═══ 1. Introduction ═══ Conversion Pro v1.5 Conversion Pro for OS/2 is a 32-bit Presentation Manager application which enables the user to perform some 1,800 scientific and engineering unit conversions. So far it is the only OS/2 PM application of its kind. Please read the product overview for more information. Conversion Pro for OS/2 includes a floating button bar, a button calculator, and a temperature conversion utility which can speedily convert temperature data in either Fahrenheit, Celsius (centigrade), or Kelvin. Check out the new feature list for Conversion Pro version 1.5. Installing is Easy! A product overview and installation instructions are also included in this on-line document. Additional Product Information about Conversion Pro, how to register, and where to obtain user support is available. Thanks for supporting Conversion Pro! Jon F. Kaminsky NEGC Software Tacoma, Washington ═══ 1.1. Overview ═══ Welcome to Conversion Pro for OS/2 v1.5! Conversion Pro includes about 1,800 conversions, was originally intended for scientists, engineers, architects, students, and teachers, but now that the data customization has been enhanced, virtually anyone should find a use for Conversion Pro. Click on one of the feature topics below to learn more about that feature. FEATURE TOPICS  Main Window Menu bar Conversion list-box Factor display box Numeric format radio buttons Feature buttons On-the-fly converter  Button Bar  Temperature Converter  10-key Button Calculator  Settings Notebook ═══ 1.2. New Features in v1.5 ═══ Conversion Pro for OS/2 v1.5 includes many new features. I am pleased to be able to address some customer requests and also add a few ideas of my own. Version 1.5 enhancements include: o Faster loading- The small delay in the loading of earlier versions of Conversion Pro was due to the two giant data files consisting of some 1800 conversions. The data files have now been broken up into 21 different data sets. o Custom data- Users now have a reserved custom data file where they can create there own conversions. Note however, that all 21 of the data files are editable. o Any of the 21 data files can be specified as the default. The complete data set is still available if users want to load all the data at once. o Conversion Pro now includes a floating button bar. Each button loads one of 21 different conversion data files. o User settings- Users are now able to save some basic settings that control the operation of Conversion Pro. The default data set that is loaded when Conversion Pro starts can be specified. The default numeric format Conversion Pro uses on start-up can be specified. Whether the new button bar loads automatically on start-up can be specified. o The calculator, the temperature converter and the button bar can now be started from the feature buttons on the main window. o The frame around the on-the-fly conversion calculator now reflects what data set has been loaded. o Right mouse-button functioning- Right clicking over the conversion list-box will automatically pop-up a menu where a new data file may be quickly selected and automatically loaded. o The bug in the button calculator is now fixed. In previous versions, pressing the key on the right-hand side of the 10-key pad would not calculate results unless the <=> key had been previously presses at some time. Either the key or the <=> key will now calculate results. ═══ 1.3. Product information ═══ Conversion Pro for OS/2 Conversion Pro version 1.5 is Copyright (c) 1995, 1995 by J. F. Kaminsky. Contact the author at the following company address: J. F. Kaminsky NEGC Software Co. 2522 North Proctor Street, Suite 135 Tacoma, WA 98406 e-mail: negcjfk@ibm.net Product support: 103162.365@compuserve.com License Fee: $10.00 US To Register Conversion Pro Registration (License fee) is a mere $10.00 (US). Registered users are entitled to free upgrades for future version 1.x releases. Please send a money order or a check drawn on a U.S. bank to the address shown above. Thanks to all previous registrants of Conversion Pro! Note: For you users who have not yet extracted the Microsoft ring out of your nose, a Windows version of Conversion Pro is also available. ═══ 2. Installation ═══ Installation of the Conversion Pro program is simple and can be accomplished by following these series of steps: 1. If Conversion Pro came to you as a *.zip file, drag a folder onto the desktop from the templates and unzip the cpwarp15.zip file there. If Conversion Pro came to on a floppy, you can install it directly from there. 2. In either case, you should have the following files: cpro1_5.exe Conversion Pro executable cpro1_5.ico Application icon cpfold.ico Desktop folder icon ****.dat 21 data set files cpset.ini program settings file cpro1_5.hlp On-line help file. cpro1_5.inf On-line help file in book form. install.exe Installation program install.dat installation datafile readme.txt Read me info file cporder.txt Ordering information cpwarp15.txt Upload information template 3. Run the installation program install.exe. The default install directory is x:\cpwarp15. The installation program will create desktop objects for Conversion Pro. 4. If you haven't already got one, acquire a copy of the run-time library file vrobj.dll with a date no earlier than 6/6/95 (Patch level "c") from Watcom. It is not included in the archive because many OS/2 programs require this file and therefore a waste of bandwidth to include it in the download. This file needs to be moved to any directory in your OS/2 LIBPATH such as X:\OS2\DLL or X:\OS2\APPS\DLL where X: is the drive letter where the OS/2 operating system files reside. Or, alternatively, you can leave the file in the CONPRO15 directory and add that directory to your LIBPATH. Note: This step must be accomplished or the application will not run. If you are uncertain what directories are included in the LIBPATH, the LIBPATH is defined in the OS/2 CONFIG.SYS file ═══ 3. Customizing Conversion List ═══ The conversion data files used in Conversion Pro can be customized using a text editor. Use a text editor that displays the line number such as the Enhanced Editor (EPM) that comes with OS/2. The customization procedure is as follows: 1. Open one of the data files in the test editor. Place the new conversion units into the proper position by alphabetical order. Be sure to observe the proper format using the other conversions in the list as a template. 2. If you want to create you own custom file with your favorite conversions, use the cust.dat file. it is reserved for that purpose. The file only contains a couple example conversions as examples of the proper format. 3. Save the edited file, Start Conversion Pro, and the new conversion should appear. 4. Caution! Under no circumstance should you rename any of the data files. Otherwise Conversion Pro will not be able to find the file. Note: The actual number of conversions in any one data set is finite, and that number is about 1800 (give or take depending on a couple of things), which is the current length of the data set containing all the conversions (alld.dat). So, if you get too involved with customizing, you may have to delete some conversions to keep the list below 1800. Also, keep in mind that the smaller the list, the faster the program loads. Therefore choosing the alld.dat data file as the default startup file will cause Conversion Pro to load somewhat slower as it has to read in a large amount of data. If this is not desirable, choose another data set as the default startup file. Better yet, create your own custom set to load using the cust.dat file. ═══ 3.1. Conversion Pro data sets ═══ New in Conversion Pro v1.5 is the option to load individual data sets corresponding to a certain topic such as energy or acceleration. This option is set in the settings notebook. As in earlier releases, you still have the option of loading the entire data set containing some 1,800 different conversions arranged alphabetically. The 21 data sets and corresponding data files are as follows:  Acceleration - acce.dat  All data - alld.dat  Angular - angu.dat  Area - area.dat  Nuclear - atom.dat  Concentration - conc.dat  Custom user data - cust.dat  Density - dens.dat  Distance & Length - dist.dat  Electricity & Magnetism - elec.dat  Energy and Work - ener.dat  Hydraulics - flow.dat  Force - forc.dat  Light - lite.dat  Mass & Weight - mass.dat  Miscellaneous - misc.dat  Power - powr.dat  Pressure - pres.dat  Time - time.dat  Velocity - velo.dat  Volume - volu.dat Data sets are loaded using the Units Category menu, the pop-up menu (right-click over the conversion list- box), or by pushing the appropriate button on the button-bar. Using the settings notebook, any data set can be specified as default. The default data set then becomes the list of conversion that are loaded when Conversion Pro starts. ═══ 4. Main Window ═══ The main window is composed of the following components:  Menu bar  Conversion list box  Factor display box  Numeric format radio buttons  On-the-Fly Converter  Feature buttons All the features of Conversion Pro can be accessed from the main window. To terminate (close) Conversion Pro, choose the exit command accessed under the File menu in the upper right-hand corner of the main window. ═══ 4.1. Menu bar ═══ The Menu bar is located near the top of the Main window. Pointing and clicking on any one of the menu headings opens a menu where you can make additional selections. selections opens one of the following window: The File Menu includes:  Button bar- Selecting this choice loads the Conversion Pro Button Bar.  Calculator- Selecting this choice loads the Conversion Pro 10-key Calculator pad.  Temperature- Selecting this choice loads the Conversion Pro Temperature Converter.  Exit- Close Conversion Pro program. The Numeric Format menu includes selections for changing the numeric format of the displayed conversions. The available options are:  Default notation  Scientific notation  Engineering notation The Units Category menu includes selections for all of the available data sets. The Help menu provides on-line help, a selection for changing program settings, and product information. ═══ ═══ ═══ ═══ ═══ ═══ ═══ ═══ ═══ 4.2. Conversion list-box ═══ The Conversion list-box contains the conversion data for the currently loaded file. Choose a conversion by clicking on the desired item in the list box. The resultant conversion factor will be immediately displayed in the Factor Display Box. In the example shown above, the acceleration data file has been loaded into the list box and the centimeters/sec/sec to gravity (g) conversion has been selected. Typing the beginning letters of any unit will scroll the list to that area. For example, when the complete data set file is loaded (alld.dat), typing "r" will move you through the list to the first unit which begins with an "r" which happens to be radians. ═══ 4.3. Factor Display Box ═══ The Factor Display Box is located in the upper right-hand corner of the main window. It displays the conversion factor for the currently selected conversion in the Conversion list-box. The displayed factor can be selected and copied if desired, and the numeric format can also be specified. ═══ 4.4. On-the-Fly Converter ═══ At the bottom of the main window there are several text entry fields where you perform on-the-fly conversions using whatever factor is currently displayed. To perform a conversion, type a value in the right-most text entry box. The value entered will be automatically converted to a new quantity using the conversion factor displayed in the middle text entry display box. The result from the conversion is displayed in the left-most text entry display box. In the example shown above, centimeters/sec/sec are being converted to the acceleration of gravity (g) using the conversion factor of 1.01972E-03. Note that the frame title will always reflect the data set that is loaded into the conversion list-box. ═══ 4.5. Feature buttons ═══ The feature buttons are located on the main window. Clicking on any one of the feature buttons will bring up either the Conversion Pro Button Bar, the Temperature Converter, or the button calculator. These items can also be accessed under the File menu of the main window. ═══ 4.6. Numeric format ═══ Numeric format is selectable by choosing the appropriate radio button. The displayed format will change in three places- the Factor Display Box in the upper right-hand corner of the main window, and both in the factor and conversion result text display boxes in the On-the-Fly Converter. Numeric format can also be changed by the appropriate selection under the Numeric Format menu. Three types of Numeric format are available for displaying numeric data in Conversion Pro are as follows: Default notation Scientific Notation Engineering Notation Default notation reflects the notation of the number as it exists in the factor database. Scientific and engineering notations are convenient for expressing very large or very small numbers, and numbers which reflect a measurement and thus a certain precision. ═══ 4.6.1. Scientific notation ═══ Scientific notation is a format where a number is expressed by the product of two numbers, one as a decimal, the other as a power of ten. In the decimal portion, one digit is placed left of the decimal place, and then possibly one or more numbers follow on the right side of the decimal place depending on the precision of the measurement (significant digits). The power of ten portion of the number is multiplied by the decimal portion. Thus, the number 1.2E3 is equivalent to 1200 (disregarding any argument we may have about numeric precision or rounding off). ═══ 4.6.2. Engineering notation ═══ Engineering notation is a format where a number is expressed by the product of two numbers, one as a decimal, the other as a power of ten. However, in the decimal portion, one to three digits are placed left of the decimal place, and then possibly one or more numbers follow on the right side of the decimal place depending on the precision of the measurement (significant digits). The power of ten portion of the number is displayed by magnitudes of 1,000 only. Thus, for a quantity such as 12,000 (twelve thousand) to be expressed in engineering notation, you won't see it as 1.2E4, but you might see 12E3. Typical engineer nonsense. ═══ 4.6.3. Significant digits ═══ Your answer after conversion cannot be any more accurate than the least number of significant digits used in any measurement value included in the conversion expression. At a minimum, this will usually include your original value in the original units and the conversion factor itself. This is of mathematical necessity, and therefore, not a limitation of the software. There are rules for rounding numbers to the correct significant digits. For example, the product of 30.19 and 12.2 is 368.318, but the answer must be expressed to only three significant digits because 12.2 has only three significant digits; hence the answer is actually 368 when correctly expressed in the proper precision. ═══ 4.6.4. Rules for rounding numbers ═══ The rules for rounding numeric data to the proper number of digits are as follows: 1. If the non-significant digit is more than 5 or is 5 followed by numbers other than zero, the non-significant digit(s) is/are dropped and the significant digit is increased by one. Example: 23.152 expressed to 3 significant digits is 23.2 (the 5 and trailing 2 are non-significant). 2. If the non-significant digit is less than 5, it is dropped and the significant digit remains the same. Example: 23.14 expressed to 3 significant digits is 23.1 (the 4 is non-significant). 3. If the non-significant digit is 5 and is followed by zeros, the 5 is dropped and the significant digit is increased by one if it is odd, and left the same if it is even. Example: 23.150 and 23.250 expressed to 3 significant digits are both equal to 23.2 (the 5 and trailing 0 are non-significant). ═══ 5. Button Bar ═══ A new feature in Conversion Pro for OS/2 version 1.5 is the addition of the floating button bar. The Conversion Pro Button bar allows you to quickly choose any of the 21 data sets and load it into the conversion list-box in the main window. The menu of the Button bar contains selections to move the button bar, open the settings dialog, get help, or close the button bar. ═══ 6. Temperature Converter ═══ Temperature conversions can be calculated with the Conversion Pro Temperature Converter. The temperature converter allows the user to convert between three units of temperature. The value to be converted is entered in the input box. The converted result is calculated on-the-fly and displayed in the 'Result' box using the units currently selected beneath the result. The input and output units are changed by clicking the appropriate radio button. ═══ 7. 10-Key Calculator ═══ Conversion Pro includes a 10-key calculator pad. Click on a part of the calculator below to learn more about it. The calculator is accessed under the File menu, or by pushing the right-most feature button on the right side of the main window. ═══ ═══ Calculator Memory Operations: The 'M+' key stores the currently displayed value in memory for later retrieval. Subsequent values are added to the current stored value by the 'M+' button. The 'M-' button subtracts the currently displayed value from the current value stored in memory. The 'MR' key recalls the current value stored in memory. The 'MC' key clears the value stored in memory. As a reminder, when the memory is on, a red "M" will appear in the upper left hand of the calculator display. ═══ ═══ Operating the key-pad The keys on the calculator are operated by mouse clicking on the desired number. You can also use the calculator as a 10-key calculator pad by first pressing the key on the computer console. The numeric keys on the far right of the console are mapped to the corresponding keys on the Conversion Pro Calculator. ═══ ═══ Available calculator operations The Conversion Pro Calculator includes the basic operators for addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and percentages. To clear the display, press the green button labeled "C" (or press the key on the console). To clear the last entry, press the green button labeled "CE". The mathematical operators can all be invoked by mouse clicking the appropriate button. Alternatively, if the key is set, the key pad on the far right of the computer console can be used for these operations. The key on the computer console is now mapped to the <=> key. You can still press the <=> key and cause the same effect. ═══ 8. Settings Notebook ═══ The settings notebook allows the user to save some basic program settings. The settings notebook is accessed under the Help menu. The user can set the following items: 1. The default data set- the default data set are the conversions that are loaded into the list box when Conversion Pro starts. 2. The default numeric format- this controls what numeric format that is default then Conversion Pro starts. 3. Auto-load button bar- controls whether the button bar automatically loads when Conversion Pro starts. To save whatever changes you have made to the settings, click the save button at the bottom of the page: The settings are automatically saved to a simple ini file called cpset.ini, which is stored in the cpwarp15