Copyright: ® 1993 by W.R. Rouzer


Help Contents
Contents

Introduction

Purpose and Organization

Welcome to FM

Getting Started

Supported Labels

Protect Your Data

Backing Up and Restoring

New Repositories

Adding A Repository

Manipulating Repositories

Expanding, Collapsing, Deleting

Moving

Moving a Repository

What's Inside?

Viewing Repositories

Printing from a View

Printing from the View Dialog

Where is it?

Searching Repositories

Mailing Diskettes

Mailing a Diskette

Defining Mail Label Options

Printing Mail Labels

Defining a Correspondent

Viewing a Diskette

View Disk Dialog

Updating the Diskette

Labeling the Diskette

Commenting Files

Viewing Files

Moving and Copying Files

Erasing Files

Printing the File List

Labeling Diskettes: Options

Defining Label Options

Diskette Labels: Printing

Printing Diskette Labels

FM's Hot Keys

Accelerator Keys

FM

About FM


Purpose and Organization

Floppy Manager ("FM" for short) is a diskette management system. It is intended to provide a way to track diskettes and the files they contain. Essentially, FM is intended to answer the basic questions: "What do I have?" and "Where did I put it?" and to answer those questions without having to scan each disk everytime you need the answers.

FM arranges the information about your diskette library into a hierarchical data base made up of "Repositories". A repository generally represents a physical container holding smaller repositories until the smallest unit, the file, is reached.

A 'library' is the most general repository In FM. A library might contain all your commercial software or all your business related diskettes. A library is the only repository in FM that represents a logical grouping rather than a physical container.

 A 'box' is contained in a library. Boxes representing the physical containers in which diskettes are kept.

A 'bin' is contained in a box. Bins represent the partitions that usually subdivide boxes.

A 'diskette' is contained in a bin. A diskette can be either a 3.5" or a 5.25" diskette.

A diskette (or ''volume') contains files. A file is the lowest unit tracked by FM and is not by an icon, but appears only in the "View Disk" dialog (see "View Disk DialogViewing Diskettes").

Note: The FM help system will assume that you know your way around in MS-Windows®. If you need any help with Windows concepts, please see the MS-Windows® help system.

See "Getting Started".


Getting Started

The best way to start using FM is to first look at your collection of diskettes and consider how you want it arranged. You might place all your software in a library by itself. You might create a library for each of the computer users in your family. Consider your system configuration; do you have a 5 1/4" drive and a 3 1/2" drive? If so perhaps you'll want to segregate different sizes into different boxes or bins. FM supports color monitors, so what significance, if any, do you want to place on the color of a repository? Don't be unnecessarily concerned about making a mistake though; FM allows easy rearrangement of your library once you've started.

Related Topics:

Defining FM Options


Defining FM Options

When you first start FM, you will see the "Options" dialog where you can determine some of the basic defaults FM will use. The first choice is the diskette drive that FM will use when you start introducing diskettes to FM. A list of all the diskette drives on your system will appear in a combo-box in alphabetical order. If you do not select a diskette drive, FM will take the first to appear as the default. When you introduce a new diskette in the "New Disk" dialog FM will initialize the selected drive to this value. If you override the default for a new diskette, FM "remembers" on which drive the diskette was introduced and that will become the default drive for that disk.

To set the default drive, you can simply press an alpha (a-z,A-Z) key on your key board. If it correspondents to one of the drive letters that FM has already identified as a valid drive letter, the appropriate letter will appear in the edit portion of the combo-box. If it does not correspond to a valid drive, nothing will happen. Alternatively, you can select the pull down button and select one of the available drive letters with the cursor or the directional ("arrow") keys.

Related Topics:

Default Diskette Size:

Default Colors:

Clearing Dialogs:

Tickler

Backup/Restore

Editor and Associated Windows Applications

Save Options

OK and Cancel Buttons

Exiting FM

General Notes


Default Diskette Size:

If you have only one size of diskette drive, you can set this once and forget it. If your system has multiple diskette drives of different sizes, you may have developed a preference for one diskette size over another. In that case select the preferred diskette size. If you have two or more diskette drives of the same size, be sure each time you select a function that requires a diskette mount that you indicate the size of the diskette being mounted.

To set the disk size, position the cursor to the group of radio-buttons labeled "Disk Size:" using either the TAB key or the mouse. You can select either of the two radio buttons (3.5" or 5.25") using either the mouse or the arrow keys. A black dot will appear inside the one selected and the other will be clear.


Default Colors:

Here the question is what default color would you like each of the different repository types to be. If you make a thoughtful choice here and are consistent in applying it, the color of the repository can convey significant information. For instance, you might select to display all commercial software in black and all critical repositories in red

If your system is black and white, the dithering pattern used by Windows® can achieve the same purpose.

To chose a color for each of the repository types, you can use either the TAB key or the mouse to position to the first radio-button in each group. Pick a color either by using the arrow keys up move up and down among the buttons (the current button will show a black dot in its' center) or you can select a color using the mouse.


Clearing Dialogs:

The "Clear Dialogs" check-box tells FM that you want to completely refresh dialogs when using the "Next" button (as in Next repository, etc.). When you first start using FM, it might be best not to check this option. Leaving this check-box unselected will cause FM to leave the text entered unaltered when you repetitively use a dialog. You can then modify the text for each new entry rather than entering it from scratch.


Tickler

At first, the "Tickler" option will have no real impact. If you mail (or loan) diskettes to others using the "Mail" menu command, this option simply tells FM that you want to be notified on or after the date that the return of the diskette is expected. If you check the Tickler box and mail a diskette, each time you start FM, FM will compare the tickler date to the current date and display a message window if a diskette is due.


Backup/Restore

Sometimes things go wrong. FM provides for this eventually by providing a backup and restore facility for its' data files. Selecting the "Auto Backup" check-box tells FM that you want to backup the FM data files each time you start FM. You can also manually backup and restore FM using the menu commands. See "Backing Up and Restoring FM Data Files". Note: if Auto Backup is to be effective, the Save Options must also be selected.


Editor and Associated Windows Applications

No matter how carefully you name a repository or comment a file sometimes nothing beats taking a peek at the file's contents. FM uses one of two methods for this. First there is the Editor option. Here you can specify which editor (either Windows® or DOS based) you want to use to view the files on your diskettes (MS-Windows'® NOTEPAD, if present, will be the default). Secondly, there is the "Use Associated Windows® Application" check-box. If you check this box when you select a file to be viewed on the "View Diskette" dialog, FM will first see if you have defined a MS-Windows® application to be associated with the selected file extension. If so, FM will invoke the associated application and pass the file name to the program as a parameter.


Save Options

There may be times when you want to set these options temporarily (in effect for only the current FM session) or you may want to make them permanent (lasting from FM session to FM session until again changed). If you want to make them permanent, check the "Save Options" check-box.


OK and Cancel Buttons

Finally there are the "OK" and "Cancel" buttons. Generally the meaning of these buttons is consistent throughout FM. "OK" means that you've finished and everything is satisfactory. "Cancel" means that you want to leave the current function with everything exactly as it was.


Exiting FM

When you have finished with your FM session, you leave FM by either selecting the Repository/Exit command from the FM's main menu or by using the Alt+X key combination.


General Notes

Although all the accelerator keys used in FM are shown in the documentation in upper case, FM is not case sensitive. In the case of the Exit command, Alt+x would work just as well. When defining search criteria, FM will find the appropriate candidate whether you entered the search criteria in upper case or lower case.

When entering dates in FM, always use the MM/DD/YYYY format. This format is used to insure a complete comparison.

When defining character search criteria, FM will search for a match regardless of capitalization and any leading or trailing spaces.

In order to insure that FM's data files (FM*.DAT) stay synchronized, only one instance of FM can be run at a time. As an example of a file synchronization error;  when you delete a repository, FM does not take the time to physically remove the repository from the affected files (this could become extremely slow over time); instead, FM marks the position as available for a new repository and records the location in FMPOS.DAT. Should FMPOS.DAT be deleted, FM would be unable to reclaim the available space.

When selecting the computer supplies that FM would support, Avery® labels were selected for their quality and consistent availability. See "Supported Labels" for a list of the sizes and Avery product numbers supported.

FM implements "context sensitive" help. When you use the 'F1' function key, FM will open the help system and attempt to place you at the text explaining your current activity or the topic containing the most information available. Which help topic appears is usually controlled by which dialog is showing. If no dialogs are showing, FM will position the help system to the FM help table-of-contents.

Moving around in FM requires a combination of key strokes and mouse movements. All of the menu commands can be invoked from FM's main menu using the mouse or hot keys. You can scroll up and down in FM by using the scroll bars which will appear when your "Repository Map" becomes large enough. Scrolling can be performed using either the mouse or the arrow keys. There is really only one place in FM where the mouse is absolutely necessary and that is to select repositories.

To select a repository, position the cursor to the repository you want and press the left mouse key. Some processes allow the selection of multiple repositories. This can be done by holding down the select key as you select each repository with the mouse. There is only one process in which the right mouse key is active. That is in the move and copy functions.

In the advent that FM or some other program terminates unexpectedly, you will wonder if all the repositories that you've been modifying were updated. FM updates all repository records as you make your changes. This means that if the last "transaction" completed successfully, the event has been recorded and will be recoverable.

See "Creating Repositories".


Supported Labels

Laser:

Address Labels:
5160/5260	1.0" x 2.625"	3 across
5161/5261	1.0" x 4.0"	2 across
5162/5262	1.333" x 4.0"	2 across

Diskette Labels:
5196/5096/5896	2.75"x2.75"	3 across	(3.5" diskettes)
5197/5097/5897	1.5"x4.0"	2 across	(5.25" diskettes)

Tractor Fed Labels:

 	Address Labels:
4013/4177	0.938"x3.5"	1 across
4022	1.938"x4.0"	1 across

Diskette Labels:
4241	2.75"x2.75"	1 across	(3.5" diskettes)
4022	1.25"x4.75"	1 across	(5.25" diskettes)


Backing Up and Restoring

No system is perfect. From time to time FM or MS-Windows® may fail. When this happens it would be extremely nice to be able to recover the work you've already done. For that reason, FM provides Backup and Restore options.

The Backup function can be used either manually or automatically. A manual backup can be initiated by selecting the Repository/Backup option from the main menu or by using the Alt+B key combination. FM will copy all of its' data files (*.DAT) to corresponding backup files (*.BAK).

The automatic backup option is selected from the FM Options dialog.If you select the auto backup option, FM will backup all of its' data files to files with ".BAK" extensions. As your library grows, this will of course take longer and longer affecting the time that it takes for the FM application to become fully active and available to you. You should not think of this as an alternative to backing up your hard disk (including FM's data files) regularly. The auto backup feature is most useful as a means of restoring the FM data base to a previous state when necessary.

Because the backup function is automatic once selected, there's not much more to say about it but the Restore function is manually invoked. To restore FM's data files to a previous state, select the Repository/Restore option from the main menu or use the Alt+T key combination. FM will close all open data files and copy existing ".BAK" files to their equivalent ".DAT" files. Upon completion of the restoration FM will automatically terminate. When you restart FM, all of its' indices and the desk top will be reset given the restored data.


Adding A Repository

Defining a new repository can be done either from the main FM menu or by using a "hot key". Which repository FM will create depends on which higher repository is currently selected if any. If no repository is selected, FM assumes you want to create a new library. If a box is selected, FM will create a new bin, etc. Libraries, boxes and bins are all very similar. Introducing a new disk is somewhat more involved.

Related Topics:

New Libraries, Boxes, and Bins

Introducing a New Diskette


New Libraries, Boxes, and Bins

To create a new Library, simply select Repository/New from the main menu or the Alt+N hot key combination with no repository selected. The "New Library Dialog" will appear. The same dialog is used for all three of the "container" repositories and contains input windows for the name (20 characters maximum) and the comment (50 characters maximum).It also contains a group of radio-buttons to define the color you want to represent the new repository. The button corresponding to the default you set in the "Options" (see "Getting StartedGetting Started")dialog will appear highlighted. Finally there is the "OK", "Next", and the "Cancel" buttons. "OK" and "Cancel" are nothing new but the "Next" can save you some work. The Next button will create the new repository and leave the values you selected, including name and comment, unchanged to create the next repository This can save you a lot of work when you're first getting started. If you don't want to save values between each new repository, select the "Clear Dialogs" check-box in the Options dialog.

Creating new boxes and bins are exactly the same except in the way that FM determines which you have in mind. To create a new box, first select the library you want to put it in. To create a new bin, first select the box.


Introducing a New Diskette

In many ways, this is the heart of FM. Tracking diskettes and the files that are on them is what FM is all about so defining a new diskette is a little more complicated.

To introduce a new diskette to FM, first select the bin into which you will place the diskette. Then, as with other repositories, select Repository/New from the main menu or use the Alt+N key combination. The "New Disk" dialog will appear.

This dialog will appear to the right of the available FM window space so that you can still see the Library Map for reference. As with the other repositories, the New Disk dialog has input areas for a disk name and a comment. It also has a group of color radio-buttons. These function exactly the same as in the definition of libraries, boxes, and bins.

The "Drive" combo-box serves two purposes in defining a new diskette. First it tells FM on which drive you want to introduce the new diskette and it sets the default drive for the new diskette. For every subsequent function involving the diskette, FM will set the default drive to the drive you define here. For systems with a single diskette drive this will be insignificant; for those with two drives of the same size, you may have to watch which drive you put the diskette on; for systems with dual drives of different sizes, it will be a significant convenience.

The "Size" group of radio-buttons simply tells FM what the physical size of the diskette will be so that the appropriate icon can be displayed.

The "Method" group of radio-buttons tells FM how you want the diskette introduced and how much detail you want to store about the diskette's contents. For a diskette with obsolete data or software on it, you might select the "Erase" radio button. FM will erase the files from the diskette. For a commercial software disk that you want to track but don't really care about the individual files, you might select the "No Scan" radio button. For diskettes containing data that is important to you, you might select the "Read" radio button, FM will scan the entire disk and record information about each file on it including the size, creation date, and attributes. There's one thing to remember here. Data takes up disk space and the data about files takes up the most. Select "Read" only if you really want to track individual files in FM.

If you selected the "Read" method, you might also want to select the "Comment Files" check-box. If you do, FM will give you the opportunity to comment each and every file as it is introduced. You may find this tedious and unnecessary. FM will also allow you to comment individual files in the "View Diskette" (see "View Disk DialogViewing Diskettes") dialog.

There is one remaining piece of information about files that may concern you. This is their attributes; whether they are "hidden" (invisible on normal DOS directory displays), "read only" (write protected), "system" (important DOS operating system files), or "archived". FM gives you two ways to deal with special attributes. You can reset any or all attributes. You can elect to be notified as FM encounters these files. Simply check combinations of check-boxes in the "Clear" and/or "Notify if" groups respectively.

The "OK", "Next", and "Cancel" buttons function in the New Disk dialog as they do with the New  Library (or Box, or Bin) dialogs.

When you press the OK button, FM first checks to make sure that there is a diskette mounted on the indicated drive and that the diskette has a DOS label. If the diskette is not labeled, FM will display a message-box to that effect. The message-box has an OK and a cancel button. Because FM uses the label for verification and needs a DOS label for this purpose, you should take this opportunity to label the diskette by using the Disk/Label Disk option on the main menu of Windows'® File Manager® or a comparable application if you use another desk top manager. Whichever application you use, you may find it convenient to leave it running as an active window; if you're introducing a number of unlabeled diskettes you can "swap" to it (CTRL+ESC) to label the diskettes. Once you've labeled the diskette, swap back to FM and press the OK button. If you do not want to proceed, press the Cancel button.


Expanding, Collapsing, Deleting

After you've introduced repositories to FM, you can manipulate them and their contents in various ways. Some of these are extremely simple; some require more explanation. Basically, you can Expand, Collapse, Move, View, and Delete a repository.

See "Viewing a Repository".

See "Moving Repositories".

Related Topics:

Expanding a Repository

Collapsing a Repository

Deleting a Repository


Expanding a Repository

To expand a repository, you have only to select it with your mouse and either select Repository/Expand from the main menu or use the Alt+E key combination. FM will expand the repository by showing all of the subordinate repositories it contains. Expanding a library will show you all the boxes the library contains, etc.


Collapsing a Repository

To Collapse a repository select it with the mouse and select Repository/Collapse from the main menu or press the Alt+C key combination. All of the subordinate repositories will disappear from the Repository-map. As your library grows, you may find yourself with many repositories open at once. To move around more quickly, first use the Collapse All option by either selecting Repository/Collapse All from the main menu or using the Alt+A key combination. All expanded repositories will immediately collapse leaving only the library icons showing.


Deleting a Repository

Deleting a repository is also very simple. It is also unrecoverable. If you think you might want to reconsider this action, backup (see "Backing Up and RestoringBackup and Restore") FM's data files first. When you delete a repository, all subordinate repositories are also deleted from FM's data base. They too are unrecoverable. To delete any repository, select it with the mouse and select the Repository/Delete function from the menu bar or use the Alt+D key combination.


Moving a Repository

Any repository except a library can be moved to another superior repository meaning that you can move a box to another library or a bin to another box but you can't move a box to another bin and you can't move a library at all. You can move a single repository at a time or you can move multiple repositories as long as they are all the same type and they're all going to the same repository.

To move a repository, select it with the mouse and either select the Repository/Move command from FM's main menu or use the Alt+M key combination. The icon representing the repository will turn to a "Ghost" image meaning that the icon will become only an outline image and the cursor will become a cross-hair cursor with the hot spot at the intersection of the vertical and horizontal bars. There will also be a "Cancel Move" option appearing in the main menu allowing you to cancel the process if necessary. Once the cross-hair cursor appears, select the destination repository and press the right mouse button. If the destination repository is not currently visible you can make it so by expanding its' superior(s) until it is. The repository and all of its' subordinate repositories will be moved to the destination repository and FM's data base will be updated. The Cancel Move option will disappear from the main menu.


Viewing Repositories

There are two ways to view information about -- and the contents of -- a repository. You can expand a repository" from the Repository-map to see its' subordinates graphically. Repositories can also be inspected using the "View Library", "View Box", "View Bin", or "View Disk" dialogs. Both methods allow you to travel down the logical path from a Library to the files it contains. There are two differences between these methods however; to print the contents of a repository, you must access the appropriate viewing dialog and it is only from the viewing dialogs that you can change the name of a repository or the comment.

See "View Disk Dialog".

Related Topics:

Viewing Libraries, Boxes, and Bins


Viewing Libraries, Boxes, and Bins

To view any repository, select it with the mouse and select Repository/View from the main menu or use the Alt+V key combination. Beyond this common access there are some differences. Libraries, boxes, and bins are sufficiently similar to be discussed as a group (differing only in the information content of each dialog) while viewing diskettes is covered separately.

The view dialogs for libraries, boxes, and bins all have an input window for the repository's name and the comment. They also share the same set of buttons and a list-box to view the repository's subordinates and to move down the hierarchy of repositories. The only difference is that each subordinate repository adds a window displaying the name of its' superior, i.e., a View Box dialog includes a window containing the name of the library in which the box belongs, etc.

When any of the view dialogs is first invoked the cursor is placed in the name edit-box. To change the name of the repository, simply enter the desired value (up to 20 characters). To change the comment associated with the repository, tab to the comment window and enter a comment (up to 40 characters). Please note that, except in the case of dates that must be numeric (0-9), "character" in FM means any character accessible from the key board. When you are entering your comments, remember that FM provides a search on the contents of these comments, the use of significant key words in the comments is a good idea. See "Searching RepositoriesSearching Repositories"

The list-box will contain the names of all the immediate subordinates contained in the repository being viewed. This list-box (and most list-boxes in FM ) allows multiple, extended selections. To select a single repository from the list-box, position the mouse cursor to the item and click the left mouse button; FM will highlight the selected repository. Clicking on another listed repository will de select any other repository and select (high light) the new repository. To select multiple repositories, press the SHIFT key as the repository is selected with the mouse. When using the SHIFT key to select multiple repositories, selecting scattered repositories will select all the repositories between the last selected repository and the newly selected repository. To avoid selecting all the repositories in between, use the CTRL key instead of the SHIFT key.

Once a repository (or repositories) from the list-box is selected, pressing the View button will invoke the appropriate view dialog for the repository. The delete button will delete the repository from FM's data base. Pressing either the View or the Delete button without first selecting a repository from the list-box will display an error message.

As explained in "Printing from the View Dialog", you can print the information about and/or the contents of a repository by pressing the Print button.


Printing from the View Dialog

To produce a list containing the information about a repository and (optionally) a list of its' subordinates, select the repository with the mouse and then select the View option. The View option is selected by using either the Repository/View option from the main menu or the Alt+V key combination.

Note: You can also print a list of repositories by selecting the Print button from any of the Search dialogs but whether from a View dialog or a Search dialog, the print process is the same.

Once the appropriate View dialog is displayed you will see the Print button on the far right of the dialog. Selecting the Print button will initiate the print process. To print only a few of the subordinate repositories listed in the list-box first select the subordinates.

Related Topics:

Print Options Dialog


Print Options Dialog

When you select the Print button, FM will display the "Print Options Dialog". The Print Options dialog contains several controls; the "Output" group of radio-buttons, the "Contents" groups (two groups of radio-buttons under the same heading), the "File Name" edit-box, and the "Ok"  and "Cancel" buttons.

Using the "Output" group, you can control whether the list is written to a file that will be displayed using your selected editor or is printed directly. Using the "Contents" groups, you can control whether only the subordinate list is printed or both the listed subordinates and all of their subordinates down to the diskette level. The Contents groups also allows you to select whether you want to print all of the listed subordinates or just the ones selected from the View (or Search) dialog list-box before you pressed the Print button.

The "File Name" edit-box is important only if you select the "File" radio-button from the Output group. The File Name edit-box provides FM with the name you want to use to store the repository list. The extension of the file name will always be "LST" to insure that a component of FM is not over written. FM provides a number of default names depending on how you got to the Print Options dialog. If you reached the Print Options dialog from a search for a repository name, the default file name is "REPNAME". Not knowing what you might want to do with these list files, FM does not erase them. Over time, you may want to clean them out of the FM directory. Multiple uses of the same list file name will result in the previous file being over written.

Once you have made your choices, selected the appropriate radio-buttons, and provided an alternative list file name, press the "Ok" button. FM will scan its data files and generate the required list. When the print option is selected, part of the process is under control of the printer driver. If you need any help in selecting final print options, refer to the Help for the driver.

Note: When you generate a repository list, FM does not descend to the File level; FM does not list the information about files on diskettes. Depending on the size of your libraries, this could be an extremely time consuming process. The only way to get a list of files on the diskette is to press the Print button on a "View Diskette" dialog. Hint: you can use a repository  list to generate a "BAT" file but if you change the contents of the diskette outside of FM, be sure to update the diskette before you attempt to do anything else to it under FM.


Searching Repositories

One of the most useful functions of FM is the search function. This function allows you to search all repositories for strings in the name and comment fields. It allows you to search diskettes for the DOS diskette label, for diskettes containing particular files by file name, for diskettes with a specified minimum amount of free space, and for diskettes that have been mailed. It also allows you to search for files that were created before, on, or after a particular date.

To initiate a search select the Search option from the main menu by selecting it with the mouse. This will cause a drop down menu to appear from which a particular type can be selected using either the mouse or the arrow keys. You can also use the Alt+S key combination to access the drop down menu and then select the particular search with the arrow keys. Any search option may be selected directly using the  accelerator keys as follows:

Alt+1	Repositories by Name
Alt+2	Repositories by Comment
Alt+3	Diskettes by Label
Alt+4	Diskettes by File Name
Alt+5	Diskettes by Space
Alt+6	Mailed Diskettes
Alt+7	Files by Date

Depending on which search type you select you will be presented with a different dialog to enter the search criteria.

All of the search dialogs share the same three buttons; View, Print and End. These buttons all initiate the same functions regardless of search targets and so are discussed here. Once the search has been completed and repositories found matching the search criteria, they will appear in the "Found" list-boxes of the respective search dialogs. You may select any number of these repositories as discussed elsewhere and then select either the View or Print buttons. For a detailed discussion of the View and Print buttons, see "Viewing Repositories" and "Printing From Dialogs" respectively. Selecting the End button closes the dialog.

Related Topics:

Searching Repositories by Name or Comment

Searching Diskettes by Label, File Name, or Space:

Searching for Mailed Diskettes:

Searching for Files by Date:


Searching Repositories by Name or Comment

Both these options use the same dialog. The only difference you will see is that searching by name shows a dialog with a title reading "Search Repositories By Name" and the other reads "Search Repositories By Comment". Except for the field FM uses for comparison, the processes are exactly alike.

When either dialog appears, the first step is to determine which repositories you want to search. The group of check-boxes (remember, check-boxes are not mutually exclusive) labeled "Search In:" is provided for this purpose. Click on one, all, or any combination of the check-boxes in this group to limit the search to particular types of repositories.

The next step is to define the value for which you want to search. Position the cursor to the "Search For:" edit-box and enter the value you want to find. FM will search either the name field or the comment field of the chosen repository type(s) without regard to capitalization (case sensitivity) or leading (or trailing) spaces. All searches in FM are done without regard to capitalization or leading/training spaces.

Once you've performed these two steps, press the "Search" button. This will actually initiate the search. If no repositories are found matching the search criteria provided, FM will display a message to that effect. If repositories are found, the names of those repositories will appear in the list-box. These repositories can then be acted upon using the "View" or "Print" buttons. All the search dialogs have "View" and "Print" buttons.


Searching Diskettes by Label, File Name, or Space:

These searches differ only in the fields being searched and in the type of criteria used. When you select any of them, you will be presented with a dialog that contains an edit-box to enter the search criteria, a list-box to display the names of the diskettes matching your search criteria, and the same buttons (Search, View, End, and Print) as all the other search dialogs.

When searching for a particular DOS label or for a file name, enter the value you want to find. When searching for a diskette with a minimum amount of free space, enter a numeric value without any punctuation representing the amount of space you need. Once you've entered the desired search criteria, press the Search button. Any diskette found matching your criteria will appear in the list-box by name. The diskettes found may be selected and Viewed and Printed using the "View" and "Print" buttons.


Searching for Mailed Diskettes:

This search is a little different from the others since you're looking specifically for diskettes that have been mailed to a correspondent. In this case, the search is performed before the dialog appears and if none are found, FM displays a message informing you of the fact. The dialog will appear only if  diskettes with a status of "mailed" are found. That dialog will contain only the list-box containing the names of the diskettes that have been mailed, the View, End, and Print buttons.


Searching for Files by Date:

The "Search Disk by File Date" contains an edit-box labeled "Search Date:". Enter the date you want you use for search criteria in MM/DD/YYYY format. In the group labeled "Comparison" select the radio-button (single selection only) reflecting the relationship you're looking for. The options are "Same Date", "After", and "Before" meaning "equal to", "greater than", and "less than" respectively. After the search criteria are entered, press the Search button. Any files matching the search criteria will appear in the list-box by file name. If no matches are found, FM will display a message to that effect.


Mailing a Diskette

To mail a diskette, select the desired icon(s) with the mouse. If it is not visible on the repository-map, expand the library, box, and bin in which the desired diskette is stored. Once the diskette icon is selected, select Mail/Send from the main menu or use the Ctrl+S key combination. You will be presented with the "Define Mailer" dialog. Here you can select the correspondent to whom the diskette is to be mailed, modify the date that it is to be mailed, generate a mailing label to be printed (or print one immediately), and enter a date on which you expect the diskette to be returned. If you selected the Tickler option in the FM Options dialog, FM will remind you on or after this date at the beginning of each FM session. Remember that FM uses dates in MM/DD/YYYY format.

In many cases you may elect not to generate a mail label or to save it for later printing. If you select the "Save Labels" radio-button, FM creates an image of the label in a file ("FMMLAB.DAT") and the Mail/Print Mail Labels (Alt+H) option is enabled on the main menu to be selected when you actually want to print the labels you've generated. You will definitely find it more economical to print laser labels in batches large enough to fill the sheet.

When you select multiple diskettes to be mailed, FM records them as being mailed to a single correspondent and will generate a label for each diskette. If you are sending multiple diskettes to a single correspondent but don't want multiple labels, select one diskette and mail it with the Save Labels or the Print Label radio-button selected and then send the other diskettes with the No Labels radio-button selected. This will cause FM to generate a single label but still record the fact that the other diskettes have been mailed.

When a correspondent returns a diskette to you, this event can be recorded by selecting the diskette(s) to being returned and selecting Mail/Receive from FM's main menu or using the Alt+R key combination.


Defining Mail Label Options

Before you print mailing labels, you should first select the format of the labels using the Mail/Define Mail Labels menu option. You will need to tell FM the size of the labels you'll be using, how many labels appear across the sheet, and what address lines you want to appear on the label.

To set the Mail Label Options, select the Mail/Define Mail Labels option from the main menu or use the Alt+F key combination. The "Set Up Mailing Labels" dialog will appear.

The dialog is divided into three major groups. Using the radio-buttons in the group labeled "Label Size", select the size of the mailing label you'll be using (see "Supported Labels"). From the group labeled "Label Size:      Printer/Page" select the size of the label you'll be using. The data under "Printer/Page" refers to the type of printer; "T" is tractor fed and "L" is laser, and the numeric character indicates how many labels appear in a horizontal row across the sheet. Be sure that you select the correct size and page combination.

Selecting the lines to appear on the mailing label is done from the group labeled "Label Format" and the check-box appearing just below the group labeled "Country Line". To save space, the labels within the format group are abbreviated:

Co.	Company	Company Name
Cor.	Correspondent 	Title, Name, etc.
Str.	Street	Street Number, Street Name, Unit
St.	State	State abbreviation

Select the radio-button associated with the grouping and order that you want. If you did not supply a Company Name, a title, or a unit when you defined the correspondent, FM will not include those lines or values on the label. If you check the "Country Line" check-box, FM will include an international address line if you supplied it. See "Defining a Correspondent" for a description of defining a correspondent's address.

The options you select here can be permanent (lasting from FM session to FM session) or they can be temporary (used only during the current session). If you want to save these options for future use, check the "Save Setup" check-box.

You may want to save these labels to be reprinted later. If you do, check the "Save Labels after printing" check-box.

Once you've made all your selections, press the "OK" button. FM will immediately save your options to disk if you checked the "Save Setup" option. If you press the Cancel button, FM will make no changes to the mail label options either permanent or temporary.

For you convenience FM was written to use Avery Labels as the most commonly available manufacturer of labels.

See "Supported LabelsSupported Labels" for a list of Avery labels.

See Printing Mailing Labels


Printing Mail Labels

Printing mail labels requires a little preparation. First make sure that you've correctly set your printer options using the printer driver setup dialog from the Windows Control Panel. For tractor fed labels, set the page width to the physical width of the label and the page height to the physical size plus half of the top and bottom gaps between labels; for example, for Avery Labels #4022 (1.938"x4.00") set the page size to 2.00" by 4.00" allowing for the 1/16" gap between labels. This additional page height is required because Windows drivers print to a "logical" page rather than a physical page. For laser printers, simply set the page size to 8.5"x11" (usually the default).

After setting the printer options, make sure you've selected the appropriate mail label options. Not correctly setting the printer options and the mail label options can lead to unexpected results.

Once you've set the printer and label options and loaded the necessary paper onto your printer, select the Mail/Print Mail Labels option from the main menu. This option will be enabled only if you have already generated and saved mailing labels. You will be selected with the "Print" dialog. Pressing the OK button on this dialog will initiate the printing process.

There is one reason why you should not leave the print process unattended. FM places no restrictions on the length of the data you enter when you define a correspondent so individual lines may be too long for the label size you've selected. When this occurs, FM presents you with a dialog containing a series of edit-boxes associated with auto check-boxes (FM sets these). Each edit-box will contain the text of the corresponding label line. The corresponding check-box will be marked with an "X" for each edit-box containing text that is too long. Modify the text in the indicated edit-boxes and press OK. Pressing Cancel will bypass this label; it will not terminate the print process.


Defining a Correspondent

A "Correspondent" in FM is any person to whom a diskette or diskettes have been "mailed". FM uses the term "mailed" but, of course, this could be "loan" or any other action that removes a diskette from your physical possession and that you want to record.

In order to mail a diskette, you must first define the correspondent to whom the diskette is to be mailed. Like repositories, FM maintains a file of correspondents, something like a rolodex.

To define a new correspondent, select Mail/Correspondents/New from the main menu or use the Ctrl+C key combination. FM will present you with the "New Correspondent" dialog. The New Correspondent dialog contains a series of edit-boxes in which to enter all the desired information. Of all the fields available, only the first name is required.

To enter the information for each correspondent position the cursor to the desired edit-box or combo-box and enter the value desired. When an edit-box has reached its' pre defined capacity you will hear a beep. All of the
edit-boxes (and combo-box) in the New Correspondent dialog are labeled. The input areas are listed below.

Mr./Mrs.: 	"prefix title" of the correspondent, i.e., "Dr.", "Rev.", etc.	10 characters
First:	first name of the correspondent.	20
Middle:	middle name of the correspondent.	20
Last:	last name of the correspondent.	20
Title:	Correspondent's position title, i.e., "President", "CEO", etc.	20
Company:	Company for which the correspondent work	40
Phone:	Telephone number, made up of area code and number	16
Addr:	Numeric street address	10
Street:	Street name	25
Unit:	Apartment number, cottage number, etc.	10
City:	Name of city as usually defined in a mailing address	25
Country:	Name of the country	40
State:	Abbreviation (2 characters) of states within the U.S. of A.	  2
Zip:	Postal Zip Code (allows for Zip + 4)	10

The input area for State is the only combo-box in the group. To select a state, simply press the button on the right side of the combo-box and then select a state from the expanded list with a click of the mouse. You can also enter the first letter of the state abbreviation in the combo-box. FM will find the first abbreviation with a matching first letter. Because FM cannot assume that all mailing addresses will have a state there is no default state. Not selecting a state results in a blank value for state.

The "OK" button will store the data entered for the correspondent in FM's correspondent file. The "Next" button will store the data and leave the dialog displayed for the next correspondent. When you are entering several correspondents at a time (and especially if they are in the same geographical area) it is highly recommended that you de select the "Clear Dialogs" option on the "Set FM Default Values" dialog. This will save effort by allowing you to reuse values entered for the previous correspondent. The "Cancel" button closes the dialog without saving the data for the current correspondent.

When you print the address labels, FM will format the eventual address label into a standard mailing label based upon the contents of these windows and the selections you make when you select your "Mail Label" options, see "Defining Mailing Labels".

Related Topics:

Editing/Deleting a Correspondent


Editing/Deleting a Correspondent

To edit or delete a correspondent, select the Mail/Correspondents/Edit option from the main menu or use the Ctrl+E key combination. You will be presented with the "Select Correspondent(s)" dialog. This dialog contains a list-box which will contain the names of all the correspondents you've defined. You may select one, any, or all of them to edit or delete using the OK or Delete buttons respectively. You may also print the list of correspondents or you can cancel the process.

Choosing the OK button will present you with the same dialog you used to define the correspondent. Here simply modify the existing data and press the OK again. You may also chose to delete the correspondent after you've gotten a better look at him/her by pressing the Delete button of this dialog.


View Disk Dialog

The "View Disk" dialog is the central dialog of FM; here you can maintain detailed information about the diskette and its' contents. This dialog provides the following functions:

a)	Change the name by which FM knows the diskette.
b)	Change the diskette comment.
c)	Update the directory of files.
d)	Generate a physical (i.e., adhesive label) for the diskette.
e)	Enter a comment about a file.
f)	View the contents of a file using the predefined editor or an associated Windows application.
g)	Move or copy files from one diskette to another or from the hard disk to the diskette.
h)	Erase files from the diskette.

i)	Print a list of files.

See "Editor and Associated Windows Applications".

As with the library, box, and bin view dialogs, to change the name of the diskette repository, enter the new name in the Name edit-box (when the dialog is first invoked, the cursor will appear in the name edit-box otherwise use the tab key to position the cursor). To preserve portions of the existing name, first use the arrow key or "Home" key to position the cursor anywhere in the edit-box. The high lighting will disappear and you can alter the name.

To change the repository comment, position the cursor to the comment edit-box and enter the new comment. To preserve portions of the existing comment, first position the cursor to the appropriate position using either the arrow keys or the HOME key as you did with the Name edit-box.

On the second row of the View Disk dialog are the library, box, and bin static-boxes. These display the names of the superior repositories with which the diskette is associated. The only way to change these values is to move the diskette to another library, box, or bin

The third row contains the Label, Size, Capacity, Free Space static-boxes; the Drive combo-box; and the Options group of check-boxes.

The Label static-box contains the DOS volume label, the 11 character string that magnetically labels the diskette. Whenever you select an option that requires a diskette mount, i.e., copy, move, or erase, FM compares the value in this box to the label on the diskette itself to verify that they match. If they do not, FM will not complete the action. Because the label is so important, you cannot change the label within FM. Should the label be changed, you must delete the diskette from the FM data base and re-introduce it

The Size static-box displays the total capacity of the volume while the Free Space static box displays the space on the diskette available for new files. When you perform functions such as Move or Erase, you will see the value in Free Space change. Capacity remains constant.

The Drive combo-box becomes important when you select any control that requires that a diskette be mounted such as Move or Copy. If the letter representing the drive on which you want to mount the diskette is displayed, you need not change the Drive box. If the desired drive letter is not displayed, use the button on the right end of the Drive combo-box to display the list of available drives and -- using the mouse or the tab and arrow keys -- select the appropriate drive. When you press the desired button, FM will first check that a diskette is mounted on the indicated drive and that the label on that diskette matches the label of the repository.

The Options group of check-boxes refer to auxiliary actions to be taken when a Move or Copy button is pressed. Basically FM is asking if you want to make a new directory (MD) by the same name on the destination diskette and if you want to remove the directory (RD) from the source diskette. The RD option is relevant only in the case of the Move command. In the case of the Copy command, FM ignores the RD check-box, See "Moving and Copying Files".

The fourth row of windows on the View Disk dialog contains the Correspondent box and the list-box displaying the files on the diskette. If the diskette has been mailed, the name of the person to whom the diskette was mailed will appear in the Correspondent box. See "Mailing Diskettes".

Each of the functions available from the View Disk dialog is represented by a button in the dialog. For clarity, the buttons are grouped; the "OK" refers to the dialog itself and closes the dialog after updating FM's data base when changes to Name or Comment are made; the Update and Label buttons refer to the diskette represented by the dialog; the Comment ("Comt"), View, Copy, Move, and Erase buttons refer to the files and 	directories listed in the list-box.


Updating the Diskette

When the contents of the diskette may have been altered outside of FM, you should use the Update button to verify the contents of the diskette by rescanning it. Whenever you are in doubt that the physical diskette and the data in the FM data base match, use the Update button. In most cases, this function can be performed very quickly. The only exception is when the diskette contains many files in many sub directories.


Labeling the Diskette

To produce an adhesive label for the diskette, select the "Label" button. FM writes the information necessary to build the label to a file ("FMVLAB.DAT"). When this file exists, the Labels/Print Disk Labels option(Alt+I) on FM's main menu becomes active. The label is not actually generated at this time so that you can select other diskettes to be labeled (in many cases it would be inconvenient to print a single label). In order to simplify actually printing the labels later, FM will allow you to store the labels for only one diskette size at a time. If you have generated label information for diskettes of other sizes, FM will display a message and ignore the Label button at this time.

When you decide to actually print the labels, make sure you have correctly set the diskette label options, loaded the necessary labels onto your printer and select the Label/Print Disk Labels from the main menu or use the Alt+I key combination. The dialog for the printer driver (see the Windows manual for a discussion of printers and printer drivers) will appear. If you have any questions about setting up your printer using the driver's dialog, see the driver's Help or your printer's manual. Until you've selected a diskette or diskettes to label, the Label/Print Disk Labels option is disabled (grayed). Note: if you're using laser labels, you will probably want to print your diskette labels in sets, i.e., if the sheet contains 9 labels, print your labels in sets of 9.


Commenting Files

To comment a file or files from the View Disk dialog, select the files you want to comment. To select a single file click on it with the mouse or use the TAB and arrow keys. To select multiple files, hold down the SHIFT or the CTRL shift key as you select each subsequent file. Multiple selections with the SHIFT key will select every file from the last selected to the currently selected while using the CTRL key will skip any files in between. Once you've selected all the files to be commented, select the Comment (abbreviated "COMT") button. A simple input dialog will appear. The "Comment File" dialog will display the file's directory and name. Simply input the desired comment and press the OK button. To cancel, press the Bypass button. The word "Bypass" is used here because, when multiple files are selected, this button does not cancel the entire operation, it only bypasses the current file. When the file comment suits you, press the OK button. FM will immediately update the comment field in the files list-box and FM's data base. To see the comment(s) you've just entered, use the horizontal scroll bar on the files list-box to scroll right.


Viewing Files

To view files from the View Disk dialog, simply select a single file or multiple files as described in the section on commenting files. FM will invoke either the editor you selected, or an associated Windows application (the associated windows application depends on the extension of the file(s) selected). See "Getting Started".


Moving and Copying Files

From the View Disk dialog you can either copy or move files from the diskette to another diskette or you can Move/Copy files from your hard disk to the diskette you're viewing. In addition, you can direct FM to make and/or remove directories. It all depends on which check-box(es) you've selected. If you checked the "Hard Disk Move/Copy" check-box just below the files list-box, FM will use your hard disk as the source of the files to be moved or copied and the diskette being viewed as the destination. Otherwise, FM will treat the diskette being viewed as the source and give you the opportunity to pick another diskette as the destination.

Related Topics:

Moving/Copying Files from Diskette to Diskette

Moving/Copying Files from the Hard Disk to a Diskette

Duplicate Files


Moving/Copying Files from Diskette to Diskette

The first step is to select the files you want to copy or move. Selecting files from the list-box in the View Disk dialog is exactly as explained elsewhere with one exception. When you select a line from the list-box that represents a directory, FM assumes that you want to select every file in the directory. If you select multiple files and there is a directory listed among the lines selected, that directory and every file in it is also selected.

Once you have selected the files, the next step is to decide if you want to recreate the directory on the destination diskette. If you selected a directory (or directories) and you want to recreate those directories on the destination diskette, check the "MD" check-box in the Options group. If you are moving files and you want to remove the directory from the source diskette, select the "RD" check-box from the Options group. Remember that the "RD" option is ignored in the case of a copy command.

After you've made your selections and have set the options, select the Move or the Copy button. The View Disk dialog in which you make your selections will minimize to an icon so that you can see the Repository-map without obstruction. Two things will happen which will serve to remind you that you are in the middle of a Move/Copy; first, the cursor will turn into a cross-hair pattern with the hot spot in the middle, at the intersection of the cross bars; second, if you are performing a copy process, FM's main menu will show a "Cancel Copy" option or, "Cancel Move" if you selected the Move button. Should you want to cancel the process, simply select the Cancel option.

With the View Disk dialog minimized and the cross-hair cursor showing, you can select the destination diskette. To select the destination diskette, position the center of the cross-hair cursor on the diskette icon and press the right button of the mouse. This is the only place in FM that the right button is active. The right button is used here so that if you have to expand or collapse other repositories, you can use the cross-hair cursor to select them and press the left button as usual.

Once you have selected the destination diskette with the cursor, FM will perform the Move/Copy. As required, FM will prompt you to mount the source and destination diskettes. Upon completion of the Move/Copy, the cross-hair cursor will revert to the arrow cursor and the Cancel option will disappear from the main menu.

There is one exception to this when your system has only a single diskette drive. In this case, FM creates a work directory just below its' own (the directory containing FM.EXE) called "FMSDWORK". FM will first prompt for the source diskette to be mounted, move/copy the targeted files into FMSDWORK, prompt for the destination diskette to be mounted and then move the "transient" files to the new directory on the destination drive. If something should go wrong in this process, the files are not lost; they're in the FMSDWORK directory. Use the Hard Disk Move/Copy command to place them in whatever diskette you desire and then remove the FMSDWORK directory before you attempt another Move or Copy command.


Moving/Copying Files from the Hard Disk to a Diskette

If you want to move/copy files from your hard disk to the diskette being viewed, select a single directory from the files list-box (this is the directory to which FM will Move/Copy the files from the hard disk), and then check the "Hard Disk Move/Copy" check-box. Don't select the MD (Make Directory) or RD (Remove Directory) check-box here, FM will allow you to make that choice when you're selecting the files to be moved/copied from the hard disk in the next dialog displayed.

Once you've selected the destination directory and checked the "Hard Disk Move/Copy" check-box, press the Copy or the Move button. FM will display the "Hard Disk Move/Copy" dialog. This dialog will give you the opportunity to select which directories and files you want to move or copy from the hard disk. It is in this dialog that you should decide to make a new directory or remove the directory from the hard drive.

When the Hard Disk Move/Copy dialog appears, the cursor will appear in the "Source Path" edit-box. Displayed in the Source Path edit-box will be the current drive and directory on the hard disk. Make changes to this path as necessary and press the "Scan HD" button. FM will scan the indicated directory on the hard disk and place a list of files in the file list-box of the Hard Disk Move/Copy dialog.

Select the directories and files you want to move/copy. Selecting any directory automatically selects all the files in that directory. Select the MD/RD check-boxes from the Hard Disk Move/Copy dialog's Options group if desired and then press the "OK" button. If you selected the wrong path before pressing the Scan HD button, simply change the path in the Source Path edit-box and rescan the new path. Until you have scanned the hard disk path, the OK button is disabled.

When your system has a single diskette drive, the same events occur as outlined for single drive diskette-to-diskette move and copy commands except that you are prompted for only the destination diskette to be mounted. If the move/copy function should fail in a hard disk-to-diskette move/copy, you have the same options and must take the same steps as with the single drive diskette-to-diskette move/copy.


Duplicate Files

When moving or copying files either disk-to-diskette or from the hard disk to a diskette, you might encounter duplicate files. When this occurs, you will be presented with the "Duplicate Files" dialog. This dialog will display information about both the source file and the destination file so that you can compare the names, files sizes, and creation dates. The edit-box associated with the destination file name is provided so that you can supply an alternate name for the destination file. If you choose to do so, make sure that the name is a standard DOS file name and then press the RENAME button. You can also choose to BYPASS the duplicate file or to OVERWRITE the source file by pressing the respective buttons.


Erasing Files

To erase a file or files from a diskette, select the desired directories and/or files and press the Erase button. FM will prompt for the diskette to be mounted, verify that the diskette label matches that in the data base, and then  erase the files from the diskette and remove them from FM's data base. Once you select the Erase button, this process cannot be canceled and is not recoverable.


Printing the File List

To print a list of the files contained on the diskette, select the Print button. FM will display the "Print Options" dialog. Using this dialog, you can select to print a list of all the files displayed in the list-box or only the selected files. You can select to print the list to a file that will be displayed to you and that you can use to generate a batch (.BAT) file (see your DOS manual for an explanation of batch files) or you can print the list to directly to the printer. This is the only dialog from which you can print the list of files on a diskette. As your diskette library grows, printing the files could easily become an extremely time consuming process. Printing the files from an individual diskette, on the other hand, will usually be relatively fast.


Defining Label Options

Before you print the diskette labels, you need to define how you want them printed. What size labels are you printing? What files and information do you want to appear on the labels, etc.

To set your diskette label options select the Labels/Define Disk Labels option from the main menu or use the Alt+G key combination. The "Set Up Disk Labels" dialog will appear.

The dialog is divided into two major groups. Using the radio-buttons in the "Label Size" group, you can select the physical size of the labels you are using. Notice that beside the label size is the type of printer supported and the arrangement of the labels on the page; "T" means Tractor fed, "L" means Laser, "1 Across", "2 Across" and "3 Across" means that the labels are ranged 1, 2, and 3 labels per row respectively There are two sub groups of controls under the group heading "Contents". The two groups of controls are divided in this way because some of the options are mutually exclusive and some are not.

Under the first Contents group you can provide the selection criteria to determine which files will appear on the label. If you select the radio-button labeled "Programs", all files with a EXE, COM or BAT extension will appear. If you select the "File Mask" button, you can enter a set of characters in the edit-box labeled "File Mask". The mask you enter should be a regular DOS type file mask meaning that you can use "?" as a wild card representing any single character and an "*" to represent any group of characters. FM will compare the mask to every file name on the disk. Only those matching the mask (regardless of capitalization) will appear on the label. The "all Files" button will produce a label that shows as many of the files as possible given the diskette label's size. If you select the "User Note" button, no files will appear on the label. Instead, you will be presented with a dialog in which you can enter a description of the disk or any text you want depending on the label size. If you chose "Lines", FM will print only horizontal lines on the label after printing whatever repository names you've selected.

Note: regardless of the repository names you selected, FM will always print the DOS label as the FIRST item appearing on the label.

Depending on how you use FM, you may find that you use the label only as an identifier and don't really care about seeing a list of the files because these are readily available from FM itself. In this case, you may find that either the User Defined Note or the Line options are most useful for your diskette labels.

In the second Contents group, you can select to print the library, box, bin, and/or the diskette name on the label by checking any or all or the check-boxes. If you select any of these, a line will be inserted directly under the label line showing the diskette's DOS label.

The "Save Setup" check-box allows you to save a permanent set of options (from FM session to FM session) and a temporary set. If you want to use a set of options for one session only, do not check this box.

Once you've set your options, press the OK button. If you check the Save Options check-box, FM will prepare to write your options to disk when the current FM session is terminated. If you press the Cancel button, no changes are made either temporary or permanent.

For you convenience FM was written to support Avery® Labels as the most commonly available manufacturer of labels.

See Supported Labels.


Printing Diskette Labels

Once you've selected diskettes to be labeled and selected your diskette label options, you can print adhesive diskette labels for your diskettes .

To actually print the labels you will have to follow these steps:

Using the printer setup dialog available from the "printers" dialog in the MS-Windows® control panel, set the page size. The precise instructions for this depend on the type of labels you're printing and the printer driver you're using. For tractor fed labels remember to set the page size to include the gaps between the labels by adding the size of the margin it to the page height. This is necessary because the printer driver is working in "logical" page size which includes these upper and lower margins. For example, set the logical page size for 1.25" x 4.75" labels to 1.5" x 4.75 "

If you are using laser labels, be sure that the "page size" option of your printer driver setup dialog is set to 8.5"x11". For laser or ink jet printers printing on 8.5"x11" paper, you can ignore the margins (both top and bottom); FM provides for them.

Load the selected labels onto your printer.

Select the Labels/Print Disk Labels option from the FM main menu or use the Alt+I key combination. You will be presented with the initial print dialog. This dialog contains an OK button and a Cancel button. It also contains a set of radio-buttons to control page selection. Although these are functional, they really have no meaning when printing labels.

Press the Ok button.

While FM is formatting the final labels based on the options you selected, some intervention may be required. If you selected the "User Note" option, FM will present you with the "Diskette Label Note" dialog. Most of the information presented to you on this dialog is provided to aid you in composing the note to be printed on the label. You will see the library, box, bin, and volume names; the DOS diskette label, and the comment you entered for the diskette. You will also see a static-box labeled "Approx Char Avail". This box will tell you approximately how many characters are available for your note given the other options you've selected, the font size, and the size of the label. When the note is printed, FM will attempt to format it on the label in the most readable fashion possible, i.e., FM will break on whole words and attempt to maximize the line space used. Because this is meant to be a simple note, it would be best to keep your comments as short and uncomplicated as possible. You should avoid extremely long words unbroken by spaces. Once you've entered the note, press the "OK" button. FM will include the note on the label. The "User Note" dialog will appear for each label to be printed in the current set of labels.


Accelerator Keys

As with other Windows® applications, the main menu options and sub-menus of FM can also be reached using hot keys. To invoke menu options or sub-menus, use the Alt key and the underlined letter of the menu option. For example, to expand the sub-menu associated with the "Repository" option of FM's main menu, press the Alt+R key combination.

Although all keys shown here are in upper case, FM is not case sensitive. A lower case key will work just as well.

Alt+N	New Repository

Alt+C	Collapse Repository

Alt+A	Collapse All Repositories

Alt+D	Delete Repository

Alt+E	Expand Repository

Alt+K	Backup FM data files

Alt+T	Restore FM data files

Alt+M	Move Repository

Alt+V	View Repository

Alt+X	Exit FM

Alt+G	Define Disk Labels

Alt+I	Print Disk Labels

Alt+S	Search

Repositories

Alt+1	by Name

Alt+2	by Comment

Diskettes

Alt+3	by Label

Alt+4	by File Name

Alt+5	by Available Space

Alt+6	for Mailed

Files

Alt+7	 by creation date

Alt+M	Mail

Ctrl+L	Clear Mail Labels

Alt+F	Define Mail Labels

Alt+H	Print Mail Labels

Ctrl+R	Receive a Disk

Ctrl+S	Send a Disk

Ctrl+C	New Correspondent

Ctrl+E	Edit Correspondent


About FM

Floppy Manager 1.0

Developed by HIQ Software

Designed and written by W.R. Rouzer

Additional design by:

Alice L. Oliveira
Denise E. Hart

Art work by Denise E. Hart

Copyright © 1993 by W.R. Rouzer


Glossary of Terms

bin

box

check-box

combo-box

control

data base

dialog

diskette

dithering

DOS label

edit-box

group

hierarchy

hot spot

library

list-box

message-box

mutually exclusive

radio-button

repository

repository-map

static-box

superior

swap


bin

The logical representation of the dividers that usually divide boxes containing diskettes.


box

The logical representation of the physical container of bins and diskettes.


check-box

A specialized child window that appears as a small empty square. It is one of the window types used as a control. When selected, the control is "checked" indicated by the appearance of an "X". If the control was already selected (displayed the "X") the control is unselected and the "X" disappears. This control is usually used to indicate a set of related but not mutually exclusive options.


combo-box

A child window used as a control that combines the attributes of an edit-box and a list-box. When first seen, it resembles an edit-box with a button at the right end. The control is used to represent a group of optional values. The user may select the displayed value or may press the button. Pressing the button causes the list-box portion of the control to expand displaying the other available values from which the user may make additional choices. Making no selection causes FM to default to the original value displayed in the edit-box section of the control.


control

Collectively, all the child windows of a parent window that can be manipulated by the user to indicate choices or direct the actions taken by FM.


data base

A collection of files containing data about individual items called "entities". The difference is that normal (also called "flat" or "linear") files do not maintain information about relationships between entities. In FM each repository record contains the identification number of its' superior. Also, when a repository is loaded by "expanding" it, FM builds an index to the repository's subordinates in order to speed up subsequent updates to the subordinate's record.


dialog

A specialized child window presented to the user to provide a specific sub function. This specialized window may contain any number of child windows such as edit-boxes, list-boxes, buttons, etc.; which provide the user with the means to input/alter data and to select actions to be taken by FM.


diskette

A logical repository representing the physical storage device (sometimes referred to as a "volume") being tracked by FM. This repository records data about the volume and the files stored on it.


dithering

The process by which certain colors and shades of gray are achieved by mixing pixels (individually addressable points on the screen) of various colors to arrive at something that approximates the desired color. When a color is requested on a black and white monitor, this method is used to create a distinguishable shade of gray


DOS label

The file management system of DOS provides for an eleven character diskette label to be added to the FAT (File Access Table) of each diskette. This label identifies each physical diskette. FM uses this label (referred to else where the DOS label) to verify that the diskette you mounted is the same one that appears in FM's files.


edit-box

A child window used as a control and into which the user may enter data or modify data placed there by FM. The user may tab from control to control within a single dialog window. When a dialog is first presented, the carat appears in the first available control.


group

A collection of related controls usually surrounded by a box. This collection is usually comprised of either radio-buttons or check-boxes. The first control in a collection is usually the default.


hierarchy

A logical arrangement of objects in which one object is "higher" or "above" another. In FM, a higher or superior repository logically contains the lower or inferior repository, i.e., a library contains boxes.


hot spot

The spot on a cursor that must be positioned on a window or control before that window or control can be selected. In the arrow cursor the spot is the tip of the arrow. In the cross hairs cursor displayed for the MOVE or COPY functions in FM, the spot is at the intersection of the cross hairs.


library

The highest repository in FM's hierarchy of repositories. This is the only repository that does not necessarily represent a physical item.


list-box

A scrollable window used as a control and displaying a list of subordinate repositories. Repositories in the control may be selected for any action indicated by the buttons of the dialog displaying the control.


message-box

A temporary window used to deliver an important message and, often, give the user a choice between several options to be taken. The message box is usually accompanied by a beep.


mutually exclusive

Two or more possibilities that cannot be true simultaneously.


radio-button

A circular control used that may be selected to indicate a choice made by the user. These controls usually appear as one of a group of similar controls representing mutually exclusive choices. When this control is selected, a black dot appears in the center of the circle and any other such dot disappears from any other similar control in the group. This control may be selected using either the mouse or the arrow keys.


repository

Represents either a logical grouping of subordinate entities as in the case of a library or a physical container as in the case of a box, bin, or diskette.


repository-map

The graphic mapping of the hierarchy of repositories in the user's diskette library. It displays icons representing libraries, boxes, bins, and diskettes. The icons are connected by lines indicating the relationship between repositories.


static-box

In general, a child window containing data that cannot be changed by the user.


superior

A repository that logically contains subordinate repositories reflecting the physical arrangement of the user's diskette library.


swap

Windows® is a multitasking operating system. This means that multiple applications (or "tasks") can be running simultaneously. This is the process Windows® uses to shift focus from one application to another. The user can initiate the process by using the Ctrl+ESC key combination. See the Windows® documentation for a further discussion of multitasking.