Media Share 9/MEDIASHARE_09.ISO/print/cwbars12.zip/CWBARS.DOC

Text File | 1991-10-05 | 30KB | 697 lines

CWBARS printer driver  V1.2e       October 5, 1991
  written by Charlotte Wood and Eric Isaacson

The entire package is Copyright 1991 Charlotte Wood Software
All rights reserved.

   Charlotte Wood Software
   P. O. Box 3242
   Bloomington, IN 47402-3242
   [phone]

PLEASE read the first part of this manual for legal terms, how
to register for the package, and the overview of the program.
Then if you don't like reading manuals, just type CWBARS to the
DOS prompt.

We have formatted this file so that it can be printed at 10cpi
with margins.  To save space, we don't have a left margin in the
file. You'll need to set your printer to a one-inch left margin
to have room to punch holes for a ring binder.

If you got CWBARS from an XYZ software house, that advertises
great software for $5 per disk, and you are now confused as to
your rights, you might ask the following

QUESTION: "What's going on here?  Have I already bought the
  program, or what?"

ANSWER: Well, no, not exactly.  You've bought a disk that has
  great software on it; unless you legally purchased the
  registered version of CWBARS, you haven't bought the software
  yet.  CWBARS, like most major software offered by the $5-per-
  disk distribution houses, is free-distribution software (also
  known as "shareware", or "user-supported software"). That
  means we retain the rights to CWBARS, but we choose to let
  people pass the evaluation copy around.  We have no business
  relationship with any distribution houses in the U.S.; we don't
  get a penny of the $5 (or whatever) you paid them for the disk
  containing CWBARS.  So we need and expect to be paid by you,
  because we make our income from making and supporting
  shareware products.

  Some distribution houses do a pretty poor job of revealing the
  shareware nature of the software they sell.  If you thought
  you had purchased the software free and clear, you might feel
  justified in being angry with them for having misled you.  And
  you might look around for houses that do a better job of
  informing the public.  But we hope you'll take the time to
  consider everybody's role in the shareware marketing scene; if
  you do, we think you'll conclude that although you may have
  been misled, you haven't really been cheated out of anything.
                                                                2

  Shareware is great for authors like us, who have spent years in
  their computer holes, learning to be great programmers, and no
  time in business school learning marketing and distribution
  techniques.  We simply cast our programs to the winds.  They
  are distributed at practically no cost to us. That's why we
  can charge a lot less than the cost of "commercial" software.

  Shareware is also great for customers like you.  You can try
  out the software before paying for it.  You'll know that a
  successful shareware product is good, because only satisfied
  customers pay for it.  The existence of shareware infuses
  healthy competition into the entire software market, for both
  price and quality.

  Finally, let's consider the distribution houses.  They provide
  a legitimate service, for which they charge a reasonable
  price. The best houses act as librarians, evaluating and
  cataloguing software.  Most pay thousands of dollars for
  advertising. Their cut is far less than the distributor's cut
  for "commercial" software (they prosper because their volume
  is bigger and their support responsibilities are smaller).  Most
  customers for the distribution houses are repeat
  customers, who are aware of, and happy with, what they are
  getting.  If it weren't for your XYZ House, you might never
  have heard of CWBARS, or might never have figured out where to
  obtain it.

  So we hope you'll be happy with shareware, and actively desire
  to support it.  You'll feel good about promoting a healthy
  situation for everybody.  And you'll encourage the best
  programmers in the world to keep writing for you, instead of
  for the big corporations.

Now that we've said that, let's move on to the package.   The
CWBARS evaluation package consists of the program CWBARS.EXE,
and this manual CWBARS.DOC.



TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview of This Manual                                  3
Overview of CWBARS                                       3
Operating Requirements                                   4
Legal Terms                                              4
Legal Conditions for Free Distribution                   5
How to Contact Us                                        5
Installing the CWBARS Program on Your Disk               6
Reconfiguring CWBARS                                     7
Printing Barcodes Manually                               8
Installing the CWBARS Driver in Your Computer's Memory   8
Automatic Printing of Barcodes                           9
Troubleshooting Automatic Barcodes                       9
Escape Sequences for Barcodes                           10
Order Form Generation                                   11

                                                                3



Overview of This Manual

Welcome to CWBARS!  We've tried to make the CWBARS program as
self-explanatory as possible -- chances are good that you will be
able to run CWBARS without needing to read this manual at all.
We would, of course, like you to read the legal terms and
conditions pertaining to the program.  If you're a programmer
sending the CWBARS escape sequence to your printer, you'll need
to read the "Escape Sequences" section.

Otherwise, if you're the kind of person who doesn't like reading
manuals, simply type CWBARS and follow the prompts.  If you're a
beginner at computers, CWBARS will do everything for you: copy
itself to your hard disk, store the answers to the configuration
questions it asks you, and (with your permission) add its own
invocation line to your AUTOEXEC.BAT, so that your laser printer
will have barcode capability from now on.


Overview of CWBARS

CWBARS adds to your HP laser printer the ability to print Postnet
barcodes on your outgoing U. S. mail.  The barcodes will speed
your mail and possibly save you postage.  Currently the barcodes
save postage on bulk mailings.  There are rumors in the press
that the USPS will someday allow a 2-cent discount on individual
pieces of first-class mail containing a 9-digit zip and the
associated barcodes.  The discount was to be introduced in
February, 1991; then in summer 1991.  Neither has materialized,
so we are uncertain whether it will happen.  Watch your newspaper
for details.

You may also wish to use CWBARS only for the following
convenience feature: you can tell CWBARS to substitute an escape
character whenever it sees the 5-character sequence {Esc} being
sent to your printer.  You can use this feature if you're having
trouble inserting the escape character into your word-processing
documents.

You can print barcodes in any of three ways:

1. Manually, by typing CWBARS followed by a zip code to the DOS
   prompt.

2. By arranging for your software to output a special escape
   sequence to your printer at the location where the barcodes
   are desired.

3. Totally automatically -- CWBARS can detect when your Laserjet
   is printing an envelope, and if the last printing characters
   on the envelope form a zip code, it can put the bar codes at
   the correct location, with little or no adjustment to your
   software!
                                                                4

Operating Requirements

CWBARS requires an IBM-PC, IBM-PC AT, or 100% hardware-compatible
computer with at least 128K bytes of memory, running MS-DOS V2.0
or later.  A hard disk is not required, but you'll need to edit
your own AUTOEXEC.BAT if you don't have a hard drive and wish to
make CWBARS' installation permanent.

CWBARS also requires a laser printer compatible with HP's printer
command language (PCL), and capable of accepting "soft fonts".
The original HP Laserjet did not have soft fonts, but the
Laserjet Plus, II, IID, IIP, and III all do.

There's a simple way to tell if CWBARS is going to work for you:
simply type CWBARS ORDER to fill out an order form.  When the
program asks if you wish to print an envelope, answer Y.  The
envelope should have our own barcodes printed along the bottom.
If it doesn't, your printer probably isn't sufficiently
compatible to run CWBARS.


Legal Terms

CWBARS is a copyrighted work -- it is not and never has been in
the public domain.  Each release of the CWBARS program comes in
two versions: CWBARS.EXE, the evaluation copy, may be copied and
distributed to others, subject to the conditions we're about to
describe.  The other version CWBARS.COM, the registered user's
copy, is subject to the same legal restrictions as
traditionally-distributed ("commercial") software.  Neither
version has any physical copy-protection schemes.

WARNING: Before installing this or ANY new software, you should
BACK UP any valuable data on your computer system.  CWBARS has
been extensively tested on numerous different machines, and it is
believed to be reliable and non-harmful.  However, software is
the most complicated kind of product there is.  No mortal human
can be absolutely and completely certain that a piece of
complicated software will work on any given machine.  So you are
completely responsible for determining the fitness or usability
of this package.  We will not be liable for damages of any kind,
including but not limited to lost sales or profits, arising from
any failure of this package to perform as expected.

If you have the evaluation copy CWBARS.EXE, we hereby grant you
permission to install this version of CWBARS in its
memory-resident mode for up to one month.  After that, you must
either remove CWBARS from your system, or register -- if you type
CWBARS ORDER, the program will create an order form for you.

If you have the registered copy CWBARS.COM, you may install it
only on those computers connected to licensed printers.  You may
make copies for backup and archival purposes.  You may not let
the registered copy print to more printers than you have
licensed.  The license for running the current version of CWBARS
is permanent.
                                                                5

The registered version, with a printed manual and diskette, is
$20 per printer.  Indiana residents must add sales tax (making
the total $21.00 at the time of this writing). Overseas users add
$3 shipping.

We reserve the legal right to change terms and prices for future
versions without prior notice.  At the present time we have no
plans to change prices until inflation has seriously reduced the
value of the dollar (by, say, at least a third off its 1991
value).  We will never consider you committed to a higher price
before being advised of the price-- you'll always have the option
to cancel your purchase.


Legal Conditions for Free Distribution

Here are the conditions for free distribution of the evaluation
version of CWBARS:

1. You may copy the disk-file version of this manual and the
   evaluation version CWBARS.EXE, and give them to anyone who
   accepts all the legal terms spelled out in this chapter.  The
   copies you distribute must be complete and unmodified.

2. No part of CWBARS may be sold to anyone without our prior
   written permission.  If the package is distributed on a
   diskette, any fees collected must be specified as
   materials/handling, and may not exceed $10 for the diskette.
   Thus, we are allowing shareware distribution houses to
   distribute the evaluation version of CWBARS, as long as they
   don't try to deceive their customers into thinking they have
   bought the full rights to the program.

3. We reserve the right to prohibit specific individuals and/or
   companies from distributing any or all of our copyrighted
   works.  If we exercise this right, we shall inform such
   individuals/companies in writing, by certified letter.



How to Contact Us

You can write to:

    Charlotte Wood Software
    P. O. Box 3242
    Bloomington, IN 47402-3242

or call [phone].

Sorry, we can't guarantee to return everybody's long distance
calls.  If you'd like to be SURE we'll get back to you, please
invite us to call you back collect, or tell us to charge the cost
of the call to your credit card.
                                                                6

Co-author Eric Isaacson is a member of the Association of
Shareware Professionals (ASP).  ASP wants to make sure that the
shareware principle works for you.  If you are unable to resolve
a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the
member directly, ASP may be able to help.  The ASP Ombudsman can
help you resolve a dispute or a problem with an ASP member, but
does not provide technical support for members' products.  Please
write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI
49442-9427 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to
ASP Omubdsman 70007,3536.


Installing the CWBARS Program on Your Disk

If you know how to copy files from a diskette to your hard drive,
you may copy CWBARS to the subdirectory of your choice.  But if
you'd rather have CWBARS do it for you, you can simply place the
diskette into its drive, and run the program.  If it's drive A,
type

a:cwbars

to the DOS prompt.  You'll be asked the following configuration
questions:

Is your Laserjet the only printer connected to your computer?

    Chances are the answer is Yes.  If you have more than one
    printer, or if there are other devices connected to your
    printer ports, you need to determine whether your Laserjet is
    known as LPT1, LPT2, or LPT3, and tell CWBARS which it is.

Would you like CWBARS to automatically print Postnet barcodes
whenever it sees that a zipcode is the last thing that has been
printed on an envelope?

    You'll probably want to answer Yes if you're now using your
    Laserjet to print addresses on your envelopes.  In that case,
    the barcodes should start appearing on your envelopes,
    without any adjustment to your software.

Do you use business-sized envelopes (about 9.25 inches long) more
often than personal-sized envelopes (about 6.5 inches long)?

    This determines the default envelope size assumed if you are
    using CWBARS manually to print barcodes on an envelope, and
    you don't explicitly give the size (Business or Personal).

Have you specially modified your Laserjet's power-up default font
to be a landscape font?

    If you're not sure, answer No.  The answer if Yes only if you
    have fiddled with your Laserjet's front-panel switches, so
    that the printing comes out sideways when the printer is
    powered on.
                                                                7

The HP Laserjet Plus doesn't have an adjustable feed-guide, so
you must feed envelopes along the edge, not the center, of the
feed slot.  Do you have a Laserjet Plus?  Type N if you have a
Series II or later model.

    Almost everyone will answer N to this question -- all HP
    printers from the Series II forward have the feed-guide that
    centers the envelope within the paper path.

If you're having trouble getting CWBARS to recognize that an
envelope is being printed, or if you simply want selective
control over barcode printing, you can have CWBARS print Postnet
barcodes whenever it sees a tilde (~) or some other specific
character following a zipcode as the last printable characters on
a page.  Would you like this feature to be enabled?

    This option is a last resort if you've failed to get
    automatic barcodes via any other method. Answer No to this
    question when you are configuring for the first time.  If you
    don't see barcodes printed automatically on your envelopes,
    read the "Troubleshooting Automatic Barcodes" section later
    in this manual. You may be able to adjust the escape
    sequences put out by your software to get the barcodes to
    appear.  If that fails, you can reconfigure, answer Yes to
    this question, and add a tilde to every zipcode in your
    database.

    If you answer Yes to this question, CWBARS will ask you what
    character you want, just in case you wish to choose something
    other than the tilde character.

To make it easier for you to send escape sequences to your
printer, CWBARS can look out for the 5-character sequence {Esc}
being printed, and substitute an escape character.  Would you
like CWBARS to do so?

    You can use this option if you find it difficult to put
    Escape characters directly into your word-processing
    documents.  The curly-brackets are usually found as the
    shifted characters to the right of the P key on your
    keyboard.  The letters Esc must be capitialized exactly as
    shown: big E, little s, little c.

Would you like the installation of CWBARS to be made permanent by
adding a line to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file on your hard drive?

    If you're finicky and protective of your AUTOEXEC.BAT, you
    can answer No to this question and edit AUTOEXEC.BAT
    yourself.  You also answer No if you'll be using CWBARS only
    in its manual mode, and not to automatically print barcodes
    or use escape sequences to print barcodes.


Reconfiguring CWBARS

You can repeat the configuration process any time you wish to
change any settings, by typing CWBARS C to the DOS prompt.
                                                                8

Printing Barcodes Manually

You can print barcodes any time you see the DOS prompt, by simply
typing CWBARS followed by the zipcode and the envelope size --
Business or Personal.  You can abbreviate the envelope size as
much as you wish, down to one letter if you like.  You don't even
need to give the size at all if it's the default size you gave
when you configured CWBARS.

As in all commands given to the DOS prompt, you need to put a
space after the name of the program (CWBARS), and you need to
complete the command with the Enter key.  You don't need to worry
about whether or not your letters are capitalized.  CWBARS
doesn't care whether the zipcode or the size comes first, and it
doesn't care whether there are spaces between them.

For example, suppose you told CWBARS that you use business-sized
envelopes more often than personal-size envelopes.  If you wish
to append the barcodes for 47402-3242 to your envelope, simply
type

cwbars 47402-3242

to the DOS prompt.  The embedded hyphen is optional -- it's
ignored by CWBARS since it isn't a part of the barcode encoding
scheme. If you wish the same zipcode on a personal-sized
envelope, any one of the following commands will work:

cwbars p47402-3242
cwbars 47402-3242 pers
CWBARS 47402-3242P
cwbars personal 47402-3242


Installing the CWBARS Driver in Your Computer's Memory

If you wish to see barcodes printed automatically whenever you
print addresses on envelopes, or if you wish to use escape
sequences to print barcodes, then you need CWBARS' printer driver
installed in your computer's memory.  If you answered Yes to the
AUTOEXEC.BAT question during configuration, this will happen
automatically every time your computer is powered on.  If you
didn't, you can install the CWBARS driver any time by typing

cwbars install

to the DOS prompt.  The driver is very small (less than 2K of
memory); but if you are tight on memory you can later uninstall
it by typing

cwbars uninstall

to the DOS prompt.  As with all CWBARS keywords, the words
"install" and "uninstall" can be abbreviated, all the way down to
their first letters "i" and "u" if you like.
                                                                9

Automatic Printing of Barcodes

If you answered Yes to automatic printing during your CWBARS
configuration, and if you installed CWBARS in memory as described
in the previous section, then barcodes should appear whenever you
print an address on an envelope using your Laserjet printer.

The CWBARS driver monitors all data flowing from your computer to
your printer.  If it sees that an envelope is being printed, and
if it sees that a zipcode was the last thing on the envelope, it
will append the barcodes for that zipcode.

CWBARS works with the majority of programs that print addresses
on envelopes.  However, there might be some exotic printer
sequences that will fool CWBARS into thinking that an envelope
isn't being printed when it is.  The best way to find out is to
simply try it. If you see the barcodes, you're in business.  If
you don't, you may be able to adjust your software to make CWBARS
work: read the next section for details.

Note that the barcodes are for the destination of your mail, not
for the return address.  If you are making a bunch of envelopes
containing only your return address, you should first disable
CWBARS with the CWBARS U command, to avoid printing the unwanted
return barcodes.


Troubleshooting Automatic Barcodes

If you can't get barcodes to print automatically, there are a
couple of adjustments you can try.  First, you should make sure
that CWBARS can print barcodes in the first place.  Some Laserjet
"clones" aren't compatible enough to run CWBARS. Type CWBARS to
the DOS prompt and choose the menu item to fill out an order
form.  Answer Yes when you're asked if you wish to print an
envelope for the order form. If the envelope has barcodes on it,
continue reading this section -- you ought to get CWBARS to work.
If it doesn't, send us a note with the brand and model number of
your printer -- if and when we support it, we'll let you know.

If the order-form software worked, we recommend that you next try
to modify the escape sequences sent by your software to prepare
your Laserjet for envelope printing. Most applications allow you
to create and modify "template files" that define those escape
sequences.  The names and formats of those files depend on the
application you're using -- consult your application's manual to
find out what they are.  Included in the template should be a
sequence that tells the Laserjet to print sideways -- they call
it "landscape" mode.  The left column in the following chart
gives some of the ways the beginning of this escape sequence
might be represented in your template file.  You should
substitute the corresponding sequence in the right column:

  If you see:               Instead use:
  27 38 108                 27 33 108
  1B 26 6C                  1B 21 6C
  & lower-case-L            ! lower-case-L
                                                               10

When you send the new escape sequence to your printer, CWBARS
will substitute the old sequence, thus telling the Laserjet to
enter landscape mode.  In addition, CWBARS will record the fact
that you're printing an envelope.

If you can't find the template file containing one of the listed
sequences, you can try typing CWBARS C to reconfigure, and
answering Yes to the Tilde option.  This option allows you to
invoke the CWBARS barcodes feature by placing a tilde ~
immediately after the zipcode in each individual address.

Another method you could try would be to provide a barcode escape
sequence at the correct position on the envelope.  This is
described in the next section.


Escape Sequences for Barcodes

If you are a programmer, or if you can configure your printing
program to output any bytes you wish, then you can control the
printing of barcodes via a special escape sequence output to your
Laserjet. The escape sequence is effective whenever the CWBARS
driver is installed in your computer's memory, as we already
described.

Your HP Laserjet user's manual describes the various escape
sequences, which they call "printer commands", built into your
printer. CWBARS simply adds another command to HP's set.  You
should read your HP manual for a detailed discussion of how to
output escape sequences, using various major software packages.
For example, we have the Second Edition of the Laserjet Series II
User's Manual. Chapter 3 of that manual talks about printer
commands.  Page 3-14 has a nice chart of how to represent the
escape character within Lotus, Word Perfect, Wordstar, etc.  Or
you can enable the CWBARS option to accept the five-character
sequence {Esc} for the escape character, and output the sequences
literally as we show them.

The escape sequence for barcodes is:

{Esc}!z#B

where {Esc} is the Escape character (27 decimal, 1B hexadecimal),
the exclamation point, z and B are ASCII characters just as you
see them, and # stands for the sequence of digits representing
the zipcode. NOTE that the z must be lower-case, and the B must
be upper-case. You may embed the hyphen in a 9-digit zipcode, but
you must not embed any spaces or other characters within the
codes.
                                                               11

If a zipcode was the last non-blank sequence of characters
printed, you may omit the zipcode from this escape sequence.  In
that case, CWBARS will use that zipcode.  If some other non-blank
character was printed, a zipless escape sequence will be ignored.
This allows you to print an address, position the printer cursor
to the desired location for barcodes, and issue the zipless
escape sequence.  If a U.S. address with zip was printed, the
barcodes will be printed also.  Otherwise (for foreign and no-zip
addresses), the barcodes are correctly omitted.

The printer will print barcodes at the current printing position
on the page.  After the codes are printed, the current position
is immediately to the right of the barcodes.  The escape sequence
works in either portrait or landscape mode.

For example, to print the barcodes for 47402-3242 on your
printer, you can output the sequence

{Esc}!z47402-3242B

to the printer.  The hexadecimal codes for this are:

1B 21 7A 34 37 34 30 32 2D 33 32 34 32 42



Order Form Generation

You can generate an order form for CWBARS by typing CWBARS ORDER
(or simply CWBARS O) to the DOS prompt.  This is primarily for
the evaluation version, to encourage people to register.  But
we've also included it in the registered version, just in case
you want to order more copies.

INDEX                                                          12
address, our, 5
ampersand sequence, modifying, 10
AUTOEXEC.BAT,  automatic modification, 7
automatic printing of barcodes, 9
automatic selection, 6
barcodes, automatic printing, 9
barcodes, escape sequences, 10
barcodes, manual printing, 8
barcodes, printing via tilde, 7
barcodes, troubleshooting automatic, 9
brackets {Esc} code, 7
business-sized envelopes, 6
buying a copy of CWBARS, 11
character-after-zip option, 7
charges for CWBARS, 11
clone printers, trouble with, 9
configuring CWBARS, 7
contacting us, 5
contents, 2
copying to hard drive, 7
copyright terms, 4
curly-brackets {Esc} code, 7
CWBARS B (Business) command, 8
CWBARS C (Configure) command, 7
CWBARS I (Install) command, 8
CWBARS O (Order) command, 11
CWBARS P (Personal) command, 8
CWBARS U (Uninstall) command, 8
CWBARS {zipcode} command, 8
default size of envelopes, 6
disclaimer, 4
distribution conditions, 5
distribution houses, shareware, 1
DOS, printing barcodes while in, 8
driver, printer, installing, 8
edge-feeding envelopes, 6
envelope printing, automatic barcodes, 9
envelopes, size of, 6
escape codes, easy printing of, 7
escape sequences for barcodes, 10
evaluation vs. registered version, 4
exclamation point, in escape sequence, 10
feed-guide, adjustable, 6
fees for using CWBARS, 11
generating an order form, 11
hard drive, copying to, 7
how to contact us, 5
how to order, 11
HP Laserjet Plus, 6
inserting Escape codes, 7
installing CWBARS in memory, 8
Installing CWBARS on your disk, 6
invoice, generating, 11
landscape font, default, 6
landscape sequence, modifying, 9
legal conditions for free distribution, 5
legal terms, 4
                                                               13
license, how to obtain, 11
LPTn device selection, 6
machine requirements, 4
manual printing of barcodes, 8
manual, overview, 3
memory, installing CWBARS in, 8
money, how to send, 11
operating requirements, 4
order form, generating, 11
overview of CWBARS, 3
overview of manual, 3
payment for CWBARS, 11
personal-sized envelopes, 6
Plus, HP Laserjet, 6
power-up HP font, default, 6
price policy, 5
printer driver, installing, 8
printer requirements, 4
printer selection, 6
printing barcodes manually, 8
Reconfiguring CWBARS, 7
registered version, 4
registering, how to, 11
release date, 1
removing CWBARS from memory, 8
selective control of barcodes, 7
send money, how to, 11
shareware, nature of, 1
size of envelopes, default, 6
table of contents, 2
telephone number, our, 5
template files, modifying your, 9
testing CWBARS, 4
tilde-after-zip option, 7
troubleshooting automatic barcodes, 9
uninstalling CWBARS, 8
warning, 4
word processing and escape codes, 7