Help Contents
Clip Master Pro Help Contents

Startup

Setup

Getting Started

Configuration Window

Signature File

Registering

How to Register

Entering the Code

How to Contact Us

Windows

Primary Window

Popup Menu

Viewer Window

Menu Commands

Miscellaneous

Distribution Policy

Activation Notes

Paste Series

Deleting Entries

Memory Usage & Constraints

Clipboard Formats

Pasting Formatted Text

Trouble Shooting


Distribution Policy

The shareware version of Clip Master Pro may be distributed freely so long as the Copyright notice remains in tact, and that all files and documentation related to Clip Master Pro remain unchanged from the original distribution. This specifically excludes the registration code which is non-transferable. Hermco Systems, Inc. assumes no liability and makes no warrantees implied or otherwise regarding the fitness of this product or it's compatibility with other software products. The user assumes full responsibility for it's installation and use.


How to Contact Us

We welcome all questions and comments regarding Clip Master Pro and can be reached via Email or at the address listed below. Be assured we will make every effort to respond to your inquiry promptly.

Please note that the operators at PsL take orders only - they cannot answer technical questions regarding Clip Master Pro, and are unable to put you in touch with the author. Their job is to process credit card orders and forward them to us. So please, only call the 800 number if you are going to register the product. Thanks.

CompuServe Email Address: 72772,1552

Internet Email Address: 72772.1552@compuserve.com

Hermco Systems, Inc.

PO Box 556

New City, NY 10956


How to Register

You can register Clip Master Pro by credit card, by regular mail, or via SWREG on CompuServe. The cost is only $22.95 for a single user license. This will entitle you to the enhanced commercial version of the program (the one without the built in sales pitch), as well as your first upgrade. For information on site licenses or multi-user discounts, please contact us by E-Mail.

by Credit Card...

You can register by credit card (Master Card, Visa, American Express, or Discover), through the Public Software Library. Operators are on duty Monday through Thursday from 7:00AM to 6:00PM CST and on Friday from 7:00AM to 12:30PM.

The toll free number is 800-242-4775. You can also dial 713-524-6394. When you call, make sure to supply the correct product name and ID. These are Clip Master Pro (PsL Product ID 14458).

Please note that the operators at PsL take orders only - they cannot answer technical questions regarding Clip Master Pro, and are unable to put you in touch with the author. Their job is to process credit card orders and forward them to us at Hermco Systems, Inc. If you have a problem with, or question about the product, please see the topic on How to Contact Us.

You can also Email credit card orders to PsL at their CompuServe ID at 71355,470, or through the Internet at 71355.470@compuserve.com. Alternatively, you can Fax your order to 713-524-6398. When making an Email or Fax Order you must include the following information:

Name:

Email Address:

Phone:

Mailing Address:

Credit Card Type (Visa, Master Card, AMEX, Discover):

Credit Card #:

Expiration Date:

PsL Product ID: 14458

Product Name: Clip Master Pro

Number of Licenses:

Also, please let us know  where downloaded the software from. Thanks.

by Regular Mail...

Please make your check out to Hermco Systems, Inc. and send it to the address that follows. Be sure to include both your own mailing address and your Email address. Make sure to indicate the name of product you are registering (Clip Master Pro). Also, please let us know where downloaded the software from Thanks.

Hermco Systems, Inc.

PO Box 556

New City, NY 10956

via CompuServe...

You can register via CompuServes Software Registration Service - just go SWREG on CompuServe and look for SWREG ID 10043, or Clip Master Pro. (Note that the SWREG ID is distinctly different from the PsL Product ID and the two should not be confused.)


Setup

You invoke the Clip Master Pro setup program from either the File Manager or the Program Manager  File Menu; more specifically the Run option. You will find it in the same directory as the file you just unzipped (for those users who receive a diskette from us directly, the setup program will be on the diskette). Once invoked, Setup will prompt you for a source directory specifying the directory it ran from as the default. It will also prompt you for a destination directory which defaults to c:\clipmstr. Setup will then copy the proper files to both the application andwindows\system directories, and automatically create a Program Manager Group for Clip Master Pro. When you are finished, you may want to optionally copy the Clip Master Pro icon to your Program Manager Startup group so that it is activated automatically when you start Windows.


Getting Started
Getting Started with Clip Master Pro

When the application is first started, it runs invisibly in the background, automatically saving anything cut or copied to the clipboard. To make Clip Master Pro visible, simply type a Ctrl_V, and the Primary Window will appear with a complete list of clips to choose from. Just highlight the one you want and double click on it. Alternatively, clicking the right mouse button will invoke a Popup Menu containing the last 10 clipboard items (or less depending on what was saved), as well as a few special menu entries for jumping directly to the primary display, and for cutting and copying text from the current application. While holding down the right mouse button, just move the mouse over the menu until the desired item is highlighted and then release it.

The number of clips you can store simultaneously during a given session is limited only by the amount of memory you have. However, the number of clips you are permitted to paste as an unregistered user is limited to only the last 5 items saved. Registered users can paste any and all of the previously saved clips.

In the event that Clip Master Pro intercepts keystrokes or clicks intended for another application or for the operating system itself, you can specify a different keystroke or click combination via the Configuration Window.

Please note that Clip Master Pro cannot be activated via a Paste command from the current applications Edit Menu. See the help topic on Activation Notes for details.


Configuration Window

The following attributes may be altered via the Configuration Window. To get there, just click on the Options menu of the primary display.

Print Screen - If set, this option causes the Print Screen key to route the current screen image directly to the printer, as well as save it to the clipboard. Note that when this option is not set, the screen is still saved, but not printed.

Reload on Startup - if set, this option causes the previous sessions clips to be reloaded automatically at startup.

# Clips Saved - this value is the number of clips automatically saved at the end of each Windows session or when Clip Master Pro terminates. Note that a value of 0 or less indicates an unlimited number of clips. The default is 100.

Main Activation - This section of the Configuration Window determines the key combination that activates the primary Clip Master Pro window. There are 3 options which are mutually exclusive: Ctrl_V,  Alt + Ctrl_V, and Ctrl_Ins. The default is Ctrl_V, which is the standard control key for pasting from the clipboard for the great majority of  Windows applications. So for most users, the transition from pasting the old way to pasting with Clip Master Pro should be fairly natural. Only instead of just pasting the most recent contents of the clipboard, the user is presented with a complete list of clips to choose from. The alternate key combinations are provided in case there is a conflict with another application.

Popup Activation - This section of the Configuration Window determines the mouse click combination that activates the Popup menu for Clip Master Pro. There are 3 options which are mutually exclusive: Right Mouse Button, Ctrl + Right Mouse Button, and  Ctrl + Left Mouse Button. The default is the Right Mouse Button. The alternate click combinations are provided in case there is a conflict with another application.

Registration Code - This is the field where you enter the registration code for enabling the commercial version of Clip Master Pro and disabling the shareware banner which is displayed on startup and on exit. Please note that the registration code is comprised of all upper case characters and numbers. Also note that once the code is keyed in, it will not appear the next time the Configuration Window is displayed. This is normal.


Deleting
Deleting Clipboard Items

A single clipboard item can be deleted by highlighting it in the primary Clip Master Pro display and then pressing the Delete key. In addition, the entire Clip Master Pro buffer can be purged (deleting all items in the clip list), through the Options menu.


Activation Notes

When Clip Master Pro is first started, it clears the contents of clipboard and is hidden from view. But it is still running in the background, automatically saving text and graphics posted to the clipboard by other applications. In fact, you will not actually see Clip Master Pro until you are ready to paste one of these items. Then all you have to do is type a Ctrl_V to activate the primary display, or click on the Right Mouse Button to activate Clip Master Pro in its Popup form. Keep in mind that Ctrl_V and the Right Mouse Button are the default activation methods for the main and Popup displays respectively, and can be changed to one of the fallback methods via the Configuration Window. This should only be necessary if there is a conflict between Clip Master Pro and another application where they are both trying to intercept the same keys or clicks. See the help topic on Configuring Clip Master Pro for details.

Also, please note that while the above mentioned methods can activate Clip Master Pro, executing a Paste command from the Edit Menu of an applications menu bar will not. This is by design to insure that an application will be able to paste from the clipboard even if it does not respond to Clip Master Pros internal paste commands. While the overwhelming majority of applications work seamlessly  with Clip Master Pro, there will always be a few that do not. For these few applications a fail safe method of pasting must be provided. So the Edit Menu Paste command is reserved for this purpose. If you find this is the case with one of your programs, you can still use Clip Master Pro to populate the clipboard with an item from the clip list, but you will have to paste it into the application manually.


Entering the Registration Code

The registration code for enabling the commercial version of Clip Master Pro and disabling the shareware banner, can be entered through the Configuration Window. Please note that the registration code is comprised of all upper case characters and numbers. You will not be able see the characters or numbers  as you enter them, only asterisks to indicate their position. Also note that once the code is keyed in, it will not appear the next time the Configuration Window is displayed. This is normal.


Clip Master Pro Display
Primary Window

The primary Clip Master Pro display contains a list box which has an entry for each text or graphic item that has been posted to the clipboard, sorted from the top down in descending order. Each one of these entries has a clipboard format and an identifying caption which describes the clip, the form of which  varies according to its source. If the clip was imported from a file directly into Clip Master Pro, then the {filename} in braces will be the identifying caption; if the clip is the result of pressing the Print Screen key, then the identifying caption will read {screen capture}; if the clip is the result of a graphic being posted to clipboard by a Windows application, then the identifying caption will read {graphic or other non-text clipboard format}; and lastly, if the clip is the result of text being posted to the clipboard by a Windows application, then the identifying caption will be the body of that text (up to 128 characters depending on the size of the Clip Master Pro window). The identifying caption together with the clipboard format should be enough information to uniquely identify an  item in the clip list. Though occasionally it may be necessary to click on the View button to see the actual graphic or the entire body of text. To paste an item into the current application, double click on the desired entry or single click on the Paste button.

These is also a menu bar in addition to the list box, and directly below it on the primary display, there is a group of command buttons which have the following functionality:

Open - Activates a dialog to import a file from disk into Clip Master Pro.

Print - Prints the currently highlighted item in the clip list.

View - Activates the Clip Master Pro viewer for looking at graphics and text associated with the highlighted item in the clip list. Text clips can also be edited from within the viewer.

Paste - Pastes the currently highlighted item in the clip list into the current application.

Exit - Hides Clip Master Pro from view, but does not terminate the application.


Popup Display
Popup Menu

The Popup display is a standard Windows Popup menu that contains a list of the last ten items that have been posted to the clipboard (or less depending on what was saved), as well as a few special menu entries for jumping directly to the primary Clip Master Pro display, and for cutting, copying, and pasting text. The list of clipboard items is sorted in the same order as the clip list on the primary Clip Master Pro display. Each item in the list has an identifying caption which describes the clip, the form of which  varies according to its source. If the clip was imported from a file directly into Clip Master Pro, then the {filename} in braces will be the identifying caption; if the clip is the result of pressing the Print Screen key, then the identifying caption will read {screen capture}; if the clip is the result of a graphic being posted to clipboard by a Windows application, then the identifying caption will read {graphic or other non-text clipboard format}; and lastly, if the clip is the result of text being posted to the clipboard by a Windows application, then the identifying caption will be the  body of that text (up to 40 characters). If you need to see the entire body of text or the graphic associated with an identifying caption then you will have to first go to the primary display (one of the special menu entries), and then click on the View button.

Clip Master Pro - jumps to the primary Clip Master Pro display.

Cut - cuts the selected text from the active application and writes it to clipboard, as well as storing it in Clip Master Pro.

Copy - copies the selected text from the active application and writes it to clipboard, as well as storing it in Clip Master Pro.

Paste Clipboard - pastes the current contents of the Windows clipboard into the active application.

Paste Series - pastes all the items in the clip list in top down order.

Paste Tabbed Series - same as Paste Series, only inserts tab characters in between items.

Paste Signature - Pastes the signature file into the active application.


Clip Master Pro Viewer
Viewer Window

The Clip Master Pro Viewer is activated from the primary display by clicking on the View button. It allows the user to look at the complete graphic or the entire body of text associated with the selected item, as well as edit that item provided it is character based. Note that text clips which exceed approximately 32K are temporarily truncated for viewing purposes and may not be edited (though they are restored to their original size when pasting). Also note that a Wrap Text feature has been provided for long paragraphs that scroll too far off to the right. In addition to viewing and editing, the following command buttons are available at the bottom of the Viewer window:

Prev - View the previous entry in the clip list.

Next - View the next entry in the clip list.

Print - Prints the contents of the Clip Master Pro View Window on the default printer.

Paste - Pastes the currently highlighted item in the clip list into the current application.

Exit - Exits the View Window.


Memory Usage and Constraints

The number of items that Clip Master Pro can maintain during a given Windows session is limited only by the amount of available memory at runtime. If you are cutting and copying small blocks of text (under 500 bytes), you can store hundreds of items or more. Though obviously if you are cutting and copying graphics (with an average size of 250K), the number of items you can store will be dramatically reduced. Also, the amount of memory available to Clip Master Pro may change according to the number of tasks you are simultaneously running and the amount memory these tasks collectively require.

While you can store many blocks of text, there is a maximum text length of approximately 64K for any single block. If you exceed this limit while cutting or copying text, or while importing a text file into Clip Master Pro, a warning message will be displayed. Further, text clips which exceed approximately 32K are temporarily truncated for viewing purposes and may not be edited. These clips however, are restored to their original size when pasting. Note that these limitations do not apply to graphics.


Pasting Formatted Text

While Clip Master Pro can save text from a program like Microsoft Word, it cannot save the corresponding font attributes that go with it (fontname, fontsize, bold, underline, etc.). That is because the clipboard formats that support font attributes are dependent on a dynamic link between the data in the clipboard and the application that put it there. This relationship is often proprietary and once the data in the clipboard changes or the owner application terminates, the associated attributes are lost. The text however, is maintained there after in standard ascii format, which is how it is saved.

Clip Master Pro does however provide a method by which you can paste the current contents of the clipboard, and if it happens to contain formatted text, then that formatted text will be pasted too. But this data changes whenever something new is cut or copied to the clipboard - note that it also changes whenever pasting a clip from Clip Master Pro. So what does this mean? Basically that we simulate the current applications paste command which pastes data directly from the clipboard. You will see a Paste Clipboard menu entry under both the Edit menu on the primary display and on the popup menu.


Clipboard Formats

The following is a list of standard clipboard formats that are common to all applications. In addition to these, there are many private formats which individual applications such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel use unto themselves (cutting and pasting within the same application or class), and thus are not available to other applications. The ones set in bold are the formats Clip Master Pro is capable of saving.

CF_BITMAP

The data is a bitmap.

CF_DIB

The data is a device independent bitmap.

CF_DIF

The data is in Data Interchange Format (DIF).

CF_DSPBITMAP

The data is a bitmap representation of a private format. This data is displayed in

bitmap format in lieu of the privately formatted data.

CF_DSPMETAFILEPICT

The data is a metafile representation of a private data format. This data is displayed in

metafile-picture format in lieu of the privately formatted data.

CF_DSPTEXT

The data is a textual representation of a private data format. This data is displayed in

text format in lieu of the privately formatted data.

CF_METAFILEPICT

The data is a metafile format.

CF_OEMTEXT

The data is an array of text characters in the OEM character set. Each line ends with a

carriage returnlinefeed (CR-LF) combination. A null character signals the end of the

data.

CF_OWNERDISPLAY

The data is in a private format that the clipboard owner must display.

CF_PALETTE

The data is a color palette.

CF_PENDATA

The data is for the pen extensions to the Windows operating system.

CF_RIFF

The data is in Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF).

CF_SYLK

The data is in Microsoft Symbolic Link (SYLK) format.

CF_TEXT

The data is an array of text characters. Each line ends with a carriage returnlinefeed (CR-LF) combination. A null character signals the end of the data.

CF_TIFF

The data is in Tag Image File Format (TIFF).

CF_WAVE

The data describes a sound wave. This is a subset of the CF_RIFF data format; it can

be used only for RIFF WAVE files.


Paste Series & Paste Tabbed Series

These two functions facilitate the simultaneous pasting of all the items in the clip list. They can be found off of the Edit menu on the primary display and on the Popup menu as well. The only difference between them is that the Paste Tabbed Series function inserts a tab character in between the individual items as they are being pasted, thus making it possible to populate multiple fields on a form with a single click or keystroke. This can be extremely useful in doing repetitive data entry. Just position the cursor on the first field you wish to paste and let Clip Master Pro do the rest. It will automatically paste the first item in the clip list, then tab to the next field, then paste the next item in the list, and so on. The Paste Series functions are also useful for concatenating multiple clips into a single document or text file. They are however limited in the sense that you must paste all items in the list, not just a selected few. To this end, there are several features of Clip Master Pro that are designed to support the Paste Series functions. One is the ability to rearrange the order of the clip list so you dont have to worry about the order in which you cut and copy items, and the other is the ability to insert blank rows so that you can skip over fields you dont wish to paste.

To rearrange the order of the clip list, simply hold down the left mouse button and drag the item to its new position in the list.

To insert a blank row in the clip list, use the Create Blank Row command off the Edit menu on the primary Clip Master Pro display. Note that once a blank entry is created, it can be edited in the Viewer Window if necessary. Therefore, this feature can be used to create new text items as well as to support the Paste Series functions.

Please note that the shareware version of Clip Master Pro allows pasting of only the top five items in the clip list, and this restriction includes the Paste Series functions.


Prerequisites & Trouble Shooting
Trouble Shooting

1. This program requires vbrun300.dll which we do not distribute with our application. If you don't already have this file in your c:\windows\system  directory, you can download it from the MSBASIC forum on CompuServe, or if you like we can send you a special Clip Master Pro distribution file which contains it. Also, there are certain other .dll files which are normally found in the c:\windows\system  directory that are needed by Clip Master Pro. They are commdlg.dll, and toolhelp.dll. If for some reason these files are not there, you can restore them from your Windows distribution media, or if you like we can send you a special Clip Master Pro distribution file which contains them.


Menu;Save;Reload;Create Blank Entry;Print;Print Setup;Open;Paste Series;Paste;Purge;Configure
Menu Commands

The following menu commands are accessible from the Clip Master Pro Primary Window:

File

Open - imports a file from disk into the clip list (same as command button).

Save - writes the currently highlighted clip to disk.

Reload - All clips are automatically saved at the end of each session. Executing this command will reload any saved items to the current clip list in the event the automatic reload is not set on the Configuration Window.

Print - prints the currently highlighted item in the clip list.

Printer Setup - call the printer setup routine for the default printer.

Exit - hides Clip Master Pro in the background (same as command button).

Edit

Paste Clipboard - pastes the current contents of the Windows clipboard into the active application.

Paste Series - pastes all the items in the clip list in top down order.

Paste Tabbed Series - same as Paste Series, only inserts tab characters in between items.

Create Blank Entry - inserts blank text clip at the top of the clip list.

Paste Signature - Pastes the signature file into the active application.

View Signature - View and Edit  the signature file.

Options

Configure - invokes the Clip Master Pro Configuration Window.

Purge - initiates a purge of all the items in the clip list.


Signature File

The Signature file is a special text entry that you can edit to include a closing greeting, your name, address, or a tag line that you commonly use. For example, you might populate it with your name, address, and telephone number, to use in all your electronic correspondence. Or you might just make a thought for the week. Which ever the case, once the text is entered, you just use the Paste Signature function to insert it into the active application. Note that this is not part of the regular clip list. It is automatically loaded at startup and saved when Windows or Clip Master Pro terminates. Also note that while the Signature file can be modified at any time, it cannot be deleted. To edit the file, use the View Signature function off the Edit Menu on the main Clip Master Pro window.