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E Z - F O R M S
P L U S
T E S T D R I V E
Version E.3x
Reference Manual
Create, Revise, Fill-In, File, Save, and Print all kinds of forms.
Word processing features and protected data fields make it easy!
EZ-Forms Plus
"The Worlds Easiest to Use Forms Generator and Manager"
is published by
EZX Publishing [Telephone Number: (713) 280-9900]
P.O. Box 58177, Webster, TX 77598 U.S.A.
Published and printed in the United States of America.
Copyright 1985-92 EZX Corporation as a licensed, unpublished,
proprietary work. All international rights reserved.
1
The printed Reference Manual and associated registered software
may not be copied, resold, reproduced, disclosed, archived,
transmitted, or transferred in any form, electronic or otherwise,
without the expressed written permission of EZX Corporation. You
may freely distribute the "Valueware" version.
EZX Corp. hereby grants a "book" license to the original
individual (even if purchased by a company) user of this copy of
EZ-Forms Plus. You may use the program on your computer and make
one backup for storage as long as there is no possibility of use
or residence on more than one machine at any time. Just like two
people cannot read the same book in different locations at the
same time. Every registered copy of EZ-Forms Plus has a unique
imbedded serial number for traceabililty. You may not sell or
give copies of the registered program or printed documentation
to anyone. No exceptions.
Pricing, specifications, and conditions are subject to change
without notice.
Send all registrations and inquires for site (multiple CPU or
network) licensing to EZX Corporation at the above address.
Disclaimer:
EZX Corporation, Inc. makes NO claims AND offers NO warranties
of any sort with EZ-Forms Plus. EZX Corporation assumes NO
responsibility for any sort of damage resulting from the apparent
or actual use of EZ-Forms Plus (mental or physical). The forms
and program provided are not guaranteed as to merchantability or
fitness for their ultimate use. The user accepts all
responsibility for use and may not resell the program or any
supplied form.
IBM PC/XT/AT are registered trademarks of the International
Business Machines Corporation.
Etch-a-Sketch is a registered trademark of Ohio Art. EZ-Forms,
EZ-Forms Plus, and Valueware are trademarks of EZX. Other
trademarks belong to their respective owners.
2
PREFACE
This manual is dedicated to Mae and Dave of MaeDae Enterprises
without whose never ending perseverance, EZ-Forms Plus would not
be possible.
ABOUT THIS MANUAL
You will notice that this manual is concise. This is intentional
as we have strived to make EZ-Forms Plus the easiest program of
its type to use. We have opted to provide an on-line manual and
extensive context sensitive user help. Feel free to use this
reference manual to install and get acquainted with the program.
Also, we will be using the acronym "EZFP" interchangeably with
EZ-Forms Plus throughout this manual.
The real fun and learning begin when you use the program. So
enjoy, live long, and prosper.
With warmest regards,
The gang at EZX Corp.
3
Table of Contents
=================
Page Description
==== ============
5. What is EZ-Forms Plus?
5. Hardware Requirements.
6. Installation - Introduction.
6. Installation for the Valueware Diskette
7. Installation for Floppy Disk Drive Systems
8. Installation for Hard Drive Systems.
10. Getting Started
12. Editor Command Summary
14. Printer Installation
16. Tutorial
19. Additional Features
24. Print Options
25. Troubleshooting
29. Pre-Designed Forms Listing. (May be optional).
30. APPENDIX A, Laser Printer Support
4
WHAT IS EZ-Forms Plus?
======================
EZ-Forms Plus is a powerful forms generation and management
system that allows you, the user, to create a form on your screen
and:
1. Print it on your printer,
2. Store the form for future use,
3. Edit or change the form,
4. Fill in data on a previously created master form,
5. Preview output on your screen for error-free results, or
6. Fill out your own or other's pre-printed forms.
EZ-Forms Plus comes with pre-designed forms (optional forms packs
are also available) that you may:
1. Use immediately with no modifications,
2. Edit or change for your custom needs, or
3. Ignore and enjoy the fun world of creating your very own
forms quickly and easily with the world's most user friendly
forms manager.
HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
=====================
1. IBM PC/XT/AT or fully compatible computer.
2. A minimum of 384K RAM.
3. Any monitor. EZ-Forms Plus has been written to accommodate
monochrome, color, and enhanced graphics adapters. Some
"autoswitch" adapters must be in "manual".
4. A printer (unless you only want to stare at forms on your monitor).
5. At least one double sided floppy disk drive. This will limit
the amount of forms you can process. Two floppy disk drives or
one floppy and a hard disk (800K free space minimum for the full
system) are strongly recommended.
5
INSTALLATION
============
Put the distribution diskette in A: drive and type:
README <cr>
This self running text file will detail all installation
procedures.
6
P.S. The TestDrive version of EZ-Forms Plus will do everything;
however, help may be limited due to space limitations and
printing is modified in certain areas. A few sample forms are
also included. Forms can be printed in order to help you
determine if your system and printer are compatible with EZ-Forms
Plus. Feel free to share ONLY the Valueware version with friends
and potential users of EZ-Forms Plus for evaluation purposes
only. You may not use the Valueware version on other machines in
order to avoid purchasing additional copies of the full program.
You may not give away any copies or make more than one copy of
the fully operational program for other than archival purposes.
The full version of EZ-Forms Plus has a unique serial number
embedded in each copy for traceability.
7
8
To run EZ-FORMS PLUS, type:
EZFP followed by Return.
Admire the glittering opening screen and select one of the
options on your screen.
IMPORTANT INSTALLATION NOTES:
1. The distribution diskettes contain many files in addition to
EZFP.EXE. Because EZ-Forms Plus is a massive program, the
additional files EZFP_HM.TXT and EZFP_HM.INX are required for the
context sensitive help the on-line manual. So please make sure
that these files are in your default directory when running the
program.
If you have only one floppy drive, you can build a work diskette
containing: EZFP.EXE, EZFP_HM.TXT, and EZFP_HM.INX. Do not copy
EZFP.CNF, if it exists. A new EZFP.CNF will be saved when you
select a printer. Copy only those forms you wish to use to the
work diskette. There should be sufficient space allow three to
six forms on the diskette.
2. If your EZ-Forms Plus does not run properly:
A. Delete the EZFP.CNF file and try to run again. Check out our
troubleshooting section near the end of this manual.
B. Your machine may not be totally IBM PC operating system
compatible. This is not always disastrous and a quick call to
our phone support staff may solve your problem.
C. You may have a slightly incompatible "EGA" card with auto
switch features. Usually, turning off autoswitch and forcing the
system into the EGA mode solves the problem.
D. If you have any memory resident programs or system drivers,
try running without them loaded in your computer. On some
computers, ANSI.SYS is suspect.
3. If your monitor appears to be losing certain characters or
features, you may have a "color" system with a composite
monochrome (green, amber, LCD, etc.) monitor. Adjust the
contrast and brightness of the monitor until the screen is
readable. In some cases, you may have to go to the Install Menu
to chose acceptable "colors". See the "Troubleshooting" section.
4. This Manual is designed to give you a general overview and
familiarity with the program. More complete, up-to-date
information is available to you through the context sensitive
help (F1) and the on-line manual. When using the more advanced
features of the program, the help screens will guide you through
the toughest questions with ease. As EZ-Forms Plus continues to
add more features, you can be sure that the on-line manual and
9
context sensitive help will give you the guidance needed. This
way everybody wins. We don't spend money continually revising
manuals and charging you higher prices, and you get what you want
and deserve: accurate up-to-date information. So fire up the
computer, dig in, and welcome to EZ-Forms Plus!
GETTING STARTED
===============
After you type EZFP <<cr>> (Enter or Return), the opening screen
of EZ-Forms Plus (EZFP) will appear. At the bottom of your EZFP
opening screen you are instructed to press any key to continue.
The MAIN MENU will appear on your screen.
The Main Menu options with descriptions are below.
On-Line Manual: This is an on-line manual covering features of
EZ-Forms Plus in more depth than the documentation available in
this manual.
Create: This option allows you to create a new Master Form. You
will be able to designate the form size (maximum size is 88
lines by 130 columns), add (or delete) a border and draw
horizontal or vertical lines, add other graphic characters, etc.
The cursor keys are enabled, so you can "walk around" a newly
created form.
Edit: The Edit option allows you to recall a Master Form and
further modify or just take a look at it. The Create option
above ONLY works on new forms - the Edit option can ONLY be used
on a form after it has been created.
Fill out a Master Form: With this option, you can retrieve and
complete a copy of a Master Form. Text added to the original
Master Form can be manipulated. However, any text which is part
of the Master Form can't be changed.
Revise a Completed (filled out) Form: Here you can recall a
completed form for revision. This option is the same as the Edit
option, except you're not starting with a "clean slate" Master
Form. You have complete freedom to revise any portion of the
form except for the Master Form outline and text which remains
protected.
Print a Form: This option gives you full access to the computer
drives to allow you flexibility in searching out and printing
forms. If you have an Epson or Epson compatible printer, then
you can take advantage of the solid lines and compressed print
format for larger forms.
Install: The installation portion of EZ-Forms Plus allows you to
customize the colors, editor defaults, printer type, directory
defaults, and other options.
10
Quit and exit to DOS: All good things must come to an end.
Choose this option if you want to leave EZ-Forms Plus and return
to DOS.
You may choose any of the displayed options by pressing the first
letter or by moving the light bar (the giant cursor) with your
cursor keys or space bar to the desired option and pressing
Return.
(If you have a "color" system with a composite monochrome monitor
and don't see a light bar or other features, try adjusting the
brightness or contrast of your monitor. You may also need to
install special colors for your system. See the Install Menu.)
11
Now let's do something simple to demonstrate how EZ-Forms Plus
works.
Press F (FillOut)
Then press S for SelectForm. Press return to accept the default
data path. Your screen should now show several choices of
available forms. Using your cursor keys move the light bar to
SALESORD
(Note: SALESORD may not be on the TestDrive disk. Just select
another that is suitable.)
Press
Return
and a Sales Order form will appear on your screen. You are now
filling out a Master Form. A Master Form is one that has already
been designed and stored so that you may recall and place
information in the spaces allotted.
Move the cursor down (or use the tab key) eight lines to fill in
your name under "Sold To". Just type as you would on any word
processor. You will see how easily your report can be filled out.
At the top of your screen, you'll notice the actual size of the
form is sixty-four lines long by eighty characters wide.
You may practice moving around this form by using your cursor
keys, the Tab key and Shift-Tab.
Return to where you typed your name and press the TAB key on your
keyboard. This automatic tabbing feature moves you to the next
logical place for inserting information. This is especially
helpful for filling out forms quickly.
Now move the cursor over a line or text. Try typing data over a
line or text. Nothing will happen in these protected areas except
for audible beeps. When the cursor is over a protected area, a
"P" appears on the status line at the bottom of the screen. These
protected areas prevent someone from placing data in unauthorized
areas of your custom form. When you create your own custom form,
you will find this feature very helpful.
COMMAND SUMMARY (you must be in the editor, see above directions)
===============
Press
F1
for help and a help screen appears, providing help for many
12
areas. Throughout EZFP, help screens will be available. You
must remember to press F1. The help screens are not going to
leap out and force you to read the information.
Please notice that the message at the bottom of the screen tells
you the total number of context sensitive help screens for this
location. Also you will see which page you are on (e.g., page 1
of 5).
You will not be able to execute any of the commands here because
you are in HELP.
So press
Esc
to exit. This brings you back to the editor and your form.
Press
Ctrl+P (Crtl+P means to hold down Ctrl and tap P once)
and a menu of printing choices appears. After admiring the
flexibility offered by the numerous options, press
P
for print and your form should now be printing on your printer.
If your form does not print, a printer error screen will appear.
Please correct the problem then press any key to continue. If
EZFP "senses" the error a second time the printing will be
abandoned.
As you can see, EZ-Forms Plus has constant on-line help to guide
you through its powerful and easy to use features.
Take a look at your printed form. If you do not have solid lines
for borders, etc., now is the time to install the special printer
features. (Note: not all printers allow solid lines.)
Press
Esc
to leave your filled out form and then press
M
for the Main Menu without saving. You are now at the Main Menu.
(Of course, if you had wanted to save this sales order, you
merely could have pressed S (SaveExit) and type in a description
and a different unique name such as "Sales01". This sales order
would then be filed away for future reference. An ideal feature
for making file cabinets obsolete in your business.)
13
Printer Installation
====================
Highlight Install on the Main Menu.
To install the special enhancements for your particular printer.
Press
P
for printer and your printer installation menu appears. Press
U
which means use predefined printer type, and choose the option
most compatible with your printer. (Hint: EPSON Fully Compatible
printers are the most popular. So when in doubt, try it.) You may
also try the various drivers in turn to find out which works
best. Extensive context sensitive help will guide you through
this. Simply press F1.
Select a printer type and press its corresponding letter or
number, then press
E (Exit)
Press
R
(Retain), which means retain all changes for future use. Use the
default configuration file name (EZFP.CNF) and press return.
Comments on printer installation:
You may test your printer capabilities at any time by installing
a printer driver and printing the PRT-TEST form supplied on the
distribution diskettes.
If your printer is fully Epson bit-image compatible try selection
type "1". See your printer manual for details.
If your printer is IBM graphics compatible, try selection type
"C" (IBM graphics with all escape codes). Most low volume (i.e.,
rare) and industrial printers fit this description.
14
If you have an "LQ" or 24 pin printer that emulates the Epson LQ
series, try printer type 3. If you are using a laser or other
unlisted printer with soft or resident fonts that have the line
drawing character set (also know as extended ASCII), select the
type "B" printer (IBM Graphics, No Escape Codes). The optional
soft fonts (for HP LaserJet Plus and Series 2 and compatibles
only) supplied by EZX Corp. require the "E" installation option.
The font must be selected before printing with EZ-Forms Plus. See
the Appendix for further information on Laser Printer support.
You may also install custom codes for Alt+1 thru Alt+4 to change
fonts, etc. on the fly. On-screen representations may not always
follow if you use proportional fonts, so check your output before
proceeding.
Also, if you want to customize a printer driver for your
particular needs, EZFP allows you to install all of your own
control codes. Just select "M" (Modify Printer Defaults) from the
Printer Installation Menu. First select the basic printer type
under "Use printer type". You can then modify and/or add
appropriate control codes for your applications. The on-line
help screens will guide you. This is definitely not for beginning
users. Do not use this option without proper preparation. Study
your printer manual thoroughly to make sure that you have set up
the proper codes for your printer.
15
TUTORIAL (creating a master form named TEST)
============================================
Now let's create a new custom Master Form for your personal use.
Don't worry about being fancy or being intimidated; this first
form is only for practice. We will revise it later.
From the Main Menu, press
C
(Create) a new Master Form. The screen will clear and you will be
asked to type in a unique name for your form.
Instead of YOURFORM.FRM, Type
TEST
and press (EZFP automatically adds the .FRM extension)
Enter (or Return or <<cr>> depending upon how the manufacturer
labeled the keyboard key on your machine.)
A menu will appear asking you to define the form size. (Don't
forget that F1 is there to help you get through this if you get
confused.) Type 40 for the number of lines and press Return. We
want 80 columns per line so accept the default number of columns
per line and press
Return
You are now in the edit mode for creating a new custom Master
Form.
Press
F7
You will be asked if you want to draw a border around the newly
created form. Answer
Y
A border will then appear around the entire form. Notice the
bottom of the form is missing. We are only looking at the first
twenty-four lines of a forty line form.
Press
PgDn
The rest of the form will now appear. Press
F5
16
to start a line. Move the cursor to the extreme right side of
the form (use Ctrl+Right Arrow) and then press
F5
again. We have just drawn a horizontal line on line 18 of our
form. Notice your horizontal line has damaged the left side of
your border. No problem. Again we simply press
F7
then
Y
for yes. Notice that now your border is again solid.
Be creative. "Walk around" in the form using the four numeric key
pad cursor keys and type in text, make vertical lines, or
anything else you desire. Press
F1
and a whole screenfull of commands appear. These commands will
help you move around the screen quickly. Please notice, this is
only Screen One of several. Press
Return
to see the other screens. After the last screen you will be
returned to the editor. Press
Esc
to return to the editor without seeing the rest of the help.
You are now back to your practice form (TEST). Press
Alt+G
Now use your cursor keys to "walk around" and draw lines
throughout your practice form. This is similar to using an ETCH-
A-SKETCH. Press G to start the graphic drawing. Did you notice
that the mode is displayed on the bottom right corner of the
screen?
Press F1 for detailed information on available commands. Press
Esc
to return to regular mode.
Now to get used to some of the other graphics available,
experiment by pressing
17
Ctrl
and the function keys F1 through F10, one at a time. Use F1 to
see the available keys! Any function key with a N/A will insert a
space, so don't expect any graphics.
F1 (Help) for Graphics shows the actual characters available.
Next press
Alt
and the function keys F1 through F10, one at a time.
Now your newly created form (which probably looks strange) is
ready to be saved.
Press
Esc
(Exit). We are ready to save our masterpiece. Press
S
(SaveExit). Type in a brief description of the form if desired.
When asked for the file name press
Return
to default to your old name. TEST will now be saved and we will
return to the main menu. Press the right arrow to highlight Edit
then press
S
(SelectForm). Press enter when asked for the path. A screen of
form choices will appear. Using your cursor keys, move the light
bar over your newly created form, TEST. Now press
Return
Here is your chance to redeem yourself and restructure the form
to your liking. Take your time and continue to experiment with
the many graphic and character features of EZ-Forms Plus. When
finished, press
Esc
then press
S
(SaveExit) and press
18
Return
You have now overwritten your old form and replaced it with your
newly edited version of TEST.
(Of course if you wanted to save your original form AND your
revised copy, you could have saved your new version as TEST01 or
some other unique and different name.)
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
===================
PROTECTING AREAS IN YOUR MASTER FORM
Protecting areas (where no text is allowed in FillOut mode) is
easily done in either Create or Edit modes. By protecting areas
of the Master Form, tabbing quickly to the next logical area (in
the FillOut mode) is easy and efficient. It is nice to have a
form in which information can only be inserted in areas
designated by you.
HOW TO DO IT THE EASY WAY:
Call up the Master Form on the screen. Press
F3
Answer Yes when asked. That is, press the "Y" key.
All available areas of your form have now been filled with tildes
(~s). When your form is filled with tildes, no text or data can
be entered over these characters in the FillOut mode. If you were
to save your Master Form now, you would be unable to insert text
or data when you recalled this form in FillOut mode.
Since we do want some information on our forms, all we have to do
is erase selected tildes with the space bar in those areas or
fields where we wish to allow information to be placed by our
FillOut user. If you make a mistake by taking out too many
tildes, simply use your "tilde key" (yes, there is one on your
keyboard, it is the Shifted `) to reinsert individual tildes.
When you have completed putting tildes in your Master Form, save
your form. When you recall the Master Form in FillOut mode, these
tildes will not appear on the form. However, even though they do
not appear on the screen in FillOut mode, they remain effective
in preventing text or data input in protected areas. (If you have
a color monitor, notice the different colored cursor.)
If you wish to see an example of tildes in action, go to the Edit
mode and view the form "SalesOrd" (or any other Master form with
protected fields). You will see tildes in the protected areas.
Next, go to the FillOut mode, and view the form "SalesOrd" again.
Here the tildes do not appear on the screen, but still prevent
19
text or data input in the designated protected areas.
Tildes (field markers to technically oriented individuals) will
not show up in the printed forms. Also, when exporting a form, or
exporting only a block from a form, tildes can be converted to
spaces at your option.
AUTO NUMBERING
To set up auto numbering in the Master Form press
Ctrl+N
Make sure there is enough space to insert the number between the
cursor position and the right side of the form. (Auto Numbering
will appear just to the right of where the cursor is located when
you press Ctrl+N.)
Each time you FillOut the Master Form, the number will increment
in the Master Form. The next number will be inserted in your
Master Form. While editing the Master Form, if you need to start
at a specific number, just type in the number you wish. Your
future forms will increment from the number you have chosen. To
delete, just select the proper item from the menu.
The number you choose must be a valid number. For example, if
you choose a five digit number, it must be between 00000 and
99999.
Auto Numbering is the perfect feature for accounting control of
purchase orders, sales orders, etc. You must have an auto number
field set up to take advantage of Increment Print (available only
in EZ-Forms Executive).
An auto-numbering field is required for Increment Print. This
means print a batch of forms, each with a different number.
AUTO DATE
To set up the Auto Date function in the Master Form press
Ctrl+D
This will bring up a menu with various options. (F1 = help). Make
sure there is enough space to insert the date between the cursor
position and the right side of the form. (Auto Date will appear
just to the right of your current cursor position when you press
Ctrl+D.) Each time you FillOut a Master Form, EZFP will insert
the date from your computer's clock. (So, make sure your
computer's clock is accurate.)
AUTO TIME
To set up the Auto Time function in the Master Form press
20
Ctrl+T
This will bring up a menu with various options. (F1 = help).
Again, make sure there is enough space to insert the time between
the cursor position and the right side of the form. (Auto Time
will appear just to the right of where your cursor position is
located when you press Ctrl+T.) Each time you FillOut a Master
Form, EZFP will insert the time. (So, make sure your computer's
clock is accurate.)
FORM COMPRESSION
When saving or recalling forms from disk, you will notice a
slight pause and a small message in the middle of your screen.
EZ-Forms Plus has a special routine that compresses your forms
and conserves valuable disk storage space. This means you can
store over three times as many forms in the same area as
uncompressed forms.
COLOR CONTROL
For users with color monitors, the color option in the Install
menu gives you total color control of text, background, borders,
highlighted areas, etc. Just press C from the install menu.
SPREADSHEET STYLE MATH
EZ-Forms Plus provides four function spreadsheet style math.
We normally include forms to demonstrate how to set up the math
formulas (check the distribution files). Our on-line manual and
context sensitive help also describe how to use the math. While
editing a form, use the Ctrl+U command to call up the math menu.
WORD PROCESSING & EDITING COMMANDS
When using Create, Edit, Revise, or FillOut modes, your familiar
word processing commands and function keys will perform normally.
Try different combinations of your favorite commands using:
Insert, Delete, Space Bar, Home, PgUp, PgDn, End, Backspace,
Cursor keys, etc. Notice how some functions will perform
differently when in the insert mode. For example, when creating a
form, the space bar will overwrite a text area unless insert mode
is functional. Remember, for additional details, see the Editing
Help Screens via F1.
(Note: When a form has a border around it, many commands will
cause the cursor to stop one character away from the border. This
is to protect the integrity of the border. This is just one of
the features that makes EZ-Forms Plus a forms processor versus a
plain word processor.)
BLOCK OPERATIONS
EZ-Forms Plus supports a whole range of block commands. These are
21
briefly described below. Previous versions of EZ-Forms used a two
keystroke set of commands for block operations. The majority of
the Ctrl+K commands from previous versions are supported. Press
Ctrl+K to see which commands are enabled. These are provided to
ease your transition into the much simpler and easier to remember
single keystroke commands now supported.
A block is defined by marking the upper left corner of the block
with
Alt+S (for start block command)
and then marking the lower right corner of the rectangle with
Alt+E (for end block command)
Once the block has been marked, the following commands may be
used:
Alt+M (move block command)
Alt+C (copy block command)
Alt+D (delete block command)
Alt+H (hide or disable block command)
Alt+V (visible or enable block command)
PATCH MODE
Occasionally the intersection of lines and corners may not be
perfect. EZ-Forms Plus has an almost magical feature that shaves
off unsightly "nubs" and connects lines that didn't quite reach
their marks. To activate this feature, press
Alt+P
You'll be asked to confirm your choice. This feature will not
overwrite any of your text, it affects only the graphic lines in
your form. So make sure this is what you want before you confirm
the action.
UNDERLINE
Not available on graphic characters. To underline, press
Alt+U
while the cursor is under the character that you want underlined.
To undo an underline, place the cursor over the character and
press Alt+U again.
22
Note: For the Underline, Boldface, and Alt+1 thru Alt+4 commands,
a status character shows up at the bottom of the screen, when the
cursor is under the space for which the attribute is set. i.e.,
U, B, 1, 2, 3, and/or 4. Multiple attributes may produce strange
results on certain printers, so you will have to experiment.
BOLDFACE
Not available on graphic characters. To boldface, press
Alt+B
This operates in a similar fashion to underline.
Alt+1 through Alt+4
These four attributes come pre-installed for superscript,
subscript, italics, and double wide for those printers which
support them. These commands have their status displayed on a
character by character basis and work the same as Alt+U and
Alt+B. Look for the U, B, 1, 2, 3, or 4 on the status line at
the bottom of the screen. Alt+1 through Alt+4 (control codes
sent to your printer during printing when one of these attributes
is present) are user installable via the Printer installation
Menu. You can see what they are by pressing Alt+I.
DOS Window or "Shell"
This area of EZ-Forms Plus is for the power user. WARNING: may
not work with all hardware and software. Press Ctrl+X at any
prompt within EZ-Forms and you can call up a DOS "shell". Be sure
the file COMMAND.COM is available on your disk, or your path. You
will be given the standard DOS prompt. At this point you can
delete old forms, rename forms, format a diskette, etc.
Example use:
1. While saving a form you get a file error. EZ-Forms Plus
displays the warning. At this point we will assume you are out of
disk space and don't have any more formatted floppies. Press
Ctrl+X, then delete some unwanted files or format a floppy using
the standard DOS FORMAT command. When you are done type EXIT and
press return. You will be returned to EZ-Forms at the error
message. Try to save the form again to the current disk or the
newly formatted floppy.
2. You have been using EZ-Forms Plus for a long time now and have
a lot of old master forms you would like to get rid of. At any
point press Ctrl+X. You are now in a DOS shell. Type DIR *.FRM/W
and press Return. Take note of the forms you would like to
delete. Type DEL OLDFORM.FRM (your form name goes here) and press
Return. After you have deleted all the unwanted forms type EXIT
and press return. This is just a couple of examples. All of the
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power of DOS is in your hands, assuming you have sufficient
memory available. Refer to your DOS manual for the wide variety
of commands and options available.
WARNING: Two conditions MUST be met before you can use the DOS
shell! You must have 10-20K of free RAM and COMMAND.COM must be
available. If either of these conditions are not met, the shell
may not be successful. Some versions of DOS may not support this
command.
IMPORTING FILES
EZ-Forms Plus can import normal ASCII text files into any form.
For instance, you may want to get some information from the EZX-
Write word processor. Just save your word processor file in ASCII
format (see your word processor manual). This area of EZ-Forms
Plus should be reserved for the intermediate user.
You can import ASCII text files produced by word processors or
even other commercial software packages like data bases or
spreadsheets. Steps for importing text files are listed below.
1. Ensure the text file to be imported is in ASCII format.
2. Create a new Master Form using the Create option from the
main menu. A good size is 84 lines by 130 columns, you can always
use F2 later to resize the form.
3. Move the cursor to line 2, column 2, allowing room for a
border you may want to add later.
4. Press Ctrl+R to read in a file at the current cursor
position.
5. Resize form and insert field markers (~=tilde) as needed.
6. Use F7 to draw a border around the form.
7. Press Esc when finished. Repeat these steps until you have
all of the text files converted into the Master Form.
PRINT OPTIONS
=============
There are many Print Options available to the EZ-Forms Plus user.
These are accessed from the Main Menu by selecting Print by
either typing a "P" or highlighting the choice and pressing
Return. (You may also press Ctrl+P from within Editing or
Filling Out a forms modes. This brings up the final Print Options
Menu.) This takes you to the Expanded Printing Menu with the
following choices:
Master - Print a Master Form. This can be used if you want to
have a print shop make blank forms based on your design. Use the
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tag option to print more than one form at a time. If you tag
multiple forms, the default print attributes stored in each form
will be used. This option allows you to start printing a whole
group of forms and just walk away. No interaction is required.
Completed - Print a Completed Form. This can print forms in final
form or can be used for Clear Forms Overlay for filling out pre-
printed forms (more about that shortly). Also supports the tag
option like on printing master forms.
Master and Completed are fairly self-explanatory except for Clear
Forms Overlay. Suppose you had a large supply of very expensive
forms that you really didn't want to waste. With Clear Forms
Overlay, you could develop a Master Form that duplicates your
expensive form. Then you could FillOut the form and, using the
Clear Forms Overlay or "C" option, printing out only the items
you entered.
Print Option Menu
The Print Options Menu allows you to set all attributes for any
printing performed with EZ-Forms Plus. The menu consists of the
items shown in the previous screen image. A few, however, require
further explanation.
D - Draft Mode. This prints out a form as fast as your printer
can go for test or alignment purposes. No graphics are printed to
enhance print speed.
C - Clear Forms Overlay. This might better be labeled "Fill-Out
pre-printed forms". That is because with this option, only the
data entered from the FillOut form mode or DataBase Merge will be
printed to your paper, whatever it is.
A - Alignment. Prints a dot (period) to align your paper. This
feature may be ineffective on printers whose print head does not
retract to the "home position" after a single charcter is
printed.
Troubleshooting
===============
Displays
If, after loading EZ-Forms Plus, you see text and no borders, or
nothing at all, you may have a compatibility problem. EZFP uses
high speed screen updates which may cause a problem with some
not-too-close IBM PC operating system compatibles. For example,
the Tandy 2000 and Sanyo 555 series computers are not compatible
with EZFP.
IBM type monochrome, color, and EGA (enhanced graphic) adapters
are known to work with EZ-Forms Plus. If you are using a
25
compatible color video card with a green or amber screen, or LCD
monitor, you may need to adjust your brightness and contrast, or
Install other "colors" from the color installation screen. Also
see the BWVIDEO.DOC file on the UTILITY subdirectory of disk #2.
BWVIDEO.COM is a "color killer" that works especially well with
composite monochrome monitors, and lap top computers with LCD
monitors. Sometimes executing the DOS "MODE BW80" command works.
Some "autoswitch" Enhanced Graphic Adapters and "Hercules" type
mono-graphics cards may need to have their auto modes disabled
for proper operation.
If EZ-Forms Plus will not run, you may have insufficient memory,
or too many memory resident programs. Try running EZFP with no
memory resident programs.
If EZ-Forms Plus just stops running or "freezes", you may have
removed the program diskette from the disk drive. The program
disk must be available to import overlay sections of EZFP.EXE in
order to perform many of the program functions. Of course, if
EZFP.EXE is on your hard drive, this will probably not be a
problem.
Occasionally, certain memory resident, TSR, or "pop-up" programs
conflict with EZ-Forms Plus. In general, there is no problem, but
there are many new programs being written without regard to the
system requirements of EZFP. Remove them from memory, and try
again. If that fails, try getting rid of device drivers in you
CONFIG.SYS file. ANSI.SYS is a prime suspect for some not-so-
compatibles.
The latest information on monitors and displays may be put on a
distribution diskette (see Disk #1, #2 and the UTILITY
subdirectory) file called MONITORS.DOC. To print this information
on your printer, just make sure the file is in the default
directory and type COPY MONITORS.DOC PRN <<cr>>.
Printer & Miscellaneous
If you have a letter quality daisy wheel type printer, solid
vertical lines and many graphics characters are probably not
possible. If you are not satisfied with the printed forms you are
getting from your dot matrix printer, try going to the Printer
Installation Menu and select the other available printer options.
The distribution diskettes may also contain a file called
PRINTERS.DOC which can be printed to your printer as above.
If you own a rare or non-graphics printer that is not compatible
with our pre-defined printer choice, you may custom install for
your printer as discussed in the printer install section. If you
mail the printer code summary from the Install Menu/Show Printer
Codes Screens, after you have debugged and tested it on your
printer, we will try to include direct support for your printer
in the next software revision.
26
If you are using a serial printer, use the DOS MODE command to
route the serial printer to LPT1. See your DOS manual for
details. Make sure you use the "P" option. The following
statements should be in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file:
MODE LPT1:=COM1:
MODE COM1: 96,N,8,1,P (9600 baud, adjust if necessary)
EZFP defaults to output printer port LPT1:. If you need to output
via LPT2:, we've included a LPTSWAP utility on the UTILITY
subdirectory of distribution Disk #2. This utility will swap
LPT1: and LPT2: at your command.
Only certain printers (IBM, Epson, etc.) can take advantage of
the compressed printing and other special features. Don't expect
a daisy wheel printer to print any graphics.
If your printer is double spacing, you may be putting out too
many characters per horizontal line to the printer, so it just
finishes the line on the next one. Also, make sure you turn off
the Auto Line Feed after Carriage Return feature of your printer.
Refer to your printer manual for details. Some Tandy 1000 series
computers require the DOS command: MODE LF ON <<cr>>
Some resident print spoolers may not work properly with EZ-Forms
Plus. This is probably because of its unique text and graphic
printing abilities. Try the spooler (PRTSPOOL) we provide on the
UTILITY subdirectory of Disk #2. Depending on your particular
computer and printer combination, there is a good chance it will
work and speed up your processing.
Some printers have micro-justification features (proportional
spacing) that are controlled by a switch inside the printer.
Make sure this switch is off before running EZFP; micro-
justification will destroy the vertical alignment of your form.
Although the HP LaserJet with "Y" cartridge is supported directly
by EZ-Forms Plus, some other laser printers may require that you
save the form to an ASCII file via the export provisions in EZ-
Forms Plus. Then after proper printer initialization and font
selection, you can print the ASCII file from the DOS prompt with
the command COPY "filename" PRN: <<cr>> (or LPT1:, COM1, etc.).
HP LaserJet owners may use font cartridge "Y". Compressed print
and 84 lines per page are supported. Other font cartridges may
not give the intended results. Not all cartridges support the
graphics characters used in EZ-Forms Plus. If you see "error 22"
(printer buffer overflow) flash on the LaserJet display, then you
need to press Esc to stop printing, take the printer off line,
and perform a form feed. This will allow you to get your printer
set up directly to begin printing another form. Note that
landscape printing on your laser printer depends upon the font
selected and active in your printer. Also see the files called
MOREFONTS.DOC and HPGRAPH.DOC in the HP-LASER subdirectory on
distribution disk #2.
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Sideways (landscape) printing (with the aid of Sideways 3.0+ from
Funk Software - not supplied by EZX Corp.) will work if you
export the form before it is printed sideways. To do this:
a. Call up a form in the FillOut mode.
b. Press Ctrl+W. Do not translate the border characters.
d. Specify a temporary file name. eg. TEMP
e. Exit EZ-Forms Plus and run Sideways.
f. Tell it to print your exported file not the EZ-Forms form.
g. Using normal sized print, you should be able to print a form
130 columns wide by 53 lines long in the sideways mode.
h. Consult the Sideways manual for more details
Comment: EZFP does not directly support landscape (or sideway)
printing on dot matrix printers because we have found that,
although the graphics and text look great in the portrait
(normal) position, we are not pleased with the quality in the
landscape position. This is probably because the printer is
optimized for the normal printing position. This comment does not
apply to laser printers with true landscape fonts.
28
PRE-DESIGNED FORMS LISTING
==========================
Please refer to the directories (within EZ-Forms) of the forms
disks for a complete list of forms and their descriptions. Note
that the form names are mnemonic. That is, the form name is
indicative or an acronym of the forms function. Also, there is a
description of each form displayed on the directory. In any case,
it is an easy task to call up each form for a quick examination
in order to determine its suitability for your application. And
remember, you can always create your own forms. The form names
and contents are subject to change without notice as they are
added or improved. To get a complete description of each form
supplied, do a form directory using the Edit Menu and take a
quick look.
Optional FORMS PACKS
Basic Forms Pack (101+ of all types of forms), ... Only $39
(Usually included with EZFP)
Forms Pack "A" (General Business): 68+ forms, ...Only $29
Forms Pack "B" (Sales and Marketing): 56+ forms, ...Only $29
Forms Pack "C" (Management and Personnel): 33+ forms,...Only $19
Forms Pack "D" (Technical): 47+ forms, ...Only $24
Forms Pack "E" (Home and Personal): 27+ forms, ...Only $15
Forms Pack "F" (Contracts): 22+ forms, ... Only $15
Forms Pack "G" (Property Management): 40+ forms, ... Only $24
Forms Pack "H" (Home/Office Records): 60+ forms, ... Only $15
Forms Pack "I" (Construction Related): 70+ forms, ... Only $29
Forms Pack "J" (Genealogy Related): 60+ forms, ... Only $15
Forms Combo Pack (Over 400 forms. Includes forms packs A through
J listed above): Only $99 with EZFP (a $200+ value). ($119+S&H
if purchased alone.)
The above are immediately available from EZX Corp. Just write or
call for current information and pricing.
All pricing, terms and specifications are subject to change
without notice.
29
APPENDIX A -- Laser printer support.
====================================
HPGRAPH
Included with EZ-Forms Plus is a memory resident utility called
HPGRAPH. This utility may be found on distribution disk #2 in the
HP-LASER subdirectory. (If you do not understand subdirectories
or files, etc. see or call you local DOS "guru".) When loaded
from the DOS prompt before running EZFP, HPGRAPH intercepts the
upper ASCII graphic characters to allow line, and block (no
shades) graphics on almost any HP LaserJet or compatible
printers. Its limitation is that it is only in the 10 pitch, 6
lines per inch portrait orientation, and it uses the currently
resident font selected for the printer being used. What this
means is that as long as there is a fixed space font, 10 CPI, 6
LPI, then everything on the screen will look and work OK. But if
you have a proportional, etc. font selected as default in your
laser printer, things may really get strange. However, you can
experiment to your hearts content. Also make sure that you
install EZFP for the the proper type of printer from the install
menu. Be careful because HPGRAPH might clash with other resident
programs. To disable HPGRAPH, just run it again from the DOS
prompt. Do not run it from the DOS shell (Ctrl+X), as strange
things may occur.
LASER66.COM, also provided on the HP-LASER subdirectory of
distribution disk #2, allows you to get 66 printer lines (@ 6.4
lpi) on the laser printer instead of the usual 60 or 62. Just
type LASER66 <<cr>> at the DOS prompt before running HPGRAPH or
EZFP. If you install EZFP for HPGRAPH emulation, you do not need
to run LASER66, as EZFP sends equivalent instructions to the
printer right before printing. LASER66 defaults to LPT1:, so if
you are using any other printer port, use the DOS "MODE" command
or LPTSWAP to redirect the printer. It does this by sending codes
to slightly compress the line spacing. You may see some overlap.
30
SOFT FONTS
For you LaserJet Plus, Series 2, and compatible users, we now
provide a file called -EZFPSET.BAT. When executed at the DOS
prompt (all of the associated HP-LASER subdirectory files on
distribution disk #2 must be in the default directory), it will
send LASER66 to the printer and download a 12 pitch height (10
CPI), 6 LPI "Line Printer Bold" soft font to your printer. Just
type -EZFPSET LPT1: <<cr>>. You will be able to print 80 columns
by 66 lines on your printer. Underline is enabled (IBM Graphics,
no escape codes), but Bold is not applicable as the entire font
is bold. The shading characters are also supported. Install EZFP
for HP LaserJet With Soft Fonts (also try FONT1.BAT and FONT2.BAT
when you print). If you use this along with HPGRAPH activated,
you may get strange results. You may also review the file named
MOREFONT.DOC (at DOS type; TYPE MOREFONT.DOC <<cr>>) for the
latest information on this subdirectory and about additional soft
fonts, etc. available from EZX Corp.
MORE ABOUT SOFT FONTS
The use of soft fonts is limited to those fonts which are mono-
spaced and contain the extended ASCII character set. This is the
set of characters which includes the single line, double line,
shade and block characters. To use this feature, install EZFP for
HP LaserJet with soft fonts. Then you can use the Down load
feature by creating batch files named FONT1, FONT2, etc. up to
FONT255. If specified from the print option menu, EZFP will
execute a batch file so named before printing the form. Thus you
can have a different font for each form if desired. A complete
discussion of soft fonts, etc. is beyond the scope of this
manual. So seek out the help of your local computer "guru" and/or
the instructions that come with your soft fonts (such as the
Optional HPLJ Font Support Disk available from EZX Corporation).
Also, remember to size the form in conjunction with the horizon
tal and vertical spacing of the font you have selected.
Optional Soft Font Pack
At press time, a "HPLJFSD" soft font support disk is available
from EZX Corporation for the HP Plus and compatibles. It contains
5 portrait and 5 landscape "LP bold" soft fonts with all of the
line drawing characters and some other useful utilities. Its
current price is only $49 plus shipping and handling. Contact
EZX Corp. for the latest pricing, details, and availability.
Note: HP LaserJet, etc. are trademarks of the Hewlett Packard
Corporation.
All pricing, terms and conditions are subject to change without
notice.
31