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FORM MASTER is a versatile, powerful, and easy-to-use tool for creating,
modifying, completing, and printing specialized forms for a home or
business. Once you create a form, you can fill it in on-screen and
print it, or print it and fill it out manually. If you have pre-printed
forms, they can be fed into the printer and the data fills the blanks.
You can export FORM MASTER forms into other software. It includes
capabilities for word wrap, field justify, look-up, math operations,
plus automatic date, time and form sequence number insertion.
FORM MASTER is easily configured to support most printers with features
including boldface, underlining, italics, super- and subscripts,
expanded or compressed text, overstrike, and others. Should problems
develop in printer configuration, registered users can get telephone
assistance. Documentation is straightforward and clearly written, and
learning FORM MASTER is easy, with examples and four on-disk tutorial
lessons. You can even add customized help files for other people using
your forms.
Disk No: 1099
Disk Title: Form Master
PC-SIG Version: S2.3
Program Title: Form Master
Author Version: 3.2
Author Registration: $25.00
Special Requirements: 320K RAM.
Questionnaires? Surveys? Order blanks? If you routinely make and use
such standard forms, FORM MASTER is a versatile, powerful, and
inexpensive shareware tool for creating, modifying, completing, and
printing them. Once you create a form, you can fill it in on-screen and
print it, or print it and fill it out manually. If you have pre-printed
forms, they can be fed into the printer and the data fills the blanks.
You can export FORM MASTER forms into other software.
FORM MASTER is easily configured to support most printers with features
including boldface, underlining, italics, super- and subscripts,
expanded or compressed text, overstrike, and others. Should problems
develop in printer configuration, registered users can get telephone
assistance. Documentation is straightforward and clearly written, and
learning FORM MASTER is easy, with examples and four on-disk tutorial
lessons.
PC-SIG
1030D East Duane Avenue
Sunnyvale Ca. 94086
(408) 730-9291
(c) Copyright 1989 PC-SIG, Inc.
FORM MASTER
FORM MASTER Forms Package version 3.2
======================================
DOCUMENTATION
=============
This document describes Form Master, a versatile and powerful forms
software package. It allows you to create, modify, fill in, and print
forms. A 'form' is defined here as being computer printable material,
having fields which are filled in and is used in a repetitive manner.
Form Master has been designed to handle the needs of many different
users. You can print a form, or fill in the blanks on your screen and
then print, or fill in the blanks and print only what you have typed for
use with pre-printed forms. It supports most of the capabilities of your
printer such as boldface, italic, subscript, superscript, underlining,
expanded text, compressed text, overstrike, etc. You can use the IBM
graphics character set to do things like boxes, if your printer supports
it. If your printer isn't fully IBM compatible, Form Master can be
configured to support most printers. It can include the current date,
time and form sequence number on your form. A look-up facility is
included which can look up a 'key' you enter and fill in one or more
fields on your form. A word wrap feature eases entry into connected
fields. Fields can be defined to right, left, or center justify. A
powerful math capability can compute with numbers in your fields and
fill in the result. Form Master is easy to learn and contains on-screen
help. It can also provide additional on-screen help relating to a
specific form by using a help file you create. This is handy if other
people will be using your forms.
Disclaimer
----------
No warranty is made, express or implied, that this manual or the
software described is free of error, or is consistent with any
particular standard of performance, quality, or merchantability. It
should not be relied on for solving a problem whose incorrect solution
could result in injury to a person or loss of property. Use in such a
manner is at your own risk.
Section Contents Page
1. Installation 2
2. Getting Started 2
3. Running The Form Master Program 4
3.1. Form Master Program Main Menu 4
3.2. Form Master Program Editor 8
3.3. Form Master Program Form Executor 11
4. Running The Form Executor Only 14
5. Advanced Features 15
6. Adding More Printer Functions To Form Master 16
7. Configuring Form Master For Your Printer 18
8. If You Have Computer Compatibility Problems 19
9. Form Master Files 19
10. Error Messages 20
11. Registering Your Copy 24
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FORM MASTER
1. Installation
To install Form Master, you simply copy its files to where you want
them. Two scenarios follow, one for a system containing two floppy disk
drives, and another for a system containing one floppy disk and a hard
disk drive. You may have to adjust these commands to comply with the
particular configuration of your system.
To install onto a system with two floppy disk drives, place an empty
formatted diskette into your 'B' drive. (You may want to first install
the system files so it will be bootable - refer to your DOS manual.)
Place the Form Master diskette into your 'A' drive. Then enter the
following command:
COPY A:*.* B:
To install onto a system containing one floppy disk and one hard disk,
it is suggested you place the files in a separate directory. Start by
placing the Form Master diskette into your floppy drive. Assuming you
are at a 'C>' prompt (your hard drive), the following commands will
place these files into the directory 'FORM':
MD \FORM
CD \FORM
COPY A:*.*
Prior to executing Form Master programs, you should make sure you are in
the '\FORM' directory (use the 'CD \FORM' command) or that this
directory is in the current path.
It is important to keep your original copy of the Form Master diskette
in a safe place. This protects you if your files get corrupted or you
suffer a hard disk crash.
2. Getting Started
You should read this document completely at least once to get an
understanding of the functionality of this package. It is suggested
that you print this document and have a copy handy when first learning
it.
Form Master consists of two programs. The first one is the Form
Master program, FM.EXE. It allows you to:
o Create forms
o Modify forms (edit)
o Execute forms (fill in / print)
o Convert files, created with your editor, into forms (import a
form)
o Convert a form into an edit file (export a form)
FM.EXE can be invoked in such a way to only execute forms using the
batch file FORM.BAT. Simply enter FORM followed by the form name at a
DOS prompt and the form will be displayed ready to be filled in.
The second program, PRINTER.COM, is used to configure Form Master to
your own printer. You may need to do this if your printer is not fully
Epson LX-800 compatible, the default used by Form Master.
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Executing a form is a good way to get an idea of what this package can
do for you. To execute a form just enter one of the following lines at
a DOS prompt (first making sure the drive containing Form Master is your
default drive):
FORM INVOICE <press enter>
FORM REG <press enter>
This invokes the form executor and displays a form. You can fill out
the form by typing into various fields on the form. Help is provided by
pressing F1. You can print the form using F10. To exit back to DOS,
press ESC twice.
Form Master allows you to build a form tailored to your own specific
needs. Building a form involves the following sequence of operations:
1. Design your form on paper.
2. Enter the text of the form (Lesson 1 - Basics)
3. Add input fields to your form (Lesson 2 - Using Attributes)
4. Add borders to your form (Lesson 3 - Lines And Boxes)
5. Add special printer control functions (Lesson 4 - Special
Functions)
6. Define word wrap, justification, math. Re-define function keys.
Details steps 2 through 5 are covered by lessons in this package. Forms
are used (as you might have guessed) for each of these lessons. Step 6
is covered later under 'Advanced Features'. To go through the first
lesson, make your Form Master diskette the default (i.e. place your
diskette in drive A and change the prompt to 'A>') or go to the '\FORM'
directory of your hard disk. Do the following:
Type in 'FM' and press Enter. This starts Form Master and the
program menu will appear.
Press F5, then press F10. Select the form 'LESSON1' using the arrow
keys and press Enter. This loads the form containing Lesson 1.
[Note: you may need to press NumLock to make the arrow keys
work.]
Press F3 twice to start the form editor and follow the instructions
on the display.
When you're through with the lesson, press ESC twice to get back to the
menu. To return back to DOS, press ESC twice again. However, if you
want to go on to the next lesson, do the following:
Press F5, then press F10. Select the form 'LESSON2' using the arrow
keys and press Enter. This loads the form containing Lesson 2.
Press F3 twice to start the form editor. Follow the instructions.
Proceed in this manner through all the lessons. If you make any
mistakes, just reload the form and begin editing again.
A step by step tutorial file is also included. Print TUTORIAL.DOC and
use it as a guide to building your first form.
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3. Running The Form Master Program
The Form Master program, FM.EXE, provides the capability to create,
modify, and execute forms. It can also convert a form into an edit
file, usable by your editor or word processor. Such a file can also be
converted into a form.
Most operations in Form Master are done with function keys. Help is
always obtain using F1. In those cases where a function key could cause
undesirable consequences if pressed accidently, a second press is
required.
Starting FM.EXE from DOS is done by typing "FM" at the DOS prompt. The
Form Master main menu will then appear on the screen. This menu allows
you to invoke the form editor and the form executor. The main menu,
form editor, and form executor are described in the following sections.
3.1. Form Master Program Main Menu
The Form Master main menu appears on your screen when the Form Master
program is started. It describes the use of the function keys and the
ESC key. The currently loaded form and form control parameters in effect
are show in the second part of the menu. The following diagram
illustrates the major functions of this menu:
F2 Create Form
Computer |
Memory v
Disk +--------+ _________
+-------+ | | F3 Edit Form / \
| | F5 Load Form | Memory | <---------------> <FORM EDITOR>
| form | ---------------> | Copy | \_________/
| files | | of a | _________
| | F6 Save/Update | Form | F4 Execute Form / \
| | <--------------- | | ----------------> < FORM EXEC >
+-------+ | | \_________/
+--------+ |
v
Print
Functions:
ESC - Return to DOS: Terminates the Form Master program. Two
consecutive pushes of this key are required. If you have a
current form that has been edited but not saved, you will be
reminded of this after the first push of ESC. If you push ESC
once by accident, hit any other key except ESC to cancel and
resume with the program.
ESC is also used to cancel any function key operation. For
instance, if you type F2 by accident, press ESC to cancel.
F1 - Help: Displays on-screen help.
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F2 - Create Form: Starts the form editor with a blank screen so a
new form can be built. Before the editor is started, a pop-up
menu will appear showing all the form control parameters such
as the number of rows, columns, etc. These are described
later. Modify them as needed and then press F2 again to get
started editing. Help specific to the form editor is
available by pressing F1.
NOTE: Use F3 instead of this key if you have already created
a form and you want to do more editing.
F3 - Edit Form: Starts the form editor with the current form in
memory. A form must have been previously loaded using F5 or
F7, or created using F2. Before the editor is started, a pop-
up menu will appear showing all the form control parameters
such as the number of rows, columns, etc. These are described
later. Modify them as needed, then press F3 again to begin
editing. Help specific to the form editor is available by
pressing F1.
F4 - Execute Form: Executes the current form you have created or
loaded from disk. Executing a form allows you to fill in
fields on the form and/or print the form. In addition, fields
on the form may be loaded from disk, or saved to disk. Help
specific to the form executor is available by pressing F1.
F5 - Load Form from Disk: Retrieves a form from disk and places it
in memory so it may be edited (F3), executed (F4), or exported
(F8). The form must have been previously saved on disk (F6).
Pressing F5, a pop-up menu will appear prompting you to enter
the name of a form. You can enter the name of a form on the
first input line such as 'INVOICE'. It is not necessary to
enter the form name extension, '.FRM'. You can specify where
the form resides - a different drive or directory on the
second input line (e.g. 'A:' or 'D:\BUSINESS' ). Leave the
second line blank if you want to use the current directory.
Then press F5 again to load the form.
Alternately, you can press F10 after the first F5 to see a
directory list of forms. Selection of the form is made with
the arrow keys and pressing enter. If the second line of the
pop-up menu is blank, the current directory is used.
Otherwise, the directory specified is used.
F6 - Save/Update Form to Disk: Writes the currently loaded (or
created) form to a disk file. A pop-up menu will appear
prompting you to enter the name of the form. Type the name on
the first input line. It is not necessary to enter the form
name extension, '.FRM'. The second input line can be used to
specify a different drive or directory other than the current
one to place the file. Press F6 a second time. Form Master
will let you know if this form already exists on disk.
Therefore you will be either creating a new file or replacing
an old one. Press F6 a third time to complete the operation.
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Be sure to use F6 if you want to save your editing work, even
if you just changed the number of copies to print and did not
change the form content.
F7 - Import Form from Edit File: Reads a file and places it in
memory in a form format. A pop-up menu will appear prompting
you to enter a file name. Press F7 a second time to load the
file. Importing means you can create a form using your
favorite editor or word processor (some restrictions apply)
and use it with this program. If using Word Star, be sure to
create a non-document file. The form generated will be black
and white (normal video) with no special attributes or special
print functions. You will not be able to enter information
onto this form with the form executor until you modify it with
the form editor. It is suggested that after F7, edit the form
(F3) and fill in the form control parameters appropriately,
then save it (F6).
F8 - Export Form to Edit File: Writes the current form in memory
to an edit file. A pop-up menu will appear prompting you to
enter a file name. Press F8 a second time. Form Master will
let you know if this file already exists on disk. Therefore
you will be either creating a new file or replacing an old
one. Press F8 a third time to complete the operation. You
should be able to use your editor on this file. Note that
attributes and special print function characters are not
placed into your edit file.
F9 - Advanced Features: This allows you to add or edit the current
advanced features defined for the form. Advanced features
allow you to define fields with word wrap, justification,
look-up tables, and math operations.
F10 - Temporarily Go To DOS: Executes a DOS shell and you will
receive a DOS prompt. A second press of F10 is required. Use
this to perform DOS functions such as DIR, TYPE, COPY, etc.,
or to even execute another program. To return to Form Master,
enter EXIT at a DOS prompt.
Form Control Parameters:
Form control parameters will appear on a pop-up menu when you press F2
to create a form or F3 to edit a form. These parameters determine the
size of the form, the type of fields that text can be entered into when
executing, the form number, and form printing controls. You should
modify them as needed. The current values are displayed in inverse
video fields in the pop-up menu. Simply type over any values that are
to be modified. The cursor shows where you are typing. You can move
from one value to the next using the 'Enter', 'Tab', and 'Backtab' keys.
'Home' moves you to the first value and 'End' to the last. To begin
editing, press F2 or F3 a second time.
While in the editor, pressing 'ESC' will also display this pop-up menu.
You can return to the main menu by pressing 'ESC' a second time, or you
can change a control parameter such as the number of rows, then press F3
to resume editing.
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If you want to change only the form sequence number of a form, load the
form and press F3 to display the pop-up menu. Tab to the 'Form Number'
field and enter a new value. Press 'ESC' to return to the main menu.
Don't forget to save your work by using F6 to update the form on disk.
Following is a description of each of the menu control fields.
Number Of Rows The number of lines in the form. Functions
F2, F3, F4, F6, and F8 use this to limit
the number of lines in the form. If you
find you need more lines while you are
editing, press 'ESC', increase this number,
then press F3 to resume editing. This
number may range from 1 to 132 (2 pages).
Number Of Columns The number of columns is used ONLY BY THE
FORM EXECUTOR (F4) to limit the number of
columns printed. This number may range
from 20 to 133.
Input Fields Attributes THESE FOUR FIELDS ARE USED TO SPECIFY THE
ATTRIBUTES OF FIELDS WHERE THE FORM
EXECUTOR ALLOWS TEXT TO BE ENTERED. See
the Form Editor for more information.
Form Number The sequence number of the form. This
number can be automatically entered onto
your form by the form executor. It is
incremented each time you print the form.
It can help you keep track of the number of
times you have filled in and printed a
form. The example invoice form uses the
form number as the invoice number which is
filled in automatically each time the form
is executed.
Line Feeds After Printing The number of blank lines to add to the end
of your form after it has been printed.
This is used (1) to align the paper in your
printer to the next form if you have
continuous forms, or (2) to eject the form
you have just printed from your printer.
Number Of Copies To Print This is the default number of copies to
print when you tell the form executor to
print a form. You can override the default
if you want at that time.
Pre-printed Form Specifies if non-input portions of your
form are to be printed. If you are
printing on blank pages, enter 'N' here.
If you are printing on pre-printed forms,
enter 'Y' so only the input fields (what
you have typed) are printed.
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FORM MASTER
3.2. Form Master Program Editor
The form editor is used for creating and modifying forms. It allows you
to move the cursor about the form and type in its contents. It has
features to draw lines and boxes as well as copy groups of lines from
one place to another. You can set attributes to control the colors of
characters and backgrounds on your form for use with a color monitor, or
use normal, high intensity, inverse video, or underlining for use with a
monochrome monitor. You must choose an attribute(s) for input fields -
areas you can type into when the form is executed. You can optionally
specify where the date, time, and/or form number which will be
automatically filled in when the form is executed. There are also
special printer control characters which control your printer to do
boldface, italic, subscript, superscript, underlining, expanded text,
compressed text, overstrike, etc.
To add such features as word wrap, field justify, look-up, and math see
the section on 'Advanced Features'.
When the form editor takes control, you will see your form appear on
lines 2 through 25 of your display, or these lines will be blank if you
are creating a new form. The first line will display 'EDIT:' followed
by the form name, the cursor position, the attribute of the character
the cursor is on, and the current attribute which is used when you type
characters onto your form. An 'Ins' will appear on the first line if
you are in insert mode meaning characters will be inserted at the cursor
as you type instead of replacing existing ones. Another indicator will
appear when the cursor is on certain special characters. The indicator
gives the meaning of these special characters.
Attributes:
Attributes determine how a character appears on your monitor, such
as its color, background color, highlighting, and underlining,
depending on what your monitor supports. Each character on your
display has its own attribute. You have control over how these
attributes are used on your form with function keys F2, F7, F8, and
F9 (listed below).
Attributes have two purposes. They are used to make your form
colorful and also TO DEFINE INPUT FIELDS WHICH ARE PLACES YOU CAN
TYPE INTO WHEN THE FORM IS EXECUTED. Up to four different
attributes may be used to define input fields. A common one is
inverse video (black characters on a white background) which has a
value of '70'. This attribute is selected with F8. Use of
attributes is important and is covered in lesson 2.
Functions:
ESC - Return to Menu: Exits Form Generation. After the first push
the form control parameters pop-up menu will appear. You can
modify any of these parameters at this point. Press 'ESC' a
second time to return to the main menu or press F3 to resume
editing.
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F1 - Help: Displays on-screen help. A condensed help screen is
shown first. Pressing F1 a second time will provide detailed
help. Press 'ESC' to resume editing.
F2 - Define Special Characters & Attributes: Displays a menu which
allows you to (1) select any character including the special
IBM graphics characters to enter on your form; and (2) define
any attribute you want to use on your menu.
Any character in the IBM character graphics set may be
selected by using the cursor keys. To place it on your form
press 'ESC' to resume editing, then press F10.
Attributes apply characters on your form. They define colors
and the ability to underline, highlight, and blink depending
on what your monitor supports. Each character on your display
has its own attribute defined for it. Attributes are used by
Form Master to designate areas on your form where information
may be filled in when the form is executed. It is up to you
to define these input fields. You must give them a different
attribute than other places on your form. The suggested
attribute for input fields is inverse video (attribute 70).
Select it by pressing F8 while editing. You can then move the
cursor to where the field will be and press the space bar
repeatedly to watch it appear. This F2 menu however allows
you to define any attribute you may want to use.
There are three functions associated with this special menu:
o Select a character
o Select the foreground component of the attribute
o Select the background component of the attribute
You can change the function by pressing the Return key.
Selection is made using the cursor control keys. Exit by
pressing ESC.
F3 - Start Box / Line: The current cursor position is noted when
you press this key and a "Start line or box" pop-up menu will
appear. You can select if you want a single or double line
box to be built. Press F3 a second time. The pop-up menu
will disappear and a blinking cross will appear at the cursor
position to mark where the line of box will start from.
F4 - Draw Box / Line: Either a "Draw Box" or a "Draw Line" pop-up
menu will appear. Press F4 a second time to draw the line or
box from the blinking cross marked using F3 to the current
cursor position. A line will be drawn if the cursor is in the
same row or column as the blinking cross. Otherwise a box
will be drawn. A single line or double line style will be
used as specified by F3. The line or box will also be drawn
using the current attribute. Therefore make sure the current
attribute is what you want before using this key. Form Master
will attempt to connect all lines and boxes wherever they
meet, even single lines with double lines.
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F5 - Pick Line: A "Pick Lines" pop-up menu will appear. You can
specify the number of lines to pick from 1 to 24, beginning
with the line the cursor falls on. Press F5 a second time to
pick the lines. Use this with F6 to copy lines from one place
to another.
F6 - Put Line: An "Insert n lines" pop-up menu will appear where
'n' is the number of lines picked with F5. Press F6 a second
time to copy the picked lines in front of the line containing
the cursor.
F7 - Use Normal Attribute: The current attribute is set to normal
video which is white characters on a black background (07).
Further typing, lines, and boxes will add characters in normal
video. Note that white appears as green or amber on some
monochrome monitors.
F8 - Use Inverse Video Attribute: The current attribute is set to
inverse video, black characters on a white background (70).
Further typing, lines, and boxes will add characters in
inverse video.
F9 - Use Special Attribute: The current attribute is set to that
last defined using F2. Further typing, lines, and boxes will
add characters with this attribute.
F10 - Type Special Character: The special character defined with F2
is entered onto the form at the cursor position in the current
attribute.
Other Form Editor Features
Alt-F1 Execute view: shows how form looks without
special printer characters (as when executing)
Home Move cursor to line 1 and column 1.
End Move cursor to last row and column 133
Tab Move cursor right 8 columns.
BackTab Also shift-Tab. Moves cursor left 8 columns.
PgUp Move form down 23 lines.
PgDn Move form up 23 lines.
Insert Toggle between insert and overwrite text.
Delete Delete character at the cursor
Control Right Arrow Move cursor to column 133.
Control Left Arrow Move cursor to column 1.
Control N Insert blank line at cursor.
Control Y Delete line at cursor.
Control D Place current date on form (will not update)
Control T Place current time on form (will not update)
Special characters may be inserted in your form using the 'Alt' key and
pressing a letter. These perform special functions when you execute
and/or print your form although they are not seen when executing it.
The following are pre-defined:
Alt-B Print Boldface, Enhanced text
Alt-C Print Compressed text (17 characters per inch)
Alt-D Enter the current date when executing form
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Alt-E Print Elite text (12 characters per inch)
Alt-F Enter the form sequence number when executing form
Alt-H Print Higher, Superscript
Alt-I Print Italic text
Alt-L Print Lower, Subscript
Alt-O Overstrike with next line (skip line feed after
printing line - therefore 2 lines are printed on top of
each other)
Alt-P Print Pica text (10 characters per inch)
Alt-T Enter the current time when executing form
Alt-U Print with Underline
Alt-X Print Expanded text
Other Alt-letter combinations can be defined as needed for other printer
functions. Refer to the section on 'Adding More Printer Functions To
Form Master'.
Note: If Alt-D, Alt-F, or Alt-T is used adjacent to one of the other
Alt-letters, it should be placed second. For example, to have the
current date underlined place the characters in the following order:
Alt-U Alt-D . (See the example Invoice form.)
Note: If you place one Alt-U character on a line to underline
characters, underlining will continue only to the last character on the
line. If you want the underlining to continue to the right side of the
form beyond the last character, place a second Alt-U at the right end of
the line.
3.3. Form Master Program Form Executor
The form executor is used to fill in forms and/or to print them.
Actually filling in and printing are optional. You can print to your
printer or to a file if your printer is unavailable. The form field
inputs you have typed can be saved to a file. Likewise, you can load
the input fields on your form from a file. This is handy for
complicated forms with many input fields or to review how previous forms
such as invoices were filled out. The form executor also handles such
features as word wrap, field justify, look-up, and math operations.
When the form executor takes control, you will see your form appear on
lines 2 through 25 of your display. The special printer control
characters will not be visible. Automatic form date, numbering, and
time will have updated your form if you included these options while
editing. The first line will display 'EXEC:' followed by the form name
and the cursor position. An 'Insert Mode' will appear on the first line
if you are in insert mode meaning characters will be inserted at the
cursor as you type instead of replacing existing ones.
The following is a description of the default functions available. Keep
in mind that it is possible to leave out some of these functions, add
others, or even change the function keys used. This is accomplished
using advanced features described later. Those functions available for
your form can be displayed using F1 (help).
ESC - Exit Form Execute: Terminates form execution. Two
consecutive pushes of this key are required.
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F1 - Help: Displays on-screen help. Basic help information is
shown first. Pressing F1 a second time will provide detailed
generic help. Pressing F2 instead will cause Form Master to
display the file having the same name as the form but with a
'.HLP' extension. Thus you can build a custom help file for
your form. The 'Printer' form has its own help file which is
PRINTER.HLP. Pressing any other key after the first F1 push
will resume the form executor.
NOTE: If the function keys have been re-defined, the generic
help is not available. Pressing F1 a second time will display
the form's customized help file instead (if it exists).
F2 - Restore Form: Restores the form back to where it was when you
started the form executor, ready to be filled in. The only
difference is the form number will have been incremented if
you had printed the form, and you will have a new date and
time if these are automatically fill in. Two consecutive
pushes of this key are required.
F4 - Field Look-up: Those fields defined for look up will be
processed. Their field contents will be compared against look
up files. In each case one or more fields may be replaced
with information from these files. Two consecutive pushes of
this key are required.
F4 processes all look-up fields in your form in one step. To
look-up the field that the cursor is currently in, use Alt-F.
F5 - Temporarily Go To DOS: Executes a DOS shell and you will
receive a DOS prompt. A second press of F10 is required. Use
this to execute DOS functions such as DIR, TYPE, COPY, etc.,
or even to execute another program. To return to the form
executor enter EXIT at a DOS prompt.
F6 - Math Operations: Performs math operations on numbers taken
from specified fields. Results can be placed into one or more
fields. Two consecutive pushes of this key are required.
F7 - Load fields from an edit file: All the fields on your form
will be filled in using lines from a file of your choice.
When loading fields from a file, each line from the file will
be used to fill in one field on the form. If a field is
longer than the line used to fill it, the field is blank
filled at the end. Fields are filled until the end of file is
reached or when all the fields are filled. This function is
used to re-load entries saved earlier with F8.
After pressing F7, a "Load fields" pop-up menu will appear.
Enter a file name and press F1 to continue.
To load the form fields again, press F7. The "Load fields"
pop-up menu will now show a new option. You can then use F10
to continue reading from the current load file; or you can
specify a new load file and press F1. (Alt-L performs the
same function as the F7-F10 combination in one step.)
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F8 - Save fields to an edit file: Saves your form's fields for
later use. When saving the fields to a file, the contents of
each form input field will be used in order to fill the lines
of the edit file. Use this option to save your form entries
if you would like to use them again (F7) or to make a record
of what you typed.
After pressing F6, a "Save fields" pop-up menu will appear.
Enter a file name and press F1 to continue. Form Master will
check for the existence of this file. If it is a new file,
you will be prompted to press F8 to create it. If the file
exists, a pop-up menu will allow you to append (add to the
end) to the file or replace it.
To save the form fields again, press F8. The "Save fields"
pop-up menu will now show a new option. You can then use F10
to append to the current save file; or you can specify a new
save file and press F1. (Alt-S performs the same function as
the F8-F10 combination in one step.)
F9 - Print to a file: A "Print to a file" pop-up menu will appear
showing the current printer configuration. To continue enter
a file name. You can also change the default number of copies
to print that has been defined for the form. Press F9 again.
You will then be prompted to press F9 a third time to create
the file or replace it, whichever applies.
Printing to a file is useful if your printer is currently not
available. The file that is written will contain the same
characters including printer configuring escape sequences
which would normally have gone to your printer if you had used
F10. To send the contents of this file to your printer, use
the DOS copy command (i.e., COPY filename PRN).
F10 - Print to your printer: A "Print form" pop-up menu will appear
showing the current printer configuration. You can change the
default number of copies to print at this point. To continue,
press F10 again. Forms are printed to the standard printer
device - PRN.
NOTE: The form sequence number is incremented by one each time the
form is printed.
Additional functions can also be defined using advanced features
described later. Here are the currently available functions:
o List a file one page at a time.
o Execute another program.
o Perform a DOS command such as DIR, COPY, batch file ...
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Other Form Executor Features
Tab Go to beginning of next input field.
Return Go to beginning of next input field, or in the case of
a wrapping field, go to the wrap-to field
BackTab [Shift-Tab] Go to beginning of previous input field.
Home Move cursor to row 1 and column 1.
End Move cursor to the last row and column.
PgUp Move form down 23 lines.
PgDn Move form up 23 lines.
Insert Toggle between insert and overwrite text.
Delete Delete character in the input field at cursor.
Control Return Delete characters from cursor position to the
end of the field.
Alt-F Perform look-up for the field the cursor is currently
in.
Alt-L Load form fields again from currently open load file.
This is the same as an F7, F10 combination.
Alt-S Save form fields and append them to the currently open
save file. This is the same as an F8, F10 combination.
4. Running The Form Executor Only
Previous versions of Form Master had a separate form executor program,
FORM.EXE. This program is not included because of space considerations
on the 5-1/4 inch floppies. However, FORM.BAT has been included which
runs FM.EXE as a form executor only. List FORM.BAT to see how this
works.
Using FORM.BAT is the preferred method of executing forms, especially if
other people will be using your form. Simply type from DOS:
FORM formname <press enter>
where 'formname' is the name of the form you wish to execute. Your form
will appear on the screen ready to be filled in and/or printed. You can
leave off the '.FRM' file extension if you want. If you leave off the
form name entirely, a "Load form" pop-up menu will appear. You can
enter a form name, its disk drive and/or directory (leave blank if in
the current directory), and then press F5 to load it; or you enter a
disk drive and/or directory (leave blank if current directory), press
F10 to display the forms in the directory, select one with the arrow
keys, and then press 'Enter' to load it.
The form executor program operates in the same manner as described above
in section 3.3.
There are two other options for using FORM.BAT which make it useful as a
menu interface to another application. The following can be entered
from a DOS prompt or can be part of a batch file:
FORM formname input output
Form Master will read in the form 'formname', load its fields
from the file 'input', then execute the form. Upon exiting, the
form fields are saved in the file 'output'.
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FORM formname iofile
Form Master will read in the form 'formname', load its fields
from the file 'iofile', then execute the form. Upon exiting,
the form fields are saved in the file 'iofile'.
In each case the input file does not have to exist. One example of
using FORM.BAT this way is in printer configuration, sections 6 and 7.
The CONFIG.BAT procedure executes FM.EXE in a similar manner to provide
a file of definitions for the program PRINTER.COM.
NOTE: FM.EXE requires 320 Kbytes of RAM to execute. If you plan to
execute forms on machines having only 256 Kbytes of RAM, you may want to
purchase FORM.EXE since it will run on those machines. Cost is $5.
5. Advanced Features
Advance feature editing provides such functions as function key re-
definitions, word wrap, field justify, look-up, and math operations.
These features are accessed through F9 on the main menu after a form has
been loaded or created. Forms edited in this manner have additional
information added to them (making them require somewhat more disk space)
which can then be utilized by the form executor.
To further understand how these features may work for you, try executing
the form FEATURES.FRM (enter from a DOS prompt: FM FEATURES).
Three special forms have been set up for Form Master so it can support
addition and modification of advanced features for your forms:
FMKEY.FRM for re-defining the functions keys,
FMWRD.FRM for defining word wrap, field justify, field look-up, and
read only fields,
FMMTH.FRM for defining math operations.
Form Master will display information about the form you are working on
using these three special forms. Simply fill in and/or modify the
information you see to add special features to your form.
After pressing F9 twice on the main menu, three temporary files are
created from your form which are used to fill in fields on the above
special forms. These temporary files are modified when you execute the
special forms. A fourth file, FIELDS.LST, is created which lists the
position and size of all the fields on your form. At this point you are
presented with a pop-up menu giving you 4 choices: go to (1) function
key re-definition, (2) word processing features, (3) math operations, or
(4) return to the main menu. Each of the first three choices causes one
of the above special forms to be executed. You then fill it in. Each
special form has its own help file. You may want to print these files
(FMKEY.HLP, FMWRD.HLP, FMMTH.HLP) for reference. When you exit a
special form, the pop-up menu is presented again. When you return to
the main menu, the information in the three temporary files is merged
with your form so the form executor can utilize it. Don't forget to
save your form (F6 on main menu) so your work will not be lost.
The word processing features and math operations special forms require
you to enter in the number of various fields. Form Master numbers your
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input fields in the following way: The first field is field number 1.
It is where the cursor will first lie when you execute the form (an
exception is where the first field does not lie on the first screen in
which case you must tab to get to it). Pressing the Tab key will place
the cursor into field 2. Pressing it again will place it into field 3
and so on. For your convenience, a function key on the word processing
and math operations special forms is used to display the file FIELDS.LST
showing you the location and size of each field. It is also helpful to
have a printed copy of your form handy.
Since the word processing feature and math operation definitions are
tied to the numbering of your fields, these features may not work if you
add or delete fields on your form. Therefore, if you edit a form in
such a way as to cause changes in the numbering of its fields, you must
make corresponding changes to its features using these special forms.
NOTE: The special feature forms should be placed the same directory as
you execute Form Master from. Look-up files should reside in the
directory as their associated form.
All further information regarding advanced features can be found in the
special feature form help files. To better learn how to use the special
feature forms, begin with the FEATURES form. Start Form Master (enter
from DOS: FM) and load the FEATURES form. Press F9 twice and then
explore the special feature forms: F1, F2, and F3. Try making changes,
then execute FEATURES to see what happens.
6. Adding More Printer Functions To Form Master
You can add more printer functionality to Form Master if you would like
to take advantage of additional features of your printer. Form Master
is very configurable. The way to do this is to build the file FM.PRT.
This is discussed at the end of this section. FM.EXE checks for the
existence of FM.PRT prior to printing. If it exists, it is read and
used instead of the default configuration. To return to the default
configuration, delete or rename FM.PRT.
You have many options for adding functionality. Recall, that while
editing a form, holding down the Alt key and typing a letter inserted a
special character into the form which is later interpreted when the form
is executed. Since there are 26 letters in the alphabet, there would
appear to be 26 printer configuration possibilities. However Alt-D,
Alt-F, and Alt-T are used for automatic form date, number, and time
insertion. Alt-O is used to cancel the line feed after a line is
printed so the next line is printed on top of it. This is how
overstriking is done by Form Master. There are 22 letters left. All 22
possibilities are available for printer configuring. Some are reserved
for the following functions but you may redefine them any way you wish:
Alt-B Boldface, Enhanced text
Alt-C Compressed text (17 characters per inch)
Alt-E Elite text (12 characters per inch)
Alt-H Higher, Superscript
Alt-I Italic text
Alt-L Lower, Subscript
Alt-P Pica text (10 characters per inch)
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Alt-U Underline
Alt-X Expanded text
In each of the 22 possibilities, a printer invoking sequence and a
printer canceling sequence can be defined. This is so the form executor
will know what to send to your printer to set a print mode and what to
send to your printer to cancel the mode.
Here is a description of how your printer is configured when lines are
printed. Characters are sent to your printer one at a time as they
appear on your form. However if a special printer control character is
encountered, the form executor will send the invoking or cancelling
sequence instead. The first time a special printer control character is
encountered on a line, the invoking sequence is sent. The second time,
the cancelling sequence is sent. The third time, the invoking sequence
is sent, and so on. Thus you can turn a printer mode on and off (such
as underlining) as often as you wish within a line. You don't have to
place the cancelling sequence at the end of a line. When the end of a
line is reached, the form executor will turn off any printer options
left on by sending the cancelling sequences.
In each case, it is not necessary to define an invoking or a cancelling
sequence. The form executor will send nothing to your printer if there
is nothing defined. If you want to configure your printer for near
letter quality and have it stay that way while the whole form is
printed, you can do the following: Define the invoking sequence for
Alt-A to be whatever is required by your printer to put it into that
mode. Leave the cancelling sequence for Alt-A blank. Then put an Alt-A
character into the upper left corner of your form with the editor.
Printer configuration also allows you to define a sequence of up to 12
characters to send to your printer prior to start of printing, and
another sequence when printing is finished. These are called the
'initial startup' and 'termination' sequences. For example, you can use
the startup sequence to configure your printer for near letter quality
before printing a form, and the termination sequence to reset it when
through.
Printer configuration requires the following files to be present: (1)
the configuration procedure CONFIG.BAT, (2) the form executor, FM.EXE,
(3) the printer configuration form PRINTER.FRM, and (4) the printer
program PRINTER.COM.
Here are the steps for printer configuration:
o Enter the following command from DOS:
CONFIG configfile <press enter>
where 'configfile' is the name of a configuration file. (Note:
This assumes that CONFIG.BAT, FM.EXE, PRINTER.COM, and
PRINTER.FRM are on the default drive.) The printer configuration
form will then appear.
'configfile' need not exist and will not the first time you
configure. However this file will contain all your printer
control strings so it is wise not to delete it. Choose a name
related to your printer and one you won't forget.
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o Fill in the form. The first input field is the name of your
printer. Change it if necessary. This field is displayed on the
print pop-up menu by the form executor just prior to printing
your forms. Fill in the invoking and cancelling sequences for
any of the 22 available letters you want to define. You must
enter the sequences in hexadecimal notation. Your printer manual
should list these sequences in hexadecimal. Contact CastleSoft
for support if you have problems here. Fill in the printer
'Initial Startup Sequence' with anything you want to send before
a form is printed. Fill in the printer 'Termination Sequence'
with anything you want to send after a form is printed. The rest
of the form allows you to redefine the special IBM graphics
characters. For instance, some printers that can print a
vertical bar will require a different character be sent to it
than the one use in the form. An Epson LX-800 printer will print
a vertical bar if sent 'B3' but a Gemini 10X printer requires
'F5'. You shouldn't have to worry about redefinition if your
printer is Epson LX-800 compatible.
o Press 'ESC' twice. The program PRINTER.COM will be invoked
automatically. It will create the file 'FM.PRT' if it doesn't
exist or replace it if it does.
o Make sure FM.PRT is in your current directory when you run
FM.EXE. It uses this file, if it exists, to re-configure to your
printer when printing a form.
7. Configuring Form Master For Your Printer
Configuring Form Master to your printer is necessary if you want to
print a form using print features where your printer is not compatible
with the Epson LX-800 printer. The method is the same as outlined in
section 6. If you have problems or questions, contact CastleSoft for
support.
It is possible that your printer is Epson LX-800 compatible and yet it
does not print lines and boxes correctly. Instead italic characters are
printed where the lines should be. This is caused by your printer being
in standard mode and not IBM mode. Usually a dip switch inside your
printer will control this. Changing its position may correct the
problem. Another approach is to configure using the modified Epson
configuration file EPSON2.CFG. Enter the following command:
CONFIG EPSON2.CFG
Then press ESC twice after the printer configuration form appears and
the file FM.PRT will be created, or replaced if it already exists.
Later, if you want to return to the default configuration, delete or
rename FM.PRT.
If you are still having problems printing lines and boxes, here are some
more tips: Check your printer manual for different types of character
sets - choose the IBM character set instead of the standard set. Make
sure you printer is configured to receive 8 bit characters. If you have
an HP Laserjet, use the PC-8 symbol set (front panel setting of IBM-US).
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8. If You Have Computer Compatibility Problems
Forms are placed onto your monitor by writing directly to the screen
buffer. This makes them appear very fast but can lead to compatibility
problems if your computer is not completely IBM PC compatible. This can
also cause snow on IBM computers equipped with the old color display
adapters. A modified version of Form Master is possible which disables
this feature. This should allow compatibility with more PC clones.
Contact CastleSoft for more information.
9. Form Master Files
The following files comprise the Form Master software package:
FM.EXE Form Master program file
FM.DOC Form Master documentation
FORM.BAT Runs Form Master form executor only
FMMENU.HLP Main menu help file
FMEDIT.HLP Form creation/maintenance help file
FMEXEC.HLP Form execute help file
FMKEY.FRM Form supporting editing function key definitions
FMKEY.HLP Help for function key definitions
FMKEY.LU1 Look up file for FMKEY.FRM
FMWRD.FRM Form supporting editing word processing features
FMWRD.HLP Help for word processing features
FMMTH.FRM Form supporting editing math operations
FMMTH.HLP Help for math operations
CONFIG.BAT Printer configuration procedure
PRINTER.COM Printer configuration program which builds FM.PRT
PRINTER.FRM Form used for configuring your printer. The default
Epson LX-800 inputs are included.
PRINTER.HLP On-screen help for PRINTER.FRM
EPSON2.CFG Alternate printer configuration if you have trouble
printing lines and boxes
HPLASER.CFG Printer form load file showing HP Laser Jet
configuration
LESSON1.FRM Lesson 1 - Basics
LESSON2.FRM Lesson 2 - Using Attributes
LESSON3.FRM Lesson 3 - Lines And Boxes
LESSON4.FRM Lesson 4 - Special Functions
TUTORIAL.DOC Step by step tutorial for building a form
REG.FRM Registration form
INVOICE.FRM Example invoice form
COLOR.FRM Example form showing use of colors if you have a
color monitor
PTEST.FRM This form tests some of your printer capabilities
MESSAGE.FRM Example phone message form
CALENDAR.BAT Build calendar form for given month
Enter from DOS prompt: CALENDAR
A calendar form help file is provided.
MONTH.COM Builds the appropriate month for the Calendar form
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CALENDAR.FRM Calendar form
CALENDAR.HLP On-screen help for CALENDAR.FRM
SIGNIN.FRM Example child care sign-in form
FEATURES.FRM Example form showing word wrap, math, etc.
FEATURES.HLP On-screen help for FEATURES.FRM
FEATURES.LU1 Look-up file for FEATURES.FRM
Required files
- for form execution: FM.EXE
- for form creation/editing: FM.EXE, FMKEY.FRM, FMWRD.FRM, FMMTH.FRM
- to change default printer configuration: FM.PRT (must create)
- to create or replace FM.PRT: CONFIG.BAT, FM.EXE,
PRINTER.FRM, PRINTER.COM
It is suggested that you copy all the Form Master files to your work
diskette or hard disk until you become familiar with this software.
IMPORTANT: If you use a printer configuration file, FM.PRT, place it in
the directory you execute Form Master from. Form Master help files must
be there. If you plan to edit your forms for advanced features, place
the special forms FMKEY.FRM, FMWRD.FRM, and FMMTH.FRM there also. Form
specific help files, and look-up files, (files with a '.LU1', '.LU2',
'.LU3', or '.LUP' extension) should be placed in the directory where
their associated forms reside.
10. Error Messages
Following is an alphabetical list of Form Master error messages and
explanations:
0 to 0 power encountered
During math, 0 to the 0 power was encountered. '1' was used as the
result.
Bad field # nnn
During math, an out of range or bad number for a field encountered.
Bad Field Attribute [xx: x=0-9,A-F]
Attributes are 2 characters long where each character is a number
from 0 to 9 or a letter from A to F.
Bad Form Number [enter number]
A valid number must be entered.
Bad format: fff, field nnn
During math, field number 'nnn' had an illegal format of 'fff'.
Bad Line Feed Count [enter number >= 0]
A valid number greater than or equal to zero must be entered.
Bad Number Of Columns [20-133]
A valid number between 20 and 133 must be entered.
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Bad number of copies to print
A valid number between 1 and 99 must be entered.
Bad Number Of Rows [1-132]
A valid number between 1 and 132 must be entered.
Bad operand: xxx
During math, a bad value of 'xxx' was encounted in an expression.
Bad Pre-print Specifier [Y or N]
'Y' for pre-print forms, or 'N' for normal printing must be entered.
Bad Print Count [enter number > 0]
A valid number between 1 and 99 must be entered.
Bad value in field nnn: xxx
During math, an out of range or bad value of 'xxx' was
encountered in field 'nnn'.
Could not update form on disk
After printing, the form's sequence number is incremented and the
form is updated on disk. This was not possible due an open or write
error. Most likely cause is the diskette containing the form was
removed.
Divide by zero
During math, a divide by zero was encountered.
DOS Error
Contact CastleSoft.
End Of File - No more fields
When loading fields from a file, the end of the file was reached
before the last field was filled.
Error writing field list file
Most likely out of room on diskette.
Field file create error
Most likely out of room on diskette.
Field file read error
Most likely a diskette was swapped during advanced feature editing.
Field number bad or out of range
A word processing features form field was bad or out of range.
File could not be opened on disk
Most likely out of room on diskette.
File could not be written on disk
Most likely out of room on diskette.
File not found
File not in expected directory or doesn't exit.
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File open error
File not in expected directory or doesn't exit.
File open error: nnn
The look-up file 'nnn' not in expected directory or doesn't exit.
File read error
File bad.
File write error
Most likely out of room on diskette.
Form could not be opened on disk
Most likely out of room on diskette.
Form could not be written to disk
Most likely out of room on diskette.
Form file is bad
File does not contain form or is bad.
Form help file name error
Contact CastleSoft.
Form not found
Form not in expected directory or doesn't exit.
Form read error
Form file bad.
Format too large for field nnn
During math, the format specified for field 'nnn' was greater than
the length of the field.
Help file not found: nnn
Help file 'nnn' not found.
Help file read error: nnn
File 'nnn' is bad.
Illegal read-only: n. Changed to blank
The read-only flag must be 'Y', 'N', or blank.
Illegal justify: n. Changed to blank
Justify must be 'R', 'C', 'L', or blank.
Illegal output specifier: xxx
During math, output can only be sent to a field, or to registers A
through F.
Illegal look-up: n. Changed to blank
The look-up flag must be '1', '2', '3', or blank.
Insufficient Memory
You don't have enough memory (RAM) to run a DOS shell.
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Must enter "A" or "R"
Must enter 'A' for append to, or 'R' for replacement of file
Must enter file name
Must enter form name
Must pick range from 1 to 24 lines
Form editor can only pick from 1 to 24 lines.
Negative power encountered
Form Master can not take a number to a negative power.
Next field value bad or out of range
Number of field to word wrap to bad.
No current load file, use F7 first
Use F7 for first load from a file then Alt-L for subsequent loads.
No current save file, use F8 first
Use F8 for first save to a file then Alt-S for subsequent saves.
No form files found
There are no forms in the specified directory.
No input fields present
The form has no input fields for entering text.
No lines picked, use F5 first
Pick lines before trying to put them.
No look-up fields present
The form has no fields defined for look-up.
No match for: nnn
The look-up key 'nnn' was not found in the look-up file.
No math operations defined
The form has no math expressions defined.
Not in look-up field
Alt-F only works when the cursor is in a look-up field.
Open or write error
The file being printed to is read only, or possibly out of room on
diskette.
Overflow in field nnn
During math, the format specified for field 'nnn' is too small for
the size of the number.
Power of negative number
Form Master can not take the power of a negative number.
There is no current form
You must load a form first.
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This form is edit protected
Modification of this form is not allowed.
This form is protected - can't overwrite
Writing of this form is not allowed.
This is an EDIT ONLY form
The intended use of this form is for editing only.
This is an EXECUTE ONLY form
The intended use of this form is for executing only.
Too many fields. Press any key ...
Form Master can only support forms up to 500 fields.
Unknown command: nnn
A function key has been re-defined to an unknown command.
11. Registering Your Copy
If you copy this program and find it useful, please register it by
sending $25.00 to:
Brad Simpson
CastleSoft
P.O. Box 695
Castle Rock, CO 80104-0695
(303)688-2954
A printed manual is available for an additional $10 (includes shipping).
Reasons for registering your copy are:
o Form Master is an evolving product. New features are
planned. User support pays the cost of these improvements.
o You will receive the latest version of this package along
with telephone support. If you already have the latest copy,
the next one will be sent when it becomes available.
o You will be notified of future updates.
o Form Master may just be well worth the registration fee.
Form Master has been designed for further growth and flexibility. If it
doesn't quite meet your needs, it may be possible to customize it for
you specific application. Any suggestions for future enhancements will
be welcome. Users will help determine where Form Master goes with
respect to adding new features. The following enhancements are being
considered:
o Improved form editor with more functionality
o Word unwrap to complement word wrap
o Direct interfacing to database files such as dBase files
o Multi-page forms
o More example forms
o Windows and OS/2 compatibility
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Additional Notes:
Form Master is written in Microsoft FORTRAN. The code has been enhanced
with additional keystroke, sound, display, and system related functions
using a utility library, FORUTIL.LIB. This library is available from
CastleSoft for a small cost. Versions exist for both the Microsoft and
Lahey compilers. Contact CastleSoft for more information.
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╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ <<<< Disk #1099 FORM MASTER >>>> ║
╠═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ To print the documentation, type: COPY FM.DOC PRN (press enter) ║
║ ║
║ To run the program, type: FM (press enter) ║
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
(c)Copyright 1990, PC-SIG Inc.
Following is a step by step procedure for building a working form. You should
proceed here only after finishing the four lesson forms.
The form to be built here is a simple cat show registration form. It should
provide insights to help you build your own customized forms. All keystrokes
will be listed on the left side with explanations given on the right. It is
assumed that you are now in a directory containing the file FM.EXE.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
type: FM <Enter> Start the Form Master program
press: F2 3 times Proceed to editor to create form
After pressing F2 the second time,
make sure that '70' is listed as an
input field attribute. The other 3
attributes should be '00'.
move cursor to row 2 column 35
type: ACME Cat Show
move cursor to row 4 column 5
type: Name Name field label
move cursor to row 6 column 5
type: Address Address field label
move cursor to row 9 column 5
type: Pet's Name Pet's name field label
move cursor to row 11 column 5
type: Competition Competition field label
press: F8 Go to inverse video (attribute 70)
move cursor to row 4 column 20
press: space bar 25 times Create name field
move cursor to row 6 column 20
press: space bar 25 times Create 1st address field
move cursor to row 7 column 20
press: space bar 25 times Create 2nd address field
move cursor to row 9 column 20
press: space bar 25 times Create name field
move cursor to row 11 column 20
press: space bar 25 times Create competition field
press: F7 Go back to normal video (attribute 07)
press: Home
press: F3 twice Start box
move cursor to row 12 column 78
press: F4 twice Finish box
move cursor to row 2 column 69
hold down Alt and type f Alt-F causes form number to be
inserted during form execution
move cursor to row 4 column 65
hold down Alt and type d Alt-D causes date to be inserted
during form execution
move cursor to row 2 column 35
hold down Alt and type b Alt-B starts boldface printing
move cursor to row 2 column 49
hold down Alt and type b 2nd Alt-B stops boldface
hold down Alt and press function key F1 View form without special characters
which cause right side of box to
appear uneven
press F1 Return to editing
press: ESC
enter a 12 after 'Number Of Rows' This form is 12 lines long
enter a 1001 after 'Form Number' Start numbering forms at 1001
enter a 54 after 'Line Feeds...' Add 54 lines so page is ejected after
printing 12 lines (66 lines total)
press: ESC Return to main menu
press: F6
type: Catshow Name of form will be 'CATSHOW'
press: F6 twice Create the form 'CATSHOW'
press: F4 Execute the form
fill in form
press: F10 twice Print the form
press: ESC twice Return to main menu
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At this point you can make further changes to the form by pressing F3 twice
(edit current form) instead of F2 (create form). You can also return to DOS
by pressing ESC twice.
NOTE: If you need to make the form longer than 12 lines, don't forget to
change the number of rows before proceeding to the editor.
If the box around the form does not print correctly, see the section
"Configuring Form Master For Your Printer" in the documentation.
Volume in drive A has no label
Directory of A:\
READ ME 3222 3-24-90 11:49a
FM EXE 111270 3-24-90 12:09p
FM DOC 77355 3-25-90 5:34p
FORM BAT 121 1-28-90 11:18a
FMMENU HLP 10828 2-03-90 1:55p
FMEDIT HLP 8819 2-03-90 2:07p
FMEXEC HLP 7780 2-03-90 2:18p
FMKEY FRM 1024 2-03-90 5:10p
FMKEY HLP 3947 2-18-90 10:11p
FMKEY LU1 247 1-27-90 3:46p
FMWRD FRM 3072 2-03-90 3:46p
FMWRD HLP 8326 2-24-90 9:43p
FMMTH FRM 512 2-03-90 3:46p
FMMTH HLP 5989 2-04-90 5:48p
CONFIG BAT 1590 1-28-90 5:18p
PRINTER COM 14690 11-14-89 9:40p
PRINTER FRM 3584 2-03-90 3:47p
PRINTER HLP 5195 2-03-90 4:44p
EPSON2 CFG 1686 6-12-89 10:30p
HPLASER CFG 1338 1-28-90 5:22p
LESSON1 FRM 4608 2-03-90 4:15p
LESSON2 FRM 5632 2-03-90 4:15p
LESSON3 FRM 5120 2-03-90 4:15p
LESSON4 FRM 5120 2-19-90 10:05p
TUTORIAL DOC 4264 2-19-90 9:25p
REG FRM 1024 3-24-90 11:52a
INVOICE FRM 1536 2-03-90 3:48p
COLOR FRM 1024 2-03-90 3:49p
PTEST FRM 512 2-03-90 3:49p
MESSAGE FRM 1024 2-03-90 3:49p
CALENDAR BAT 66 1-29-90 9:03p
MONTH COM 14556 1-29-90 9:14p
CALENDAR FRM 4608 2-03-90 3:49p
CALENDAR HLP 1201 1-29-90 9:29p
SIGNIN FRM 2560 2-03-90 3:49p
FEATURES FRM 2048 2-03-90 4:30p
FEATURES HLP 173 2-03-90 1:17p
FEATURES LU1 146 1-29-90 10:35p
GO BAT 38 10-19-87 3:56p
GO TXT 574 7-09-90 1:10a
FILE1099 TXT 2221 7-10-90 2:04p
41 file(s) 328650 bytes
13312 bytes free