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LASR400.ARJ
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LASR-MAN.HLP
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1992-07-31
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P---+---T1----+LT--2----T----3--T-+----4T---+---T5----+-T--6----T----7--J
L---+---T1----+-T--2----T----3--T-+----4T---+---T5----+-T--6----T----7--J
This help file is user editable. Form Feed and Paragraph characters
(ASCII 12 and 20) are how the program recognizes help pages and help
leaves within pages and should not be removed.
HELP INDEX
SECTION FUNCTION Option USER LEVEL HELP PAGE
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
INTRODUCTION........................................................ 1
MAIN MENU........................................................... 2
DIRECTORY FUNCTION MENU.................................... 3
Data Path Option...................(N).......... 4
Change Config File Option..........(A).......... 5
Restore Path Option................(A).......... 6
Restore Conf Option................(A).......... 7
OPTIONS FUNCTION MENU...................................... 8
Paper Size Option..................(N).......... 9
Style of Output Option.............(N).......... A
Option File Option.................(A).......... B
Cover File Option..................(E).......... C
Page Title Option..................(A).......... D
User Level Option..................(N).......... E
Option Switches Option.............(E).......... F
Change Menu Colors Option..........(E).......... G
Reload Defaults Option ............(E).......... H
Line/Page Limit Option.............(E).......... I
SECTION FUNCTION Option USER LEVEL HELP PAGE
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
OPTIONS FUNCTION MENU (Continued)
Monitor Option.....................(E).......... 8
FILES SELECT FUNCTION MENU................................. J
File Selection/Tag Option..........(N).......... K
File Mask Option...................(A).......... L
Archive Bit Option.................(E).......... J
PRINT FUNCTION MENU........................................ M
Paper Bin Option...................(N).......... M
Print These Selected Files Option..(N).......... N
Reverse 2nd Pass Output Option.....(A).......... M
EXIT FUNCTION MENU......................................... O
Return to DOS Option...............(N).......... O
Save Options Option................(A).......... P
Cancel Option......................(N).......... O
FILE VIEW........................................................... Q
DISK/PRINTER NOT READY.............................................. R
SHAREWARE REGISTRATION, SUPPORT INFORMATION......................... S
In this Help Module, the use of brackets [ ] denotes a specific key.
Parenthesis ( ) are used for comments.
User levels - (N)=Normal, (A)=Advanced, (E)=Expert.
The bottom line of the display is used for help key information, showing
the currently active help action keys and their function.
INTRODUCTION
LASR-MAN prints unformatted ASCII text files (those without printer
control characters) on a laser printer in any of thirty-six different
styles. These styles include the normal portrait or landscape orientation
with either 10, 12, 17, 23 or 32 characters per inch (cpi), landscape
with two pages per side (pps) at 17 cpi or eight pps at 32 cpi and
portrait with four pps at 23 cpi. Each of these styles may use multiple
passes, printing on both sides of each sheet. This allows up to sixteen
pages of 60 lines each to be printed on a single sheet of letter size
paper. Configuration information is included to allow printing on A4 and
legal size paper.
In addition, the program has the ability to print individual files, each
in the form of a pamphlet, or a group of files may be printed together,
each as a chapter, in the form of a book with two, four or eight pages
per side. Each book page will contain one, two or four text pages.
Other options include selection of only files that have been changed,
page titles, substitution of spaces for tabs, binding margins,
underlining, covers and a variety of option switches.
Options may be specified as an environment variable, on the command line,
in an option file or by menu selection while the program is running.
Files to be printed may be selected in the same manner.
LASR-MAN prints only unformatted ASCII files. If you use it to print a
.COM file or a document stored in coded form by a word processor such as
WordPerfect, the output will look strange.
The only control characters that are passed to the printer are carriage
return (13), line feed (10) and form feed (12). The tab character (9) is
converted to spaces. All other control characters (0-31) are replaced by
a '■'. Valid characters (32-255) are printed 'as-is'.
MAIN MENU
The ╔══╡ NORMAL SEQUENCE OF LASR-MAN OPERATIONS ╞══╗ is:
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝
1. Select the DIRECTORY on which the file(s) to be printed reside.
2. Set the printing OPTIONS desired if different from the currently
set options.
3. Perform FILES SELECTion to tag the file(s) for printing.
4. PRINT the selected files.
5. EXIT the program.
In this Help Module, the use of brackets [ ] denotes a specific key.
Parenthesis ( ) are used for comments.
User levels - (N)=Normal, (A)=Advanced, (E)=Expert.
The bottom line of the display is used for help key information, showing
he currently active help action keys and their function.
The ╔══╡ MAIN MENU FUNCTIONS ╞══╗ include:
╚═══════════════════════════╝
DIRECTORY....Change the data directory path, change printer defaults or
edit cover files.
OPTIONS......Change the printing and program option.
FILES SELECT.Select and tag files in the data path directory to print.
PRINT........Print the tagged files using the current print options.
(Available only after file(s) have been selected.)
EXIT.........Return to DOS & optionally save the default program options.
═>To select a FUNCTION and have its option menu displayed, press its
highlighted letter or move the highlight bar to it using the arrow keys
and press [ENTER].
Any FUNCTION may be accessed from the main menu, or any option menu, by
pressing its [highlight letter] or [ALT][highlight letter].
The BACKGROUND DISPLAY, at both MAIN MENU and FUNCTION MENU selection,
may contain a variety of information. The BACKGROUND DISPLAY information
status is shown on the top line after "D>" (The user status is shown
after "M>". The codes are:
FUNCTION MENU DISPLAY ONLY MAIN AND FUNCTION MENU DISPLAY
══════════════════════════ ══════════════════════════════
-ƒ No background display -+ No background display
nƒ Normal option data N+ Normal option data
aƒ Advanced option data A+ Advanced option data
eƒ Expert option data E+ Expert option data
═>To toggle the BACKGROUND INFORMATION DISPLAY, press [TAB]. This INFOR-
MATION DISPLAY has eight levels, any of which may be set by repeatedly
pressing the [TAB] key.
DIRECTORY MENU
The ╔══╡ DIRECTORY OPTION ╞══╗ MENU includes:
╚════════════════════════╝
DATA PATH......(N)..Change either the drive and/or the directory path to
the data files to be printed.
CHANGE·CONFIG..(A)..Load a file that will modify the current printer con-
figuration set by the configuration file and select-
ion of the paper size and bin.
RESTORE PATH...(A)..Reset the data directory path to the one that was in
effect when LASR-MAN was initiated.
RESTORE CONF...(A)..Same, but resets the printer configuration to the se-
lected standard.
═>To select a DIRECTORY OPTION, press its highlighted letter or move the
highlight bar to it and press [ENTER].
═>To select a MAIN MENU FUNCTION, press its highlighted letter.
CHANGE DATA PATH
This function will set the drive and directory from which files may first
be selected/tagged and then printed.
The DRIVE MENU displays all valid drives "A" thru LASTDRIVE, as defined
by CONFIG.SYS.
Those drives that are CAPITALIZED are currently available, while the
lower case drives are not.
The current DRIVE is highlighted.
═>To select the DATA PATH DRIVE, press its highlighted letter or move the
highlight bar to it and press [ENTER].
The SUBDIRECTORY PICK LIST displays the available subdirectories of the
currently defined drive/directory DATA PATH.
The "accept path" option will accept the DATA PATH as currently displayed
to the right of the DIRECTORY DATA PATH option.
The ". [root dir]" option (if shown) will reset the DATA PATH to the root
directory of the current drive.
The ".. [parent]" option (if shown) will remove the last subdirectory
that was added to the DATA PATH.
Pressing [highlight letter] will move the highlight bar to the first
subdirectory whose name starts with that letter.
═>To select one of these options or to add another subdirectory to the
DATA PATH, move the highlight bar to the desired item and press [ENTER].
CHANGE CONFIGURATION FILE
There are two types of printer configuration files. They are:
1.·Standard printer configuration, LASR-MAN.CFG, containing the commands
common to all paper sizes and source bins, paper size specific printer
commands, and paper source bin specific printer commands.
2.·Override printer configuration commands may be contained in change
configuration files, "*.CHG".
Only the second type of configuration file can be loaded with this
option.
The CONFIGURATION FILE PATH LIST MENU displays the PATH subdirectories
that contain files with an extension of ".CHG".
If there is only one PATH subdirectory that contains ".CHG" files, this
menu will not be displayed and the program will next display the
CONFIGURATION FILE PICK LIST.
Pressing [highlight letter] will move the highlight bar to the first
subdirectory path displayed whose name starts with that letter.
═>To select a PATH subdirectory from which a configuration file may be
selected, move the highlight bar to it and press [ENTER]. The program
next displays the CONFIGURATION FILE PICK LIST.
The CONFIGURATION CHANGE FILE PICK LIST displays the files with an
extension of ".CHG", located on the selected CONFIG FILE PATH. A maximum
of seventy-five files can be shown at one time: to display others, use
the cursor control keys noted on the help line.
═>To view the contents of any CONFIGURATION CHANGE FILE, move the
highlight bar to the desired file name using the arrow keys and press
[F2].
═>To select a CONFIGURATION CHANGE FILE, move the highlight bar to it and
press [ENTER]. Pressing [highlight letter] will move the highlight bar to
the first file displayed whose name starts with that letter.
RESTORE DATA PATH
Selecting this option can reset the data drive and directory to that
which was in effect when the program was loaded. A verification prompt is
first displayed and then, on a positive response, the data drive and
directory are reset.
═>To restore the initial drive/directory, press [Y].
═>To leave the drive/directory as they are currently set, press [N].
RESTORE CONFIGURATION FILES
Selecting this option can reset the printer parameters to the standard
used for the selected paper size and bin. A verification prompt is first
displayed and then, on a positive response, the program rereads the
standard printer configuration file for the selected paper size and bin
commands.
═>To restore the printer commands without any changes, press [Y].
═>To leave the printer commands as they are currently set, press [N].
OPTIONS MENU
The ╔══╡ OPTIONS OPTION ╞══╗ MENU includes:
╚══════════════════════╝
PAPER SIZE..........(N)..Toggle select the desired paper size.
STYLE·OF·OUTPUT.....(N)..Select the style and pitch of the printed output
OPTION FILE.........(A)..Loads an option file with preset option values.
COVER FILE..........(E)..Select a cover file to print before the other
selected files.
PAGE TITLE..........(A)..Suppress or select the style for the page title.
USER LEVEL..........(N)..Select the user level of menus & displays to use
OPTION SWITCHES.....(E)..Menu of option switches that may be toggled.
CHANGE MENU COLORS..(E)..Change the colors of any of the eight menu types
RELOAD THE DEFAULTS.(E)..Reload the initial default options.
LINES/PAGE LIMIT....(E)..Limit each text page to a set number of lines.
MONITOR.............(E)..Toggle the display between color and monochrome.
═>To select an OPTIONS OPTION, press its highlighted letter or move the
highlight bar to it and press [ENTER].
PAPER SIZE
Paper size is selected by toggling through the available paper sizes. The
paper sizes included with LASR-MAN are:
STANDARD (Letter), 8½" x 11"
LEGAL, 8½" x 14"
CENTERED LETTER sized text pages on a LEGAL SIZE sheet
A4, 210mm x 297mm
═>To toggle the paper size, press its highlighted letter or move the
highlight bar to it and press [ENTER].
STYLE OF OUTPUT MENU
The STYLE OPTION ╔═══════════════════╗
selects the orient- ║ PORTRAIT ║ LANDSCAPE ORIENTATION
ation of the print- ║ ORIENTATION ║ ╔═════════════════════════════╗
ed output and ║ ║ ║ ║
whether each sheet ║ ║ ║ ╚═long side ║
will be printed on ║ ║ ║ ║
one or both sides. ║ ║ ║ ║
║═long side 1 ║ ║ 1 ║
╚════1 Page/Side════╝ ╚════════1 Page/Side══════════╝
╔═══════════════╗=PORTRAIT
LANDSCAPE ║ │ ║ LANDSCAPE
╔═══════════════════════╗ ║ │ ║ ╔═══════════════════════╗
║ │ ║ ║ 1 │ 2 ║ ║ │ │ │ ║
║ │ ║ ║───────┼───────║ ║ 1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 ║
║ │ ║ ║ │ ║ ║─────┼─────┼─────┼─────║
║ │ ║ ║ │ ║ ║ │ │ │ ║
║ 1 │ 2 ║ ║ 3 │ 4 ║ ║ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 ║
╚══════2 Pages/Side═════╝ ╚══4 Pages/Side═╝ ╚══════8 Pages/Side═════╝
Press [PAGEDOWN] for additional information.
Two additional windows are displayed when this option is selected. The
top one summarizes information on the four STYLE TYPES, while the lower
one displays a table with data on the various page sizes available, based
on the currently selected CONFIGURATION FILE and size of paper.
Portrait....Each page is printed in portrait orientation with either one
or four pages of text on one side (pps) of the paper sheet.
Landscape...Each page is printed in landscape orientation with either one
two or eight pages of text on one side of the paper sheet.
Pamphlet....Each selected file is printed using two, four or eight pps,
both sides. Each file is printed on separate sheets.
Book........Same as pamphlet except all selected files are printed as one
document.
═>To select the output STYLE TYPE, press its highlighted letter or move
the highlight bar to it and press [ENTER].
Both the Portrait and Landscape styles may print on either one or both
SIDES of the paper sheet (Pamphlet and Book styles always print on both
SIDES). Printing on both SIDES requires two printing passes: first the
front and then the back.
╔═══════════╗ ╔═══════════╗
║Print Front║ ║First Print║
║Side Only ║ OR ║Front Side ║
╚═══════════╝ ╚═══════════╝
╔═══════════╗
║Then Print ║
║Back Side ║
╚═══════════╝
═>To select the SIDES option, press its highlighted letter or move the
highlight bar to it and press [ENTER].
Each style may print one or more PAGES of text on a SIDE of paper. The
available PAGES PER SIDE for the selected style are highlighted.
╔═══════════════════╗
║ PORTRAIT ║ LANDSCAPE ORIENTATION
║ ORIENTATION ║ ╔═════════════════════════════╗
║ ║ ║ ║
║ ║ ║ ╚═long side ║
║═long side 1 ║ ║ 1 ║
╚════1 Page/Side════╝ ╚════════1 Page/Side══════════╝
╔═══════════════╗=PORTRAIT
LANDSCAPE ║ │ ║ LANDSCAPE
╔═══════════════════════╗ ║ │ ║ ╔═══════════════════════╗
║ │ ║ ║ 1 │ 2 ║ ║ │ │ │ ║
║ │ ║ ║───────┼───────║ ║ 1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 ║
║ │ ║ ║ │ ║ ║─────┼─────┼─────┼─────║
║ │ ║ ║ │ ║ ║ │ │ │ ║
║ 1 │ 2 ║ ║ 3 │ 4 ║ ║ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 ║
╚══════2 Pages/Side═════╝ ╚══4 Pages/Side═╝ ╚══════8 Pages/Side═════╝
═>To select the PAGES/SIDE option, press its highlighted letter or move
the highlight bar to it and press [ENTER].
Pamphlet and book STYLE TYPES with either 4 or 8 PAGES/SIDE may be
formatted to be cut (1 text PAGE/BOOK PAGE) or folded (2 or 4 text
PAGES/BOOK PAGE). The available options are highlighted.
An example Pamphlet or Book STYLE TYPE with 4 Pages per Side and 8 text
pages (only the front side of the sheet is shown) is depicted below.
1 PAGE/BOOK PAGE 2 PAGES/BOOK PAGE
╔═══════════════╗ ╔═══════════════╗
║ │░░░░░░░║ ║ │ ║
║ │░░░░░░░║ ║ │ ║
║ 8 │░░░░░1░║ ║ 7 │ 8 ║
║═══════╪═══════║═Cut ║═══════╪═══════║═Fold
║ │ ║ ║░░░░░░░│░░░░░░░║
║ │ ║ ║░░░░░░░│░░░░░░░║
║ 6 │ 3 ║ ░░=Book Page ║░░░░░1░│░░░░░2░║
╚══4 Pages/Side═╝ ╚══4 Pages/Side═╝
═>To select the PAGES/BOOK PAGE option, press its highlighted letter or
move the highlight bar to it and press [ENTER].
Press [PAGEDOWN] for 8 Pages per Side options.
An example Pamphlet or Book STYLE TYPE with 8 Pages per Side and 16 text
pages (only the front side of the sheet is shown) is depicted below.
1 PAGE/BOOK PAGE 4 PAGES/BOOK PAGE
╔═══════════════════════╗ ╔═══════════════════════╗
║ │░░░░░║═Cut│ ║ ║ │Fold>║░░░░░│░░░░░║
║ 16 │░░░1░║ 14 │ 3 ║ ║ 13 │ 14 ║░░░1░│░░░2░║
║═════╪═════╬═════╪═════║═Cut ║─────┼─────╫─────┼─────║
║ │ ║ │ ║ ║ │ ║░░░░░│░░░░░║
║ 12 │ 5 ║ 10 │ 7 ║ ░░=Book Page ║ 15 │ 16 ║░░░3░│░░░4░║
╚══════8 Pages/Side═════╝ ╚══════8 Pages/Side═════╝
═>To select the PAGES/BOOK PAGE option, press its highlighted letter or
move the highlight bar to it and press [ENTER].
The PITCH MENU options are available only for Portrait or Landscape STYLE
TYPES that have one text page per sheet side. All other STYLES have fixed
PITCHES defined.
Available Pitches include:
Pica...........10 characters per inch, internal font.
Elite..........12 characters per inch, internal font.
Line printer...17 (16.67) characters per inch, internal font.
Small..........23 characters per inch, downloaded soft font.
Tiny...........32 characters per inch, downloaded soft font.
═>To select a PITCH option, press its highlighted letter or move the
highlight bar to it and press [ENTER].
OPTION FILE
Option files contain pre-defined sets of LASR-MAN options that have been
loaded either from the command line or by selection menu.
Although they may be created/edited by a text editor or word processor,
they are normally created by saving the current options with the EXIT
FUNCTION, and edited by option menu selection and then re-saving the
option file.
The OPTION FILE PATH LIST MENU displays the PATH subdirectories that
contain OPTION FILES with an extension of ".OPT". OPTION FILES normally
contain option settings from previous LASR-MAN sessions that have been
saved.
If there is only one PATH subdirectory that contains ".OPT" files, this
menu will not be displayed and the program will next display the OPTION
FILE PICK LIST.
Pressing [highlight letter] will move the highlight bar to the first
subdirectory path displayed whose name starts with that letter.
═>To select a PATH subdirectory from which a OPTION file may be selected,
move the highlight bar to it and press [ENTER]. The program next displays
the OPTION FILE PICK LIST.
The OPTION FILE PICK LIST displays the files with an extension of ".OPT",
located on the selected OPTION FILE PATH. A maximum of seventy-five files
can be shown at one time: to display others, use the cursor control keys
noted on the help line.
═>To view the contents of any OPTION FILE, move the highlight bar to the
desired file name using the arrow keys and press [F2].
Pressing [highlight letter] will move the highlight bar to the first file
displayed whose name starts with that letter.
═>To select an OPTION file, move the highlight bar to it and press
[ENTER].
COVER FILE
A cover file to be used with LASR-MAN is any file with an extension of
".COV" and located on a PATH directory. This file may be created and/or
edited by a word processor and selected for printing with the Options
Function. It may be of any length and will be printed before all of the
other selected files.
SELECT COVER FOR PRINTING
The COVER FILE PATH LIST displays all PATH referenced directories that
contain LASR-MAN cover files, those having an extension of ".COV".
═>To select a PATH subdirectory from which a cover file may be selected,
move the highlight bar to it and press [ENTER].
Pressing [highlight letter] will move the highlight bar to the first
subdirectory path displayed whose name starts with that letter.
SELECT COVER FOR PRINTING
The COVER FILE PICK LIST displays the files with an extension of ".COV",
located on the selected directory. A maximum of seventy-five files can be
shown at one time: to display others, use the cursor control keys noted
on the help line.
═>To view the contents of any COVER FILE, move the highlight bar to the
desired file name using the arrow keys and press [F2].
═>To select a COVER FILE for printing, move the highlight bar to it and
press [ENTER]. Pressing [highlight letter] will move the highlight bar to
the first file displayed whose name starts with that letter.
PAGE TITLE TYPE MENU
The PAGE TITLE TYPE MENU determines whether each page will be TITLED,
and, if so, where that TITLE will appear.
Header.........A PAGE TITLE consisting of user specified fields followed
by a blank line is printed at the top of each page.
Specifying these fields and their defaults are covered on
the following help pages.
Footer.........A blank line and a PAGE TITLE consisting of user specified
fields is printed at the bottom of each page.
hEad/foot......On sheets where 1 and 2 pps are printed, same as "HEADER".
On 4 pps and 8 pps, the top vertical text page is printed
with a header and the bottom vertical page with a footer.
fOot/head......On sheets where 1 and 2 pps are printed, same as "FOOTER".
On 4 pps and 8 pps, the top vertical text page is printed
with a header and the bottom vertical page with a footer.
No page title..No PAGE TITLE is printed. Instead, two more lines of text
will be printed for each text page.
═>To select a PAGE TITLE TYPE, press its highlighted letter or move the
highlight bar to it and press [ENTER].
UNDERLINE MENU
If a page title is to be printed on each text page, it may be
underlined, whether it is a header or a footer. No additional lines are
required for title underlining.
═>To select an UNDERLINE option, press its highlighted letter or move the
highlight bar to it and press [ENTER].
TITLE SEGMENT DATA MENU
The TITLE is divided into three SEGMENTS (Left, Center and Right). Any of
the title data fields may be used in any of the TITLE SEGMENTS and they
may also be repeated. The normal defaults are Left=F, Center=P, Right=A.
┌──────────────────────┬────────────────────────┬───────────────────────┐
│ LEFT Title Segment │ CENTER Title Segment │ RIGHT Title Segment │
└──────────────────────┴────────────────────────┴───────────────────────┘
The TITLE SEGMENT DATA options include:
[F]ILE: nnnnnnnn.eee mm-dd-yy hh:mm. FILE NAME, DATE, TIME
f[I]LE: nnnnnnnn.eee mm-dd-yy....... FILE NAME, DATE
fi[L]E: nnnnnnnn.eee................ FILE NAME
[P]RINTED: mm-dd-yy hh:mm........ CURRENT DATE, TIME
p[R]INTED: mm-dd-yy.............. CURRENT DATE
p[A]GE: ppp................... OUTPUT PAGE NUMBER
pa[G]E: ppp [ff-nnn].......... OUTPUT PAGE #, FILE #, FILE PAGE #
[C]ustom................... USER ENTERED TEXT DATA (25 Chars.)
[N]othing............... BLANK
═>To select the desired title DATA FIELD, press its highlighted letter or
move the highlight bar to it and press [ENTER].
CUSTOM TITLE ENTRY...The CUSTOM TITLE Option is used to specify text data
for page titles. CUSTOM TITLE data may be entered for all three title
segments: left, center and right.
The current CUSTOM TITLE data for this segment is displayed for editing.
A maximum of twenty-five characters may be entered.
═>To edit the CUSTOM TITLE data, use the cursor control keys shown on the
help line.
═>To accept the CUSTOM TITLE data after editing, press [ENTER].
═>To cancel changing the CUSTOM TITLE data, press [ESCAPE].
USER LEVEL
The options available with the various USER LEVELS are tabulated below by
FUNCTION:
┌─────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┬────────────┐
│ DIRECTORY │ OPTIONS │ FILES SELECT │ PRINT │ EXIT │
└─────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┴────────────┘
- - - - - - N O R M A L - - - - - -
Data Path Paper Size File Select/ ┐ Paper Bin Return to DOS
Style of Output Tag┘ Print These ┐ Cancel Option
User Level Files┘
- - - - - - A D V A N C E D - - - - - -
Change Config Option File File Mask Reverse 2nd ┐ Save Options
Restore Path Page Title Page┘
Restore Conf
- - - - - - E X P E R T - - - - - -
Cover File Archive Bit
Option Switches
Change Menu Colors
Reload Defaults
Line/Page Limit
Monitor Option
There are three USER LEVELS of option menus and displays available with
LASR-MAN. They are:
NORMAL....(N)..Basic options to select and print files
ADVANCED..(A)..Expanded options such as page titles and option files
EXPERT....(E)..Full system options
For a summary of the various LASR-MAN options available at each USER
LEVEL, press [PAGEUP].
As distributed, LASER-MAN is set for the basic MENU level of NORMAL and
DISPLAY level of NORMAL for Function menus only.
═>To select the desired USER MENU LEVEL, press the desired level's
highlighted letter or move the highlight bar to it and press [ENTER]. The
DISPLAY LEVEL menu is next displayed.
The DISPLAY LEVEL MENU selects how the BACKGROUND INFORMATION will appear
when the program is waiting for either at the MAIN MENU for Function
selection or at one of the FUNCTION MENUS for Option selection.
The higher level options will also display the lower option settings -
EXPERT will display NORMAL, ADVANCED and EXPERT option settings.
The primary reason for this option is to allow an uncluttered display for
those that desire it.
═>To select the desired USER DISPLAY LEVEL, press the desired level's
highlighted letter or move the highlight bar to it and press [ENTER].
A prompt to determine when to display the BACKGROUND INFORMATION is
displayed next.
MAIN?...The BACKGROUND INFORMATION is always displayed when any MAIN MENU
FUNCTION is selected and it's OPTION MENU is displayed. (Note that it can
be suppressed by the previous USER DISPLAY LEVEL menu.)
Additionally, the BACKGROUND INFORMATION can be displayed when the
program is at the MAIN MENU waiting for a FUNCTION to be selected.
═>To display the BACKGROUND INFORMATION at the MAIN MENU, press [Y].
═>To suppress the BACKGROUND INFORMATION display at the MAIN MENU, press
[N].
OPTION SWITCHES MENU
The OPTION SWITCHES available include:
FILE PAGE START.....When printing multiple files using multiple
PAGES/SIDE, to start each new file on the next page
or the next ODD page.
SWITCH TITLES.......Switch the left and right title fields on even pages.
BINDING BORDER......Reads a special configuration file that will give a
1/2" binding border on the long side of the printed
sheet.
PRINT FORM FEEDS**..Normally a form feed code will cause the following
text to appear on the next page. If NO, FF codes will
be ignored; if ***, FF code are replaced by a line of
special characters.
TITLE HEADERS.......Title fields normally have a header in the form of
"...: ". If NO, these headers will not be displayed
nor will they print.
PAGE DIVIDERS**.....Menus will define the type of horizontal and vertical
page dividers to print between multiple text pages
per sheet side.
PAGE FLOW >2PPS**...Text page plow, horizontal or vertical on multi text
pages per side output styles.
BLANK LINE..........Print or suppress text blank lines.
NO LEFT MARGIN**....Suppress blank character left margins.
SPACE/TABS**........Define the number of space in a text tab character.
TAB PRINT WIDTH**...Define the number of spaces to use for a tab on
output.
U_LINE TOGGLE**.....Define a text character to toggle underlining on
output.
TEXT WORD WRAP**....Select method to use for printed line overflow.
═>To toggle an OPTION SWITCH, press its highlighted letter or move the
highlight bar to it and press [ENTER].
** Press [PAGEDOWN] for additional help information.
PRINT FORM FEEDS...This switch acts as a toggle and has three states:
YES............Process form feed characters normally, placing the
following text on the next page.
NO.............Ignore form feed characters in text files.
***............Replace form feed characters with a line of special
characters to denote the page break, but do not add a form
feed to the printed output. Usuing this method, the locat-
ion of the form feed character will then be visible in the
output.
═>To toggle the PRINT FORM FEEDS OPTION SWITCH, press its highlighted
letter or move the highlight bar to it and press [ENTER].
DIVIDERS·SWITCH....When multiple text pages are printed on one side of a
paper sheet, PAGE DIVIDERS may also be printed. Both the horizontal and
vertical PAGE DIVIDERS have five options, shown below.
╔═══════════════╗ ╔═══════════════╗ ╔═══════════════╗
║ │thin ║ ║ ║Block ║ ║ ║
║ │ linE ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║
║ 1 │ 2 ║ ║ 1 ║ 2 ║ ║ 1 2 ║
║═══════ ═══════║ ║───────╫───────║ ║ ║
║ │ ║ ║ ║thin ║ ║ ║
║ │└blocK ║ ║ ║└Line ║ ║ ║
║ 3 │ 4 ║ ║ 3 ║ 4 ║ ║ 3 4 ║
╚══4 Pages/Side═╝ ╚══4 Pages/Side═╝ ╚══4 Pages/Side═╝
Both with no fill Both filled No page dividers
═>To change the PAGE DIVIDER option setting, press its highlighted letter
or move the highlighted bar to it and press [ENTER]. The Horizontal and
Vertical PAGE DIVIDER menus will then be displayed.
═>To select the desired Horizontal/Vertical PAGE DIVIDER STYLE, press its
highlighted letter or move the highlighted bar to it and press [ENTER].
═>To cancel changing the PAGE DIVIDER and leave it as it currently is,
press [ESCAPE].
PAGE·FLOW·SWITCH....The default PAGE FLOW on 4 and 8 Pages/Side output is
horizontal, as shown below, by the page numbers followed by "H". The PAGE
FLOW option switch may be toggled for vertical flow, resulting in the
output depicted below with page numbers followed by "V".
╔═══════════════╗=PORTRAIT
║1V │3V ║ LANDSCAPE
║ or │ or ║ ╔═══════════════════════╗
║ 1H│ 2H║ ║1V │3V │5V │7V ║
║───────┼───────║ ║ 1H│ 2H│ 3H│ 4H║
║2V │4V ║ ║─────┼─────┼─────┼─────║
║ or │ or ║ ║2V │4V │6V │8V ║
║ 3H│ 4H║ ║ 5H│ 6H│ 7H│ 8H║
╚══4 Pages/Side═╝ ╚══════8 Pages/Side═════╝
═>To toggle the PAGE FLOW option switch, press its highlighted letter or
move the highlighted bar to it and press [ENTER].
NO·LEFT·MARGIN·SWITCH....The NO LEFT MARGIN option will remove leading
blank spaces on each text line. It DOES NOT remove text, only blank
spaces.
For example, if a page has lines that are 85 characters long, but there
are 5 blank spaces at the beginning of each line, setting NO LEFT MARGIN
to 5 will allow the page to print properly, using a style of output that
has 80 characters/line.
═>To change the NO LEFT MARGIN option setting, press its highlighted
letter or move the highlighted bar to it and press [ENTER]. Its current
value will be displayed for editing.
═>To edit the NO LEFT MARGIN data, use the cursor control keys shown on
the help line.
═>To accept the NO LEFT MARGIN data after editing, press [ENTER].
═>To cancel changing the NO LEFT MARGIN data, press [ESCAPE].
SPACES/TAB·SWITCH....LASR-MAN converts leading text spaces to tabs and
then, on output, converts all tabs to spaces. Correct use of this option
switch, along with the next, TAB PRINT WIDTH, will assure proper
alignment of the final output.
The SPACES/TAB option switch should be set to the value used by the text
editor or word processor that generated the document to be printed. This
value is normally eight spaces per tab.
═>To change the SPACES/TAB option setting, press its highlighted letter
or move the highlighted bar to it and press [ENTER]. Its current value
will be displayed for editing.
═>To edit the SPACES/TAB data, use the cursor control keys shown on the
help line.
═>To accept the SPACES/TAB data after editing, press [ENTER].
═>To cancel changing the SPACES/TAB data, press [ESCAPE].
TAB·PRINT·WIDTH·SWITCH....Although tabs may have been defined as a
specific width, such as eight spaces, they can be printed out with a
different width by use of the option switch.
═>To change the TAB PRINT WIDTH option setting, press its highlighted
letter or move the highlighted bar to it and press [ENTER]. Its current
value will be displayed for editing.
═>To edit the TAB PRINT WIDTH data, use the cursor control keys shown on
the help line.
═>To accept the TAB PRINT WIDTH data after editing, press [ENTER].
═>To cancel changing the TAB PRINT WIDTH data, press [ESCAPE].
U_LINE·TOGGLE·SWITCH....LASR-MAN has the ability to underline text on the
printed output by use of this option switch.
When the U_LINE TOGGLE is non-blank, it will act as an underline toggle
on a text page. The first occurrence of the toggle character on a text
page will turn on underlining: its next occurrence, or the end of the
text page will turn off underlining. The U_LINE TOGGLE character itself
in the text will be converted to a blank space.
For example, if the U_LINE TOGGLE IS "@", the text "...now@is the@time
for..." will be printed as "...now is the time for...".
──────
═>To change the U_LINE TOGGLE option setting, press its highlighted
letter or move the highlighted bar to it and press [ENTER]. Its current
value will be displayed for editing.
═>To edit the U_LINE TOGGLE character, use the cursor control keys shown
on the help line.
═>To accept the U_LINE TOGGLE character after editing, press [ENTER].
═>To cancel changing the U_LINE TOGGLE character, press [ESCAPE].
TEXT·WORD·WRAP·SWITCH....When the file text line is longer than the
selected style of output print line, the part of the text that will fit
on the first line is printed. The remaining text for that line is then
handled based on the selected text word wrap option. Available TEXT WORD
WRAP options include:
+++............The first output text line is filled completely and the
remaining text is then placed on the next output line
preceeded by " ++++".
Cut............The first output text line is filled completely and the
remaining text for that line is discarded.
Yes............The first output text line is filled to the last full word
and the remaining text is then placed on the next output
line. Single carriage returns are ignored and double
carriage returns are processed as such. This is a
"paragraph" approach to preparing the output and will not
work well with tabular or graphical text material.
═>To toggle the TEXT WORD WRAP OPTION SWITCH, press its highlighted
letter or move the highlight bar to it and press [ENTER].
CHANGE MENU COLORS MENU
The CHANGE MENU COLORS MENU options are the eight TYPES OF MENU windows
used by LASR-MAN.
═>To change the colors of a MENU TYPE window, press its highlighted
letter or move the highlight bar to it and press [ENTER].
A sample menu window with the current colors is displayed. This sample
will show how the menu will appear as the colors are changed.
═>To change the BACKGROUND COLORS, use the [UP] and [DOWN] arrow keys.
There are sixteen background colors.
═>To change the FOREGROUND COLORS, use the [LEFT] and [RIGHT] arrow keys.
There are sixteen foreground colors.
═>To accept the menu color change, press [ENTER] . The display will then
be refreshed to show the changed colors.
RELOAD DEFAULTS
Selecting this option first displays a verification prompt and then, on a
positive response, resets the basic program options to those that were
in effect when the program was first installed..
═>To restore the basic program options, press [Y].
═>To leave the options as they are currently set, press [N].
LINES PER PAGE LIMIT
The LINES PER PAGE LIMIT option can be used to force a text file that
does not use form feed characters to control pagination and properly
paginate it when the files lines per page is different than the selected
style of output's lines per page.
For example, if a text file has 66 lines per page without any form feed
characters and the selected style of output prints 72 lines per page,
setting the LINES PER PAGE LIMIT to 66 will result in properly printed
pagination.
═>To change the LINES PER PAGE LIMIT, press its highlighted letter or
move the highlight bar to it and press [ENTER]. Edit the LINES PER PAGE
LIMIT as desired.
═>To accept the edited LINES PER PAGE LIMIT, press [ENTER].
═>To cancel editing and leave the LINES PER PAGE LIMIT as currently set,
press [ESCAPE].
FILES SELECT MENU
The ╔══╡ FILES SELECT OPTION ╞══╗ menu includes:
╚═══════════════════════════╝
FILES·SELECTION/TAG.(N)..Display all files on the selected data path
directory meeting the selected ARCHIVE BIT/FILE
MASK criteria so they may be viewed and TAGGED
for printing.
FILE·MASK...........(A)..Specify a FILE wildcard MASK that files on the
current drive-directory must meet before being
displayed for tagging.
ARCHIVE·BIT.........(E)..Change the type of files to be displayed for
selection and determine their subsequent han-
dling. (Press [PAGEDOWN] for more information)
═>To select a FILES SELECT option, press its highlighted letter or move
the highlight bar to it and press [ENTER]. Note that files MUST BE TAGGED
before they can be printed.
The ARCHIVE·BIT option can change the type of files to be displayed for
selection and determine their subsequent handling.
ON......The files archive bit must be on.
CLEAR...ARCHIVE BIT on, it's cleared after printing.
EITHER..ARCHIVE BIT may be either on or off.
═>To toggle the ARCHIVE BIT option status, press its highlighted letter
or move the highlight bar to it and press [ENTER].
FILE·TAGGING·MENU
Files MUST BE TAGGED before they can be printed. When the FILES
SELECTION/TAG option is selected, a PICK LIST of files from the selected
drive/directory is displayed along with a FILE TAG MENU. All files (up to
75 per display screen) on the current drive-directory meeting the
selected file mask-archive bit settings are displayed in the PICK LIST.
If no files on the directory match, a message is so displayed and the
program returns to the function FILES SELECT menu.
Additionally, a FILE INFORMATION window is displayed with data on the
highlighted file.
═>To change the selected drive/directory, first press [ESCAPE] and then
press 'D' to switch to the function DIRECTORY menu.
The FILE TAG MENU options include:
TOGGLE FILE TAG...Toggle the highlighted files tag & move the highlight.
ALL...............CLEAR-ALL/TAG-ALL displayed files and toggle the ALL
type.
COUNT·PAGE/SHEET..Determine the number of pages and sheets required to
print the CURRENTLY TAGGED FILES using the selected
style of output.
ANALYZE FILE......Count the number of pages to be printed for the
highlighted file using the selected options.
═>To select a FILE TAGGING option, press its [highlight letter].
═>To move the FILE NAME HIGHLIGHT, use the cursor arrow & HOME/END keys.
═>To move the FILE NAME HIGHLIGHT to the next file without changing its
tag, press [S].
═>To TAG-ALL/CLEAR-ALL of the displayed files for printing, press [A],
which acts as a TAG/CLEAR toggle.
═>To TAG the highlighted file, press [INS].
═>To CLEAR the TAG on the highlighted file, press [DEL].
═>To TOGGLE the TAG on the highlighted file, press [T] or [SPACE]
([ENTER]).
═>To determine the # pages needed for the highlighted file, press [C].
═>To VIEW the contents of the highlighted file, press [F2].
═>To end the tagging of files for printing, press [ESC] ([ENTER]).
═>If there are more than seventy-five files available for tagging, use
the [PAGEUP] and [PAGEDOWN] keys to view them.
═>To toggle how the [ENTER] key will function (either TOGGLE TAG or END
TAGGING), press [TAB]. The current function of the [ENTER] key is shown
on the bottom line.
FILE MASK ENTRY
The FILE MASK option is used to selectively specify a group of files to
be DISPLAYED for print selection.
The current file selection FILE MASK is displayed for editing. The normal
DOS wildcard characters of '?' and '*' may be used. A '.' must separate
the file name specified from the extension.
A FILE MASK of '*.*' will display all of the files on the current drive-
directory.
═>To edit the FILE MASK, use the cursor control keys shown on the help
line.
═>To accept the FILE MASK after editing, press [ENTER].
═>To cancel changing the FILE MASK, press [ESCAPE].
PRINT MENU
The ╔══╡ PRINT OPTION ╞══╗ MENU includes:
╚════════════════════╝
PAPER·BIN..................(N)..Select the paper source bin. (Press
[PAGEDOWN] for more information.
PRINT THESE SELECTED FILES.(N)..Print the files that have been selected &
tagged using the current option settings.
REVERSE 2ND PASS OUTPUT....(A)..Toggle whether the printing order of the
sheets on the second printer pass is to
be reversed. (Press [PAGEDOWN] for more
information.
═>To select a PRINT option, press its highlighted letter or move the
highlight bar to it and press [ENTER].
PAPER BIN
The PAPER BIN option acts as a toggle, changing the selection of the
printer paper source. The selections available include:
LOWER......Lower Paper Cassette
FRONT......Front Paper Cassette
TRAY.......Multi-Purpose Tray
═>To toggle the PAPER BIN, press the option's highlighted letter or move
the highlight bar to it and press [ENTER]. The PAPER BIN will be changed
to the next one (alphabetically) available.
REVERSE SECOND PASS OUTPUT
For input from either the FRONT or LOWER paper cassettes, the order of
printing the sheets on the second pass through the printer is reversed:
for TRAY input, it is not reversed. The setting of this option is
normally automatic, based on the PAPER BIN selected. However it may be
over-ridden by toggling this option, after first selecting the desired
printer paper bin.
═>To toggle the REVERSE SECOND PASS OUTPUT option, press the option's
highlighted letter or move the highlight bar to it and press [ENTER].
PRINTING MENU After file selection for printing, a PRINTING option menu
is displayed. This menu has three options for printing text pages, four
for skipping them and one to cancel printing. The title line of the
PRINTING menu specifies which printing pass this is (1 or 2) and where
the printed output should be directed to after being printed. When first
displayed, it is highlighted to alert you to set the printer for this
output before printing any sheets.
An ACTION window is displayed at the lower left depicting the current
sheet - [ ] - and the relative location on it of this text page - ▓▓.
(Note that there may be from one to eight text pages on the sheet)
═>To print only this sheet and prepare for the next, press [P]. This will
print all of the text pages for this side of this sheet.
═>To print all of the sheets for this file and this pass, press [F].
═>To print all of the sheets for this and all remaining selected files
for this pass, press [A]. This is the normally selected option.
Press [PAGEDOWN] for more options.
═>To skip only this sheet and prepare for the next, press [S]. EXTREME
care should be taken with these skip options on multi-pass output: if you
skip anything on the first print you MUST skip the same thing on the
second pass, or your output will not line up. Normally, only use skip to
determine how many sheets will be required - then go back and print it or
to reprint one or more sheets that were printed incorrectly.
═>To skip all of the sheets for THIS file and pass, press [I].
═>To skip all of the sheets for ALL files this pass, press [L].
═>To skip to a specific SHEET, press [X] and enter the desired sheet
number. Note that this option skips to a specific SHEET, not page.
═>To view what the first text page on this sheet will look like, press
[F2]. Note that only the first text page for the current sheet is
previewed.
When printing is complete, a message is so displayed. The program will
then display the EXIT function menu, but you may still select/print.
END OF FIRST PRINTER PASS
The first pass of printing has been completed. The message window
contains specific notes for your printer - they may differ from this
information: if so, use them instead.
═>To print the back side of these sheets, remove the PASS 1 PRINTER
OUTPUT and use it as the INPUT FOR THE NEXT PRINTER PASS. Place the FIRST
PASS OUTPUT printed paper such that the printing at the TOP OF THE SHEET
is positioned as described in the informational display. Set the printer
for the proper output path.
If the MULTI-PURPOSE input tray is to be used for the second printer
pass, the REVERSE 2ND PASS OUTPUT option should be "NO".
═>To print the second pass after the output from the first pass has been
properly positioned, press any key other than [ESCAPE].
═>To cancel printing and return to the FUNCTION menu without printing the
second pass, press [ESCAPE].
EXIT MENU
The ╔══╡ EXIT OPTION ╞══╗ MENU includes:
╚═══════════════════╝
RETURN TO DOS...(N)..Exit LASR-MAN.
CANCEL..........(N)..Return to the main FUNCTION menu.
SAVE OPTIONS....(A)..Save all of the current option settings to a named
option file such that they may be loaded by file
name when the program is executed.
═>To select an EXIT option, press its highlighted letter or move the
highlight bar to it and press [ENTER].
SAVE OPTION FILE DATA ENTRY
The SAVE OPTIONS option displays an OPTION FILE window, to allow
entry/editing of the option file's name and its description. The name of
the current option file or the default file, LASR-MAN, is first displayed
for editing.
═>To edit the OPTION FILE NAME, use the cursor control keys shown on the
help line.
═>To accept the OPTION FILE NAME after editing, press [ENTER]. The
selected file's description, if the file exists, is next displayed. If
the file does not exist, the displayed description is blank. Press
[PAGEDOWN] for more information.
═>To cancel saving the options, press [ESCAPE].
OPTION FILE DESCRIPTION
The selected file's description, if the file exists, is next displayed.
If the file does not exist, the displayed description area is blank.
═>To edit the OPTION FILE DESCRIPTION, use the cursor control keys shown
on the help line.
═>To accept the OPTION FILE DESCRIPTION after editing, press [ENTER].
═>To cancel saving the options, press [ESCAPE].
After the option changes are saved, a completion message with the path of
the option file is displayed.
FILE/PAGE VIEW
The FILE/PAGE VIEW window displays the text data for the next page (for
the leftmost 75 characters), as it would be printed, of the file
currently being examined.
═>To display other portions of the current page, press the [PAGEUP],
[PAGEDOWN] or arrow keys.
═>To view the next page of this file, press [ENTER].
Note that this option is not available when viewing the first page to be
printed on the current sheet in the PRINT FUNCTION. The location of this
page of text on the current sheet is depicted in the ACTION window which
is displayed at the lower left depicting the current sheet - [ ] - and
the relative location on it of this page - ▓▓. This ACTION window display
will be covered when the page preview option is selected.
═>To end viewing and return to the previous, press [ESCAPE]. The number
of printed pages (NOT sheets) and their maximum size (characters/line and
lines/page) to this point in the file are given in the file information
window.
Note that this does not occur when viewing the first page to be printed
on the current sheet in the PRINT FUNCTION.
DISK/PRINTER NOT READY
If an error condition is encountered while transferring data to the
printer or to/from the disk drive, an informational message is displayed.
═>To cancel this operation and exit from the program, press [ESCAPE].
═>To continue with the program, correct the error condition (make the
printer ready, close the floppy diskette door, etc.) and press any other
key.
LASR-MAN QUICK ORDER FORM
NAME_______________________________ COMPANY______________________________
ADDRESS________________________ CITY/STATE/ZIP___________________________
LASR-MAN, Version 4.0, single system registration................... $35.
LASR-MAN, Version 4.0, site license.................................$350.
Both include a printed/bound manual and the latest version diskette
Check one ( )5 1/4"LD ( )5 1/4"HD ( )3 1/2"
BOOK-IT!, Enhanced Professional Version of LASR-MAN................$89.95
Shipping - Outside of the US/Canada/Mexico ONLY..................... $10.
Florida residents, add 7% sales tax
COD/Credit Card orders, add 5%, and call the toll free order line.
Press [PrtScreen] to print this quick order form, enter the necessary
data and mail, with a check in US funds for the total amount, to:
Micrometric
98 Dade Avenue
Sarasota, FLorida 34232-1609 USA
Voice: (813) 377-2515 Toll free Order line: (800) 929-0184
FAX: (813) 377-2091 Support BBS: (813) 371-2490 RIME ->ACTION
The BRAND function accepts entry of the system serial number, supplied
upon system registration.
A REGISTRATION INFORMATION data entry window is displayed. Enter your
company name/your name and then the system's serial number (from inside
the front cover of the system's manual) using the alphanumeric keys and
the cursor control keys shown on the bottom help line.
->To exit the program without completing the registration process, press
[ESCAPE].
->To accept the name and then the registration number as edited, press
[ENTER]. An informational message will be displayed when the
branding process is complete for this system. Press any key to continue.
->If the registration number as entered is NOT valid, pressing any key,
other than [ESCAPE], will allow re-enter of the registration number.
Pressing [ESCAPE] will exit the program without completing the
registration process.