Fritz: All Fritz/All Fritz.zip/All Fritz/FILES/SPREOTUS/123TECH.LZH/123MAIL.TXT

Text File | 1984-11-24 | 22KB | 581 lines

           Hotline Q & A

           SYMPHONY

           The following are answers to questions commonly asked by our
           dealers and test sites about Symphony's capabilities.

              FILE HANDLING

           Q. When I do a File Retrieve, the file name extensions are .WRK
              for both worksheet and document files.  Am I doing File Save
              correctly?

           A. Yes.  Symphony gives the .WRK file name extension to both
              spreadsheets and documents.  As does 1-2-3, Symphony uses .PIC
              and .PRN file name extensions to indicate graph-image and print
              files respectively.


           Q. When accessing a directory through File Retrieve or File Save,

          Key S or <ENTER> to continue[23;30H!s
          [23;1H[J    the ESC key does not erase the current directory.

           A. To erase the current directory name, simply press [ESC] twice.
              This allows you to type in the name of another sub-directory.


              WORD PROCESSING

           Q. In a DOC window, there are times when word wrap doesn't seem to
              work.  Why?

           A. Word wrap is disabled when overstrike INS is turned on, or when
              justification is set to NONE.  Press [INSERT] to turn off
              overstrike mode or change the justification in the format line.


           Q. Why are non-left aligned labels considered to be non-text,
              i.e., why can't they be edited in word processing?

















           A. Centered (^) and right-aligned labels (") use leading spaces.
              The Symphony program would need to be significantly larger to
              handle these labels as text.


           Q. Values entered in a SHEET window cannot be edited in a DOC
              window.

           A. True.  The worksheet values you entered in SHEET are protected.


              SPREADSHEET

           Q. When printing spreadsheets, long labels are truncated at the
              column width.

           A. True.  When defining an output range, the entire visible
              portion of the labels must be highlighted.


           Q. Where are the global options?

           A. Press [Menu] and select Settings to establish column width,
              recalculation mode, label prefix, etc.


           Q. How do I transfer a row to a column without using DIF?

           A. Use Symphony's new Range Transpose command.


           Q. Will there be a function for TIME calculation?

           A. There are several.  @TIME returns the serial value of a time of
              day.  @TIMEVALUE returns a serial value of a time entered as a
              string.  There are also @HOUR, @MINUTE, and @SECOND, which will
              accept a serial value, and return the corresponding time value.


           Q. I'm using the range name "1st" in my worksheet, but Symphony
              will not allow me to use @ functions involving that range.

           A. Correct.  For computational purposes, range names cannot begin
              with a number, but Symphony will accept a range name like "1st"
              for move, erase, and copy commands.


              GRAPHING

           Q. How do I explode the Pie Charts?

















           A. By assigning a B range for the graph settings, and giving a
              value of 100 to 107 to the section you want exploded.


           Q. How do I do a log/semi-log scale graph?

           A. By hitting the daily double at Aqueduct!  But
              seriously...Symphony has built this into its graph
              capabilities.  Select Graph 2nd Settings X-Axis Type
              Logarithmic.  Do the same for the Y-Axis if appropriate.


              FORMS/DATABASE

           Q. What is the parse review range?

           A. This is an area that Symphony uses to store any data that does
              not match the criteria established by a form definition.  An
              example of such data would be the salutation and login sequence
              which remains on the screen during a communications session
              with a mainframe.


           Q. Has the Data Distribution command been eliminated from
              Symphony?

           A. Not at all.  It can now be found under Range Distribution.


           Q. I'm creating a mailing list with Symphony, but it will not
              accept the part of the formula I've used to reference zip
              codes.

           A. Symphony's string handling capabilities are one of its nicest
              features, but it still sees numbers the same way as 1-2-3 does.
              To create a formula that involves columns of numbers as well as
              text, use the @STRING function for any numerical data.


              COMMUNICATIONS

           Q. Symphony's Settings Name Phone-and-Login sequence doesn't work
              with my Hayes Smartmodem 1200.

           A. Check to be sure that dip-switch number six is set to ON -- the
              up position.


           Q. Why does my monitor display two characters for every one I
















              strike?

           A. Check your COMM Settings Sheet to be sure that Echo is set to
              OFF.


           Q. When I dial a remote computer, I hear the phone ring, and I
              hear the high pitched sound that indicates that I've reached
              the computer, but I can't connect.

           A. You're transmitting at different baud rates.  Find out the baud
              rate of the computer you're trying to access and adjust your
              own baud rate accordingly -- probably downward.  The two most
              common baud rates between computers are 300 and 1200.


              SYMPHONY COMMAND LANGUAGE

           Q. Can I turn my screen off while the macro is executing?

           A. Yes.  The new {paneloff} command will surpress the display of
              the control panel, and the {windowsoff} command will supress
              the window displays.








                                      1-2-3 Macro Tips
                                   Printing Mailing Labels

          Printing mailing labels with 1-2-3 is simple if you prepare a worksheet on which
          each address is entered as three or more rows of long labels:

                              James Wildman
                              100 34th Street
                              Oneonta, IM   03312

          Unfortunately this does not allow you to exploit 1-2-3's /d commands (Data Sort
          and Data Query) to rearrange or extract addresses by last name, city, state, or
          other criteria.  Storing addresses in a 1-2-3 database is much more useful for
          reorganizing the information later:

              James    Wildman    100 34th Street  Oneonta    IM   03312
              Ted      Mayfair    RR 1, Box 22     Hickton    NN   77330
              William  Eggleston  PO Box 3443      Helmsford  FN   29214

          Consult the 1-2-3 manual for a discussion on the uses of /ds and /dq
          commands.  Assume that your database has been established correctly,
          with fields for first name, last name, street address, city, state, and zip
          code.  Unfortunately these addresses look nothing like mailing labels.  What
          comes next?  Retyping each row to look like the address in the first example
          comes to mind, but using the /c (Copy) command might require less effort.
          By positioning the cell pointer on the first field of a record and issuing
          the /c command, you can indicate a cell outside the database to be the
          target for the copy.

          To move each record using the Copy command, the following keystrokes would be
          required:


               /c <return><right arrow><right arrow><right arrow>
                  <right arrow><right arrow><right arrow>
                  <right arrow><return>

          Since 1-2-3 leaves the cell pointer on the cell copied from, copying the rest of
          the address requires moving the cell pointer to the next field (the `last name'
          column), issuing the /c command, and pointing to the cell into which you want
          that field copied.
          This method of pointing to a range is inefficient, as previously named ranges
          may be supplied to the /c command.  Using named ranges for operations such as
          copying take a bit more time to establish initially, but make automating routine
          tasks much simpler.

          Start by creating range names for each cell into which you are going to copy
          each field of an address.  Assign range names which represent the information in
          each area of cells.  The cell that will hold the first name in the formatted
          address might be named `first' or `firstname', the cell that will hold the last
















          name might be named `last' or `lastname', and so on.

          Use /rnc (Range Name Create) to name the cells in a block outside of your
          database.  Now when you issue the /c command and 1-2-3 prompts for the cell to
          copy to, instead of pointing, type the range name of the appropriate cell.

          Using range names is just one way of making 1-2-3 work harder for you.  Your
          work will be done faster if you put all of the previously discussed steps into a
          macro.  Here's a macro named \F which will format an address for you:

               \F      /c~FIRST~{right}
                       /c~LAST~{right}
                       /c~ADDRESS~{right}
                       /c~CITY~{right}
                       /c~STATE~{right}
                       /c~ZIP~

          To invoke the macro, put the cell pointer on the first field of a record, hold
          down the <Alt> key, and press the F key.

          When the macro has finished, you will have to move the cell pointer to be able
          to see the finished product. Use the goto <F5> key with the range name NAME.
          The formatted address will look like this:

                       James    Wildman
                       100 34th Street
                       Oneonta  IM       03312

          If the first name or the city name of the address are particularly long, they
          will run into the last name or state name when the address is formatted.  Choose
          the address with the longest first name or city name to format first, then use
          /wcs (Worksheet Column-width Set) to increase the size of the first column until
          everything fits.  This makes the column wide enough to fit each address
          formatted subsequently.

          Printing the Formatted Address

          Since 1-2-3 normally expects to be printing on eight and a half by eleven inch
          pages, it automatically spaces down five lines before printing the first line of
          text (unless you have changed the default settings or have already printed
          something during this session using different print options).  To print a label
          exactly where you want it, start by typing:

                /ppoouq   (Print Printer Options Other Unformatted Quit)

          This set of commands instructs 1-2-3 to print without page breaks, heading
          space, and footing space.  Your text will be printed beginning on the line where
          the print-head of your printer is when you later type g (Go).  The Print menu
          will still be displayed and you will want to type r (Range) and highlight the
          formatted address.  Make sure to cover all three columns and all three rows of
















          the address when marking the range to print.
          Check that the printing head of your printer is on the paper label on the line
          where you want the typed address to begin.  Finally, type g (Go).  1-2-3 will
          print the formatted address onto the address label.

          If you wish to format and print another address label, q (Quit) out of the print
          menu, position the cell pointer on the first field of a different record, invoke
          the macro, adjust the printer so the print head is on the next label, and type
          /ppg (Print Printer Go).  Since 1-2-3 remembers all the print settings, when you
          format a new label into the same cells as the first, you do not have to reset
          the print options.

          If you wish to print a number of labels, this procedure becomes tedious and time
          consuming.  The macro should be rewritten so that it automatically formats and
          prints every address in the address database, or so that it pauses after
          printing an address, allowing the user to select which address it will print
          next.

          Here is a macro which formats an address, prints it on a label, and pauses to
          select a new address for printing.  The cell pointer should be on the first
          field of a record when the macro is invoked, and the print-head should be at the
          very top of the address label:

              \P       /ppoouqrALL~q
              LOOP     /rncSTART~~
                       /c~FIRST~{right}
                       /c~LAST~{right}
                       /c~ADDRESS~{right}
                       /c~CITY~{right}
                       /c~STATE~{right}
                       /c~ZIP~
                       {goto}START~
                       /rndSTART~{down}
                       /ppgq
                       {?}
                       /xgLOOP~

          Before you invoke this macro, make sure you have used /rnc (Range Name Create)
          to name the cells you will be copying into.  Also, you might have noticed the
          range name ALL at the beginning of this macro.  This is very important.  It is a
          range of cells that contains exactly the number of lines which can be printed on
          each paper label, and which surrounds the cells into which you are formatting
          the address.

          The above example assumes that you will use tractor fed paper labels which fit
          nine lines of text from the beginning of one label to the beginning of the next.
           The range name ALL is assigned to a range covering nine rows of the worksheet
          with the formatted address embedded as follows:

                              A          B          C          D          E
















                   1
                   2
                   3
                   4                James      Wildman
                   5                100 34th Street
                   6                Oneonta    IM         03312
                   7
                   8
                   9
                  10
                  11
          \P is the range name of the macro.  A '\P is entered in the cell to the left of
          the macro's first cell (Without the single quote the cell would have been filled
          with p's.  See the label prefix section of the 1-2-3 manual for an explanation),
          then issued the /rnlr command (Range Name Labels Right) to assign this name.
          Invoke the macro by holding <Alt> and pressing p.

          Let's look at how the macro works:

                        /ppoouqrALL~q

          (Print Printer Options Other Unformatted Quit Range ALL <Return> Quit) Sets the
          print mode to unformatted and instructs 1-2-3 to print the range named ALL when
          it encounters a /ppg command (Print Printer Go).  This at the beginning of the
          macro to establish print settings for the rest of the session.  The macro will
          be faster if this step is taken only once.

          LOOP is the range name of the next line of the macro.  This range name was
          created in the same manner as the \P range name described above.  This is where
          the formatting and actual printing begins and the location to which the macro
          loops after a label is printed.

                        /rncSTART~~

          This assigns the range name START to the current cell (the `first name' cell of
          the address being formatted).  It is used by the macro as a place-holder.  When
          the address has been formatted, the cell pointer will be returned to this cell
          (using {goto}START~), the range name START will be deleted, the pointer will be
          moved down a cell, and the macro will pause until the <return> is pressed.

                         /c~FIRST~{right}
                         /c~LAST~{right}
                         /c~ADDRESS~{right}
                         /c~CITY~{right}
                         /c~STATE~{right}
                         /c~ZIP~

          This is the macro developed earlier which formats the address to be printed.

                        {goto}START~

















          This moves the cell pointer back to the first field of the address as explained
          above.


                        /rndSTART~{down}

          The range name START is deleted because the macro will reuse it. Remember that
          whenever a range name is used that has already been defined, 1-2-3 offers the
          old range as the default range to name. You can avoid having to "back up" when
          reusing a range name by deleting the old range name first.

          After the range name is deleted, the macro moves the cell pointer down to the
          next row.  This is for convenience.  The user will be able to choose this
          address to print next by hitting <return>, or will be able to select a different
          address by using the arrow keys.

                       /ppgq

          The macro is telling 1-2-3 to print (which it does using the range ALL as
          explained earlier).

                        {?}

          The macro pauses.  The user can stop the macro by pressing [BREAK], or move the
          cursor to a different first name cell, or print the new current address by
          pressing <return>.

                        /xgLOOP~

          When the user presses <return>, this line causes 1-2-3 to continue reading
          keystrokes in the cell named LOOP.  LOOP is the line of the macro in which the
          range name START is created.  You can see that the macro will repeat its entire
          routine, pausing again after it has printed the new address.

          Many 1-2-3 users need the ability to automate a mass-mailing, sending letters to
          every address in a database.  Obviously it is inconvenient to sit at your
          computer and press <return> after each address is printed.

          The \P macro will be automatic with only slight modification. These
          modifications assume that the user will position the cell pointer on the first
          cell of a database, invoke the macro, and ignore the computer until all labels
          are printed.  The automatic macro will look like this:

              \P       /ppoouqrALL~q
              LOOP     /rncSTART~~
                       /xi((START)=-1)~/xq
                       /c~FIRST~{right}
                       /c~LAST~{right}
                       /c~ADDRESS~{right}
















                       /c~CITY~{right}
                       /c~STATE~{right}
                       /c~ZIP~
                       {goto}START~
                       /rndSTART~{down}
                       /ppgq
                       /xgLOOP~

          This macro is different in only two ways: It does not contain the {?} command
          (Pause until <return> is pressed), and it has a line which checks to see if the
          value of the cell named START is -1:

                        /xi((START)=-1)~/xq

          This line (added right after the cell named LOOP) says, "If the value of START
          is -1, quit execution of the macro.  Otherwise continue reading keystrokes in
          the next cell."

          Before running this macro be sure to make one more change to your worksheet.  Go
          to the row below the last row of your database and enter a -1 in the first name
          field.  If you run the macro without having put a -1 at the end of your
          database, it will continue to run to the bottom of the worksheet, spewing blank
          address labels out of your printer until you stop it by pressing the <Ctrl> and
          <Break> keys.

          These macros should be useful to anyone who keeps a database of addresses.  With
          changes in the number of fields to be copied, you need only to add another range
          name for a cell within the range ALL and add another /c~ command to the macro.
          If your paper labels are larger or smaller than ours you can modify the printout
          by changing the number of rows included in the range ALL.