Copyright: ® 1993 TANSTAAFL Software


Help Contents
3x3 Labeler

© 1993 TANSTAAFL Software

Introduction

Overview

Installation

Instructions

Main Screen

Credits

Command Buttons

   Diskette Label Selection

  Drive Listbox

  Selected Buttons

  All Buttons

Menu Options

File

Defaults

Help

Future Features

Filename Columns

Banner Text

Label Preview

Other Enhancements

Order Information

Addresses

Prices

Order Form

Legalese

Revision History

8/15/93	1.1

7/5/93	1.0


Overview

3x3 Labeler produces 3 ½" diskette labels containing a listing of the file names on a diskette.  The currently-supported label is the Avery 5196, which contains three rows of three labels each on an 8 ½" by 11" page.  Each label's contents can be read from a different diskette or drive.  Each label can use different fonts, sizes and edge/banner text, or can use the default global values.


Installation

3x3 Labeler is distributed as a .ZIP file.  Unzip this file into the directory of your choice.  Copy the THREED.VBX file into your \WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.  To run, select 3x3.EXE from your shell or desktop.

This program is written in Visual Basic, and requires the run-time library VBRUN300.DLL, which should be available at the bulletin board where you obtained 3x3 Labeler (It's also included on the registered version disk).


Instructions

Select your 3 ½" drive using the drop-down drive list.  Insert a diskette into the drive.  Click on one of the diskette icons in the 3x3 grid to select a label to work with.  This grid corresponds to the 3x3 label format.  After selecting a label, you can edit the label information or read a diskette into it by pressing the Edit or Read buttons.

When the program has read the contents of the diskette, the diskette icon changes to a diskette icon with print on the label.  You can change the default edge text, banner text, font and size for the selected label by pressing the Edit button.  Repeat this process for up to 9 diskettes.  Press the Print button to send the information to the default printer.  Press the Wipe button to revert the icons and clear the information, or use the Clear button to clear the selected label.

It is not necessary to use all nine labels in each pass.  Since you can specify which label to read a disk to, you can print some now and some later.  I've had the best luck on partial pages by doing the "bottom" labels first.

The default banner and edge text may be specified with the Defaults/Edit menu.  Banner text will print above the contents listing.  Edge text will print above the banner, and will be on the edge of the diskette when the label is properly applied.  These options can be saved in 3x3.INI by using the Defaults/Save option.

WARNING: Printing label pages in multiple passes may violate the warranty of your laser printer.  Consult your laser printer manual or manufacturer for further information.  TANSTAAFL Software assumes no responsibility for any damage incurred by the use of 3x3 Labeler.


Main Screen


Credits

Original Idea by Miles Andrews

User Interface & Software by Dana Cline

Documentation by Dana Cline

Beta testing by:
Tim Stone
Mike Barker
Gary Moscon
Terry Freed

Program Created by Visual Basic 3.0

Help File Created by Doc-To-Help


   Diskette Label Selection

There are nine diskette buttons, in a 3x3 grid.  Each button corresponds to a label on the Avery 5196 page.  Press one of these buttons to select the label to work with..  This button can have three states.  The non-selected cleared state, is represented by a standard picture of a 3 ½" disk.  When a button is selected, the icon changes to a diskette with a red asterisk  [image].  After the diskette file names have been read, the icon changes to the 3x3 icon   [image].


  Drive Listbox

This box should point to your 3 ½" drive.  The drive initially points to C:, but you can change the default by changing the drive, then saving the defaults using the menu selection Defaults/Save.  When you next run 3x3 Labeler, the drive listbox will point to your 3 ½" drive, but only if you have a disk in the drive when you start 3x3 Labeler.  This appears to be a Visual Basic quirk.


  Selected Buttons

Read

Edit

Clear


Read

Read reads the diskette's contents into the selected label.  The current disk drive is used for the read operation.


Command Buttons -   Selected Buttons - Edit
Edit

Edit allows you to change the edge text, banner text, font and size for the selected label.  If the selected label is using the default global edge or banner text, the radio button to the right of the text will be selected.  When you change the edge or banner text, the global button will clear.  If you turn on either global button, the default text will replace the existing box contents.  The edge and banner text boxes will show the text in the selected font and size.  The file pattern text box can be used to specify which file names appear on the label.  This box can contain more than one file pattern, separated by a semi-colon (for example, *.EXE;*.COM to read just the executable filenames).  After changing the pattern, you must reread the diskette, if you've already read it.  Reset will reset the selected label to the current global defaults.

NOTE:  The edge and banner text boxes are as wide as the label.  Therefore, any text that does not fit in the text box will stretch beyond the label, possibly into the next label to the right.  For best results, always make sure your edge and banner text fits into the boxes.


Clear

Clear deletes any information associated with the selected label, including any edge or banner text.


  All Buttons

Print

Wipe


Print

Print prints the diskette file information to a page of labels.  The default printer should be online, in portrait mode, with labels loaded.  Each press of this button will print one page of labels.


Wipe

Wipe resets the Diskette button icons to show an "empty" diskette.  All information about diskette contents are cleared.


File

Exit

This option exits the 3x3 Labeler.


Defaults

Edit

Save


Menu Options - Defaults - Edit
Edit

This option allows you to specify the default edge and banner text and file pattern.  Edge and banner text share the same font, but may have different sizes.  For further information, refer to the command button Edit.


Save

This option saves the edge and banner text and the default floppy drive to the 3x3.INI file.  Next time 3x3 is started, these defaults are used.  Due to a quirk in Visual Basic's drive listbox, 3x3 will change to the floppy drive only if it has a disk in it.


Help

Contents

About


Contents

This option runs the Windows Help program with 3x3.HLP.


About

This option shows the About box, containing the program name, version number and other information.


Filename Columns

This version is limited to 3 columns of 12 filenames maximum.  With smaller point sizes, 4 columns would be possible, with perhaps up to 16 or 18 filenames.  If there is any interest, the filenames could be split into name and extension, similar to a DOS DIR command output.

Another possibility is to automatically decide the number of rows and columns, and the font size, based on the number of files.  Probably version 1.2 for this stuff.

While we're about it, I've had requests to print labels with just the edge and/or banner text.  I guess this would need a switch on each label's options box.


Banner Text

Banner text could be enhanced in several ways.  High on the priority list is the ability to print the banner text upside down above the edge text, so it will wrap to the back of the diskette and provide a label on that side.  Surprisingly, it is not overly easy to do this with Visual Basic, so this may wait until version 1.2 or 1.3.

Another option I'm considering is auto-sizing of the banner text to fit all the way across the label, with centering. Probably 1.2 for this enhancement.

The best planned enhancement is to allow you to use a .BMP bitmap containing a company logo, for instance.  This enhancement would include the ability to print the bitmap upside down for the back side label.  This enhancement probably won't come until 1.2 or 1.3.


Label Preview

Yes, this is also in the works.  Your feedback here is appreciated...Should it show just one label (the selected one?) or a whole page?  The majority so far want just the current label.    Maybe you'll see this in 1.2.


Other Enhancements

There has been some interest in printing a directory tree of the diskette instead of the columns of filenames.  I have doubts that this is very useful, but will certainly consider it.  Another possibility is to print directory names instead of filenames.

I also plan to implement  a printer setup dialog, in 1.2.

The next version will use a standard Setup program, to allow easier distribution of all of the related files (yea, I know I said that about the last version).

Any interest in this same program, but for labels for 5 ¼" floppies instead?  It couldn't have edge text, but could have more than 3 columns of files.  I would only build this one if there's interest.  Have to figure out which Avery label to use.


Addresses

TANSTAAFL Software can be contacted via several methods.  All orders should be mailed to the Post Office box.  Questions and technical support for registered users can use mail, phone, or several flavors of Email.  If you call, please call between the hours of 8 AM and 10 PM, Mountain Time.  Since I have to work during the day, the best times to call are in the evening.

Dana W. Cline

TANSTAAFL Software
P.O. Box 260075
Lakewood, CO  80226

(303) 989-7389

CompuServe:	73700,3053

GENIE:	tanstaafl

Internet:	73700.3053@compuserve.com


Prices

3x3 Labeler is available for $20 for the latest version.  This is a good deal for two reasons.  First, by supporting the concept of shareware, you encourage development by individuals and small companies.  Second, your $20 will likely get you a newer version than the one you may have, with more features.  I plan on evolving this product quickly, with new versions every couple of weeks (well, at least up to a point).

Payment should be in the form of a check or money order.  Cash is accepted but discouraged.  Sorry, no company P.O.'s.

Foreign orders should include $5 for shipping, and the check or money order should be payable in US Dollars, on a US Bank.

Source code is available.  Contact us for further details.


Order Form

TANSTAAFL Software

NAME:     __________________________________________________

COMPANY:_________________________________________________

ADDRESS:  _________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

CITY:     ____________________________________________________

STATE:    ________________________  ZIP CODE:  ________________

PHONE:    __________________________________________________

E-MAIL ADDRESS: ___________________________________________

WHERE DID YOU RECEIVE 3x3?  _______________________________

___________________________________________________________

DISK SIZE NEEDED: [  ] 3-1/2      [  ] 5-1/4

COMMENTS:  ________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Basic Registration	@ $ 20.00	__________

Colorado sales tax	(7.1%)	__________

Non-US Shipping	@ $5.00 	__________

(Payments must be in US Dollars, US bank)

                                                         TOTAL:  $__________

Checks or money orders only.  Sorry, no company P.O.'s or credit cards.

Remit to:

Dana W. Cline
TANSTAAFL Software
P.O. Box 260075
Lakewood, CO  80226


Legalese

3x3 Labeler is Copyright 1993 by TANSTAAFL Software.  3x3 Labeler is released as shareware.  The unregistered version should be used for evaluation purposes only.  Users are expected to pay for the registered version of this program.  3x3 Labeler is not warranted for anything, and TANSTAAFL Software is not responsible for any damages arising from the use of this program.

All product or company names mentioned are probably copyrighted or trademarked by their respective owners.

If you want to give this program away, please distribute the original .ZIP file.  If you want to distribute this program via CD-ROM or software library service, please contact us for the latest shareware version.


8/15/93_1.1
8/15/93	1.1

Added local edge text, local banner text, and local font name and sizes.  Changed the user interface to allow easy selection and editing of local data.  Improved error handling.   Added the ability to change global font name and sizes.  Improved help file.  Added filename patterns.


7/5/93_1.0
7/5/93	1.0

Original release, did minimum necessary to produce disk labels.