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(tm)
AS-EASY-AS...
Version 5.7
USER'S EVALUATION MANUAL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TRIUS, Inc.
P.O. Box 249
N. Andover, MA 01845-0249
Tel. (508) 794-9377
Fax. (508) 688-6312
BBS (508) 794-0762
CIS. 71333,103
FIDO. 1:324/413
Copyright 1995, TRIUS, Inc.
All Rights Reserved Worldwide
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| This document is for evaluating the Shareware copy of AS-EASY-AS! |
| It is NOT a replacement of the printed 400 page illustrated |
| documentation that accompanies fully licensed copies of AS-EASY-AS |
| ---------------------------------------- |
| Use of the software package and this document beyond a 30-day |
| evaluation period is Illegal! |
| ----------------------------- |
| Distribution of printed copies of this manual is Prohibited! |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AS-EASY-AS(tm) is a copyrighted software product developed and owned
by TRIUS, Inc. located in North Andover, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
You may make and keep back-up copies of the software for your personal
use, provided that you copy all the copyright, trademark, and other
information indicated on the initial screen display, on each backup
copy label. You may not use 30-day evaluation copies of the program
beyond the 30-day period.
The rights to receive any financial or other benefit, and to modify
the product or employ its components in any kind of derivative work,
are reserved exclusively by TRIUS, Inc.
You may not reverse-engineer, disassemble, modify, decompile or create
derivative works of the product. You acknowledge that the product
includes certain trade secrets and confidential information, all of
which is the copyrighted intellectual property of TRIUS, Inc.
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
| If you do NOT have a licensed copy of the program with a bound |
| users manual and a unique product number, then what you have is |
| a 30-day evaluation, Unlicensed, copy. Use beyond the 30-day |
| period without a license from TRIUS, Inc. is illegal! |
| ------------------ |
| Purchasing a legal license from TRIUS, Inc. brings you the |
| latest release of the software, 400+ pages of illustrated, |
| bound documentation, technical support, etc. See the order |
| form accompanying this package for prices, info, etc. |
| |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
AS-EASY-AS and TRIUS are Registered Trademarks of TRIUS, Inc.
protected by U.S. Patent and Copyright Law, and appropriate
International Treaties. All rights to the program, trademarks and
associated material, are reserved worldwide by TRIUS, Inc..
The AS-EASY-AS User's Manual is copyrighted and all rights are
reserved. The reproduction of this document, in whole or part, its
conversion to electronic medium or its distribution in printed form
(hard copy) are prohibited unless prior consent, in writing, has been
given by TRIUS, Inc.
EPSON is a trademark of Epson America Inc.
IBM is a trademark of International Business Machines, Inc.
LOTUS 1-2-3 is a trademark of Lotus Development Corporation
HERCULES is a trademark of Hercules Corporation
MS-DOS is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
SYMPHONY is a trademark of Lotus Development Corporation
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[2]·
LIMITED WARRANTY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This program is provided on an "as is" basis without warranty of any
kind, expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied
warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.
The entire risk as to quality and performance of these programs is
with you. Should the program prove defective, you (not TRIUS, Inc.)
assume the entire cost of all necessary repair, servicing, or
correction. In no event will TRIUS, Inc. be liable to you for any
damages, including any lost profits, lost savings, or other incidental
or consequential damages arising out of the use or inability to use
these programs, even if TRIUS, Inc. has been advised of the
possibility of such damages. This warranty gives you specific legal
rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to
state. Some states do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties
or exclusion of liability for incidental or consequential damages so
the above may not apply to you. You acknowledge that you have read
this agreement, understand it, and agree to be bound by its terms and
conditions. You further agree that it is the complete and exclusive
statement of the agreement between us, which supersedes any proposal
or prior agreement, oral or written, and any other communications
between us.
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[3]·
TABLE OF CONTENTS Page
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COPYRIGHT NOTICE 2
LIMITED WARRANTY 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS 4
1. INTRODUCTION 6
WHAT IS A SPREADSHEET 7
2. OPERATING REQUIREMENTS 7
PROGRAM INSTALLATION 8
MOUSE INTERFACE 8
STARTING THE PROGRAM 9
COMMAND LINE SWITCHES 9
STARTING AS-EASY-AS FROM ANY DIRECTORY 11
MENUS 12
VIEWS/WINDOWS 14
SMART CURSOR 16
FUNCTION KEYS 16
3. BASICS 19
ENTERING LABELS 19
ENTERING VALUES 19
ENTERING FORMULAS 20
ENTERING GRAPHICS CHARACTERS 21
EDITING A CELL 21
METHODS FOR ENTERING FORMULAS 22
WHAT IS A RANGE 23
DEFINING A RANGE 23
POINTING WITH THE ARROW KEYS 23
POINTING WITH THE MOUSE 23
TYPING 24
NAMING A RANGE 24
SETTING FORMATS 25
WHY DO YOU NEED FORMATS? 25
RELATIVE VERSUS ABSOLUTE ADDRESSES 25
COPY VALUES 27
MOVE VALUES 27
MOVE FORMULAS 28
RECALCULATION MODES 28
CIRCULAR REFERENCES 29
SAVING THE WORKSHEET 29
SAVING PART OF THE WORKSHEET 30
RETRIEVING THE WORKSHEET 31
COMBINING WORKSHEETS 31
IMPORTING FILES 32
LEAVING THE WORKSHEET 35
4. PRINTING 36
PRINTER BORDERS 37
MARGINS & PAGE LENGTH - PRINTER OPTIONS 37
PRINTER OPTIONS - HEADERS & FOOTERS 39
PRINTER OPTIONS - EMBEDDED CODES 40
PRINTER OPTIONS - TYPE 40
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[4]·
CONTROLLING THE PRINTER 41
ASEASY.PRT 41
PRINT TO A FILE 42
PRINTING COMBINED TEXT AND GRAPHICS 43
USING PRINT VIEW 43
5. GRAPHICS COMMANDS 44
GRAPH RANGES 45
FORMAT 45
OPTIONS 45
CUSTOM 45
COMBINING TEXT AND GRAPHICS 49
SAVING A GRAPH 50
6. DATA COMMANDS 51
DATA FILL 51
DATA TABLE 51
DATA TABLE - 1 INPUT 51
DATA TABLE - 2 INPUTS 52
DATA SORT 52
DATA BIN 53
DATA GOAL SEEK 54
DATA REGRESSION 54
DATA INPUT RANGE 56
DATA INPUT FORM 56
7. DATABASE OPERATIONS 58
INPUT RANGE 58
CRITERION RANGE 58
OUTPUT RANGE 59
8. MATRIX OPERATIONS 60
MATRIX EQUATION 61
9. FUNCTIONS 62
STRING FUNCTIONS 62
MATH FUNCTIONS 66
FINANCIAL FUNCTIONS 71
LOGICAL FUNCTIONS 74
STATISTICAL FUNCTIONS 76
SPECIAL FUNCTIONS 79
DATE AND TIME FUNCTIONS 83
10. MACROS 86
DEFINING A MACRO 86
EXECUTING A MACRO 87
MACRO MENU ESCAPE SEQUENCE 88
MACRO KEYWORDS 88
ADVANCED MACROS 89
CONFIGURATION FILE 99
EXTERNAL FUNCTIONS 104
LINEAR PROGRAMMING 106
FILE PASSWORD PROTECTION 108
INDEX 109
ORDER FORM 117
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[5]·
1. INTRODUCTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for trying out AS-EASY-AS, an excellent spreadsheet program,
packed with features that can't be found in other packages that cost
many times more.
We hope that after your 30-day evaluation of the program you will
decide to purchase a fully licensed copy, with the illustrated printed
manual, tech support, etc.
Before you rest your fingers on the keyboard and start using AS-EASY-
AS, its useful to have an overview of the capabilities of the program.
Of course, the list below represents just a sampling of the many
features. However, it will give you an idea of the versatility of AS-
EASY-AS:
* Large size (8,192 Rows by 256 Columns)
* Range and File Password Protection
* Multi-Variate Regression Analyses
* Enhanced dBASE file querying capabilities
* Math, Statistical, Logical, Financial, String, Date, Time,
File, Status and User Definable Functions
* Matrix Operations, Frequency Distribution Tables (Bins)
* File Linking for worksheet consolidation
* Powerful 2D and 3D Graphics Capabilities
* Bar, Line, X-Y, Pie, Stacked Bar, Hi-Lo, Polar, Area, Delta,
Cumulative, Strip, Wall, Semi-Log, Contour and Log-Log Graphs
* X-Y Data Regression (Up to 5-th order, Ln[x], Exp[x] and Sqrt[x])
* Keyboard and Mouse-based Operation
* Multiple Graphics modes (Display Text & Graphics)
* Preview Mode With Combined Text and Graphics, Page Breaks, etc
* 9/24-pin dot matrix, HP Laserjet, Postscript & HPGL Plotter Support
* Windows! Up to six resizeable and moveable spreadsheet views
* Database Operations, Data Input Forms, Read/Write dBASE Files
* Text Search, Replace, Justify
* Goalseeking:Need an answer? AS-EASY-AS will solve for the input value!
* User-configurable Printer Setup File
* Spreadsheet Auditing Capabilities
* Optimization Min/Max analyses (Linear Programming)
* User Definable external functions
* Named Range, Function, Macro Selection Lists
* Multiple Planes (3-D Simulation)
* Macro Programming Language (over 70 powerful macros)
* Macro Record/Playback Capability and Single Stepping Through Macros
* Support of Hercules/CGA/EGA/AT&T/VGA, and SVGA graphics cards
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[6]·
2. OPERATING REQUIREMENTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HARDWARE
AS-EASY-AS is designated to operate on any IBM PC AT type compatible
computer. It is is recommended, however, that at least a fast 80286
based CPU with expanded memory is used.
OPERATING SYSTEM
AS-EASY-AS will operate using DOS Version 3.01 or later. It has also
been tested and works under Windows 3.1/3.11 as a DOS application.
MEMORY REQUIREMENTS
450k minimum RAM. Spreadsheet data is stored using a sparse matrix
technique which only allocates space required by each cell.
Expanded Memory is automatically detected and used by AS-EASY-AS.
If you don't have EMS, you can instruct AS-EASY-AS to use Virtual
Memory, whereby a hard disk or diskette may be used to emulate EMS.
If you don't have EMS memory and don't use virtual memory, only
conventional DOS memory will be used.
DISK DRIVE
The minimum files required to run AS-EASY-AS are listed under
file installation, in this section and require less that 720K.
As a result, AS-EASY-AS will run on single floppy (720K
minimum), dual floppy, or hard disk system. This enables AS-
EASY-AS to run on older PCs and laptops without hard disks.
VIDEO CARD/MONITOR
MONOCHROME - 80x25 text resolution.
HERCULES - 720x348 resolution.
COLOR GRAPHICS ADAPTER (CGA) - 640x200 resolution.
ENHANCED GRAPHICS ADAPTER (EGA) - 640x350 resolution.
VIDEO GRAPHICS ARRAY (VGA) - 640x480 resolution.
SUPER VIDEO GRAPHICS ARRAY (SVGA) - 800x600 resolution.
PRINTERS
AS-EASY-AS will print text and graphics to Epson and compatible 9/24-
and, Okidata 24-pin dot matrix printers, Hewlett Packard
LaserJet II and compatible laserjet printers, Toshiba P1351, and
Postscript printers (Graphics Only). It will also work with daisy
wheel printers, but they will not be able to print graphics. AS-EASY-
AS will also print graphics output on HP and compatible pen plotters.
MOUSE
AS-EASY-AS may optionally be used with a Microsoft or compatible
mouse.
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[7]·
PROGRAM INSTALLATION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Before using AS-EASY-AS, we recommend that a working copy of the
program be made either on your hard disk or on a separate floppy
diskette. An installation program provided on the AS-EASY-AS diskette
makes the process simple. It will transfer the necessary files from
the original diskette to your working disk/directory. There are no copy
protection schemes or hidden files to wrestle with.
To make a working copy of the program:
1. Place the AS-EASY-AS program disk in drive A:
2. At the DOS prompt, type A: and press [ENTER]
3. Type INSTALL and press [ENTER].
Follow the simple on-screen instructions to specify where to install
the program. Please, read the on-screen instructions carefully!
When the operation is complete, the DOS prompt will reappear on your
screen. Place the original diskette in a safe place. If your working
diskette later becomes damaged, repeat the above process to make a new
working disk.
MOUSE INTERFACE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AS-EASY-AS may be used with a Microsoft or compatible 2 or 3 button
mouse. Some mice have three buttons, while others have two. AS-
EASY-AS uses only two buttons on the mouse. The left button is
functionally equivalent to the [ENTER] key on the keyboard, and the
middle and/or right mouse buttons both represent the [ESC] key. You
can use the keyboard and mouse equivalents interchangeably.
In text modes, the mouse cursor appears on the AS-EASY-AS screen as a
block one character in width and height. The cursor may be moved
around the screen through corresponding movement of the mouse.
If the left mouse button is "tapped" or "clicked" while on a
worksheet cell, the worksheet cell pointer will relocate to the cell
occupied by the mouse cursor.
If the left button is held down while moving the mouse, and the mouse
cursor reaches a border, the worksheet will start scrolling in the
direction of mouse movement. This motion will continue until the
outer limits of the worksheet are reached. The cell pointer will be
positioned in the last cell where movement was stopped.
The sensitivity of the mouse while scrolling may cause overshoot of
the desired window on some fast computers. If this happens, you can
move the cell pointer one cell at a time by clicking on the scroll
bar pointers in the right and bottom borders.
Throughout this manual, when a reference is made to the [ENTER] key,
the left mouse button will also be implied. Similarly, when
reference is made to the [ESC] key, the right mouse button should be
assumed to perform the same function.
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[8]·
STARTING THE PROGRAM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The system configuration and certain default parameters can be
specified when the program is started. Various configuration options
can be invoked by a number of command line switches (each switch is
preceded by a slash [/] character). Note that most of the same
defaults can also be changed in the AS-EASY-AS Configuration file.
See User, Install in Section 11 for further information.
The general form to start the program is:
ASEASY /switch1/switch2/switch3... FILENAME.WKS
where switch1, switch2,... are explained below, and
FILENAME.WKS is the worksheet you want automatically loaded.
COMMAND LINE SWITCHES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Switches are limited to a maximum of 47 characters on the command line.
The following command line switch options can appear in any order.
ATT - Using an AT&T Monochrome adapter & monitor. Some Olivetti
and Toshiba Laptops as well.
ATT2 - Using AT&T Monochrome adapter and monitor. Some Olivetti
and Toshiba Laptops as well. (640x400, video mode $40).
BM - Bypass Mono equipment autodetection. Used in combination with
/EM or /EVM.
BK=X - Screen Blanking Time (seconds). Screen goes blank if no
keyboard activity for BK seconds. Default is 300 sec. Press
ESC to re-activate screen. BK=0 disables screen blanking.
CFG=Path\File - Specifies the configuration file to be used.
Ex. /cfg=d:\DATA\MYCONFIG.CFG
CTR - Center the letters identifying the spreadsheet columns.
DIR=Path - Sets the Default drive and Directory (Data Path)
DW - Highlight Unprotected Cells
Always highlight cells which have been formatted as unprotected
(/Range Lock No).
E - Using Enhanced Graphics Adaptor (EGA) for graphics.
EM - Using Monochrome EGA Monitor/Card (640x350)
EV - Using VGA Monitor/Card (640x480)
EVM - Using Monochrome VGA Monitor/Card (640x480)
H - Using Hercules System type monitor/card (720x348) ($b000)
H2 - Using Hercules System type monitor/card page #2 ($b800)
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[9]·
MONO - Use Monochrome (B&W) white/black color scheme.
Useful with LCD displays.
NE - Don't Use Expanded Memory even if detected.
NR - Force Manual Recalculation. Increases speed for loading.
NT - Non-Turbo Keyboard. To avoid conflict with some kbd BIOS.
NW - Change Data Bin Boundary Values
This switch changes the boundary values for the Data Bin operation.
Without this switch, the criterion used for assigning a sample to a bin
is LIMIT1 ≥ VALUE < LIMIT2, which results in the value being
assigned to the LIMIT2 bin.
If the command line switch /NW is used, the criterion for being assigned
to the LIMIT2 bin becomes LIMIT1 > VALUE ≤ LIMIT2.
P - Use Alternate Menu
Use the alternate menu definition file that makes AS-EASY-AS
menu commands compatible to version 4 of the program. Note that
in order for this to work, the ASEASY.MN2 file NEEDS to be
present in the ASEASY directory!
RA - Round Absolute
By setting this switch, the absolute value of negative numbers is
used when rounding. If the RA switch is NOT used @Round(1.6,0)=2 and
@Round(-1.6,0)=1. If AS-EASY-AS is started with the RA switch,
@Round(1.6,0)=2 and @Round(-1.6,0)=-2.
SV=nnn - Vesa Mode
Starts the program and uses VESA mode for graphs. nnn is the VESA mode
number 100 to 105 (consult your video card/monitor manual).
UK - UK Punctuation Switch
Starting the program with this switch sets the pound as the default
currency symbol and modifies the @DATEVAL function to accept
arguments in the form: @DATEVAL(DD,MM,YY)
V1 - Force CGA Mode on VGA adapter/monitor systems.
VM=XXX - Use Virtual Memory
This command line switch instructs AS-EASY-AS to use a disk drive to
emulate EMS RAM. XXX represents the maximum number of 4K packages to
use as EMS memory. XXX limit is 500.
VP=Drive\Path; - Path for Virtual Memory temporary file. Default is
startup directory. Note the ";" at the end of the path
name.
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[10]·
XM-nnn - Limit the use of EMS to nnn 16K pages (max=500)
As an example, ASEASY /E /NE /DIR=C:\DATA instructs AS-EASY-AS to start
in EGA mode, not to use expanded memory, and set the default data
drive and directory to C:\DATA.
By creating individual batch files, you could start AS-EASY-AS on a
number of different systems, without having to remember all the
switches required.
Math Coprocessor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AS-EASY-AS will try to detect if a math coprocessor chip (8087,
80287, 80387,..) is installed in your computer and if so, it will
automatically use it to speed up calculations.
It is possible, however, that for specific applications, or if
you are experiencing problems (with some generic coprocessor
chips, under windows, etc), that you want to temporarily disable
the math coprocessor.
In order to do that, before starting AS-EASY-AS, at the DOS
prompt, type
SET 87=N
and press [ENTER]. If, after running AS-EASY-AS, you want to
enable the coprocessor again, then simply type,
SET 87=
and press [ENTER] at the DOS prompt.
STARTING AS-EASY-AS FROM ANY DIRECTORY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AS-EASY-AS can be started from any drive/directory on your hard disk
simply by typing ASEASY. To do so, however, you must make sure that
the directory, where the ASEASY program files are located, is in your
DOS path.
Consult your DOS manual for more information on the PATH and SET
statements.
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[11]·
MENUS
~~~~~
All AS-EASY-AS commands are accessed through menus which are invoked
by pressing the [/] key. This key is usually located on the lower
right side of the keyboard, just above the space bar. An alternate
key may be specified, refer to User, Install, Punctuate, Menukey for
details.
If you use a mouse, command menus are invoked by pressing the right
mouse button when the program is in the Ready! mode. The main command
menu will drop down and provide access to all other menu commands. If
the right button was selected in error, tapping the right button again
will return you to the Ready! mode.
In order for your mouse to be operational, your mouse driver needs to
be loaded prior to starting AS-EASY-AS (see Section 2 on using the
mouse).
When the [/] key is pressed, the main menu will appear in the
top left corner of the screen. As you will see later, window menus
provide you with a useful trail through the different levels of menus
in the program.
The first option in the menu will be indicated by a moveable pointer.
The command area line, on the top of the screen, will display
additional information about the option or menu choice.
The pointer can be moved by pressing the cursor arrow keys or by
moving the mouse pointer, if your mouse is active. [HOME] will move
the selection bar to the first menu option, while [END] will move it
to the last one. Pressing [LEFT], [UP] or [BACKSPACE] will move the
selection bar up. Pressing [RIGHT], [DOWN] or [SPACE] will move the
selection bar down.
To select a command or sub menu, use the cursor keys to highlight the
command you want and press the [ENTER] key. An alternative way is to
press the key corresponding to the first letter of the desired option.
For example, when the main menu is displayed, pressing S gets you in
the Sheet menu, or pressing R gets you in the Range menu, etc.
Tapping the left mouse button will select the highlighted command.
Continue the process until the desired command is reached. Tapping
the right button once is the equivalent of hitting [ESC], and will
return you to the previous menu.
Once a selection is made, a new menu window appears in the same
location. This window is actually made up of two parts. The top part
displays the option you selected in the previous menu. The bottom part
is a menu, with the last option selected highlighted. You can select
an option from this menu either by highlighting the choice and
pressing [ENTER] or by pressing the key corresponding to the first
letter of the option.
To facilitate repetitive tasks, AS-EASY-AS remembers the last sequence
of menu commands used. If the main menu is selected a second time,
you will notice the command last used is highlighted. To re-use the
same command, simply press [ENTER] or click the left mouse button to
select the command, and continue likewise through the sub-menus.
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[12]·
The display menu window can be shifted between the left and right
sides of the screen by pressing the period [.] key. Press period (.)
again and it returns to its original position. Once the menu window
has been placed either on the left or the right side of the screen, it
will appear there every time the menu is accessed until it is moved
again or until the program is exited.
Both the width and the position of the menu window can also be
adjusted by macro commands.
When the number of selection items is too large, (such as filename in
a directory) to be displayed on a single screen as may occur during
/File Retrieve, only a single page at a time is presented. Viewing
successive pages can be achieved by moving the cursor past the bottom
row or using the [PgUp] and [PgDn] keys.
As you can see, with this menuing technique, at any time you can tell
exactly what you are doing. If you don't think that this is
important, consider the following:
Assume that your current menu is displaying the menu of cell FORMAT
options. Unless you have kept track of all your previous keystrokes, it
is very hard to tell exactly what you are trying to format. This is
because the FORMAT menu can be accessed from a number of different
menus.
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[13]·
VIEWS/WINDOWS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AS-EASY-AS has the ability to open up to six windows or views of the
worksheet at one time. Worksheet views can be arranged and resized on
the screen according to your preference. When multiple views are
created, only one window can be worked on at a time. This is called
the active window and is identified by a blinking cursor. The [F7]
key is used to toggle between worksheet views. The cell pointer
identifies which view is active.
The windows can be manipulated by using a mouse, or through the View
menu command.
With a mouse, to resize the window, position the mouse pointer on the
character in lower right corner of the window. Depress the left button
and drag the mouse to the desired size. Dragging the upper right
corner of the window will move the window. Positioning the mouse
pointer on any portion of an inactive window and clicking the left
button makes that window active.
The following View menu subcommands allow manipulation of the windows.
OPEN - creates a new view based on the active window. If this process
is continued, multiple views of the worksheet will be created. Up to
six worksheet views can be created at one time. Worksheets will
overlap each other (layer) when opened. If an attempt is made to open
a seventh window, an error message will appear warning that the
maximum number of windows has been exceeded.
CLOSE - will terminate the current worksheet view. This command can
be repeated until all views are removed. Closing a middle view will
result in the windows being renumbered accordingly. For example, if
six window views are created (1,2,3,4,5,6) and window number three is
closed, windows 5 and 6 will automatically renumber to read
(1,2,3,4,5).
LAYER - will arrange all the open windows on the screen at once. [F7]
is used to toggle between worksheets and is used to select the active
window. Each time a new window is opened, it is layered below and to
the right of the previous window.
ZOOM - will expand the active window to fill the entire screen. This
command will allow you to take a closer look at the worksheet.
SIZE - changes the width and/or height of the window. The smallest
view size is 22 character columns by 4 character rows. The number of
columns and rows is dependent on the type of graphics text selected.
The [up], [down], [left], [right], [home], arrow keys can be used to
reduce and enlarge the worksheet view.
MOVE - repositions the window on the screen. To move the worksheet,
the size of the window must first be reduced to less than full-size.
Use the cursor keys to move the active window.
RESET - Close all Windows.
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[14]·
MOVING AROUND THE SHEET
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For keyboards with a combined cursor/number key pad, first make sure
the NUM status indicator is NOT displayed on the status line. This
means that the cursor key pad is active. Next, take a close look at
the cursor key pad (usually located on the right side of your
keyboard). Each key performs the following action:
[HOME] Move the cursor to cell position A1 or the
border boundary
[UP] Move the cursor up one row
[PGUP] Move the cursor up one screen page
[DOWN] Move the cursor down one row
[PGDN] Move the cursor down one screen page
[LEFT] Move the cursor left one column
[RIGHT] Move the cursor right one column
[END] This key acts in combination with the next
cursor key pressed. It causes the spreadsheet to
scan in the indicated direction until a change of
state occurs. For example, a column of numbers
with a blank cell in the middle will result in the
cursor stopping at the blank cell. Subsequent
[END] [DOWN] will jump to the bottom of the
column.
[END][UP] Move to far top of range
[END][DOWN] Move to far bottom of range
[END][LEFT] Move to far left of range
[END][RIGHT] Move to far right of range
[END][HOME] Move to lower right corner of sheet
Other movement keys:
[TAB] Move one page right
[CTRL] [RIGHT]
[SHIFT][TAB] Move one page left
[CTRL] [LEFT]
[F5] Go to specified cell
[F6] When the /Sheet Window option has been
selected, pressing F6 moves the cursor between
the two windows. With only one window active,
pressing F6 toggles between the current and the
last position of the cursor.
[F7] The F7 function key is used to toggle between
worksheet views when multiple windows are
created.
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SMART CURSOR
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Smart Cursor will automatically move the cell pointer one cell in the
direction of the last cursor movement after the [ENTER] key has been
pressed. Smart Cursor is toggled on/off by pressing the [SCROLL LOCK]
key. "SCR" displayed in the status line indicates Smart Cursor is
active.
When active, if a number is typed into a cell, followed by [ENTER] and
a cursor key, Smart Cursor remembers the direction of movement.
Subsequent input of data, followed by [ENTER], will place the data in
the cell, and move the cursor one cell in the established direction of
movement. If a cursor key is again pressed, that direction becomes
the new direction of movement.
For example, when you type the number 1 in cell A1 and press [ENTER],
the cursor remains in cell A1. If you move the cursor to cell A2 and
type the number 2, the cursor will automatically move to cell A3 after
[ENTER] has been pressed.
FUNCTION KEYS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
F1 - Help Function Key (when ready mode is active)
To choose among the help topics, press the up/down cursor keys to move
the highlighted cursor to the one desired.
[HOME] brings you to the top of the list;
[END] to the bottom;
[PAGE UP] to the top of the screen;
[PAGE DOWN] to the bottom of the screen.
A letter key searches for a topic starting with that letter
[ENTER] selects the topic.
Once a help topic has been chosen and entered, use the up/down cursor
keys to scroll through the file. The highlighted bottom boundary of
a file disappears when the end of the file has been reached.
To exit one help topic and return to the topics list, press [ESC].
F1 - Help When Entering a Macro
If you are typing a macro and the last key typed was the "{" key,
pressing [F1] will open a pick window in the middle of your screen,
displaying all the macro commands available to you. Move the cursor
using the arrow keys, select the macro command you want and press
[ENTER]. The macro command is inserted, at the cursor position, and
you are ready to continue typing.
F1 - Help When Entering an Equation
If you have just entered a valid operator (+, -, *, or /), pressing
F1 will display all named ranges defined in the spreadsheet. Select
the one you want, using the cursor, press [ENTER] and the named range
is inserted in your equation.
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F1 - HELP When Entering a Function
If you have just pressed the "@" key, pressing F1 will open a
selection window in the middle of your screen, and will display all
the @-Functions available to you. When the function list appears,
move the cursor using the arrow keys, pick the function you want and
press [ENTER]. The function is inserted and you are ready to continue
typing. Pressing the [ESC] key, when the function list appears, will
cancel the operation but still leave you in the edit mode.
F1 - HELP When Entering a Printer Setup Code
If you are in the PrintTo Printer Options Setup submenu and are
trying to remember a printer setup code, all you need to do is press
[\] followed by F1. A selection window displays the setup codes that
you have placed in your printer set-up file (see section on Printer
Options). Move the cursor with the arrow keys, select the setup code
that you want, and press [ENTER]. AS-EASY-AS will insert the
selected printer setup code and you can continue with your next
operation.
This is a great feature for those who have to use complicated lengthy
laser printer setup strings.
The F1 option is also available when embedding setup codes directly
in a print range (see section on Printer Options).
NOTES: 1. You can still manually enter the setup codes if you prefer.
2. The printer setup file has the name ASEASY.PRT and must
be in the default directory.
F2 - Edit Function Key
Pressing the F2 function key places a copy of the contents of the
current cell in edit mode. For more information about the edit mode
options, refer to Section 3.2.
F3 - Macro Function Key
The F3 function key allows execution of a macro by name or by cell
reference. When F3 is pressed, a prompt appears requesting the name
of the macro that you want to execute. The default address is the
cell reference specified the last time F3 was invoked during the
current session. You can either type the name of the macro you want
to execute and press [ENTER] or press [ESC].
Pressing [ESC] in response to the prompt will display a pick list of range
names to choose from. Move the cursor to the desired macro name and
press [ENTER].
NOTE: This is the equivalent to the {JUMP NAME} macro command.
F4 - Absolute Address Function Key
Pressing F4 when in the middle of entering a formula, makes the
address of the current cell absolute (both row and column). Pressing
F4 once more makes only the column of the current cell absolute and
pressing it for the third time makes the reference relative.
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NOTE: This function key is only active when entering an equation
in the pointing mode. It is not active when editing a cell.
F5 - GoTo Function Key
The GOTO function key allows you to position the cursor on a cell
indicated by name or by reference. When the prompt for the
destination appears, pressing [ESC] will present a window of range
names from which to choose. The default address is the address
specified last time F5 was invoked during the current session.
F6 - Window/Location Function Key
The F6 function key toggles the cell cursor between the current
location and the last location the cell cursor occupied. When the
Sheet, Windows command has been invoked, pressing the F6 key will
toggle the cursor between the two windows. When the Sheet, Borders
command has been invoked, pressing the F6 key will toggle the cursor
into and out of the border area (only if a border was assigned to one
window).
F7 - View Key
The F7 function key is used to toggle between worksheet views when
multiple windows are created. Up to six window views can be opened
but only one window can be worked on at a time. This is called the
active window and is identified by a visible cell pointer.
F9 - Calculate Function Key
When the ready mode is active, pressing F9 results in all cells being
recalculated.
Another feature of the F9 key is that it performs the calculation of
any equation, at any point in an editing AS-EASY-AS operation. When
editing a formula, pressing F9 replaces the entire formula with its
evaluated result.
Example: Cell A1 contains the value 1, and
Cell A2 contains the value 2
Place the cursor in cell B1 and press the following keys:
/scsA1+A2 [F9] [ENTER]
|
Function Key
This will set the width of column B to 3, i.e., the value of cell A1
plus the value of cell A2.
F10 - Graph Function Key
Pressing F10 displays the currently defined graph. If no graph has
been defined, a beep will sound and an error message will be
displayed.
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3. BASICS
~~~~~~~~~
This section provides information necessary to perform basic
functions, such as entering text, values, and formulas, and editing
data once it has been entered. It also describes basic skills and
concepts, such as copying and moving cells, inserting and deleting
rows and columns, creating and using range names, and file management.
ENTERING LABELS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A label is any sequence of characters which is not preceded with a
digit or mathematical operator. Digits may be entered as labels if
they are preceded with an apostrophe ['], a caret [^], a quote ["],
a backslash [\], or a pipeline [|] character. These label prefix
characters are special formatting characters which perform the
following:
['] Left justifies the label within the column
[^] Centers the label within the column. If the label is
wider than the column, the result is left justified.
["] Right justifies the label within the column. If the label
is wider than the column, the result is left justified.
[\] Repeats the character which follows, the width of the column.
[|] Sends the characters that follow to the printer as a setup
string. (The "|" character is not displayed on screen).
[«] (Alt-174 on keypad) Pad string with periods on the left side.
[»] (Alt-175 on keypad) Pad string with periods on the right.
The default prefix character is an apostrophe ['] which will
automatically be inserted as the first character. Prefix characters
are interpreted as text if they appear other than in the first
position of the label.
NOTE: Digits that have been entered with a label prefix character are
labels. As a label, the digits will be evaluated as having a value of
zero. Therefore, it is not possible to left or center justify numbers
and be able to use them in equations.
ENTERING VALUES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A value is any sequence of digits. AS-EASY-AS supports 11 significant
digits. Large numbers are entered by using exponential notation.
For example, the number 2.3x1015 would be entered as 2.3E15 [ENTER].
All entries must be completed by pressing the [ENTER] key or one of
the direction keys. If one of these keys has not been pressed, the
[BackSpace] key may be used to delete the previously entered digit.
If a cell contains only asterisks, "*********", it's an indication
that the width of the column is insufficient to hold all the
characters required to display the number. To make the value visible,
either expand the column width or change the format of the
cell.
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ENTERING FORMULAS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The power of a spreadsheet stems from its ability to interrelate the
contents of its cells. These relationships are set through the use of
formulas that are entered directly into the cells. Once entered, the
formulas may be saved with the spreadsheet, copied, edited, or moved
etc. Relationships between cells are formed using algebraic,
statistical or logical expressions. Once a formula is typed in and
[ENTER] is pressed, it is evaluated and the result is placed in the
cell. The following operators are available for use in cell formulas:
[-] - negation
[+] - addition
[-] - subtraction
[*] - multiplication
[/] - division
[!] - factorial
[%] - percent
[^] - exponentiation
[>] - greater than
[<] - less than
[=] - equal to
[<=] - less than or equal
[>=] - greater than or equal
[<>] - not equal to
[()] - parentheses
A formula must be preceded by one of the following characters:
- + ( @ or a digit.
The following examples assume that cell A1 contains the value 4.
Type Result Comment
~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~
1.1+2*3+5^2 32.1 --
+A1*2+5.5 13.5 --
@SQRT(A1)+5 7.0 --
(2*A1+3)*3 33.0 --
-5.1+2 -3.1 --
2>3 0 Result is False
3>2 1 Result is True
5<>4 1 Result is True
6=5 0 Result is False
Parenthesis are used to group calculations and force a specific order
of evaluation. AS-EASY-AS will first evaluate the expression in
parentheses, then continue in order of operator precedence. As an
example:
(2+3)*6 evaluates to 30, while 2+(3*6) evaluates to 20.
Quotes must be used to indicate string arguments. For example:
+"Hello"&" Tom!" will display Hello Tom! in a cell.
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ENTERING GRAPHICS CHARACTERS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AS-EASY-AS permits entry of high bit ASCII characters (sometimes
referred to as graphics or box characters). To create one of these
characters, hold the [ALT] key down and enter the decimal code of the
character you want using the numeric pad (on the right side of your
keyboard). When you let go of the [ALT] key, the specified character
will appear. For example, if you type 195 (while holding down the
[Alt] key) the character ├ will appear on your screen.
NOTE: Some graphics characters can be printed only if they are
supported by your printer.
EDITING A CELL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Changes to the contents of a cell may be made by retyping the contents
and pressing [ENTER] or by invoking the Edit Mode, using the Edit
Function Key [F2].
Pressing [F2] causes the contents of the current cell to be placed on
line 1 of the command panel. The mode indicator is changed to EDIT.
The character cursor is positioned at the end of the line. Make
changes by moving the character cursor to the desired position and
start typing.
When in the edit mode with insert active, text under and to right of
the cursor will be shifted to the right as characters are typed.
Insert can be toggled on/off by pressing the insert [INS] key. The
opposite of insert mode is overwrite mode which is indicated by an
increase in cursor size and the display of the OVR status indicator
(text will be overwritten by new typing).
The following keys may be used to edit:
[LEFT] Move cursor one position to the left
[RIGHT] Move cursor one position to the right
[HOME] Move cursor to the first character position
[END] Move cursor to the last character position
[INS] Toggle between overwrite and insert mode
[DEL] Delete the character underneath the cursor
[BACKSPACE] Delete the character left of the cursor
[TAB] Move 8 positions to the right
[SHIFT][TAB] Move 8 positions to the left
[CTRL][RIGHT] Move to the beginning of the next word
[CTRL][LEFT] Move to the beginning of the previous word
[ESC] Cancel all editing and leave original cell contents
After all changes have been made you must press the [ENTER] key to
insert the changes into the current cell in the worksheet.
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METHODS FOR ENTERING FORMULAS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are two ways to enter a formula into an AS-EASY-AS cell. One is
to type the whole formula and the second is to point to the referred
cells.
For example let's say that you want to enter the following formula in
cell B6.
@SUM(A5..A12)+A1/(C6*C8)
This could be accomplished in two ways as shown below (assuming that
the cursor is already in cell B6).
POINTING METHOD:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TYPE PRESS SHOWN ON CONTROL PANEL
~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@SUM( @SUM(
[LEFT] @SUM(A6
[UP] @SUM(A5
(period). @SUM(A5..A5
[DOWN](7 times) @SUM(A5..A12
)+ @SUM(A5..A12)+
[HOME] @SUM(A5..A12)+A1
/( @SUM(A5..A12)+A1/(C6
[RIGHT] @SUM(A5..A12)+A1/(C6
* @SUM(A5..A12)+A1/(C6*
[RIGHT] @SUM(A5..A12)+A1/(C6*C6
[DOWN] @SUM(A5..A12)+A1/(C6*C7
[DOWN] @SUM(A5..A12)+A1/(C6*C8
) @SUM(A5..A12)+A1/(C6*C8)
[ENTER] @SUM(A5..A12)+A1/(C6*C8)
And the calculated value is displayed in cell B6.
TYPING METHOD:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With the cursor positioned on cell B6, type:
@SUM(A5..A12)+A1/(C6*C8)
and press [ENTER]. The calculated value will appear in cell B6, and
the above equation will show on the control panel.
Cell references can be either absolute or relative. An absolute cell
has the row or column to be fixed preceded by a '$', i.e. $A1 fixes
the column portion of the cell reference. A block copy of a formula
with this cell reference will not alter the 'A' portion of the cell.
$A$1 fixes both the row and column portion of the cell. Without the
'$' all copies of the cell formula will result in a translation of the
cell reference which maintains the relative reference. Cell references
must be preceded by either a '+' or '-' sign or a parenthesis.
See the section on copying and moving for more information on relative
and absolute references.
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WHAT IS A RANGE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A range is defined as any rectangular group of cells in the
spreadsheet. A range can be as narrow as a single row in depth or as
deep as all the rows in the spreadsheet. Similarly a range can be as
narrow as a single column in width or as wide as all the columns in
the spreadsheet (256).
A range is described by specifying the upper left cell and lower right
cell of the range. The cells must be separated by two periods '..' .
An example of this is A1..D5. This includes all cells in columns A,
B, C and D and rows 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
The entire group of cells looks like this:
A1 B1 C1 D1
A2 B2 C2 D2
A3 B3 C3 D3
A4 B4 C4 D4
A5 B5 C5 D5
DEFINING A RANGE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ranges can be defined by using one of two possible methods: pointing
to the cell or range of cells, or actually typing in the range (upper
left cell followed by two periods and then the lower right cell) or
range name.
POINTING WITH THE ARROW KEYS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pointing to a cell simply involves moving the cursor. It is best to
use this method in response to COPY or MOVE commands. When asked for
a range, move the pointer. Notice that the pointer expands on the
screen. In the middle of the leading edge of the pointer you will see
a small blinking cursor. This indicates the corner of the range which
you can expand or contract. To switch to the next corner press the
period [.]. If you press the period 4 times, you will return to your
starting position. When the range has been completely highlighted,
press the [ENTER] key. This fixes the range and allows any action to
continue. For example, if the range was entered in response to a COPY
command, the copy operation be initiated.
POINTING WITH THE MOUSE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The mouse may be used when building ranges in AS-EASY-AS. The process
of pointing with the mouse is similar to that pointing with the arrow
keys. (Note that in order to use the mouse, your mouse driver needs to
be loaded prior to starting AS-EASY-AS).
When prompted for a cell range, position the mouse pointer at one
corner of the range and press the left mouse button. Keep it
depressed as you move the mouse until the desired range is
highlighted. Release the button to signify the end of the range and
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click the left mouse button again to confirm the selection (similar to
pressing the [ENTER] key at the end of the range definition). To
change the range a second time, hold the mouse button down and repeat
the previous step.
If you wish to cancel a range or stop the process, tapping the right
mouse button will back you through the command.
When using the right mouse in conjunction with AS-EASY-AS functions,
such as @SUM, the function name and left parenthesis must be typed
first,e.g., "@SUM(". To build the range, position the mouse cursor at
the top left cell of the range, depress the left mouse button and
build the range. When the range is completed, type the remainder of
the function, in our example, this would be the right parenthesis")",
and hit [ENTER]. Again, you can proceed back through the range
building process by pressing the right mouse button.
TYPING
~~~~~~
Typing a range may be done by specifying diagonally opposite cell
corners of the range. Each cell reference is separated by one or two
periods [.].
Example: A1..D5 defines the same range as D1..A5. When the entry is
complete press the [ENTER].
NAMING A RANGE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A powerful AS-EASY-AS feature is the ability to refer to a range of
cells using a name assigned to that range. Such range names may be
used anywhere a cell reference is expected by AS-EASY-AS. Since a
range can also consist of a single cell, this naming ability can be
used to create applications and formulas that are easy to understand.
For example, let us say that cell A1 contained total income for the
month and cell A5 contained total expenses. If cell A10 contained a
formula to calculate the monthly balance, i.e. +A1-A5, then, when you
placed the cursor on cell A10, the input line would display A10:
+A1-A5. If, on the other hand, you had named A1 as INCOME and A5 as
EXPENSES, when on A10, the input line would display A10: +INCOME-
EXPENSES, which is much more informative.
When entering the formula in A10, with the cells named as above, you
could use either the named range or the actual reference. The
keystroke sequences below would yield identical results (assuming the
cursor is currently at A10):
+A1-A5 [ENTER], or
+INCOME-EXPENSES [ENTER]
Ranges are assigned names using the /Range, Name, Create command
sequence.
Up to 250 named ranges may be defined in a single worksheet. Each
range name can be up to 11 characters long.
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SETTING FORMATS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Format refers to the appearance of a cell. There may be a big
difference between the way the contents of a cell is displayed and the
way the value of that cell is stored internally. It helps to keep
that in mind at all times.
WHY DO YOU NEED FORMATS?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Imagine that a cell contains the result of a calculation where you are
trying to figure out the monthly payments on a loan. Let's say that
the calculated payment was 657.17625412 per month.
Do you really want to see 8 digits after the decimal point? Most
likely not, and that's where formats come in.
A better way to format the payment amount would be:
657.18 (rounded to two decimals, cents)
or better yet,
$657.18
NOTE: Even though the value is displayed as 657.18, the value stored
in the cell and used in any calculations involving that cell is
657.17625412.
Applying a format to a single cell or to a whole range of cells may be
done with the /Range, Format command. Setting the default format for
the entire worksheet is done using the /Sheet, General, Format
command.
Note that AS-EASY-AS permits you to also define your own customized
formats, using the User, Install, Format, Create command.
In defining the format, the "?" and "_" (underscore) characters are used
to indicate a digit position and are automatically adjusted to
accommodate a value which occupies less positions than the defined
format. The "0" (zero) character, on the other hand, is used to
explicitly reserve a position pre-filled with a zero.
For example, a user defined format template of (???) ???-????
would display the value 9819828282 as (981) 982-8282, i.e. a
US telephone number format, and the number 1234567 as 123-4567.
RELATIVE VERSUS ABSOLUTE ADDRESSES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AS-EASY-AS does all the work required to keep track of the cells you
refer to in formulas:
If you move the cells referenced in a formula to another place in
the worksheet, AS-EASY-AS automatically adjusts the references in
the formula.
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If you move a formula from one cell to another, cell references in
the formula remain unchanged.
If you insert a column or row within a specified block, any
formula that references the block is automatically adjusted to
include it.
If you delete a row or column within a block, any formula that
references the block is automatically adjusted to exclude it. An
important exception is if you delete a row or column that contains
one of the corner cells included in the range reference, an ERR is
entered in the formula cell. If this occurs, you must reenter the
formula with the correct range.
If you copy a block of cells that include a formula but not the
cells referenced in the formula, the formula is updated to
reference new cells which have the same position in relation to
the formula's cell. (Cells viewed this way are called relative
cells).
If you want to copy a formula and maintain the original cell
references, you must specify those references as absolute before
copying the formula. This is done by inserting the dollar sign
before the cell coordinates.
$A$2 - Makes the entire address absolute
$A2 - Makes the column absolute
A$2 - Makes the row absolute
Named ranges operate just like all references and will translate
when copied or moved. To make a named range absolute, you must
preface the range name with a dollar sign.
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COPY VALUES
~~~~~~~~~~~
Using the copy command on a value duplicates the value in the "FROM"
cell into the "TO" cell.
For example, to copy the value from cell B5 to cell C6, simply enter
the following sequence of commands (assuming the pointer is already on
cell B5):
/c [ENTER] [RIGHT] [DOWN] [ENTER] (Pointing Method)
or
/c B5 [ENTER] C6 [ENTER] (Typing Method)
COPY FORMULAS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Let's take an example of three cells containing the following:
cell B1 contains +A1+A2
'' B2 '' +A1+$A2
'' B3 '' +A1+$A$2
The value result in cells B1, B2 and B3 should be identical.
Now copy the cells B1, B2 and B3 to C2, C3 and C4 respectively, and
let's see what the new cells contain.
cell C2: +B2+B3
Copied from an original formula, in B1, that said: "Add the contents
of the cell one column to the left (A1) to the contents of the cell
one column to the left and one row down (A2)."
cell C3: +B2+$A3
Copied from an original formula, in B2, that said: "Add the contents
of the cell one column to the left (A1) to the contents of the cell in
absolute column A ($A) and one row down."
cell C4: +B2+$A$2
Copied from an original formula, in B3, that said: "Add the contents
of the cell one column to the left (A1) to the contents of the cell in
absolute column A ($A) and in row 2 ($2)."
MOVE VALUES
~~~~~~~~~~~
Moving values is a simple operation that relocates the value from a cell into
another specified cell.
For example, to move the value from cell B5 to cell C6, simply enter the
following sequence of commands (assuming the pointer is already in cell B5):
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/m [ENTER] [RIGHT] [DOWN] [ENTER] (Pointing Method)
or
/m B5 [ENTER] C6 [ENTER] (Typing Method)
MOVE FORMULAS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The rules that apply to copying formulas also apply to moving
formulas. Let's consider the same example of the three cells
containing the following:
cell B1 contains +A1+B4
'' B2 '' +A1+$B4
'' B3 '' +A1+$B$4
'' B4 '' 5
The values displayed in cells B1, B2, B3 and B4 should be identical.
Now move the cells B1, B2, B3 and B4 into C1, C2, C3 and C4
respectively. Let's see what the new cells contain.
cell C1: +A1+C4
Notice the translation of B4 to C4. This occurred because B4 was
within the moved block. The reference to A1 remains unchanged because
it was outside the block.
cell C2: +A1+$C4
Absolute symbol does NOT keep column reference from changing for the
move operation because the reference was inside the moved block.
cell C3: +A1+$C$4
Moved from original location but the formula changes the same as in
cell C2.
As you can see, NO translation occurs for cell references OUTSIDE the
block being moved. References to cells inside the block ARE
translated during a move to reflect the new position.
RECALCULATION MODES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Recalculation refers to the manner in which all formulas within a
spreadsheet are calculated. As formula references get complex, the
number of required calculations increases. If every cell within the
spreadsheet were calculated each time a cell was updated, it could
take a while just to make a minor change.
An alternate method is to calculate only those cells which are
dependent on the updated cell. Each dependent cell may have multiple
dependent cells which must also be calculated, and so on until a root
cell (a cell with no dependent references to it) is reached and the
calculation sequence stops. This method is called AUTOMATIC
recalculation, and is the default mode when AS-EASY-AS is first
started.
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To activate AUTOMATIC recalculation press the following sequence of
keys.
/sgra
Which stands for the following commands.
Menu, Sheet, General, Recalc, Auto.
In some cases, a linked recalculation sequence may require too much
time to recalculate after entry of new data. Therefore, the
calculation sequence can be turned off while a series of changes are
being made to the spreadsheet. This method is called MANUAL
recalculation. After the changes are completed, the spreadsheet may
be updated by pressing the CALC function key [F9].
To activate MANUAL recalculation press the following sequence of keys.
/sgrm
Which stands for the following commands:
Menu, Sheet, General, Recalc, Manual.
When manual recalculation has been selected, the indicator 'MAN' will
appear on the status line.
SAVING THE WORKSHEET
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To save the entries you have made in the worksheet, press the [/] key
to bring up the main menu. Select the FILE command choice by pressing
"F" or by moving the cursor to highlight that word and pressing
[ENTER]. You will see a new menu of file command choices.
If you wish to save the file to a drive or directory other than the
default drive/directory, you must change the data directory to the
desired drive. This can be done by selecting the FILE DIRECTORY
command and typing in the new path. The path can be changed by typing
in the new path at the "PATH:" prompt. You can also change the
drive/directory when specifying the file name by including the path
with the file name.
If you are using a diskette to store your worksheets, make sure the
diskette is in the specified drive. You should always have a
formatted disk with room for extra worksheet files available.
Select the STORE command. If the worksheet is new, you will be
prompted for the name of your worksheet. A name is valid if it has up
to 8 characters and does not contain any of the following characters:
"," "*" "/" "?" "#" " " "'" "|"
Confirm the typed name by pressing [ENTER].
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Examples of valid file name inputs:
SAMPLE1 Saves data in SAMPLE1.WKS in current path
\DATA\SAMPLE1 Saves data in file SAMPLE1.WKS. in directory
\DATA of the current drive. A beep will sound
and an error message will appear if the
requested directory does not exist.
NOTE: The default path will now be
\DATA of the current drive.
D:\MINE\SAMPLE1 Saves data in file SAMPLE1.WKS in directory
\MINE of drive D:
NOTE: The default path will now be
D:\MINE\
If you try to save a worksheet that was previously retrieved from your
current data disk, the name of that worksheet will automatically
appear in the Name input field of the file window. Pressing [ENTER]
instructs the program to accept that name.
If a worksheet with the same name already exists on your data disk,
the program will ask if you want to "cancel", make a "backup" or
"replace" the old file (on the disk) with the contents of the current
worksheet in the computer.
If you choose to make a backup, the file on disk will be renamed with
the extension .WKB and the new file will be saved with an extension
.WKS.
NOTE: This method provides only a single level of backup protection.
If you desire additional backups, it is recommended that you
save your files using a number appended to the end of the file
name, i.e., WORK1, WORK2, WORK3, etc.
SAVING PART OF THE WORKSHEET
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes it may be appropriate to save only a small portion of the
spreadsheet. This may be achieved by using the /File Xport command.
Once the Xport command has been selected, AS-EASY-AS will ask if you
want to export to a WKS, .DBIII (.DBF) Quoted, or Comma delimited file,
and then it will prompt for the name of the file. Type the name and
press [ENTER]. Do NOT add an extension when you type the name as this
is performed automatically by AS-EASY-AS.
After you have specified the name of the file, the program asks for
the range to be exported. The range can be specified by either
pointing or typing, or a range name can be used.
The specified range will then be exported to either a .WKS or .DBF
or a .PRN type file.
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RETRIEVING THE WORKSHEET
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To retrieve a worksheet select the /File, Retrieve command.
A window will open in the middle of the screen displaying worksheet
files present in the default directory. Only one page of names is
displayed at a time. To view subsequent pages press the [PGDN] or
[PGUP] keys.
Select your file by moving the pointer to highlight the file, or type
the file name at the name prompt and then press [ENTER]. To change
the path, you may type in the new path in the "PATH:" field.
This new path will become the default path.
COMBINING WORKSHEETS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The /FILE MERGE command will combine any designated worksheet file
with the current file starting at the position occupied by the
spreadsheet pointer. The information merged from the new file will
overwrite any information present in the cells.
WARNING: Information in cells overwritten cannot be recovered.
When /File Merge is selected, choose either to merge the whole file or
a named range from a specified file. Once this choice has been made,
you are asked to specify whether to merge the formulas in the named
range or file or just the calculated values in the range.
NOTE: When the Merge-Range-Formulas is selected, the cell
relationships are retained in the new worksheet.
If a cell of the file being merged (from disk), contains a formula,
and you selected /File, Merge, [All/Range], Value, then the last
values contained in the cells when the worksheet was saved will be
used in the merge operation.
If you selected /File, Merge, [All/Range], Formula, then for cells in
the file on disk that contained values, those values will be used in
the merge operation. For cells that contained formulas, however, the
contents of the current cells will be replaced with the formulas from
the file on disk.
You will now be provided with three options for the merged
information; SUM, DIFF, and REPLACE.
SUM - will cause the cell contents of the file being merged to be
added to the contents of the current file cells.
DIFF - will cause the cell contents of the file being merged to be
subtracted from the contents of the current file cells.
REPLACE - will cause the cell contents of the file being merged to
replace the contents of the current file cells.
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IMPORTING FILES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The File, Import command is different than the File, Merge
command in that it allows the user to import data that is not in
worksheet (WKS) format.
Dbase
~~~~~~
This command invokes a unique menu of commands that allow you to
directly access database files created with dBASE III/Iv program
(DBF). The DBF operations that are supported in AS-EASY-AS are
described below:
ALL - Import ALL the data contained in the database file into
the current worksheet, starting at the current cursor
location. Once this command is invoked, a file
selection menu appears, similar to the File, Retrieve
command. After the file is selected, a status window
appears that reports the status of the file import
operation. The data is imported in AS-EASY-AS database
format. The field names become column headings and the
data in each record is placed below the corresponding
heading, one record per row.
RANGE - Import a range (portion) of the database by specifying
the first and last record number of the desired range.
BROWSE - This command allows you to look at all the records in a
specified dBASE data file. After the desired file is
selected, the program enters the dBASE browse mode. The
field names are displayed as column headings and the
data in each record is placed below the corresponding
heading, one record per row. While in this mode, the
following keys are active.
[F2] - Find Find the first record that contains the
specified search string. Note that the search is
performed only on the field that the cursor is currently
located in.
After you specify the string to search for, you are
prompted to confirm that the search operation will be
case insensitive (U). If you want the search to be case
sensitive, make sure you delete the U when the
confirmation window opens.
A sequential search is performed until a record is found
that contains the specified search string in the current
field. The cursor will then be placed on the record and
the search will stop.
[F3] - Find Next Find the next record that contains the
specified string in the current field.
[F4] - Mark Mark a block of records to be imported to
AS-EASY-AS. Move the cursor to the first record to be
imported. Press [F4] to mark the record. The marked
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record will appear highlighted. Move the cursor down
to mark (highlight) the records to be imported. When
completed, press [F6]. The marked records will be
imported with the first record placed at the current
cursor location.
[F5] - GOTO Move the cursor directly to a specified record
number specified by the user.
[F6] - Import highlighted block
[HOME] Move the cursor to the first record in the
database.
[END] Move the cursor to the last record in the database.
[Left, Right, Up, Down] Move the cursor one field to
the left, right, up, or down, respectively.
[PgUp, Pgdn] Move the cursor 20 records up, or down.
CRITERION - This command allows you to selectively import those
records in a dBASE III data file which match a specified
criteria. Once the command is invoked, a file selection
menu appears, similar to the File, Retrieve command.
After the desired file is selected, the program displays
a window of the dBASE field names. Use the cursor keys
to select the desired field name for which the criteria
is to be applied. Pressing the first letter of a field
name will move the cursor down the listing to field
names which start with that letter. Press [ENTER] to
confirm the field name selection.
If the field selected is a numeric field (signified by
an N next to the field name), then a secondary selection
window will appear with the following match options:
1) Query<=Db - Import files where field data is less
than or equal to the match criteria.
2) Query<Db - Import files where field data is less
than the match criteria.
3) Query=Db - Import files where field data is equal to
the match criteria.
4) Query>Db - Import files where field data is
greater than the match criteria.
5) Query>=Db - Import files where field data is greater
than or equal to the match criteria.
6) Query<>Db - Import files where field data is not
equal to the match criteria.
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Highlight or select the appropriate match option and
press [ENTER]. You will then be prompted to enter the
match criteria. For string matches, you will be given the
option of an exact, appear anywhere, or case insensitive
match. For numerical matches, enter the appropriate
number or valid formula. For date matches, enter the
date using the @DATE(YY,MM,DD) function.
Press [ENTER] to complete the selection. Records
which meet the criteria will be imported with the field
names placed at the current cursor location.
If the selected field is a character field (signified by
C next to the field name), then a secondary window will
appear with the following two options:
1. Include - Import all records where the specified
string exists ANYWHERE in the selected field. For
example, if this option was selected and the specified
string was "ic" (without the quotes), then records
that contained Michael, Nick, Michelin,... would meet
the criterion.
2. Exact - Import records ONLY of the specified string
matches the selected field EXACTLY. For example, if the
specified string was "First" (without the quotes),
then a record that contained "First", in the respective
field would meet the criteria, while a record that
contained "First Street", would NOT.
List
~~~~
Loads all files matching the search specification and present
in the current directory. The information includes filename,
extension, size and date of creation, and is similar to the
listing provided by the DOS DIR command.
Text
~~~~
Load a text file into the worksheet as text. All digits and
characters will be entered as labels (text).
If no file extension is specified, the program assumes that the
file that you want to import has the extension PRN, therefore,
if you specify the name of the file without the extension, and
the extension is other than PRN, it will not be found.
Example: The line 1,2,3,4,5 imported from a file as text would
be stored in the corresponding cell as the string '1,2,3,4,5.
Values
~~~~~~
Load a text file into the worksheet and parse each line as
values or as text. Valid delimiters are spaces and commas. To
keep a text string intact, enclose it in double quotes before
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importing it into the worksheet.
Examples:
Lines Imported Stored in Worksheet as:
1 2 3 4 5 Values 1 through 5 in 5 consecutive cells.
1,2,3,4,5 Values 1 through 5 in 5 consecutive cells.
1/2/3/4/5 Value 0.008333, i.e., the expression was
evaluated.
1,A,2,B,3 Values 1, 2, 3 and strings A, B, in
consecutive cells.
Fixed
~~~~~~
Import ASCII file according to user specified format string: Xn,X,m,Xj,...
where n,m,j is the number of characters to be used for each format
type and X is the type of format desired. X is one of the following:
L, R, C - Left, Right or Center justified label
N - Numeric value
S - Skip number of characters specified
B - Blank, column pointer is shifted one position to the right
LEAVING THE WORKSHEET
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You have just completed your masterpiece spreadsheet and are now ready
to call it quits for the day. FIRST, MAKE SURE THAT YOU SAVED YOUR
LATEST VERSION OF THE WORKSHEET (see previous section on saving your
worksheet).
Access the command menu by pressing the [/] key. Select the EXIT
command. You will be given a second chance to change your mind when
AS-EASY-AS asks if you want to quit, YES or NO. Highlight the word
YES or type the letter "y". AS-EASY-AS will prompt you one last time,
asking if you have saved your worksheet. If you wish to return to the
worksheet, press [ESC], otherwise press [ENTER]. The program will now
return to DOS.
If you performed the above keystrokes by accident and did not intend
to leave the spreadsheet, you are out of luck because all spreadsheet
information in the computer memory has been lost.
Remember, save your data frequently as you work, and make back-up
copies of your files!
You can print any portion of the spreadsheet to either a PRINTER or a
print FILE (on your disk) or append to a print file by selecting the
"PrintTo" option from the main menu.
If you are printing to a printer for the first time, you need to
install your printer type. This is done by the /User Install Printer
command. Once the selection is made, make sure to save your
configuration file (see User Install for more information).
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4. PRINTING
~~~~~~~~~~~~
To get into the printer menu, press the following sequence of keys.
/pp
Which stands for /PrintTo Printer.
You are now in the print menu where all the print variations are
defined. You will see the following selections on the command line:
Range Border LineFeed PageAdv Options Adjust Go View Quit
Range Stands for the rectangular area of the spreadsheet which
is to be printed. This must be defined prior to printing.
Border Print specified row(s) and/or column(s) on every page of
the output.
LineFeed Advance the paper in the printer a single line.
PageAdv Advance the paper in the printer to the top of the next
page.
Options Allows access to Sub-menu of printer options; margins,
pitch, header, footer, format type and printer setup
string. (See print menu explanations for further
details).
Adjust Synchronize the program's top-of-page with the printer
top-of-page. The page and line counters are reset to 1.
Note: If this synchronization is not done, you may get
several blank lines in the middle of the printed page.
This is the gap allotted to skip over sheet perforation.
Go Starts the printer printing.
View Preview the selected range before printing
All print output is directed to the printer attached to the parallel
port LPT1, or LPT2, as selected under the User, Install, Device
menu. To direct information to be printed to alternate ports
use the Print, File command. As an example, to send output to serial
port #1 (COM1), type:
/PrintTo File COM1. [ENTER]
and execute the Adjust Go commands.
NOTE: You must preset the Baud Rate using the DOS MODE command.
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PRINTER BORDERS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The PrintTo Printer Borders command allows you to select row(s) and/or
column(s) from your worksheet that you wish to have printed on every
page. This is especially useful for large multi-page spreadsheets
where you need to have column headings or row descriptors printed on
your output. The Printer Borders command operates similar to Sheet
Borders.
The print range need not be adjacent to the borders you've selected.
This allows you to print part of a ledger complete with row and column
headings.
When Printer Borders is used, you must be careful when specifying the
ranges. The rows and columns specified as your print border SHOULD
NOT be included as part of your print range: you may end up with
duplicate rows or columns in your output.
To clear Printer Borders, select None under the Borders menu.
MARGINS & PAGE LENGTH - PRINTER OPTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AS-EASY-AS default margin settings are 0 for the left margin and 80
for the right margin. Both margins are measured in characters from
the left edge of the page. Using the default settings, you are able
to print a range of up to 80 characters wide. Setting the left margin
to 10 allows you to print a range 70 (80 minus 10), characters wide.
If your spreadsheet will not fit across a page, AS-EASY-AS prints the
left part (on a page) then prints the next section on a new page, and
so on until the entire spreadsheet is printed. You can combine these
printed pages to create one wide spreadsheet.
If you are using wide paper, or other than 10-pitch print, and you are
printing more than 80 characters wide, you will need to change the
right margin.
If you've selected condensed print and your output continues to print
additional pages while leaving a large right margin, chances are your
right margin needs to be increased to accommodate the width of your
print range.
The print margins that can be set in AS-EASY-AS are described below:
Page Length (0-1024) determines the number of lines printed on each
page. The default, 66, is the correct setting for a printer that
prints six lines per inch (the standard setting) on 11-inch paper.
If your printer is set to a different lines-per-inch value, or if
your paper is a different length, change this setting accordingly.
To calculate the page length, multiply the lines-per-inch value by
the number of inches on a page. This setting is unaffected by
headers, footers, or top or bottom margins.
Left (0-240) determines the amount of space to leave between the left
edge of the paper and the first column of data. The default, 0,
leaves no left margin. Depending on the width of your
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spreadsheet, you may want to lengthen this margin.
Top (0-30) determines the number of blank lines to leave at the top of
each page. The default, 2, leaves a margin of approximately one-
half inch. If you include a header in your printout, it is printed
underneath this margin with one blank line between it and the
spreadsheet data.
Right (0-240) determines the amount of space to leave for a right
margin. spreadsheet data. This value is the number of spaces
between the left edge of the paper and the beginning of the right
margin - like the margin settings on a typewriter. The default,
80, begins the right margin at the 80th character space, leaving
no right margin.
Bottom (0-32) determines the number of blank lines to leave at the
bottom of each page. The default, 2, leaves approximately one-
half inch. If you include a footer in your printout, it is
printed above this margin with one blank line between it and the
spreadsheet data.
In setting the correct page length for your printer, please note the
following pointers:
The default page length is set to 66 lines. Most dot matrix
printers default to 6 lines per inch, so no changes are required
if you are printing on 11 inch long paper. If you wish to change
the lines per inch spacing to 8, you must also change the lines
per page to 88 (8 lpi X 11 inches) for headers, footers, and page
breaks to work properly.
Most laserjet printers default to a value of 60 lines per inch.
If this is the case, you must adjust the page lines accordingly.
If you have set your top and bottom margins equal to 0 and your
page length equal to 66 lines, you are able to print a range of 60
rows on a page before the program will skip to a new page. One
line at the top and bottom of the page is reserved for the perf-
skip feature. Two lines each are reserved for headers and
footers; one for the line of text and the second line serves as a
spacer between the header or footer and the body of the text.
To figure out the correct number of lines that will be printed by AS-
EASY-AS on a single page, do the following:
Get the lines per page setting of your printer (for the current
pitch and line spacing). Note that this setting should match the
page length setting specified in AS-EASY-AS.
Subtract the AS-EASY-AS settings for top and bottom margin
Subtract 4 lines (header, footer and lines between the header, the
footer and the text body).
Subtract 2 lines (top and bottom skip perforation).
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In other words, the number of text lines that will be printed on a
single page is given by:
Page Length - Top Margin - Bottom Margin - 6.
INSERTING PAGE BREAKS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AS-EASY-AS automatically inserts page breaks where needed (as
specified by the Pagelength command setting). You may also specify
"hard page breaks", i.e., force a page break, manually, using one of
two methods.
By typing a hard page break into the first cell of a blank row.
The hard page break is the vertical piping character, followed by
two colons (|::). If there is any other data in that row it will
be ignored.
By using the /Sheet Insert Page command while in the left most
cell of the print range. This command sequence automatically
inserts a blank row and the "|::" character sequence for you.
NOTE: The hard page break character sequence must be placed in the
left-most column of the print range in order to be recognized by
AS-EASY-AS.
PRINTER OPTIONS - HEADERS & FOOTERS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Centering headers and footers can be performed by separating pieces of
text with the "|" character. i.e., if you have the following in your
header line:
PAGE|TITLE|DATE
This will be translated into:
PAGE TITLE DATE
The first word, "PAGE", is left justified since it is not preceded by
a "|" character.
The second word, "TITLE", is centered since it is preceded by the
first "|" character.
The third word, "DATE", is right justified since it is preceded by the
second "|" character.
- Sequential page numbering can be achieved by placing the "#"
character in the header/footer line.
- Placement of the current date on the top/bottom of a printed page
can be achieved by placing the "@" character in the header/footer
line.
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PRINTER OPTIONS - EMBEDDED CODES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can place text enhancement printer control codes directly into a
print range. This can be achieved by placing:
|\xxx\yyy
in the first column of the print range, where xxx and yyy are your
printer's control codes.
For example, if your print range was A1 to H20, by putting the
following in the FIRST column (A1) of the print range,
|\027\069 (This is the setup string for emphasized print on an EPSON
printer. Note that the prefix character [|] will not be
displayed).
the result is emphasized text on an Epson printer.
NOTE: Any remaining data on line containing the printer control
codes will not be printed. An entire line may be hidden
during printing if a single "|" is placed in the first column.
If you try to enter text-enhancing control codes inside a label,
you'll find that when you enter Alt 027, you exit the edit mode.
That's because control characters (ASCII less than 32), are translated
by the program into special editing keys such as Arrow keys, [ESC]
key, etc.
To enter control characters, you need to use the Edit Bypass Function
key, [F3]. The sequence is: F3 Alt nnn. F3 is only active for one
control character and must be pressed every time additional control
characters are to be embedded.
For example, if you want to print "This is a CONTROL code sample" on
an EPSON printer with only the word "CONTROL" in condensed mode, the
following keystrokes should be used:
This is a F3 [Alt] 015 CONTROL F3 [Alt] 018 code sample.
The 015 code turns the condensed print mode on and the 018 code turns
the condensed print mode off.
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PRINTER OPTIONS - TYPE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The output can be printed (to printer or file) in one of the following
formats.
AS SEEN Prints the output in row and column format (as
displayed on screen) with headers, footers, and page
breaks.
CONTENTS Prints a columnar listing of all non-blank cells and their
contents. Useful for printing cell formulas and
documentation of calculation templates.
NOFORM Prints the output without header and footer information
and suppresses page breaks.
CONTROLLING THE PRINTER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Most printers can be controlled by sending a sequence of ASCii control
codes to your printer. (For details and control codes, refer to your
printer's user's manual).
Commonly used codes for the EPSON series of printers are:
\027\069 Turn on Emphasized text (or \027E)
\027\070 Turn off Emphasized text (or \027F)
\015 Turn on Condensed text
\018 Turn off Condensed text
The three digit number 027 stands for the [escape] code and the three
digit number 069 stands for the capital letter 'E'.
Printer codes may be entered by selecting PrintTo Printer Options
Setup. The spreadsheet accepts codes only if they are separated by the
back-slash character [\] . To select the emphasized text mode, type
the following in response to the prompt for the setup string (remember
to use 3 digits):
\027\069 [enter]
To change the string, re-select the SETUP option.
ASEASY.PRT
~~~~~~~~~~
To make life easier so you don't have to manually enter printer setup
codes or look up an infrequently used setup code, simply type the [\]
character when entering a printer setup code and press F1.
A listing of predefined setup codes from ASEASY.PRT will pop-up in a
pick window on your screen. By highlighting the desired function, the
appropriate printer code will be entered into the setup string.
Any control codes supported by your printer can be incorporated in the
file ASEASY.PRT, an ASCII text file, which has the following
structure:
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- Each control code consists of two lines.
- The first line contains a description of the print enhancement
(eg. Emphasized, Underline, ....). Description names should not
be separated by spaces, e.g. 'Dbl_Strike' NOT 'Dbl Strike'.
Note that this description name must not exceed 11 characters.
- The second line contains the decimal setup code for the described
print enhancement.
e.g. 027\015 - condensed for EPSON printers
NOTE: There is no leading backslash in the setup codes in the
ASEASY.PRT file (i.e. 027\015, NOT \027\015)
You can create or edit ASEASY.PRT with any word processor/text editor
that generates ASCII files.
Let's say you want to incorporate the following codes supported by
your EPSON compatible printer in an ASEASY.PRT file:
Decimal Control Codes Print ASEASY.PRT
From Printer User's Manual Enhancement Code
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
27, 77 Elite Pitch 027\077
27, 72 Double Strike 027\072
27, 69 Emphasized 027\069
The ASEASY.PRT file generated for the codes should look something like
the one presented below:
Elite <----- First line of the file
027\077 . (Up to 240 characters long)
Dbl_strike .
027\072 .
Emphasized .
027\069 <----- Last line of the file
PRINT TO A FILE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To create an ASCII file (which contains the print range) for transfer
to other programs (like databases or word processors) use the
following procedure.
Type: /pfTEST [ENTER]
Which stands for /PrintTo File. At this point the program asks for
the name of the print file. Type the name of the print file (in this
case TEST) and press ENTER. If no extension is specified, an
extension of ".PRN" will automatically be attached to the file name.
If you have already sent output to the print file during the current
AS-EASY-AS session, the name of the print file will appear at the
prompt line. You can select it by just pressing ENTER.
If you wish to append an existing ASCII print file, select /PrintTo
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Append. This command will print the selected range to the end of the
specified print file.
PRINTING COMBINED TEXT AND GRAPHICS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AS-EASY-AS has the ability to print combined spreadsheet data and
graphs on dot matrix and laserjet printers. To print a graph from
spreadsheet data, you must have first created the graph and formatted
a range to display the graph (see Section 5.4, Combining Text and
Graphics).
To print the combined data graph, first select /PrintTo Graphics.
Select Range and highlight the area you would like to print. Make
sure the entire graph is contained within the print range.
USING PRINT VIEW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is possible to preview the layout and organization of data, page
breaks and margin settings in the spreadsheet through the use of the
view command. AS-EASY-AS will display either a full page of text (by
pressing [F2]) or a 200% zoom of a half page (by pressing [F1]).
To advance through the print range use the [PGUP] or [PGDN] keys. Any
graphs inserted will be displayed in their correct position on the
page.
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5 GRAPHICS COMMANDS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AS-EASY-AS provides you with the capability to create high-quality
graphs from your spreadsheet data. Hardcopy output can be generated
on 9- or 24-pin dot matrix printers, laserjet or Postscript printers.
A .PIC or PCX file can be created for use with your word processing
or graphics programs.
Fourteen types of graphics can be created:
X-Y Bar Delta Area
Line Stacked Bar Cumulative HLoc
Polar Strip Wall Pie
Radar Contour
Many options are available to customize graphs for business graphics
as well as for engineering and scientific analyses, etc. Titles and
legends can be added with user-specified type size. The user can also
specify fill patterns, colors, line styles, and tick mark styles.
Graphs can be scaled on both the X (horizontal) axis and the Y
(vertical) axis so that the entire graphed range (or a portion of the
range) may be displayed. A logarithmic adjustment to either or both
of the X and Y scales may be performed to produce semi-log or log-log
graphs.
All data points are specified by ranges in the spreadsheet. Up to six
curves may be displayed on a single graph, with an additional six if
two graphs are merged.
The user should keep in mind that the Contour graph-type is
drastically different than the other graph types. This unique
graph uses a different type of data range definition. When
requested for the X-Range, you need to specify a block of data
(i.e., more than one row or column). Each row of data is
displayed as a contour of relative data, using a different color
and/or fill pattern. The Z-Scale Step parameter may be used to
set the number and range of contour lines.
To create a sample pattern, enter the data below in your
worksheet (one value in each adjacent cell), highlight the whole
block as the X-range, select CoNt type graph and then VIEW.
100 100 100 100 100
100 93 87 93 100
100 87 60 87 100
100 93 87 93 100
100 100 100 100 100
The data presented above represents the temperature profile of a
metal plate. When the data is plotted, each color contour
represents a given temperature range. It is very clear, for example,
that there is a low 60 degree temperature core, surrounded by an
isothermal area of 87 degrees, which is surrounded by an isothermal
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area of 93 degrees, which is surrounded by the outer isothermal area
of 100 degrees.
To demonstrate the effect of the Z-Scale Step parameter,
set the Z-Scale Step value 10 and view the graph again.
The following section provides details on the graphics commands to
allow you to create customized graphs.
GRAPH RANGES
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Specify the X range and up to six Y ranges (A through F) for the
graph. Ranges can be specified either by the pointing or typing
method, or by using a predefined range name.
A basic difference between X-Y type graphs and other types of graphs
should be remembered. Line graphs and bar graphs represent a set of
values as vertical distances. The only numeric scale in this type of
graph is the one along the vertical axis. The horizontal axis
displays all items in the X range in a non-numeric, equally spaced
sequence of text, (e.g. dates, names of cities, etc.).
The X-Y type graphs are two-dimensional. They represent pairs of
values as a function of their horizontal and vertical coordinates.
Note that there should be a one-to-one correspondence between the
elements of the X-range and Y-range(s).
LABELS
~~~~~~
Define a range of labels that are to be used to mark each of the data
points on the specified graph range. A one-to-one correspondence is
needed between the range being plotted and the labels for that range.
The data labels may be placed Above, Below, to the Left or to the Right
of the data points.
CUSTOM OPTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Customize the colors of the graph series, and the inner and outer
portions of the graph in one of 16 colors. The following colors are
available (on monitor/card combinations that support them): Black,
MidBlue, Green, Cyan, Red, Magenta, Brown, Gray, Smoke, Blue,
HiGreen, LightBlue, Scarlet, Violet, Yellow, and White. Each data
range may be assigned a color. In addition, the following colors may
be specified:
INNER: Color of the graph screen.
OUTER: Outer color of the graph screen.
TITLE: Title color of the graph screen.
VALUE: X- and Y-Axis scale labels.
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LEGEND
~~~~~~
Set the graph legend and its location. An input window is used to
display the legend options. The Legend option allows the user to
enter text which describe the ranges of A through F. Legends may be
placed below the graph (Line) or to the right of the graph (Box).
TITLES
~~~~~~
Specify the title strings on graph. The Main title, Second title and
X and Y axes titles may be entered. Preceding the main title with the
"#" character will create a framed title box.
GRID
~~~~
Select a horizontal and/or vertical grid at each scale division on
your graph with a solid or dotted line. Other options include
specifying a dotted or a solid grid line, and whether or not to use
grid lines for the minor axis divisions.
FONT TYPE
~~~~~~~~~
AS-EASY-AS 5.7 gives you the ability to use either a bitmapped, or a
stroked font in the graphs created by the program. Which one to use
will probably depend on your output devise. Note, however, that
stroked fonts generally have better definition at smaller sizes.
FONT SIZE
~~~~~~~~~
Relative size of the font used in graph titles, legends, values, and
labels. The available sixes range from 4 to 36. These are
internal point sizes. Once you select the entity to change, you
are presented with a pick window contain all available sizes.
Simply move the pointer to the desired point and press [ENTER].
Alternatively, press [ESC} once and then type in one of the
allowable sizes and press [ENTER].
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The text sizes which may be changed, along with their default values,
are listed below:
MAIN 18 LEGEND 9
SECOND 14 VALUES 9
X-AXIS 14 LABELS 9
Y-AXIS 14
CLEAR
~~~~~
Reset all the options for the entire graph or for a selected range
back to the default settings.
NAME
~~~~
This option allows you to define multiple graphs and associated
settings and titles in a single worksheet. One named graph may be
superimposed on the main graph, or they may be displayed as two
separate graphs, one above the other. You may also insert a graph
into the worksheet.
INSERT
Place either the MAIN or a named graph into the spreadsheet. The
range enclosing the inserted graph appears in a highlighted color.
The upper left cell of the range contains the graph name and the
size of the display in columns and rows. For example, "MAIN:2,7"
will display the main (or current) graph in a range 2 columns wide
and 7 rows deep. The cell may be edited to change the name and size
of the graph if desired.
If you are currently in one of the graphics video modes, the
inserted graph will be visible immediately, in the highlighted
block.
If you are not in a graphics video mode, The inserted graph
will only be visible when it can fit entirely on the screen
when previewing a print range with (PrintTo, Printer, View) and
the page contains a graph.
To print combined worksheet text and graphics see Section 5.4,
Combining Text and Graphics.
If any of the data ranges are altered, the inserted graph will
reflect the changes next time the screen is updated (e.g., when
PgUp, or PgDn is pressed), or when manually recalculate the
spreadsheet by pressing the [F9] calc function key.
USE
Select one of the previously named graphs and make it the current
graph. All current settings are replaced with the named graph's
settings.
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CREATE
Create a named graph which saves the current graph settings.
DELETE
Delete one of the previously named graph settings.
MERGE
Merge two graphs (a NAMED graph and the currently defined graph).
The NAMED graph will be superimposed on top of the MAIN graph and
it will be scaled on the right side of the graph. It can have its
own set of scaling factors, limits, formats, etc.
To disable the merge feature select /Graphics, Name, Reset
SPLIT
Shows two graphs on the same screen [Viewing ONLY!]. The top
graph is the graph currently defined (MAIN). The second, named
graph, occupies the bottom half (similar to the Graphics, Name,
Merge Option). Each graph will have its own set of scaling
factors, limits, formats, etc.
NOTE: To disable the split feature select: /Graphics,
Name, Reset
RESET
Reset the merge or split option so that only the main graph will be
displayed.
VIEW
~~~~
View the graph currently defined. The resolution depends on your
graphics board:
CGA 640 x 200 pixels, 2 colors
Hercules 720 x 348 pixels, 2 colors
EGA 640 x 350 pixels, 16 colors
AT&T 640 x 400 pixels, 2 colors
VGA 640 x 480 pixels, 16 colors
SVGA 800 x 600 pixels, 16 colors
NOTE: Graphs cannot be viewed on a system having a non-Hercules
monochrome display adapter. If a message is received
indicating a graph cannot be displayed because of an invalid
monitor type, and you have one of the above graphics
boards, AS-EASY-AS may not have auto detected the
graphics card properly.
Save your worksheet and restart the program with the
appropriate command line switch found in Section 2.3,
Starting the Program.
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[PLOT] IMAGE
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Specify the height and width for the graph. Dimensions are in inches.
HIGH
Specify the vertical dimension of the graph to be generated on the
printer.
WIDE
Specify the horizontal dimension width of the graph to be generated
on the printer.
NOTES: 1. To adjust the left margin, which is the
distance between the left side of the paper and
the Y-scale title, use /PrintTo Printer Options
Margin Left.
2. To create a top margin, you must use
/PrintTo Printer and select LineFeed several times
until the desired top margin has been created.
PORTRAIT
Print graph oriented at zero degrees.
LANDSCAPE
Rotate output of the graph 90 degrees.
DRAFT
Specify single pass or low density mode for the printer. Selecting
this option is recommended for plotting draft graphs because the
printing speed is about twice as fast as NLQ.
NLQ
Specify a high resolution print option. This option will produce a
dark, high quality graph.
COMBINING TEXT AND GRAPHICS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AS-EASY-AS can include graphs within your spreadsheet for printing
combined data and graphics. Create a graph as discussed previously.
Select /Graphics Name Insert, and highlight the area in which the
graph is to be placed (see Graphics Name Insert in this Section for
more information).
The formatted range appears in a highlighted color. The upper left
cell of the range contains the graph name and the size of the display
in columns and rows. The cell may be edited to change the size of the
graph if desired.
The graph will appear when previewing (PrintTo, Printer, View) the
page containing the graph. To print text and graphics together, see
Section 4, Printing Text and Graphics.
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SAVING A GRAPH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When a spreadsheet is saved, the current graph settings and named
graph settings are saved with it. When the file is retrieved, those
graph settings are retrieved as well. The user can then view the
current graph by either pressing the [F10] function key from the ready
mode, or by selecting the /Graphics, View command.
Sometimes more than one graph might need to be created from the data
in a worksheet. That's no problem. Instead of having to re-specify
the settings every time you want to look at a previous graph, you can
use the /Graphics, Name, Create and Use commands.
When the /Graphics, Name, Create command is invoked, the program saves
the current graph settings under the user specified name. To select
and view a named graph, select the /Graphics, Name, Use command and
select or type the desired graph name. The selected graph becomes the
current or MAIN graph.
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6. DATA COMMANDS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In addition to the typical spreadsheet format, AS-EASY-AS includes
powerful DATA commands which enhance your ability to create
sophisticated data management applications, what-if tables, etc.
DATA FILL
~~~~~~~~~
The Data-Fill command allows you to fill a range with an arithmetic
sequence of equally spaced values.
For example, assume that you want to fill a range of cells with real
values that range from 3 to 43 in increments of two.
Move the cursor to the beginning of the range. Invoke the Data-Fill
command (/df), enter range to fill, the starting value (in this case
3), and the increment value (2).
DATA TABLE
~~~~~~~~~~
DATA TABLE - 1 INPUT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Data Table-1 Input command permits you to do 'what-if' analysis by
generating a table based on substituted values in an input cell.
This command takes the input value from the first column, places the
value in the model, calculates a result, extracts that value and
places it in the table to the right of the input value. The process
is continued until the bottom of the table range is reached.
For example, suppose that you want to borrow $1 million to start a new
business. Since you could borrow money from a number of different
institutions with different interest rates, you want to compare your
monthly payments for different interest rates. The payback period is
10 years.
To generate the comparison table, follow these steps:
Enter the amount you want to borrow in cell B1
Enter the starting interest rate in cell B2
Enter the term of the loan (years) in cell B3
Generate the following labels (using the /Range, Name, Create
command) to help you identify the various inputs:
Cell B1 - PRINCIPAL
Cell B2 - INTEREST
Cell B3 - TERM
Enter the payment equation in cell B4:
@PMT(PRINCIPAL,INTEREST/12,TERM*12)
NOTE: INTEREST/12 and TERM*12 are used to obtain payments
on a monthly basis.
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Generate a column of interest rates in this example ranging from 9% to
10.1% in cells A8 to A19.
Tell the program which value to extract and place in the table by
entering a reference to the payment formula (cell B4) in cell B7
(+B4).
Now you are ready to generate the desired table using the following
commands:
/dt1 - Data, Table, 1-input
A7..B19
[ENTER] - The table range (it includes the input values that you
want to vary and the locations that you want the
calculated result to be placed in).
B2 - The input cell. This will be the value that will change
after each calculation, and it is the value that we want
to extract.
NOTE: Multiple extractions are allowed providing each output
column has a cell reference at the top.
DATA TABLE - 2 INPUTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now, let's say that you want to generate a comparison table varying
both the interest and the term of the loan.
Leave the column containing the interest rates (A8..A19) unchanged.
Place the different terms (number of years) that you desire in row 7
(one entry in each column). Place 10 in cell B7, 20 in cell C7 and 30
in cell D7. Enter the formula +B4 in cell A7 (this tells the program
what cell you want to extract values from). Now enter the following
keystrokes:
/dt2 - Data, Table, 2-inputs
A7..D19 [ENTER] - Table range
B2 [ENTER] - First input (Interest rate will vary)
B3 [ENTER] - Second input (Term will vary)
DATA SORT
~~~~~~~~~
The Data Sort command is used to rearrange the information in a
worksheet in alphabetical or numerical order. The sorting process
operates on rows. Let's look at the following example.
Assume that the range B4 to D15 contains some student information as
follows:
column B - last name
column C - first name
column D - grade
It would be nice to sort this information by the students' last name
or by grade.
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The following steps will sort the information by the students' last
names (only). Four sorting criteria can be specified (i.e. four
different columns). This would be very useful in cases where, for
example, two students had the same last name or two students had
the same grade, i.e. a tie-breaker.
1. /ds - Invoke the Data, Sort menu
2. d - Invoke the D-Range command to specify the
range to be sorted
3. B4..D15 [ENTER] - Specify the range to be sorted
4. p - Invoke command to select the Primary sort key
(column)
5. B4 [ENTER] - Select Primary sort key. Any cell in column B
would select Last Name as the primary sort key.
6. a [ENTER] - Accept the default, ascending order. Typing d
[ENTER] would select descending order.
7. s - Invoke command to select the Secondary sort
key (column)
8. D4 [ENTER] - Select Secondary sort key. Any cell in column D
would select Grade as the secondary sort key.
9. a [ENTER] - Accept the default, ascending order. Typing d
[ENTER] would select descending order.
10. g - Select Go to perform the sort.
To sort on any other field (column), simply type in a new primary/
secondary column.
DATA BIN
~~~~~~~~
The Data Bin command creates a frequency distribution table displaying
the count of values in a range that falls within given ranges, bins,
as well as the frequency of values within that range. The bins are a
block of values, in ascending order, placed anywhere in the worksheet.
The requirements for setting up the bins are:
1. The bin values are contained in a contiguous range/block, and
2. There are two blank columns directly to the right of the bin
range. (This is the area that will be filled by the /db
command).
Once this command is invoked, the user is prompted to supply the
"Analysis" range and the "Bin" range.
ANALYSIS range, as the name indicates, is the range containing the
values that the user needs to perform the frequency distribution on.
BIN range is the column containing the bin (group) values, with two
blank columns to the right.
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DATA GOALSEEK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Data Goalseek command allows you to search for the input that
would result in a desired output from a model. Specify the INPUT
cell, the OUTPUT cell and the DESIRED goal and AS-EASY-AS modifies the
input cell by using a NEWTON-RAPHSON convergence technique until the
specified output is reached. If the desired result has not been
reached by 25 iterations, the process stops, and the value plus @ERR
is placed in the input cell. If this happens try choosing an input
closer to the desired input.
When prompted for the desired goal, AS-EASY-AS requires you specify
the tolerance limit. You should be aware that the more restrictive
(smaller) the tolerance is, the longer it will take the program to
converge to the correct answer.
For example try the following situation:
You want to borrow $100,000 for 30 years, and you don't want your
monthly payments to exceed $1,028.61. You want to determine the loan
interest rate which would meet the above restrictions.
The steps required to solve this problem are presented below:
a. Enter the Loan amount in cell A1 --> 100000
b. Enter a reference interest rate in cell A2 (i.e. if you start with
an annual interest of 18%, enter 0.18)
c. Enter the term of the loan (30 * 12 = 360 months) in cell A3.
d. Enter the Payment equation in cell A4 - @PMT(A1,A2/12,A3)
e. Invoke the DATA, GOALSEEK command
f. Specify cell A2 as the INPUT cell
g. Specify cell A4 as the OUTPUT cell
h. Specify 1028.61 as the DESIRE
i. Specify a tolerance of 0.001
Cell A4 will display the amount you specified as the desired monthly
payment (if solution convergence occurred), and cell A2 will display
the interest rate required for the load to meet your restrictions,
0.12 (or 12%).
DATA REGRESSION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Both Single Variable and Multi-Variate Regression are available in AS-
EASY-AS. The Data Regress command allows you to determine the
coefficients which correspond to a least squares fit of a line to a
set of X and Y data.
First, for Single Variable regression, assume that you have a range of
data as follows:
A4..A9 - X-Values
B4..B9 - Y-Values
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Now follow the sequence of keystrokes presented below:
/drxA4..A9~yB4..B9~oD4~
This will invoke the Data Regress command. The program will prompt
for the X (or independent) range, (A4..A9), the Y (or dependent)
range, (B4..B9), and the location that you want the output to be
placed, (D4).
The Y-Intercept and slope of a straight line going through the data
points will then be entered in cells E4 and E5. Additionally, values
for R squared, the sum of the X squared values, the sum of the Y
squared values, and the sum of the X*Y values, X and Y standard
deviations, Slope error, and count sample are also entered.
Note that the above sequence of commands assume a linear regression
model, i.e., the calculated coefficients assume that the function is
of the form:
Y = a + b*X
where (a) is the intercept and (b) is the slope. AS-EASY-AS,
however, provides you with the tools to perform much more
sophisticated regression analyses by controlling the assumed
function. Under the /Data, Regression, Coefficients menu, you may
select the type of function to use for the regression.
For example, if you select the second (square), third (cubic) and
fourth degree coefficients, the assumed function will be of the
form:
Y = a*X^2 + b*X^3 + c*X^4
where a,b,c are the calculated coefficients. Details about the
Least Squares Fit topic are beyond the scope of the user's manual.
You should be familiar with the Least Squares Fit and
regression concepts before using these capabilities.
Multivariate Regression allows you to fit a function of up to 3
variables (X1, X2, and X3), to a set of data. The generated function
is of the form:
F(X1,X2,X3) = a + b*X1 + c*X1^2 + d*X1^3 + ...
+ f*X2 + g*X2^2 + h*X2^3 + ...
+ r*X3 + t*X3^2 + v*X3^3 + ...
Where a, c, d, d.... are coefficients to the functions selected by
the user. Since there are eight different functions available, and
each of the independent variables can be assigned coefficients for ALL
functions, the multivariate analysis can result in some very complex
functions being generated. The complexity of the function and the
evaluation of the results is completely up to the user.
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DATA INPUT RANGE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This powerful command is mainly for those who develop applications to
be used by other individuals. Once this option is invoked and a range
is highlighted, cursor movement is restricted to the cells that were
intentionally unprotected by the user using the /Range, Lock, No
command.
Example:
/rlnC2..C4 [ENTER] [Unlock Cells C2, C3, and C4]
/sgpe [Turn On Protection]
/dirA1..D8 [ENTER] [Input Restricted Cells]
would turn the global protection on and would only allow the user to
move the cursor to cells C2, C3, and C4 (those specifically
unprotected by the user).
DATA INPUT FORM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This powerful command allows a user to define a form that can be used for
entering records, editing records, etc. To create an input form:
1. Define a number of cells (in the same row) that contain the field
headings for your database.
2. Format the field headings for the type of data each cell will
contain/display.
3. Select Data Input Form, and highlight the range of field headings.
AS-EASY-AS automatically takes the format of each field name cell and
assigns it to new data input into that particular field. It then
creates an input/edit form, and locates the data base pointer at the
first record of the database. The user now has the option to enter a
new record, edit the current record, move to the record ahead or
before the current one, etc.
NOTES:
1. All field names are left justified. If the field names are to be
right justified, they have to be padded with spaces.
2. A maximum of 50 input fields are supported.
3. The width of the column is used to set the data input field
size.
Example:
Cells A2 through D2 contain the desired field names of an address
database (First, last, Address, etc.)
The keystrokes /difA2..D2[ENTER] will produce an AS-EASY-AS database
input form screen .
To prepare the database to display the input data properly, the field
names must first be formatted. Since Name and Address will contain
text, format these field names as "Label" (/Range Format Label). This
ensures that when a street number is entered, followed by the street
name, the contents will be a label, rather than a value.
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Phone could also be formatted as "Label" in which case the user would
need to provide the parenthesis and hyphen each time a phone number is
entered.
Format last call as date (/rfd) and select one of the date options.
When entering the date, simply type "8/29/91". AS-EASY-AS will
convert the string to its date equivalent.
If cell D2 had not been formatted with a date format, and the number
was entered as 08/29/91 (no apostrophe), cell D3 would display
0.0030315, i.e., the indicated division would have been performed; an
action which was not intended.
Note the description of the keys available in this mode displayed on
the top line of the screen:
PgUp - Go to the previous record
PgDn - Go to the next record
Ctrl-PgUp - Go to the beginning of the database (record #1)
Ctrl-PgDn - Go to the end of the database
The user can freely move up and down the fields using the arrow cursor
keys.
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7. DATABASE OPERATIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A database is information stored in a range of one or more rows and
columns. The information that can be stored in a database is almost
anything that one normally keeps track of.
Let's see how you might use database commands to keep track of a list
of your customers, their addresses and telephone numbers (a function
that is normally performed by a stack of index cards or a Rolodex).
A spreadsheet, for example, holds a small database of customers.
The database of customers is stored in the range A1..G7. For each
customer, you intend to keep track of the first and last name, street
address, city, state and telephone number. Each row (all the
information for one customer) is called a record of the database.
Each column has a heading identifying the information stored in the
cells beneath it. Each heading is called a "field" of the record.
Once the information is stored in this database format, you can look
at it many different ways and gain valuable information from it using
the AS-EASY-AS database commands.
There are three ranges in the Data Question Menu which must be defined.
The INPUT range, the CRITERION range and the OUTPUT range.
The operations that can be performed, based on the above ranges, are:
FINDREC - Highlight records that match the criterion range.
EXTRACT - Copy records that meet the criterion range into the
output range.
INPUT RANGE
~~~~~~~~~~~
The input range is the entire area where the database information is
stored. When the input range is specified, you must include the
headings as the top row of the range.
CRITERION RANGE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The criterion range contains the criteria that will be used to perform
the FIND or EXTRACT operations on the Input range of the database.
The minimum number of rows that can be used to define the criterion
range is two.
The top row ALWAYS contains the field headings exactly as they appear
in the database. It is good practice to copy these headings from the
database itself to assure that they are exactly the same. Subsequent
rows contain the actual criteria. Criteria fall into two categories,
character comparisons and numeric comparisons.
Character comparisons can be performed by looking for an exact match
or by using wildcard characters.
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? Substitutes for any single character in the comparison string.
* Will match all characters to the right of the asterisk position.
... Ellipsis (3 dots) preceding a string will search each record for the
occurrence of that string anywhere within the string.
Numeric comparisons can be performed by using all of the logical
operators defined in the Logical Operators section.
Criteria placed in adjacent columns are treated as logical ANDs, while
criteria placed in adjacent rows are treated as logical ORs.
AS-EASY-AS provides you with the option to facilitate the inputting of
criteria. The command / Data Input Criteria operates similar to /
Data Input Form described earlier. After the criteria range is
selected, a criteria input form will appear in the middle of the
screen. The user can then enter the criteria for each field heading.
If multiple matches for the same heading are desired, AS-EASY-AS will
generate a second form once the first form has been completed.
OUTPUT RANGE
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The EXTRACT command causes records that match the criteria to be
placed in the output range. The output range should contain the
headings of the fields from which information is to be extracted.
RESET
~~~~~
The RESET command resets the data input, output and criteria ranges.
DATA, PARSE
~~~~~~~~~~~
Parsing is used to convert a string into equivalent strings or values in
adjacent columns in the same row. Parsing is used, for example, to
convert a file which was imported as text, to its equivalent text and
values. In addition to the space character, the following characters
are used as delimiters in parsing (parsing characters enclosed in square
brackets).
[ ] [;] [,]
The [+] and [-] characters are interpreted as a combination of a
delimiter and an operand, and the [E] character following a valid number
is interpreted as an exponential. Multiple space characters are treated
as a single delimiter.
Examples:
AB,56,50,-55 parses to AB 56 50 -55
BB;100,5;19 parses to BB 100 5 19
Ab 21 62 20 parses to Ab 21 62 20
1E-2+2-3,Test parses to 0.01 2 -3 Test
A 'B ^C -5 parses to A B C -5
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8. MATRIX OPERATIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Matrix is a notation that is commonly used in the field of mathematics
to describe a table of numbers. When dealing with matrices you should
be familiar with basic terminology and rules for matrix manipulation.
A matrix is an array of values with a number of rows (i) and a number
of columns (j). Mathematically, a matrix is denoted by an uppercase
letter enclosed in brackets.
[A] - Matrix A
The elements of the matrix are denoted by the equivalent lowercase
letter and two subscripts referring to the position of the element
(row, column).
a1,2 - the element of matrix [A] located in the first row and the
second column
The transposition of a matrix [A] with size i,j (i-rows, j-columns) is
a new matrix [A]T with size j,i (j-rows, i-columns). After the
transposition, the first row of [A] becomes the first column of [A]T,
the second row of [A] becomes the second column of [A]T, etc.
Example:
ORIGINAL MATRIX TRANSPOSED MATRIX
1 6 8 1 5 9
5 7 3 6 7 1
9 1 4 8 3 4
In operations involving two matrices, [A] (i,j) and [B] (k,n), the
following rules must be observed:
1. The matrices can be added or subtracted only if: i=k and j=n
2. The matrices can be multiplied only if: i=n and j=k
The inverse of a matrix [A] is a second matrix [A]-1, such that:
[A] x [A]-1 = Identity matrix
The identity matrix is a special matrix whose elements are:
ai,j = 1.0 for any i=j
ai,j = 0.0 for any i<>j
That is, 1s appear along the diagonal of the matrix and all other
values are zero.
A matrix can be inverted only if the number of columns and rows are
equal. This is called a square matrix.
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AS-EASY-AS supports the following basic matrix operations:
Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Inversion, Transposition,
Equation Solve, Determinant and Linear.
In addition to those, the program has a built-in option for solving a
set of simultaneous equations with an equal number of unknowns. Note
that prior to solving such a set of equations, the constants vector
should be placed in the column immediately to the right of the
coefficients matrix.
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9. FUNCTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A function is denoted by an @ (at) character preceding a function
keyword. The following functions act upon the argument (represented by
'x') contained within the parentheses. The argument may be a value or
formula which refers to other cells within the spreadsheet.
STRING FUNCTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+Cell (Where Cell contains a String)
The addition sign has the same effect as when used with values. The
above entry indicates that the current cell will always have the
same contents as Cell, whether Cell contains a string or a value.
& - Concatenation
Example: +"Abc"&"D2N" will produce AbcD2N
@@(Cell)
The @@ function is used to indirectly address the location
described by the string in Cell (another spreadsheet cell).
Example:
Cell A1 contains the string "Sample"
Cell A5 contains the string "A1"
@@(A5) = Sample
@CELL("Type",Cell)
Operates the same as @CELLPT, but returns information about the
referenced Cell. See @CELLPT for "Type" descriptions.
@CELLPT("Type")
Type = One of the predefined words described below. Type
MUST be enclosed in double quotes (only the first three
characters of the type are required).
Returns information about the current cell (i.e., the cell where
the cursor is currently located). The information returned depends
on the function argument, as described below. The function will
return a value or a string, depending on specific Type.
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Type = "FORm" (String)
Returns the format of the current cell (see Range Format for
format descriptions). The string returned is of the following:
blank = Unformatted cell
Sn = Scientific with n decimals
Fn = Fixed with n decimals
,n = Comma format with n decimals
Cn = Currency format with n decimals
Dn = Date format, type n (see date formats)
%n = Percent with n decimals
+ = +/- format
T = Text format
H = Hidden format
G = General format
en = Engineering format with n decimals
L = Label format
X = Box or line character format
Bn = Background format
M = Mapping format
dn = User defined format
fn = Fraction format (n -s denominator)
Type = "ADDress" (String)
Returns the address of the current cell, in the form of a string
'ColumnRow'.
Type = "CONtents" (String)
Returns the physical contents of the current cell as a string.
Type = "ROW" (Value)
Returns the row address of the current cell.
Type = "COLumn" (Value)
Returns the column address of the current cell as a value,
Type = "WIDth" (Value)
Returns the column width of the current cell.
Type = "TYPe" (Value)
Returns one of the following values depending on the contents of
the current cell:
0 - String Formula
1 - Value Formula
2 - Real/Value
3 - Integer/Value
4 - String/Label
5 - Blank Cell
6 - Virgin Blank cell
8 - String formula error
9 - Value formula error
Type = "PREfix" (Label)
Returns the first character of the current cell's contents (',
", ^, +, -, i, @, P). If the cell contains a value, the left-
most digit will be returned.
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@CHR(Num)
Num = a value, or calculated variable, between 0 and 255
Returns the ASCII character corresponding to Num.
@CLEAN(String)
Removes all high bit ASCII characters (>127) and control code
characters (<32) from String.
@EXACT(String1,String2)
Compares String1 to String2 to see if an exact match exists. If
the strings are equal, the function returns the value 1 (true),
otherwise it returns the value 0 (false).
@FIND(String1,String2,Start)
Returns the position of String1 in String2; Search starts at
position Start of String2 (first character is assigned index of 1).
@LEFT(String,Num)
Returns a substring starting with the first character of String,
Num characters long.
@LENGTH(String)
Returns the number of characters in String. Please note that
spaces are also characters.
@LOWER(String)
Converts all characters in String to lower case.
@MID(String,Start,Num)
Returns a substring from String Num characters long, starting at
position Start (from the left).
@N(Cell)
Similar to @S. This function inspects Cell, and returns the value
contained in it. If the cell is blank, or contains a string, then
the function returns zero.
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@ORD(String)
Returns the decimal ASCII code of first character of String.
@PROPER(String)
Converts the first letter of each word in String to upper case,
such as in a proper name.
@REPEAT(String,Num)
Repeats the String argument Num times.
@RIGHT(String,Num)
Similar to @MID and @LEFT, this function returns a substring, Num
characters long, starting from the right of String.
@S(Cell)
This function inspects Cell, and returns the string contained in
it. If the cell is blank, or contains a numeric value, a null
string is returned.
@STR(Value,Num)
Returns a string made up of Value with Num digits after the decimal.
@TRIM(String)
Trims multiple blank spaces from String and replaces each
occurrence with a single space character.
@UPPER(String)
Converts all characters of String to upper case.
@VAL(String)
Converts String into a numeric value. String may also be a string
function, but you cannot embed value formulas in the String.
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MATH FUNCTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTES:
1. The arguments for all trigonometric functions must be in radians.
2. The arguments for all hyperbolic functions must be in
hyperbolic radians.
3. An out of range argument will result in ERR being
displayed.
@ABS(x)
Returns the absolute value of the argument.
@ACOS(x)
Arc cosine of value, returns radians.
@ACOSH(x)
Arc hyperbolic cosine of value x, returns radians.
@ASIN(x)
Arc sine of value x, returns radians.
@ASINH(x)
Arc hyperbolic sine of value x, returns radians.
@ATAN(x)
Arc tangent of value, returns radians.
@ATANH(x)
Arc hyperbolic tangent of value x, returns radians.
@BESSELI(n,x)
Hyperbolic Bessel Function In for a value x.
Ex. @BESSELI(1,0) = 1.266065
@BESSELJ(n,x)
Basic Bessel Function Jn for a value x.
Ex. @BESSELJ(3.5,0) = -0.38012
@BESSELK(n,x)
Modified K Bessel Function Kn for a value x.
Ex. @BESSELK(2,0) = 0.113893
@BESSELY(n,x)
Bessel Function Yn for a value x. Also known as Weber's function.
Ex. @BESSELY(1,0) = 0.088256
@BETA(w,x)
Calculates the complete Beta function for w,x. Note that
@BETA(w,x) = @BETA(x,w).
Ex. @BETA(1,4) = 0.25
@BETAI(z,w,x)
Calculates the z-th incomplete Beta function for w,x.
Ex. @BETAI(4,1,0.3) = 0.151110791
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@CEIL(x,n)
Rounds value x to n decimals places away from zero. Note that if
n is negative, then the function rounds to the next integer value
based on 10^n.
Ex. @CEIL(12.0123,2) = 12.02
@CEIL(-12.0123,2) = -12.02
@COS(x)
Cosine of angle x in radians.
@COSH(x)
Hyperbolic cosine of angle x in radians
@CSC(x)
Cosecant of angle x in radians.
@CTN(x)
Cotangent of value
@DET(range)
Returns the determinant value of the square (number of rows =
number of columns) matrix contained in range.
@DMS(x)
Returns x in terms of Degrees:Minutes:Seconds.
Ex. @DMS(2.033333) = 2:01:59
@ERF(x)
Calculates the value of the Error Function for x.
Ex. @ERF(0.01) = 0.011283416
@EXP(x)
Exponential of x (raise 'e' to the 'x' power) -88 < x < +88.
@FALSE
Constant which has a value of 0.
@FLOOR(x,n)
Rounds value x to n decimal places towards zero. Note that if n
is negative, then the function rounds to the next smallest
integer value based on 10^n.
Ex. @FLOOR(12.0123,2) = 12.01
@FLOOR(-12.0123,2) = -12.01
@GAMMALN(x)
Returns the natural logarithm of the Gamma function for x.
@GAMMAP(a,x)
Calculates the x-th incomplete Gamma function for x.
Ex. @GAMMAP(1,2.5) = 0.917915
@GAMMAQ(a,x)
Calculates the a-th complementary incomplete Gamma function for
the value x.
Ex. @GAMMAQ(1,2.5) = 0.082084
@INT(x)
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Returns Integer part of x.
@INTG("@x...",X0,X1)
Evaluates the integral of the function defined in terms of @x
within the limits X0 and X1. Uses an accelerated Romberg
integration technique.
Ex. @INTG("@EXP(@x)",-1,1) = 2.3504024
@LOG(x)
Returns the logarithm to base '10' of the argument.
@LOGB(x,n)
Calculates the logarithm of x in base n.
Ex. @LOGB(100,10) = 2
@LN(x)
Returns the natural Logarithm (base 'e') of the argument.
@MOD(x,y)
Modulo division, returns the remainder of x divided by y.
@NA
Constant which has a value of -1.
@PI
Constant which has a value of 3.1415926536
@RAND
Returns a new random number with each recalculation.
@RECUR("@X...",Seed,Diff)
It evaluates the recursive function represented in terms of @X
using Seed as the first guess and recursing until the difference
between two successive recursions is equal to or less than Diff.
Ex. @RECUR("@x-(@x*@x-A6)/(2*@x)",A6/2,0.001)
@ROUND(x,y)
Rounds the value of x to y digits right of the decimal. Negative
numbers round to left of decimal.
@SEC(x)
Secant of angle x in radians.
@SIN(x)
Sine of angle x in radians.
@SINH(x)
Hyperbolic sine of angle x in radians. -88 < x < +88
@SQRT(x)
Returns the square root of argument, (a negative argument will
result in an error).
@TAN(x)
Tangent of angle x in radians
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@TANH(x)
Hyperbolic tangent of angle x in radians
@TRUE
Constant has a value of 1.
@XYTERP(X,Y,Range)
Performs a double interpolation in Range and returns the function
value at X,Y. With the appropriate data in A1..E5,
Ex. @XYTERP(2.5/4,2.5/8,A1..E5) = 1.6330295
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FINANCIAL FUNCTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTES:
1. For financial functions, all interest rates must be expressed
in decimal fractions, or followed by the % operator. For
example, 0.08 = 8%.
2. The interest rate must be in the same units as the payment
period. If a monthly payment is desired, the interest rate
must be expressed as a monthly rate (equal to the annual
rate divided by 12).
@ACI(Principal,Interest Rate,Period,PmtNumber)
Principal = Principal amount
Interest Rate = Periodic interest rate
Period = Number of periods
PmtNumber = Payment number
Returns the accumulated interest on a loan after the
specified payment has been made.
@BAL(Principal,Interest Rate,Period,PmtNumber)
Principal = Principal amount
Interest Rate = Periodic interest rate
Period = Number of periods
PmtNumber = Payment number
Returns the unpaid balance on a loan after the specified
payment has been made.
@CTERM(Int,FVal,PVal)
FVal = Future Value
Pval = Present Value
Int = Interest Rate per compounding period
Returns the number of compounding periods required for a present
value (PVal), invested at an interest rate (Int) per compounding
period to reach a future value (FVal).
@DDB(Cost,Salvage,Life,Period)
Cost = Cost of a purchase
Salvage = Value at the end of the depreciation
Life = Number of periods for full depreciation
Period = Current Period
Returns the amount of depreciation allowed during the specified
period, using the Double-Declining-Balance depreciation method.
@FV(Annuity,Interest Rate,Period)
Annuity = Periodic payment amount
Interest = Periodic interest rate
Period = Number of periods
Returns the future value corresponding to an annuity occurring
over the specified period.
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@IRR(Guesstimate Interest Rate,Range)
Guesstimate Interest Rate = Best guess at internal rate of return
periodic interest rate
Range = Cell range which contains the cash
flow return values
Returns the Rate of Return per period associated with a cash flow.
The solution is iterative and may result in more than one correct
answer, so a good guess is important.
@NPV(Interest Rate,Range)
Interest Rate = Periodic interest rate
Range = Cell range which in which the series of cash
flows is to be stored
Returns the net present value of a cash flow over interest period.
@PMT(Principal,Interest Rate,Period)
Principal = Principal amount
Interest Rate = Periodic interest rate
Period = Number of periods
Returns the amount of an annuity equal to the principal amortized
over the period.
@PMTP(Principal,Interest Rate,Period,PmtNumber)
Principal = Principal amount
Interest Rate = Periodic interest rate
Period = Number of periods
PmtNumber = Payment number
Returns the amount that, for a given loan payment, is used to
reduce the principal, i.e, does not include the interest
portion.
@PV(Annuity,Interest Rate,Period)
Annuity = Periodic payment amount
Interest = Periodic interest rate
Period = Number of periods
Returns the present value corresponding to an annuity occurring
over the specified period.
@RATE(Fval,PVal,Nterm)
FVal = Future value
PVal = Present value
NTerm = Number of compounding terms
Returns the interest rate required for a present value PVal,
invested for Nterm number of compounding periods to reach a future
value FVal.
@SLN(Cost,Salvage,Life)
Cost = Cost of a purchase
Salvage = Value at the end of the depreciation
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Life = Number of periods for full depreciation
Returns the amount of depreciation per period, using the straight
line depreciation method.
@SYD(Cost,Salvage,Life,Period)
Cost = Cost of a purchase
Salvage = Value at the end of the depreciation
Life = Number of periods for full depreciation
Period = Current Period
Returns the amount of depreciation allowed during the specified
period, using the Sum-of-Years depreciation method.
@TERM(Pmt,Int,FVal)
FVal = Future value
Pmt = Periodic payment
Int = Interest rate per compounding period
Returns the number of compounding periods required for some
periodic payment (Pmt), invested at an interest rate (Int) per
compounding period to reach a future value (FVal).
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LOGICAL FUNCTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#OR# & #AND# Operators
The #OR# & #AND# logical operators are used to combine simple logical
criteria into complex logical expressions. These two operators are
evaluated according to the following logical table:
==============================================
Test1 Test2 #OR# #AND#
===============================================
True True True True
True False True False
False True True False
False False False False
==============================================
Examples:
Expression Result
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+(0=0)#AND#(0=1) 0 (False)
+(0=0)#OR#(0=1) 1 (True)
@IF(@MOD(5,2)=1#AND#@MOD(6,2)=0,1,0) returns 1 (true)
NOTES: 1. Spaces between the values and logical operators are
not allowed.
2. Use of parentheses is recommended for clarity.
@IF(Test argument,arg1,arg2)
If the test is true, Arg1 is returned, otherwise Arg2 is returned.
TEST can utilize logical operators '>,<,=,<>' etc., or refer to
the result of a cell with a logical result in it.
Ex. +(a1>2)*3+(a1<=2)*4
This formula will yield a result of 3 if the value stored in cell
A1 is greater than 2 and will yield a result of 4 if the value is
less than 2.
NOTE: Up to 10 nested @IF statements are allowed providing
internal limit of 240 bytes per formula is not exceeded.
@ISNUM(Cell)
This function is similar to the @ISSTR function. It will return 1
for TRUE if the cell contains a number or a formula, 0 for FALSE.
@ISSTR(Cell)
This function checks to see if the specified cell contains a
label. It returns 1 for TRUE if the cell contains a string or a
label, 0 for FALSE.
NOTE: A blank cell is neither a string nor a number.
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@ISNA(Cell)
Tests for the special value of NA in cell. If the cell contains
NA it returns 1 (true); otherwise, it returns 0 (false). Please
note that if a cell contains the label "NA" (not produced by the
@NA function), it is not recognized by the @ISNA function.
@ISERR(Expression)
This function is used to trap ERR displays and prevent propagation
through the recalculation sequence. A value of 1 (true) is
returned if the cell contains ERR or the expression evaluates to
an error condition. A value of 0 (false) is returned otherwise.
@ERR
Returns the value ERR in the current cell and in any other cells
that reference it directly or indirectly. The ERR value returned
by this function is the same ERR value produced by AS-EASY-AS when
it encounters an error.
@NOT(Cell)
Returns the value 0 if cell contains the value 1 and the value 1
if cell contains 0 or any other value. If cell contains a string,
then the string is returned, unchanged.
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STATISTICAL FUNCTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These functions operate on a range of values. A range specifies a
rectangular block of data in the spreadsheet, i.e. Range = A1..B10
defines the block of data from:
a1...b1
. .
. .
a10...b10
Presented below are the statistical functions.
@AVEDEV(range)
Calculates the average deviation of the sample in range.
Ex. If cells A1..A6 contain the values: 2, 6, 4, 1, 2, 8
Then, @AVEDEV(A1..A6) = 2.166666
@AVG(Range)
Returns the average of the Range.
@COMB(N,R)
Number of combinations of N distinct items taken R at a time. N ≥ R
@COUNT(Range)
Returns the number of elements in the range, (blank cells and
cells containing text are ignored).
@COUNTA(range)
Returns the number of cells in range that contain a value, a
string, or a formula, i.e, that are not blank. Different than
the @COUNT functions which ignores cells containing text.
@FACT(X)
Returns the factorial of X. (See also @GAMMALN for floating point
related function and "!" operator). 0 < X < 33
@GAUSS(x,u,d)
Returns the value of the Gaussian (or Normal) distribution
function, at point x.
x = Value at which to evaluate
u = mean of distribution
d = Standard deviation
Ex. @GAUSS(30,60,15) = 0.003599
@KURT(range)
Calculates the coefficient of kurtosis for a set of data in a
range, using the second and fourth moments about the mean of the
sample.
@MAX(Range)
Returns the maximum value in the range.
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@MEDIAN(range)
Calculates the median in a range of values.
Ex. If cells A1..A5 contained the values 3,5,1,7,9 then,
@MEDIAN(A1..A5) = 5
@MIN(Range)
Returns the minimum value in the range.
@PERM(N,R)
Number of permutations of N distinct items taken R at a time. N ≥ R
@PSUM(Range1,Range2)
Returns the summation of the product of Range1 and Range2.
Every element in Range1 is multiplied by the equivalent
element in Range2, and the products are then summed.
Range1 and Range2 must be the same length or an ERR condition
will be returned by the function.
@POISSON(x,v,t)
Returns the value of the Poisson distribution function, at point x.
x = Value at which to evaluate
v = mean of distribution
t = evaluation interval
Ex. @POISSON(0,4,1) = 0.018315639
SPECIAL NOTES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. The following .... functions require the criterion be a string
argument. References to string arguments are permitted.
2. @X represents reference to cell in range upon which
criterion is applied (required).
@QCOUNT("@X=Criterion",Range,Offset)
Criterion = Value or formula to be used for match
Range = Cell range
Offset = Number of columns to the right/left on which to operate.
Returns the number of those cells in the range that match
the criterion.
@QMAX("@X=Criterion",Range,Offset)
Criterion = Value or formula to be used for match
Range = Cell range
Offset = Number of columns to the right/left on which to operate.
Returns the maximum value of those cells in the range that match
the criterion.
@QMIN("@X=Criterion",Range, Offset)
Criterion = Value or formula to be used for match
Range = Cell range
Offset = Number of columns to the right/left on which to operate.
Returns the minimum value of those cells in the range that match
the criterion.
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@QSTD("@X=Criterion",Range,Offset)
Criterion = Value or formula to be used for match
Range = Cell range
Offset = Number of columns to the right/left on which to operate.
Returns the standard deviation of those cells records in the range
that match the criterion.
@QSUM("@X=Criterion",Range,Offset)
Criterion = Value or formula to be used for match
Range = Cell range
Offset = Number of columns to the right/left on which to operate.
Returns the sum of the records in the range that match the criterion.
@QVAR("@X=Criterion",Range,Offset)
Criterion = Value or formula be used for match in top of row
Range = Cell range
Offset = Number of columns to the right/left on which to operate.
Returns the population variance of the records in the range that
match the criterion.
@RANK(Range)
If a matrix AA can be formed by selection of r rows and columns
of A such that AA*x<>0 or AAt*x<>0 for every x<>0, and if
addition of an (r+1)st row and column would produce a singular
matrix, then r is called the rank of matrix A.
@SKEW(range)
Calculates the coefficient of skewness for a set of data in a
range, using the second and third moments about the mean of the
sample.
@STD(Range)
Range = Cell range to be evaluated
Returns the standard deviation of the elements in the range.
@STDU(Range)
Returns the standard deviation of the elements in the range,
based on the sample size, i.e., N-1 weighting.
@SUM(Range)
Range = Cell range to be evaluated
Returns the summation of the range.
@TRACE(Range)
Returns the trace of the matrix contained in range.
@VAR(Range)
Range = Cell range to be analyzed
Returns the population variance of the range.
@VARU(Range)
Range = Cell range to be analyzed
Returns the population variance of the elements in the range
based on the sample size, i.e., N-1 weighting.
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SPECIAL FUNCTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@AUTO (no arguments)
Checks the status of the recalculation mode. Returns (1) if
the recalculation mode is set to automatic, or (0) if the
recalculation is set to manual.
@CASE(Num,Arg2,....Argn)
Returns the Num-th argument from the argument list.
@COLS(Range)
Returns the number of columns in the specified range.
@DEC(String)
Returns the decimal value that corresponds to the hexadecimal
String. The string is limited to the hexadecimal values 0000-
FFFF. If String is longer that 4 characters, then the four
right most characters are used for the conversion. If String
is longer than 10 characters, ERR is returned).
@DOSVER (no arguments)
Returns the current version of DOS running on your system.
@FILEINFO(FileNameSpec,Mode)
Returns information about the specified file. FileNameSpec
can be any valid DOS file specification (it can include Drive/
directory information, etc.) Mode, is an integer 1-3, as
shown below:
Mode = 1 - File Size (bytes)
Mode = 2 - File existence. Returns one of the following
values:
0 - File does not exist
1 - File exists
Mode = 3 - File Attribute. Returns one of the following
values:
1 - Read Only ($01)
2 - Hidden ($02)
4 - System File ($04)
8 - Disk Label ($08)
16 - Directory ($10)
32 - Archive ($20)
@HEX(Value)
Returns the hexadecimal representation of Value as a string.
Note that value is rounded and only integer hex numbers are
returned. Negative values are returned as hex compliments of
2. All hex values returned are preceded by the dollar sign
which signified hex value. -65,535 ≤ Value ≥ 65,535
@HTABLE(Criterion,Range,Offset)
Criterion = Value to be used for match in top row of range
Range = Cell range which contains criterion range as top row
and includes data value table
Offset = Number of rows down in data value table from
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which to return a value
Returns the value at a vertical offset in the column that matches
the criterion.
@HTABLE(5.6,A1..C3,1) = 7.5
The @HTABLE function operates as follows:
Search starts at the upper left cell and proceeds until a value is
found which is greater than the criterion. The position of the
previous value is then used as a starting offset into the table.
The offset is added to the top row and the value at the offset
position is returned by the function.
@HTERP(Cell,Range,Offset)
Perform a straight-line interpolation based on table specified by
Range. It operates similar to @HTABLE function, but returns a
result based on the following:
(Xv - Xi)
Yv ----------- x (Yi+1 - Yi) + Yi
(Xi+1 - Xi)
Where X is the first row and Y is the offset row in the table.
@INDEX(Range,Col,Row)
Searches the specified range and returns the element located Col
columns to the right and Row rows down from the top left corner of
the range. Element may be a string or a value.
Note that Col and Row have to satisfy the criteria:
0 < Row < 8,192
0 < Col < 255
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@IORESULT (no arguments)
Returns a value indicating the status of the last file I/O
operation. If 0 is returned, then the last file I/O
operation worked as expected. If any other value is
returned, then an error occurred during the last file I/O
operation. Please, note that this boolean function is reset
to 0 when it is used.
Some of the error codes that may be returned by @IORESULT are:
2 - File Not Found
3 - Path not found
4 - Too many files open
5 - File Access denied
@LENGTH(Cell)
Returns the length of the string in the referenced Cell (if the
contents are a label), otherwise it returns zero if cell is empty.
Note that the prefix character of a label is not considered in the
length calculation.
@LINK("Drive:\Path\Filename>Cell")
NOTES: 1. Double quotes and the '>' character are necessary.
2. If Drive:\Path are not specified, the search defaults to the
the directory specified by the /Dir= command line switch,
or with /File, Dir command.
As the name indicates, it links cells in the current worksheet to
cells in a worksheet on disk. Once this function is entered, a
link is created but it is not updated. As a result, as soon as
this function is entered, the cell frequently displays "N/A". Do
not panic, a newly created link is not updated until the /File,
Uplink command is executed. At that time, any value or string
variable in the referenced cell of the indicated sheet on disk is
retrieved and placed in the calling cell.
Updating occurs automatically when the spreadsheet is first retrieved.
@MEMAVAIL(n)
n = Value representing type of memory to report, 0, 1 or 2.
0 - Total Memory
1 - Conventional Memory
2 - EMS/VMS Memory
Returns the amount of total, conventional, and EMS/VMS memory, in
bytes, available at the time of call.
@PATH (no arguments)
Returns the current data path, i.e., the current drive and directory.
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@PROTECT (no arguments)
Checks the status of Global cell protection. Returns (1) if
Global protection is ON, (0) if it is not.
@QVIEW(N)
N = 0 = Number of open views
N = 1 = Number of active view
Returns a numeric value (1-6) that indicates either the total
number of views open (if N=0), or the number of the current
active view (if N=1).
@ROWS(Range)
Returns the number of rows in the specified range.
@USER(Arg1,Arg2,Arg3)
USER = User provided name of function (any unique name)
Arg1,Arg2,Arg3 = User provided numeric arguments
This is a special function, defined by the user, which can have up
to three numeric arguments. The user specifies the formula which
relates the arguments and creates a unique range name which
includes the cells containing the formula and the arguments. The
function may then be used in the worksheet just as any other
internal @ function. To set up the function, perform the
following steps:
1. Place up to three numeric arguments, Arg1, Arg2, Arg3, in a
single row in adjacent columns.
2. Place the formula which relates the numeric values in the cell
below Arg1, the left most argument.
3. Give a unique range name to the block which includes the
arguments and the formula. This range name will become the
function name.
4. Use the newly defined function.
@VERSION (no arguments)
Returns the current version of AS-EASY-AS running on your system.
@VTABLE(Criterion,Range,Offset)
Criterion = Value to be used for match in left column of range
Range = Cell range which contains criterion range as left
column and includes data value table
Offset = Number of columns to the right in data value table
from which to return a value. The first criterion
column in the range has an offset of zero.
Returns the value at a horizontal offset in the row that matches
the criterion. The @VTABLE function operates as follows:
Search starts at the upper left cell and proceeds downward row by
row until a value is found which is greater than the criterion.
The position of the previous value is then considered as a match.
The offset is added to the left column and the value at the offset
position is returned by the function.
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NOTE: Table values outside the search region cause an error result.
@VTERP(Cell,Range,Offset)
Similar to @HTERP, but scans vertically (row by row).
DATE AND TIME FUNCTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The functions below are based on the number of days elapsed since
January 1, 1900. In order to have the value displayed in a date form,
the cell(s) have to be formatted with one of the date formats (see
formatting section).
@DATE(Year,Month,Day)
Year = Value corresponding to last two digits of year
Month = Value corresponding to month of year, 1-12
Day = Value corresponding to day of month, 1-31
Returns a unique integer for each day since January 1, 1900.
@DATEVAL("MM/DD/YY")
Convert the string argument to a date number representing the
month(MM):day(DD):year(YY). Note that the cell can be formatted to
display the above VALUE in a date format.
NOTE: Spaces, colons, semicolons, and other non-numeric
characters are acceptable delimiters.
@DAY(x)
x = the number of days since Jan. 1, 1900.
Based on a unique day assigned to 'x', computes the day in the
month of that date.
@HOUR(Value)
Value = Any number or calculated value in fractional days
i.e., 1 day = 24 hours, 0.5 day = 12 hours
Returns the hours corresponding to the fractional portion of
Value. The integer portion of Value (representing days) is
ignored.
@MINUTE(Value)
Value = Any number or calculated value in fractional days
Returns the minutes corresponding to the fractional portion of Value.
The integer portion of Value (representing days) is ignored.
@MONTH(x)
x = the number of days since January 1, 1900.
Based on a unique day assigned to "x", computes the month in which
that day occurs.
@SECOND(Value)
Value = Any number or calculated value in fractional days
Returns the seconds corresponding to the fractional portion of
Value. The integer portion of Value (representing days) is
ignored.
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@TIME(Hr,Min,Sec)
Hr = A number between 0 and 23, Hours
Min = A number between 0 and 59, Minutes
Sec = A number between 0 and 59, Seconds
Returns a fractional time serial number represented by Hr:Min:Sec.
Note that in order to have a cell display in time format, you have
to format it using /Range, Format, Date 6 or 7.
@TIMEVAL("HH:MM:SS")
HH = Value representing number of hours
MM = Value representing number of minutes
SS = Value representing number of seconds
Convert the string argument to a real number representing the
hour(s):minute(s):second(s) as a fraction of a day. Note that the
cell can be formatted to display the above VALUE in a time format.
NOTE: The time value is calculated using the following formula:
Hour + Min/60 + Second/3600
--------------------------
24
@TODAY
Returns the unique number corresponding to today's date and time
referenced to January 1, 1900.
@TODAY returns the number 35004 if today is November 1, 1995. If
the cell were formatted as Date D-M-Y, then the date 1-Nov-95 is
displayed.
If the cell were formatted as Date 6 (H:M:S), then the time
associated with the fractional part of the date is displayed.
NOTE: @TODAY is NOT automatically updated when a spreadsheet
is retrieved, even if the recalculation mode is set for
automatic. You must recalc the spreadsheet by manually
pressing the [F9] function key or by macro command.
@YEAR(x)
x = the number of days since January 1, 1900.
Based on a unique day assigned to 'x', computes the year in which that
day occurs.
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10. MACROS
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A macro is a sequence of keystrokes which may be activated by pressing
the combination of the Alt key and a letter key or by using the [F3]
key -macro execute. An example macro would be the following:
{RT}{RT}{DN}
The words/letters in braces represent an action keystroke. The above
macro will move the pointer two cells to the right and one cell down.
A macro may be placed in any cell.
To activate a macro with the [ALT] key, it must have a special type of
range name assigned to its location. The special range name is the
backslash [\] followed immediately by any letter from 'A' thru 'Z'.
For example:
\A
This specific macro may be activated by pressing the [ALT] key and the
letter 'A' simultaneously. Therefore, even though the backslash is
used to define the range name it actually represents the [alt] key.
If you desire a macro to automatically execute upon retrieval of a
spreadsheet, name your macro "\0" ( Zero). When AS-EASY-AS retrieves
your spreadsheet, it searches for a macro named "\0". If one exists,
it is automatically executed. You can have only one auto-executing
macro in a spreadsheet.
NOTE: To edit an auto-executing macro, it may be necessary to use the
/File Merge command to keep the macro from auto-executing as
it would if /File Retrieve were used.
DEFINING A MACRO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The powerful macros that are supported by AS-EASY-AS provide a
complete programming environment for most applications. Macros can be
chained together to provide self running applications that do
virtually anything that can be done manually through the command mode.
Macro commands can be typed in directly from the keyboard. This
requires that you know the exact sequence of macro commands to perform
the desired action ahead of time.
For short macros, this method is acceptable. However, if you have a
long macro to create, or if you are unfamiliar with the sequence of
commands needed, AS-EASY-AS provides an alternative method for
creating macros.
AS-EASY-AS has the ability to learn by example, it records your
keystrokes as you perform the desired task, and writes them out to the
sheet as macro commands. To access this macro recording ability,
select /Sheet, Macro, Compose.
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When you first select Compose, AS-EASY-AS starts recording all your
keystrokes. The macro compose buffer is capable of storing 2048
characters. When you have completed your macro, reselect /Sheet,
Macro, Compose a second time.
AS-EASY-AS will prompt you for the cell location in which to place the
macro commands. Simply point to a vacant cell or type in the cell
location and hit [ENTER]. The macro commands will be entered,
continuing to the next rows below as necessary, writing over any
information currently in the cells.
EXECUTING A MACRO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are several ways to execute your macro. The first step is to
name your macro. To define a range name, type the following: /rnc
which stands for /RANGE, NAME, CREATE.
After you press the letter 'c'(for Create) the spreadsheet will prompt
YOU for the name of the range. Now type the range name and then press
the [ENTER] key. (Be careful, don't include any spaces in the range
name).
The next step involves typing (or pointing) the cell which the macro
occupies. If the macro was in cell A1, then type A1 [ENTER]. The
simplest method of executing macros is to name your macro using the
special range name character \ followed by a single letter as
discussed previously.
Pressing the [ALT] key and the letter name of your macro
simultaneously will execute your macro. Naming your macro \0 (zero)
will create a macro that will auto execute each time the spreadsheet
is retrieved.
A second execution method is to press the [F3] Macro Execute function
key. Type in the name of your macro and hit [ENTER], and AS-EASY-AS
will execute your macro.
If you can't remember your macro name, press [F3] then [F1]. A pick
window of all the range names will appear in the middle of your
screen. Highlight the name of your macro and hit [ENTER] to execute
the macro.
A third method to execute your macro is by selecting /Sheet, Macro,
Execute. You are allowed to specify a cell address, a named range,
etc. Again, pressing [F1] after this option has been selected will
display all named ranges in a pick window on the screen.
Because of its execution speed, it may be difficult to follow your
macro commands to determine if your macro is performing as planned.
To assist you in your debugging efforts, AS-EASY-AS provides the
ability to execute your macro one command at a time.
/Sheet, Macro, Step toggles the macro step execution on and off. If
the option Yes is selected, you are asked to specify the number of
msec of delay between macros ( 0 < D < 5000 msec). If a delay of
zero, (D=0), is specified, the program will pause after each macro
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command, until you press any key to continue. The currently executing
macro command will also be displayed at the bottom of the screen.
MACRO KEYWORDS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All menu commands in AS-EASY-AS can be invoked from within a macro
with the key-letter (the first letter in the command). In addition,
the following cursor movements have macro keywords:
MACRO
COMMAMD MEANING
~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
{LT X} - Move cursor X cells to the Left
{RT X} - Move cursor X cells to the Right
{DN X} - Move cursor X cells Downward
{UP X} - Move cursor X cells Upward
{PGUP X} - Move cursor X pages Up
{PGDN X} - Move cursor X pages Down
{PGRT X} - Move the cursor X pages to the Right
{PGLT X} - Move the cursor X pages to the Left
{DEL X} - Delete X characters to the right of cursor
{BS X} - Backspace X characters to the Left of the cursor
{INSON} - Toggles insert mode ON.
{INSOFF} - Toggles insert mode OFF (Overtype mode).
{HOME} - Move cursor to cell A1
{END} - Same as the [END] key
{EDIT} - Places the current cell in the Edit mode [F2]
{NAME} - Name, show matrix of names same as [F3]
{ABS} - Make cell reference absolute [F4]. Toggles
between ABS modes.
{GOTO cell} - GoTo a specified cell, [F5]
{WINDOW} - If window active toggles the cursor between
windows otherwise toggle the cursor between
the current and previous cursor locations, [F6]
{VIEW} - Toggle the current view between the opened
windows, same as [F7]
{CALC} - Recalculate all cells, [F9]
{GRAPH} - View the specified graph, [F10]
{ESC X} - Represents the [ESC] (Escape) key (X is
optional).
~ - Tilde (~), same as the [ENTER] key
NOTES:
The keystroke [ENTER] in a macro is represented by the
tilde (~).
All macro commands MUST be enclosed in curly braces {}.
The X in the above listing is optional, i.e., {RT 5} moves the
cursor to the right 5 cells, whereas {RT} moves the cursor
to the right just one cell.
Macros are executed from left to right in a given cell and proceed
downwards row by row until either a blank cell is reached, the [ESC]
key is pressed, or the {QUIT} macro keyword is executed.
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ADVANCED MACROS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The advanced macro capabilities of AS-EASY-AS complete a powerful
programming environment. Using these macros, you can set up your own
custom menus, set up programming loops, branching and execute sub-
routines.
NOTE: All commands below may ONLY be used in an executing
macro.
{?}
Pauses macro execution and awaits keyboard input. Useful for
interrupting macro to allow movement around sheet or entry of
data. Macro execution continues only after [ENTER] or [ESC] is
pressed.
NOTE: [ENTER] and [ESC] characters will not appear in the macro
stream. You must provide them where required to terminate
input in response to a prompt.
{APPEND F#, "FileName"}
F# - File Number (1, 2, 3, 4, or 5)
Filename - Name of File, may include drive and path information
Open FileName in Append mode. See {OPEN} command. Subsequent
WRITES to the file will cause text to be appended to the end of the file.
NOTE: Any file which is opened with {APPEND}, must be closed
with the {CLOSE} macro command before exiting from AS-
EASY-AS. Failure to do so will result in the file information
becoming corrupted and unusable.
{BEEP X}
Produces a beep sound. This macro could be useful at the end of
unattended macro(s) to signal the user that some task is
completed, or to get the user's attention when a prompt for
information is introduced. Also see {TONE X,Y}.
{BLANK Range}
Erases the cells in the range defined by 'Range'. The effect is
the same as when executing the /re command. This method is
sometimes more desirable than /re since it will not display the
menus as does /re when it is used in a macro.
{BORDEROFF}
This macro command is used to turn the column and row borders off.
It's function is the same as the /sbs menu command. Once this
macro is invoked, the borders of the sheet, i.e., the portion
containing the row numbers, become invisible until a {BORDERON}
command is invoked.
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{BORDERON}
This macro command cancels the {BORDEROFF} macro. You might note
that the screen needs to be updated, using the {UPDATE} macro
after {BORDERON} is invoked.
{CALL Location} or {RangeName}
Call the subroutine identified by 'location'. This is different
than the {JUMP} command. {JUMP} transfers execution of the macro
to a given location but 'forgets' its current position. {CALL},
on the other hand, transfers execution to another location.
When a {RET} command is encountered, it returns execution to the
next command following the calling cell and continues with the
macro. Subroutines may be nested (they can call more subroutines)
up to 20 levels deep.
{CHDIR "Path"}
Change the current Data path to that specified by "Path".Its
operation is similar to the CD command in DOS. Check your
DOS manual for details.
{CLOSE F#}
F# - File Number (1, 2, 3,...)
Close disk file F#. See {OPEN}, {READ}, {WRITE}, and {APPEND}
macro commands.
As an example, {CLOSE 1} will close disk file #1.
{CLRSCR}
Clears the screen, so that a messages can be written for
presentations, etc. The screen remains in this mode until an
{UPDATE} macro command is executed or the macro terminates.
CURSOR
This variable may only be used in edit or macro modes and refers to the
cell occupied by the current position of the cursor.
Example:
Assume that cells A1 through A100 contain the values 1., 3., 4.5,
and 8. randomly distributed. Let's say that you want to replace
all occurrences of the value 8. with 1.25.
The following macro would do the trick for you:
Cell Contents Explanation
~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~
B1 0 Set a counter cell
B2 {LET B1,0}{GOTO A1} Go to beginning of
range
B3 {If CURSOR=8}{LET CURSOR,1.25} Set the criterion
B4 {LET B1,B1+1} Increase counter by
1.
B5 {IF B1=100}{JUMP OUT} Check if all 100 cells
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have been processed (if
the counter cell reached
100). If yes, jump out of
the loop.
B6 {DN} Move the cursor down
one cell.
B7 {JUMP BEGIN} Repeat the loop
B8 {QUIT} Stop executing macro.
** Don't forget to define the following range names:
Range Name Cell
~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~
BEGIN B3
OUT B8
\A B2 <-Press Alt-A to start macro
{DELAY X}
This macro command will halt program execution for the specified
(X) number of thousands of a second within a macro, ONLY while
displaying a graph or the Sheet Status screen. A delay of X equal
to 0 resets the pause mechanism to wait until a key has been
pressed. This could be useful in displaying a graph for a given
amount of time, before continuing execution of the macro.
{ESCON} and {ESCOFF}
Disables/enables the escape key which would normally permit a
macro to be aborted.
CAUTION: {ESCOFF} should be used only if other provisions for
exiting a macro have been made. If no such provisions
exist, you are liable to end up in an infinite loop, with
the only way out being to reboot your computer.
{EXIT}
Cancels one/top level of subroutine calls and allows macro
programming to continue. This macro command was built into AS-
EASY-AS to allow the user flexibility when a forced exit out of
subroutines and loops is desired.
{FOR COUNTER, START, STOP, STEP}
Counter = Cell location which keeps track of the number of macro
iterations
Start = The beginning value for the counter
Stop = The end value for the counter
Step = The incremental value to be added to counter after
each iteration
Executes the macro commands which follow until {NEXT} is
encountered. The counter is increased by the value of step. If
the new counter value does not exceed the step value, the macro
loop is repeated again. This continues until the counter exceeds
the stop value at which time execution transfers to the macro
command cell below {NEXT}.
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NOTES: 1. If Stop is initially less than the Start value, the macro
loop will be skipped and execution transferred to the cell
below.
2. If Step is set equal to 0 (zero), an infinite loop will be
created as the counter will never exceed the Stop value.
3. A maximum of 4 nested {FOR}{NEXT} loops may be
created.
{GET CELL}
This command accepts the next character from the keyboard and
places it in CELL. (This occurs as soon as you depress a keyboard
key you do not need to press [ENTER]). For example, {GET A13}
stops and waits until a key is pressed. If the Key "A" is
pressed, then "A" is placed in cell A13.
{GOTOXY A1,A2}
Places the character cursor at the column and row screen
coordinate specified by A1 and A2. A1 is the column (1..80) and
A2 is the row (1..25) of that coordinate. Subsequent use of the
{WRITE} macro will place text at the current cursor position.
Example: {Gotoxy 20,12}
{Write "This text is in the middle of the screen"}
{IF Condition}Action...
If the 'condition' is met, then proceed with the identified
'action' in the same cell, otherwise continue with the macro in
the cell below this command. This macro command is very similar
to the if-then-else structure found in many programming languages.
It is important to remember, however, that the "then" action must
follow in the same cell as the IF test.
Example: {goto A1}~Macro Example~
{IF Test>2}{JUMP A50}
{calc}
Explanation: Position cursor on cell A1. Place the string 'Macro
Example' in that cell. If the value of the cell named 'Test' is
greater than 2, go to cell A50 and start executing the macro in
that cell. If the value of 'Test' is less than 2, then
recalculate the spreadsheet.
{INDXY m,n}
Sets the location of the mode indicator, to line (m) and column
(n). (This is the area displaying the messages "Ready, Macro,
Wait, etc.). The value for "m" must be 1-24 and that for "n" must
be 1-80.
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{INKEY CELL}
Pauses execution of the macro and stores a single typed character
in CELL. Macro execution continues after the key has been pressed.
{INLABEL "Prompt", Location}
{INVALUE "Prompt", Location}
Display the text 'Prompt' on the control panel and pause for
input. The user can type a label (text string), or a value, and
when [ENTER] is pressed, the label, or the value, is placed in the
cell identified by 'Location'.
Example: {INLABEL "Enter Your Name",A5}
Explanation: Display the prompt 'Enter Your Name' in the
control panel and pause. When a user types his name and
presses [ENTER], the name is placed in cell A5.
{INRANGE "Prompt",Cell}
This macro command prompts the user for a cell range. The range
can be defined using the pointing method (or the typing method)
and the result is placed in cell.
Example:
The Macro {InRange " What is the Erase Range", d2} would place the
prompt 'What is the Erase Range' in the panel area and wait for
input.
If the user presses:
[HOME]
. <----- (Period)
[DOWN]
[DOWN]
[RIGHT]
[ENTER]
The text A1..B3, representing the highlighted range, would be
placed in cell D2.
{IOINIT "COMn:Baud,PA,DB,SB,LEN,DL"}
Initialize the serial port COMn where n=1,2,3,4.
Baud = Baud Rate (300, 1200, 2400, .....)
PA = Parity (E, O, N, ...)
DB = Data Bits (Normally 7 or 8)
SB = Stop Bits (Normally 1 or 2)
LEN = Maximum length of string that will be transmitted or
accepted as input (Default is 80)
DL = Delay in units of System Cycles.
This macro command is used to initialize one of the computer's
serial ports for subsequent use of the {IOVALUE} and {IOLABEL}
macro commands.
Example:
{IOINIT "COM2:2400,N,8,1,80,2000"}
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Initialize serial port 2 for 2400 baud, No parity, 8 data bits, 1
stop bit, a maximum string length of 80, and a delay of 2000
system cycles.
{IOLABEL "String",Range}
Transmit String to the initialized communications port and store
the received information, as a label, in Range. You may leave
String blank ('''')if you just want to get information from the
port without sending anything. Conversely, use the range name NUL
if you are just sending information to the port.
Example: {IOLABEL "ATDT12345667&@CHR(13),NUL}
Send the dial up sequence ATDT1234567, followed by CR to
the initialized serial port. No information expected to come
back to AS-EASY-AS, Range = NUL.
{IOVALUE "String",Range}
Transmit String to the initialized communications port and store
the received information, as a label, in Range. You may leave
String blank ('''')if you just want to get information from the
port without sending anything. Conversely, use the range name NUL
if you are just sending information to the port.
Example: {IOVALUE "",A2}
Receive information from the serial port (in this case from
the other computer), and place it in Cell A2.
{IF @FIND(":?",A2,1)>0}{IOVALUE +F1,NUL}
Check to see if the string that was received from the serial
port, and placed in cell A2, contains the substring ":?". If it
does, then transmit the value in cell F1 to the serial port.
{JUMP Location}
This macro instructs the program to continue executing at a new
'location'. The 'location' can either be a cell location (A1,
B345, AG5) or a range name that was created with the /Range, Name,
Create command.
Be careful, this command is different than the {GOTO} macro
command. {JUMP} simply tells the program which macro to execute
next, whereas, {GOTO} transfers the cell pointer to the specified
cell.
Example: {goto A1}~Macro Example~
{JUMP A50}
Explanation: Go to cell A1, place the string 'Macro Example' in
that cell and then jump to cell A50 and execute the macro in that
cell, while the cell pointer is still at A1.
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{LET A1,EXPRESSION}
Evaluates the formula "EXPRESSION", and places the value in A1.
Use of this command does not require that you physically move the
cursor to A1 before entering data, therefore, it can reduce
moving back and forth between various portions of the worksheet.
EXPRESSION can be any valid mathematical or logical expression.
Example: {Let A3,A3+1} increments the value in cell A3 by one.
NOTE: There is no space between the "," and "Expression".
{MENUCALL Location}
Transfers execution to macro menu at "Location". Allows the user
to make a menu selection, and then CALLS the macro identified by
that menu selection. When {RET} is encountered, macro execution
continues with the command following the {MENUCALL}.
See {MENUJUMP} for instructions on defining your own menu.
{MENUJUMP Location}
Transfers execution to the macro menu at "Location". Allows the
user to make a menu selection, and then executes the macro
identified below that menu selection.
The macro menu has to follow the guidelines given below:
- Two rows are used for the creation of the menu. Each menu
option can be up to 30 characters long.
- The cell to the right of the last item of the menu must be empty
to indicate the end of the menu.
- Each selection is placed in an individual cell in the first row.
- Each cell in the second row contains the explanation of the
command in the cell above it. Whenever the user moves the
cursor highlighting one of the menu options, the control panel
displays the explanation for that menu selection.
{MENUOFF}
Disables the screen update of the panel and pop-up window menus.
Invoking this command will speed the operation of macros that
frequently update the screen.
{MENUON}
Restores screen update of the panel and pop-up window menus. This
command should be invoked at the end of a macro that used
{MENUOFF}.
{MENUWIDTH x}
Specify a width of x (up to 28 characters) for the menu window.
Once a menu width is specified, it stays in affect until a new
{MENUWIDTH x} macro command is issued.
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{MENUXY x,y}
Specify the x,y coordinate of the upper left corner of menu
window. If the period key [.] is pressed while a menu is
displayed at x,y, the menu position will toggle between the left
and the right side of the screen, i.e., the x coordinate above
will be overridden, but the vertical position of the menu will not
change until a new {MENUXY x,y} macro command is used.
{MKDIR "Path"}
Create a new directory/sub-directory specified by the string
"Path". Its operation is similar to the MD command in DOS.
Check your DOS manual for details.
{ONERROR Location}
If an error condition is encountered, it transfers macro execution
to the address specified by "Location".
{OPEN F#,M#,"Filename"}
F# - File Number (1, 2, 3, 4, or 5)
M# - Mode (1, 2 or 3)
1 - Read - Allows the file to be read.
2 - Write - Opens a new file. If the file exists, current
information will be erased.
3 - Append - Opens an existing file and places the file
pointer at end of file.
Filename - Name of File, may include drive and path information
Open a disk file which is to be read, written to, or appended.
See {READ}, {WRITE}, {APPEND}, and {CLOSE} macro commands.
As an example, {OPEN 1,3,"C:\DATA\TRIDATA.DTA"}{WRITE...} will
open TRIDATA.DTA located in C:\DATA, which is to be appended. If
the file does not currently exist, it will be created.
NOTE: Any file which is opened with {OPEN}, must be closed with
the {CLOSE} macro command before exiting from AS-
EASY-AS. Failure to do so will result in the file information
becoming corrupted and unusable.
{PAGESET p,t,b,l,r}
Similar to manually selecting Printo, Printer and entering the
following parameters.
p: Pagelength
t: Top margin
b: Bottom margin
l: Left margin
r: Right margin
{PICK Range,Outcell}
Range = Cell range which contains listing of labels to appear in
pick list.
Outcell = Cell which will contain picked selection
PICK will create a pick window comprised of the labels contained
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in the specified RANGE. Using the cursor keys, the user can move
through the list and highlight the desired label. When [ENTER] is
selected, the highlighted choice is placed in OUTCELL.
PICK is useful for situations where the user is to be prompted for
data input, and there is a limited selection of valid or desired
responses.
Example:
{PICK A1..A10,C1}
When an executing macro encounters this command, a pick window
will appear in the top left of the screen which is comprised of
the labels in the range A1..A10. The user will select a label
by pressing [ENTER] and the result be placed in cell C1.
{QUIT}
Stops execution of the macro and returns to the 'Ready' mode.
{READ F#, CellAddress}
F# - File Number (1, 2, 3, 4, or 5)
CellAddress - Worksheet cell location (column & row) where read
information is to be placed.
Read one line from disk file #, from the current pointer location
up to the carriage return, and place it in CellAddress.
Subsequent {READ}s will continue to read in one line at a time,
until the end of file is encountered. At that point, execution
will continue with the macro in the current cell, or if
unsuccessful, the macro command in the next row. See {OPEN},
{CLOSE}, {WRITE}, and {APPEND} macro commands.
As an example, {READ 1, D10} will read a line of information from
file #1 and place it in cell D10 of the worksheet.
{RECALC Range}
Calculates only the specified range.
{RESTART}
This command clears all levels of the subroutine stack and
continues execution of the macro commands. If {RESTART} is
encountered, AS-EASY-AS continues with the instructions that
follow. Upon completion of the subroutine, it will terminate and
WILL NOT return to the calling routine.
{RET}
When this command is encountered, execution is returned to the
cell just below the last {CALL} command, i.e., to the macro that
called the subroutine terminated with {RET}. If no {CALL} command
exists, and a {RET} command is encountered, a macro error occurs.
{RMDIR "Path"}
Remove the disrectory specified by path. Its operation is
similar to the RMDIR command in DOS. Check your DOS manual for
details.
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{SCRNOFF}
Disables the update of the screen. Invoking this macro command
will speed the operation of most of your macros since screen I/O
is time consuming. Remember to restore screen update after your
macro is completed.
NOTE: When this macro is used, it will seem that your
computer is not doing anything, i.e., the screen will not
be updated until {SCRNON} and {UPDATE} macros
are executed.
{SCRNON}
Enables the update of the screen. This command should be invoked
at the end of a macro that used {SCRNOFF}.
{TONE A1,A2}
Generates a sound of frequency A1 (Hz) and duration A2 (milli-
seconds). A1 and A2 can be values, results of a calculation or
cell references. This macro can also be used to cause a delay in
macro execution without generating an audible tone, if desired.
i.e. {TONE 0,5000} will create a silent delay of 5 seconds.
{UPDATE}
Refreshes the screen. Useful after a {SCRNON} command.
{VALIDATE "Prompt",Lower_Limit,Upper_Limit,Destination}
Suspends execution of the macro sequence and displays the
"prompt" and a Min/Max message. After the user enters a value
and presses [ENTER] the program compares the entered value to
the Lower_Limit and Upper_limit Values and,
a) If the entered value is within the specified range, then
is is placed in the Destination cell.
b) If the entered value is less that the Lower_limit, then
Lower_limit is placed in the Destination cell.
c) If the entered value is greater that the Upper_limit, then
Upper_limit is placed in the Destination cell.
{WHILE Test,Action}
Perform a subroutine call to the "Action" while the "Test" is
true. The subroutine must have a corresponding {RET} statement.
Once the result of "Test" is false, continue execution of the
macro command in the cell below.
{WRITE "String"}
Print the content of 'String' at the current character cursor
screen coordinates, and leave the cursor at the end of the printed
string. It should be noted that this is only a temporary screen
write. If this was the last macro command in a sequence, it would
disappear as soon as it was printed since the screen would be
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updated at the end of the macro sequence.
{WRITE F#, "String"}
F# - File Number (1, 2, 3,...)
"String" - Information to be written to the file.
Writes "String" information to open disk file F#, starting from
the current pointer location. Subsequent {WRITE}s will continue
to be appended to the file.
If the {WRITE} fails, execution will continue with the macro
command in the next row. See {OPEN}, {CLOSE}, {READ}, and
{APPEND} macro commands.
As an example, {WRITE 1, "Test Data"} will write the string "Test
Data" to file #1.
{WRITELN "String"}
Same as the {WRITE} macro, above, but places the cursor at the
beginning of the next character row.
{WRITELN F#, "String"}
Same as the {WRITE F#, "String"} macro above, but writes String
information to the file, starting from the current pointer
location, as a single line, followed by carriage return and line
feed characters.
11. CONFIGURATION FILE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Certain system and user configuration parameters are stored in an
external, binary file ASEASY.CFG. This file is not present when you
first install the program, it is created by the user, if desired, when
some of the configuration parameters are modified.
The parameters stored in the configuration file are accessed using the
/User, Install command. Here is a brief description of what may be
modified/installed using the options under /User, Install.
DO NOT forget to save the installed options if you don't want them to
be lost when you exit AS-EASY-AS (/User, Install, Save Config).
CMDSTR
~~~~~~
Allows the user to specify a string containing any command line
switches that should be automatically invoked next time the program
is started, (e.g., /VM/E/NT). These command line switches are saved
with the user's ASEASY.CFG file, and are used every time the program
is started.
NOTE: Any command line switches specified when starting the program
from DOS are ignored if a CMdStr string has been defined. The only
exception is the /CFG command line switch (which is ignored if it is
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placed in the CMdStr parameter string).
COLORS
~~~~~~
Customizes screen colors. When a color option is selected, a matrix
of colors appears and the cursor is located on the current color
selection. The panel area displays which color attribute you are
changing (e.g., text, menu, border, etc.) and the current color
number.
As you move the cursor around, you can see the color combination
selected the color number in the command panel area. When you find
the combination you want, press [ENTER] and the desired color is
selected. As soon as the selection is made, the appropriate color
changes take effect.
Alternatively, you can enter the color number directly in the command
panel area (e.g., 23 = blue background and white foreground.
CAUTION: Remember to save the config file if you don't want your
color changes to be lost when you exit AS-EASY-AS.
DEVICE
~~~~~~
Select a printing device; LPT1, LPT2, or select to send the print
output to a file (you will be prompted for a file name when you
attempt to print, later).
DIMENSION
~~~~~~~~~
Divide the worksheet into a number of pages simulating a third
dimension (depth).
Each of the pages is identified by a letter A, B, C, ......, which
appears on the top left corner of the worksheet, above the row
numbers. When the Dimensions command has been invoked and more than
one page is specified, reference to cells in each of the pages is
made with the addition of a page letter. (i.e. A:A1, AC:FF1 rather
than A1, FF1, etc.).
Each generated page is 256 columns wide and 8192/N rows long, where N
is the number of pages specified.
Movement from page to page can be accomplished by a number of
different ways:
1. Using the [F5] (GOTO) key and the cell address.
2. With the arrow and the PgUp, PgDn keys. (The first row of
panel B follows the last row of panel A, etc.)
3. Using the combination of the [Ctrl] (control) and [PgUp],
[PgDn] keys. [Ctrl] [PgDn] moves you to the next page, and
[Ctrl] [PgUp] moves you to the previous page.
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When the multidimension option is canceled, the information contained
in all other pages is retained in their relative positions in the
worksheet.
PRINTERS
~~~~~~~~
Select output device for text and graphics. Note that if all you are
printing is text, and you have not selected any special pitch, then
your output should be fine. That's because AS-EASY-AS sends simple
ASCII output to the device. A printer device option SHOULD be
installed, however, if you are trying to print graphics information.
PUNCTUATION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Enters the Punctuation Installation menu. Through this menu, the user
can set the ASCII characters to be used for separating decimals, the
thousands delimiter, separating function arguments, prefacing
currency values, etc.
CAUTION:Do not forget to save the punctuation options, or they will
be lost when you exit AS-EASY-AS.
VIDEO
~~~~~
This menu allows the user to specify the video mode to be used by AS-
EASY-AS. Note that in order for a video mode to become active, it
has to be supported by the user's hardware, i.e., the video adapter
and monitor. The designation [Text]/[Graf] next to each mode below,
refers to the main spreadsheet mode, not the mode when a graph is
displayed.
A:[DEF25x80]:Text
Set the default text video mode, 25 lines by 80 columns.
Selecting one of the other special modes might result in a
scrambled display (if the selected mode is not compatible with
the hardware). If that happens, then you may immediately select
this option to reset the video mode.
B:[EVGA 43/50]:Text
Depending on your video adapter/monitor combination, this option
will set the monitor to 43 lines (EGA), or 50 lines (VGA).
C:[CGA 25x40]:Text
Set the 40 column by 25 rows CGA video mode. When displaying
graphs, only two colors (foreground and background) are
available, since the high CGA resolution mode is used.
This mode is very useful for individuals with visual impairment
(very large characters).
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D:[X User Supplied]
This is a special mode that requires some input from the
user. Note that in order to use this mode, you have to be
familiar with the various modes available for your hardware,
i.e., you need to consult your video adapter card's user manual.
When this option is selected, the user is asked to supply the
hexadecimal value that the AX register needs to contain when the
interrupt $10 call is made (consult your adapter's manual).
Once the value is supplied, the user is asked to specify the
number of rows and columns for this mode. Note that such special
modes might not be available on your hardware combination.
E:[EGA 25x80]:Graphics
Set the 25 row, 80 column EGA graphics mode (640x350). If your
video adapter has at least 256K of RAM, then up to 16 different
colors are supported in this mode when displaying graphs.
F:[EGA 43x80]:Graphics
Set the 43 row, 80 column EGA graphics mode (640x350). If your
video adapter has at least 256K of RAM, then up to 16 different
colors are supported in this mode when displaying graphs.
G:[VGA 60x80]:Graphics
Set the 60 line by 80 column VGA graphics mode. If your video
adapter card contains at least 512K, then up to 16 colors are
available when displaying graphs.
H:[HERC 25x90]:Graphics
Sets the 25 row by 80 columns graphics mode for a Hercules
monitor and video adapter combination.
I:[HERC 43x90]:Graphics
Sets the 43 row by 80 columns graphics mode for a Hercules
monitor and video adapter combination.
J:[MGA 25x80]:Graphics
Set the 25 row, 80 column monochrome EGA graphics mode (640x350).
K:[MGA 43x80]:Graphics
Set the 43 row, 80 column monochrome VGA graphics mode (640x480).
L:[SVGA 50x100]:Graphics
Sets the 50-line Super VGA graphics display mode (800x600)
resolution. The default screen colors are set automatically when
this mode is selected.
FORMAT
~~~~~~
Permits the user to define customized cell formats for displaying
values. Create, Delete and Modify subcommands are available.
In defining formats, the "?" and the "_" (underscore) characters are
used to indicate digit positions. For example, if a format had been
specified as (???) ???-????, then a cell entry of 1234567890 would be
displayed as (123) 3456-7890.
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SAVECONFIG
~~~~~~~~~~
Save the defaults set through the Install menu in a file called
ASEASY.CFG. When AS-EASY-AS is first started, it looks for this file
in the current directory. If not found, it uses the internal
defaults for the various options.
USER, SHELL
~~~~~~~~~~~
This command allows you to temporarily exit to DOS, while AS-EASY-AS
remains resident in memory. When the command is executed, another
copy of the command processor (COMMAND.COM, or other command
processor you might be using) is loaded, and the system behaves as if
it was just booted up, with the exception that a portion of RAM is
occupied by AS-EASY-AS. The amount of RAM retained by AS-EASY-AS
depends on the amount of information in the current worksheet.
The user can return to AS-EASY-AS by typing "EXIT" (no quotes) and
pressing [ENTER] at the DOS prompt.
If you are using a different command processor, e.g., 4DOS.COM, then
simply type in the appropriate path and file name when prompted
(after /User, Shell). The new command processor file name is
retained if you save the configuration file (see command above).
CAUTION: Although AS-EASY-AS can in no way harm your data or your
system while you have shelled to DOS, the programs you execute during
that time might. We recommend that you save your data before you use
the /User Shell command. This way, even if the programs you run,
while in the shell, crash your system, you will not lose any of your
valuable AS-EASY-AS data.
If AS-EASY-AS was started with the /vm command line switch, you will
see a file named ASEASY.TMP if you execute a DOS DIR command,
when shelling to DOS. DO NOT DELETE THIS FILE. Deleting the temporary
file will destroy your spreadsheet data.
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EXTERNAL FUNCTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The external functions are defined in a plain ASCII data file,
ASEASY.USR. The structure of the file is very simple.
(1) Each function definition is made up of TWO lines:
1st Line: Function_Name, Number_Of_Variables
2nd Line: Algebraic_Expression
The expression can use any of the AS-EASY-AS built-in
functions. The dynamic arguments of the external function
are referred to, in the definition, as @A(n), where n is an
integer 1 to 10.
ex. 1st line: ADD2NUM,2
2nd line: +@A(1)+@A(2)
This function simply adds the two variables passed to it. So,
if in cell B10 of AS-EASY-AS, the user entered @ADD2NUM(2,4)
the result would be 6.
(2) The maximum number of functions that can be defined is 255.
(3) The maximum Number of dynamic Variables that may be used in
a function definition is: 10, i.e., a(1), a(2),...a(10).
(4) Cell references MAY NOT be used in the function definition.
(5) Any string to the right of a semicolon ";" is ignored. This
permits the user to embed comments and function
documentation information directly in this function
definition file.
Example Function Definitions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
a) 1st line: ADD1,3
2nd line: +@a(1)*10+@a(2)*10+@a(3)*10
Function ADD1 multiplies each of the 3 argument passed by
the user by 10 and sums up the three products. No internal
AS-EASY-AS functions are used in this function definition.
b) 1st line: TRIAREA,2
2nd line: (@a(1)/2)*@a(2)
Function TRIAREA calculates the area of a triangle based on
the base and height values supplied by the user. No
internal AS-EASY-AS functions are used in this function
definition.
c) 1st line: SUMSQRT,2
2nd line: @SQRT(@a(1))+@SQRT(@a(2))
Function SUMSQRT calculates the sum of the square roots
of two values input by the user. The internal AS-EASY-AS
function @SQRT is used in this function definition.
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LINEAR PROGRAMMING
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Version 5.7 of AS-EASY-AS introduces a new, powerful decision
making tool, Linear Programming (using the Simplex Big M method
of solution). A detailed explanation of the Linear Programming
concept is well beyond the scope of a spreadsheet manual,
detailed instructions on how to use the built-in optimizer are
provided below. If interested, the reader is encouraged to seek
additional information from text books that specialize in Linear
Programming.
(1) The Linear programming capabilities of AS-EASY-AS are invoked
using the /Aray, Linear command. The program expects the user to
specify an array (rectangular range of cells), containing the
following information.
Coeff #1 Coeff #2 ... Coeff #n LE/GE Constraint #1
Coeff #1 Coeff #2 ... Coeff #n LE/GE Constraint #2
... ... ... ... ...
... ... ... ... ...
... ... ... ... ...
Coeff #1 Coeff #2 ... Coeff #n LE/GE Constraint #m
FCoeff #1 FCoeff #2 ... FCoeff #n EQ Min/Max Criterion
Where: Coeff #1,2,.. are the coefficients for the variables in
each of the constraint equations.
LE/GE either GE (Greater or equal than), or
LE (Less or equal than) for each constraint.
Constraint #1,#2 The constants of the constraint
relationships.
FCoeff #1,2,.. The coefficients for each variable in the
function being optimized.
EQ In the last row of the range (containing the
description of the function being optimized),
this has to be EQ (equal).
Min/Max Either MIN or MAX indicating whether you are
trying to minimize or maximize the function.
Then, AS-EASY-AS produces an optimized solution of the form:
Min/Max Optimized Value
X1 Value of 1st variable for optimized solution
X2 Value of 2nd variable for optimized solution
X3 Value of 3rd variable for optimized solution
To best illustrate the usage of the Linear Programming capabilities of
AS-EASY-AS, an example is provided below.
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Linear Programming Example
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maximize the function: P = 10x + 5y
Subject to the constraints: 6x + 2y LE 36
2x + 4y LE 32
The solution matrix is set-up in AS-EASY-AS v5.7 as shown below,
in cells A1..D3. The first row contains the first constraint,
the second row represents the second constraint and the third row
contains the function we are trying to maximize. Cells A6..B8
contain the solution which was obtained by the series of
keystrokes:
/ALA1..D3{ENTER}A6{ENTER}
Note that {ENTER} here is used to denote pressing the ENTER key.
[A ]........A│.......B│.......C│.......D│.......E│
▐ 1│ 6 2 le 36
▐ 2│ 2 4 le 32
▐ 3│ 10 5 eq max
▐ 4│
▐ 5│
▐ 6│max 70
▐ 7│X1 4
▐ 8│X2 6
The solution indicates that the maximum value of the function is P =
70, and it occurs at the x and y values of x=4 and y=6.
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[104]·
FILE PASSWORD PROTECTION
This feature permits the user to protect a worksheet file and prevent
it from being loaded into AS-EASY-AS without the proper password.
The feature is activated when saving a worksheet file. When prompted
to specify a file name, the user must type the desired name followed
by a space and the letter 'p'.
At that point, the user is asked to specify a password Up to 20
characters and numbers). Once entered, the File, Store operation is
completed and the worksheet file is saved with that password.
When retrieving a password protected file, the user is
presented with a prompt and asked to specify the password,
before the FIle, Retrieve operation is completed. Note that
the password must be typed in EXACTLY the same as when the file
was saved. Upper and lower case characters are NOT the same.
For example, the password 'Test' is NOT the same as 'TEST'
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[105]·
INDEX
3D-SIMULATION 98
ABSOLUTE ADDRESS 25
ABSOLUTE ADDRESS FUNCTION KEY 17
ARROW KEYS 12
ASEASY.PRT FILE 41
ASEASY.PRT FILE 42
AT&T MONOCHROME 9
ATT2 - MODE 9
AUTOEXEC MACRO 84
AUTOLOAD 9
BIN BOUNDARIES 10
BM - BYPASS MONO 9
BOX CHARACTERS 21
CALCULATE KEY 18
CFG - CONFIG FILE PATH 9
CGA MODE 10,99
CIRCULAR REFERENCES 29
CMDSTR 97
COLORS 98
COMBINING WORKSHEETS 31
COMMAND LINE 97
CONDENSED PRINT 37
CONFIGURATION 97
COPY FORMULAS 27
COPY VALUES 27
CTR - CENTER COLUMN HEADINGS 9
CURSOR 88
CURSOR KEY 15
DATA BIN 53
DATA COMMANDS 51
DATA DISTRIBUTION 53
DATA FILL 51
DATA INPUT 51
DATA INPUT FORM 56
DATA REGRESSION 54
DATA SORT 52
DATABASE 58
DATABASE RANGE 58
DATING A PAGE 39
DBASE IMPORT 32
DEFAULT DIRECTORY 9
DEFAULT OPTIONS 97
DEFAULT SETUP 99
DIMENSIONS 98
DISTRIBUTION OF DATA 53
DOS VERSION 7
DOT MATRIX 7,38
DOT MATRIX PRINTERS 44
DW - HIGHLIGHT CELLS 9
EDIT 21
EDIT CELL 17
EGA GRAPHICS MODE 100
EGA TEXT MODE 99
EM - MONOCHROME EGA 9
EMBEDDED CODES 40
EMS 7
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[106]·
ENHANCED GRAPHICS ADAPTOR 9
ENTERING A MACRO 16
ENTERING AN EQUATION 16
ENTERING FORMULAS 20
EVM - MONOCHROME VGA 9
EXIT 35
EXPANDED MEMORY 7,10
EXPORTING 30
EXTERNAL FUNCTIONS 102
EXTRACT CRITERION 58
F1 16,17
F2 17
F3 17
F4 17
F5 18
F6 18
F7 18
F9 18
FILE LIST 34
FILE OUTPUT 98
FILE PASSWORD PROTECTION 105
FOREIGN CURRENCY 99
FORMAT 25
FORMULAS 22
FORMULAS - POINTING 22
FORMULAS - TYPING 22
GENERAL OPTIONS 97
GOALSEEKING 54
GOTO KEY 18
GRAPH COMBINING TEXT AND GRAPHICS 49
GRAPH FONT SIZE 46
GRAPH FONT TYPE 46
GRAPH FORMAT 45
GRAPH MERGE 49
GRAPH NAME 47
GRAPH OPTIONS 45
GRAPH PLOT 48
GRAPH RANGES 45
GRAPH SAVE 50
GRAPH TITLES 46
GRAPHICS 44
GRAPHICS CHARACTERS 21
GRAPHICS MODE 99
HARDWARE 7
HELP 16
HERC GRAPHICS MODE [25] 100
HERC GRAPHICS MODE [43] 100
HERCULES 9
HERCULES, PAGE #2 9
IMPORT 32
IMPORT TEXT 34
IMPORT VALUES 34
INPUT FORM 56
INSTALLATION 8
KEYBOARD 15
LABEL 19
LARGE 40 COL MODE 99
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[107]·
LASERJET 44
LASERJET PRINTERS 38
LIMIT EMS USAGE 11
LINEAR PROGRAMMING 103
LSF 54
MACRO COMMANDS 87
MACRO DEFINITION 84
MACRO EXECUTION 85
MACRO KEY 17
MACRO KEYWORDS 86
MACRO NAME 84
MACROS 84
MANUAL RECALC 10
MATH COPROCESSOR 11
MATHEMATICAL OPERATORS 20
MATRIX OPERATIONS 60
MEMORY 7
MENUS 12
MONITOR (EGA) 7
MONITOR (SVGA) 7
MONITOR (VGA) 7
MONITOR HERCULES 7
MONITOR MONOCHROME 7
MONO EGA GRAPHICS MODE 100
MONO VGA GRAPHICS MODE 100
MONOCHROME (B&W) 10
MOUSE 7,8
MOUSE POINTING 23
MOVE FORMULAS 28
MOVE VALUES 27
NAMED GRAPH 47,48,50
NAMED RANGE 16,24,26,31,78,85
NON-TURBO KEYBOARD 10
OPERATING SYSTEM 7
ORDER FORM 114
OUTPUT DEVICE 98
P - USE ALTERNATE MENU 10
PAGE BREAKS 39
PAGE FOOTERS 39
PAGE HEADERS 39
PAGE LENGTH 37
PAGE LENGTH 37
PAGE NUMBERS 39
PAGESET 94
PANELS 98
PIC FILE 44
PRINT CONTROL CODES 41
PRINT ENHANCEMENT 42
PRINT FILE 42
PRINT MARGINS 37
PRINT MENU 36
PRINT TO A FILE 42
PRINT TYPE 41
PRINTER BORDERS 37
PRINTER CODE 41
PRINTER CONTROL FILE 41
PRINTER DRIVERS 99
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[108]·
PRINTER ESCAPE CODE 41
PRINTER INSTALL 99
PRINTER SET-UP FILE 17
PRINTER SETUP CODE 17
PRINTER SETUP FILE 17
PRINTER SETUP STRINGS 17
PRINTERS 7
PRINTING 36
PRINTING COMBINED TEXT AND GRAPHICS 43
PROTECT 81
PUNCTUATION OPTIONS 99
RANGE 24
RECALCULATION 28
REGRESSION 54
RELATIVE ADDRESS 25
RETRIEVING A FILE 31
ROUND ABSOLUTE 10
SAVE CONFIGURATION 101
SAVING A FILE 29
SCREEN BLANKING 9
SETUP COLORS 98
SHELL TO DOS 101
SMART CURSOR 16
SORTING DATA 52
SPARSE MATRIX 7
STRING FUNCTIONS 62
SUPER VGA - DEFAULT 100
SUPER VGA MODE 100
TEXT MODE 99
UK PUNCTUATION 10
USER FORMATS 100
USER OPTIONS 97
USING PRINT VIEW 43
VALUE 19
VGA GRAPHICS MODE 100
VGA MONITOR/CARD 9
VIDEO MODES 99
VIEW KEY 18
VIEWS 14
VIRTUAL DRIVE PATH 10
VIRTUAL MEMORY 7,10
WINDOW KEY 18
WINDOWS 14
WINDOWS 3.0 7
#OR# & #AND# Operators 73
@ABS 66
@ACI 70
@ACOS 66
@ACOSH 66
@ASIN 66
@ASINH 66
@ATAN 66
@ATANH 66
@AUTO 78
@AVEDEV 75
@AVG 75
@BAL 70
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[109]·
@BESSELI 66
@BESSELJ 66
@BESSELK 66
@BESSELY 66
@BETA 66
@BETAI 66
@CASE 78
@CEIL 67
@CELL 62
@CELLPT 62
@CHR 64
@CLEAN 64
@COLS 78
@COMB 75
@COS 67
@COSH 67
@COUNT 75
@COUNTA 75
@CSC 67
@CTERM 70
@CTN 67
@DATE 82
@DATEVAL 82
@DAY 82
@DDB 70
@DEC 78
@DET 67
@DMS 67
@DOSVER 78
@ERF 67
@ERR 74
@EXACT 64
@EXP 67
@FACT 75
@FALSE 67
@FILEINFO 78
@FIND 64
@FLOOR 67
@FV 70
@GAMMALN 67
@GAMMAP 67
@GAMMAQ 67
@GAUSS 75
@HEX 78
@HOUR 82
@HTABLE 78
@HTERP 79
@IF 73
@INDEX 79
@INT 67
@INTG 68
@IORESULT 80
@IRR 71
@ISERR 74
@ISNA 74
@ISNUM 73
@ISSTR 73
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[110]·
@KURT 75
@LEFT 64
@LENGTH 64
@LENGTH 80
@LINK 80
@LN 68
@LOG 68
@LOGB 68
@LOWER 64
@MAX 75
@MEDIAN(range) 76
@MEMAVAIL 80
@MID 64
@MIN 76
@MINUTE 82
@MOD(x,y) 68
@MONTH 82
@N 64
@NA 68
@NOT 74
@NPV 71
@ORD 65
@PATH 80
@PERM 76
@PI 68
@PMT 71
@PMTP 71
@POISSON 76
@PROPER 65
@PSUM 76
@PV 71
@QCOUNT 76
@QMAX 76
@QMIN 76
@QSTD 77
@QSUM 77
@QVAR 77
@QVIEW 81
@RAND 68
@RANK 77
@RATE 71
@RECUR 68
@REPEAT 65
@RIGHT 65
@ROUND(x,y) 68
@ROWS 81
@S 65
@SEC 68
@SECOND 82
@SIN 68
@SINH 68
@SKEW 77
@SLN 71
@SQRT(x) 68
@STD(Range) 77
@STDU 77
@STR 65
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[111]·
@SUM 77
@SYD 72
@TAN 68
@TANH 69
@TERM 72
@TIME 83
@TIMEVAL 83
@TODAY 83
@TRACE 77
@TRIM 65
@TRUE 69
@UPPER 65
@USER 81
@VAL 65
@VAR 77
@VARU 77
@VERSION 81
@VTABLE 81
@VTERP 82
@XYTERP 69
@YEAR 83
{APPEND F#, "FileName"} 87
{BEEP X} 87
{BLANK Range} 87
{BORDEROFF} 87
{BORDERON} 88
{CALL Location} or {RangeName} 88
{CHDIR "Path"} 88
{CLOSE F#} 88
{CLRSCR} 88
{DELAY X} 89
{ESCON} and {ESCOFF} 89
{EXIT} 89
{FOR COUNTER, START, STOP, STEP} 89
{GET CELL} 90
{GOTOXY A1,A2} 90
{IF Condition}Action... 90
{INDXY m,n} 90
{INKEY CELL} 91
{INLABEL "Prompt", Location} 91
{INRANGE "Prompt",Cell} 91
{INVALUE "Prompt", Location} 91
{IOINIT "COMn:Baud,PA,DB,SB,LEN,DL"} 91
{IOLABEL "String",Range} 92
{IOVALUE "String",Range} 92
{JUMP Location} 92
{LET A1,EXPRESSION} 93
{MENUCALL Location} 93
{MENUJUMP Location} 93
{MENUOFF} 93
{MENUON} 93
{MENUWIDTH x} 93
{MENUXY x,y} 94
{MKDIR "Path"} 94
{ONERROR} 94
{OPEN F#,M#,"Filename"} 94
{PICK Range,Outcell} 94
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[112]·
{QUIT} 95
{READ F#, CellAddress} 95
{RECALC Range} 95
{RESTART} 95
{RET} 95
{RMDIR "Path"} 95
{SCRNOFF} 96
{SCRNON} 96
{TONE A1,A2} 96
{UPDATE} 96
{Validate "Prompt",......} 96
{WHILE Test,Action} 96
{WRITE "String"} 96
{WRITE F#, "String"} 97
{WRITELN "String"} 97
{WRITELN F#, "String"} 97
{?} 87
@@ 62
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[113]·
TRIUS PRODUCTS ORDER FORM
Name:________________________________ Title:___________________________
Company:_________________________________________________________________
Address:_______________________________ City:_________________________
State:______________ Zip:____________ Country:_____________________
Date:_______/_______/_______ Telephone: _____________________________
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Product # Price/ea* Total
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
DRAFT Choice for Windows ___ $59.00 ______
AS-EASY-AS 5.5 (Spreadsheet, DOS) ___ $69.00 ______
DRAFT Choice 2.15 (DOS) ___ $49.00 ______
DRAFT Choice Productivity Pack (DOS) ___ $69.00 ______
ProtoCAD 3D (Rendering, DOS) ___ $59.00 ______
StarFlic (Animator Player, DOS) ___ $29.00 ______
DRAFT Choice PLUS v3.00 (DOS) ___ $99.00 ______
PIVOT (Sideways Printing, DOS) ___ $15.00 ______
ALITE /R (Spreadsheet, DOS, TSR) ___ $20.00 ______
DCLIB1 (Symbol Libraries) ___ $19.00 ______
DCLIB2 (Symbol Libraries) ___ $19.00 ______
XTRAN (File Transfer, DOS) ___ $19.00 ______
PRINT-GL (Plotter Util., DOS) ___ $50.00 ______
ODYSSEY 2.0 (for DOS) ___ $89.00 ______
ODYSSEY 2.0 (for Windows) ___ $79.00 ______
Precision Mapping (DOS,CD-ROM) ___ $79.00 ______
Precision Mapping (Windows CD-ROM) ___ $79.00 ______
Precision Mapping Lite (Windows CD-ROM) ___ $14.00 ______
Power Menu Plus (DOS) ___ $59.00 ______
PC Outline (DOS) ___ $49.00 ______
MindReader (DOS) ___ $59.00 ______
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
** SUB-TOTAL _________
* Mass Residents add appropriate sales tax . . . . . . . . . . . . ______
** Shipping and Handling: within U.S.A. Add $6.00 for each copy,
for Canada, Add $8.50 ea, for Other Countries, Add $12.50 ea ______
TOTAL ENCLOSED _________
Disk Size:[ ] 5.25" [ ] 3.5" [ ] Check [ ] Visa [ ] MC [ ] AMEX
Card# ________________________________________ Exp. Date __________
Signature ______________________________________________________________
Mail form with Payment to:
TRIUS, Inc., P.O. BOX 249, N. Andover, MA 01845-0249
Orders ONLY, Call 1-800-GO-TRIUS
Prices subject to change without notice! [Call After May 1996]
For latest prices and information you may call: (508) 794-9377
AS-EASY-AS·5.7·········Copyright·1995,·TRIUS,·Inc.··············[114]·