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N M ////////////////////ê N O ////////////////////ë N M ////////////////////ÿ N O ////////////////////Ö N M ////////////////////í N O ////////////////////ó N M ////////////////////▒ N O ////////////////////▓ N M ////////////////////┴ N O ////////////////////┬ N M ////////////////////╘ N O ////////////////////╒ ' N M ////////////////////ⁿ N O ////////////////////² N M //////////////////// N O //////////////////// N M //////////////////// N O ////////////////////( N M ////////////////////; N O ////////////////////< N M ////////////////////I N O ////////////////////J N M ////////////////////V N O ////////////////////W N M ////////////////////` N O ////////////////////a N M 2[ < 5[ 2[ < 5[ 2[ < 5[ 2[ < 5[ CAUTION If you are reading this document on any version of Black
Magic lower than 1.4, we do not recommend that you continue
as ths version contains features specific to 1.4 that may
not function on your machine. Click To Continue About This Suppplement ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ │ Reading │ │ Hardware │ │ Installing│ │ .INI File│ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ │ Printouts│ │ Menus │ │ Command O.│ │
Readers │ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ │ Misc. │ │ Placehold│ │ Justify │ │ Margins │ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ │ Convert │ │ Searching│ │ DOS Link │ │ File Links│ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ │ Link NoNos│ │ Reports │ │ ASCII │ │ DOS Shell│ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ │ MAGREAD │ │ GRABIT │ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ About This Supplement This supplement is arranged as a series of replacement
links all in a single window. Due to this arrangement, the
document can be easily printed out by opening all the
replacement links and pressing <Ctrl> P. To facilitate the
printing out of this document, the use of advanced
hypertext features has been kept to a minimum. Supplement Version 1.4 This supplement addresses various points not in the original manual. &Reading This Supplement ' Hardware Requirements
( Installation ) The .INI File *Printouts & Files +Menus ,Command Line Options
-READERS .Miscellaneous /Place Holders 0Justification ! 1Margins # 2The Convert Program " 3Global Search ! " 4Dos Link # $ 5More Information On File Links % & $ 6Link Restrictions ' ( 7Reporting Function ) * % 8Extended Character Set + , 9DOS Shell - . :RunTime Version - MAGREAD.EXE / 0 ;Graphic Image Import Hardware Requirements Black Magic will requires either an EGA graphics card, a CGA graphics card, or a Hercules card, a hard disk, and 384K of memory for operation. Mouse support is included for Microsoft and compatible mice. Black Magic may also be used on VGA graphics systems, but it will operate the system in EGA mode. Reading This Supplement In this supplement (and in this manual), the commands that the user is intended to type and enter into the computer are depicted by the use of Bold face type. Similarly any named keys that need to be pressed (such as Enter) are depicted by the name of the key in bold face type encased in angle brackets. For example, <Enter> means that you are supposed to press the Enter key. Installation The original installation procedure (detailed on page 1-5) has been completely revised. This is the new install procedure that you are to follow. 1. Place Disk # 1 (it is labeled "SYSTEM DISK") in disk drive A: and type: A: <Enter> INSTALL <Enter> You will now be prompted for the details of your computer configuration via a self explanatory installation program. After entering the relevant information (such as directories), the program will install Black Magic for your computer system and copy all the files to their relevant directories. Black Magic uses a initialization file generated by the install program to define its initial configuration. This file is named MAGIC.INI and is simply an ascii text file arranged in a certain fashion. The purpose of using an ascii file is that it allows those with the desire to alter the .INI file to their tastes to do so. This file can be altered with an ascii editor as desired. The .INI file is updated each time the Configuration Screen is modified upon exit from Black Magic. Following is a listing of a complete MAGIC.INI file. NOTE - None of these have to appear in your .INI file. Indeed you may not have one at all. However if you wish to alter your .INI file by hand, the order in which they appear is important. A Complete MAGIC.INI File - .INI File Listing Comment or Options System Path= C:\MAGIC The path with MAGIC.EXE Document Path = C:\MAGIC\FILES Default Document Path Printer Driver = EPSON.DRV Current Printer Driver installed BookMark = On Could be On/Off/Query Markers = On On First 'On' says Link Markers are in
Color Second 'On' says Link Markers are
Shown Colors = 0 0 0 0 Acceptable Values are 0 - 15 for
Each Text Color, Background Color,
Block Color, Block Background Color.
Note: The Text & the background color
can't be equal. The 0 - 15 Color
Scheme is that of the EGA Card Margins = 10 70 Left Margin, Right Margin Values Between 1 - 79 Tab Stops = 10 Values Between 1 - 78 Note Window = 40 5 Default Note Window Width, Height Values Between 10 - 78, 3 - 22 Note - As previously stated, not all of these items need be present in the .INI file, but those that are there must be in the above order. Also the syntax shown here of lower case words with a capital first letter and a space between everything is necessary. In the manual, there are references to various files and printouts whose location and names have since changed. Current Information is as follows: README.ART - This file contains a listing of the ClipArt that comes with Black Magic. On page 1-4, a reference is made to the "Addendum Sheets" and a listing of the number of disks, the disk names, and the contents of each disk. These files are no longer relevant and do not exist. Menus Version 1.4 features an expanded and revised menu structure to make creating documents easier for the novice. The new menu system has the following main commands: Comment Menu Heading: File File Commands - Load, Save, etc. Sub Menu: Import\Export Importing & Exporting files. Sub Menu: Print Print files, printer options. Menu Heading: Edit Editing Commands - Delete line, Cut, Copy, etc. Menu Heading: Format Changing the appearance of the text. Sub Menu: Style Change text appearance - bold, italics, etc. Sub Menu: Justify Alter justification, Center text. Sub Menu: Margins Change Left & Right Margins Menu Heading: Link Creating hypertext links Sub Menu: Reference New Text. Point Mode, & File Links Menu Heading: Search Find and Replace commands Menu Heading: Go Commands to move about - Map, Collapse etc. Menu Heading: Macros Commands to define and run macros. Menu Heading: Util Helpful utilities. Menu Heading: Window Commands to manipulate note windows. Menu Heading: Help Brings Up the Help Screen. Comments The underlined letter in each of the above menu heading may be combined with the <Alt> key to activate that menu directly. For example, pressing <Alt> F will display the file menu. To create the new menu system, changes were made to both the previous menu system and the <Alt> key combinations. Menu Changes The Exit command is now accessible under the File menu. The file utilities (Delete, Copy, Rename) have been moved to the File menu under the Util heading. <Alt> Key Changes <Alt> M, Show/Hide Mouse, has been changed to <Alt> P (P stands for pointing device). <Alt> H. Show/Hide Link markers, has been changed to <F4>. Reader Changes The menu in the reader has been updated to be consistent with these changes, and all of the unusable reader commands have been removed to eliminate confusion for users. Command Line Options Black Magic will automatically configure itself for your computer graphics card; however in some situations this is not desirable. To circumvent this, Command Line options can be entered to force Black Magic into certain graphics modes. The available command line options are: Command Line Option Effect /EGA Forces Black Magic into EGA mode /HERC Forces Black Magic into Hercules mode /CGA Forces Black Magic into CGA mode /EGAMONO Forces Black Magic into EGA mode with a monochrome screen Command Line options are used by specifying them when Black Magic is run. To use them, you enter the following at the DOS prompt: MAGIC /HERC This example would force Black Magic into Hercules graphics mode. Any of the command line options can be used in this fashion. NOMOUSE The other command line option available is that of /NOMOUSE. This option will disable the mouse support in Black Magic automatically. The purpose of this is that on certain IBM compatibles and on Genuine IBM PCs with an expansion chassis, there is conflict with our mouse driver and Black Magic will not execute. Therefore if you are having trouble executing Black Magic, you may wish to try using the /NOMOUSE option This option is specified by entering the following at the DOS prompt: MAGIC /NOMOUSE The /NOMOUSE option may also be used in conjunction with the other command line options by specifying them in the following fashion: MAGIC /HERC /NOMOUSE The above example would force Black Magic into running on a Hercules board and disable the mouse support. Again any of the other command line options could have been used in place of the '/HERC'. Readers When Black Magic was originally released, there were three separate reader programs; one for the CGA, one for the HGA, and one for the EGA. These programs were called READEGA.COM, READCGA.COM and so on. To make things easier for our users, we have combined the three reader programs into one. This new program functions on VGA, EGA, CGA, and HGA systems automatically, and is now in a file named MAGREAD.ARC. Memory Overlays The use of Memory Overlays has been removed from the control of the user. Memory Overlay use is now limited only to those users with sufficient expanded memory to load them. When sufficient expanded memory is present in a system, the memory overlays are loaded automatically into it; otherwise they are not used at all. Your computer may require the installation of a driver to take advantage of Expanded Memory. See your hardware manual for further details. Temporary Mouse Shutdown Occasionally people that use mice on their system want to turn them off for one reason or another. In Black Magic, this is implemented using the <Alt> P key combination. To turn off your mouse, press: <Alt> P. To turn it on again press: <Alt> P a second time. Hide Markers A new command not well detailed in the original manual is that of the <F4> or Hide Marker command. When <F4> is pressed, all of the link markers are automatically hidden from view. Press it again and they reappear. The purpose of this command is to allow you to 'zoom' in on a specific spot in a document and not be distracted by the other links that are available to be followed. Note: This can also be accomplished using the Configuration screen. PlaceHolders Another feature whose documentation could use amplification is that of Place Holders. In a paper book, you can have multiple pieces of paper holding your place. This allows you a tremendous amount of flexibility in 'jumping' from spot to spot. Black Magic has this sort of flexibility also. Black Magic supports up to 9 (1 - 9) electronic placeholders. A Placeholder in Black Magic allows you to assign a key combination of the form <alt> <NumberKey> to a place in a document, then by pressing the <Alt> <NumberKey> combination again, you can instantly leap to that spot in the document. The placeholders work across hypertext links also so this gives even more added flexibility. Placeholders are extremely useful when creating a large hypertext document. By assigning them to the major links in the document, places can be reached almost instantly, this makes the various editing operations that one goes through in document revision very easy to accomplish. To assign a placeholder to a spot in a document, position the cursor where you wish the placeholder to be assigned to and press: <Alt> - (Minus Sign) <NumberKey> <Enter> Where '-' is the minus key on the keyboard and <NumberKey> is any of the number keys from 1 to 9. As you can see a dialog box comes up when the <Alt> - (Minus Sign)combination is pressed, and then the <NumberKey> for the placeholder is entered and <Enter> is pressed. To jump to a placeholder that has previously been defined, press <Alt> <Numberkey> (for the placeholder), and you will be there instantly. To eliminate a placeholder that already exists, either use <Alt> = <NumberKey> <Enter> to remove it, or simply define a new placeholder with the same <NumberKey> as the old placeholder. Placeholders will also be eliminated when the text that they point to has been deleted. Justification Justification's implementation is inconsistent with what is described in the manual. The default for justification in Black Magic is that of left justified text. This is what is always shown on screen in editing mode. The other options for justification are Right Justify (<Ctrl> <F8>) and Full Justification (<Alt> <F8>). To change a window's justification, press one of the below control keys: Key Effect <Shift> <F8> Left Justified <Alt> <F8> Full Justified <Ctrl> <F8> Right Justified When one of the above keys is pressed, a dialog box will come up and query you as to whether or not the window's justification should be changed. By answering 'Y', the window will be justified as per the key combination that you pressed. Note: The effects of a justification command are not apparent on screen, the justification only appears in reader mode (<Alt> <F2>). Margins The Margin commands in Black Magic have enhanced and changed from what is stated in the manual. There are three ways to change the margins in Black Magic: <Alt> L, <Alt> R, and by using the Configuration Screen. <ALT> L and <Alt> R are both used to change the margins in the current window. The current window is simply the active area that you are typing a document in. The advantage to being able to set margins on an individual window basis is that in a large hypertext document, you may wish to use various different ways of formatting the document. The ability to change margins on a per window basis allows you this flexibility. To change the margins for an individual window, press either <Alt> L or <Alt> R. A dialog box will then come up for you to enter the new margin into. After entering the new values and pressing <Enter>, the current window will be reformatted to the new margins. The other method of changing margins is through the use of the Configuration screen. When the margins are adjusted on the configuration screen, they are adjusted for all windows yet to be created. What this means is that when you change a margin setting on the Configuration screen, it does not reformat the entire document to those new margins; instead any new reference links that you make will have the new margins automatically. To change the margins using the configuration screen, press the following: <Alt> C <DownArrow> <DownArrow> Now enter a new left margin, and press enter. Then enter a new right margin and press enter. Then Press: <Esc> This will make the configuration screen go away and now the new right and left margins will be used automatically for any new windows that are created. The Convert Program For people who have upgraded from previous versions of Black Magic, a note about the CONVERT utility is necessary. NOTE - ONLY those who have used previous versions of Black Magic and have files with graphics in them need worry about the CONVERT utility. Black Magic's screen grabber, GrabIt,(version 1.20 or later) automatically
saves files in the new format. Grabit features a compressed graphics file format for faster file loading of graphics files and more importantly for smaller files. However despite the use of this new file format, all old graphics files are compatible with Black Magic. If you wish to get the speed and size benefits of the new format on your old (Version 1.1 and lower) files, it is necessary to use the convert utility on the graphics files. Convert is a small program run at the DOS level that simply converts a graphics file from the old format to the new format. Typically a savings of 35 to 50% is witnessed in file size. Using Convert Purpose: Change a file from the Version 1.0 graphics file format to the
1.20 file format. Format : CONVERT [d:] [path] filename Switches: None; wildcards may be used however. Remarks: When the CONVERT command is entered, it takes the specified
filename and automatically converts it from the 1.0 file
format to the 1.20 file format. Both path statements and
wildcards may be used in the command parameter. This allows
you to convert for than one graphics file at once, and also specify its location remotely (I.e. CONVERT.COM need not be in
the same directory as the files). Examples of CONVERT Syntax: CONVERT PICTURE.MGR CONVERT C:\MAGIC\FILES\PICTURE.MGR CONVERT \MAGIC\FILES\*.MGR Global Search Black Magic also features the ability to search all nodes of a document for a particular word or phrase. In version 1.2 of Black Magic, the text search function was only capable of searching the current node. Now all nodes, or any single node, may be searched for the desired text. Operation In operation, searches seem to operate just as they have done before. The primary difference is in seen in the search options menu. This Menu is brought up by pressing <Ctrl> O or <F10L> <B><F10> S O<L>. When this menu comes up on screen, you will notice that one option has been removed, and one option added. Search Options The Forward search option has been removed. Now all search operations occur from the cursor location forward to the end of the node and then they loop back to the beginning to search until the cursor location when the search was executed. The new option to the search options menu is that of: All Windows: On/Off When this is set to on, then all of the windows or nodes in a document will be searched starting at the current window, moving forward until the last window, and then starting at the beginning until the window that you started on is reached. This option is controlled with the left and right arrow keys. The default setting for this option is 'Off' or limit searches to the current window only. Due to the large size of many hypertext documents, executing and all window search or replace can be very time consuming. It is for this reason that the default setting for the all windows operation is 'Off'. Additionally any all windows operation can be aborted by pressing <Esc>. When <Esc> is pressed, Black Magic will finish the current window and then abort the operation. If a document contains file links, Black Magic will not automatically search all linked files. Global searches are limited to the current document only. The reason for this is the amount of time that it takes to load more than one document and search through it and then all related documents. Search Options To clarify these search options, press <Ctrl> O to see the search options
menu. DOS Links The Dos link (<Ctrl> <F3>)is used to exit Black Magic, perform an operation (or several operations) at the DOS level and then re-enter Black Magic exactly where you left off. The uses for this new link type are near endless. Some examples include the ability to create custom DOS Shells using Hypertext, the ability to integrate hypertext with the power of a full expert system, and the ability to integrate hypertext into systems of your own design. Using DOS Links First of all, Black Magic's DOS link is not simply shelling to DOS, running a program, and then returning to Black Magic. Instead it is actually exiting Black Magic to DOS, running a custom Batch File which performs the desired task, reloading Black Magic and also the document that you were using when you exited. This rather indirect method was chosen because of memory constraints. Once both Black Magic and a hypertext document are loaded, there is often not enough memory to shell to DOS and accomplish anything useful. By unloading Black Magic itself, there is always enough memory to link from Black Magic to large memory hungry programs like expert systems. Explanation OF DOS Link DOS links are simply a command to leave Black Magic and execute a predefined Batch File. Then after the Batch file is run, it can reload Black Magic and the document file that you were working with. The batch file that defines every DOS link is written when the DOS link is created. After pressing <Ctrl> <F4> to indicate a DOS link, a window comes up on screen for the entry
of the batch file. The user can now write the batch file that defines the operation of the DOS link. Once the Batch file is complete, pressing <Esc> finishes the link. When the link is activated, Black Magic then writes the contents of the window to a DOS batch file that is saved to the document directory when the link is activated. When the DOS link is activated, it can function in two different ways, Editor (File) Mode or Reader Mode. Editor Mode When Black Magic is in editor mode, activating a DOS Link by pressing or using the mouse, first brings the window up on screen with the contents of the Batch file in it. This allows you to edit the batch file. Then if you still wish to activate the DOS Link, pressing <F1> a second time inside the window activates the link. Reader Mode In reader mode or when you are using MAGREAD to read a hypertext document, the DOS Link acts differently. Here because nothing can be edited, activating the link simply exits Black Magic and executes the batch file. It happens directly without any pauses and is not an abortable process. Creating A DOS Link DOS Links are created in the same fashion as any other link type. First a Block of text is marked, then the DOS Link Key (<L><Ctrl> <F3><F3>) is pressed. Now a note link type window will come up on screen for the entry of the DOS batch file. Once the batch file is entered, the following line must be added to the end of it. Statement Comment @RESTART (Reloads Black Magic with the Correct file) This last line must be present in the batch file or Black Magic will not properly return and reload the correct file. Comments When a DOS link is executed from within the MAGIC.EXE program itself, you may feel that it is slow in operation. This is primarily due to the fact that MAGIC has to first save the current file to disk (to save any changes) and then exit to DOS and execute the Batch file. When a DOS link is activated using the reader (MAGREAD.EXE) then the performance is substantially improved because the file does not have to be saved. Examples The following example will demonstrate how to create a DOS link that leaves Black Magic, loads Microsoft Excel and a spreadsheet file, allows you to do some work and then return to Black Magic automatically. The file that we are working with is called EXCEL.MAG. It is a hypertext document that talks about the advantages of using Microsoft Excel over Lotus 123. At the first occurrence of the word Excel (First node, Top Center), we are going to mark it as a block. Once it is marked as a block, press <L><Ctrl ><F3> <F3>. A DOS link window will come up on screen to enter the batch file. Below is the complete batch file to be entered. CD\WINDOWS EXCEL LOTUS.XLS @Restart The above batch file will exit Black Magic when the link is activated, change the current directory to c:\windows and then load excel and the file LOTUS.XLS. When you exit excel, the Batch file will resume execution and change the current directory to C:\MAGIC and then load magic and the file that you were working on.Note - the above example file can be downloaded from the Hyperboard! (203-366-5698) as EXCEL.MAG. File Links File Links, a way to join two or more .MAG files together, are now substantially easier to use. A file link can now be created through the use of the menu systems as opposed to the previous method. The key item to note in creating file links is that both files must previously have been created. A file link then acts to join these two existing files together. Creating A File Link To create a file link, first mark the link originator as a block (use <Shift> <ArrowKey>). Next, press <F10> I E F. This signifies that a reference link is to be created to a file. Black Magic will now prompt you for the file to link to. After the file name is entered and <Enter> is pressed, Black Magic will save the current file to disk and then load the requested file. With the new file up on screen, goto the section of the document that you wish to link to and mark it as a block. After it is marked, press <Esc>. Black Magic will then reload the original file after <Esc> is pressed. Comments One thing to note about file links is that their performance is dependent on the size of the file that they have to load. The implication here is that you would be better off structuring your documents to be file linked together as many smaller documents rather than one monolithic document. A second thing to note is that file links will always perform better running under the reader (MAGREAD.EXE) than under the writer (MAGIC.EXE). The reason for this is that under the writer, the file must always be saved before the linked file can be loaded. Under the reader there is not this restriction. Link Restrictions Although linking in Black Magic appears completely freeform, without any restrictions, it is not. There are certain restrictions that if not followed will cause errors in Black Magic or in your file. These restrictions are as follows: Links must be made one at a time. Each link must be finalized before
another link can be made. Don't Cut, Copy, and Paste Links. It is possible to do this, but it
gives erratic results so it is not advised. Note Links are one way. You cannot link further from inside
a Note link. Reporting Function New to version 1.4 is the reporting function. This feature allows you to create reports for each link that are written to an ascii file when the link is activated. This feature is particularly useful for passing parameters between Black Magic and other programs. Another use for this is tracking the sections of a document that a user has read. Using the Report Function Reports can be defined for any existing link type: Reference, Note, DOS and Replacement . Also, reports can be defined for any link type originating out of a graphic. To create a report for a link, move the cursor between the two link markers for the link you wish to add a report to. Next press the Report Key (<Ctrl> <F1>) or issue the Report command from the Link menu. A dialog box similar to those used for the entry of DOS links will appear on screen: The first line to enter in the report must be the following: @FILENAME.EXT The '@' indicates to Black Magic that what follows is the filename that the report is to be written to. The 'FILENAME' should be replaced with the name of the file that you wish the report written to. The 'EXT' is any three character extension that you wish, but it is not required. Note: without the first line indicated above, Black Magic will disregard the report and NOT generate a file because it will not recognize the filename to write to. The next step is to enter the rest of the report. This is simply the text of the report that should be written to the ascii file. It can be of any length and does not require any special characters to end it. After the report is finished, simply press <Esc> and the report is completed. Now whenever the link is activated, the report will be written to the filename defined in the first line of the report. Editing and Deleting Reports To edit a report, simply move the cursor between the link markers of the link that has the report you wish to edit and press the report key (<Ctrl> <F1>) or give the Report command from the Link menu. The existing report will come up on screen and then can be edited as can any other piece of text. To delete a report, simply call up the report as described above and delete all the text that is there. Replacement Links Replacement links in Black Magic can be viewed as being "double sided" or circular in that there is no actual clearly defined originating state to a replacement link like there is with a Reference or Note link. A benefit to this is that both "sides" of the replacement link can have different reports assigned to them. Two such reports are defined below: @@SIDE1.TXT This came from the first side of the link Hi ! @@SIDE2.TXT This came from the second side of the link Bye ! When the replacement link was first activated, the file SIDE1.TXT would be created and the report written. The second time the link was activated, the file SIDE2.TXT would be created and the original side of the link would displayed on screen. Graphics and the Report Function Graphic links (links originating from a graphic) can also have reports defined for them. To add a report to a graphic link, first move the cursor onto the link as if you were going to activate it. Next press the Report key (<Ctrl> <F1>) and enter the report as described above. When you are finished entering the report, simply press <Esc> and the report will be finished. Writing Multiple Reports to a Single File One of the problems with report links and large hypertext documents is that if there are a large number of reports defined, many report files may be generated taking up valuable disk space. The solution to this is to generate reports that are appended to existing reports already written to files. Note: if there is not an existing report on disk then the report would be written to a new file. In order to append reports to existing files, two '@' signs must precede the filename on the first line. This is depicted below: @@FILENAME.TXT This was the First Link in the document The above report would be appended to the file FILENAME.TXT. Report Function and Commenting Reporting Function as Comment Function An additional use for the reporting function is that it can be used as a method of inserting non-displaying (to the reader) comments for yourself or other developers. This allows you to add information to the document only pertinent to the developer such as comments about unfinished work, link structure and so on. To add a comment to a link, simply press the Report key and do not enter a filename on the first line or the @ symbol. Then whatever comments that you wish to enter can be typed. After you are done, simply press <Esc> and the comment is finished. Extended Ascii Character Set Black Magic now supports the extended ASCII character set. This means that all characters from Character 32 to Character 255 can be entered into a document. Some of the uses for these characters include line drawing, table creation and mathematical equations. Using the Extended Characters The extended characters can be entered into Black Magic in two ways: Control Codes and Foreign Keyboards. Control Codes The entire extended character set can be entered into documents by holding down the <Alt> key and typing the number of the character that you wish entered. To use this method, hold down the <Alt> key and type the number of the character you wish entered on the numeric key pad. For example, typing <Alt> 33 will put the exclamation point (!) on screen. Similarly typing <Alt> 171 yields the ½ sign. Foreign Keyboards Most versions of MS-DOS come with keyboard drivers to adapt the standard PC keyboard to local conditions. These drivers have a file name of KEY???.COM, where the ??? indicates which country the driver is to be used for. To use extended characters with these drivers, first load the driver at the DOS prompt by typing the appropriate driver name. After Black Magic is loaded, the extended characters that are used directly by that language will be available from the keyboard. Note: Loading the driver does not give access to all the characters from the keyboard, only those that are used by the language. To access the other characters, the control codes method must be used. DOS Shell Black Magic now offers a DOS Shell to allow you to shell to DOS and quickly return to Black Magic. This allows you to exit Black Magic, invoke other programs and then return to Black Magic where you left off. A unique feature of Black Magic's DOS shell is that it uses virtually no memory (see DOSSHELL.BAT below), allowing you to run the most memory hungry applications without concern. Using The DOS Shell To use the DOS Shell, choose the DOS Shell option from the File menu. Black Magic will exit to DOS, leaving you free to execute whatever programs you need to. After you are done running other programs, type <Exit> and press <Enter>. This will reload Black Magic and the current document. Note: Since Black Magic now offers a DOS Shell, the File Copy, Delete, and Rename options have been removed from the Utilities menu. DOSSHELL.BAT To accomplish a DOS Shell that uses no memory, Black Magic relies on a file called DOSSHELL.BAT that is created during the install process and copied to the directory in which Black Magic is stored. For the DOS SHELL function to work properly, this file must be present. If you have any problems with the DOS Shell then you should check to see if the file is present. If it is not present, it can be created by reinstalling Black Magic or by creating the text file DOSSHELL.BAT with the lines listed below. C:\COMMAND.COM /S CD\MAGIC MAGIC /RESTART MAGREAD The runtime version of Black Magic, MAGREAD.EXE, for free distribution of documents remains largely unchanged. The only modifications were to add command keys for printing data and exporting text. These new Keystrokes are as follows: Key Stroke Function <Ctrl> P Print <Ctrl> E Export <R> Some Useful Keys for the Runtime - Overview Key Stroke Function <Ctrl> P Print <Ctrl> E Export <Ctrl> F Find <Ctrl> A Find Again <Ctrl> <RightArrow> Next Link <Ctrl> <LeftArrow> Previous Link <Ctrl> <Home> Top of Node <Ctrl> <End> Bottom of Node Import and Export of Ascii Files The import and Export of Ascii files function remains unchanged from previous versions, except for the above mentioned <Ctrl> E, export, function. Graphic Image Import The graphic image import has been accomplished by the enclosed Terminate and Stay Resident (TSR) program, GRABIT.COM. This program functions to grab onscreen graphics bitmaps from different DOS based graphics programs such as PC - Paintbrush. Grabit's functions remain unchanged from those documented on page 10-5 except for the implementation of "fast boxing" and rolling file names. Fast Boxing The "Fast Boxing" feature allows you to rapidly adjust the size of the onscreen graphics capture box when capturing an image from an application. To use this feature, simply hold down the <Shift> key in conjunction with the <ArrowKeys> when sizing the box. This allows you to adjust the size of the box in increments 8 times faster than simply using the <ArrowKeys> by themselves. Rolling File Names The "Rolling File Names" addition to Grabit allows multiple screens to be grabbed from a graphics application. To use this feature, Grabit must be started with the following parameters: GRABIT PICTURE /0 Where "PICTURE" is the name of the first file to be grabbed and the "/0" (zero) tells Grabit to activate the Rolling File Names feature. When this feature is activated, the first file grabbed will be: PICTURE.MGR The second file grabbed will be: PICTUR0.MGR The third file grabbed will be : PICTUR1.MGR This will continue, adding numbers to the file name and truncating part of it until the file name is completely replace by a series of numbers. It is for this reason that we recommend starting with a seven or eight character filename as it will give you the largest possible number of files to capture. You can restart the sequence by specifying a filename of PICT0154.MGR.
