED TO 25 CHARACTERS. You may leave the TO ATTENTION OF field blank if you like but do fill in the RECEIVING FAX NUMBER field. Click ADD. Repeat until you have added all your Receivers. The total number of Receivers is limited to 500.

Use FIND to locate the Receiver of choice - select the Receiver you wish to use from either the Company or Individual lists and then either drag the Receiver of choice to the main program window, double click it or tap the space bar and it will be loaded.

If you want to change a saved Receiver's information, FIND the Receiver you wish to change, type in the changes and click UPDATE. Changes will be written to the database.

Should you wish to delete a Receiver click DELETE. The currently displayed Receiver will be erased from the database.

The entire database of Receivers may be printed or exported to a delimited ascii file using the appropriate choices from the File menu. Printing the Receivers sorts the list by company name and includes the individual, if any, plus the fax number. The font for the title of the print-out is the default font for the cover sheet. The actual list text is pre-set to print using the Courier New TrueType font (included with Windows 3.1). This font must be present on your system for the list to be formatted properly. If you choose to export the Receiver database, a delimited ascii file named EXPORT.TXT is created in the directory where WinCover is installed. This file may be used to export database information to other programs. The format is as follows:

"COMPANY","INDIVIDUAL","FAX NUMBER"


Fax Cover Sheets

The Fax Cover Sheets menu allows the current fax cover sheet to be saved to disk to a file with a *.FCS extension. You may enter comments in the SAVE FAX COVER TO DISK dialog box, the current date and time are also saved. Saved fax cover sheets may be recalled or deleted with the appropriate menu choices or the Tool Bar. A sample fax cover sheet, SAMPLE.FCS is included with the package. This feature is not to be confused with the separate feature to automatically create a log file (discussed in the General Configurationsection).


The Notes (Message) Field

The notes multi-line text box will hold up to 15 lines of text. Should you exceed this limit you will be reminded of the limit by a warning message at print time. The text box automatically wraps any text that is entered. Please read the additional instructions for proper text width adjustment in the Print Preview/Bitmap & Page Setupsection.

The Notes section can be retracted or extended to reduce the interface size with the blue vertical arrow buttons on the right of the main screen.


General Configuration

The General Configuration and File menus provides the following options:

All Data Upper Case or All Data Mixed Case

This affects the option of having all data entered into fields converted to upper case regardless of your keyboard caps lock setting.

Fax Log File Active or Fax Log File Inactive

This will automatically record key information when printing a cover sheet including date, time, receiving company, receiving individual, fax number, number of pages transmitted and all notes. The resulting file may be viewed or printed via the appropriate selection from the File menu (Windows Notepad must be installed on your system for this feature). This option is in addition to the option to save the entire cover sheet from the Fax Cover Sheets Menu(you will be given the option after printing to save the cover sheet in a .FCS format file whether or not the entry was logged in the FAX.LOG file).

Date Format

Presents you with a sub-menu of two date formats for use by the program. MM/DD/YY or DD/MM/YY. This was incorporated due to many requests from users in countries that use the DD/MM/YY format.

All of the above settings are saved as defaults upon exiting the program.

The File menu contains an option for changing the default system printer and it's setup. Be aware that if you change the default system printer while WinCover is running, incorrect font name information may be displayed in the preview screen. Exit and re-start WinCover to update the displayed font names.

C O L O R S

WinCover's color defaults are those as set for your system in Windows Control Panel.


Using WinCover With A Fax Modem

WinFax Pro 3.0 or newer most be installed on your system to use the built in DDE support. If WinFax is not installed, the Fax Modem menu selection in the main and preview screens will be disabled. You can use the Printer Setup menu selection to change the default printer to your fax driver. Consult your software documantation on proper procedure for creating an attachment file.

 Print Message Direct To WinFax Pro

This is useful if you want to compose a quick message and send it as a single page. When you click Print Direct To WinFax Pro your default system printer is automatically changed to WinFax and this dialog box will appear. You may now edit the destination telephone number, transmission date & time, subject of the fax and the fax resolution. Click Send Fax and your message will be sent and your original default printer driver will be restored. Be careful to maintain the displayed format for time and date if you want to schedule transmission in the future. Incorrect formatting here will cause a DDE error message to be displayed.

 Create Attachment File For WinFax Pro

This feature allows you to create cover sheets for use with WinFax. When you click this menu selection a dialog box will appear giving you the option of restoring your default printer driver when the attachment printing is complete. When the WinFax dialog box appears choose SAVE TO FILE under ATTACHMENTS. Refer to your WinFax documentation for instructions on how to attach the cover sheet to other transmissions.


The Floating Tool Bar

The Floating Tool Bar performs the following functions:

Some buttons are disabled depending upon which screen you are currently using.

The float/sink menu is provided so that the user may force the Tool Bar to stop floating. The Tool Bar will automatically sink when the Receiver list is called, if WinCover Help is called and for most program message boxes. This feature is useful if multiple applications or a screen saver are running and you find that the Tool Bar is overlapping them. The float/sink menu is disabled in the Print Preview/Bitmap & Page Setup screen.

The Tool Bar may be rolled up or down to save screen space using the blue (unrolled) and yellow (rolled) vertical arrows.


Print Preview/Bitmap & Page Setup

This screen provides for all page, font and bitmap settings. Provision is made for margin adjustment, bitmap selection, placement and sizing, font size adjustments for the To/From and Message areas of the cover sheet as well as selection of a text title if no bitmap is to be printed.

Alignment

Provision can be made for the print alignment of different printers. Adjust the PAGE L (left) and PAGE T (top) controls to your needs. Please note that this adjustment will show immediately in the preview but the actual representation of the margins will vary with different printers. This adjustment is independent of the bitmap size and position settings.

Bitmaps

Bitmap source files can be selected via the BITMAP FILES menu. Either drag or double click your choice in the dialog box to load the bitmap. Use the BITMAP T (top), L (left), H (height) and W (width) controls to size and position the bitmap. Please note that you must click the Resize button after making height or width adjustments, whereas top and left adjustments are shown immediately in the preview. The BITMAP FILES menu and these controls are disabled if the ENABLE BITMAP PRINTING option button on the Tool Baris not depressed. Please note that printing times will increase substantially when printing bitmap images. Some grey scale bitmaps (including some in the WCVPIX.ZIP. archive, available separately) do not display well in the preview but do print properly.

Fonts

You may set the font size of the TO & FROM, MESSAGE and TEXT TITLE sections independently. You will note occasionally that some font size selections will not actually change the size of the displayed fonts in the preview. This will vary with different TrueType font names and manufacturers and is due to the way Windows handles small fonts. The actual printed font sizes will be as selected. Please note that the MESSAGE section prints approximately 60 characters across and the font size will have to be adjusted depending on the width of the font selected. The TEXT TITLE controls allow for the user to select a title to be included on the cover if no bitmap is desired. The TEXT TITLE controls are disabled if the ENABLE BITMAP PRINTING option button on the Tool Baris depressed.

Use the BOLD and ITALIC buttons on the Tool Bar to change the text attributes of the printed page. Due to Visual Basic's TrueType font handling procedures, fonts of less than 17 point in the preview will always be represented as Bold, however, the actual printed page will be accurate. Please note that the actual words To:, From:, Message: and all individual field labels are not affected by Bold settings. WinCover has only been tested with Truetype fonts.

Border

You may also disable the FIELD BORDER button on the Tool Barto eliminate the borders printed around the various fields on the cover sheet. This may help to reduce print times.

Clicking the Ok button returns you to the main program screen with all changes made to the preview screen being retained. You may choose the Print button on the Tool Bar from either the Preview or Main screens.

All of the above settings are saved as defaults upon exiting the program.

Should you wish to have your company logo digitized, you may order this service from the Author using the ORDER LOGO SCANNING menu selection from the Help menu.


How To Get A Message To The Author

You may send the Author your thoughts, suggestions, ideas, complaints, etc. via the numbers below. Please include a brief description of your system if you have a technical question, problem or bug to report.

Michael Haschka - Compuserve 73027,3307  OR  America Online at MikeH1259  OR  Fax (805) 482-6213  OR  Voice (805) 378-7232

The author's mailing address is:

Graphic Impact

5241 Mission Oaks Blvd., Suite 377

Camarillo, CA  93012-5425  U.S.A.


Trouble Shooting And Known Bugs

If the default Sender file is missing you will receive an error message at startup. Simply type in a new default Sender and use the Sender menu to save it as the Default. Should the Receiver database file RECEIVER.DB be missing the program will automatically create a new empty database file at startup. Most other error messages received during usage of WinCover should be fairly self explanatory - if not, refer to the How To Get A Message To The Authorsection for ways to reach the author.

Postscript printers are not supported for printing of bitmaps. If you have a Postscript printer, simply select no logo from the print dialog and print your cover sheet with text only. There have been some problems with Norton Desktop reported with this and other Visual Basic programs including WinCover being unable to find the default data files. If using Norton Desktop, you MUST select File Properties and then click on Options - set the directory where WinCover and it's data files are located. Failure to do this will cause an error message to be displayed at startup. If you start WinCover and then change printers or page orientation while it is running, you may encounter problems with the Preview Screen font list not reporting the correct fonts. This will depend upon which printer has been selected. PLEASE let me know if you encounter any bugs or problems - Send me a fax.

The TrueType font named Courier New must be installed on your system in order to print a correctly formatted list of all receivers in the database. This font is included with Windows 3.1.

WinCover has only been tested extensively with Truetype fonts. Please make the Author aware of any problems with other font types.

The following printer drivers/fonts have proven incompatible as of 02/93:

Panasonic 4450 - TrueType fonts do not print properly, bitmap does not print. Use the HP LaserJet driver instead.

SuperPrint - Large fonts do not print properly, bitmap does not print. Nimbus Q typefaces supplied with package are incompatible.


Acknowledgements

My special thanks to Microhelp Inc. for their bitmap printing routines, to Ed Staffin for STATUS.DLL, to Paul F. Poellinger for PPFONT.DLL, to Michiel De Bruijn for his code ideas in SIMPLFAX, to Richard Wagner for his code ideas in Pwrap, to Jari Kallonen for VBINST, to Brett Foster for TOOLBUTT.VBX, to Mike Kasaty for his timely help with database file manipulations, to Mark Gamber for VBDIA.VBX, to Jiang, Jeng Long for HMETER.VBX & 3DLABEL.VBX and to my girlfriend Kim who put up with my long hours in writing WinCover!


Warranties And Legal

MICHAEL HASCHKA AND GRAPHIC IMPACT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANT ABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. The customer's sole remedies are set forth in the warranty clause above. The liability of Michael Haschka and Graphic Impact for damages shall not exceed the current registration fee for the product. In no event will Michael Haschka and Graphic Impact be liable for any special, incidental or consequential damages even if Michael Haschka or Graphic Impact has been advised of the possibility of the same. MICROSOFT WINDOWS, WINDOWS, MICROSOFT and VISUAL BASIC are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. WINFAX and WINFAX PRO are registered trademarks of Delrina Corporation. All other product names are copyright and registered trademarks/trade names of their respective owners.


Shareware Distribution

Individuals, Shareware distributors and BBS operators may freely distribute WinCover provided the following criteria are met:

ALL FILES THAT CAME WITH THE DISTRIBUTION DISKETTE OR ARCHIVE MUST REMAIN A PART OF THE PACKAGE.

Please see  Files Included With WinCoverfor a complete list.

PLEASE MAINTAIN THE FOLLOWING FILE NAME FOR DISTRIBUTION:   WCV31D.ZIP.

To verify that you have the most recent version or if you have any questions, please see How To Get A Message To The Author


All Other Countries Including U.S.

WinCover is not PUBLIC DOMAIN NOR FREE SOFTWARE! It is provided for limited use for the purpose of evaluation only. Non-registered users of this software are granted a limited license to use an evaluation copy for trial use on a private non-commercial basis for the expressed purpose of determining whether WinCover is suitable for their needs. At the end of the 30 day trial period you should register your copy or discontinue using this product. When you register, you will receive a version of WinCover which omits the shareware notices, technical support, a free upgrade to the next major revision and automatic notification of new versions.

The registration fee is a very nominal $20 plus shipping for single users. You may register via Compuserve, America Online, by mail, by voice or by fax (credit card orders only via AOL, fax or voice). We accept VISA and MasterCard. To register by mail or fax use the Order option from the Help menu and choose United States And All Other Countries. To register on Compuserve (no shipping charges) type GO SWREG and search on #987. The registration fee will be charged to your Compuserve account.

 AS A BONUS WHEN YOU REGISTER: If you register via the mail or fax (i.e. not on CompuServe) we will send you a certificate for a discount on a great collection of shareware on CD-ROM. This certificate entitles you to one issue of the 'JCSM Shareware Collection' for $9.95 plus shipping ($2 in the US, $3 in Canada, $5 elsewhere).  This is a great price on a great collection of shareware!

The prices for non-european network or multi user site versions are as follows:

2 to 9 computers .......... at $15 each

10 to 24 computers ...... at $13 each

25 to 49 computers ...... at $12 each

50 to 99 computers ...... at $10 each

100 or more computers .... $1000 one time fee

A non-european corporate site license order form and agreement is included in the archive as SITE.WRI.

If you have any questions please see How To Get A Message To The Author


 French Speaking Europe

WinCover is not PUBLIC DOMAIN NOR FREE SOFTWARE! It is provided for limited use for the purpose of evaluation only. Non-registered users of this software are granted a limited license to use an evaluation copy for trial use on a private non-commercial basis for the expressed purpose of determining whether WinCover is suitable for their needs. At the end of the 30 day trial period you should register your copy or discontinue using this product. When you register, you will receive a version of WinCover which omits the shareware notices, technical support, a free upgrade to the next major revision and automatic notification of new versions.

The registration fee is a very nominal 275 FF for single users. We accept credit cards. To register by mail or fax use the Order option from the Help menu and choose French Speaking Europe.

Please contact us for European network or multi user site pricing:

WindowShare SARL

B.P. 2078

57051-METZ cedex 2

France

Fax:(+33)87 32 37 75

Vox:(+33)87 30 85 57

Minitel 3615 WinShare

If you have any questions for the author please see How To Get A Message To The Author


WYSIWYG
WYSIWYG is an acronym for What You See Is What You Get.


Shareware
Shareware gives users a chance to try software before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue using it, you are expected to register.