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- 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?
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- 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?
-
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-
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- 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
-
-
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-
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-
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- 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.
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- 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
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- 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
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- 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
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- 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~
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- 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}
-
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-
-
- /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.
-