TWO COLUMN PRINTER - Release 6 "READ ME" This is a description of the additions and revisions to Self-Styled Software's TWO COLUMN PRINTER (2COLUMNS.PRG) between Release 5b (4/92) and Release 6 (1/94). More detailed information is in 2COLUMNS.DOC and there are several "help" options in the program itself. 2COLUMNS.DOC also explains how to customize or create a printer driver. If your copy of TWO COLUMN PRINTER did not include 2COLUMNS.DOC, you can get it from GEnie and Compuserve. New users should read the Introduction and Getting Started sections in 2COLUMNS.DOC before going any farther. **************** GENERAL ***************** PRINTER DRIVERS, OLD AND NEW . . . Printer drivers have the same basic format as before and drivers from previous releases still work. A new line can be added that sets several print option defaults. Previously, these defaults could only be changed by altering the resource file. This line comes before the "Codes and Defaults" section and it looks like this: @ SORT=*, 2SIDES=*, DRAFT=*, DATE=*, DISK=*, EQUAL=*, EUROPE=* "*" should be either y or n (yes or no) depending on how you want the defaults to be set. Leaving one of these out is the same as setting it to "n" (no). Note that the line must start with the "@" character. If this is missing or the whole line is left out then Release 6 acts like previous versions and uses the resource file for the defaults. Items on this line can come in any order and it does not matter if they are in caps or lowercase. They do have to be spelled exactly as shown and there must not be any spaces before or after the equal sign. SORT=y means paper output should be pre-sorted for HP DeskJets and other "face up" cut sheet printers; 2SIDES=y means print on both sides of the paper; DRAFT=y means printing should be in draft mode; DATE=y means include the current computer date in the printout heading; EQUAL=y means print equal length columns on the last page (as opposed to printing the left column first); EUROPE=y means the date on the printouts should be in European format (day.month.year) instead of U.S. format (month/day/year). This is the only place you can set this option. RELEASE 6 AND NEWDESK . . . Release 6 works best with Atari's Newdesk desktop if it is installed as "Full Path" and "Top Window". It can live with "Application" instead of "Top Window" but needs to get the "Full Path" for drag-and-drop startup to work. Drag-and-drop also will not work if you rename 2COLUMNS.PRG and don't leave "2COL" somewhere in the name. RELEASE 6 AND TT RAM . . . "use TT RAM" helps performance but 2COLUMN.PRG won't work when set to "load in TT RAM". ******* NEW FEATURES IN RELEASE 6 ******** * USER INTERFACE This is the big one. The user interface is almost all new. I rewrote it to make 2COLUMNS compatible with multitasking systems (MultiTOS and Geneva). A nice side benefit is that it is now much more flexible. You can set the format and print options in whatever order you want and can ignore those you do not want to change. Printer drivers and configuration files can be loaded or saved at almost any time. If you need to interrupt a format or printout, you will not get dropped back to the desktop but will return to the new "control" dialog. The control dialog is a dialog box-in-a-window that is handled by custom routines that allow continued access to the GEM menu bar while it's open. There are several entries under the "Help" menu item that explain how to use this dialog. 2COLUMNS still can be run as a TOS or TTP program. It works much the same as Release 5b when used this way (see "Automated Operation" in 2COLUMNS.DOC). * MULTITASKING Release 6 allows multitasking while it formats and prints files. This means you can use accessories (and even other programs when running under MultiTOS or Geneva). This also means that formatting files takes longer than Release 5b. How much longer? It ranges from just a second or two to almost twice as long. The main variable here is the GEM or multitask "cooperation" setting (see the "Options" menu). When this is set to 1 (low) Release 6 uses most processor time itself. Formatting is almost as fast as Release 5b but GEM response is slow and accessories and other programs bog down. When it's set to 3 (high) GEM response is fast and accessories and other programs get lots of processor time but formatting is relatively slow. The default in most cases is level 2, a good compromise setting. If you're about to format a large file and don't want to use any accessories or other programs during the format process then set the cooperation level to 1 (low). If your main attention is elsewhere, say you're busy with your word processor and you don't really care if formatting is slow or you don't want the other program to bog down, then set the cooperation level to 3 (high). * PRINTOUT NAME Release 6 lets you can change the name of the printout if you want. The name of file being printed is the default. * MEMORY MANAGEMENT Release 6 handles your computer's memory in a new way. This was done for multitasking compatibility. Instead of grabbing all the RAM it can get, it just takes what it needs and leaves the rest for other applications. How much memory does it need? Between about 260k and 330k bytes plus either enough RAM or disk space for a buffer. The buffer ranges from about 20% larger than the file being printed to as much as 75% larger. The bigger one is used for files that have tabs in them. When 2COLUMNS gets over about 300k bytes it can do printouts that require as many as 30,000 lines. With less than that it can do 15,000 line printouts. A positive side effect of the new memory scheme is that you won't see any more of the "limited programing strategy, trying again" messages. * DEFAULT COLUMN DIMENSIONS Printer drivers still can have an entry on the "$" line that sets the default column length. "CL=2" means the default column length should be 2 less than the maximum for a font. This setting is not necessarily the one saved with the internal codes (when you merge a printer driver with the program). Instead, the difference between maximum column length and the current column length is used. A similar setting is saved for column width (there is no "default column width" entry included in external printer drivers though, this is just for the internal one). * BUG FIXES Won't choke on 16 color 80 column screens (or any other screen/color combinations). Works under MultiTOS. Works on Falcons. Won't mess up your "double click" settings. KNOWN DEFICIENCIES . . . -- The way Release 6 handles disk errors has changed. In some ways it's better but in others it's not as good. The changes had to be made to get it to work under MultiTOS. It treats "zero length" files as if they are write protected. Some disk errors (validation failures for example) will cause the format or printout to abort. I have tried to prevent system alerts from ever being displayed (eg. "Disk not responding, Retry or Cancel") but it may be that some will sneak through. If so, your only good choice is to fix the problem and then choose "Retry". Sometimes you will not be able to and unfortunately, "Cancel" will likely cause a crash. With Release 5b the program would abort in these circumstances but usually would not cause a crash. -- Some files generate a "wrong type of file" error message even though they actually print okay. One of the GEnie online magazines does this. Use the file viewer as a secondary check. If the file is readable it's likely it will print fine despite what the file checker said. -- The "Is the printer ready?" check does not work with some DeskJet and other Hewlett Packard printers. Not realizing that it's turned off, 2COLUMNS.PRG will go ahead and send data to the unresponsive printer until it's done or you press "Q". Don't turn your printer on while 2COLUMNS is still sending data to it. -- Some of the error messages that can occur in TOS/TTP mode look messy (they use the same string that would have gone into an Alert Box). *************************************** New bugs were probably introduced and are ready to pounce on faithful and trusting users but have so far managed to remain hidden from this humble programer and his kindly and diligent team of testers. Hopefully they are not too serious. Let me know about any you find. Please send bug reports and comments to me either via Email on GEnie (address: JWC-OEO) or a letter to: Self-styled Software, 321 J Street, Sparks NV 89431.