OS/2 Professional/OS2PRO194.ISO/os2/print/pmtwocol/pmtwocol.inf

OS/2 Help File | 1993-06-03 | 11.2 KB | 253 lines

ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. Introduction ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 If you like and use PMTwoCol, please see BUYING THIS PROGRAM for how to pay
for it.  This is a beta version so please report bugs/suggestions to Reporting
Bugs.

 PMTwoCol is a multithreaded PM utility for concatenating text files (inputs)
into a multicolumn text file (output) and optionally creating conforming
PostScript output.
 PMTwoCol is useful for making compact listings of programming code. For
instance, on my PostScript printer, I get four times the normal 66 line by 80
character positions of text by using 131 lines and 164 character positions
arranged in 2 (portrait) columns.
 There is flexibility in the layout of the output files.  See Features.
 PostScript output is monospaced Courier font with auto-scaling.

Please use the SETUP dialog the first time you run the program.  See Setup for
details.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. USAGE HINTS ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This program is easier to use with a PostScript printer rather than a
non-PostScript printer, but then what is'nt.
The next 2 sections indicate how to use the program with these printers.  (For
actually sending output to the printer, see Printing does not work.)


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1. PostScript Printers ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Note that you should create text output first, then create PostScript output.
When the PostScript output is ready, send the PostScript file to the PostScript
printer.  The font will be auto-scaled to fit the paper size and
margin-adjusted in the printer.
i.e. with a PostScript printer, you do not have to match the number of
lines/character positions option to the paper size.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.2. Non-PostScript Printers ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

First make sure that the selected font in the printer is a monospaced font.
Next, you will need to make sure that the printer settings match certain
PMTwoCol option values.  These are:
 (1) Number of lines.
 (2) Number of character positions per line.

You may save these settings, after figuring out appropriate values for your
printer.  However, getting the right numbers will probably take a few
trial-and-error iterations.
NOTE:  The output file created will not print correctly on other printers.
(That's the advantage in having a PostScript printer.)


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. Features ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

There are options for the format of the text and PostScript files. You may save
these options and also the input and output file lists.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.1. Adding to Input File List ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Adding files to the input file list is easy.  Just push the ADD choice on the
main dialog.  This starts the ADD dialog, where you may change directories or
drives. Then, to select files merely highlight them in the list.  Files are
added to the main window's input file list immediately.
 You can also add all the files in the current directory by clicking the ADD
ALL button.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2. Deleting from the Input File List ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

At present, you may delete a file from the input file list in the main window
by highlighting it with the mouse and then clicking the DEL ONE button.

Or you may delete all the files in the input file list via the DEL ALL button.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.3. Field Feed at EOF ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To save space you may want to start a new file immediately after the end of the
previous one.  Or you may want to let the files stand out by leaving the rest
of the column blank when you reach the end of a file.  This also allows each
filename to appear in the column heading.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.4. Padding the archive ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The last page of a text archive may not eject from the printer if data only
fills part of the page.  The option to pad the archive handles this by writing
blanks till the end of the last page.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.5. Page Header ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The default is to print the string ARCHIVED on the top left hand side of the
first page.  You may replace this header.  Remember to save options if you want
it to appear each time.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.6. Page Footer ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The default is to skip this item.  If you add a footer, it will be placed on
the bottom dashed line of each page of the output.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.7. Table Of Contents ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

You may choose not to create the TABLE OF CONTENTS which lists the input files.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.8. Line Numbering ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Checking this option numbers lines.  Only every fifth line is actually
numbered.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.9. Long Lines ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

You may choose to truncate lines that reach the right margin of the field.  The
default is to wrap these lines to the next line and to change the usual right
margin delimiter to a backslash.  The result looks like a wrapped line in
EMACS.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.10. Unprintable Characters In Input Files ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The options are either to delete these from the output, to substitute a '*' for
them or to display them as they would appear in EMACS (for instance using a
caret for CONTROL) .


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.11. PostScript Orientation ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The orientation of PostScript output may be set to Portrait or Landscape.  Note
that the margins are applied to the oriented output.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.12. PostScript Output Margins ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

You may set all four margins for the PostScript output as percentages of the
imageable area.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.13. Not Yet Implemented ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The following features are not yet implemented:
 Printing from within the program
 Program-decided number of fields


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. Error Messages and Problems ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Error Messages
 PMTWOCOL will complain if you try to modify information that is currently in
use.  For instance, the input file list may not be modified while another
thread is using the list to create the output file.  If you find any bugs, have
suggestions or code snippets to handle the problems listed in the next
sections, please see Reporting Bugs.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1. Error Selecting Diskette Drive ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

At present I do not know how to detect absence of a diskette in a drive, so the
program fails here.  Please let me know a solution preferably with sample code
(see Reporting Bugs)


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2. Spawning A Process To Run A Batch File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Please send me a code snippet to spawn a process to run a batch file. At
present the program may only run executable files. see Reporting Bugs)


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3. Printing does not work ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Printing of the files created by PMTwoCol must be done manually at present.  I
do not know how to send the output files to a printer.  I usually do the
following:

COPY PMTWOCOL.OUT PRN

If you have suggestions on this point, please let me know. (see Reporting Bugs)


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.4. Running Help via the HELP buttons. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This program does not use a main window.  It only uses dialog windows.  I do
not know how to associate a help instance with the program so that pushing the
HELP button calls up context sensitive help.  (Instead the present solution is
to spawn view.exe on pmtwocol.inf.)  Does anyone have a code sample that solves
this?  (see Reporting Bugs)


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.5. Easier Deletion Of Files From Input File List ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

I would like to delete a file from the input file list if the SHIFT or CONTROL
key is being held down when the file is clicked on.  But I do not know how to
accomplish this.  A code sample would be greatly appreciated.  (see Reporting
Bugs)


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. SETUP ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

PMTwoCol needs several pathnames which are to be specified in the setup dialog.
When you first run the program, please push the SETUP button and fill in
appropriate values for the following (if the default values are not appropriate
for your setup):
 (1) The program to use for viewing text output.  It is called with the file to
be viewed as its sole argument.
 (2) The program to use to view PostScript.  If unspecified, the text viewer is
used.
 (3) The program to use to view help, which resides in this file
(PMTWOCOL.INF).
If any of these names does not begin with a drive letter, colon and backslash,
then the PATH environment variable is searched for that name.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. HELP IMPROVE THIS PROGRAM ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

I would really appreciate receiving code snippets to solve the problems listed
in Problems  See Bug Reports on how to send them to me.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7. BUYING THIS PROGRAM ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

You may pay for this program by making a tax-exempt donation of $10 or more to:
ASHA
1915 Napa Avenue
Berkeley CA 94707

100 percent of your donation will be used to support primary healthcare and
education of underprivileged children in India. All overhead incurred is paid
for by ASHA's part-time volunteers.  For more information, please contact
[e-mail]

Do not send bug reports to ASHA.  For that see Reporting Bugs
The program author has no connection to ASHA.
This is the full-function version of the program.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8. Bug Reports ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This is a beta version of PMTwoCol.  Please report bugs as follows:

On INTERNET send email to:
 [e-mail]

Or by regular mail to:
 Shuyi Chen
 206 W99 St #6A
 NYC NY 10025