Shareware Grab Bag/Shareware Grab Bag.iso/002/chedit.arc/CHEDIT.DOC

Text File | 1986-04-18 | 53.5 KB | 1,651 lines

1  WHY A CHARACTER SET EDITOR?

On an IBM-PC or compatible computer using a Color Graphics Adapter (CGA),
there are several display modes.  You can have straight text in several modes,
such as 25 by 40 or 25 by 80 in either black & white or color, or you can
select a graphics display mode.  In graphics, however, you still have the
option of using text on the screen.  Although the hardware will not print
characters to the screen, the computer's BIOS software is capable of generating
the standard letters, numbers, and special characters of normal ASCII.

All this would be mundane unless there was something you could do about
changing the characters to suit your tastes.  Fortunately, there is a way of
doing this.  While the normal ASCII characters are defined for graphics modes
in the BIOS, the extended ASCII characters (those characters with codes
between 128 and 255) are not defined, and are available for the programmer to
use.  Thus, while in graphics mode, you can define and display your own custom
characters.

The only problem remaining is how to create and display these characters.
Drawing 128 different shapes, each of which has 64 elements is tedious at
best, and telling the computer how to use them is even more difficult.  It is
these tasks that the programs in the CHEDIT package address.

The CHEDIT package consists of a character editor and libraries of support
routines that allow you to use the customized characters in your programs.

The required hardware is an IBM-PC, XT, AT or compatible with a color graphics
card.  A monochrome text adapter card is not capable of using the created
character sets or the CHEDIT program.





































2  RUNNING THE CHEDIT PROGRAM

To run the CHEDIT program, enter the following at the DOS prompt:

                         CHEDIT <filename>

where <filename> is optional, and is the name of the character set you want
to edit.  If an extension is not supplied, .CHR is appended to the filename.

Upon entry to the program, if a character set name has not specified at the
DOS prompt, or if that file cannot be found, you are given several options:

  1) Enter the name of the character set file.  If an extension is no
     supplied, .CHR is appended to the filename.

  2) Enter a Return on a blank line to create a new character set.

  3) Press the F1 key to select a name from a directory listing of all
     files with a .CHR extension.  The Esc key aborts the directory
     selection process, and behaves as if you had used a blank filename.

  4) Press Esc to abort the program.


Once a character set has been selected, the main menu follows:

1) Save the current character set.

You are asked for a name, and if you were already working on a character
set, a Return press alone defaults to the original name.  Pressing Esc
returns you to the main menu.  If the filename does not have an extension,

2) Read a new character set.

If you have done any editing, whether or not any changes have actually
occured, you are warned if the current character set has not been saved,
and asked if you want to continue.  If you select No, you are returned to
the main menu.

If you continue, you are asked for the name of the character set.  The
filename given is checked for an extension and if none is found .CHR is
appended.  A Return press by itself at the name prompt will return you to
the main menu.  Pressing F1 allows you to select a directory to be checked
for .CHR files.  When the directory is displayed, pressing Return selects
the currently highlighted file, and Esc returns you to the main menu.

3) Edit Individual characters (edit one character at a time).

     See the description of individual character editing below.

4) Edit Multiple characters (edit multiple characters at a time).

     See the description of multiple character editing below.













5) Change the cursor blink speed.

The default cursor in CHEDIT blinks regularly so that its location is more
visible.  However, if you do not like the blink speed, or do not want it to
blink at all, this option will allow you to change it.  You are asked
to select from Slow, Regular, Fast, or No blinking for your cursor.  Simply
press the indicated letter, or press Return to use the default regular.

6) Quit the program.

Although Esc will stop the program elsewhere, a Q is required to exit the
program from the main menu.  This is done because Esc is used to return from
editing to the main menu, and a double character would stop the program before
you have a chance to save your work.  If you have done any editing, whether or
not any changes have actually occured, you are warned if the current
character set has not been saved, and asked if you want to continue.  If you
select No, you are returned to the main menu.

















































3  INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER EDITING

When Individual character editing is desired, only 1 character is displayed
in large format to be modified at a time. The primary advantage of this mode
is that it is easier to see what is being done, and character selection is
simpler.  This mode is used primarily when working on individual characters,
such as letters in an alphabet, when you want to see the maximum detail.

   When editing individual characters, the screen has 4 basic parts:

   1) a display of all programmable characters at the top of the screen,
      arranged in a 4 by 32 matrix, and set off from the rest of the screen
      by a box.

   2) a large box broken into an 8 by 8 grid, which is the large character
      display.  Each little box represents 1 pixel in the character being
      edited.

   3) a character box.  This is the "life-size" character being edited,
      set apart from the rest of the screen in its own box.  Note that the
      character set displayed at the top of the screen is updated as
      characters are edited as well.

   4) a text area, where informational messages, such as currently
      available options, the code of the character being edited, etc, are
      displayed.








































3.1  SELECTING A CHARACTER TO EDIT:

Before editing begins, you must select a character to work on from the set
displayed at the top of the screen.  Pressing Esc at this time will return
you to the main menu.

To select a character, you may either move the highlighted square around
the characters via the cursor keys, or press the N (for numeric) key to
enter the numeric code of the desired character.  When moving the highlighted
square, the current code of the character, along with a large image of the
character, is displayed.

When using the cursor control keys on the numeric keypad, both the arrow
keys (2,4,6, and 8) and the other keys (1,3,7, and 9) are active.  The
arrow keys move the cursor in the indicated direction, while the other
cursor keys move the cursor in a diagonal.  When the cursor passes the
boundary of the displayed characters, it wraps back to the opposite side
of the display.

The numeric code for each character is a number, either from 0 to 127, or
from 128 to 255, representing the location of the character.  The values 0
to 127 represent the character's location in the editing set, while the
values 128 to 255 represent the extended ASCII code used to reference the
character from various languages or system calls.  The routines used
within the editor will recognize either code.  When using the N option in
selecting characters, a prompt of "which code?" appears, and at this point
you enter a number.  This number is taken modulo 128, and the highlighted
square is placed in this character position.

When you are satisfied with your selection, press either S (for select)
or Return to begin editing this character.



































3.2  EDITING A CHARACTER:

There are many options available while editing characters, and they will
be discussed in functional groups below.  Note that for all cursor movement,
if the cursor is moved off the edge of the character, it returns on the
opposite side of the character.  For example, if the cursor is moved up from
the top row, it returns on the bottom row.


3.2.1  CURSOR MOVEMENT GROUP
(Use the key indicated on the numeric keypad for the command):

DOWN  - Also the 2 key on the numeric keypad.  This moves the cursor 1 row
        down in the character being edited.

UP    - Also the 8 key on the numeric keypad.  This moves the cursor 1 row up
        in the character being edited.

LEFT  - Also the 4 key on the numeric keypad.  This moves the cursor 1 column
        left in the character being edited.

RIGHT - Also the 6 key on the numeric keypad.  This moves the cursor 1 column
        right in the character being edited.


The following keys move the cursor in diagonal directions.

HOME - Also the 7 key on the numeric keypad.  This key, between the UP and LEFT
       arrows, moves the cursor UP 1 row and LEFT 1 column.

PgUp - Also the 9 key on the numeric keypad.  This key, between the UP and
       RIGHT arrows, moves the cursor UP 1 row and RIGHT 1 column.

END  - Also the 1 key on the numeric keypad.  This key, between the DOWN and
       LEFT arrows, moves the cursor DOWN 1 row and LEFT 1 column.

PgDn - Also the 3 key on the numeric keypad.  This key, between the DOWN and
       RIGHT arrows, moves the cursor DOWN 1 row and RIGHT 1 column.




























3.2.2  "SPACEBAR" GROUP

This group of functions is the basic mechanism for setting and clearing
pixels in a character.  The commands in this group are
(Use the capital letter for the command itself):

SPACEBAR   - change the state of the pixel, according to the mode defined
             below.
Set mode   - when the spacebar is pressed, the current pixel is set
             (turned on).
Clear mode - when the spacebar is pressed, the current pixel is cleared
             (turned off).
Xor mode   - when the spacebar is pressed, the current pixel is Xor'ed with a
             'set'.  The result is that the pixel is flipped to its opposite
             state.  i.e. a set pixel is cleared, and a cleared pixel is set.

Notes on mode: 1) Xor is the default mode.
               2) The Set, Clear, and Xor modes are mutually exclusive,
                  that is, you can only be in one of these modes at a time.

Auto mode  - when the cursor enters a new pixel, that pixel is automatically
             set/cleared/xor'd according to the current mode.  When the space
             bar is pressed, the pixel is again set/cleared/xored.  This is
             useful when you want to flip the pixel back to its original state
             (xor mode) or you have just selected auto mode, in which case the
             current pixel is not set/cleared/xored (as the cursor has not
             entered a new pixel).


3.2.3  "WHOLE CHARACTER" GROUP (enter the capital letter for the command):

Zero    - Zero out a character.  This turns off all pixels in a character.
Fill    - Fill in a character.  This turns on all pixels in a character.
Inverse - Invert a character.  This flips the state of all pixels in a
          character.  (i.e. all on pixels are turned off, and all off pixels
          are turned on.)


3.2.4  "NEXT-CHARACTER" GROUP (enter the capital letter for the command):

Next - Get another character to edit.  The procedure is the same as when you
       first entered individual character editing.

Get  - Copy (get) the image of another character into the current character.
       The procedure is the same as selecting a character to edit when you
       first enter individual character editing.  If you decide that you do
       not want to overwrite the current image, simply place the highlighted
       square on the original character and press return.

Put  - Copy (put) the image of the current character into another character.
       The procedure is the same as selecting a character to edit when you
       first enter individual character editing.  If you decide that you do
       not want to overwrite another image, simply place the highlighted
       square on the original image and press return.












3.2.5  "MIRROR IMAGE" GROUP (enter the capital letter for the command):

Horizontal mirror - change the current character to its image as seen in a
       mirror placed on its horizontal axis.  The top row becomes the last
       row, the 2nd row becomes the next-to-last row, etc.  As an example,
       the letter A, when horizontal mirrored, wpi;d be standing on its
       point.  Doing another horizontal mirror will undo this, so that the
       A points upwards again.

Vertical mirror - Change the current character to its image as seen in a
       mirror placed on its vertical axis.  The leftmost column becomes the
       the rightmost column, the next-to-leftmost column becomes the next-
       to-rightmost column, etc.  As an example, the less-than symbol, <,
       would become the greater-than symbol, >, when vertical mirrored.
       Doing another vertical mirror will undo this, so that it becomes a
       less-than symbol again.

Exchange - exchange rows and columns in a character.  This has the effect of
       mirroring the character around a diagonal from the upper left to the
       lower right corner of the character box.  It means that the top row
       becomes the leftmost column, the 2nd row becomes the next-to-leftmost
       column, etc.  For example, an exclamation point, !, when exchanged,
       would be laying on its side, with the bottom dot on the right.  Doing
       another exchange would undo this, so that it is normal again.


3.2.6  "ROTATE" GROUP (enter the function keys indicated for the command):

All rotate functions move the character within the box.  Any row or column of
pixels that is rotated "off" an edge wraps back to the opposite edge, to fill
the row or column that is left vacant by moving the character.

     F1 - Rotate the character 1 row down.
     F2 - Rotate the character 1 row up.
     F3 - Rotate the character 1 column left.
     F4 - Rotate the character 1 column right.


3.2.7  "SHIFT" GROUP (enter the function keys indicated for the command):

All shift functions move the character within the box.  Any row or column of
pixels that is shifted "off" an edge is lost.  The row or column on the
opposite edge that is left vacant is filled with blanks.

     F5 - Shift the character 1 row down.
     F6 - Shift the character 1 row up.
     F7 - Shift the character 1 column left.
     F8 - Shift the character 1 column right.


















3.3  "UNDO" FUNCTIONS (enter the capital letter for the command):

The undo functions allow you to erase a mistake you just made, or let you
experiment with changes and quickly bring back an older version of the
character if you don't like what you see.

Undo - undo the last change ONLY.  For example, if you hit the Z (for Zero)
       key, the character will be erased, and U will restore the image. If
       you hit the Z key and then press the spacebar (thus setting/clearning/
       xoring a pixel), using U will only undo the change in the individual
       pixel, not the erased character.

       Undo works by swapping images with the current screen image, so
       that Undo will Undo itself.

       When a character is first called up for editing, the Undo image is set
       to the original image, so that Undo will do nothing until you have made
       a change.

       The Restore command (see below) has no effect on the saved Undo image.

Restore - Like Undo, this command swaps the current image with a saved image.
       Unlike the Undo command, however, the saved image is not updated with
       every change of the character.  The saved image is only changed when
       you use Restore or the Keep command (see below).  Thus, you can start
       editing a character, Restore the original for comparison, Restore
       back the edited copy and continue editing.  Or, after editing, Restore
       back the original, edit the original into another version of the
       character, and use Restore compare it to the 1st version of the
       character.

       Since both Undo and Restore swap saved images with the currently
       displayed image, the two functions may interact with each other.  For
       example, an Undo will move the previous image to the screen, and put
       the current image in the Undo buffer.  A Restore will then move the
       screen image (from the Undo) to the Restore buffer, and place the
       image from the Restore buffer onto the screen.  A final Undo will then
       move the current screen image, which was in the Restore buffer, into
       the Undo buffer, and move the image in the Undo buffer, which was the
       original screen image, back to the screen.  In this way, the Undo
       saved image and the Restore saved image have been swapped, and the
       screen image is untouched.

Keep - Keep the current screen image in the Restore buffer.  This allows you
       to save a copy of the current character for possible later restoration,
       without swapping screen images.

Original - Replace the current character image with the image that the
       character had when it was first selected for editing.  This is the
       ultimate undo.
















3.4  "TRYOUT" MODE (enter "T" for this function):

    This mode allows you to "try out" the current character set by allowing
    you to type characters onto a blank screen.  Pressing the Esc key from
    this mode allows you to return to editing.

    When in Tryit mode, the following keys on the numeric keypad

                  Home   Up    PgUp
                  Right        Left
                  End    Down  PgDn

    move the cursor, with Home, PgUp, End, and PgDn moving the cursor in a
    diagonal direction.  The cursor wraps to the opposite side of the screen
    when it passes the screen boundary.

    Please note that keys such as Return and Backspace do not have their
    expected function.  They will instead display the symbol associated with
    with the ASCII value of that key.

    When Tryit mode is first entered, the screen will be filled with spaces
    (or whatever symbol is associated with the ASCII value 32).  After you
    leave Tryit, coming back later will present the screen as you left it.
    Thus, you can try a block of text, leave and edit the character set, then
    return and see how the text looks with the new characters without having
    to retype them.

    Both the character set being edited and the machine's resident character
    set are available in Tryit mode.  See the functions listed below for
    details on using both.

    The following functions are availble via the indicated function keys in
    Tryit mode:

    F1 - Clear the screen and display both the character set being edited and
         the machine's resident character set.

    F3 - Clear the screen to spaces and DO NOT replot the display.  The
         screen does not re-plot, to give you relief in the event that the
         space character is not blank.

    F2 - Toggle 40/80 column mode.  The screen starts out with 40 columns, and
         pressing the F2 key will switch the screen to 80 columns and back.
         Note that characters entered in the right half of the screen in 80
         column mode will not be displayed when you switch back to 40 column
         mode, but will still be there if you switch back to 80 columns.
         Clearing the screen via either F1 or F3 (see above) will clear the
         entire 80 columns, even if you are in 40 column mode.

    F4 - Toggle resident/editing character set on the displayed characters.
         For example, You can type a sentence in the editing character set,
         press F4 to see it in the machine's resident character set, then
         press F4 again to return it to the editing character set.  Another
         example is to use F1 to display both character sets, then F4 to
         switch them.












    F6 - Toggle resident/editing character set on characters being typed.
         When you enter Tryit mode, the characters you type are in the
         editing character set.  Pressing F6 will change the characters
         being typed to the machine's resident character set.  Pressing F6
         again will change back to the editing character set.

    F8 - Change the color of characters being typed (40 column mode only).
         When you start in Tryit mode, characters are white.  Pressing F8
         change the color of characters being typed from white to cyan to
         magenta, and back to white.  Characters in 80 column mode are
         available only in white.

    F10 - Help!  Print a brief description of the available function keys.





3.5  MISCELLANEOUS FUNCTIONS (enter the indicated keys for the command):

F10 - The help key.  It displays a list of the available commands, and a
      brief explanation of each.  The list is several pages long, and you
      can return to editing without looking through the entire help list by
      pressing the Esc key.

Esc - When you are editing a character, you can return to the main menu by
      pressing the Esc key.






































4  MULTIPLE CHARACTER EDITING

   When editing multiple characters, up to 35 characters in a 5 by 7 matrix
are displayed in large format to be edited at once.  The primary advantages of
this is the ability to edit pictures larger than 1 character, and the ease
in which mult-character pictures or border outline characters may be aligned.
There is a small disadvantage in that each picture is somewhat smaller and
harder to see, and the selection process is somewhat more involved.

   When editing multiple characters, the screen has 5 basic parts:

   1) a display of all programmable characters at the top of the screen,
      arranged in a 4x32 matrix, and set off from the rest of the screen by a
      box.

   2) the editing matrix, a 5 by 7 array of boxes, each of which is broken
      into an 8 by 8 grid, which is the large character display.  Each little
      box represents 1 pixel in a character being edited.

   3) a character box.  This is the "life-size" picture of the
      characters being edited, set apart from the rest of the screen in
      its own box.  Note that the character set displayed at the top
      of the screen is updated as characters are edited as well.

   4) a text area, where informational messages, such as currently
      available options are displayed.

   5) a status area, where the current mode of the space bar (set/clear/xor)
      and the auto status are displayed.  This is in the upper right hand
      corner.




































4.1  SELECTING MULTIPLE CHARACTERS TO EDIT

Before editing begins, you must select the locations in the editing matrix
to work on, and the characters they contain.  Pressing Esc at this time will
return you to the main menu.

The first step is to select a location in the editing grid.  One of the
large editing boxes will be highlighed, and this highlight may be moved with
the cursor keys.  The arrow keys (2,4,6, and 8) move the highlighted box
vertically and horizontally, while the other keys (1,3,7, and 9) move the
cursor in a diagonal.  When the highlighted box goes past a boundary, it wraps
to the opposite side.  When it is in the desired location, you may select the
character to edit at this point by pressing either S (for Select) or Return.
(Note: Although it may seem more "natural" to select which character to edit
and then its location, the program has you select the location first, so that
it knows where to display the character being selected.)

The next step is to select the character to edit in this location, either
via the cursor keys or the N (numeric) option.  A highlighted square appears
in the characters at the top of the screen, which is moved via the cursor keys.
The arrow keys (2,4,6, and 8) move that direction, while the other keys
(1,3,7, and 9) move the box in a diagonal.  When the cursor passes the
boundary of the displayed characters, it wraps back to the opposite side of
the display.
The numeric code for each character is a number, either from 0 to 127 or
from 128 to 255, representing the location of the character.  The values from
0 to 127 represent the character's location in the editing set, while the
values 128 to 255 represent the extended ASCII code used to reference the
the character from various languages or system calls.  The routines used
within the editor will recognize either code.  When using the N option in
selecting characters, a prompt of "?" will appear, and at this point you
enter a number.  This number is taken modulo 128, and the highlighted square
is placed in this character position.

When you are satisfied with your selection, press either S (for Select) or
Return to return to selecting editing locations.  At this time, a new
option becomes available, that of pressing E to Edit the currently selected
characters.  If you wish to keep selecting characters, proceed with selecting
character locations, else press E to edit or Esc to return to the main menu.

There are three things to note at this point:

   1) A character may be edited at only 1 location in the editing matrix.  If
      you attempt to edit the same character in 2 locations, you are warned
      "No Duplicates".  Press any key to continue selecting characters.

   2) Only 1 character may be edited at 1 location in the editing grid.  If you
      try to select a second character for that location, it overwrites the
      original selection.

   3) When you move the highlighted box in the editing matrix, you will find
      that the highlighted square in the character set has moved along with
      it.  This makes selection of blocks of characters easy.













4.2  EDITING MULTIPLE CHARACTERS

All of the options available while editing individual characters are also
available while editing multiple characters, plus many others.

For all cursor movements, if the cursor is moved off an edge of the editing
matrix, it return on the opposite side of the matrix.  For example, if the
cursor is moved off the top row of the top of the editing matrix, it returns
on the bottom row of the bottom of the matrix.  The cursor does not wrap
when it crosses a boundary within the matrix.

The cursor is not limited to traveling within boxes defined in the editing
matrix  (i.e., the cursor can be in a box without a character in it).  This
is most useful when Getting additional characters to edit.  See the
description of the Get command below.



















































4.2.1  CURSOR MOVEMENT GROUP (enter the key indicated on the numeric
       keypad for the command):

DOWN  - Also the 2 key on the numeric keypad.  This moves the cursor 1 row
        down in the character being edited.
UP    - Also the 8 key on the numeric keypad.  This moves the cursor 1 row up
        in the character being edited.
LEFT  - Also the 4 key on the numeric keypad.  This moves the cursor 1 column
        left in the character being edited.
RIGHT - Also the 6 key on the numeric keypad.  This moves the cursor 1 column
        right in the character being edited.


The following keys move the cursor in diagonal directions.

HOME - Also the 7 key on the numeric keypad.  This key, between the UP and LEFT
       arrows, moves the cursor UP 1 row and LEFT 1 column.
PgUp - Also the 9 key on the numeric keypad.  This key, between the UP and
       RIGHT arrows, moves the cursor UP 1 row and RIGHT 1 column.
END  - Also the 1 key on the numeric keypad.  This key, between the DOWN and
       LEFT arrows, moves the cursor DOWN 1 row and LEFT 1 column.
PgDn - Also the 3 key on the numeric keypad.  This key, between the DOWN and
       RIGHT arrows, moves the cursor DOWN 1 row and RIGHT 1 column.


The cursor may also be moved one box in the editing matrix at a time, through
the use of the Alt key and the numeric keypad, as follows.

Alt-DOWN - (Alt-2).  This moves the cursor 1 box down in the editing matrix.
Alt-UP - (Alt-8).  This moves the cursor 1 bow up in the editing matrix.
Alt-LEFT - (Alt-4).  This moves the cursor 1 box left in the editing matrix.
Alt-RIGHT - (Alt-6).  This moves the cursor 1 box right in the editing matrix.


The following keys move the cursor a box at a time in diagonal directions.

Alt-HOME - (Alt-7).  This moves the cursor 1 box up and 1 box left in the
          editing matrix.
Alt-PgUp - (Alt-9).  This moves the cursor 1 box up and 1 box right in the
          editing matrix.
Alt-END - (Alt-1).  This moves the cursor 1 box down and 1 box left in the
          editing matrix.
Alt-PgDn - (Alt-3).  This moves the cursor 1 box down and 1 box right in the
          editing matrix.






















4.2.2  "SPACEBAR" GROUP

This group of functions is the basic mechanism for setting and clearing
pixels in the characters.  The commands in this group are (use the capital
letter for the command itself):

SPACEBAR - change the state of the pixel, according to the mode defined below.

Set mode - when the spacebar is pressed, the current pixel is set (turned on).

Clear mode - when the spacebar is pressed, the current pixel is cleared
           (turned off).

Xor mode - when the spacebar is pressed, the current pixel is Xor'd with a
           'set'.  The result is that the pixel is flipped to its opposite
           state, i.e., a set pixel is cleared, and a cleared pixel is set.
           Xor mode is the default mode.

For all modes in multiple character editing, the state of the pixel is changed
ONLY if the cursor is in a location in the editing matrix that has a character
in it.  If it is an empty location, the space bar has no effect.

Notes on mode: 1) Xor is the default mode.
               2) The Set, Clear, and Xor modes are mutually exclusive,
                  that is, you can only be in one of these modes at a time.
               3) You may not change modes when the cursor is in an empty box.

Auto mode - When the cursor enters a new pixel, that pixel is automatically
            set/cleared/xored according to the current mode, if the cursor
            is in a box that has an editing character in it.  If this
            location in the editing matrix is empty, auto mode has no effect.
            When the space bar is pressed, the pixel is again set/cleared/
            xored.  This is useful when you want to flip the pixel back to
            its original state (xor mode) or if you have just selected auto
            mode, in which case the current pixel is not set/cleared/xored
            (as the cursor has not entered a new pixel).
            Auto mode may be changed when the cursor is in an empty box.


4.2.3  "WHOLE CHARACTER" GROUP (enter the capital letter for the command):

Zero    - Zero out a character.  This turns off all pixels in the current
          character.  If the cursor is in an empty box, this command has no
          effect.

Fill    - Fill in a character.  This turns on all pixels in the current
          character.  If the cursor is in an empty box, this command has
          no effect.

Inverse - Invert a character.  This flips the state of all pixels in the
          current character.  If the cursor is in an empty box, this command
          has no effect.














4.2.4  "ALL CHARACTERS" GROUP (enter the indicated keys for the command):

Alt-Z - Zero out all characters in the current editing matrix.  This turns
        off all pixels in all characters.  The cursor does NOT have to be
        in a used location in the editing matrix.

Alt-F - Fill in all characters in the current editing matrix.  This turns
        on all pixels in all characters.  The cursor does NOT have to be
        in a used location in the editing matrix.

Alt-I - Invert all characters in the current editing matrix.  This flips the
        state of all pixels in all characters.  The cursor does NOT have to
        be in a used location in the editing matrix.


4.2.5  "NEXT CHARACTER" GROUP (enter the capital letter for the command):

Next - Get another set of characters to edit.  The procedure is the same as
       when you first entered multiple character editing.

Get  - Copy (get) the image of another character into the current character.
       The proceudre is the same as selecting a character to edit after you
       have selected its location in the editing matrix.  If you decide that
       you do not want to overwrite the current image, simply place the
       highlighted square on the original character and press return.
       When editing multiple characters, you also have the option to extend
       the list of characters being edited.  If the cursor is in an unused
       location in the editing matrix, pressing G will first prompt you with
       "into?", and allow you to select a character to edit, in the same
       fashion as before.  Then, you are prompted with "from?", at which time
       you may also initalize the editing character with the image from
       character.  Pressing S or Return a 2nd time without moving the
       highlighted square will use the current image of the character.
       As before, you may only edit a character in 1 location in the editing
       matrix.  If you attempt to edit a character a 2nd time, you will be
       warned "No Duplicates".

Put  - Copy (put) the image of the current character into another character.
       The procedure is the same as selecting a character to edit after you
       have selected its location in the editing matrix.  If you decide that
       you do not want to overwrite another image, simply place the
       highlighted square on the original image and press return.
























4.2.6  "MIRROR-IMAGE" GROUP (enter the capital letter for the command):

Horizontal mirror - change the character currently being edited to its image
     as seen in a mirror placed on its horizontal axis.  The top row becomes
     the last row, the 2nd row becomes the next-to-last row, etc.  As an
     example, the letter A, when horizontally mirrored, would be standing on
     its point.  Doing another horizontal mirror will undo this, so that the
     A points upwards again.  If the cursor is in an empty box, this command
     has no effect.

Vertical mirror - change the character currently being edited to its image
     as seen in a mirror placed on its vertical axis.  The leftmost column
     becomes the rightmost column, the next-to-leftmost column becomes the
     next-to-rightmost column, etc.  As an example, the less-than symbol, <,
     would become the greater-than symbol, >, when vertical mirrored.  Doing
     another vertical mirror will undo this, so that it becomes a less-than
     symbol again.  If the cursor is in an empty box, this command has no
     effect.

Exchange - exchange rows and columns in the character currently being edited.
     This has the effect of mirroring the character around a diagonal from the
     upper left to the lower right corner of the charcter box.  It means that
     the top row becomes the leftmost column, the 2nd row becomes the
     next-to-leftmost column, etc.  For example, an exclamation point, !, when
     exchanged, would be laying on its side, with the bottom dot on the right.
     Doing another exchange would undo this, so that it is normal again.








































4.2.7  "ALTER-EVERYTHING" GROUP (enter the indicated keys for the command):

Alt-H - horizontal mirror all characters being edited.  The effect on each
        character is as described above, and the relative positions of all
        characters are changed so that the image as a whole is mirrored.
        The cursor does not have to be in an occupied location in the editing
        matrix for this command.

Alt-V - vertical mirror all characters being edited.  The effect on each
        character is as described above, and the relative positions of all
        characters are changed so that the image as a whole is mirrored.
        The cursor does not have to be in an occupied location in the editing
        matrix for this command.

Alt-E - exchange rows and columns for all characters being edited.  The effect
        on each character is as described above, and the relative positions of
        all characters are changed so that the image as a whole is mirrored.
        As the editing matrix is not square, this command will report "too
        many columns" if there is any character in the 6th or 7th column and
        wait for a keypress before continuing.  The cursor does not have to be
        in an occupied location in the editing matrix for this command.

CAVEAT: All of the above commands change the location of the characters in the
        editing matrix, which can have unwanted effects in some circumstances.
        If you use one of the above commands, then use the Get command to add
        a character to the editing matrix IN THE ORIGINAL POSITION OF ONE OF
        THE CHARACTERS THAT WAS MOVED, and then use Alt-Restore or
        Alt-Original, the program will attempt to move the characters back to
        their original position.  The result is that the character that was
        added overlays the original character in that position.  Nothing has
        been hurt inside your character set, the original character is simply
        unavailable for single character commands (multi-character commands
        work fairly normally).

        There are several possible solutions to this problem, none of which
        we find satisfactory.  1) You could be prohibited from Getting
        characters into boxes that would be overlaid by Alt-R or Alt-O, but
        that is too arbitrary a restriction.  2) Getting a character into
        such a box could mean that the corresponding character will not be
        moved in an Alt-R or Alt-O, but that defeats the purpose of the
        "undo" commands.  3) the new character could be moved, but as the
        program does not know what the transformation is between the current
        and the restored locations (as there can be many Alt-H, Alt-V, and
        Alt-E commands between the stored locations and the current locations),
        the placement of the new character would have to be arbitrary.  This
        messes up your neat arrangement.  If you have a good suggestion for
        this "problem", we would like to hear about it.



















4.2.8  "ROTATE" GROUP (enter the function keys indicated for the command):

All rotate functions move the character within its box.  Any row or column
of pixels that is rotated "off" an edge wraps back to the opposite edge,
to fill the row or column that is left vacant by moving the character.
If the cursor is in an empty box, the command has no effect.

F1 - Rotate the character 1 row down.
F2 - Rotate the character 1 row up.
F3 - Rotate the character 1 column left.
F4 - Rotate the character 1 column right.


4.2.9  "SHIFT" GROUP (enter the function keys indicated for the command):

All shift functions move the character within its box.  Any row or column
of pixels that is shifted "off" an edge is lost.  The row or column on the
opposite edge that is left vacant is filled with blanks.  If the cursor is
in an empty box, the command has no effect.

F5 - Shift the character 1 row down.
F6 - Shift the character 1 row up.
F7 - Shift the character 1 column left.
F8 - Shift the character 1 column right.


4.2.10  "ROTATE ROW" GROUP (enter the keys indicated for the function):

All row rotate functions rotate an entire row of characters in the editing
matrix as if they were one extended character.  Occupied boxes do not have to
be contiguous.  Any row or column that is rotated "off" an edge wraps back to
the opposite edge, to fill the row or column that was left vacant.
The cursor does not have to be in an occupied location to use these commands.

Ctrl-F1 - rotate all characters in the current matrix row down one row.
Ctrl-F2 - rotate all characters in the current matrix row up one row.
Ctrl-F3 - rotate all characters in the current matrix row left one column.
Ctrl-F4 - rotate all characters in the current matrix row right one column.


4.2.11  "SHIFT ROW" GROUP (enter the keys indicated for the function):

All row shift functions shift an entire row of characters in the editing
matrix as if they were one extended character.  Occupied boxes do not have to
be contiguous.  Any row or column that is shifted "off" an edge is lost.  The
row or column on the opposite edge that was left vacant is filled with
blanks.  The cursor does not have to be in an occupied location to use
these commands.

Ctrl-F5 - shift all characters in the current matrix row down one row.
Ctrl-F6 - shift all characters in the current matrix row up on row.
Ctrl-F7 - shift all characters in the current matrix row left one column.
Ctrl-F8 - shift all characters in the current matrix row right one column.













4.2.12  "ROTATE COLUMN" GROUP (enter the keys indicated for the function):

All column rotate functions rotate an entire column of characters in the
editing matrix as if they were one extended character.  Occupied boxes do not
have to be contiguous.  Any row or column that is rotated "off" an edge wraps
back to the opposite edge, to fill the row or column that was left vacant.
The cursor does not have to be in an occupied location to use these commands.

Shift-F1 - rotate all characters in the current matrix column down one row.
Shift-F2 - rotate all characters in the current matrix column up one row.
Shift-F3 - rotate all characters in the current matrix column left one column.
Shift-F4 - rotate all characters in the current matrix column right one column.


4.2.13  "SHIFT COLUMN" GROUP (enter the keys indicated for the function):

All column shift functions shift an entire column of characters in the editing
matrix as if they were one extended character.  Occupied boxes do not have to
be contiguous.  Any row or column that is shifted "off" an edge is lost.  The
row or column on the opposite edge that was left vacant is filled with blanks.
The cursor does not have to be in an occupied location to use these commands.

Shift-F5 - shift all characters in the current matrix column down one row.
Shift-F6 - shift all characters in the current matrix column up one row.
Shift-F7 - shift all characters in the current matrix column left one column.
Shift-F8 - shift all characters in the current matrix column right one column.


4.2.14  "ROTATE MATRIX" GROUP (enter the keys indicated for the function):

All matrix rotate functions rotate all characters in the editing matrix as if
they were one extended character.  Occupied boxes do not have to be contiguous.
Any row or column that is rotated "off" an edge wraps back to the opposite
edge, filling the row or column that was left vacant.  The cursor does not
have to be in an occupied location to use the commands.

Alt-F1 - rotate the entire matrix down one row.
Alt-F2 - rotate the entire matrix up one row.
Alt-F3 - rotate the entire matrix left one column.
Alt-F4 - rotate the entire matrix right one column.


4.2.15  "SHIFT MATRIX" GROUP (enter the keys indicated for the function):

All matrix shift function shift all characters in the editing matrix as if
they were one extended character.  Occupied boxes do not have to be contiguous.
Any or or column that is shifted "off" an edge is lost.  The row or column
on the opposite edge that was left vacant is filled with blanks.
The cursor does not have to be in an occupied location to use the commands.

Alt-F5 - shift the entire matrix down one row.
Alt-F6 - shift the entire matrix up one row.
Alt-F7 - shift the entire matrix left one column.
Alt-F8 - shift the entire matrix right one column.












4.3  UNDO FUNCTIONS

The undo functions allow you to erase a mistake you just made, or let you
experiment with changes and quickly bring back an older version of the
characters if you don't like what you see.

4.3.1  "UNDO" GROUP (enter the capital letter for the command):

Undo - undo the last change ONLY.  For example, you hit the Z (for Zero) key,
       the character will be erased, and U will restore the image.  If you
       hit the Z key and then press the spacebar (thus setting/clearing/xoring
       a pixel), using U will only undo the change in the individual pixel,
       not the erased character.  The cursor does not have to be in an
       occupied location to use the Undo command.

       Undo works by swapping images with the current screen image, so that
       Undo will Undo itself.  When a character is first called up for editing,
       the Undo image is set to the original image, so that Undo will do nothing
       until you have made a change.

       The Restore command (see below) has no effect on the saved Undo image.
       Undo, when doing multiple character editing, will Undo ALL characters
       at once.  Thus, if you use Alt-f (and fill all characters being edited),
       Undo will restore all of them, not just the current character.  Although
       it might be nice if each character had it's own Undo (along with a
       global Undo), for various technical reasons it is not practical.

Restore - Like Undo, this command swaps the current screen image with a saved
       image.  Unlike the Undo command, however, restore affects only one
       character at a time, and the cursor must be in a occupied location.
       Also unlike the undo command, the saved image is not updated with
       every change of the character.  The saved image is only changed
       when you use the Restore, Alt-R (see below), the Keep command (see
       below), or Alt-K (see below).  Thus, you can start editing a character,
       Restore the original for comparison, Restore back the edited copy and
       continue editing.  Or, after editing, Restore back the original, edit
       the original into another version of the character, and use Restore
       to compare it to the 1st version of the character.

       Since both Undo and Restore swap saved images with the currently
       displayed image, the two functions may interact with each other.  For
       example, an Undo will move the previous image to the screen, and put
       the current image into the undo buffer.  A Restore will then move the
       screen image (from the Undo) to the Restore buffer, and place the
       image from the Restore buffer onto the screen.  A final Undo will then
       move the current screen image, which was in the Restore buffer, into
       the Undo buffer, and move the image in the Undo buffer, which was the
       original screen image, back to the screen.  In this way, the Undo
       saved image and the Restore saved image have been swapped, and the
       screen image is untouched.

Keep - keep the current screen image in the Restore buffer.  This allows you
       to save a copy of the current character for possible later restoration,
       without swapping screen images.  Keep will affect only one character,
       and the cursor must be in an occupied editing matrix location.












Original - replace the current character image with the image that the
       character had when it was for selected for editing.  This is the
       ultimate undo.  Original will only affect one character, and the cursor
       must be in an occupied editing matrix location.



4.3.2  "UNDO EVERYTHING" GROUP (enter the indicated keys for the function):

Undo  - Undo affects all characters being edited.  See the above description
        for details.

Alt-R - Restore all characters being edited.  This command is like the Restore
        discussed above, except that all current images are swapped with the
        saved images.  The same comments as above apply, except that the
        cursor does not have to be in an occupied location in the editing
        matrix.

Alt-K - Keep the current image of all characters being edited in the Restore
        buffer.  The same comments as for Keep above, except that the cursor
        does not have to be in an occupied location in the editing matrix.

Alt-O - replace all current screen images with the images that the characters
        had when they were first selected for editing.  This is the
        ultimate undo.  The cursor does not have to be in an occupied location
        in the editing matrix for this command.

Please refer to the caveat concerning these functions in section 4.2.7.





































4.4  "TRYOUT" MODE (enter "T" for the function):

    This mode allows you to "try out" the current character set by letting
    you type characters onto a blank screen.  Pressing the Esc key while in
    Tryout mode returns you to editing.

    When in Tryit mode, the keys on the numeric keypad

                  Home   Up    PgUp
                  Right        Left
                  End    Down  PgDn

    move the cursor, with Home, PgUp, End, and PgDn moving the cursor in a
    diagonal direction.  The cursor wraps to the opposite side of the screen
    when it passes the screen boundary.  Please note that keys such as Return
    and Backspace do not have their expected function.  They will instead
    display the symbol associated with with the ASCII value of that key.

    When Tryit mode is first entered, the screen will be filled with spaces
    (or whatever symbol is associated with the ASCII value 32).  After you
    leave Tryit, coming back later will present the screen as you left it.
    Thus, you can try a block of text, leave and edit the character set, then
    return and see how the text looks with the new characters without having to
    retype them.

    Both the character set being edited and the machine's resident character
    set are available in Tryit mode.  See the functions listed below for
    details on using both.

    The following functions are available via the indicated function keys in
    Tryit mode:

    F1 - Clear the screen and display both the character set being edited and
         the machine's resident character set.

    F3 - Clear the screen to spaces and DO NOT replot the display.  The
         screen does not replot, to give you relief in the event that the
         space character is not blank.

    F2 - Toggle 40/80 column mode.  The screen starts out with 40 columns, and
         pressing the F2 key will switch the screen to 80 columns and back.
         Note that characters entered in the right half of the screen in 80
         column mode will not be displayed when you switch back to 40 column
         mode, but will still be there if you switch back to 80 columns.
         Clearing the screen via either F1 or F3 (see above) will clear the
         entire 80 columns, even if you are in 40 column mode.

    F4 - Toggle resident/editing character set on the displayed characters.
         For example, You can type a sentence in the editing character set,
         press F4 to see it in the machine's resident character set, then
         press F4 again to return it to the editing character set.  Another
         example is to use F1 to display both character sets, then F4 to
         switch them.













    F6 - Toggle resident/editing character set on characters being typed.
         When you enter Tryit mode, the characters you type are in the
         editing character set.  Pressing F6 will change the characters
         being typed to the machine's resident character set.  Pressing F6
         again will change back to the editing character set.

    F8 - Change the color of characters being typed (40 column mode only).
         When you start in Tryit mode, characters are white.  Pressing F8
         change the color of characters being typed from white to cyan to
         magenta, and back to white.  Characters in 80 column mode are
         available only in white.

    F10 - Help!  Print a brief description of the available function keys.




4.5  MISCELLANEOUS FUNCTIONS (enter the indicated keys for the command):

F10 - The help key.  It displays a list of the available commands, and a
      brief explanation of each.  The list is several pages long, and you
      can return to editing without looking through the entire help list
      by pressing the Esc key.

F9  - This will display the character codes (described above) superimposed
      on the characters in the editing matrix.  This lets you know the
      codes to use later in displaying the images you have created.  Pressing
      any key will return you to editing.

Esc - When you are editing charcters, you can return to the main menu by
      pressing the Esc key.




                         END OF DOCUMENT