Table Of Content

. Issue 23/24 w Contents News 2 W w elcome to a double issue of Script combining the , New New LocoScript; book; last two issues of Volume 4. Sadly, it is also the last issue LocoScript courses; Transferring files we intend to produce. Once again, we must apologise for missing our promised publication date. The demands of our main activity of writing software continues to disrupt our schedules for Script. This is the main reason we have decided to cease pcw/pc The techniques used to publication. i i lay out tables of information Also, our recent readers survey showed that many of you Church services 12 PC/PCW don't like the joint format, and that there's a A conflict between articles for new users and those for the i pcw/pc i complete system for parish administration experienced and adventurous. many Master for tasks 14 f much If you've just started to use LocoScript, there's of interest in the back issues of Script. Most of the material is pcw/pc A Master document that i i as relevant today as the day it was published. So we will generates different types of letter continue to make the back issues available - see the order Index to Volumes 1-4 19 form on the address label for this issue. So that you can see at a glance what we've covered over the years, there's a Counting days 23 complete index in the centre pages of this issue. PCW Advanced topics for the are now covered very well pcw/pc Using LocoMail i by two independent magazines. Liz Bruce's articles in PCW Plus and the LocoScript Specials in PCW User should About fonts 26 go a long way to filling the gap left by Script and well be , pcw/pc Font descriptions explained i keeping these magazines up to date with developments. & For the PC there are many topics we have not covered in Hints Tips 30 we the joint issues. Whilst don't intend to start a regular pcw/pc Getting the right zero; Avoiding i i Script ZPC, we will be gathering these hints, tips and waiting for paper; Getting addresses right occasional longer articles together - so make sure you have Letters 33 we registered your copy of LocoScript so that can keep you informed of what we produce. Extracts from our post bag Looking back over the four years of Script, we've enjoyed PostScript 40 bringing you articles as varied as the inner workings of Layouts and using LocoFile to select cocktails. Script is published by: This last issue is no exception, covering topics ranging LOCOMOTIVE how from one enthusiastic user is providing a purpose- CAf'PUrXIlF made system for parish administration to the inside story on how our support department uses LocoScript both to Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1YL keep track of and to automate its correspondence ©1992 Locomotive Software Ltd. : New LocoSorlpf The other product is a set of So~ a a ~ Sans Serif soft fonts for use on HP The main news new the LocoScript is LaserJet printers (plus, of course, any that we've produced for IBM PCs and compatible These printers). fonts will - compatibles ^Script Professional. be available in normal, bold and italic The new LocoScript has a number of typestyles and you will be able to print we features that believe you will find at any point size on a LaserJet that - attractive like columns, footnotes, On supports scalable fonts. other date and time codes, thesaurus, on- LaserJet printers, the fonts will be screen help.... available at 8, 10, 12 and 14pt. For more information turn to page 4. The important feature of all these fonts is that you can print any character in L0C0 Script Professional products the LocoScript Character Set. As well as producing the new Last but not least, we've produced a I~~pc~I program, we are also in the process of new version of LocoLink to walk with LOCO producing a range of extra products to Script Professional. V'>v use alongside iOCOScript Professional. Note: The LocoFont 24 PC, LocoLink The first of these is a set of language and European language dictionaries support packs, containing both the that you have bought to use wi dictionary and the thesaurus for a LocoScript PC can also be used with LOCO particular language (where these are Script Professional. I available). Transfers for charity Packs are currently available for the following languages: American, Dutch, A H fTc~| group a: - j, ,>iers is French, French Canadian, German, money raising for Multiple Sclerosis by Italian, Norwegian (Bokmal), Spanish, offering to transfer 0b 1 3 fil wrtTt»'"» Swedish, and Swiss German. Each pack PCW discs and either 33F or 5JT PC costs £49.95+VAT and comes with a discs. The se" :e core £- oe r PIT ’ book how that explains both to install the disc, irrespec: ve of ~ - nies new dictionary and thesaurus and how to am to be transferred, the cost use them your work. in PC and of the discs 1st class return Then there are a couple of 'Font' postage. products, again at £49.95+VAT each. If you want to take advantage of this The first is a set of eleven 24 Pin Printer service (rather than transfer the files Fonts for use on LQ- and Proprinter- yourself eg. by using LocoLink), send PCW compatible printers (which covers most your discs and a cheque for £6 PCW 24-pin printers and bubblejet printers). per disc (made payable to These offer typefaces from formal ones Multiple Sc ec > ear Upfield, ft for business use to decorative styles such Computer Centre; University of Hull, as Script and Old English. Hull HU6 7RX (Tel: 0482 465248). D 2 Script ssue 27/24 — LocoScripting People LocoScript courses pcw/pc you use LocoScript to run a pcw/pc Following our note in Issue 22, we were If I i i club or a subscription then a book sent information about LocoScript courses run by list, due out in September could be just what the following organisations: you need. Called 'LocoScripting People', Hammersmith & Fulham Community Education • covers the practical aspects of it service: Day and evening classes leading to the a\ dministering a of members - from list RSA exam on PCWs. I sorting out what information to store in the datafile to printing reminder letters • Northgate Adult Education Service, Dereham, when Norfolk: Day and evening classes on LocoScript 2 together with address labels they covering RSA and have failed to pay their subscriptions. I, II III. It has been written by Richard Clayton, • Surrey Adult and Continuing Education: Basic locomotive s Technical Director, in word-processing using LocoScript 2, for either collaboration with his mother, jane home work use or returning to (held at Stoneleigh) Clayton, who is a 'real’ user. They say • The Earnley Concourse, Earn ley, Chichester, aim you back your their to 'give is Sussex: Weekend courses on word-processing on evenings'. Amstrad PCWs - one for beginners plus a follow- The book starts by looking at the up course covering more advanced topics mechanics of setting up a members' including LocoMail. how datafile. then goes on to describe It You are also welcome to write in for a copy of to get useful information out of the our of people offering training, training datafile (such as the number of people list on who come materials and/or consultancy. Inclusion this list into a particular category); does not constitute a recommendation, but you how to write letters to the relevant could well find someone who suits your needs by how section of the membership; and to phoning round the people listed in your area. generate address labels in the correct (Please enclose an SAE.) format for your labels stationery. also It explains how to change your datafile as new PcWs how Transferring to the your needs develop and you stand in relation to the Data Protection Act, PCW8256, fpcwl you intend to replace your old If and gives practical information such as 8512 or 9512 by one of the new PcWs, you have how to avoid sticking stamps on letters. the problem of transferring all your work from the Many of the actions discussed involve old 3" discs to the new 3 discs. Yz using Mailmerge programs, which are One problem provided possible solution to this is given in full in the book. Most of these by 'PCW Linkit'. This comprises a cable to PCW work equally well on either a or a connect between the Expansion slots of the two PC, though a few of the labels programs machines, plus two discs - one for each machine. have been included specifically to show Each disc contains a Linkit program which you how much easier labels are to generate in run under CP/M. This gives a file display rather the new LCC0Script Professional! you run If like LocoScript's Disc Manager Screen. You into difficulties with any program, there's simply 'tag' the files you want to transfer and then a Troubleshooting section that explains rm press to send them to the other machine. how the authors would go about finding PCW out where the mistake is in your program. Linkit costs £49.95 (inc. VAT) and is available from Wellington Business Services, 'LocoScripting People' being published is Wellington House, 129 High Street, Hen ley-in- by Sigma Press and will cost £1 2.95. Arden, Warwickshire B95 5AU Tel: 0564 795025. — — — — — — —— 2j/24 Script tJssixe 3 in May we brought out a new LocoScriptfor the PC called L0CCScript Professional, with a , number of thefeatures that you have askedfor in the past - such as columns, footnotes, We thesaurus, date and time codes... have also produced it at a price wefeel sure will appeal to you: £99+VATfor new users of LocoScript on the PC or £29.95+VATfor people upgradingfrom LocoScript PC. This article looks at what the new LocoScript has to offer. The original version of LocoScript for the PC you just have to give it the text of the footnote was produced in response to a demand from and mark where it is referred to in the text. PCW who users wanted to take advantage of Script will even provide matching markers in the greater computing power of the PC range the text and in the footnote, though you can set of computers while still keeping LocoScript for up your own markers if you prefer. And if you their word processing. As a result, decide you'd like all the notes to be gathered LocoScript PC was to a great extent at the end of the document instead, you can PCW LocoScript 2 for the transformed to run arrange this at the flip of a setting. on a PC - though we did add a few extra There's also a Thesaurus to consult when you features such as searching for files and split- need help or inspiration in picking the right screen editing, particularly in vl.5. word to use, and a special date phrase which Witj§ L0C0Scripi Professional (which we makes it incredibly easy to insert today's date we abbreviate to Script have produced a into any document - complete with the correct ), version of LocoScript designed for the PC - day of the week you want. And when you if which itself takes advantage of the greater are uncertain what actions you need to take, computing power of today's PCs. you can simply press QO to call up Script's on-screen Help to find out which key to press New features next or what value to set. new (There's a full list of the features overleaf.) The extra computing power has let us include number a of features you've been asking for. Easier to use For example, L0C0Script Professional lets you lay out your text in up to four 'newspaper-style' We have also put a lot of work into making columns across the page. You just specify the Script easier to 'drive' and more like the other number of columns you want in your Layout, programs you might use on your PC. together with the size of gap that you want left In particular, we've made it possible to drive between the columns, and Script does the rest all the menus by cursoring to the option you - wrapping the text from column to column in are interested in and pressing iia You don't, much the same way that it wraps text from . for instance, have to remember to tick the page to page. font or the paper that you want to use: Script can also arrange for footnotes to be instead you can just pick out with the cursor it printed at the bottom of the correct page: and press dnte0 # We also wanted to make the status the menus the Stock Layout at the head of the family - select easier to see, so we've made whether without altering any of their individual particular features are shown or hidden explicit characteristics. in the menu rather than a matter of whether the We've also done a similar trick with As appropriate option is ticked or not. a result, Templates, These aren't simply used to menu the Script version of a can look very create new documents in Script. In addition, different from the equivalent one in either various aspects of a document's set-up LocoScript 2 or LocoScript PC, even though it & (printer fonts, page layout. Stock Layouts does exactly the same job. etc.) can remain linked to its Template with However, this doesn't mean you will have to the result that they are automatically updated learn lots of new keystrokes because we've if you change the design of this particular designed the menus in such a way that many of type of document. Moreover, the Templates the keystrokes you've been used to using in themselves can be linked together into LocoScript 2 and LocoScript PC can continue to families very much like those of Stock be used. For example, pressing (O when the Layouts - making them very easy to update cursor is on an option in Script that switches en masse if, for example, you change your between On and Off or Shown and Hidden has printer. the same effect as ticking the equivalent option in the earlier programs. Similarly, pressing F 1 Availability has the same effect as clearing this tick. L0C0 now Script Professional is available at Easier to make changes £99+VAT for the full product (needed by PCW someone upgrading from their Amstrad much Another thing that is very easier in Script to a PC). Registered users of LocoScript PC, is making overall changes to the layout both of a however, can buy a version that upgrades single document and of all the documents of a their copy of LocoScript PC into L0C0Scripl particular type (ie. made from the same Professional for just £29.95+VAT. template). The full product is available from dealers but The way we've done this is by introducing the the Upgrade pack is only available mail order idea of 'Inheritance'. The feature of Inheritance from Locomotive Software. is that changing a setting in a Stock Layout automatically changes its value in every Layout The Upgrade pack contains a set of either 3VS that inherits this setting from this Stock Layout. or 5M'5 discs (you will be asked to specify This makes very simple and straightforward which you want), an Upgrade book which it to change how a particular class of text is laid explains how to install Script and a copy of out throughout a document: you just set up a the Script Reference book. Stock Layout for this class of text and then use Used together with your LocoScript PC this as the 'Parent' Stock Layout for each of the manuals, these books will cover everything different Layouts involved. you need to know to use Script but you can if Moreover, the Stock Layouts themselves can you wish have a full set of Script manuals at & inherit some or all of their settings from another an extra cost of £12.50 (plus £5.00 post Stock Layout, allowing you to group these into packing if ordered as a separate purchase 'families'. This lets you change a particular later). You can also ask for the upgrade aspect of a number of Stock Layouts and programs to be supplied on both 3Vz and 53C Layouts by changing the appropriate setting in discs for an extra cost of £5.00+VAT. Script Dssue 2^/24 The new features offered by Script include: Columns Character sizes up to 999.9pt With Script you can lay out your text in up With Script you can use just about any size | , to four 'newspaper-style' columns across the of text that your printer provides. On a page. Different sections of the document can printer that offers 'scalable' fonts, this means be laid out in different numbers of columns, any size between O.lpt and 999.9pt. (Points allowing you, for example/ to switch between (pt) are units of measure used by commercial V two- or three-column format for the bulk of printers. point = s Script also supports 1 72 \) your text and single-column format for multiple height and multiple width headings or complex tables. You can control characters on matrix printers that offer these. where the text switches from one column to You can also set pretty much any 'Line the next. You can also arrange to equalise the Depth' you want, though in general it's amount of text in each of the columns. best to take the 'Automatic' Line Depth option because then Script sets this to be Thesaurus approximately 20% larger than the characters you are printing. This is the Line Depth that Calling up the Thesaurus from a document typesetting experts generally recommend. displays a list of the words related to the word the cursor is currently on. You can then Dates and Times either pick a suitable replacement from this list or continue your search by picking out Script has a number of facilities for working further words to look up. Moreover, Script with dates and times, from quick ways of maintains a 'History' of the words you pick pasting in today's date to codes that can be out, so if one sequence of enquiries comes to automatically updated to show the current a dead end, you can 'backtrack' to a previous date and time each time you edit the point in your search and take another course. document. There are also Mailmerge commands make that it easy, for example, to Footnotes and Endnotes work out the date in 30 days' time or to compare dates held in a datafile. Wherever you want to include supplementary information in a document, Options for Letterhead you can set this up as a 'Note' which Script will print either as a Footnote at the bottom Script's Page Layout includes special first of the page or as an Endnote at the end of the page margins which can be used to document, as you require. The next marker accommodate a pre-printed heading or to from your chosen sequence of symbols or make room for a really fancy Header on this numbers is automatically inserted both at the page. (It also lets you set a 'Binding' margin point in the text where the reference made, is to allow for the part of the page - alternately and in the Note itself (though you can use to the left and to the right of the page - that other marking schemes if you prefer). is Tosh when binding pages into a book.) n Alternative DOS-style Soft font downloading Manager Disc Script not only supports 'Soft fonts' on HP LaserJet and DeskJet (and similar) Script lets you choose whether to view your downloads them you printers, it also for as files and directories on the standard style of and when they are required. You just need to LocoScript Disc Manager or in a more DOS- use your font program to create Soft font files like display. It also lets you switch quickly ready for downloading and then tell Script between directories displayed in the two where these files are stored on your disc. halves of the screen, simply by pressing Tab I VI features Quick paths .5 we You can move directly to particular files or Script of course includes all the features directories anywhere on your system, simply added in LocoScript PC vl.5, such as: by pressing IT^n followed by a number. Searching for files and directories; Copying and erasing whole directories; Copying altered files; Two-document Disc space information editing; Keytops display; Selective spelling checking; Reverse order printing; Copy and Move confirmation menus in Descending order indexes for working Script have a Show space requi red option through records from highest to lowest; and that lets you see both how much space is command a 'Duplicate record' for generating needed and how much space available is new records from existing ones. when copying and moving and files directories. Help Mixing of ‘Standard’ and Last but not least. Script offers on-screen ‘Download’ fonts Help. Whenever you run into a problem or you are uncertain which key to press next or 'Download' is no longer a separate mode what value to set, you can press fT to call which you have when you want to select to up a display on the area of the program or use the 24-pin Download fonts and the range menu you the that are currently using. of characters these provide. As a result, your documents can contain any mixture you like of built-in fonts, cartridge fonts and Download fonts. LOCO Additional printer effects 9 Script generally supports a wider range of print effects than the earlier versions of LOCOi LocoScript. For example, you can print 'reversed out' text if your printer supports this. You can also print downloaded stand. characters in italic on 'Proprinter “type *i••* printers such as the Canon BJ-lOe. Setting up a table is really just a matter of iul iseri inese coaes, rirst posinon me cursor setting the margins and tab markers on the immediately after the place in the document yc Ruler line to give you the results you need. will be inserting the table, press fTsTl to display The table itself is then very easy to put into the Layout menu, select New ayout with the 1 your document. You just type the entry you cursor and press fia Now immediately press . want PCW for the first column, then press the Hobl exiti on the (i fig] on the PC) to leave the kBey, type the entry for the next column, press Layout Editor: don't change any of the settings. again - and so on until you've put in the This plants a Layout code in the document that You last entry. then press 1TH to finish the line sets exactly the same details as the Layout that and type the next line of entries as before. All is currently in use at the point in the document way the subtlety in the the text is laid out is in - ready to lay out the text following the table. the positioning the margins and tab markers (If you can't see this code, then use the QTj on the Ruler line Options menu to 'show codes': it's important to If the tabs you need for the table don't conflict be able to see where your Layout codes are to ensure that you insert your table between them. with those needed for other text in the You might also take the opportunity to 'show document, you could set these up as part of rulers' too.) the Layout controlling the whole of the document, but it's more common to need Next move the cursor immediately in front of different Layouts for the main text and table. the Layout code you have just inserted, press This requires two Layout codes: one to switch CUD/ select New layout and press as before. from the set of margins and tabs you need for But before leaving the Layout Editor this time, the bulk of your text to those needed for the you need to set up the margins and tabs table itself; and a second one to switch back required for your table. What these are is the again. subject of this article. Layout code setting the tabs neededfor the table — (LayouT )#1 2 s Set up the table here * ^ (layouT)# 1 ^ J. 2 ^ . . Layout code restoring ¥ the original Layout Figure The simplest 1: sort of table m Member's na Membership Class Renewal date Andrews Junior 93/02 ft 0 Andrews Full 93/06 E Carlton Life S Embury Full 93/04 Character pitch The number of characters per Inch along a line of the text. 12 pitch means 12 characters per inch. PS pitch means the characters are proportionally spaced. Character set The range of different characters a printer can produce without regard to their typeface, size, style etc. A Figure 2: table with wrapping The simplest sort of table The easier way is to position the Ruler cursor FH and then press (There's similarly easy The simplest sort of table to set up is one like the . ways of moving a tab. First, you press QaT) to one shown in Figure 1 The main features of this . move from tab marker to tab marker until you table are that all the entries are one-line and each reach the one you want to move; then you of the columns in the table is aligned by its left- press ED to clear this tab marker; then you hand edge. move the Ruler cursor to the new position you To set up such a table, you just need to place a want for the tab and press ED to set the new left-align or "Simple" tab marker at the points marker.) along the Ruler line where you want the second, You then leave the Layout Editor (which this third etc. columns to start. There's no need for a time plants a Layout code setting the tabs tab marker for the first column of entries because you've defined), and type the entries for your these will be aligned quite satisfactorily by the table, suitably separated by tabs. The only margin. left thing you need to ensure is that you type these If you want each of these columns to start at a entries between the two Layout codes you have particular distance across the page, then you will inserted, though on a PCW you also need to need to measure this distance in inches and ensure that you start the table on a new line multiply by the Scale Pitch (shown among other because the margins and tabs set by a Layout information at the top of the Layout Editor code don't take effect until the next line. screen) to work out precisely where to place each Handling longer entries tab marker. But in general you can get perfectly good results picking where to place your tab Not all entries in a table will be simple one-line markers by eye: if the columns turn out to be too entries like the ones shown in Figure 1 Indeed, . close or too far apart, you can simply change (or Figure 2 shows a fairly common type of table "amend") the Layout and move the markers. in which the first couple of columns contain The standard way of placing a Simple tab is to short entries but the last column is a position the Ruler cursor, then call up the Tabs description which can easily go over two or menu and take the option to "Set a Simple tab". more lines. Script Dssue 2^/24 9 0 . . There are two ways of setting up such a table in The advantage of this method is that you can go LocoScript - one which can be used both on a back to simply pressing [ID between typing the PCW and a PC; and the other which can only be entries. You don't have to remember to type (TO used if you are using LocoScript on a PC. j£D before the last column in order to get the you want. effect In the first method, you set up the same range of tabs that you would if the entries were all complex cases I/lore simple one-line entries. The difference comes when you type the table. Instead of simply The more complex case to handle is where typing a tab between each entry on a line, you entries in more than one column need to 'wrap' need to type an Indent tab" before the entry over to a second line or the column which that wraps onto the next line. (An Indent tab is wraps is not the last, as shown for example in typed both on PCWs and on PCs by holding Figure 3. Such cases are not easy to handle down the [aT) key as you press U±} The tab because of the way text is basically processed -) position pointed to by an Indent tab is used as line by line across the page. It's only highly the left margin until the next carriage return, sophisticated programs that can wrap text from giving you precisely the effect you need. line to line in more than one column at a time. The alternative method that's available If you The new Script Professional (see page 4) are using a PC is to change the Layout to set the allows you to lay out text in up to four columns Indent margin' at the start of this last column and so can produce the effect you require here. (no tab marker is needed). To set this margin, The approach taken to the task of setting up a edit the Layout, place the Ruler cursor where table is radically different from we've used up you want the last column to start, press QD to to now. For a start, instead of setting tab display the Margins menu and then take the markers across the Ruler line, you simply set option to Set i ndent margi n. LocoScript then the number of columns you require plus the places a *+ marker on the Ruler line at this size of gap you want between the columns. point, to show the Indent margin you have set. Then when you come to type the entries, instead of typing a -* between entries, you need Using an Indent tab to insert an EndCol code which tells ( ) __J 1 . ? f 5 $ LocoScript to move on to the next column. Character pitch** The number of characters per Inch along a m line of the text. 12 pitch means 12 characters per Inch. PS pitch means the If you don't have Script Professional, the only , characters are proport tonally spaced. ** way up practical of setting a table like this is to Indent tab abandon any thoughts of automatic wrapping Using an indent margin and put in the line breaks yourself. - ... t * . 5 Different types of alignment Character pitch* / he number of characters per Inch along a ! / line of the text. 12 pitch means 12 / characters per Inch. PS pitch means the we / characters are proportionally spaced.** So far in this article, have been assuming Indent margin that every column of our tables has been aligned at its left-hand edge. However, this won't always be the sort of alignment you Figure 4: The different types of alignment want: in particular, you will probably like columns of numbers to be aligned with units Left tab Centre \tab Decimal tab Right tab \of / \ above units, tens above tens etc. so that they are . J. # . ? * i. . . we # Product* Quantity* Cost ex. VAl * Delivery** easy to compare. So to end this article, take wm3 # Ash hammer handles* 6* £13.50* Immediate** a quick look at the different types of alignment # Ratchet screwdrives# 20* £140* 2 weeks** Tempered bradawls* 12* £35.88* 14 days** LocoScript offers. w # Total ex VAT* £179.38** * VAT*. £31.39** Both on the PC and on the PCW, LocoScript w # Total Inc .VAT* £210.77** offers a total of four types of tab. As well as — — Script Dssue 24 1