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Filename : FM.DOC

FORM MASTER



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.
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. Form Master has been designed to handle the
needs of many different users. 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. Form Master
is easy to learn and contains on-screen help. It can also provide
additional on-screen help relating to a specific form using a help file
you provide. This is handy if other people will be using your forms.









Section Contents Page

1 Installation 2
2 Getting Started 2
3 Running the Form Master Program 4
3.1 Form Master Main Menu 4
3.2 Form Master Editor 8
3.3 Form Master Form Executor 11
4 Running the Form Master Form Executor Program 13
5 Adding More Printer Functions To Form Master 14
6 Configuring Form Master For Your Printer 16
7 If You Have Compatibility Problems 17
8 Form Master Files 17
9 Registering Your Copy 18










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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 second 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 first 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 a 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 three 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)

The second program, FORM.EXE, is solely to execute forms. Though this
duplicates part of the first program, FORM.EXE is the preferred way to
execute forms as it allows you to display a form with a single command
from DOS, speeding access to previously created forms. Remember, both
the FM.EXE and FORM.EXE can execute forms.

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The third program, PRINTER.EXE, 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.

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
FORM REG

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)

Details of four of the steps are covered by lessons in this package.
Forms are used (as you might have guessed) for each of these lessons.
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 a carriage return. 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.

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3. Running The Form Master Program

The main functions of the Form Master program, FM.EXE, are to create,
modify, and execute forms. It can also convert between forms and edit
files.

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 next in detail.


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 9 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 | ---------------> | 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.

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

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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 and then press F3 again to get
started 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 specify a different drive or directory on
the second input line of the pop-up menu and then press F10 to
see a list of forms available. To see the forms in the
current directory leave the second line blank. Select the
form using the arrow keys and press enter.

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.

Be sure to use F6 if you want to save your editing work, even

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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 you are 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.

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 execute 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.

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

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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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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 if you have a color monitor, or
use normal, high intensity, inverse video, or underlining if you have a
monochrome monitor. You must choose an attribute(s) for fields on your
form which are areas where 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 give you control over
your printer to do boldface, italic, subscript, superscript,
underlining, expanded text, compressed text, overstrike, etc.

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.

Attributes:

Attributes are what are used to display a character on your monitor,
such as 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 attributes
are used on your form with function keys F2, F7, F8, and F9.

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.

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

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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 to text and define colors, underlines,
highlighting, and blinking 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.

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.

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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

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 on line at 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
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

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Alt-O Overstrike with next line (skip line feed after
printing line)
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 section 5.

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 all the invoices
that were made.

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.

Functions:

ESC - Exit Form Execute: Terminates form execution. Two
consecutive pushes of this key are required.

F1 - Help: Displays on-screen help. Basic help information is
shown first. Pressing F1 a second time will provide detailed
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.



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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.

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.

F7 - Load fields from an edit file: 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.

Note: Using F8 to save fields, or exiting the form executor
will close the load file.

F8 - Save fields to an edit file: 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 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 (add to the end) to the current save file; or you
can specify a new save file and press F1.

Note: Using F7 to save fields, or exiting the form executor
will close the save file.


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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.

Other Form Executor Features

Tab, Return Go to beginning of next input 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-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 Program, FORM.EXE

The form executor is the preferred program for executing a form once it
has been created. Simply type from DOS:
FORM formname
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

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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 running FORM.EXE 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. Form print
functions as well as further field loads and saves are disabled.
Upon exiting, the form fields are saved in the file 'output'.

FORM formname iofile

Form Master will read in the form 'formname', load its fields
from the file 'iofile', then execute the form. Form print
functions as well as further field loads and saves are disabled.
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.EXE this way is in printer configuration, sections 5 and 6.
The CONFIG.BAT procedure uses FORM to provide a file of definitions for
the program PRINTER.EXE. Form printing is disabled in these two cases.


5. 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. Both programs FM.EXE and
FORM.EXE check 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 onto 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)

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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)
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 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, FORM.EXE,
(3) the printer configuration form PRINTER.FRM, and (4) the printer
program PRINTER.EXE.

Here are the steps for printer configuring:

o Enter the following command from DOS:
CONFIG configfile
where 'configfile' is the name of a configuration file. (Note:
This assumes that CONFIG.BAT, FORM.EXE, and PRINTER.FRM are on
the default drive.) The printer configuration form will then

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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.

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.EXE will be invoked
automatically. It will create the file 'FM.PRT' if it doesn't
exist or replace if it does.

o Make sure FM.PRT is in your current directory when you run
FORM.EXE or FM.EXE. Both programs will use this file, if it
exists, to re-configure to your printer when printing a form.


6. 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 5. 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.

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Later, if you want to return to the default configuration, delete or
rename FM.PRT.


7. 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.


8. Form Master Files

The following files comprise the Form Master software package:

FM.EXE Form Master program file
FM.DOC Form Master documentation
(FM.PRT) If this file exists, it configures Form Master to a
specific printer
FORM.EXE Form Master form executor

FMMENU.HLP Main menu help file
FMEDIT.HLP Form creation/maintenance help file
FMEXEC.HLP Form execute help file

CONFIG.BAT Printer configuration procedure
PRINTER.EXE 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 form
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

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.FRM Example Calendar form



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CALENDAR.HLP On-screen help for CALENDAR.FRM form
Enter: FORM CALENDAR Press F1, then F2
CALENDAR.SAV Load file to use when executing CALENDAR.FRM

Required files
- for form execution: FORM.EXE or FM.EXE

- for form creation/editing: FM.EXE

- to change default printer configuration: FM.PRT (must create)

- to change create/replace FM.PRT: CONFIG.BAT, FORM.EXE,
PRINTER.FRM, PRINTER.EXE

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.


9. Registering Your Copy

If you copy this program and find it useful, please register it by
sending $25.00 to:
Brad Simpson
CastleSoft
990 Oakwood Dr.
Castle Rock, CO 80104
(303)688-2954
You will receive the latest copy of this package along with telephone
support.

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
also be welcome. The following modifications are being considered:

o Improved form editor with more functionality
o Multi-page forms
o More example forms
o Windows and OS/2 compatibility
o Field justification and centering
o Word wrap, field insert
o Field math functions (limited spread sheet capability)
o Complex field processors invoked from form executor
(applications: replace item code in a field with a
description; support for complex formulas such as mortgage
payment, present value, etc.)

Form Master is written in Microsoft FORTRAN. Since Microsoft FORTRAN
does not provide the capability to read individual keystrokes, interface
directly with the screen, return the command line, or make sounds, a
utility library, FORUTIL.LIB, is used. 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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