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1987-08-23
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P
F O R M F I T !
Version 2.0
R E F E R E N C E M A N U A L
Sidebar Software
205 S. Higley Sp. 306
Mesa, AZ 85206
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
All Rights Reserved
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
Specifications, features, and capabilities outlined in this manual
and incorporated into the program Formfit! are subject to change
without notice.
Formfit! is a trademark of Sidebar Software.
Formfit! software copyright 1986, 1987 by Sidebar Software. All
rights reserved.
This reference manual copyright 1987 by Sidebar Software. All
rights reserved.
Both software and hardware names and references contained in this
manual are trademarks of various manufacturers.
This program was written using Microsoft QuickBASIC 3.0. Special
thanks to Dave Evers for the BASWIND routines.
Printed in the United States of America.
ii.
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
LICENSE
Formfit! (and its accompanying documentation) is copyright (C)
1986, 1987 by Sidebar Software of Mesa, Arizona. All versions of
this program, including 2.0, are not public domain software, nor
are they free software. After a suitable trial period, to continue
to use Formfit!, you are expected to register your copy. This
period will naturally vary from user to user, but we at Sidebar
Software feel that if you have run this program ten (10) or so
times, for the purpose of productively using it (as opposed to
introducing yourself and/or others to its functions,) you are an
active user, and are expected to register your copy. Non-
registered users are granted a limited license to use Formfit! on a
trial basis, for the purpose of familiarizing themselves with its
operation and determining personal usefulness. To continue using
Formfit! without registration is forbidden.
Registration allows the use of Formfit! for a single user. You may
transport Formfit! to any machine for the purpose of personal use,
but operators and/or owners of multi-user systems must obtain a
site license, or register a copy for each user who has access to
Formfit! Commercial users MUST obtain registration via a site
license. Write to us for more information about site licensing.
Registered users are permitted to make backup copies of Formfit!
for personal archival purposes, and all individual users are
permitted (and encouraged) to copy the entire Formfit! package for
other users to try and evaluate, pursuant to this licensing
agreement. Distributors of public domain or user supported
software may distribute copies of Formfit! according to the above
conditions only after receiving written permission to do so from
Sidebar Software. This is a routine and simple procedure, so
please write for more details.
Formfit! may not be distributed as a part of any other product or
sales campaign. It is intended to be distributed from personal
user to personal user. Electronic bulletin board systems (BBS) may
be used to store and distribute this program to individual users,
according to the individual system operator's (SYSOP) local board
rules and directives. Always abide by the SYSOP's rules and
regulations, as modern, personal telecommunications owes a great
debt to these dedicated men and women.
If you are the author of user supported software, and have license
granting power over the same, contact us about mutual reciprocal
licensing of our product to you in exchange for the license to use
your software here at Sidebar.
iii.
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
WARRANTY
Sidebar Software makes no warranty of any kind, expressly or
implied, regarding Formfit! and/or its accompanying documentation.
Sidebar Software will not be responsible for any damages, whether
direct or indirect, incurred by users as a result of running this
program, or due to failure of this product to meet any and/or all
the stated specifications. This program is distributed strictly on
an "as is" basis, without exception. In no way will Sidebar
Software be liable to you for lost profits, lost assets, lost
savings, or loss of potential gain due to the use or inability to
use this program, in part or in full.
iv.
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Your one-time registration entitles you to all future updates of
Formfit! While no copies of any updates will automatically be sent
to you directly, your name will be added to our customer database,
and notice of any updates or program enhancements will be sent to
you, if you so desire (indicate on the registration form.) Also,
by indicating that you desire to be placed on our mailing list, you
will receive notices for any new products introduced by Sidebar
Software. (Under no circumstances will any customer names,
addresses, etc. be given or sold to any third parties.) For only
the price of the disk and mailing (or free, if you provide your own
disk and a postage paid, self addressed mailer,) you can receive
the current, updated version of Formfit! Keep an eye on your local
BBS's, too, for the latest version of Formfit!
By registering your copy of Formfit! you are signifying your
expected continued use of our product. We are glad that you have
found Formfit! useful, and will continue to be thankful for users
like yourself. Appendix B. contains the necessary form for
registering your copy of Formfit!
v.
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
ABOUT FORMFIT! VERSION 2.0
Formfit! will allow you to quickly fill out preprinted forms using
your computer's printer. You define the form according to where
the information is to go, and you can label the location for ease
of reference. Rich with editing options, you can later erase just
the information which has become outdated, supply the new
information, and print all the information on a new form. The form
itself can be redefined entry by entry, thus allowing the quickest
possible revisions to be made, even when the layout of the form
changes. (Formfit! is also great for envelopes, labels, etc.)
This program was written by Greg Nordstrom, one of the members of
Sidebar Software, while he was an engineering undergraduate at
Arizona State University. The bureaucratic way of life at the
university called for many changes to be filed as expected course
work and/or requirements changed. And it was up to the students to
reaccomplish the required forms, in triplicate. By defining the
common forms just once, Greg had to then only change a line or two
of information, roll in a new blank form, and in 5 minutes or less,
the job was done. Those of you who work with forms on a regular
basis will enjoy and benefit from this program from the very first
day you begin to use it.
Versions 1.0 and 1.1, were considerably less flexible than 2.0.
Due to the large number of improvements, added features, and
enhancements, the basic file structure is no longer the same, and
users of 1.0 or 1.1 will have to redefine any forms they wish to
use. A few of the major changes and improvements found in version
2.0 are listed below:
o The number of definitions-per-form has been made
dynamically variable, up to a maximum of 999.
o Variable template and form sizes are now allowed, up to
137 columns by 132 rows.
o Automatic selection of compressed print mode when
more than 80 columns across are requested.
o Menu response methods have been improved, and scrolling
bar menus are supplemented by unique letter choices.
o Several parameters can now be customized and saved as
defaults. Also, definition files now include all system
parameters when saved and retrieved.
o Extensive error trapping and non-destructive
escape sequences are now available.
o Date and Time information is available on screen.
o A DOS shell allows the user to access DOS, and then
return to using Formfit!
vi.
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
ABOUT SIDEBAR SOFTWARE
Sidebar Software has been in existence since March, 1986. Our
products are developed in response to real world needs. We use
computers here at Sidebar daily, and run into our share of brick
walls to circumvent. We try to keep our approach simple, and our
human interface as clean as possible. We are very open to
suggestions and criticisms. In fact, at one time we toyed with the
idea that for every 5 first-time reported bugs in a program, or
typos in a manual, we would grant registration and license
privileges to the sender. However, this would result in most folks
being told "sorry, someone else found it first," and so we tabled
that idea. But the point is, we constantly look for new and fresh
user-producer avenues of communication, so please, write to us
concerning any aspect of our products and/or policies. We, as a
group, believe in God, and try to follow Him in all we do. We also
believe that a person's eternal soul is far too valuable to risk
for a few unregistered or pirated computer programs. If you are
going to use Formfit! (or anyone else's software, for that matter),
then give the author his/her due, if so requested. If you're not
going to use it, pass it on. Maybe someone else will find it
helpful. Thanks, from all of us at Sidebar Software.
vii.
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
CONTENTS
LICENSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii.
WARRANTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v.
ABOUT FORMFIT! VERSION 2.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi.
ABOUT SIDEBAR SOFTWARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii.
1. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1
Running Formfit! for the First Time . . . . . . . . 1.2
Tips on Using Formfit! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2
2. THE MAIN MENU SCREEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1
Define/Edit a Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1
Print to the Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1
Make a Template Overlay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1
Check/Change Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2
Using the DOS Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2
3. MAKING TEMPLATE OVERLAYS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1
4. CHECKING AND CHANGING SYSTEM DEFAULTS . . . . . . . . . 4.1
Page Layout and Number of Definitions . . . . . . . 4.1
The Save/Retrieve File Path . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2
Date, Time, and Beep Toggles . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2
Printer Mode and Font Toggles . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2
Printer Control Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.3
5. THE DEFINE/EDIT MODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1
Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1
Delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2
Clear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2
Load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2
Save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3
6. PRINTING TO THE FORM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.1
7. USING THE DOS SHELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.1
APPENDICES
A. INITIAL DEFAULTS AND DEFAULT FILE STRUCTURE . . . . . . A.1
B. USER REGISTERATION FORM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B.1
C. FORMFIT! ERROR MESSAGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C.1
viii.
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
1. INTRODUCTION
The purpose of Formfit! is to allow the user to define
positions and areas on pre-printed forms, place data at any
given position on the form, and save the definitions and data
for later use. By defining commonly used forms once, the user
need only update the data that has changed since the last
session. This allows updates and changes to be made quickly
and easily, even when the form's basic structure has changed.
The program uses an overlay template, which the user creates
on his/her own printer, for row and column alignment and
coordinate references. Many options are allowed at print
time, such as unidirectional printing to insure columnar
alignment, selection of several fonts, and software override
of out-of-paper detection (if supported by your printer.)
System Requirements
Formfit! dynamically allocates memory according to the
parameter controlling maximum number of allowed definitions.
Initially, this is set to 255, but may be changed to any value
from 1 to 999. As a guide to operation, the following table
gives APPROXIMATE memory requirements for various
configurations. Values shown below do not include memory
required to use the DOS shell (that depends on what you do
while you are working in the DOS environment. See chapter 7
for more details.
Maximum Number of Definitions Required RAM
----------------------------- ------------------
50 160 Kbytes
100 164 Kbytes
255 170 Kbytes
500 180 Kbytes
999 196 Kbytes
WARNING: Attempting to run Formfit! in less memory than
needed will usually result in the DOS message "Not Enough
Memory," but in certain cases Formfit! will begin to run,
albeit incorrectly. Each of the above entries is slightly
inflated, so following them should keep you out of trouble.
In addition to the above RAM requirements, Formfit! needs
at least one disk drive, a color or monochrome monitor, and a
printer. Several printer control code sequences are used by
the program, according to the capabilities of your printer.
The program is shipped ready to drive a Panasonic KX-P1091i
(in the Epson RX-80 mode.) You may define any of those codes
which apply to your printer, and have Formfit! ignore the
rest. This will, of course, limit some of the options
available to you at print time, but virtually all printers
operating as the LPT1 device can be used with Formfit! See
your printer and DOS manuals for more details.
1.1
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
Running Formfit! for the First Time
As you know, it is good computing practice to back up any
program before running it, and Formfit! is no exception.
Please make an archive copy of all files included with the
Formfit! package before running the program. Hard disk users
may wish to set up a separate directory for Formfit! The
program may be invoked by typing FORMFIT at the DOS prompt.
Whenever Formfit! is run, it looks at the current directory
for a file containing the user's default parameters. Since
initially this file will be absent (and in case it ever gets
"misplaced") Formfit! will inform you that it cannot find the
default file, and will prompt you for your OK before the file
is actually created on the disk. Pressing ESC will abort and
return you to DOS.
Once the default file has been created, you will be
presented with an advertisement for registering Formfit! The
first 15 or so times you run Formfit!, the ad will appear (the
time that Formfit! pauses for you to read it decreases each
time you run the program.) When prompted, press any key to
continue to the Main Menu. As mentioned previously, and as
explained in detail in the section on checking and changing
defaults, Formfit! allows considerable flexibility when
defining system parameters. Formfit! comes configured to
write all form definition files to C:\, the root directory of
the hard drive. If you are using a floppy based system, or
wish to use only your A: or B: drive for saving defined forms,
change the File Definition Path variable using the
Check/Change Defaults option from the Main Menu before
attempting to save data with Formfit!
Tips on Using Formfit!
Formfit! tries to be as forgiving as possible, and yet it
retains an overall structured approach to using the various
menus and options. The first thing to remember is that you
can USUALLY get yourself out of trouble with the ESCape key.
ESC is used to back up to a previous menu when you are
finished at a certain level, and if you are in the middle of
an operation, ESC will abort current (in progress) changes,
and retain previous values.
When presented with a highlighted menu bar, use the
keypad to move and highlight an option, then select it by
pressing ENTER. Optionally, you may just press the first
letter of the option you want, and it will be invoked
immediately. In most cases the keypad arrows allow movement
to the next item, PgUp and PgDn move the bar to the last
visible item, and Home and End will move to the beginning and
end, respectively, of a given range, even if out of view
(larger than current screen.)
Be sure to configure Formfit! for your printer's
capabilities before printing templates or forms. Incorrect
codes can make for some surprising results, to say the least.
1.2
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
2. THE MAIN MENU SCREEN
The following is an overview of each of the Main Menu's
options. For details on using each one, see the section
pertaining to that area. They are presented in this section
in the order you see them on the Main Menu, and later, in the
order that they will be used by the first time user.
Define/Edit a Form
This is where you make the actual additions and changes
to a given form, or begin to define a new form. You can add
new data, change old data, remove previous definitions, and
load and save form definitions to and from the disk. You will
work in a window, choosing lines of data from the screen to
modify or edit. Also, Formfit! tries to anticipate your next
selection with defaults extracted from the last line you
filled out. This is helpful, as many forms are repetitive in
nature (i.e. all stock numbers begin at column 3.) A unique
feature of Formfit! is that entries need not be made in any
order, so you can define all the items in column 18, for
example, before defining the items in column 5. This helps
you arrange the form logically, grouping the most often
changed entries together.
Print to the Form
This option is used when it is time to actually print the
data to the defined areas of the form. You will be prompted
before printing begins to align the printhead and the form.
When the printing job is complete, you are returned to the
Main Menu.
Make a Template Overlay
This is the option you select when you wish to print out
a template guide overlay. The guide will be sized according
to your default width and length parameters. Usually, you
will only need to print a template once. Here at Sidebar, we
printed out several templates using different size options,
then had clear plastic copies made of them. This allows us to
lay the templates over the forms to be defined, and easily
read off the coordinates. Of course, you can use paper
templates, and align them using a light, but the plastic is
MUCH easier! Remember, whatever method you use, MARK AN
EASILY FOUND REFERENCE POINT ON THE PAPER BEFORE BEGINNING TO
PRINT THE TEMPLATE. This is the only way you can insure
proper alignment of your preprinted form later. You will be
prompted before printing begins to align the printhead and the
form. When the printing job is complete, you are returned to
the Main Menu.
2.1
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
Check/Change Defaults
Two screens are associated with this option. On the
first screen, you have many choices concerning the program's
"feel" and physical limits. For example, you can change the
size of the page you prefer to work with, allocate more memory
(by choosing a larger number of definitions,) and toggle on
and off things like unidirectional printing, or the beeping
that accompanies errors and undefined key presses.
The second screen is used for configuring Formfit! to
work with your printer. You provide the control codes needed
by the printer for things such as compressed printing, font
selection, and ignoring a paper out condition. Any function
not supported by your printer may be left blank, and Formfit!
will not attempt to use that function.
Use the DOS Shell
This allows the user to drop down into DOS, execute
commands and/or run programs, then return to Formfit! when
finished. This can be handy for checking the current
directory, renaming files, and copying files to other disks or
directories. You can even run other programs while in the
shell. Refer to chapter 7 for full details on using the DOS
shell.
2.2
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
3. MAKING TEMPLATE OVERLAYS
The template is how you as a user let Formfit! know where
to place data at print time. By using a reference point to
insure repeatable placement of the template on a form, the
form may then be properly aligned in the printer.
The template is made up of several rows and columns.
Remember, sentences on a page are in ROW order, and COLUMNS go
up and down. Each row begins at the left, with column
position 1. So the leftmost upper corner print position is at
row 1, column 1. The 16th row of a typical template looks
like this:
16.._....1...._....2...._....3...._....4...._....6...._.
Notice how the line is constructed. The row number is given
fully as the first number in the line. Each column is marked
with a dot, and if the column is a multiple of 5, it is marked
with the underscore symbol (_). Columns that are multiples of
10 are marked with the tens digit of that column. For
example, the 40th column position is indicated by the "4" in
the line above. Note also that the user has requested the
maximum number of columns to be 66.
You must make at least one template overlay before using
Formfit! Your forms will be defined by means of a row and
column matrix, and these references must be easily found.
This is where the template comes in. Initially, you align the
template with your form, and begin to edit/define your form
using the coordinates read from the overlay.
When you select the Make a Template Overlay option, you
are prompted to align your printhead and paper before
proceeding (or you may ESCape.) It is also important that you
MARK THE BLANK PAPER WITH AN INDEX MARK of some kind, so that
the physical position of the paper in the printer can be found
again later. On the Panasonic we use at Sidebar, the paper
bail is marked with index marks, so we just position the
corner of the page at the zero mark (you may have to use some
other landmark, or make a pencil mark, etc., to mark a
position on the paper.) In any case, a template without some
sort of printer alignment reference point is practically
useless.
Next, you press any key to print out the template, and
are returned to the Main Menu when finished. (You may abort
the template printing operation at any time by pressing ESC.)
Make a few templates of various widths and lengths. We also
recommend getting them copied onto plastic. This can be done
at most copy services.
3.1
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
4. CHECKING AND CHANGING SYSTEM DEFAULTS
The system defaults are found on two screens. The first
screen controls page layout, printer toggles, etc., and will
be used often. It is shown when you select the Check/Change
Defaults option from the Main Menu. The second screen,
however, will usually be used only when you change printers,
and is reached through the first, by selecting the Printer
Control Codes option (currently selection K.)
To change any item on either screen, press the letter of
its choice. You may ESCape at any time. All the information
(from both screens) will be used only during the current
session, unless saved to disk, where it becomes the new
default data for subsequent program runs. Saving is done by
pressing S instead of a lettered menu option. See Appendix A.
for a discussion of the original Formfit! defaults.
Page Layout and Number of Definitions
Option A. (Page Length) and Option B. (Page Width) allow
you to define the size of the form you will be using. These
limits are used to when you print a template overlay, and as
you enter data (to check for attempts to exceed defined
limits.) You may set the page length to any number of lines
(rows) from 1 to 132. If you work with forms larger than 132
lines, you may have to define it in parts (or write to us
about a "custom" version of Formfit!)
The page width can be set to any number of columns from 5
to 137. If your printer does not support condensed printing,
limit your page width to 80 columns, as Formfit! will attempt
to turn on condensed printing when the page width is greater
than 80. Of course, if you use a 132 column printer, set the
condensed print mode control code sequence to N/A, and wide
forms will be filled out using normal sized fonts. Note: on
some printers, different fonts may automatically invoke
proportional spacing. Since Formfit! has no way of knowing
how smart your printer is, when using fonts other than draft,
experiment on blank paper first before inserting your only
copy of that important form!
Option C. (Maximum Number of Definitions) allows you to
dynamically allocate how much memory Formfit! will use at run
time. You can select any amount in the range of 1 to 999.
The more definitions you allow for (whether or not you use
them,) the more RAM you need. When you select this option,
any definitions you currently have in memory WILL BE LOST, so
save them first. You will be prompted before any data is
actually lost, and you can ESCape unharmed if you need to.
4.1
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
The Save/Retrieve File Path
Option D. (File Definition Path) is used to change the
path which DOS will use to save/load defined forms. When
changing this item, you should end your path with the
backslash (\) character (if you don't, though, Formfit! will
supply it for you.) You are limited to 32 characters for the
complete path information. The original default is C:\, the
hard drive root directory.
Date, Time, and Beep Toggles
Options E. (Toggle Date Display), F. (Toggle Time
Display), and G. (Toggle Speaker Beep) are used to toggle on
and off the current date, time, and error beep respectively.
When toggled on, the date is displayed in the upper left
corner of all menus, and the time is displayed in the upper
right. These are the date and time currently maintained by
DOS, so if you don't normally set these at boot time (or your
clock has no battery,) you may just want to toggle these off,
and save the new defaults to disk. The beep toggle is used to
turn on/off the error beep that occurs whenever Formfit!
encounters a bad keypress or displays an error message.
Printer Mode and Font Toggles
Options H. (Toggle Paper Out Detector), I. (Toggle
Unidirectional Printing), and J. (Toggle Font Selection) are
used to select the printer mode you desire. Of course, these
must be supported by your printer. Option H. will enable or
disable the printer's paper out sensor. Many forms extend to
the bottom of the page, and if the printer is not told to
ignore the end-of-paper signal, it will usually halt printing
at about 13 lines from the bottom of the form. By disabling
the paper out sensor, you can usually print completely to the
last line on a form (depending, again, on your printer.)
Option I. toggles unidirectional printing. Many printers
have some alignment trouble when using bidirectional printing
with condensed mode font. By forcing unidirectional printing,
columns will be aligned quite nicely. Test your printer by
printing a short template guide with more than 80 columns,
using first bidirectional, and then unidirectional printing.
Save the defaults when you have made your selection.
Option J. is used to select between three available
fonts: Draft, Courier NLQ (Near Letter Quality), and Bold PS
NLQ. These may not be available on your printer, so be sure
to change to the correct control code sequence, using the
second System Defaults screen (see Printer Control Codes,
Option K. below.) In any case, pressing J. will toggle
between the three options.
4.2
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
Printer Control Codes
Option K. (Printer Control Codes) will show the second
Check/Change Defaults screen. This is where you define the
needed printer control code sequences for Formfit! Each
sequence may consist of several codes, which can be found in
the user's manual for your printer. Have the printer manual
handy before attempting to change any codes.
You select an option by pressing its corresponding letter
(or you can ESCape.) Formfit! will prompt you for a string of
DECIMAL printer codes, which you must separate by a single
space. If a particular option is not supported by your
printer, select that option to modify (by pressing its
corresponding menu letter,) and immediately press ENTER (i.e.
supply NO codes.) This will cancel any previous control code
sequence, and display N/A next to the option. This will
signal Formfit! not to attempt to use that option. When you
are done with this screen, use ESC to return to the first
screen, where you may save the defaults to disk (by pressing
the letter "S",) or use ESC again to return to the Main Menu,
keeping the newly changed defaults only for the current
Formfit! session.
Note: Option A. (Current Printer) is used to specify
which printer your system currently uses. This is for your
information only. No check is made as to what type of printer
you specify here. The name (or whatever else you care to type
in) is just to remind you which type of printer the codes are
set for.
4.3
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
5. THE DEFINE/EDIT MODE
This is by far the most used screen in Formfit! The
information is presented in a 13 line window, and consists of
the definition number, a label (for your convenience only,)
the definition's row, its starting and ending (inclusive)
column numbers, and the data which is to be placed at that
position on the preprinted form at print time. You can scroll
up and down one page of definitions at a time, or go directly
to the first or last definition, using the keypad. There is
an overlap of one definition when you change pages. In other
words, the first page will show definitions 1 through 13, and
the second page (if there are more than 13 definitions) will
begin with number 13. The horizontal arrow keys are used to
move the menu bar at the bottom of the window, and ENTER will
select an option, or you may select an option by pressing the
first letter of the option. ESC returns you to the Main Menu.
Details on using each of the menu bar options follows.
Edit
Selecting Edit allows you to define a new entry, or
modify an existing one. An editing window will be opened, and
you will be allowed to fill in the needed information. To the
left of each line of information is the default data (in
brackets) for that entry. This is usually what was given for
the previous definition. Pressing ENTER alone will select the
default value. Typical edit window data is shown below, and
is followed by a line by line explanation of its use.
[ 3 ] Definition Number to Edit: 3
[Name] Label: Address
[ 1 ] Row: 3
[ 4 ] Column Start: 4
[ 20 ] Column End: 36
[Stevens, William J.] Contents: 107 N. Mill Lane Rd.
The default value for Number to Edit is the next unused
entry, regardless of which item was last edited. For example,
if you had already defined 55 entries, and then edited number
32, the next default for Number to Edit would be 56. Error
checking prevents you from selecting a value of less than one,
or greater than the next available definition. The default
reads [FULL] when you have used all definitions.
The Label entry is for your own reference only. By using
the name of the entry given on the form, such as NAME or
ADDRESS, you can easily locate items which must be changed
when you re-edit a form at some later date. The default for
this entry is the last definition's Label value. Enter a
blank space if no label name is to be associated with an
entry. Labels are limited to 20 characters maximum.
5.1
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
Row, Column Start, and Column End are self explanatory,
with the defaults being the last defined entry's Row and
Column values.
The Contents entry is where you provide the data to be
printed on the form itself. You are limited in length by the
column start and column end values previously entered. In any
case, a maximum of 31 characters are allowed. To use more
than this you must define a definition in parts. The default
is the last definition's Contents value. One suggestion: use
the characters <EMPTY> while defining a form, and later, when
filling out the contents, first load in the form and use the
Clear option (see below) to clear just the Contents column.
This lets you fill out a "clean" form.
Delete
Use this option to delete a single definition. A Delete
window will appear, and you will be asked for the definition
number to delete (use ESC to abort.) If no definitions are as
yet defined, an error message appears in the window, and you
are returned to the Edit/Define window after a couple of
seconds.
Clear
When you choose Clear, the Clear Current Definitions
window opens, and you have a menu bar choice of clearing all
the definitions, or only the Contents column of the
definitions. As usual, ESC will abort without clearing
anything. Clearing just the contents is useful for forms on
which all the data to be printed must be resupplied each time
the form is filled out.
Load
When you select Load, the screen clears, and a list of
all the definition files on the current directory is given, or
you are informed that no definition files exist. (Definition
files end in .DEF, and this is how they are found.) You are
then prompted for a filename. Formfit! will supply the
extension of .DEF to the filename, so you are limited to eight
characters for the filename. If you do append an extension,
Formfit! will merely truncate it and add the .DEF extension.
Remember, the default path information will be used to find
the file, so DO NOT USE ANY PATH INFORMATION when specifying a
file to load in. You may select the default filename by
pressing ENTER without supplying any name. The default is
either the last filename loaded or saved, or, if no files have
been accessed yet, TEMPFILE.DEF is used as the default. Since
the Save option saves the current defaults with a file, the
defaults may be different when loading is finished. When
loading is completed, you are returned to the Define/Edit
screen.
5.2
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
Save
Save is very much like Load. You are given a list of
files on the current directory, and then prompted for the name
of the file to save. (Again, if no definition files exist on
the current directory, you are told so.) The .DEF extension
will be automatically appended, and the default filename is
used if only ENTER is pressed. See Load above for an
explanation of filename defaults. Remember, all system
defaults currently in effect will be saved along with the
file.
5.3
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
6. PRINTING TO THE FORM
Use this option when it is time to print out the
information on the form itself. First, you will be asked to
align the form and the printhead. Do this by marking the form
(if necessary) using the template guide's alignment mark. In
other words, align the template with the form, mark a spot on
the form corresponding to the alignment mark on the template,
roll the form into the printer, and align the mark with the
index on the printer itself (i.e. the one you used when you
printed the template guide.) Then press ENTER to begin the
printing process (or ESCape to abort.) When printing is
finished, you will be returned to the Main Menu.
6.1
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
7. USING THE DOS SHELL
As discussed earlier, the DOS shell allows you to drop
down into the DOS environment, use DOS as you normally would,
and return to Formfit! at the point where you left off. While
this is a powerful feature of Formfit!, you must use caution
while in DOS, and return to Formfit! properly, as discussed
below.
To access DOS from Formfit!, you select the Use DOS Shell
option from the Main Menu. You will be presented with an
information box, and prompted to press any key to continue.
If you do not wish to continue on into DOS, pressing ESCape
will return you to the Main Menu immediately.
In order to use DOS, Formfit! must load a second copy of
the DOS COMMAND.COM file into memory (the first copy was
loaded automatically when you booted up your computer.)
COMMAND.COM is the DOS file that allows you and DOS to
communicate with each other. (Don't worry if this doesn't
make perfect sense, as Formfit! handles all the details of
loading COMMAND.COM and getting you into the DOS environment.)
Remember, though, that your computer must have sufficient
memory to allow the second COMMAND.COM file to be loaded
(approximately 24 Kbytes, depending on your version of DOS,)
and there must be enough space for any extra programs you wish
to run while using the shell.
Once the familiar DOS prompt appears, you may do just
about anything you would normally do from DOS, including
running other programs. Do not, however, run a program that
is to remain resident in the computer (i.e. any of those handy
"pop-up" programs.) If loaded from within the shell, resident
programs will not work properly when you return to Formfit!
(They will work fine with Formfit!, but must be loaded BEFORE
running Formfit!)
Also, if the current DOS directory is changed while using
the shell, you should change it back to the directory which
Formfit! was using before the shell was invoked. While the
definition files are pathed to a certain directory, the same
cannot be said for the default file (FORMFIT.DFL) which
Formfit! uses to store your desired default parameter values.
This means that if you change directories while in the shell,
then return to Formfit! and change and save the defaults, they
will be on a different directory than Formfit! used when it
was initially run. The next time you run Formfit! the new
defaults will not be found!
To return to Formfit! after using the DOS shell, simply
type the command EXIT at the DOS prompt. You will be
immediately returned to the Main Menu of Formfit!, where you
may continue working where you left off.
7.1
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
APPENDIX A.
INITIAL DEFAULTS AND DEFAULT FILE STRUCTURE
Formfit! uses default parameters for several of its features.
These parameters are stored in a file named FORMFIT.DFL, which is
always located ON THE CURRENT DIRECTORY. If the file FORMFIT.DFL
does not exist on the current directory, Formfit! will create it.
Formfit! will use certain values when it creates this file, and
they are listed below. Note that numbers shown as <27><53> are
actually ASCII characters represented by the decimal numbers in the
brackets. The file on disk will contain the actual ASCII character
itself. When editing this file with a word processor or text
editor, remember that numeric data stored in the file will have a
leading minus sign, if negative, or a leading blank space if
positive.
Actual Contents (ASCII) Remarks (Not part of file)
------------------------- ----------------------------
63 Page Length
80 Page Width
255 Max Number of Definitions
C:\ File Definition Path
-1 Date Toggle (on)
-1 Time Toggle (on)
-1 Speaker Beep Toggle (on)
0 Paper Out Detector (off)
0 Unidirectional Print (off)
Panasonic KX-P1091i Printer Name
<27><64> Reset Control Codes
<27><85><49> Unidirectional ON Codes
<27><85><48> Unidirectional OFF Codes
<15> Compressed ON Code
<18> Compressed OFF Code
<27><57> Paper-Out Sense ON Code
<27><56> Paper-Out Sense OFF Code
<27><120><48> Draft Font Codes
<27><120><49> Courier NLQ Font Codes
<27><120><50> Bold PS NLQ Font Codes
1 Font Selection: 1=Draft,
<End of File> 2=Courier, 3=Bold
A.1
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
In addition to getting parameter information from the default
parameters file, each time a definition file is saved, the
currently active parameters are saved along with the file. The
structure of a simple definition file is shown below.
50 Defaults are saved first,
80 and are in the same order
100 as the defaults found in
C:\formfit\files\ the FORMFIT.DFL file. See
-1 above for details on this
-1 portion of the file.
-1 .
0 .
0 .
Panasonic KX-P1091i .
<27><64> .
<27><85><49> .
<27><85><48> .
<15> .
<18> .
<27><57> .
<27><56> .
<27><120><48> .
<27><120><49> .
<27><120><50> .
1 Last default (Font select)
Name Label #1
James Clerk Maxwell Data for definition #1
1 Row for #1's data
1 Column start for #1
30 Column end for #1
Occupation Label #2
Scientist Data for definition #2
1 Row for #2's data
66 Column start for #2
79 Column end for #2
. .
. .
. <Continued as needed>
. .
. .
There may be a need to modify the defaults stored with a
definition file. For example, if you are defining a form, and you
discover that not enough definitions were allowed for, you can't
increase that number without losing all the data in memory. And if
you save the data first and then increase the maximum number of
definitions, when you reload the file the old value for maximum
number of definitions is also loaded and used. In a case like
this, you MUST use a text editor to modify the maximum number of
definitions parameter in the saved definitions file before
reloading. Use caution, however, so that no limitations are
exceeded, which could introduce errors when the file is reloaded.
Also, you should make a backup of the file BEFORE you attempt to
modify it.
A.2
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
APPENDIX B.
USER REGISTERATION FORM
Use the following form to request the most recent version of
Formfit! and to register your copy. Thank you again from all of us
at Sidebar Software.
Send to: Formfit!
Sidebar Software
205 S. Higley Sp. 306
Mesa, AZ 85206
Quantity Total
_______ Formfit! Disk (latest version) $ 6.00 ea. $ ______
Note: If you haven't registered, this does NOT
include registration.
_______ Registration ONLY. $ 20.00 ea. $ ______
_______ Registration plus latest version. $ 25.00 ea. $ ______
Please note: We accept only checks or money orders as payment.
No C.O.D. orders will be processed.
Name: ___________________________________________________
Address: ___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Phone: ____________ Add you to our mailing list? Y N
B.1
Formfit! 2.0
(C) Copyright 1987 Sidebar Software
APPENDIX C.
FORMFIT! ERROR MESSAGES
Formfit! can detect many of the standard DOS errors pertaining to
perpherial devices. The following is a list of the specific errors
Formfit! looks for when requesting disk and/or printer service from
DOS. All other errors not listed below will usually result in
Formfit! returning to the Main Menu, although it is possible (if
you work at it) to get Formfit! to just forget everything and
either return to DOS unexpectedly, or maybe even lock up your
machine.
Error Number Message Displayed
---------------- --------------------------
24 DEVICE TIMEOUT
25 PRINTER NOT RESPONDING
27 OUT OF PAPER
52 BAD FILE NUMBER
53 FILE NOT FOUND
54 BAD FILE MODE
57 DEVICE I/O ERROR
64 BAD FILE NAME
68 DEVICE UNAVAILABLE
These errors listed above are trapped in such a way as to let you
correct the error and proceed, or abort the operation, retaining
all data. For other errors, you will only be given an error
number, and then you are prompted to return to the Main Menu, as
mentioned above. (Data will still be kept intact.) Since this
program was written and compiled with Microsoft QuickBASIC, a
complete list of error conditions and their corresponding numbers
can be found in the Microsoft literature, if available. The errors
listed above, when encountered, print out the given error message
as well as the number, in the error box.
C.1