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Text File | 1993-04-21 | 35.5 KB | 1,222 lines |
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- Application Label Generator
- Version 2.2
- COPYRIGHT (c) 1992-1993, MyLife Software
- - all rights reserved.
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- ________
- ____|__ | (R)
- --| | |-------------------
- | ----|-- | Association of
- | | |_| Shareware
- |__| o | Professionals
- -----| | |---------------------
- |___|___| MEMBER
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- Application Label Generator User's Manual
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- CONTENTS
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- Introduction.......................................... 1
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- What's in the package................................. 2
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- System Requirements
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- What is the Application Label Generator............... 3
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- Why is the Application Label Generator important...... 4
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- Making the Application Label Generator work........... 5
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- On-line help
-
- Select Label Type
- 5.25" diskette labels
- 3.5" diskette labels
- Return address labels
- Product description labels.
- Disk size
- New version
-
- Edit Company Name
- Company name
- Company address
- Company city, state, and zip code
- Company phone
-
- Edit Application List
- Application name
- Copyright information
- Serial number
- Application description
- Diskette title
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- Print Labels
- Number of labels to print
- Left margin
- Select attention line
- Redefine attention line
- Changing attention line
- Print serial numbers on disks
- Print serial numbers on all disks
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- Application Label Generator User's Manual
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- Printer Selection
- Printer name
- 10 CPI on code
- 10 CPI off code
- 12 CPI on code
- 12 CPI off code
- 17 CPI on code
- 17 CPI off code
- Near letter quality on code
- Near letter quality on code
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- Software Branding
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- Exit Application Label Generator
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- In Closing............................................ 16
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- Application Label Generator User's Manual
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- INTRODUCTION
-
- Before we get started let me introduce myself. My name is
- John Michael Sanders. I write custom business software and
- shareware. I began my humble little business originally
- called, Energy Software, in 1989. I later dissolved that
- business and began MyLife software to better reflect the
- efforts I was putting forth in the business. I had hopes and
- dreams of being another Bill Gates. Well I must admit it
- hasn't turned out that way, but I haven't given up either.
-
- I started my business by writing small utility programs. My
- first major application was a program that computed monetary
- savings using various energy saving appliances and devices
- as apposed to conventional products. It was a good program,
- no sales, the company I wrote it for folded shortly there
- after.
-
- Several major projects later, I designed a 30,000 line
- database application that would access 21,000 files spread
- across 12 drives in 600 subdirectories on a network
- environment. Some application huh!
-
- As I got deeper into the shareware arena I needed a way to
- label disks in large quantities quickly. I looked around
- bulletin boards and shareware distributors for an
- application that would work and none fit the bill. Well, as
- a programmer, I developed my own. It was just what I needed
- and had the features that a shareware author required.
-
- After passing this little program around to other
- programmers for a while, they found it useful and I realized
- that what I had developed was quite wonderful little
- shareware application. So I present this product to you,
- other shareware authors.
-
- The Application Label Generator has the following features;
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- a. Prints the six types of labels used by authors the
- most;
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- 1. 5.25" diskettes
- 2. 3.5" diskettes
- 3. Return address
- 4. Product
- 5. Disk size
- 6. New version
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- Application Label Generator User's Manual
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- b. Prints serial numbers on labels
- 1. The 1st label in an application set
- 2. or, all labels in an application set
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- c. The database stores information on up to 20
- of your applications
-
- d. Each application can have up to 10 diskettes in a
- set and individual labels can be printed for each
-
- e. Four attention lines can be user defined for the
- return address label
-
- f. Three predefined attention lines for the return
- address label
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- g. Two user defined printer types
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- h. Four default printer setups
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- i. Seven lines of 68 characters each are available to
- provide an adequate product description of the
- application on the product labels
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- WHAT'S IN THE PACKAGE
-
- The Application Label Generator contains the following
- files;
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- ALG.EXE - Application Label Generator main
- program
- ALG.HLP - Help file for the Application Label
- Generator
- DESCRIBE.DOC - Description file of what the
- Application Label Generator is all
- about.
- INSTALL.EXE - Installation program.
- LICENSE.DOC - Application Label Generator license
- agreement.
- READ.ME - File of latest Application Label
- Generator changes.
- REGISTER.DOC - The Application Label Generator
- registration form.
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- WHY_ALG.DOC - This user's manual.
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- Application Label Generator User's Manual
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- The Application Label Generator will create the four below
- files the first time the Application Label Generator program
- is accessed;
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- ALG.DBF - File containing all the shareware
- authors' applications.
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- ALG_1.DBF - File containing the authors' business
- name, address, and phone number.
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- PRINTER.CFG - The first default printer defined by
- the user.
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- PRINTER1.CFG - The second default printer defined by
- the user.
-
- If you find any of these files missing or corrupt please
- call or write MyLife Software for a disk replacement. One
- will be shipped to you immediately.
-
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- SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
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- The Application Label Generator requires the following;
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- a. Dot matrix printer
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- b. One floppy disk drive (Harddrive recommended)
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- c. Monitor monochrome (Color recommended)
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- Ideally, you would want to make this application available
- from your harddrive for easy access.
-
-
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- WHAT IS THE APPLICATION LABEL GENERATOR
-
- The Application Label Generator is an application
- specifically designed for the shareware author. The
- Application Label Generator will print the labels most used
- by the shareware author. Those labels are;
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- a. 5.25" diskette labels
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- b. 3.5" diskette labels
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- c. Return labels
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- Application Label Generator User's Manual
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- d. Product description labels
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- e. Disk size
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- f. New version
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- The sole function of the Application Label Generator is to
- print labels and brand software. This package will most
- likely replace several applications or methods you currently
- use to label, serial number, provide product labels and
- brand your shareware applications. If you presently do not
- use any of these labels in your business then it will be
- easy to implement them with the Application Label Generator.
-
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- WHY IS THE APPLICATION LABEL GENERATOR IMPORTANT
-
- The Application Label Generator provides a single
- application to manage the labeling needs of up to 20 of your
- shareware applications. You will no longer need to remember
- file names or which disk contains the particular label for
- an application, it's all in one program.
-
- The Application Label Generator is important for the
- following reasons;
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- a. You'll save time
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- b. You'll be better organized
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- c. Your labeling will be consistent
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- d. You will save money
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- By using the Application Label Generator you'll save many
- hours of laborious work managing the labeling, product
- labeling, and addressing of your quality shareware
- applications. The time saved will come from several
- different areas. One area may be in the development of
- labels, another may be in the printing of return address
- labels.
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- You will be better organized because all your application
- labeling needs can be managed from one quality shareware
- program. You will not be searching for disks that had that
- one label on it anymore.
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- Application Label Generator User's Manual
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- By using the Application Label Generator all your
- application labeling will retain a certain level of
- consistency. I have found it is much better to maintain a
- level of conformity in all my applications.
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- Yes, it is true you will save money. Even if you only sell
- a few applications a month the Application Label Generator
- will save you, money. Professional multicolor labels cost
- about $200 per 1000 labels. This is expensive if you are
- only selling one or two programs a month. Another thing to
- consider about purchasing custom printed disk labels is what
- if you change a program name or version number. If the
- version number is on the label you'll most likely have to
- trash the labels.
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- Using the Application Label Generator will create quality
- disk labels for two of the most common sizes of diskette
- labels. By using common label sizes and then only printing
- what you need, you will definitely save money.
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- MAKING THE APPLICATION LABEL GENERATOR WORK
-
- Working disk
-
- The first thing to do is make a working copy of the
- Application Label Generator. You can either make a disk copy
- or simply copy the Application Label Generator to another
- diskette. Ensure you store the orginial in a safe should
- something happen to the working copy.
-
- Installation
-
- Installing the Application Label Generator is easy. Place
- the ALG diskette in either the 'A' or 'B' drive and type
- 'INSTALL'.
-
- EXAMPLE : A:\> install
- B:\> install
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- You will be asked if the ALG disk is in the stated drive.
- answer either <Y>es, <N>o, or <Q>uit.
-
- Next, select the destination drive. It may be any valid
- harddrive. Once selected all files will be copied to the
- newly created '\ALG' subdirectory.
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- Application Label Generator User's Manual
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- In order to access the Application Label Generator just
- type ALG, an example is provided below;
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- EXAMPLE: C:\ALG> ALG
-
- Once you have done this the main menu screen will appear.
- From this menu you may go to the 6 other areas, they are;
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- a. Help .................................. (F1)
-
- b. Select Label Type ..................... (F2)
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- Use to define type of disk label to work with,
- valid types are 5.25" disk labels, 3.5" disk labels, return
- address labels, and product labels.
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- c. Edit Company Name ..................... (F3)
-
- You may change the software company name,
- address, city, state, zip code and phone number from this
- selection.
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- d. Edit Application List ................. (F4)
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- You may edit the label content of up to 20
- different applications from this selection. Items that can
- be edited include;
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- 1. Main application name
- 2. Version
- 3. Copyright information
- 4. Serial number
- 5. Up to 7 lines of application description
- 6. Up to 10 individual diskette titles
- 7. Software brand
- 8. Software brand path
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- e. Print Labels .......................... (F5)
-
- This selection allows you to print the labels
- selected in <F2> above. You may print up to 999 of any
- selected type. In addition, you can specify the column to
- begin typing on. The valid entries are 0 through 9.
-
- f. Printer Selection ..................... (F6)
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- You define the two default printers from this
- selection. Four selections are provided, two of which you
- may define.
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- Application Label Generator User's Manual
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- g. Brand Software ........................ (F9)
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- You may brand your software to determine its
- source when a user registers it. More on branding will be
- explained later.
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- g. Exit Application Label Generator ...... (F10)
-
- When you select <F10> Application Label Generator
- will save all settings and any information that you have
- changed and return you to the DOS prompt.
-
- HELP
-
- On-line help is always available by pressing the <F1> key.
- The help system is context sensitive. You will find the
- Application Label Generator so easy to use that you may
- never need it, but its there just in case.
-
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- SELECT LABEL TYPE
-
- By pressing the <F2> key a window will pop up displiaying
- the selected type of label. The Application Label Generator
- can print four types of labels, they are;
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- a. 5.25" diskette labels
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- b. 3.5" diskette labels
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- c. Return address labels
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- d. Product description labels.
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- e. Disk size.
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- f. New version.
-
- All defined labels will print on single wide tractor fed
- labels. The below information will assist you in purchasing
- the required labels.
-
- a. 5.25" diskette ....... 4" x 1 7/16" Avery
- style 4102
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- b. 3.5" Diskette ........ 2.75" x 2.75" Avery
- style 4104
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- Application Label Generator User's Manual
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- c. Return address ....... 3.5" x 15/16" Avery
- style 4102
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- d. Product description .. 4" x 2 15/16" Avery
- style 4201
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- e. Disk size ............ 3.5" x 15/16" Avery
- style 4102
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- f. New version .......... 3.5" x 15/16" Avery
- style 4102
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- Any label may be used as long as the defined size is a
- match. You are not limited to using the Avery labels.
-
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- EDIT COMPANY NAME
-
- You should immediately edit the company information. The
- company information will be displayed at the top of the main
- menu screen on the Application Generator and on all labels
- generated.
-
- Company Name
-
- The first area to modify is the software company name.
- Simply type in your business name. When you are satisfied
- press <ENTER>.
-
- Company Address
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- The company street address is the second block of
- information. Once you are content with the information press
- <ENTER>.
-
- Company City, State, and Zip Code
-
- The City, State, and Zip Code is entered in the third
- block. Again press ENTER when the information is correct
-
- Company Phone
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- The final block to require information is a phone number.
- Place the phone number you'll use for providing Technical
- Support.
-
- You can press the <TAB> key to move forward one block and
- <SHIFT-TAB> to move backward one block. Once all the
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- information is correct continue to press the <ENTER> key
- and a status message will ask you if all the information is
- correct. The valid selections are <Y>es, <N>o, and <Q>uit.
-
- If the information needs further correcting press <N> and
- you will be returned to the edit company information area.
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- If you press <Q> then you will immediately be returned to
- the main menu screen.
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- If the entries are correct then press <Y>. You are then
- asked if desire to save the information, press <Y> or <N>.
-
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- EDIT APPLICATION LIST
-
- Application Name
-
- Enter your application name in this block. As an example
- for the registered version of the Application Label
- Generator I have entered 'Application Label Generator'. The
- application name will be printed on both diskette labels and
- the product description label. Thirty two spaces are defined
- for this entry.
-
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- Version
-
- Enter the current version of the software. This information
- will be used when printing the new version label. Six spaces
- have been provided for this important version information.
-
- Copyright Information
-
- Enter your copyright information on this line. As an
- example for the registered version of the Application Label
- Generator I have entered '(c) 1993, MyLife Software'. The
- copyright information will be printed on both diskette
- labels and the product description label. Thirty two spaces
- have been defined for this entry.
-
- The '- all rights reserved.' line is automatically added on
- the next line of the respective labels. The 'all rights
- reserved' line assists in protecting any software that might
- happen to get outside the United States. It is very similar
- to the copyright line in meaning.
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- Serial Number
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- Enter a beginning serial number for your application. Four
- spaces are provided. The Application Label Generator will
- use this information allow with the application name and
- current year to develop a serial number for you. If you were
- to enter '0001' in this block, with an application name of
- 'Application Label Generator' and current year of '1993' the
- program would generate a serial number of 'AL-93-0001'.
-
- The Application Label Generator will take the first letter
- from the first two words of the application name or in the
- case of a single worded application name the first two
- letters.
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- When printing serial numbers on labels the Application
- Label Generator will automatically increment the serial
- number each time a label is printed.
-
- Application Description
-
- The Application Label Generator provides up to 7 lines of
- product description space. Each line is 68 spaces long.
- Enter any information desired to describe your application.
- This information will be printed on the product label.
-
- Diskette Title
-
- The Application Label Generator has provisions for printing
- up to 10 different diskette labels for each application. If
- your application requires 6 disks you may choose the
- following entries;
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- a. Install Disk
- b. Disk 1
- c. Disk 2
- d. Disk 3
- e. Disk 4
- f. Disk 5
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- When printing diskette labels each label will be printed
- once before proceeding to the next set.
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- Brand
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- Software branding is a process of embeding a serial number
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- Generator User's Manual
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- or a name for purposes of tracking the source of your
- software. In order to brand your software you must establish
- a variable with the contents listed below in your source
- code:
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- variable = 'M Y L I F E S O F T W A R E'
-
- This type of branding is much simplier than compiling your
- source code each time you mail a disk to a different vendor
- or BBS.
-
- The Application Label Generator will search your compiled
- code for the above variable, if found the above variable
- will be replaced by the brand you specified. Twenty eight
- spaces are provided for this entry.
-
- Brand path
-
- Enter the drive\directory and full filename of the
- application to be branded.
-
- You can press the <TAB> key to move forward one block and
- <SHIFT-TAB> to move backward one block. Once all the
- information is correct continue to press the <ENTER> key and
- a status message will ask you if all the information is
- correct. The valid selections are <Y>es, <N>o, and <Q>uit.
-
- If the information needs further correcting press <N> and
- you will be returned to the edit application name block.
-
- If you press <Q> then you will immediately be returned to
- the main menu screen.
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- PRINT LABELS
-
- The print labels selection of the Application Label
- Generator will print your labels. Several pieces of
- information are required before labels can be printed. The
- required information is explained in the following
- paragraphs;
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- Number Of Labels To Print
-
- This is the number of labels you desire to print. Up to 999
- labels may be printed. For return address and product labels
- the number selected will be printed.
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- If a diskette label is selected the number of labels
- printed will be the number of labels selected to print
- multiplied by the number of diskettes in an application set.
- An example is if your application has 6 diskettes and you
- want 10 label sets to be printed then 60 labels will spit
- out of your printer before it is done.
-
- Left Margin
-
- This is the space(s) between the 1st printing position of
- your printer and the beginning, left side, of your labels.
- The only valid entries are 0-9.
-
- If you have selected to print diskette labels then the
- Application Label Generator will then ask is you desire to
- have serial numbers placed on your diskette labels. Entering
- <N>o will cause the Application Label Generator not to print
- serial numbers on any diskette labels. If the answer is
- <Y>es then you will be asked if you desire to have serial
- numbers printed on all labels in an application set. Again
- if the answer is <Y>es serial numbers will be placed on each
- label in the set. If you enter you answer <N>o then a serial
- number will only be printed on the first label in a diskette
- set.
-
- Once you have selected the above information, an example of
- the label will be displayed on the screen. If it is correct
- press <Y>, if not press <N> and you will have the
- opportunity to reenter the information.
-
- If you had selected to print return address labels these
- instructions will apply;
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- Select Attention Line
-
- Select an attention line to print on the return address
- label. Press any of the highlited <F> keys.
-
- Four lines are dedicated for your customizing. To customize
- a line press the <F9> key. You are will then be given the
- opportunity to enter your custom attention line.
-
- Redefine Attention Line
-
- If you desire to redefine an attention line press the <F>
- key you wish to redefine. Valid keys are; <F5> thru <F8>.
- This allows you to create a customized line if one of the
- predefined options are not to your tastes.
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- Changing Attention Line
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- Type your custom attention line. This is the 2nd line of
- the return address label. It will be printed exactly as
- entered on this line.
-
- If you had selected disk size labels the below instructions
- will apply:
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- a. You must select either 5.25" or 3.5" diskettes.
-
- b. With all the environmental awareness you may decide
- to include a recycle statement. Select either <Y>es or <N>o.
-
- c. Add any remarks you determine appropriate.
-
- If you had selected new version labels you must select the
- application to which the new version applies. Once this is
- done follow the screen instructions.
-
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- PRINTER SELECTION
-
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- The Application Label Generator allows you to select
- between 4 different types of printers. Two of which you may
- define on your own. If you are unsure of the type to select
- then use the Epson FX/LX and ensure your printer is setup to
- emulate an Epson compatible printer. Select the highlited
- <F> key to define the printer. To define or redefine the
- user configured printer press <F9>.
-
- The below instructions will help you in setting up the
- default printers.
-
- Printer Name
-
- Enter the defined printer name. Select any name so that you
- will equate it with the desired printer. The name entered
- should most likely be the printer name.
-
- 10 CPI On Code
-
- Enter the DECIMAL codes that equates to printing at 10
- character per inch. If multiple codes are required separate
- each individual code with a space. If you are unsure of the
- specific codes required for your printer then refer to your
- printers user's manual. If no code is available then you may
- leave it blank. An example is shown below;
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- Application Label Generator User's Manual
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- EXAMPLE : 10 CPI On..... ESC G
- 27 71
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- 10 CPI Off Code
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- Enter the DECIMAL codes that equates to turning off
- printing at 10 character per inch. If multiple codes are
- required separate each individual code with a space. If you
- are unsure of the specific codes required for your printer
- then refer to your printers user's manual. If no code is
- available then you may leave it blank. An example is shown
- below;
-
- EXAMPLE : 10 CPI Off.... ESC G
- 27 71
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- 12 CPI On Code
-
- Enter the DECIMAL codes that equates to printing at 12
- character per inch. If multiple codes are required separate
- each individual code with a space. If you are unsure of the
- specific codes required for your printer then refer to your
- printers user's manual. If no code is available then you may
- leave it blank. An example is shown below;
-
- EXAMPLE : 12 CPI On..... ESC G
- 27 71
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- 12 CPI Off Code
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- Enter the DECIMAL codes that equates to turning off
- printing at 12 character per inch. If multiple codes are
- required separate each individual code with a space. If you
- are unsure of the specific codes required for your printer
- then refer to your printers user's manual. If no code is
- available then you may leave it blank. An example is shown
- below;
-
- EXAMPLE : 12 CPI Off ... ESC G
- 27 71
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- 17 CPI On Code
-
- Enter the DECIMAL codes that equates to printing at 17
- character per inch. If multiple codes are required separate
- each individual code with a space. If you are unsure of the
- specific codes required for your printer then refer to your
- printers user's manual. If no code is available then you may
- leave it blank. An example is shown below;
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- Application Label Generator User's Manual
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- EXAMPLE : 17 CPI On..... ESC G
- 27 71
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- 17 CPI Off Code
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- Enter the DECIMAL codes that equates to turning off
- printing at 17 character per inch. If multiple codes are
- required separate each individual code with a space. If you
- are unsure of the specific codes required for your printer
- then refer to your printers user's manual. If no code is
- available then you may leave it blank. An example is shown
- below;
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- EXAMPLE : 17 CPI Off ... ESC G
- 27 71
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- Near Letter Quality On Code
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- Enter the DECIMAL codes that equates to printing in near
- letter quality. If multiple codes are required separate each
- individual code with a space. If you are unsure of the
- specific codes required for your printer then refer to your
- printers user's manual. If no code is available then you may
- leave it blank. An example is shown below;
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- EXAMPLE : NLQ On..... ESC G
- 27 71
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- Near Letter Quality On Code
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- Enter the DECIMAL codes that equates to turning off
- printing at near letter quality. If multiple codes are
- required separate each individual code with a space. If you
- are unsure of the specific codes required for your printer
- then refer to your printers user's manual. If no code is
- available then you may leave it blank. An example is shown
- below;
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- EXAMPLE : NLQ Off ... ESC G
- 27 71
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- EXIT APPLICATION LABEL GENERATOR
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- When you desire to exit the Application Label Generator
- simply press the <F10> key. When this is done all
- information will saved to a disk file for later use.
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- Application Label Generator User's Manual
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- IN CLOSING
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- I hope that you have found the Application Label Generator
- meets your needs. The consolidated approach makes it
- extremely useful for the small business, or a business that
- likes to stay very organized. I have found that it is better
- than any of the other 10 or 15 labeling programs that I've
- seen. Once again, its use as a consolidated software
- labeling program is truly a time saver.
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- If the Application Label Generator has a feature you feel
- would be useful for other shareware authors or yourself
- please feel free to call or write and we'll see about
- improving the program. After all shareware only works if you
- make it!
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- Application Label Generator User's Manual
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- NOTES
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