Software of the Month Club 1996 August

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#1# EZ-Forms Executive by EZX Publishing and MaeDae Enterprises EZ-Forms Executive gives you the capability to use your computer to create forms tailor-made to suit your unique needs. Once created, these forms can be filled out and stored under code names pertaining to their use (i.e. billing, invoice, comments, etc). EZ-Forms Executive also gives you the capability to print and/or store completed or master forms. Comments or suggestions for improving EZ-Forms Executive will be appreciated. EZ-Forms Executive requires an IBM PC or compatible with at least 640K of RAM. Printers supported include the Epson graphics printers and most other dot matrix and laser printers. Display adapters known to work with EZ-Forms Executive are the IBM monochrome, color, and enhanced graphics adapters. #2# EZ-Forms Executive is asking you for the information necessary to fill out the user registration form. Please enter your name, address, etc. We need this information to be able to better serve you. Please make sure your printer is turned on and is ready for printing. Your registration form will be printed. Return this form as proof of purchase. Without it on file, we cannot offer you the full support you deserve. You will be asked this information only once. After you have installed EZ-Forms from drive A once, you will be able to run it from any drive or directory in your system. Just copy EZ-Forms along with its related help and manual files to your work drive or directory. NOTE: EZFX v2.5 requires 640K RAM as a minimum. A hard disk is strongly recommended for optimum operation. #10# A file input/output error has just occurred. This could be caused by many different situations. EZ-Forms Executive has caught the error and is giving you a general description of the error. Often you will need to just press a key a few times to allow EZ-Forms Executive to execute the next command. This will probably result in several additional warning messages but eventually they will stop. Things that can result in an error are running out of disk space while saving a form. Trying to export a form to a name that is the same as the name of a subdirectory will also cause an error. Many other things can also cause errors. Most of the common errors are checked for and add many extra lines of code to EZ-Forms Executive. If you don't understand why you got this error then please write up a software performance report describing the steps leading up to this problem. Please enclose a shift print screen of the error screen. Include your serial number. Sorry for the problem you are having in this area. #20# General help for all menus: This menu is broken up into two basic windows. The window at the top of your screen shows several options to choose from. The window at the bottom of the screen expands on what will occur if you choose the highlighted option (the one that has a different background color). Options may be selected in one of two ways. You can either press the first letter of the desired command or move the highlight bar over the desired option and press enter. To move the highlight bar use either the space bar, up arrow, down arrow, left arrow, or right arrow. You can also use home to move to the first top line item on the menu. This is very useful when you need a reference point on the main menu to start a macro from. Using the first letter of a command only works in the ACTIVE window. If you don't have any pulldown then the active window is the top window. Once you pulldown one of the options that becomes the active window. You must use one of the commands in the pulldown once it is active. You can always use Escape to back out of the pulldown and return to the top menu. #21# You are now using the EZ-Forms Executive Main Menu. From here you can access the main functional areas of EZ-Forms. Refer to the On-Line Manual to get a feel for what a fully featured forms manager can do. We have tried to design EZ-Forms to let you get your job done quickly and easily. Please feel free to forward any suggestions for improvement to us at EZX Publishing, Attn: EZ-Forms Author. #22# You are currently using the Editor Menu. From it you can execute many of the editor commands. When you highlight one of the editor commands the help at the bottom of the screen will provide additional information on the option. If you see a command (ex. (Alt+S) ) at the end of the help, use that command next time instead of the editor menu. The command is a short hand method of using the editor without the pulldown menu. There are two ways to call up the Editor Menu. 1. Escape - Means "I want to go to the Main Menu". The exit pulldown will be used allowing you to quickly exit. 2. F10 - This is the normal method. EZ-Forms will remember the last menu command and automatically highlight it. This allows easy access to groups of close commands. Example: Working with blocks you could use F10 and the block operations pulldown to mark the start of a block. The next time you press F10 you will find the block operations pulldown is automatically highlighted to allow you to easily mark the end of a block. #100# This screen provides basic information on the status of the EZ-Forms' Editor, your printer defaults, etc. Under the "Current printer related defaults" you will find the user function names. If you take a close look at the bottom of the editor screen you will notice a character attribute area. When you see a 1, 2, 3, or 4 pop up this is what it is referring to. The user functions are defined to contain specific information for each printer and can be customized by the user. See the printer installation area for more details. HP LaserJet specific information is listed on the next page. #101# Fonts are specified for the HP LaserJet using printer type 'E' thru combinations of user defined functions attached to each character. Other sections of the documentation give details on font naming conventions. Font Attributes How the font is selected ══════ ══════════ ══════════════════════════════════════════ Font 0 pub.... The default, no user defined functions. Font 1 pub1... Selected with Alt1. Font 2 pub.2.. Selected with Alt2. Font 3 pub..3. Selected with Alt3. Font 4 pub...4 Selected with Alt4. Font 5 pub1..4 Selected with Alt1+4. Font 6 pub.2.4 Selected with Alt2+4. Font 7 pub..34 Selected with Alt3+4. Font 8 pub1.34 Selected with Alt1+3+4. Font 9 pub.234 Selected with Alt2+3+4. Support for multiple fonts requires: 1. An HP LaserJet Plus, HP LaserJet Series II, or compatible 2. The EZX LaserJet Soft Fonts Support Pack ver 2.0 or greater 3. You install EZ-Forms Executive for the HP LaserJet -- type E printer #105# EZ-Forms Executive has now grown so large that we ran out of unique keys for editor commands. We reserved virtually the last key (Alt-) to call up an additional menu command. That is the menu that you are using now. Displayed are a list of additional commands available to you. Press the letter for which command you wish to execute. Press escape if you got here by accident. #107# You are being given the opportunity to save the displayed completed form before it is converted to a master form. If you have a copy of the completed form on disk, it will not be altered in any way. ONLY the in memory completed form is converted. #109# The completed form in memory will be converted to a master form. It won't affect anything you have already stored on disk. This process converts any protected areas without text into ~s. It then unprotects all text in the form. The last step is to convert the .FOF extension to .FRM and to convince EZ-Forms Executive that it is working with a master form. We have done everything possible to make EZ-Forms Executive "think" that the previous completed form is now a new master form. Even the completed form path is copied over the master form path. If this is confusing, we are sorry. Our intention was to give you as complete a transformation as was possible and to hide the depth of the required changes from you. #110# Field markers are used in two ways: ═══════════════════════════════════ In master forms you insert field markers (the ~ character) to mark areas you want protected in the completed form. By filling the unused areas of a form with the field markers you limit the area of the form that can be filled out later. In completed forms this option inserts the field markers into unprotected areas of your form to show where you can type. Field markers will be inserted into the form but won't print or in any way affect operation of EZ-Forms Executive. They only show you where you can type. The tab key will jump you between unprotected areas in the completed form (the fields). Note: Field markers can be entered and deleted using the keyboard keys. #111# This option gives you an easy way to draw a border around the outer edge of your form. The line will be solid, adding the correct characters at the corners of the form. Whatever was in the first character space around the outer edge of the form WILL be overwritten unless it is protected. The default line drawing palette will be used. Use Alt+L to alter the default palette. #112# This option allows you to remove the entire border from your form with a single keystroke. The first character position around the entire outer edge of the form will be erased unless it is protected. #113# The clear form option allows you to start again with a clean slate. It can be used in both master and completed forms. In a master form it will erase everything in the form. In a completed form it will erase only the information you have entered into the form since you called it up to fill it out. This is an easy way to start over if you really don't like the way a form looks. #114# EZ-Forms Executive allows you to use your computer's system clock to obtain the current date and time for use in your form. If you choose either date or time feed then the computer's clock will be checked for the current time or date and then inserted at the current cursor position. This option can be used in both master and completed forms. As much of the date or time as will fit will be inserted into the available space. Be careful if you are close to the right margin or protected characters. Date formats: 0 mm/dd/yy 06/15/89 Time formats: 24 hour formats (Example 1 mm-dd-yy 06-15-89 (Example 0 hh:mm:ss 13:30:15 using 2 yy-mm-dd 89-06-15 using 1 hh:mm 13:30 15 Jun 1989) 3 mmddyy 061589 1:30:15 PM) 12 hour AM/PM formats 4 yymmdd 890615 2 hh:mm:ss 01:30:15 PM 5 dd mmm yy 15 Jun 89 3 hh:mm 01:30 PM (Military) 6 Julian 9166 (last digit of year & 001-365 day of year) 7 dd/mm/yy 15/06/89 8 dd:mm:yy 15:06:89 9 ddmmyy 150689 A yy/mm/dd 89/06/15 B yy:mm:dd 89:06:15 C mm:dd:yy 06:15:89 #115# The commands for block operations in EZ-Forms Executive v2.5 are laid out differently than earlier versions. The basic reason for the change was to make a command set that was logical and easy to use. To make the transition easier we have included this Ctrl+K menu to translate as many of the old commands as possible into their exact duplicate in the commands for this new version of EZ-Forms. Sometimes that wasn't possible so you won't find them on this menu. Example: block fill for tilde ~. This is now part of the Ctrl+A, block attribute add command. It does much more than the old command but is not an exact replacement for Ctrl+K then I. All previous capability has been retained and greatly enhanced! Refer to the on-line manual under the block operations area for more information on how to use the new commands. #116# You can create many different sizes of forms in EZ-Forms Executive. One of the most common is 64 lines by 80 columns. Text 80 columns wide at 10 cpi will just fill a 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper. Most printers use 66 lines per page vertically. So allowing for a little leeway on positioning the printer head at the VERY top of the page, things should fit well. If you have a 80 column printer like the Epson MX80 you can print a form as large as 88 lines by 132 columns by using compressed print and 8 lines per vertical inch. Some of you who are lucky enough to have a wide carriage printer may be able to print up to 130 columns normal size print or about 230/240 in the compressed mode. The largest form you can print on a MX100 with wide paper is 88 lines (if you use 8 lpi) by 230/240 columns. Creation of HUGE forms: EZFX now supports forms over 15 pages long at 80 columns. The maximum size of a form is determined by available memory in your computer to store the form. You need about 600K free RAM for the 999 line (15 page) form mentioned above. You can create 132 column five page forms etc. Length times width (and your free RAM) determines the maximum size. If memory becomes fragmented, you will need to exit and re-run EZFX. #117# Considerations for HUGE forms: EZFX uses and then releases your available DOS memory to store large forms. This process, along with normal use of sections of EZFX, leads to your DOS memory space being fragmented. There is no way to avoid memory fragmentation. Fragmentation causes problems with the use/re-use of forms which occupy a large percentage of your RAM. You may be saying to yourself "My computer has 4MB of RAM. How can I be running out of memory when working with large forms?" Answer: Basically only the first 640K of RAM counts when working with DOS programs. This is not exactly true but close enough for explaining the problem. Everything you load (i.e. DOS, memory resident programs, etc.) subtracts from the 640K. When you finish, you may find using DOS's MEM or CHKDSK that you have only 500-550K of free RAM for use by EZFX. EZFX tries to provide a guess as to the maximum number of characters you can have in a form based on your available RAM and the size of the form currently in memory. If no form is in memory, this estimate is somewhat conservative. The larger your form already loaded in memory, the greater the chance that EZFX will NOT be able to fulfill a request for the maximum estimated form size. Since the form has to be located in a single memory group, the larger the form the greater the chance that a single big chunk of RAM can't be found from available DOS memory to hold the form. #118# Press G to start the graphics drawing. The default is N to prevent errors. You are now in a full screen graphics walk-around mode. Depending on the mode selected (see the characters in the lower right hand and upper right corner of the screen) different things will happen. Options are: G Graphics - A full screen walk-around mode where you use the cursor keys to draw figures. Whatever character is needed will be substituted to make the lines solid. N Neutral - You can walk around without affecting any characters. E Erase - Erase the character under where you move the cursor. D Drag - This mode will drag/repeat the character under the cursor as you move it around. Use N to position the cursor over the character to be repeated before using D. 1-4 Palette - Shorthand method to select the default graphics palette. P Pick - Pick a character from a table of supported characters. Press either G, N, E, D, 1-4, or P to select the function. The active mode is shown in the lower right corner of the screen. Note: P is valid only in modes D or N. In the other modes the inserted character is erased or overwritten and will not remain in your form. #119# Set the graphics palette with Alt+L. You can choose single line graphics, double line graphics, or a combination. As a short hand method press 1-4. A sample character based on the palette selected will appear in upper right corner of your screen. Esc will return you to the editor. #120# The patch function will try to connect any adjoining character graphics symbols. The symbols will be joined with one of the other character graphics symbols that best completes the form. ONLY the immediate four characters are scanned (characters left, above, right, and below). Based on these a character out of │ ─ ┌ └ ┐ ┘ ├ ┤ ┬ ┴ ┼ is picked. You MUST have already placed a character graphics symbol of some type in the scanned character space for it to be considered for patching. Example: │ │ ─────── will be patched to ─────┼─ │ │ Please note the first example had a character graphics symbol in the area and needed to be patched. If it had not been there, EZ-Forms would have left the space blank instead of substituting the intersection symbol. EZ-Forms Executive has to make a lot of assumptions when it is patching a form. Sometimes it won't choose the character you think it should. This command gives you a good start on the patching. You will sometimes have to add the final touches. #122# EZ-Forms is not a wordprocessor. It is a forms manager. Forms are a fixed length unlike wordprocessing files. If you want to insert a line something has to disappear (unless you use F2 to resize and lengthen the form first). EZ-Forms inserts lines by moving the line the cursor is on and every line below down by one. Where does the line go? It disappears. One inviolable rule in EZ-Forms is: Never allow a protected character to be altered! In any conflict between a protected character and a non- protected character, the protected character wins. If you force a line of unprotected text to move down over a line of protected text, the unprotected text loses. Use the block operation commands if you just want to move text around in your form. #124# Your form size will not decrease when you delete a line. The unprotected text is just moved up one line, overwriting any unprotected text on the cursor line. If you get tired of seeing these messages set the default help/message level to zero (command is Ctrl+V). #126# The notepad is basically an enhanced block copy. You can copy any section of text from your form into the notepad. The text can be pasted into the same form at a different location or to another form. You can even move text between master and completed forms retaining all attributes (like bold and underline) except for the protected attribute. The cursor location defines where the text will be copied to. Use of this command with large blocks of text requires a lot of memory (up to 64K). Your computer may not have enough memory to allow this operation. If that occurs, you will be given an out of memory message. This in no way alters the functionality of any other portion of EZ-Forms Executive. However, the amount of free memory shown on the bottom of the context sensitive help screens and the on-line manual may show 0K free. This means EZ-Forms Executive at one point tried to use all of your RAM. If this occurs, try removing some of your memory resident software. Yes, memory resident programs really do decrease your computer's available RAM. #130# The delete block command deletes the unprotected text in the marked block. Please be careful with this command. Use the Ctrl+V command if you want to alter the default help/message level and get rid of these prompts. See the copy block (Alt+C) and move block (Alt+M) commands for other options. #132# The copy block command copies the unprotected text from the marked block to your current cursor location. Your cursor will be in the upper left of where the text will be copied. This is a copy (make a duplicate) so none of the text in the marked "source" block will be modified unless the blocks overlap. See the move block (Alt+M) and delete block (Alt+D) commands for other options. #134# The block move command moves the unprotected text from the marked block to your current cursor location. Your cursor location will be the upper left corner of where the text will be moved. This is a move (displace -- from one point to another) so all the unprotected text in the marked block will move. See the copy block (Alt+C) and delete block (Alt+D) commands for other options. #140# Specific help for Math menu: You are being asked to either Execute the formulas already set up, Modify existing formulas, Check the formulas for syntax, or Show all the math formulas used in the form you are editing. Math formulas can be modified ONLY in Master forms. In Completed forms you can do calculations or view formulas but not modify them. Syntax checking is done when you enter formulas and each time you execute them. See the master forms MATHINFO, MATHDEMO, MATHINVC, and MATHEXTD. #141# Format for a formula: L24C72~6.2=L12C5~5+L12C41~6 │ │ ││││││ │ ││││ │ │└─ Width of cell 2 (6 char wide) can be 1-9 │ │ ││││││ │ ││││ │ └─ Separator between cell and width designator │ │ ││││││ │ ││││ └─ Source 2 Column (column 41) │ │ ││││││ │ │││└─ Source 2 Line (line 12) -- may be K for constant │ │ ││││││ │ ││└─ Operator (Only + - * / or range addition : ) │ │ ││││││ │ │└─ Width of cell 1 (5 characters wide) can be 1-9 │ │ ││││││ │ └─ Separator between cell and its' width designator │ │ ││││││ └─ Source 1 Column (column 5) │ │ │││││└─ Source 1 line (line 12) │ │ ││││└─ Separator for formula, an = must be there! │ │ │││└─ Number of digits after decimal point, 0 to 9 │ │ ││└─ A period to separate the width from decimals │ │ │└─ Number of total digits in result, can be 1-9 │ │ └─ Separator for cells! │ └─ Destination column (column 72) └─ Destination line (line 24) The formula must be specified EXACTLY as in the example given above. #143# Highlight the formula you would like to edit and press Enter. EZ-Forms will then allow you to edit your selected formula in the bottom window. Press enter after you finish modifying your formula. A quick syntax check will be done. You will be given a warning if a error is detected. Press Escape once you have finished editing and are in the "Highlight a Formula" window. A syntax check will be performed on all your math formulas and you will be given a summary of the results. See the master forms MATHINFO.FRM, MATHDEMO.FRM, and MATHINVC.FRM for more information on how to use math within forms. The Editor's On-Line Manual also contains information on math. #144# A syntax error was found in your formula. This could be caused by two things. 1. Your formula may be too complex for EZ-Forms to handle. If this is the case, break the formula into two or three simpler ones. Use Insert and Delete to make space. One case where you can exceed EZ-Forms' capability is on range addition. It has to be by itself in a single formula. You can't do additional operations in the same formula. 2. You may really have a syntax error. Carefully check the formula. EZ-Forms gives you a brief description of the error and tries to show you the exact location of the error thru the use of a ^ pointing at the error location within the formula. Please correct the error NOW! If you wait until execution, you will get a run time error. Further execution of the formulas will then be aborted. #146# A quick syntax check of all the formulas has just been completed. All possible 100 formulas have been checked. Please correct any reported errors. Additional information will be provided when you modify the formulas. When you finish modifying a formula a syntax check is done and EZ-Forms will try to point to the portion of your formula in error. If the reported result is "All good." then press any key to continue. No syntax errors were found. Save your form before you execute the formulas. When you execute the formulas a result is placed in your form. Any characters in a master form will be protected when you fill it out. You don't want all the result areas to be protected, you can't update them. #147# A math run time error can be caused by two things. 1. Incorrect syntax in the formula. 2. Something wrong occurred while executing the formula. Common problems are: the result is too large to fit into the destination, you tried to overwrite a protected character with the result, etc. A description and best guess as to the location of the error within your formula is shown. EZ-Forms executes the formulas in order from 1 to 100. Blank formulas are skipped. ANY run time error terminates execution of further formulas. *** Anytime you have a run time error the result is invalid so "******" is placed in the destination field. #149# The math functions execute very quickly but not quite fast enough to allow update of the result areas within your form each time a new number is added. We have implemented a means whereby you can enter data at full speed but still feel secure that the printed or saved results are correct. This method is called math auto recalc. If you enable math auto recalc, the result areas within your form will be updated automatically prior to printing or saving to disk. This is the program default, but you may change it thru the use of the Ctrl+U command within the editor or thru the installation area of EZ-Forms Executive. #150# EZ-Forms Executive Editor Commands: FUNCTION KEYS ALT FUNCTION KEYS CTRL FUNCTION KEYS ═════════════════════════ ═══════════════════════ ═══════════════════════ F1 - Help AF1 - Help for Fields CF1 - F2 - Resize Master Form AF2 - Pick List CF2 - F3 - Insert Field Markers AF3 - CF3 - ░ α Φ N/A F4 - Delete Field Markers AF4 - CF4 - ▒ ß Θ N/A F5 - Draw Line AF5 - CF5 - ▓ Γ Ω N/A F6 - Erase Line AF6 - CF6 - █ π δ N/A F7 - Draw Border AF7 - CF7 - ▌ Σ ∞ N/A F8 - Erase Border AF8 - CF8 - ▐ σ φ N/A F9 - Clear Form AF9 - CF9 - ▀ µ ε N/A F10- Editor Menu AF10- CF10- ▄ τ N/A N/A Graphics set: 1 2 3 4 NOTE: The Alternate and Control Function Keys have four different sets of codes depending on the palette selected using Alt+L. The Greek characters in palette 2-4 in the control function keys are used to send special escape sequences to the printer. See the manual for more details on this. Keys labeled N/A return a space (" "). #151# Single keystroke commands (many of these can also be executed thru F10): Alt+A - Alternate Character Lookup Ctrl+A - Add Block Attributes Alt+B - Bold Text Ctrl+B - Box Draw for Marked Block Alt+C - Copy Block Ctrl+C - % (OS break disables this) Alt+D - Delete Block Ctrl+D - Date (Auto Date Setup) Alt+E - End Block Ctrl+E - Erase Block Attributes Alt+F - Find Text Ctrl+F - Feed Date/Time into form Alt+G - Graphics Walk-Around Ctrl+G - Delete Character Alt+H - Hide Block (disable block) Ctrl+H - % (same as backspace) Alt+I - Information about Form Ctrl+I - % (same as tab) Alt+J - Justify Text Ctrl+J - % (same as ctrl enter) Alt+K - Cross Hatch Generator Ctrl+K - WordStar Like ^K Commands Alt+L - Line Graphics Palette (1-4) Ctrl+L - Large Character Lookup Alt+M - Move Block Ctrl+M - % (same as enter) Alt+N - Notepad (use between forms) Ctrl+N - Number (Auto Number Setup) Alt+O - Override protect (cmp form) Ctrl+O - Keyboard macros (Global) Alt+P - Patch Form Ctrl+P - Print Current Form Alt+Q - Quick Field Just (cmp form) Ctrl+Q - % (doesn't return a code) Alt+R - Replace Text Ctrl+R - Read Text from Disk (Import) Alt+S - Start Block Ctrl+S - Save Form and Resume Edit #152# Single keystroke commands continued: Alt+T - Text rotation (vertical) Ctrl+T - Time (Auto Time Setup) Alt+U - Underline Ctrl+U - User Defined Math Operations Alt+V - Visible block enable Ctrl+V - Verbose (Help Message Level) Alt+W - Word Wrap Ctrl+W - Write Text to Disk (Export) Alt+X - Exit Editor Ctrl+X - Exit to DOS Shell (Global) Alt+Y - Generate CFO Grid Ctrl+Y - Delete Line Alt+Z - Printer Cmds (Greek Chars) Ctrl+Z - Encrypt/Decrypt Form (toggle) Alt+= - Macro Menu (Global) Alt+- - Additional Command Menu (Enter mode, FOF->FRM conv, tab schedule, field help, and pick list) Ctrl+Enter - Inserts a line in the form at the current cursor line. Make sure ALL text can move down a line without trying to overwrite a protected line or character. In this move a protected area won't change. Note: % Not available because return code conflicts with another key! #153# Most printers support printing of these characters. EZ-Forms Executive provides printer drivers to handle these characters. If you have a text only printer then EZ-Forms Executive provides a translation of these characters into something your printer can handle. The export function gives you the ability to translate these characters into normal ASCII characters that most word processors can handle. Cursor movement commands: ═════════════════════════ Use the keypad arrows to move Home Move to upper left of screen left, right, up, and down. End Move to lower left of screen Ctrl+Home Upper left of form Use the Control key with the Ctrl+End Lower left of form keypad left and right arrows Ctrl+PgUp Top of form - same column to move to left and right of form. Ctrl+PgDn Bottom of form-same column Note: Commands with a + in them are entered by holding down the first key and then pressing the second key. For example: to use the Ctrl+Home command you would hold down the Control key and then press Home once. #154# Note: Auto numbering, auto date, and auto time are set up only in master forms. When you "fill out" the master form this information is used to automatically insert the updated number, date, or time into the completed form. Special character oriented commands affecting only printing: Alt+U -- Underline the character under the cursor. NOT on graphics! Alt+B -- Bold the character under the cursor. NOT on graphics! Alt+1 -- User defined function 1. \ Alt+2 -- User defined function 2. \ Use the Alt+I command to see Alt+3 -- User defined function 3. / the installed names for these. Alt+4 -- User defined function 4. / Note: These affect only the printed form. A status of these commands is shown on the bottom of the screen. You can see the status updated as you move the cursor. Character status will toggle from U and B if you press the key again. The user defined functions can be altered thru the installation portion of EZ-Forms Executive. Additional status for pick list selection (P), field help (H), and tab schedule (t or arrows) is shown on the lower line of screen. #160# This menu allows you to change all the colors used in EZ-Forms. To change a default color - first use the up or down arrow key to select the color, then type in the new color. When you have changed all the colors press Ctrl+D to display these colors in a sample window. As with all installation options, these changes will not be used until you choose the retain option on the main menu. This allows you to experiment with the installation options and then not have to lose your original defaults. Please keep in mind the foreground text colors can be 0-15, the background 0-7. If you choose a text color the same as a background color then the text will disappear. You may notice some of your installed color combinations result in invisible lines on the Ctrl+D popup window. Please be careful not to choose this color for one of your text colors!! Note: For many of the EZ-Forms installable options and user inputs you will see a prompt containing the characters . If you count the number of 's you will find the maximum number of characters that can be entered. Also Escape is used throughout EZ-Forms to signal "I want out". Press Enter, up arrow, down arrow, or whatever is asked for to enter the desired value. Escape will throw away any immediate changes and get you out of the area you are in. #161# Please note that the background color (0-7) is one digit long and the foreground color (0-15) is two digits long. That is why you will see the input prompt (the s) change it's width as you go between the colors. #165# This screen shows the possible combinations of colors in EZ-Forms. The top set (Main EZ-Forms Executive colors) show you what the various menus will look like. The Editor colors are those used only while you are editing a form. These colors will show you what underline, block, protected, etc will look like. If you are using a non IBM display adapter you may have to "play" with the colors to get a pleasing combination. EZ-Forms defaults to colors that work well with the IBM Color Graphics Adapter, IBM Enhanced Graphics Adapter, and IBM Monochrome Display Adapter. On some monochrome display adapter clones you may need to alter a foreground text color to get the background to change intensity. The default combination of colors will work on any 100% IBM PC compatible display adapter! #170# EZ-Forms supports virtually the entire IBM Extended ASCII Character Set. Your choice of what character to chose for borders, lines, boxes, etc. just became more complex. EZ-Forms has four basic graphic line sets or palettes to choose from: 1 ┌────┬────┐ 2 ╒════╤════╕ 3 ╓────╥────╖ 4 ╔════╦════╗ │ │ │ │ │ │ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ├────┼────┤ ╞════╪════╡ ╟────╫────╢ ╠════╬════╣ │ │ │ │ │ │ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ └────┴────┘ ╘════╧════╛ ╙────╨────╜ ╚════╩════╝ ░ ▒ ▓ █ ▌▐ ▀ ▄ α ß Γ π Σ σ µ τ Φ Θ Ω δ ∞ φ ε reserved │ │ │ │ ╘══════╤════════╛ ╘══════╤═══════╛ │ │ ╘══════════════════╧═══ Printer commands. The above boxes show you what the boxes and lines drawn with each palette look like. Below the boxes are some stand-alone characters which can be entered from the keyboard. The shaded block characters in palette 1 are useful in designing logos or just to emphasize a section of a form. The Greek characters in palettes 2 and 3 can be used to send commands to your printer during printing. #171# Enter these characters into your form thru the use of function keys. FUNCTION KEYS ALT FUNCTION KEYS CTRL FUNCTION KEYS ═════════════════════════ ═══════════════════════ ═════════════════════ F1 - Help AF1 - ┌ ╒ ╓ ╔ CF1 - ┼ ╪ ╫ ╬ F2 - Size Form AF2 - ┐ ╕ ╖ ╗ CF2 - N/A N/A N/A N/A F3 - Insert Field Markers AF3 - └ ╘ ╙ ╚ CF3 - ░ α Φ N/A F4 - Delete Field Markers AF4 - ┘ ╛ ╜ ╝ CF4 - ▒ ß Θ N/A F5 - Draw Line AF5 - ─ ═ ─ ═ CF5 - ▓ Γ Ω N/A F6 - Erase Line AF6 - │ │ ║ ║ CF6 - █ π δ N/A F7 - Draw Border AF7 - ├ ╞ ╟ ╠ CF7 - ▌ Σ ∞ N/A F8 - Erase Border AF8 - ┤ ╡ ╢ ╣ CF8 - ▐ σ φ N/A F9 - Clear Form AF9 - ┬ ╤ ╥ ╦ CF9 - ▀ µ ε N/A F10- Editor Menu AF10- ┴ ╧ ╨ ╩ CF10- ▄ τ N/A N/A Graphics set: 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 NOTE: The Alternate and Control Function Keys have four different sets of codes depending on the palette selected using Alt+L. The Greek characters in palette 2-4 in the control function keys are used to send special escape sequences to the printer. See the manual for more details on this. Keys labeled N/A return a space (" "). #175# The marked block defines the area for the grid. All characters in the marked block will be erased. You will be asked for the vertical and horizontal spacing for the grid. If the desired spacing provides even spacing the grid will come out completely even. Otherwise you will be left with an off size block at the ends. See the examples below. ┌┬┬┬┬┬┬┬┬┬┐ ┌─┬─┬─┬─┬─┐ ┌──┬──┬──┬┐ ┌───┬───┬─┐ ┌────┬────┐ ┌┬┬┬┬┬┬┬┬┬┐ ├┼┼┼┼┼┼┼┼┼┤ ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤ ├──┼──┼──┼┤ ├───┼───┼─┤ ├────┼────┤ │││││││││││ ├┼┼┼┼┼┼┼┼┼┤ ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤ ├──┼──┼──┼┤ ├───┼───┼─┤ ├────┼────┤ ├┼┼┼┼┼┼┼┼┼┤ └┴┴┴┴┴┴┴┴┴┘ └─┴─┴─┴─┴─┘ └──┴──┴──┴┘ └───┴───┴─┘ └────┴────┘ └┴┴┴┴┴┴┴┴┴┘ vert 1 vert 1 vert 1 vert 1 vert 1 vert 2 horz 1 horz 2 horz 3 horz 4 horz 5 horz 1 #177# After you input the text press Enter to insert it into your form. Press Escape if you want to exit without altering your form. The text will be inserted vertically into your form. The first character will be at the current cursor location. The next character will be on the same column but one line down. Etc. If you input text longer than the number of lines to the bottom of your form, inserting will stop at the last line of the form. As with all editing commands, you can't use this to overwrite protected text. The length of the prompt using 's will vary depending on the number of lines from your current cursor location to the bottom of your form. #180# You can draw a box around the inside border of the marked block using this command. The default line drawing character palette (use Alt+L to select) will be used. The inside characters all the around the marked block will be replaced by the graphic lines. Boxes may be drawn in almost any size and with a variety of border styles. #181# Want to save an EZ-Forms form in a format readable by virtually all word processors? The Export command allows you to write all or any portion of the form you are editing to a standard ASCII file usable by almost any word processor or database manager. Of course you will lose the advantages of form compression, character attributes, and often the line drawing/character graphics. Each of the input areas from the Export options screen is described below. (1) EZ-Forms Executive allows you to export the entire form or a portion of the form. Use the block operations commands within the editor to mark a block (a rectangle) of text and use this option to export only that portion. This command allows you to easily transfer sections of one form to another. Export all or a portion of this form. Make sure this option is Yes if you want to export only the marked block. Call up the destination form and use the import command to retrieve the previously saved information. #182# (2) Export to database allows you to direct EZ-Forms to break up the form into fields. Each field written to the file on a new line. Fields consist of contiguous unprotected characters. What does that mean? - In master forms, everything is unprotected - one line per field. - In completed forms, only certain areas are unprotected as defined by the absence of text in it's master form template at that location. EZ-Forms supports several common file formats. They are: Type Start Char End Char Field Sep Record Sep Notes ════ ══════════ ════════ ═════════ ══════════ ═════════════════════ 1 None None CR LF None One field per line 2 " " , CR LF Mail-merge format 1 3 None None , CR LF Mail-merge format 2 4 None None None CR LF Fixed length packed 1 5 None None None None Fixed length packed 2 6 None None None CR Only File Express format #183# (3) The output graphics mode allows you to export the form using graphics (the character graphics symbols you see on your screen like ─ and ┼) or to translate them to symbols like - and +. Choose the translated option for maximum compatibility with other software packages. (4) Output file mode allows you to add what you are exporting to the end of another file (append) or overwrite any existing file with new info. (5) If you specify overwrite, you have the option of having EZ-Forms warn you before it overwrites an existing file. You will not be given a warning if the file doesn't already exist. (6) Type in the name for the file you would like the form to be exported to. The filename can include an optional drive/directory specifier. #184# EZ-Forms can be configured to export your form in either a wordprocessing format (the default) or a database format. Listed below are the suggested options for each mode. Wordprocessing Database ══════════════ ══════════════ Export only marked block No No Field export to database No Yes Output graphics mode Graphics Translated Output file mode Overwrite Append Warn before overwrite Yes No #185# Want to read a text file into an EZ-Forms form? This command allows you to import text created under almost any other software program. The only requirement is the imported file must be in ASCII. If you have a block marked you will be given the option to import text into only the marked section of your form. #186# Many of the editing commands have optional prompt messages to provide information and serve as a safety catch in case of mistakes. The extent of the user help/interference offered by EZ-Forms is tied to the message level. The more potentially harmful a command, the lower the message level has to be set for the command's warning/prompt to disappear. Examples: Command Tied to Help/Message level ═══════ ══════════════════════════ Patch form 4 (no message 3 and below) Block delete 1 (no message at level 0) Various other commands 1-4 (level varies) Most of the block operations and some of the other editing commands provide this feature. The default (unless installed otherwise) is to provide the maximum level of user help messages. #188# The large character lookup allows you to easily create headings in large (8 by 8) characters. Simply type in the text and then select what character to use for the drawing. Play with this command in a new form to get a feel for how it operates. This command places a lot of power (and potential for destruction) in your hands. The length of the allowable input text (shown as s) depends on your cursor position within the form and the width of the form. As you move the cursor to the left, there is more space to insert text so the prompt will get longer. Each of the large characters take up eight normal character spaces in both directions. That means a eighty column form can have at most ten large characters on a single line. The characters are entered into your form starting at the cursor position. They will be inserted with the cursor being the upper left point of the 8 by 8 character box. #189# EZ-Forms now supports the use of the secure Data Encryption Standard (DES) encryption within forms. If you encrypt the form with DES you MUST use DES to decrypt the form. DES is so secure that the National Security Agency won't allow DES technology to be exported outside the US and Canada. If you use the wrong level to decrypt a form, reload the form and try the other level. You can't encrypt with DES and decrypt with the standard level! What is DES? ════════════ Data Encryption Standard (DES) -- DES is a very secure method of encrypting/decrypting your data that works on 8 bytes (64 bits) of your data at one time. It rearranges your data based on an 8 byte key. All this data manipulation is one of the reasons it is very secure and very slow. Because of DES export restrictions, DES level encryption is not allowed in the shareware version of EZ-Forms. DES can't be exported outside the U.S.A. and Canada. To comply, DES isn't allowed in our shareware version. #190# This command allows you to encrypt your form. Some people confuse encryption and password protection. A couple of definitions may help clear up what they mean. Encryption: Scramble the contents/information so it appears to be garbage. This process requires a user to enter a key to be used to encrypt the data. When you want to decrypt the information the same key must be used to correctly recover the information. Password: This is access control. You are not allowed access unless you know the password. Does not involve encryption. EZ-Forms does encryption NOT password checking. The key you use to encrypt your form is NOT stored by EZ-Forms. If you forget your key you can also forget about ever decrypting your form. Nuff said. Everything will be encrypted in master forms (just text not attributes). Only the unprotected text is encrypted in completed forms. DES is supported in U.S.A. and Canadian versions of EZ-Forms. If you use DES to encrypt a form, be sure to also use the DES option for decryption. #191# Several of the EZ-Forms Executive commands support Extended ASCII symbols not found on your keyboard. This screen lists all supported characters and should make it easier for you to select them. Directions for use: Use the numeric keypad cursor keys to position the box over the desired character and press enter. You can also move the box to a desired character by pressing the corresponding keyboard key. If you got here by accident, press Escape to exit. #192# The block attribute erase command erases/subtracts the attributes you specify at the prompt from each of the characters in the marked block. This is a selective erase, not a clearing of all character attributes. So if something is bold (B) and underline (U), and you specify underline at the prompt, then the character will become bold. Character meanings: ═══════════════════ U Underline B Bold (HP LaserJet printer type E with Soft Fonts - background shading) 1 User defined function 1. \ 2 User defined function 2. \ Use the Alt+I command to see 3 User defined function 3. / the installed names for these. 4 User defined function 4. / F Font select for HP LaserJet using printer type E and EZX Soft Fonts P Pick a character from all possible characters. ~ Remove any field markers in the marked block. The bottom line of the editor screen shows the character attributes as you move the cursor over a character. #193# The block attribute add command adds the attributes you specify at the prompt to each of the characters in the marked block. This is an add function, NOT a replace function. If something is already bold (B) and you specify underline (U), then it will become bold and underline. Character meanings: ═══════════════════ U Underline B Bold (HP LaserJet printer type E with Soft Fonts - background shading) 1 User defined function 1. \ 2 User defined function 2. \ Use the Alt+I command to see 3 User defined function 3. / the installed names for these. 4 User defined function 4. / F Font select for HP LaserJet using printer type E and EZX Soft Fonts P Pick a character from all possible characters. ~ Add field markers to blank locations in the marked block. The bottom line of the editor screen shows the character attributes as you move the cursor over a character. Please note that the operations are performed in the order you enter them. If you specify ~ then p, then your picked character will never show up in the form because ~s will be added first and there won't be any blank areas to insert your picked character. #194# EZ-Forms Executive will download to your HP LaserJet+ or compatible the fonts that you attach to the characters in your form. Fonts are specified on a character by character basis. That means you could have ten characters in a row on any line, each character with a different font. The font sizes listed are the defaults provided with the EZX Publishing HP LaserJet Soft Fonts support package. Actual sizes may vary since all of the fonts can be modified by the user. This is accomplished by copying a different font to the font name EZ-Forms Executive tries to load for that font (the downloading to your printer is done at print time). Combinations of the user defined functions (Alt1-4) are used to specify which font is attached to which character. We have tried to make the use of these combinations as easy as possible. Please note that even though you have to specify the font (0 thru 9) with up to four different user defined functions, the sum of the specific user defined functions is always the font number. The HP LaserJet supports up to 10 fonts at one time; we have provided full support for that maximum. The HP LaserJet supports up to 32 print macros; we have supported 15 print macros thru the Greek characters. #195# Refer to the On-line Manual from the main menu for additional information on HP LaserJet support. The information is located under the Printing section of the On-line Manual. Font naming conventions, printing sequence, plus several other topics are covered. #196# Erasing the font references from a block involves clearing all the user defined functions from the marked block. Answer yes if you would like the font references erased/cleared. This will default the text back to font 0. #197# The auto time command allows you to automatically add the time to a form as it is filled out. Steps for use: 1. Load a master form. 2. Add a auto time field to the form (use Ctrl+T). 3. Save the form. 4. Fill out the form. Did you notice how the form "came up" with the current time? This time is stored in your computer's clock. Please ensure your computer "knows" the correct time. The format for auto time is taken from the default time format selected previously. If no default is chosen we use: hour hour:min min:sec sec. Our default time format is commonly called military time (based on a 24 hour clock). The clock starts at midnight as 00:00:00, goes to 13:00:00 at 1PM, and continues counting up until 23:59:59. Add 12 to the hour if it is after noon. Please ensure there is sufficient free characters between the start of the auto time field and the right edge of your form. That will allow all the auto time field to be seen. #198# EZ-Forms allows you to set up one auto number field within a master form that will automatically increment each time the form is filled out. If you desire a starting number other than 1, simply type it in. EZ-Forms will use the updated number as the starting point. When the form is saved EZ-Forms will read the auto number location and update all its pointers to contain your new number. The auto number will "roll over" from all 9s to 1 when you exceed the maximum number for the field. Any invalid character (non-numeric) will generate an error and cause the auto number to reset to 1. Example: auto number width is 5, the number 00A01, contains an invalid character (A). Ensure the form containing the auto number field can be updated with a new number when you fill it out. i.e. Don't put a write protect tab on a diskette containing the auto number form, etc. #199# This command allows you to automatically add a date to a form when you fill it out. Steps for use: ══════════════ 1. Load a master form. 2. Add an auto date field to the form (use Ctrl+D). 3. Save the form. 4. Fill out the form. Did you notice how the form "came up" with the current date? The date stored in your computer's clock provides this information. The format for auto time is taken from the default date format selected previously. If no default is chosen we use: Month/Day/Year. Example: 12/30/87. Please ensure that there is sufficient free between the start of the auto date field and the right edge of your form. This will allow the auto date field to be seen. #200# Help for Directory Screen: To edit a form use the up or down arrows on the numeric keypad to highlight a form name and then press enter. All files in the directory listing are sorted. EZ-Forms Executive can handle a directory containing up to 550 forms. If you have more master or completed forms than that in a SINGLE directory then please break the directory into smaller ones before running EZ-Forms Executive. EZ-Forms stores descriptions of forms, print attributes, etc. in the form. Because of this it takes longer to do a file directory. A basic rule of thumb for the time to read a form is 5 forms per second on floppy or 10 on hard disk. This means a hard disk with 200 master forms should take about 20 seconds to retrieve the directory. This delay is caused by the slowness of the drives and can be speeded up 3-5 times if you store the forms on a RAM disk! Directories are much faster if the default directory contains the forms. As your disk drive becomes fragmented the directories will take longer. See your local PC guru to find out how to de-fragment your hard disk. A disk cache of about 100k bytes will also greatly reduce the time needed to do a directory and help overcome the effects of a fragmented hard disk. Please ensure your Config.SYS contains sufficient buffers (30 or 40 -- see your DOS manual for details). Too few buffers in your Config.SYS can cause the directory to take up to 10 times as long! #201# EZ-Forms Executive allows you to obtain an abbreviated directory by pressing any key during the time the additional form information is being read. Directory information is obtained in the following order: 1) All the form names are read along with their modification dates. 2) The form names are sorted. 3) The forms are opened one at a time to read the form size, print attributes, and description. This is the slow part of the directory process. When you do a directory the above three steps are done. You have the option to interrupt the process during step 3. All the forms before the interruption will contain full information. The forms after the interruption occurred will contain spaces in the unread information areas. This shortened method for reading the directory is provided to make it easier for you to handle large groups of forms. Note: If you alter the directory while in the View/Edit mode, press R to reread the directory. Useful if you changed a form's name, size, etc. #202# Think about the organization of your hard disk. If your forms normally fall into categories like personal, business, auto, etc. consider setting up your hard disk to minimize the number of forms you have to work with at one time. Example: c:\ezfx -- The main EZ-Forms Executive program (be sure to save a config- uration file containing this as the default path). c:\ezfx\personal -- Your personal forms. You simply specify this is the default directory when prompted by EZ-Forms Executive. c:\ezfx\business -- Your business related forms. c:\ezfx\auto -- Your car related forms. This directory allows you to use Tag, Untag, and Space bar (Switch the tag status) to work with more than one form at a time. Printing in particular takes advantage of the tag option. Other operations may also take advantage of tagged forms. When you tag or untag a form the cursor will automatically advance to the next form allowing easy mass tags. A "T" in the left column of the directory shows the form is tagged. Enter tags the highlighted form and begins operation on all the tagged forms. #203# Default print attributes are stored as part of the form. Further information on the default Prt Attr displayed on the directory: D - Draft (use characters instead of graphics for very fast printing) C - Clear Forms Overlay (Use preprinted forms and overlay new info) M - Multiple copies specified 6 - Six lines per inch (default of 66 lines per page) 8 - Eight lines per inch (default of 88 lines per page) L - L is displayed if 1) 6 lpi is selected and lines per page is anything other than 66 or 2) 8 lpi is selected and lines per page is anything other than 88 S - Small text (compressed). This allows 130 columns on normal paper or about 230/240 columns on wide paper in a wide carriage printer. V - Very dark graphics. If you are using a bit image graphics printer and have a graphics driver installed then the form will print in double density graphics. #204# Cursor key movements: Up Arrow - Move up one form. Down Arrow - Move down one form. PgUp - Move up one page of forms. PgDn - Move down one page of forms. Ctrl+Home - Move to the first form in directory. Ctrl+End - Move to the last form in directory. Use Enter to select the highlighted form and start operations using it. Use D to re-sort the directory using one of several fields. Use V to view the highlighted form. You will be able to use the arrow keys to walk around within the highlighted form. Use S to search a range of forms for a text string. Any form that contains the searched for data will be tagged for your future use. This is especially useful when used with the tag and print multiple forms option from main menu. #205# EZ-Forms Executive will sort the directory you are viewing based on the "field" you select. It may be: 1. The name of the forms. 2. The number of lines in the forms. 3. The number of columns in the forms. 4. The date the forms were last modified. 5. The stored print attributes within the forms which specify the number lines per inch, number of copies, etc. Please note that the sort order is for the attributes with the most periods on the left to be displayed at the top of the list. 6. The form descriptions. 7. You may also choose the direction of the sort. Forwards or backwards. NOTE: Do NOT delete forms and then use the sort option. Once you delete a form, it's information is removed from the directory listing and you will be sorting the "Deleted" message instead of the real information. This also applies when you press a key during the form directory to abbreviate the listing. #206# The form you highlighted on the previous menu is displayed before you for your review. Use the cursor keys to move around within the form. The cursor keys move the viewport for the screen in the direction of the arrows. Press Escape when you finish. Cursor key movements and other options: N - View the next form. P - View the previous form. Up Arrow or PgUp - Move up one screen. Down Arrow or PgDn - Move down one screen. Left Arrow or Control Left Arrow - Move left one screen. Right Arrow or Control Right Arrow - Move right one screen. R - pRint the displayed form. D - Delete the displayed form. Displayed file name in the directory will be changed to all -'s to show that the file has been deleted. T - Tag the displayed form. U - Untag the displayed form. Escape - Exit the view mode and return to the directory display. #208# This command allows you to search a group of forms for a text string. The text string is converted to upper case (all caps) and compared against any text in the forms. The text in the forms is also used as upper case to ensure text can be located regardless of capitalization. The range of forms from the first form to the last form are searched in order. If any text in the form matches the search string, the tag field on the form will be enabled. You can then go back and view, edit, or print those forms that are tagged. Note: If you would like to print any form containing a certain text string, use the print option off the main menu. After you have searched for a text string, press enter with one of the tagged forms highlighted. EZ-Forms will now give you the option of printing ALL the tagged forms. #210# Do you want to delete the form that you are now viewing? Answer yes if you would like to delete the form. The prompt will accept Y for yes and N for no -- (Y/N). Once the form has been delete you will be returned to the directory area. Since the form no longer exits, the directory entry will be marked as deleted. The next time you re-read the directory the form will not be displayed. NOTE: Once you delete a form it can't be brought back. So be careful. #212# EZ-Forms Executive couldn't locate any forms in the specified directory. Master forms have a .FRM extension; completed forms have a .FOF extension. Do you have any forms like these in the specified directory? The computer uses a "mask" for directories. The mask used is either "*.FRM" or "*.FOF". EZ-Forms Executive automatically adds this mask to the directory for you. #213# EZ-Forms Executive couldn't locate your form. Are you sure you entered the correct directory to get to your form. Computers are dumb, you have to tell them everything. Try using the select form option on the main menu. EZ-Forms Executive will find all the forms in your specified directory and allow you to use a color bar to select the form. #215# EZ-Forms is asking you for a form name with an optional directory so it will know where to save your form. This area allows you to specify the directory EZ-Forms Executive will use to save forms and the name for the form. You can access forms anywhere on your system. Example: C:\EZFX ╞╛╞═══╛ │ ╘════════ The working directory ╘══════════ The working drive Form Name: YourForm.FRM ╘══════════╧═ The name you want to save it under The extension (.FRM) can be either .FRM or .FOF depending on whether it is a master or completed form. If you don't specify the extension EZ-Forms will add it for you. The ONLY allowable extensions are .FRM (master form) and .FOF (completed form)! #216# Form names consist of up to 8 characters with only some of the keyboard characters valid. For example: a space isn't valid as part of a filename and neither is a | character. If you would like to add a description to the form use the up arrow to move to the top line. When finished editing press enter or down arrow. Refer to your Disk Operating System (DOS) manual for detailed information on directories and file names. #220# Your floppy or hard disk is used to store forms. Many times, forms will be organized into groups and stored in specific areas called subdirectories. The computer needs to be given a location called a directory, to find the forms. The computer's first "guess" on where to find the forms will be your current default subdirectory (unless you install a default directory under the installation section). Most of the time this will be what you want. If in doubt, press enter! The forms are probably located in the current directory which is normally the default. A more technical description follows on the next help page. #221# This area allows you to specify the directory EZ-Forms Executive will use to access master forms. You can access forms anywhere on your system. Example: C:\EZFX │││ │ ╞╛╞═══╛ │ ╘════════ The working directory ╘══════════ The working drive Since ALL master forms have a .FRM extension, EZ-Forms Executive will ask the computer to tell it all the forms on drive C: in the subdirectory \EZFX. The "mask" used to get the directory is C:\EZFX\*.FRM. If there are no forms in the directory you specified you may see the error message that says "Could not find C:\EZFX\*.FRM". If you are not sure what you should use just press enter without changing any of the information. Chances are that the default is what you want (that is why we made it the default). Refer to your Disk Operating System (DOS) manual for detailed information on paths and file names. #225# Your floppy or hard disk is used to store forms. Many times, forms will be organized into groups and stored in specific areas called subdirectories. The computer needs to be given a roadmap called a directory, to find the forms. The computer's first "guess" on where to find the forms will be your current default subdirectory (unless you install a default directory under the installation section). Most of the time this will be what you want. If in doubt, press enter! The forms are probably located in the current directory which is normally the default. A more technical description follows on the next help page. #226# This area allows you to specify the directory EZ-Forms Executive will use to access completed forms. You can access forms anywhere on your system. Example: C:\EZFX │││ │ ╞╛╞═══╛ │ ╘════════ The working directory ╘══════════ The working drive Since ALL completed forms have a .FOF extension, EZ-Forms Executive will ask the computer to tell it all the forms on drive C: in the subdirectory \EZFX. The "mask" used to get the directory is C:\EZFX\*.FOF. If there are no forms in the directory you specified you may see the error message that says "Could not find C:\EZFX\*.FOF". If you are not sure what you should use just press enter without changing any of the information. Chances are that the default is what you want (that is why we made it the default). Refer to your Disk Operating System (DOS) manual for detailed information on paths and file names. #228# EZ-Forms is looking for a new unique form name. When creating a form use a unique name to ensure you don't overwrite another of your master forms when you save it. This area allows you to specify the directory EZ-Forms Executive will use to access master forms and the name for the form. You can access forms anywhere on your system. Example: C:\EZFX ╞╛╞═══╛ │ ╘════════ The working directory ╘══════════ The working drive Form Name: NewForm.FRM ╘═════════╧═ The new master form you want to create If you don't specify the .FRM extension EZ-Forms will add it for you. The ONLY allowable extension for a master form is .FRM! Refer to your Disk Operating System (DOS) manual for detailed information on directories and file names. #230# EZ-Forms is looking for a master form name with an optional directory. This area allows you to specify the directory EZ-Forms Executive will use to access master forms and the name for the form. You can access forms anywhere on your system. Example: C:\EZFX ╞╛╞═══╛ │ ╘════════ The working directory ╘══════════ The working drive Form Name: YourForm.FRM ╘══════════╧═ The master form you want to edit If you don't specify the .FRM extension EZ-Forms will add it for you. The ONLY allowable extension for a master form is .FRM! Refer to your Disk Operating System (DOS) manual for detailed information on directories and file names. #235# EZ-Forms is looking for a completed form name with an optional directory. This area allows you to specify the directory EZ-Forms Executive will use to access completed forms and the name for the form. You can access forms anywhere on your system. Example: C:\EZFX ╞╛╞═══╛ │ ╘════════ The working directory ╘══════════ The working drive Form Name: YourForm.FOF ╘══════════╧═ The completed form you want to edit If you don't specify the .FOF extension EZ-Forms will add it for you. The ONLY allowable extension for a completed form is .FOF! Refer to your Disk Operating System (DOS) manual for detailed information on directories and file names. #240# Do you want to save the form that was on your screen prior to calling up this menu (and its help)? If so, answer yes. Your other options are not saving the form and returning to your form for further editing. EZ-Forms will retain the current form in memory for a limited time. You will be able to resume editing if you accidentally say no. The pulldown for this editing operation will be extended one deeper to allow this temporary option. The ability to resume editing will remain until you use another main menu command that forces EZ-Forms to overwrite some of the in-memory form information. #300# Your options are: U Select a printer by pressing U and going thru the use a predefined printer. This must be done before you can customize a printer driver. M Modify a predefined printer type. This allows you to customize the printer driver for things like initialization string, user defined functions, etc. First choose a basic printer type with the U option. C Change the printer and user defined function names. This option allows you to alter the default names displayed for these. S Show the installed printer defaults. This screen will display a number on the left side to number each string. These numbers correspond to the numbers on the "Modify predefined printer type" section. L Select the printer port. EZ-Forms Executive supports parallel printer ports (LPT1-LPT4). If using a serial printer, route it to a parallel port using a mode command. See your DOS reference manual for details. EZ-Forms Executive will support almost any printer on the market. If your printer isn't listed, first choose a default printer and then modify it. #301# EZ-Forms Executive supports the following basic types of printers: A. Plain generic dot matrix This type should work with ANY printer. Plain dot matrix/daisywheel. Only standard ASCII (like 1,2,Z,-, etc.) are sent to this printer. No control codes. ALL character graphics symbols are translated to a standard symbol like -, |, and +. B. IBM Extended ASCII No ESC Sequences IBM Graphics printer compatible codes (ASCII codes above 127 like ┌ ┼ ┐ etc). EZ-Forms Executive sends the same character graphics symbols as you see on the screen to the printer. NO escape sequences are used, therefore no special print attributes are supported. C. IBM ASCII with ESC Sequences Same as above, but uses IBM Proprinter escape sequences to provide some of the special print attributes. D. HP LaserJet Font Cartridge Y This driver requires the Y font cartridge (or any other cartridge with the IBM character set) to be inserted into the printer. E. HP LaserJet with Optional Soft Fonts This is for use with the EZX optional HP LaserJet Fonts and Graphics Support Pack (HPLJFGSP). It can be used to display up to 10 different fonts and 15 different graphic images, with unlimited repetition throughout the form. Any printer that supports PCL 4 or higher, and has at least 1MB of internal memory can be used. Printers with less #302# memory can still work, but total number of fonts and graphic images will be limited. F. HP LaserJet with HPGraph For older LaserJets without a Y font cartridge or the IBM character set, such as the LaserJet II series, this driver can be used. It requires the HPGraph program to be loaded prior to running EZFX. The font is fixed to portrait, at 10cpi (80 col, 66 lines). G. Okidata Plus Series (Utility mode) For older Okidata printers without Epson compatibility, this driver will print the graphics and attributes on your forms. H. HP LaserJet with Basic Soft Fonts As an alternative to the type F driver, this driver can print compressed and landscape forms. Refer to HPLJFNTS.EXE for more info. I. HP LaserJet/DeskJet with PC-8 Symbol Set This driver is the simplest and quickest LaserJet driver to use, but requires that the printer support the IBM character set, PC-8. Of course, these printers can also use drivers E or K, with the HPLJFGSP. J. HP LaserJet/DeskJet with PC-8 and Macros Same as driver type I, except it can also print graphic images via HP print macros. #303# K. HP LaserJet with Optional Soft Fonts and PC-8 Same as driver type E, except uses the PC-8 font for the default font, font 0, instead of the HPLJFGSP font 0. 1. Epson 9 pin dot matrix Uses Epson escape sequences for print attributes and to generate high quality graphics. 2. HP ThinkJet (Epson mode) Similar to driver type 1, but uses different resolution for graphics, as required. 3. Epson LQ 24 pin SW selected font Same as driver type 1, but for 24 pin printers. Also selects the basic draft font. To use the front panel or switches to select any other font, use driver type 4. 4. Epson LQ 24 pin HW selected font Same as above, but uses default font. L2. HP LaserJet/DeskJet Series This is a family of drivers. When selected, it shows a list which allows a choice of driver types I, J, H, E, K, F or D. Refer to the above descriptions for further information. PS. Postscript with PSFX This is for any Postscript printer. PSFX is a TSR program that converts Epson 9 pin codes into Postscript. PSFX must be loaded prior #304# to running EZFX. Refer to PSFX-DOC.EXE for further information. Driver type 1 is used. Superscript and subscript are not supported. Notes: 1. The HP LaserJet using Font Cartridge Y will handle only about 80 lines on a page when using 8 lines per the inch. Six lines per inch comes out perfect. Using the same method as described in note 1, choose 80 lines per the page. Limit the number of copies to 99 for the HPLJ! 2. To save the print attributes you must use the install option (I) on the print menu AND then save the form to disk. If you fail to save your form after editing it, then all new print attributes will be lost! 3. Some printers using the text driver may substitute single line graphic characters for the double line version (example: ┼ verses ╬). 4. The difference between the two Epson 24 pin graphic printer drivers is whether we override the hardware selected default font. With driver number three we control everything including whether you are in draft or NLQ font. With driver number four we are more conservative and will not alter your hardware selected default font. 5. For directions on usage of HPGRAPH for the HP LaserJet printers see the readme files included on your distribution diskette containing HPGRAPH. #305# These codes are broken into five basic groups. 1. Codes 1-8: Printer initialization/exit, form initialization/exit, and the 6 lines per inch (6 lpi) and 10 characters per inch (10 cpi) codes. The drawing below shows you how they are used. ╒═════ Printer Initialization │ ╒═══ Form Initialization │ │ ╒═ Print one line │ │ │ -- Send text quality codes to printer (see 19 & 20) │ │ │ -- If 6 lpi use 6 lpi codes else use 8 lpi codes │ │ │ -- If 10 cpi use 10 cpi codes else use 17 cpi codes │ │ ╘═ End printing line and loop back to print another line │ ╘═══ Form Exit ╘═════ Printer Exit 2. Codes 9-16: User defined character attributes. These codes are used for editor Alt 1-4 functions that can attach to characters. 3. Codes 19-20: Selects either high quality or draft quality text. #306# 4. Codes 21-68: Character graphics symbols. If you are using a text driver this string will be sent to the printer to print the character shown. On some printers you can get them to print character graphics symbols but they aren't in the same order as the IBM Extended ASCII Symbols. These codes allow you to translate the order to match your printer. Also you can install an escape sequence for each one of these symbols to get your printer into graphics, draw the character, then return to normal text mode. These translate strings offer you a means to really customize EZ-Forms Executive. These codes do not affect the graphics drivers. In the bit-image graphics drivers, a graphics escape sequence is used to draw the entire line at one time instead of using these translate strings. 5. Codes 69-98: Greek characters. These are user defined commands to direct the printer to do something. They are defaulted to spaces to maintain correct form spacing. Add any printer commands you want for these special characters. The first time EZ-Forms encounters the symbol in a form it will send the on sequence. The second time it will send the off sequence (they toggle states each time used). #307# EZ-Forms Executive allows you to customize the "translate strings" it uses to work with your printer. These printer command strings consist of up to 18 (24 decimal) characters to be sent to the printer plus a length character you use to tell EZ-Forms how many of the characters to send. All codes are displayed in hex (base 16). If you are changing codes in this area you probably are already used to working in hex. If not, then most computer books provide a quick tutorial on working with hex and may even provide a conversion table between decimal and hex. We include a form for this (HEX-DEC.FRM). Please be careful when modifying these codes. You can easily install codes that have your printer doing all sorts of strange things. Nuff said. #310# This menu gives you complete control over the way you print a form. It also places a lot of responsibility on you to know how your printer works. In particular you need to know how wide the form is and whether it will fit on the width of paper in your printer. Most Epson series printers can only print 80 characters per line normally or 132 characters per line using compressed print. This is the type of information you will need to refer to your printer manual for or see a PC Guru in your area. Warnings: ═════════ Epson series printers can't print both compressed and bold at the same time. Because of this conflict, EZ-Forms disables bold when printing a compressed form. #311# EZ-Forms Executive allows you to easily generate form templates to be used with your pre-printed forms. To do this: 1. Answer yes to generate the overlay grid. Is this form the right size? 2. Insert your pre-printed form into your printer. 3. Call up the print menu (Ctrl+P) and use the A (alignment dot) to print a dot in the corner of your form. Move your form around in the printer until the alignment dot prints EXACTLY on a known reference point. You may have to turn off the printer and move the printer head to see the alignment dot. Turn the printer back on before trying to print. 4. Print the CFO grid. It will overlay a numbered grid over your form. 5. Take note of the areas to be filled in on your pre-printed form and the line and column numbers from the CFO grid that overlay them. At this point you have two options: a. Try to design a for that looks like your pre-printed form with the blank areas in the correct spots. b. Forget about appearance and use the generated grid with erased areas in the correct areas for data entry. The next screen briefly describes CFO and gives tips on how to better adjust the line and column spacing for CFO. #312# Using preprinted forms with EZ-Forms Executive is easy. To use this feature you first create a master form to act as the template. Make sure that all the "fields" match or align with those on your preprinted form. Fill out the master form. When you go to print, select C for clear forms overlay. This will ensure only the unprotected area (the text you just typed in) will be printed. The master form outline is protected in completed forms, so it doesn't print! Use the Add CFO Grid command (Alt+Y) for a template. Tips for CFO: 1. Use the 6 lpi/8 lpi option along with the normal/small text options to adjust the vertical and horizontal spacing to match your field areas. 2. Be sure to use the tildies (~s) to add fields for easier filling out. This will allow you to tab between areas to be filled out. 3. Make sure your form is sized large enough to generate a grid to cover your entire preprinted form. Use F2 to resize your form prior to generating the CFO grid. #313# Usage for all printer drivers except for the HP LaserJet type E. Greek characters are user defined commands to direct the printer to do something. They are defaulted to spaces to maintain correct form spacing. Add any printer commands you want for these special characters. The first time EZ-Forms encounters the symbol in a form it will send the on sequence. The second time it will send the off sequence (they toggle states each time used). #314# Usage for HP LaserJet with printer type E installed. The Greek characters are used to select print macros which are predefined sequences of commands for your printer that can be triggered by sending a simple escape sequence (see your HP LaserJet technical reference manual for more info). These are used for printing things like logos for letterhead and printing someone's signature. Unlike soft fonts, print macros have to be completely designed and defined with a macro ID (01-15) prior to you being able to reference them within a form. Print macros are selected within a form thru the use of the Greek characters. The first Greek character triggers print macro 01, the second Greek character print macro 02, etc. Use the Alt+Z command to access them. #315# High level problem description: EZ-Forms Executive has sensed an error while trying to initialize your printer. The perceived error may or may not be real. The most common problem here is that someone forgot to turn on their printer. The second most common problem is that the printer is off-line. If you are fairly sure that everything is all right with your printer, then tell EZ-Forms Executive to NOT abandon printing and to try printing anyways. If there really is an error/problem in your system then your system may lock up! Technical problem description: Interrupt 24 (Abort, Retry, Ignore) checking has been vectored thru the EZ-Forms Executive code disabling that message. The result of an interrupt call indicates that there is a serious printer problem in your system. You will no longer have the option to abort thru the Int 24 handler. If you choose to proceed with printing, ALL further error messages will be disabled. This will cause one of three things to happen. One - if there is no problem, then printing will work as normal. Two - you may be able to "print thru" the error with EZ-Forms Executive continually ignoring the errors (nothing to the printer). Three - your system locks up forever, there really is a serious problem! #317# Did you press one of the keyboard keys? That is the signal to EZ-Forms Executive that you would like to abandon printing. If you pressed a key by accident and would like to continue printing, tell EZ-Forms Executive, N for no, you don't want to abandon printing. Otherwise, press Y for yes and abandon printing. #320# The "Status" on the left reflects the selected options for printing. These options can be changed by pressing the key shown under "Select" heading. Some combinations of the options are not valid. That is why some of the selected options under "Status" switch their condition. For example, when you press 8 for 8 lines per vertical inch - the 6 will be deleted from the "Status" area. You can't have both 6 and 8 lines per inch selected at the same time. Many printers do not support the full range of options shown. A summary of printer capability is shown below. Plain dot matrix - Only D, C, M, L, and P. Epson compatible and HP ThinkJet - ALL options are supported. HP LaserJet - D, C, 6, 8, and L. Printer type E only supports a special set of commands allowing multiple soft fonts and print macros. IBM Graphics - ALL options are supported. Epson LQ1500 24 pin printer - ALL options are supported. This printer also supports both high quality and draft quality text thru the draft option when printing. The default is high quality text. Not all 24 pin printers support double tall. #321# To change the default printer type use the installation portion of EZ-Forms Executive located off the main menu. Don't forget to tell EZ-Forms Executive to retain the new printer type. Notes: 1. Some options are not compatible with others. For example -- if you choose D for draft, then you CAN'T also have high quality dark lines and vice versa! The draft option also selects the text quality mode. 2. Using preprinted forms. EZ-Forms Executive has a clear forms overlay selection on the "Print Options" menu allows you to easily use many of the preprinted forms. To use this feature you first create a master form to act as the template. Make sure that all the "fields" match or align with those on your preprinted form. Fill out the master form. When you go to print, select C for clear forms overlay. This will ensure only the unprotected area (the text you just typed in) will be printed. The master form outline is protected in completed forms, so it doesn't print! 3. For the installed print options to be stored in the form you must first call the form up in the editor, choose the desired options from the print menu, press I to install the options in the form header and most important SAVE the form to disk. #325# Orientation ONLY applies to HP LaserJet with printer type E/I installed! EZ-Forms Executive allows you to print your form in the landscape (sideways) orientation if you are using an HP LaserJet with our font support disk. EZ-Forms will download the landscape fonts (they have a .sfl extension) and use them for printing. Please ensure the landscape fonts are in your default directory. You must also have a landscape version of your print macros. The print macros have a l or p as the last letter of the macro name to denote the orientation they were drawn in and when EZ-Forms should use them. Examples: macro01p.hpm and macro01l.hpm Please note that the newer HP LaserJets (II/III/DeskJet/...) have a PC-8 line drawing character set built in. It supports normal and landscape orientations for printing forms. Choose the PC-8 driver if you haven't purchased our enhanced font support pack. #330# You are being asked to input in HEX the byte you would like to enter at this location. Don't forget the length byte has to contain the number of characters you want to send to the printer. The length byte doesn't count against the total so the maximum is 18 (24 in decimal). These codes are sent to the printer during printing. #335# EZ-Forms allows you to download custom fonts to your printer before printing a form. Steps in the process: ═════════════════════ 1. You select any font other than 0. Assume Font 1. 2. Tell EZ-Forms to print. 3. EZ-Forms will run a DOS shell to execute FONT1.BAT (place the commands for downloading your font in FONT1.BAT). 4. After FONT1.BAT executes, normal printing of your form will take place. The batch file's name is built up of 'FONT' plus the 'font number you select' plus '.BAT'. Example: You select font 27, then EZ-Forms will execute FONT27.BAT before printing your form. #340# This option refers to the actual number of lines on the paper in your printer. Normally a 8 1/2 by 11 inch sheet of paper using 6 lines per contains 66 lines (6x11=66) or 88 lines using 8 lines per inch (8x11=88). EZ-Forms will print blank lines at the end of your form to advance the paper to the top of the next page. Examples: Form length L setting Additional line feeds ═══════════ ═════════ ═════════════════════ 64 66 2 80 80 0 Formula for additional line feeds (ALF) ALF = Form length - L setting. If ALF is 0 or negative, no additional line feeds will be printed. A few printers may require "tweeking" of these numbers to compensate for nonstandard paper or unusual print size. The default minimum lines per page setting is the length of your form. #345# EZ-Forms allows you to print more than one copy at a time. Enter the number of copies desired at the prompt. Please ensure you have the "lines per page" option set for the correct value to advance your printer after printing a form to the top of the next page. The default value will work for most printers. A few printers may require the number of lines under "lines per page" option to be modified. You may abandon the printing of multiple copies just like a single copy. By pressing a key on your keyboard you can signal to EZ-Forms to give you this option. If selected, all further copies will be abandoned. #350# Only the editor has access to the routines necessary to save a form. Please call up a form for modification before trying to customize the default print attributes. The directory gives you a summary of what print defaults are stored in each form. Help behind the directory screen describes in detail what each character in the print attribute summary means. Steps to save a custom print configuration: ═══════════════════════════════════════════ 1. Call up a form for modification. 2. Press Ctrl+P to print the form. 3. Customize the print attributes. 4. Press I to install the defaults into the form header. 5. Press Escape to return to the editor. 6. SAVE THE FORM! #352# EZ-Forms Executive supports printing multiple forms in a batch mode. In the previous menu, you tagged a group of forms to be printed at one time. Each of those forms will be loaded and then printed in the order they were displayed in the directory. During printing the default print attributes stored in each form will be used. This includes the number of copies, whether to compress the printed form, etc. You can't override any of the stored print default attributes. If you need to override the stored print defaults, then print one form at a time. You will be given the option to override any of the stored default print attributes. #355# Want to merge your database with a EZ-Forms form and print multiple forms with one record per form? If so this is the area for you, otherwise press Escape to abandon this operation. Most good database packages can produce an ASCII text file with one field per line. That is why EZ-Forms adopted this method. It should be the lowest common denominator for database usage. What is ASCII? The American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) defines codes for information exchange between equipment produced by different manufacturers. EZ-Forms supports an extended ASCII character set that also allows the character graphics symbols you see in the forms. You can freely use any symbol seen in the editor in your ASCII database. #360# You must fill out a master form with a unique field identifier before using database merge. A ^ was chosen for this. Simply place a ^ in the completed form for each field. Before printing, EZ-Forms will scan your completed form to locate all the fields (^s). The form will be cleared and the first record will be read in and printed. Between records the form will be cleared to ensure none of the data is left over from the previous record. EZ-Forms will read in each field into the form at the designated area. Since we are working with a completed form, you will not be allowed to overwrite any protected text. #365# Want to print out multiple sequentially numbered forms? If the answer is yes then read on otherwise press Escape to abandon this operation. Pick a master form, any master form will do. Use the Ctrl+N command to add an auto number field that will increase by one each time you fill it out. If you want to start at any particular number then revise the default number of 1. Update the default print attributes as required. Save the form. This option will allow you to print sequentially numbered copies of your master form using the default print attributes embedded in the form. The auto number field in the master form will increase by one each pass thru the increment print cycle. #370# EZ-Forms allows you to customize the name of the printer and user defined print functions/attributes. When you chose a basic printer type (under Use Printer), EZ-Forms installs a generic set of text labels. As you customize the printer driver you should modify these names to document the changes. Example: If you customize user function 4 to switch your printer into double high then install the user function 4 name to say "Double High Character". The names you install can be called up for review while you are in the editor. Call up any form and press Alt+I for information. You will be able to see what the user defined functions will do from their names. Use the modify printer driver option to modify the command codes sent to your printer when a user defined function is attached to a character. #375# This very confusing screen shows you the codes contained in the user configurable printer command strings. These strings control many of the operations during printing. See the modify option on the printer selection menu for a breakdown of what each command string does. The format for the information is: Location 1 2 3-26 What it is [Command string number] [length] [printer commands] Number base (in decimal) (in hex) (in hex) The first byte of the command tells EZ-Forms how many of the possible 24 bytes to send to the printer. Hex (base 16) was chosen for the commands to reduce the display space and to allow more commands per string (example: 255 is hex FF). If you have trouble with hex don't despair. We have included a form containing a hex to decimal conversion table. #400# This installation area allows you to define: 1) The default master form directory. This is where EZ-Forms will look for your master forms (the ones ending with a .FRM extension). 2) The default completed form directory. This is where EZ-Forms will look for your completed forms (the ones ending with a .FOF extension). Note: When you fill out a form it will be read from the master form area and saved to the completed form area. Example: Master form directory: C:\EZFX Completed form directory: A:\ If we fill out C:\EZFX\YourForm.FRM the name will be converted to A:\YourForm.FOF and be saved on drive A. This is ONLY the default. You can override the default form name and directory at save time. The .FRM or .FOF extension cannot be changed! 3. The default directory for accessing the on-line manual and context sensitive help. Make sure you include the index file (EZFX_HM.INX) and help/manual file (EZFX_HM.TXT) in the specified directory. #401# 4. Default message level. This is used in the editor to determine the extent of interference EZ-Forms presents to the user trying to execute a command (or help if you would prefer to look at it from that side). A message level of 4 will ensure all messages are displayed. Level 0 should be reserved for the expert user since this will take the safety (Are you sure (Y/N)?) off several potentially dangerous commands. 5. Sound/beep on errors. Some people find programs that beep on errors to be annoying (me for one). This option will allow you to disable ALL warning beeps in EZ-Forms. 6. Auto recalc for math. Select Yes for auto recalc if you would like the math updated within your form prior to saving, printing, etc. Enabling this option will help ensure the math results displayed within your form are accurate. 7. You can install EZ-Forms to use Enter for the next field (Database mode) or Enter for start of next line (Wordprocessing mode). 8. Screen blanker time can be adjusted from 1 to 99 minutes. You can even disable it by setting the time to 0. The screen blanker is the box that bounces around on a blank screen saying "Press any key". #405# EZ-Forms Executive allows you to specify how the form directories will be sorted. You can specify both the field to sort on and the direction. The installation section you are using allows you to specify these options. When EZ-Forms Executive first comes up it will use these installed options as the directory sort options. Any change you make to the sort options while viewing the directory will be retained during the use of EZ-Forms Executive. If you want the options to be permanent then they must be installed and saved using the installation section of EZ-Forms Executive. #410# EZ-Forms Executive allows the default form paths, program colors, etc. to be saved in a configuration file. If no configuration file is specified on the command line (ex. C:>EZFX /c=MyConfg.CNF) when you call up EZ-Forms then EZ-Forms will use the default name of EZFX.CNF. You are being asked for the name of the configuration file to load. You may have several configuration files saved under different names. Examples: Epson.CNF (for Epson printers), BW.CNF (for black and white composite monitors attached to a composite color card), etc. Please make sure that the configuration file you are asking EZ-Forms to use is really an EZ-Forms configuration file! Any invalid configuration file will be ignored. This includes configuration files from previous versions of EZ-Forms. Remember you can always press ESC if you got into this area by accident. #411# EZ-Forms Executive allows the default form paths, program colors, etc to be saved in a configuration file. If no configuration file is specified on the command line (ex. C:>EZFX /c=MyConfg.CNF) when you call up EZ-Forms then EZ-Forms will use the default name of EZFX.CNF. You are being asked for the name of the configuration file to save all the program defaults to. You may have several configuration files saved under different names. Examples: Epson.CNF (for Epson printers), BW.CNF (for black and white composite monitors attached to a composite color card), etc. Please remember you can always press ESC if you got into this area by accident. #450# EZ-Forms Executive will move the text in the marked block to the left side, to the right side, or center it within the block. If you would like an entire section of text centered, mark the block first then call up the justify text command. When a multi-line block is marked, you will be asked whether you would like to justify all the lines in the block. See the quick field justification command Alt+Q for additional capability in completed forms. #460# EZ-Forms Executive supports fields in completed forms. Many times you may want to be able to easily justify text left, right, or center within the field. This command allows you to do that. If you are working with numbers a lot, you may find the right justify command very useful. To make it even more useful, use the keyboard macros to reduce the number of keystrokes for right justification. Use the Alt+= command to record the quick right justify command sequence. Then attach it to shift function key one. From then on you can press Shift+F1 to right justify a field. Don't forget to save your keyboard macros! #500# To access wordwrap press Alt+W. The first time Alt+W will enable wordwrap. The second time, Alt+W will exit wordwrap (you can also use Escape). While you are in wordwrap you will be able to type ONLY in the blocked off area. You can use the keypad cursor keys to move around along with Enter, PgUp, PgDn, Home, End, Ctrl left arrow, and Ctrl right arrow. For text editing you have Delete, Backspace, and Insert. Commands: Keypad arrows -- movement. Home -- First character. Bksp and Del -- character editing. End -- Last character + 1. Ins -- toggle insert status. Ctrl+PgUp -- Top of form. Ctrl+Y -- delete line. Ctrl+PgDn -- Bottom of form. Ctrl+Enter -- insert line. Ctrl+Home -- Upper left. Alt+M -- add static marker to blank line. Ctrl+End -- Lower left. End will place the cursor after the last character on the line. If the line contains a character at the end, EZ-Forms will go into a end of line hold where the cursor "hangs" at the end but is waiting for your command. #501# NOTES: Delete and backspace wrap everything below and to the right of the cursor up. It works in the background after you hit one of these keys, working until it reformats the entire block OR you hit another key. This may cause some words or colors to appear left in intermediate states. Don't worry, loose ends will be cleaned up when you delete again or unmark the block. Insert will insert on the current line and the one below it until there isn't any more space. Then it will try to move the text down one line -- it's a good idea to leave a couple of blank lines at the end of each block. If your block is full of text then insert can't insert any more text! Static markers () are added to the first column of blank lines when you first call up wordwrap and erased on exit. These markers direct EZ-Forms to not wordwrap on those lines. They serve to break your text into marked paragraphs. EZ-Forms will delete the markers at the end of a marked block and use that area if you are inserting new lines of text. Use Alt+M to enter static markers (). This command will only add the markers if the line is completely blank. Tides (~) are removed since they are treated as blanks normally and would only confuse what is a paragraph and what is not. #600# Macros allow you to record a keystroke sequence for later playback. EZ-Forms Executive maintains a general buffer to record your keystrokes. Once you have recorded a keystroke sequence you can write it to a disk file for later playback. Over 100 macro keys are supported. The shifted function keys 1 thru 10 are supported directly (just press one of them). The other macros are available by pressing control O then the second key. Be sure to take advantage of the descriptive text label for your macro when you write it to disk. Use Ctrl+Q to flush the keyboard buffer if your macro gets out of control. Macros can contain virtually any keystroke that you can enter from the keyboard. Here are some suggestions to make using macros easier. 1. If you start a macro from the main menu use the numeric keypad home key to reset the menu to a known starting position. 2. When using editor commands in your macro try to start from a known position. Examples: a. Use Ctrl+Home to move the cursor to the upper left corner of the form for a starting position. b. When using Alt+G in a macro set the default palette first before drawing anything. #601# 3. Be aware of the keystroke limit. As you enter each keystroke you will see a small box in the center of your screen that shows which keystroke you are entering and the maximum allowable keystrokes. Once you have created a set of macros, write them to disk. You have complete freedom to give it any name you desire. This allows you to have multiple sets of macros defined. EZ-Forms Executive will automatically load the macro EZFX.MAC if it exists on the default drive and directory when you first bring up the program. You will probably want your most useful set of macros as the default. When you run EZ-Forms Executive use EZFX /m=macrofile to specify a name other than EZFX.MAC for the macros. You can execute the keyboard macros at any point. However, the macro attached to Shift+F10 will automatically execute when you get past the opening screen(s) as you first bring up EZ-Forms Executive. Hint: Macros emulate you at the keyboard. As you record a macro try to start at a known position and enter the keystrokes just as you would like the macro to be played back. Don't try to design a macro in one area of the program and play it back in another area. It may work but the macro will be harder to visualize and enter. #610# EZ-Forms Executive allows the default macro file name to be changed from within the program. Normally the name EZFX.MAC is used. To tell EZ-Forms Executive to default to another macro file at load time use the command line: EZFX /m=MyMacros.MAC You are being asked for the name of the macro file to load. You may have several macro files saved under different names. Please make sure that the macro file you are asking EZ-Forms to use is really an EZ-Forms macro file! Remember you can always press ESC if you got into this area by accident. #620# Sorting large macro files may take a while. We have went to great lengths to minimize to requirement for additional disk space during the sorting process. The macro file can be over 200K in size. Creating and managing backup files would require a lot of extra program code and disk space. We have opted for a disk based sort that sorts the macro file without creating a backup. If you would like an unsorted backup, copy the macro file to another name prior to sorting it. The sorting may take a while for a large macro file. Please be patient. #630# Each of the over 100 macros can have a descriptive text label added. This description serves as a reminder of its function. As you create macros, use a long description of the macro's function. You will find the description extremely important both to yourself and to other people who also use the macros you create. The macro file is built as you define the macros. This ensures the macro file is small as possible but the macros may be out of order. Use the change macro order option to sort the macros back into key order. The maximum file size with all macros defined is over 200K (102 macros with each having 1000 keystrokes of two bytes each - 102*1000*2 plus overhead). We have defined S+F10 to be the "Autostart" keyboard macro since it will be automatically executed when you run EZ-Forms Executive. Please note that it doesn't start execution until you get past the opening screen(s). #660# EZ-Forms Executive allows you to write the defined macros to disk for later use. If you would like for your macros to be automatically loaded then use the default name EZFX.MAC. EZ-Forms Executive is asking you for two pieces of information before it saves your macro to disk. The first is which key would you like to use to call up the macro at a future time. The second piece of information is the textual label or comment that will be shown when you ask to see all the recorded macros. This piece of information is optional but its use is strongly recommended if you are to figure out what the macro is supposed to do at a future time. Use the up arrow key to move from the description back up to the keystroke definition if you have changed your mind about which key to attach the macro to or pressed the wrong key. You may have multiple sets of macro commands defined. Save each set under a different file name and use the load macro command to read it from disk or specify a different macro file when you call up EZ-Forms Executive. Example: EZFX /m=MyMacros.MAC #670# A file error occurred while trying to save your macro to a disk file. The macro file grows as you add new macros to it. If you redefine an existing macro, the space within the macro file is reused. When a file error occurs, it is typically due to one of the following: 1. You are out of hard disk space. 2. You specified an invalid filename or path for the macro file. 3. There is a bad area on your hard disk that can't be written to. Please ensure that you have used a valid name for the macro file. #1000# EZ-Forms Executive ran out of memory while trying to perform the requested operation. Generally this will only happen if you have limited free system memory (RAM) and try to perform an operation on a large section of a very large form (can require up to 64K RAM for maximum form size). The notepad and block copy/move commands will ask your computer for memory to perform the requested operation only when you use the command. That way the drain on your system resources is kept to a minimum. However, if you have limited free memory you may see this message. Possible corrective measures: 1. Limit the number of memory resident programs you load. 2. Upgrade your system RAM if you have less than 640K. 3. If you have anything stored in the notepad and run out of memory during the block copy operation - delete the notepad contents first. #1170# Creating or editing a master form is not allowed while you are in the Fill-Out-Only (FOO) mode. Use the installation section to alter the FOO mode. Normally this access is limited to a central System Administrator. All functions are enabled except those that allow you to modify master forms. This mode allows you to set up users so that you can ensure that all filled out forms will always have exactly the same master outline. #1171# Enable Fill-Out-Only (FOO) mode - Once the FOO mode is enabled, you will not be able to create or edit a master form. Once locked with a password, you will not be able to create or edit any master form. Once locked, these functions and this help screen are unavailable. Be careful! DON'T forget your password. #1172# Disable Fill-Out-Only (FOO) mode - While the FOO mode is enabled, you are not allowed to create or edit any master form. This command allows you to disable the FOO mode. It is only available to your System Administrator. You have to have the correct password before you can disable the FOO mode! Please contact him/her for any further information. #20050# Quick startup info: EZ-Forms Executive is a form-generating program which lets you, the user, generate (Create) master forms tailored to your unique needs. Once you create the forms you can fill them out using the Fillout mode, where all the text from your master form is completely protected. The form can then be printed with all lines and information from the master form or you can use a preprinted form (on the print menu use C - Clear forms overlay) and only print the information you entered in the Fillout mode. Before you can get solid lines on the printout you must install a driver for your specific printer type. To do this, go to the Install pulldown and press P for Printer. Then press U for use a predefined printer type. Select your printer type from the menu and press the number or letter to the left of it. Return to the opening menu and press R to retain the new printer definition. You can now print any of the included forms using either the main menu Print option or from within the editor (the form is displayed in front of you) by pressing Ctrl+P for print. Refer to other sections of the On-Line Manual for additional information. F1 is available to call up help while you are using EZ-Forms Executive. #20051# ┌──────────────────────────┐ │ Commonly Asked Questions │ └──────────────────────────┘ 1. Does EZ-Forms Executive (EZFX) require a video graphics adapter? No, EZFX will work with all video adapters for the IBM PC. This includes MDA, CGA, EGA, and VGA display adapters. EZFX uses characters which look like graphic symbols (character graphics) to ensure maximum compatibility and speed. Text based graphics is 10 to 100 times faster than bit image graphics. 2. Can I design my own forms? Yes. EZFX allows you to easily customize any of the standard forms included in the package or to easily create your own forms. A form of average complexity can easily be created in less than 20 minutes. 3. Will EZFX work with pre-printed forms? Yes! Not only does EZFX have a clear forms overlay (CFO) mode, it will also generate a overlay grid of any size to be used with your pre-printed form. Simply print out the grid over the top of your pre-printed form to get the correct text entry locations. See the editor commands for the CFO grid command. #20100# EZ-Forms Executive is a form-generating program which lets you, the user, generate master forms tailored to your unique needs. Integrated into EZ-Forms Executive is both a forms editor and an installation program to allow you to customize it. Things such as colors, type of printer, and default data paths can be specified. EZ-Forms Executive allows you to create or revise a master form or completed (filled out) form. A master form can be altered only when in the "Create or Revise a master form" mode. Master and completed forms can be stored as well as printed. Once a master form has been created and saved, you can recall it an unlimited number of times to fill out and then store as a completed form. EZ-Forms Executive supports IBM (Epson) compatible printers as well as several other printers, however only Epson, Prowriter, and certain other printers can take advantage of the compressed mode used by EZ-Forms Executive for printing out larger forms. #20101# EZ-Forms Executive requires an IBM PC (tm) or compatible with at least 640K of RAM (only 500K of this is needed by EZ-Forms Executive). Direct screen memory access is used to provide high speed screen updates. This may make EZ-Forms Executive unusable on some "not too close" IBM PC compatibles. IBM monochrome, color, and enhanced graphics adapters are known to work with EZ-Forms Executive. If you are using an IBM color graphics card with a "green screen" then you must use the DOS MODE command on your DOS diskette to default to black and white (type MODE BW80 and then run EZ-Forms Executive). If you are using a serial printer, then use the DOS MODE command to route the serial printer to LPT1 (see your DOS manual for details). #20102# EZ-Forms Executive has grown so large that it now uses both overlays and additional files to provide enhanced support. The overlays are built into EZFX.EXE so be sure to keep it available when running EZ-Forms. The additional files contain the context sensitive help and the on-line user's manual (EZFX_HM.TXT and its index EZFX_HM.INX). These files must be available to allow EZ-Forms to provide the on-line support for F1 (Context Sensitive Help) and the on-line manuals available from the main menu and within the editor. Please ensure these files are available in your default directory when you run EZ-Forms Executive. To check, use the DOS command DIR <Enter>. All the names of the files on your drive will be listed on the screen. These additional files MUST remain available during the entire time you are using EZ-Forms Executive. Sections of these files are brought into your computer's memory for the additional user support. This is one of the penalties for a more powerful program. EZ-Forms Executive "knows" where to find these additional files (drive and directory), so you still can change drives and directories. You can install this directory in the installation section. #20200# ╔════════════════════════ EZ-Forms Executive ══════════════════════════╗ ║ Manual Create Edit FillOut Revise Print Install Quit ║ ╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ The Main Menu options with descriptions are below. M On-Line Manual: This is an online manual covering features of EZ-Forms Executive in more depth than the documentation available in the manual. C Create: This option allows you to create a new master form. You will be able to designate the form size (maximum size is 999 lines by 254 columns), add (or delete) a border and draw horizontal or vertical lines (sorry no diagonal lines are possible using character graphic symbols like those used in EZ-Forms). The cursor keys are enabled, so you can "walk around" a newly created form. E Edit: The Edit option allows you to recall a master form and further modify it or just take a look at it. The above Create option ONLY works on new forms -- the Edit option can ONLY be used on a form after it has been created. #20201# F Fill Out a master form: With this option, you can retrieve, and complete a copy of a master form. A copy of master form is loaded and then converted to a completed form. Text you add to the completed form can be manipulated. However, any text which was part of the master form is now protected and can't be changed. R Revise a Completed (filled out) Form: Here you can recall a completed form for revision. This option is the same as the Edit option, except you're not starting with a "clean slate" master form. You have complete freedom to revise any portion of the form except for the master form outline and text. P Print a Form: This option gives you full access to the computer directories and drives to allow you flexibility in searching out and printing forms. If you have an Epson or Epson compatible, then you can take advantage of the solid lines and compressed print format for larger forms. Simply tag multiple forms and EZ-Forms Executive will print all of them for you. #20202# I Install: The installation portion of EZ-Forms Executive allows you to customize the colors, printer type, help/manual path, and other options. Q Quit and exit to DOS: All good things must come to an end. Choose this option if you want to leave EZ-Forms Executive and return to DOS. #20300# Master forms are forms in an unprotected mode where you can alter them in any way. The master form mode is where you create the forms that you will later fill out or complete. "Fields" can be set up in master forms to simulate some of the features of data base programs which allow you to jump between form data entry areas. EZ-Forms Executive doesn't support data fields in the normal sense. Since EZ-Forms Executive is based around a word processor model instead a data base model, a unique method is used to simulate fields. (This isn't all bad. By using the wordprocessing approach EZ-Forms Executive gains a great deal of flexibility.) This works by your setting up the master form such that only blank areas in the form are where you want the "fields" to be. In the completed form the tab key will then allow you to tab to the next unprotected area. Two methods are provided to allow fields to be easily set up. 1. If you have a master form that has very few areas you want to write in, then use F3 to fill the entire form with field markers '~' (tilde). Then just walk around with the cursor and clear out the area you want to be able to fill in for the completed form. The space bar #20301# works well for this. Or you may want to use Ctrl+E to erase field markers from a block after marking it. A field marker, tilde, can be entered from the keyboard simply by pressing that key for small touchups. 2. To selectively protect a section of the master form, use the block functions (Ctrl+A) to selectively insert the field markers. You can follow this up with the Ctrl+E after marking a block to selectively erase field markers. Don't worry about the field markers from the master form showing up in the completed form. Field markers from the master form will remain invisible. They are used only to keep track of what is protected. Also the field markers will not show up when you print the form. Converting the field markers to spaces is also provided when you export a block from a form. When you are completing a master form, use insert field markers (F3) to show the unprotected parts. The field markers will show up in the unprotected text color, highlighting where the main form is unprotected. These tildes will show you where you can type. They will appear in the same text color as any other text you type in but won't print or have any affect on anything you are doing. #20302# Setting up fields isn't hard. All you are doing is limiting the unprotected areas to where you REALLY want to type. EZ-Forms Executive then tabs between these areas in the completed form. Don't forget that shift Tab takes you backwards thru the fields. AUTO NUMBERING: To set up auto numbering in the master form press Ctrl+N. Ensure there is enough space to insert the number between the cursor position and the right side of the form. Each time you fill it out -(Main Menu FillOut) the number will increment. If you need to change the number in the master form, start with a different sequence number then just type over the old number. The sequence number MUST be a valid number (if you choose a five digit number it MUST be between 00000 and 99999)! AUTO DATE: To set up the auto date function in the master form press Ctrl+D. Please ensure there is enough room to insert the date between the cursor position and the right side of the form. Each time you fill out a form EZ-Forms Executive will look at your computer's clock and insert that date into the form at this point. #20303# AUTO TIME: Auto time is set up the same as auto numbering and auto date. You use the Ctrl+T to set up the location for the time to be inserted into a form as you fill it out. Please make sure there is enough space to insert the time between your current cursor position and the right side of the form. #20400# If you don't have a printer, then you've got problems. This section assumes you have no problems (at least not printer problems). EZ-Forms Executive supports various laser, dot matrix, and daisy wheel printers such as the HP LaserJet, Epson MX, FX, and RX series, the Prowriter dot matrix, and almost any printer in the generic text mode. You can print a form from the main menu using the print form option or by pressing Ctrl+P while in the editor (form will be visible on your screen). EZ-Forms Executive does not require you to define your printer type before you can print. A default printer type is assumed which should work with any printer but will not be able to print out the larger forms or solid lines. Here are some notes to help keep your association with EZ-Forms Executive on a friendly basis. 1. Most printers can print 66 lines per page. Most of the pre-defined forms are 64 lines x 80 columns, allowing a couple of extra lines at the end to compensate for paper alignment. Adjust your printer so the first line prints at the VERY top of the page. If you don't, some of the forms may spill over onto the next page. #20401# 2. Some printers have micro-justification (usually controlled by a switch inside the printer). Make sure this switch is off before using EZ-Forms Executive (usually this means turning off the switch AND turning the printer off and back on). If your printer uses micro- justification, then the right border of the printed form will NOT line up vertically. 3. If you do not have an Epson compatible, Prowriter, or certain other printers then you can't use the compressed print mode. See the printer installation area for current list of printers. 4. The install portion of EZ-Forms Executive will allow you to set up the codes needed for almost any printer. 5. Some laser printers may require you to save the form to an ASCII file via the export provisions in EZ-Forms Executive. Then after proper printer initialization, you can print the ASCII file from DOS with the command: COPY "filename" PRN (or LPT1:, COM1, ETC.). 6. Chain printing forms. Choose the print master or completed form option off the main menu. Tag as many forms as you want. You will be able to queue up multiple master or completed forms for printing. #20402# 7. IncPrint- You can use the auto number feature with the IncPrint option (off the main menu Print option) to print a series of sequentially numbered forms. More info is provided when you choose this option. 8. Database merge - You can merge an ASCII database with a form. This is like the mail merge in some of the word processors. More info is provided when you choose this option off the main menu Print option. 9. The HP LaserJet printer is now supported by EZ-Forms Executive. Solid vertical and horizontal lines are supported. Several screens at the end of this section go into the capabilities of the EZX Soft Fonts. 10. Using preprinted forms. EZ-Forms Executive has a Clear Forms Overlay (CFO) selection on the "Print Options" menu allows you to easily use preprinted forms. To use this feature you first create a master form to act as the template. Make sure that all of the "fields" match or align with those on your preprinted form. Fill out the master form. When you go to print, select C for Clear Forms Overlay. This will ensure only the unprotected area (text you just typed in) will be printed. The master form outline is protected in completed forms, so it doesn't print! #20403# 11. Sideways printing. Sideways(tm) 3.0 by Funk Software, Inc. supports sideways printing of text containing character graphics symbols like those used in the EZ-Forms Executive forms. If you have a wide form and want to print it out sideways, then continue reading. You must export a form before it can be printed under Sideways. To do this: a. Call up a form under option E, F, or R from the main menu. b. Press Ctrl+W. c. If a block is marked, answer no to export only marked block. d. Do NOT translate the border characters, we want them left as character graphics, not translated to : and -. e. Specify a temporary file name (example: temp). f. Exit EZ-Forms Executive and call up Sideways. g. Print your exported file, NOT the EZ-Forms Executive form. h. Using normal sized print, a 130x53 form should fit on a page. #20404# EZX Publishing now offers fully integrated Soft Fonts for use with the HP LaserJet+ and II series of laser printers. With this optional support package, EZ-Forms Executive supports 16 groups of downloadable soft fonts. Each of the 16 groups is based on normal/small text, 6/8 lines per inch, normal/very dark text, and portrait/landscape orientation. Within each group you can have 10 fonts, 00 being the default font and 01-09 being additional fonts you can access within any given form. The naming convention is: Fnt00N6N.SFP │││││ │ │ ╘╡│││ ╘═╧═ Soft font portrait (SFP) or soft font landscape (SFL) │││╘═════ Normal (N) or very dark (V) text/graphics ││╘══════ 6 or 8 lines per inch │╘═══════ Normal (N) 10 cpi or small (S) 17 cpi text/graphics ╘════════ Font number (00 is default), range 00-09 #20405# This provides 16 possible font groups: Fnt00n6n.SFP 10 cpi, 6 lpi, normal darkness, portrait Fnt00s6n.SFP 17 cpi, 6 lpi, normal darkness, portrait Fnt00n6v.SFP 10 cpi, 6 lpi, very dark text/graphics, portrait Fnt00s6v.SFP 17 cpi, 6 lpi, very dark text/graphics, portrait Fnt00n8n.SFP 10 cpi, 8 lpi, normal darkness, portrait Fnt00s8n.SFP 17 cpi, 8 lpi, normal darkness, portrait Fnt00n8v.SFP 10 cpi, 8 lpi, very dark text/graphics, portrait Fnt00s8v.SFP 17 cpi, 8 lpi, very dark text/graphics, portrait Fnt00n6n.SFL 10 cpi, 6 lpi, normal darkness, landscape Fnt00s6n.SFL 17 cpi, 6 lpi, normal darkness, landscape Fnt00n6v.SFL 10 cpi, 6 lpi, very dark text/graphics, landscape Fnt00s6v.SFL 17 cpi, 6 lpi, very dark text/graphics, landscape Fnt00n8n.SFL 10 cpi, 8 lpi, normal darkness, landscape Fnt00s8n.SFL 17 cpi, 8 lpi, normal darkness, landscape Fnt00n8v.SFL 10 cpi, 8 lpi, very dark text/graphics, landscape Fnt00s8v.SFL 17 cpi, 8 lpi, very dark text/graphics, landscape Note: Each font group can have up to 10 fonts, 00-09. #20406# Each font may optionally have its horizontal and vertical motion index adjusted. EZ-Forms Executive uses a file with the same name as the font except ending with HMP (portrait)/HML (landscape) to designate an ASCII file that contains an ASCII number for modifying the character spacing for a font. If no file exists then EZ-Forms Executive assumes no motion modification is required. Refer to your HP LaserJet technical reference manual for details on horizontal (HMI) and vertical (VMI) motion indexes. Font 00, the default font, is used for the form outline and for all text that doesn't have another font specified thru combinations of the Alt1-4 user defined functions. It also determines the inter-line spacing for any other (01-09) loaded font. Any font may be renamed to fit into the EZ-Forms Executive naming conventions. However, most fonts don't provide the character graphics symbols that allow the lines in the form to be drawn. All of the EZX Soft Fonts in the font support package provide this capability. #20407# Print macros are also supported. Print macros are predefined sequences of commands for your printer that can be triggered by sending a simple escape sequence (see your HP LaserJet technical reference manual for more info). These are used for printing things like logos for letterhead and printing someone's signature. Unlike soft fonts, print macros have to be completely designed and defined with a macro ID (01-15) prior to you being able to reference them within a form. Print macros must be named MACROxxy.HPM where xx is the macro ID and y is either P (portrait) or L (landscape). Print macros are selected within a form thru the use of the Greek characters. The first Greek character triggers print macro 01, the second Greek character print macro 02, etc. Print macros can't have a shaded background. This is intentional because a print macro is a graphic image of an item. The graphic image will already contain any shading desired when it is designed. Adding shading thru the use of the Alt+B command would distort the graphic image contained in the print macro. #20408# BASIC OVERVIEW OF HOW TO USE THE SOFT FONTS FOR PRINTING ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ The following is a overview of the steps when you use the optional EZX Soft Fonts with printer type E selected (HP LaserJet+ or Compatible). 1. EZFX searches your form for "Greek characters" - αßΓπΣσµτΦΘΩδ∞φε - and then downloads to your printer the print macro referenced by the Greek character. The first Greek character references the first print macro, the second Greek character references the second print macro, etc. 2. EZFX searches your form for any fonts referenced. It then downloads to your printer Font 00 plus any additional fonts the form references. 3. EZFX is now ready to start printing. It prints the outline using Font 00. Any other font is used on additional passes. EZFX selects the Font 00 and goes to the line and column of the next text using a different font (other than 00). It will then print all the contiguous characters/text using that font. At the next font switch EZFX again switches to Font 00, goes to the proper line/column within your form, and starts printing using the new font. This allows you to easily line up text vertically using a multitude of different fonts. Unless you are aware of this process, you could be a little confused over how multiple font printing is accomplished. #20409# 5. The background shading is now done. EZFX uses the lightest character graphic symbol to add a shaded background (characters with a Alt+B) attached. On printer drivers other than E, the Alt+B allowed you to bold a character. This capability is still retained but you have to use a different font for bold text within this printer driver. 4. Print macros are now printed. EZFX goes thru your form line by line directing you printer to print any print macros it finds. Please note that if you direct EZFX to use a print macro and it wasn't available for downloading earlier in this process, nothing will print. Warning: EZFX makes multiple passes to produce a composite which is the printed form that comes out of your printer. Your printer can handle only a maximum number of characters per line and a maximum number of lines per page based on the fonts and orientation you select. If you try to print a form bigger than will fit on a single page, you may get multiple pages - each with a portion of one of the passes. To print correctly, your form MUST fit on a single page based on the fonts and orientation selected. Trial and error may sometimes be necessary. #20500# USING THE INSTALLATION PORTION OF EZ-FORMS EXECUTIVE ════════════════════════════════════════════════════ The EZ-Forms Executive program contains a section you will never need to use -- unless you want to customize the way EZ-Forms Executive runs. Everything in EZ-Forms Executive is defaulted such that most users will never NEED to reconfigure it, except for printer type. If you do change the defaults, a new configuration file (EZFX.CNF) will be saved on the default drive and directory. EZ-Forms Executive now supports multiple configuration files thru both the command line argument when you call up EZ-Forms (ex. EZFX /c=MyConfig.CNF) and allowing you to specify save and load names for the configuration file. EZFX.CNF contains ALL the installation options you have selected. You can have multiple configuration files defined. Several configuration files may be kept on the same disk by giving them a different name and then calling them up on the command line or be renaming them to EZFX.CNF and using them as the default. This same method allows you to handle several printers connected to a single computer, each printer needing a special version of EZFX.CNF, the configuration file. If you are using a serial printer, use the use the DOS MODE command to route your printer to LPT1 if it isn't already configured as being "logically" on LPT1. #20600# Advanced features ═════════════════ WordWrap -- To access wordwrap, call up a form for viewing. Mark both the start and end of the block. Then press Alt+W to start wordwrap in your marked block. Math -- To access math, call up a Master form for viewing. Press Ctrl+U to call up the math menu. See the sample Master forms -- MATHINFO, MATHDEMO, and MATHINVC for more information on math. These forms should be viewed in the order listed! Macros -- Use Alt+= to call up the macro menu at any prompt. Use the menu options or call up additional help using F1. You can record over 100 macros which can be saved and later executed. Use the name EZFX.MAC to have the macros automatically loaded when you run EZ-Forms Executive. Graphics walk around -- Call up a form and press Alt+G to start the full screen graphics walk around. You will be able to use the keypad cursor keys to add all kinds of graphics to your form. #20601# Patch mode -- To use the patch mode, call up a form for viewing. Press Alt+P to patch the form. EZ-Forms Executive will make its best guess on modifying every graphic character in the form to connect with the others around it. This will connect your graphics figures giving the form a finished look. DOS Shell -- At any prompt in EZ-Forms Executive you can press Ctrl+X and shell out to DOS. From there you can use all the commands normally available in DOS. When you finish type EXIT to return to EZ-Forms. Please ensure that COMMAND.COM is in your default directory or path and that you have enough free RAM to use the DOS shell (10-20K is plenty). Refer to your DOS manual for a complete list of available commands. Note: Due to the variety of machines, BIOS, memory resident software, and system drivers in use, we cannot guarantee the shell will work properly under all conditions. #20700# HISTORY OF REVISIONS: ═════════════════════ EZ-Forms Executive Dec 1986 First version of EZ-Forms Executive. Included version 1.0 context sensitive help, on-line manual, plus the fully developed operations concept needed for a complete forms manager. EZ-Forms Executive Feb 1987 Expanded: math, additional help, and added version 1.1 several new forms. EZ-Forms Executive Mar 1987 Added database merge, chain printing, and inc version 1.2 printing for sequentially numbered forms. EZ-Forms Executive Oct 1987 Updated user interface in a couple of areas version 1.3 to make user options easier to understand. EZ-Forms Executive Jan 1988 Complete rewrite adding double line graphics, version 2.0 pulldown menus, expanded math capabilities, plus many other new commands like encryption. #20701# EZ-Forms Executive May 1988 Added keyboard macros, custom 24 pin printer version 2.1 support, expanded date and time formats, and additional on-line help. EZ-Forms Executive Mar 1989 Expanded export to allow export of user data version 2.2 for database type applications. Expanded laser support for multiple fonts and print macros within a form. Added additional help screens to make EZFX even easier to use. Added many new math functions and expanded the maximum field width to 15 places. Added extensive view & print features to directory. EZ-Forms Executive Oct 1989 Math auto recalc, directory sorting - any version 2.3 field and any direction, auto block marking for wordwrap, notepad between forms, and macro autostart (S+F10). Also additional date formats, quick field justify, plus much more. #20702# EZ-Forms Executive Feb 1990 Rewrote several sections of the code to make version 2.4 them smaller and faster. Combined help and manual for additional space savings. Also added greatly expanded keyboard macros and enhanced math. EZ-Forms Executive Sep 1990 Program is now smaller and faster due to more version 2.5 efficient coding of routines and Microsoft's improved C compiler. Enhanced the screen blanker and added several new functions. EZ-Forms Executive May 1991 Added full directory navigation, a special version 3.0 fill-out-only mode, forms over 15 pages long, menu selection for over 500 printers, plus many other features. EZ-Forms Executive May 1996 Major upgrade adding: Tab scheduling, help version 4.0 for fields, pick lists, DES encryption for forms, screen blanker setup, additional laser printer PC-8 support, higher performance, plus much more. #20800# Notes on EZ-Forms Executive ═══════════════════════════ EZ-Forms Executive has been under development for over five years. During this period it has evolved into a package that quickly lets users do their work involving forms without a complex set of commands. If you have any suggestions for further improvement please forward them to us. We will try our best to incorporate your suggestions! Information relating to EZ-Forms Executive follows. These items didn't seem to fit into any other sections but needed to be passed on to you. GENERAL: 1. EZ-Forms Executive was developed by Dave Black of MaeDae Enterprises. 2. Special thanks to Robert Granger for his help with printer drivers. Also thanks to Mitchell Macha for his help with the math routines. 3. EZ-Forms Executive was written in C. The source for EZ-Forms Executive consists of about 30,000 lines of code (C and Assembly). 4. Special thanks to Jim Nech at SSS for his excellent C & Assembly language windowing package (Professional C Windows) used in EZ-Forms Executive. It comes with complete source code and is only $89. This package is a must for software developers (info/orders 713-484-8060). #20801# 5. Screen manipulation, including windowing, is handled by writing directly to screen memory. This provides extremely fast screen updates and allows high speed text scrolling on the screen. Checks are done to determine if your system is color or monochrome. The corresponding section of video screen memory is used. 6. EZ-Forms Executive is constantly being improved to add new commands and to better fill your needs. Please provide suggestions for improve- ment. EZ-Forms Executive will continue to improve as long as people suggest improvements and still require this type of package (which may be a very long time in our paperwork/form oriented society). 7. The limit on the number of forms in a directory for EZ-Forms Executive is 550 forms. If you have more forms than this in a SINGLE directory, then please divide the directory before running EZ-Forms Executive. 8. EZ-Forms Executive can read forms created by all earlier versions of the EZ-Forms Executive package. 9. EZ-Forms Executive keeps track of the on-line manual and the context sensitive help thru a number called a "location". When you call up the on-line manual or context sensitive help you will see this number listed on the bottom of the screen. It can be used as a reference number if you have any comments or questions concerning any of the information presented. #20802# SAVING: 1. Retyping the file name is required only if you have created a new master form or filled out a master form. If you are editing an existing form then press enter when asked for file name and the original file name will be used. 2. While saving a form, EZ-Forms Executive is constantly checking for any errors that may have occurred. If an error is detected, then EZ-Forms Executive will prompt you for the necessary action. DEFAULT DRIVE: EZ-Forms Executive allows you to change the default drive so you can have full access to all the drives on your system. If an error occurs while saving to one drive, you can always switch to another drive and try again. You MUST leave the overlay file (EZFX.EXE) available in the same drive and directory where you brought up EZ-Forms Executive. #20803# DIRECTORY SUPPORT: Many of the menus allow you to access directories. You can access all the directories available on all the disk drives in your computer if you are using DOS ver 2.0 or later. EZ-Forms Executive supports directories up to 60 characters in length. The 60 character limit includes the drive name and the path needed to get to your forms. FILE NAME EXTENSIONS: 1. EZ-Forms Executive uses the file name extensions .FRM for master forms and .FOF for completed (filled out) form respectively. You will see these extensions displayed when you access the forms thru the directory listing and on the top line while editing forms. 2. Forms, when saved to disk, consist of only the text and the attributes for protected, underline, bold, Usr1, Usr2, Usr3, and Usr4. A small header is also added to the front of each form containing information about the form size. The file is written in a compressed format sometimes compressing an entire line into 3 characters. This saves diskette space but makes the file unusable by most word processors UNLESS you export the form (see the section on exporting forms). #20804# MEMORY USAGE: Memory resident programs, such as SideKick or printer spoolers will subtract from the amount of memory available to run EZ-Forms Executive. If you have only 640K of memory and load in any memory resident programs, then EZ-Forms Executive may not run. In fact, it is possible for some of the memory resident programs to get your computer so "balled up" that EZ-Forms Executive won't be able to run! This includes device drivers like ANSI.SYS. Your free computer memory space (RAM) is displayed on the bottom line when you use the context sensitive help (F1) or the on-line manual. #20805# FUTURE PLANS FOR EZ-FORMS EXECUTIVE: Future versions of EZ-Forms Executive will have expanded capabilities. Please check every couple of months to learn about the latest features. Any suggestions for further enhancements would be appreciated! We will try to maintain a very fair upgrade policy. We want to remain sensitive to your needs. #20900# Unable to run EZXINFO.EXE - The latest information on our products! Please ensure EZXINFO.EXE is in your current working directory. Are you out of free RAM (see the bottom line of this screen)? If it shows less than about 80K, try running EZXINFO.EXE directly from DOS. If EZXINFO.EXE has been lost, call: Voice 1-713-280-9900 BBS 1-713-280-8180 FAX 1-713-280-0099 #20950# Unable to run SUPPORT.EXE - The latest information for technical support! Please ensure SUPPORT.EXE is in your current working directory. Are you out of free RAM (see the bottom line of this screen)? If it shows less than about 80K, try running SUPPORT.EXE directly from DOS. If SUPPORT.EXE has been lost, call: Voice 1-713-280-9900 BBS 1-713-280-8180 FAX 1-713-280-0099 #21100# Command menu: All the commands in EZ-Forms may be entered directly within the editor. Many of the commands may also be entered thru a pulldown command menu. The pulldown command menu may be called up thru either Escape or F10. When you press Escape the assumption is you want to exit EZ-Forms so the Exit pulldown is automatically used. If you use the F10 key to call up the command menu then the previous command or state of the menu is used. You will probably want a command in the general area of your last choice so this is saved between uses. You will notice the command menu has a help window at the bottom of the screen that expands on what will happen if you choose that option. Many of the commands can be entered without you calling up the command menu. If there is a command sequence shown at the end of the help window, you could have entered it instead of calling up the command menu. Example: Help for BlockOps - Start block shows a (Alt+S). That means you can press Alt+S the directly in the editor to mark the beginning of a block INSTEAD of going thru this menu. #21200# The block operations in EZ-Forms Executive are laid out in four logical groups. These are: (1) Those dealing with moving text around in your form -- Alt+M (move), Alt+C (copy), and Alt+D (delete) (2) Those dealing with attributes/fields -- Ctrl+A (attribute add) and Ctrl+E (attribute erase) (3) File export and import -- Ctrl+W (write/export) and Ctrl+R (read/import). (4) Block enable/disable -- make visible (Alt+V) or hide a block (Alt+H). These four groups allow you to work on the marked portion of the form. This marked portion (block) is laid out as a rectangle. You must mark the diagonal corners of the rectangle with the Alt+S being the upper left corner (start) and the Alt+E being the lower right corner (end). You will then be able to work with just this small section of the form for - Alt+C, Alt+M, Alt+D, Ctrl+A, etc. Those of you who liked the previous set of Ctrl+K block operations will be pleased that most of them still work. The Ctrl+K command maps many of the old commands from previous versions of EZ-Forms into the new easier to use/remember commands. Please note that the Status area in Alt+I will give you the current block status. #21300# To export a form type Ctrl+W (for write). When you export a form you take the form you see in front of you and write it to a disk file in a standard format the word processors and other packages can read. All special control codes that EZ-Forms Executive uses are removed as the file is written. To access this function use Ctrl+W. You will be given the option of exporting the entire form or just the marked area. This is referring to a section of text you may of marked using the block operations (Alt+S and Alt+E). Most of the time you will want to work with the entire form. Many word processors can't handle character graphics like ┼ ▓ ▒ ┐ and │. Because of this EZ-Forms Executive provides a translation capability to translate these characters into normal characters that somewhat look like the character graphics symbol. Example: ┼ becomes a + after translation. #21301# To import an ASCII file press Ctrl+R (for read). Importing means reading a standard text file off disk into your form. Any strange characters like î û etc. will be automatically translated to spaces before it is inserted into your form. Many word processors put these strange characters into the file to keep track of paragraphs, new lines, etc. The current cursor location is used as the starting point to read the file into. If you have the cursor at line 2 and column 2, then the file will be read into your form starting at this location. The second line will be read into line 3 and column 2. #21400# To print a form type Ctrl+P. EZ-Forms Executive allows you to print your form while still in the editor. This capability may not be too obvious. To print your form you press Ctrl+P. A menu will appear giving you several options on how to print the form you see in front of you. While the print menu is visible press F1 for help on the print options. To make the print options a permanent part of your form you must first select the I option to install them in the form header and then save the form to disk. Until you update the form on your disk, it will insist that it doesn't know your preferences in print style. EZ-Forms Executive supports many different printers. The capabilities of each differ. To get the most out of EZ-Forms Executive you must first define your printer type. This is done from Install off the main EZ-Forms Executive menu. Support is also provided to allow you to customize the printer drivers to better fit your needs. #21500# Format for a basic formula: (MANY expanded functions are covered on the following screens!) ******* Basic format ****** Destination = Source1 + Source2 L24C72~6.2=L12C5~5+L12C41~6 │ │ ││││││ │ ││││ │ │└─ Width of cell 2 (6 char wide) can be 1-15 │ │ ││││││ │ ││││ │ └─ Separator between cell and width designator │ │ ││││││ │ ││││ └─ Source 2 Column (column 41) │ │ ││││││ │ │││└─ Source 2 Line (line 12) -- may be K for constant │ │ ││││││ │ ││└─ Operator (Only + - * / or range addition : ) │ │ ││││││ │ │└─ Width of cell 1 (5 characters wide) can be 1-15 │ │ ││││││ │ └─ Separator between cell and its' width designator │ │ ││││││ └─ Source 1 Column (column 5) │ │ │││││└─ Source 1 line (line 12) │ │ ││││└─ Separator for formula, an = must be there! │ │ │││└─ Number of digits after decimal point, 0 to 9 │ │ ││└─ A period to separate the width from decimals │ │ │└─ Number of digits in result, can be 1-15 (digits+dec = 15 MAX) │ │ └─ Separator for cells! │ └─ Destination column (column 72) └─ Destination line (line 24) #21501# There isn't any room for deviation in the formula. Each formula is laid out by line & column for the destination with field width and number of decimals, an =, then 1st number with field width, operator (+-/*), then line and column for the 2nd number with field width. Optional zero suppression: Use a Z as the first character in a formula to prevent a zero result (i.e. 0.00) from showing up in the destination area. This is useful in areas which don't have inputs yet and 0's aren't wanted. Constants may be used in the formula also. Any source can be specified as a constant by using K followed by the actual constant value. For example: L24C72~6.2=L12C5~5+K12.2 where K12.2 is the constant. This formula would first retrieve the number stored at L12C5 in your form, add 12.2 to it, and then store it at L24C72 with a total width of 6 digits -- the right two being after a decimal point (123.45 for example). General directions: 1. Press Esc to return. 2. The master form you want to work with must be on the screen (use create or edit from main menu). 3. To edit a formula, highlight formula and press enter. 4. Press Enter when you are done editing a formula. #21502# To edit a formula: 1. Call up the math menu with Ctrl+U. 2. Press M for modify math formulas. 3. Select formula with cursor keys and press enter. 4. Edit text using cursor keys and Insert/Delete. 5. Press enter when you are done editing that formula. Error Checking ══════════════ A simple check is made on each math formula as you enter it. This check catches only syntax errors. A second check is made when you use the formulas in calculations. This check is very detailed and should catch all problems. EZ-Forms Executive will flag the first formula in error and abort the rest of the calculations. After the calculations have been done, you will be notified of the error found. After correcting the error, you should run thru the calculations again to see if there are any further errors. You should ensure all portions of the math are correct in your master form before saving it for future use. See the sample master forms MATHINFO, MATHDEMO, and MATHINVC in that order for more information on using math. #21503# FINANCIAL FUNCTIONS ═══════════════════ Basic Information: Interest is in percent -- example 11.5 for 11.5 percent. Term is in years -- example 10.5 for 10 years 6 months. Payment, future value, present value, etc. is in dollars. @NPV(Interest,Range Start,Range Stop) Net present value of a series of future cash flows. @PMT(Principal,Interest,Term) Mortgage payment per period. @PV(Payment,Interest,Term) Present value of ordinary annuity. @FV(Payment,Interest,Term) Future value of ordinary annuity. @RATE(Future Value,Present Value,Term) Periodic rate needed to produce a future value. @TERM(Payment,Interest,Future Value) The number of payment periods required for an annuity to grow to a future value. #21504# MORE FINANCIAL FUNCTIONS ════════════════════════ @CTERM(Int,Future Value,Present Value) The number of compounding periods required for a present value to future value. @IRR(Interest Guess,Initial Payment,Range Start,Range Stop) Internal Rate of Return. @SYD(Cost,Salvage Value,Life,Period) The depreciation for the specified period, using the "Sum Of The Years Digits" method. @SLN(Cost,Salvage Value,Life) The "Straight-line" depreciation for one period. @DDB(Cost,Salvage Value,Life,Period) The depreciation for the specified period, using the "Double Declining Balance" method. #21505# MATHMATICAL FUNCTIONS ═════════════════════ @ABS(x) The absolute value of number x. @DIFF(x,y) The percent difference between x and y. @SQRT(x) The square root of x. @SQR(x) The square of x. @EXP(x) This function returns the number (appx 2.718282) raised to the xth power. @LN(x) The natural log of x. @LOG(x) The log base 10 of x. @POW(x,y) The number x raised to the yth power. @ROOT(x,y) The y root of x, number x raised to the 1/y th power. #21506# MORE MATHMATICAL FUNCTIONS ══════════════════════════ @SIN(x) The SINE of x. *** x is in degrees for these functions *** @COS(x) The COSINE of x. @TAN(x) The Tangent of x. @ASIN(x) The ARC SINE of x. @ACOS(x) The ARC COSINE of x. @ATAN(x) The ARC TANGENT of x. @ATAN2(x,y) The ARC TANGENT of y/x. #21507# MORE FUNCTIONS ══════════════ @AVG(Start Range,Stop Range) The average of the numbers within the defined range. @MAX(Start Range,Stop Range) The maximum number found within the defined range. @MIN(Start Range,Stop Range) The minimum number found within the defined range. @STD(Start Range,Stop Range) The standard deviation of the numbers within the defined range. @COUNT(Start Range,Stop Range) The number of entries with the defined range which are non-blank. @SUM(Start Range,Stop Range) The Sum of the numbers found within the defined range. #21508# @VAR(Start Range,Stop Range) The statistical variance of the numbers found within the defined range. @SAVG(Comparison String Location,Start Range of Strings, Start Range of Numbers,End Range of Numbers) The average of the numbers found in the range number list which has a corresponding string within the string list which is equal to the comparison string. @SCOUNT(Comparison String Location,Start Range of Strings, Start Range of Numbers,End Range of Numbers) The quantity of non_blank entries within the number range which has a corresponding string within the string list which is equal to the comparison string. #21509# @SMAX(Comparison String Location,Start Range of Strings, Start Range of Numbers,End Range of Numbers) The maximum number found within the range number list which has a corresponding string within the string list which is equal to the comparison string. @SMIN(Comparison String Location,Start Range of Strings, Start Range of Numbers,End Range of Numbers) The minimum number found within the range number list which has a corresponding string within the string list which is equal to the comparison string. @SSTD(Comparison String Location,Start Range of Strings, Start Range of Numbers,End Range of Numbers) The standard deviation of the numbers within the range number list which has a corresponding string within the string list which is equal to the comparison string. #21510# @SSUM(Comparison String Location,Start Range of Strings, Start Range of Numbers,End Range of Numbers) The sum of the numbers found within the range number list which has a corresponding string within the string list which is equal to the comparison string. @SVAR(Comparison String Location,Start Range of Strings, Start Range of Numbers,End Range of Numbers) The variance of the numbers found within the range number list which has a corresponding string within the string list which is equal to the comparison string. Example of the @S functions: String Number Range Range 1111111111222222222233333333334 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890 1 Dick 12 2 Sam 14 #21511# 3 Harry 17 4 Sam 22 5 Sam 24 6 Susan 7 Dick 30 8 Susan 25 9 10 11 The average for Sam is = 20.0 12 13 The Sum for Sam is = 60.0 14 15 The Sum for Susan is = 25.0 16 17 The Average for Susan = 12.5 18 19 The Count for Susan = 1.0 20 21 The Count for Dick = 2.0 #21512# The formulas used to generate the outputs would be as follows: L11C36~4.1=@SSUM(L11C27~5,L1C11~5,L1C24~2,L8C24~2) L13C36~4.1=@SSUM(L13C23~5,L1C11~5,L1C24~2,L8C24~2) L15C36~4.1=@SSUM(L15C23~5,L1C11~5,L1C24~2,L8C24~2) L17C36~4.1=@SAVG(L17C27~5,L1C11~5,L1C24~2,L8C24~2) L19C36~4.1=@SCOUNT(L19C25~5,L1C11~5,L1C24~2,L8C24~2) L21C36~4.1=@SCOUNT(L21C25~5,L1C11~5,L1C24~2,L8C24~2) #21513# This is the location of the reference string for comparison against each of the strings within the string range. │ ───┴──── L11C36~4.1=@SSUM(L11C27~5,L1C11~5,L1C24~2,L8C24~2) ───┬─── │ This identifies the beginning string range location and with the information from the beginning and ending Number range locations the ending string range location can be determined. The direction of the number ranges can be vertical or horizontal but the string range will have the same direction and have the same number of entries. #21514# The Pi constant is supported. Example 1 : ACC1=PI will store the value of Pi in ACC1 Example 2 : ACC1=K2*PI will store 2 times the value of Pi in ACC1 @ACCZ(x,y) To initialize the Accumulators to zero. 'x' is the starting Accumulator number and 'y' is the ending Accumulator number. This function returns a zero value so the best way to format the formula is as follows: ACCx=@ACCZ(x,y) 'x' and 'y' can be locations within the form, another accumulator or a constant. The valid ranges for 'x' and 'y' are between 1 and 100. To initialize the Accumulators with a @ACCI(i,x,y) value other than zero. 'i' is the value that the Accumulators will be initialized to and 'x' and 'y' are the same as described as above. #21515# @RND(x,y) To round a number designated for an accumulator or a location within the form. 'x' is the number that is to be rounded and 'y' is the rounding factor. The valid ranges for 'y' are between -9 and 9 including 0. Examples: ACC1=@RND(K138.578,K2) yields ACC1 to equal 138.580 ACC1=@RND(K138.578,K1) yields ACC1 to equal 138.600 ACC1=@RND(K138.578,K0) yields ACC1 to equal 138.000 ACC1=@RND(K138.578,K-1) yields ACC1 to equal 130.000 ACC1=@RND(K138.578,K-2) yields ACC1 to equal 100.000 #21516# SPECIFICS ON USE ════════════════ Example formulas: L6C2~11.2=@PMT(K50000,K10,K30) Calculate the payment for $50,000 at 10% for 30 years. Place result at (Answer is $438.79 per month line 6 column 2 using a format of for 30 years to pay back loan) 11 digits, with 2 of them after the decimal point. L10C2~15.5=@SQRT(L9C2~15) Calculate the square root of the 15 digit number located at line 9 column (Answer will depend on the 2. Place the result at line 10 column number located at L9C2) 2 using a format of 15 digits, 5 of which are to the right of the decimal point. The math operations allow you to specify the source(s) as either a cell location using the line-column notation or a constant using a K preceding a number. #21600# Fields allow you to "jump" between data entry areas in the completed form and to protect areas of a completed form which don't contain any text. A special character, the tilde ~, is used to allow this. In the master form use the ~ key (Yes, it really is on your keyboard.), to fill all the areas where you don't want someone to be able to type in the completed form. You can fill areas by hand with the ~ key or use the block operations to accomplish it. To use the block operations to simplify the job, first mark a block with Alt+S and Alt+E. You can then use Ctrl+A to add field markers or Ctrl+E to erase field markers in the marked area. Don't forget you can use F3 and F4 to insert and delete field markers for the entire form. Once you have field markers set up in the master form, save it and call it up under the FillOut a master form option. The Tab key will allow you to "jump" between the unprotected areas/fields in the completed form. You will notice ~s don't show up in the completed form but really do prevent you from typing in certain areas of the form. Note: The ~s won't affect printing or exporting a form. Use them freely. Use F3 to show what is unprotected in a completed form. #21700# On-line manual for OTHER in the editor. #21800# The tab scheduling function allows you to modify the tab function in master forms. Tab sequence the cursor from one field to the next field during form fill-out. The tab scheduling function modifies this default action to allow you to specify, as part of the master form, a special area where you tell EZ-Forms to override this default action. Tab scheduling design: First mark a block in the master form using the block operation commands, ALT-S/ALT-E, and place the cursor where you want the tab in the completed form (when entering data) to sequence the cursor to. Press Alt and the MINUS key simultaneously, then T to call up the tab schedule menu. Now you can use the insert key (Ins) to add the tab schedule. The order doesn't matter unless you have specified the same area in multiple tab schedules. The tab schedule list is sorted by starting line number and starting column number. Tab schedules are saved as part of the master form. There is basically no limit to the number of tab schedules you can have. The maximum number of tab schedules is 65,536 or when your computer runs out of memory. Initially all tab schedules MUST be entered by marking a block in the form and placing the cursor where you want it to jump to when the form is filled out. We chose this method to provide you with more visibility. #21801# Please double check to ensure the tab schedules fall within the boundaries of your form. Since you can easily resize a form smaller, we have no way to strictly enforce the numbers. Any lines or columns which are outside of the form boundaries will be ignored when you are filling out the form. No damage will be done. However, the scheduling may not work exactly as you had planned. Notes: We have intentionally set up the tab scheduling so as to make the design process as visual as possible. Once you become comfortable with the tab schedule design process you can take shortcuts. For example, mark a block and go to the edit screen. Press Ins several times. You have just entered tab schedules that can easily be edited to provide a tab schedule for the area you desire without going through the "mark a block and position the cursor" routine. Both tab and shift tab are defined as part of the tab schedule process. If you want to use one without the other, set the goto line or column greater than the maximum form size. During use of tab or shift tab any out of boundary tab jumps are ignored. #21810# You are editing one of the tab schedules. The four sets of numbers are: xx,xx - This defines the upper left corner of the rectangle in a line column format. xx,xx - This is the lower right corner of the rectangle you defined as a block. This like the other number pairs are in line,column format. xx,xx - During the completion of a form, if the cursor is in the block as defined by the first two pairs of numbers, tab will go here. xx,xx - During the completion of a form, if the cursor is in the block as defined by the first two pairs of numbers, shift tab will go here. After you edit the string and press enter, EZ-Forms will try to convert your input into eight numbers. These four line,column pairs are all that is of importance in your input; the rest of the text will be ignored. NOTE: You must enter tab schedules through the use of the block operation commands and cursor position. That way you clearly see what the tab schedule should do. Once you have entered the tab schedule, the entry can be edited by pressing enter and modifying the schedule. #21900# The pick list function allows you to specify multiple choice tables for specific areas of the completed forms. The Alt+F2 key pulls up a list of items that can be inserted into the form at the current cursor location. You must be in the master form mode to add pick lists to a form. Pick list design: First mark a block in the master form using the block operation commands, ALT-S/ALT-E. Press Alt+- then P to call up the pick list menu. Now you can use the insert key (Ins) to add the pick list item. The order doesn't matter. The pick list is sorted by starting line number and starting column number. When the user calls up the pick list function he will see only the items for those blocks that his current cursor location falls within. Pick list items are saved as part of the master form. There is basically no limit to the number of pick list items you can have. The maximum number is 65,536 or when your computer runs out of memory. Initially all pick list items MUST be entered by marking a block in the form. We chose this method to provide you with more visibility into the actual pick list design process. #21910# You are editing one of the pick list items. You will see two edit lines. The top line allows you to specify the block within the form. The bottom edit line contains the text for the pick list item. The two sets of numbers for the block are: xx,xx - This defines the upper left corner of the rectangle in a line column format. xx,xx - This is the lower right corner of the rectangle you defined as a block. This like the other number pairs are in line,column format. After you edit the string and press enter, EZ-Forms will try to convert your input into four numbers. These two line,column pairs are all that is of importance in your input; the rest of the text will be ignored. Notes: You must enter pick list items through the use of the block operation commands. That way you clearly see where the pick list block is located. Once you have entered the pick list item, the entry can be edited by pressing enter and modifying it. All text after a ~ is treated as a comment. #21911# Please double check to ensure the block falls within the boundaries of your form. Since you can easily resize a form smaller, we have no way to strictly enforce the numbers. Any lines or columns which are outside of the form boundaries will be ignored when you are filling out the form. No damage will be done. However, the pick list may not work exactly as you had planned. Notes: We have intentionally set up the pick list so as to make the design process as visual as possible. Once you become comfortable with the pick list design process you can take shortcuts. For example, mark a block and go to the edit screen. Press Ins several times. You have just entered pick list items that can easily be edited to provide a pick list for the area you desire without going through the "mark a block" routine. All text after a ~ is treated as a comment. #21920# You can enter up to 70 characters to be available while filling out a form. All blocks that overlap the cursor position when the user presses Alt+0 in the completed form will be shown in a list box. The user will be able to color bar select the desired pick list item and press enter to have it inserted into the form at the current cursor location. If you would like to have part of the entry be a comment, add a tilde (~) at any point in the entry. Only the portion to the left of the ~ will be inserted into the form. You can also use this to create a comment only pick list item. If you have a fixed length field and would like to have the inserted choice clear the entire field, pad the end of your input with spaces. This will make all pick list items the same length. #22000# Highlight one of the displayed items and press enter. The highlighted item will be inserted into the form at the current cursor location. You can also press the first character to select an item. Using this option, EZ-Forms will first search for a case sensitive match then try for a case insensitive match. For example, if you press b for Bob - EZ-Forms will first look for a b then try for a match on either b or B. Use the Alt+- then P command to see the pick list items defined for the form. Please note that they can only be modified when working with the master form. All character attributes are left unchanged. For example, if you had an area of the form that was underlined and then inserted an entry from a pick list, the inserted item will also be underlined. Some of the items may contain a ~. All text after the ~ is a comment. #22100# The field help function allows you to specify up to ten lines of help for specific areas of the completed forms. The Alt+F1 key pulls up a list of items that can be inserted into the form at the current cursor location. You must be in the master form mode to add field help to a form. Field help design: First mark a block in the master form using the block operation commands, ALT-S/ALT-E. Press Alt+- then H to call up the help design menu. Now you can use the insert key (Ins) to add the help design entry. The order doesn't matter. The field help list is sorted by starting line number and starting column number. When the user calls up the field help function he will see only the first field help entry for the block that his current cursor location falls within. Field help entries are saved as part of the master form. There is basically no limit to the number of field help entries you can have. The maximum number is 65,536 or when your computer runs out of memory. Field help can be up to 10 lines long. However, during design only the first line is displayed on the screen design list to show more entries. Initially all field help entries MUST be entered by marking a block in the form. We chose this method to provide you with more visibility into the field help design process. #22101# Please double check to ensure the block falls within the boundaries of your form. Since you can easily resize a form smaller, we have no way to strictly enforce the numbers. Any lines or columns which are outside of the form boundaries will be ignored when you are filling out the form. No damage will be done. However, the field help may not work exactly as you had planned. Notes: We have intentionally set up the field help so as to make the design process as visual as possible. Once you become comfortable with the field help design process you can take shortcuts. For example, mark a block and go to the edit screen. Press Ins several times. You have just entered field help entries that can easily be edited to provide a field help for the area you desire without going through the "mark a block" routine. #22110# You are editing one of the field help entries. You will see two sets of edit lines. The top line allows you to specify the block within the form. The bottom edit lines contain the text for the field help. The two sets of numbers for the block are: xx,xx - This defines the upper left corner of the rectangle in a line column format. xx,xx - This is the lower right corner of the rectangle you defined as a block. This like the other number pairs are in line,column format. After you edit the string and press enter, EZ-Forms will try to convert your input into four numbers. These two line,column pairs are all that is of importance in your input; the rest of the text will be ignored. Notes: You must enter field help entries through the use of the block operation commands. That way you clearly see where the field help block is located. Once you have entered the field help entry, the entry can be edited by pressing enter and modifying it. Press F10 when done editing. If you exit by pressing escape without pressing enter on the line you are editing, changes will be lost. #END#