EDGEFLOW DOS Flowcharter Copyright (C) 1993 Pacestar Software User's Manual DESCRIPTION: EDGEFLOW is a "Shareware" version of Pacestar Software's longtime flowcharting favorite titled "EDGE FLOWCHARTER". Throughout this manual "EDGE" refers to "EDGEFLOW" and "EDGE FLOWCHARTER" interchangeably except where describing Shareware or Licensing. ASP OMBUDSMAN STATEMENT Pacestar Software is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536." IMPORTANT NOTICE: Pacestar Software retains all ownership rights to the EDGE computer program and its documentation. The EDGE source code is a confidential trade secret of Pacestar Software. You may not attempt to decipher or decompile EDGE or develop source code for EDGE, or knowingly allow others to do so. PACESTAR SOFTWARE PROVIDES THIS PUBLICATION "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. Pacestar Software may revise this publication from time to time without notice. Every attempt has been made to assure that this manual provides the most current and accurate information possible. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: All copyrights and trademarks mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. DEFINITION OF SHAREWARE Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue using it, you are expected to register. Individual programs differ on details -- some request registration while others require it, some specify a maximum trial period. With registration, you get anything from the simple right to continue using the software to an updated program with printed manual. Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software, and the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific exceptions as stated below. Shareware authors are accomplished programmers, just like commercial authors, and the programs are of comparable quality. (In both cases, there are good programs and bad ones!) The main difference is in the method of distribution. The author specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the software, either to all and sundry or to a specific group. For example, some authors require written permission before a commercial disk vendor may copy their Shareware. Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You should find software that suits your needs and pocketbook, whether it's commercial or Shareware. The Shareware system makes fitting your needs easier, because you can try before you buy. And because the overhead is low, prices are low also. Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee -- if you don't use the product, you don't pay for it. DISCLAIMER - AGREEMENT Users of EDGEFLOW must accept this disclaimer of warranty: EDGEFLOW is supplied as is. The author disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose. The author assumes no liability for damages, direct or conse- quential, which may result from the use of "EDGEFLOW". EDGEFLOW is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge to the user for evaluation. Feel free to share it with your friends, but please do not give it away altered or as part of another system. The essence of "user-supported" software is to provide personal computer users with quality software without high prices, and yet to provide incentive for programmers to continue to develop new products. If you find this program useful and find that you are using EDGEFLOW and continue to use EDGEFLOW after a reasonable trial period, you must make a reg- istration payment of $49.95 to Pacestar Software. The $49.95 registration fee will license one copy for use on any one computer at any one time. You must treat this software just like a book. An example is that this software may be used by any number of people and may be freely moved from one computer location to another, so long as there is no possibility of it being used at one location while it's being used at another. Just as a book cannot be read by two different persons at the same time. Users of EDGEFLOW must register and pay for their copies of EDGEFLOW within 30 days of first use or their license is withdrawn. Site-License arrangements may be made by contacting Pacestar Software. Anyone distributing EDGEFLOW for any kind of remuneration must first contact Pacestar Software at the address below for authorization. This authorization will be automatically granted to distributors recognized by the (ASP) as adhering to its guidelines for shareware distributors, and such distributors may begin offering EDGEFLOW immediately (However Pacestar Software must still be advised so that the distributor can be kept up-to-date with the latest version of EDGEFLOW.). You are encouraged to pass a copy of EDGEFLOW along to your friends for evaluation. Please encourage them to register their copy if they find that they can use it. All registered users will receive a copy of the latest version of the EDGEFLOW system. EDGEFLOW SUPPORT POLICY Pacestar is committed to supporting EDGEFLOW with the same high standards with which we develop products. If you contact us, we'll do our best to respond in a timely manner, solve your problems or answer your questions. However, please consult this manual and the READ.ME file first - you may find your answer there. US Mail: Pacestar Software Technical Support P.O. Box 51974 Phoenix, AZ. 85076-1974 Electronic Mail: CompuServe 72162,1672 Phone: (602) 893-3046 M-F 9-5 (AZ time) Phone support is for registered users and potential registered users only. Thank you. EDGEFLOW REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS 1. Initial Trial Period You have received a FULLY FUNCTIONAL, well-tested and commercially proven product. No essential features have been left out, and you should require nothing additional to use this most powerful flowcharting tool - for as long as you like. Please compare EDGEFLOW's POWER, SPEED, EASE-OF-USE, and RELIABILITY to any and all commercially available flowcharting programs! You'll be surprised only at the quality. There will be NO OTHER SURPRISES! You may try EDGEFLOW free of charge for a period of thirty days. During this time, you may use it as often as you like. Load it on as many machines as you like, make as many copies as you like, and PLEASE feel free to help spread EDGEFLOW among colleagues and associates. We even encourage you to upload it to Bulletin boards. ALL provided you make no modifications to the files. After thirty days, your license to legally use EDGEFLOW expires and you are expected to register. If you find EDGEFLOW useful, remit your registration fee, and you will receive an updated program and a printed manual. The updated program is IDENTICAL except without the occasional registration reminder screens. The manual is over 100 pages, very thorough, professional, comprehensive, and contains MANY figures and diagrams in addition to the textual descriptions contained here. The printed manual also includes a comprehensive index. Naturally, when you register you will receive notices of all future product updates, offers, news, and periodic reports of bugs, work-arounds, and user notes. 2. The registration fee is $49.95 per copy that you or your company will use. If loaded on a network, the fee applies to each user, and you will receive a disk and a manual for each user. To register, mail a check or money order to: Pacestar Software Technical Support P.O. Box 51974 Phoenix, AZ. 85076-1974 We usually ship within a day of receiving payment. We ARE in business and have been for years, and we do need your registrations to remain in business. However, if for some reason we decide to discontinue business in the future, ALL registration payments we receive after that time will be returned immediately as required by the Association of Shareware Professionals - see ombudsman statement. CONTENTS PREFACE 1 About this Manual 1 Notation 1 CHAPTER 1: PRODUCT OVERVIEW 2 Capabilities 3 Requirements 3 Files 4 Directories 4 CHAPTER 2: BASICS 5 Getting Started 5 Installing EDGE 5 Setting up the environment 5 Starting EDGE 6 Terminology / Important Concepts 6 The Cursor 8 The Alignment Grid 8 CHAPTER 3: USING THE MOUSE 9 The MENU Function 9 The SELECT Function 9 Lasso select 9 Deselect all 10 Select all 10 The DRAG Function 10 Creating a new figure 10 Scrolling the screen 10 Resizing a figure 11 Splitting a connector 11 Duplicating figures 11 CHAPTER 4: USING FEATURES AND MENUS 12 The Screen Menu 12 Feature Menus 12 Entries in feature menus 14 Dialog Boxes 14 Other ways to execute features 15 CHAPTER 5: MOVING THROUGH A DIAGRAM 17 Scrolling 17 Using Zoom 18 View 19 Using Page Boundaries 20 Establishing page boundaries 20 Home Position 21 CHAPTER 6: FIGURES 22 Selecting Figures 22 Choosing a Default Figure Type 22 Creating Figures 23 Changing Figure Types 24 Changing Figure Sizes 24 Fitting Figure Size to Text 25 Deleting Figures 25 Undeleting Figures 25 Moving Figures 26 Aligning Figures 26 Snap figure centers to grid 28 Copying Figures 28 Duplicating Figures (Quick Copy) 28 Figure Properties 29 Text 29 Font 29 Locks 29 Invisible (borderless) figures 31 CHAPTER 7: ENTERING AND EDITING TEXT 32 Entering Text 33 Text in Figures 33 Editing Text 34 Text editing controls 34 Text in Dialog Boxes 34 CHAPTER 8: CONNECTORS 35 About Connectors 35 Selecting Connectors 35 Creating Connectors 36 Connector Properties 37 Style 37 Locks 38 Changing Connector Types 38 Copying Connectors 38 Deleting Connectors 39 Undeleting Connectors 39 Splitting Connectors 39 Joining Connectors 39 Straightening Connectors 40 CHAPTER 9: LABELS 41 About Labels 41 Creating a Label 41 Deleting a Label 41 Editing a Label's Text 42 Simulating True Labels 42 Miscellaneous 42 CHAPTER 10: FILE OPERATIONS 43 ABOUT 43 CLEAR 43 DOS 44 EXIT 44 HELP 44 IMPORT 44 OPEN 45 PRINT 45 PROPS 46 REVERT 46 SAVE 46 SAVEAS 46 WRITE 47 CHAPTER 11: PRINTING 48 Selecting a printer 48 Setting paper size 49 Selecting the print destination (port) 49 Printing and Page Layout 49 Enabling page boundaries 50 Adjust page 50 Reduce/enlarge page 50 Set-up 50 Orientation 51 Print 51 Exporting Graphics for Import by Other Programs 52 CHAPTER 12: CUSTOMIZING EDGE 53 Configuration Options 53 Format of EDGE.CFG 53 System parameters 54 Custom Key Assignment 56 Preferences 58 Changing Screen Colors 60 APPENDIX A: Feature Codes 62 APPENDIX B: Menu Icons 65 APPENDIX C: Error Messages 66 1 +-----------+ | | | PREFACE | | | +-----------+ Welcome to the EDGE Flowcharter and diagramming program. EDGE brings powerful flowcharting features, outstanding speed, and high quality output to DOS users with this simple easy-to-use application. ABOUT THIS MANUAL The EDGE users manual is divided into several sections: - Chapter one provides an introduction to EDGE and a product overview including system requirements, technical information, and instructions for getting started. - Chapters two through five explain EDGE fundamentals such as how to use the mouse and the built-in menus and dialog boxes. You will also find definitions of important terminology and concepts. We recommend that you read this section before using EDGE. - Chapters six and seven describe how to use figures and text. - Chapters eight and nine describe how to use connectors and labels. - Chapters ten and eleven describe file operations such as saving, opening, and printing files. - Chapter twelve describes how to customize the EDGE environment to your own preferences. - Appendixes A through C provide reference information about EDGE features, icons, and error messages. NOTATION You will see the following notation throughout this manual: - A key sequence that combines holding down the control key while pressing another key (such as the "C" key) is denoted Ctrl-C, or control-C, or ^C. - A key sequence that combines holding down the ALT key while pressing another key (such as the "C" key) is denoted Alt-C, or ALT-C. - The term "menu" describes an area on the screen reserved for choosing features or options with the mouse. - The term "menu button" describes any marked region on the screen which is a target for a mouse click. Clicking the mouse on a menu button is the standard way to choose a feature. 2 +--------------------------------+ | | | CHAPTER 1 - PRODUCT OVERVIEW | | | +--------------------------------+ EDGE Flowcharter is the tool that makes flowcharting and diagramming easier, faster, and more enjoyable than ever. EDGE takes care of the jobs that other graphical drawing tools don't handle, like remembering connections between figures, automatically formatting groups of figures, and allowing instant editing of text. When text exceeds the size of a figure, the figure grows automatically. When you move a figure, connections to other figures move along, adjusting as necessary. EDGE provides powerful features that are easy to use, allowing you to concentrate fully on your diagramming task. In addition to flowcharts, you will find EDGE useful for many other types of diagrams including: - Process description and documentation - Data flow diagrams - Org charts - Control flow diagrams - State transition diagrams - Block diagrams for high-level software designs - Procedural flow diagrams - Object-oriented design diagrams - Systems flow analysis Additionally, and most importantly, EDGE supports user-defined diagramming techniques that integrate the capabilities of traditional methods that best apply to your application. YOU can diagram the way YOU want to. 3 3 Capabilities ------------ EDGE allows you to produce flowcharts on your computer, save them to disk, retrieve and modify them easily and quickly, and print the highest quality output to your printer. The simple but powerful user interface makes this entire process easy and FAST. With EDGE, diagrams can evolve rapidly and be reflected instantly in electronic form. Some of EDGE's features: - Integrated text and graphics. Place text anywhere on a diagram. - Add text to a figure and the figure automatically enlarges to accommodate the added text. - Connect any figures with lines and arrows. When you move the figures, they remain connected. - What-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) output - Pop-up menus, and fully integrated graphical mouse interface - A library of figures that you can use as building blocks for diagrams - Highest quality laser printer output, portrait or landscape, on multiple paper sizes, and scaled to your preference - Highly customizable. You can program any feature to any key and any mouse function to any mouse button. EDGE also allows you to change the way some parts of the user interface function. - Very efficient - does not require a powerful machine - Automatically formats diagrams - Plus MANY productivity enhancing features that accelerate the creation and maintenance of flowcharts and diagrams. Requirements ------------ You will need the following to run EDGE Flowcharter on your system: 1. An IBM compatible PC, XT, AT, 386, 486 (or greater) machine running DOS version 2.0 or later. 2. Either EGA/VGA or Hercules Monochrome (2 video pages) display. 3. A mouse. 4. 640K conventional memory (RAM). 5. Approximately 500K (1/2 meg) disk storage for EDGE plus additional storage for your workspace. 4 Files: EDGE.EXE Executable program file EDGE.HLP Help information file (quick reference) EDGE.CFG Configuration file (read on start-up) EDGE.PRF Saved personal preferences (optional) EDGE.KEY Custom key definitions (optional) EDGE.PRT Printer set-up file (optional) PRINTERS.LST Printer list file (required) EDGE.EDG Default flowchart file *.EDG Your flowchart files Directories: The EDGE Flowcharter system resides entirely in one directory (though you can work on flowchart files in any directory). We refer to the EDGE system directory as the EDGEHOME directory. You can install the EDGE system into any directory you want and that directory will be your EDGEHOME directory. You must tell EDGE where this directory is located by setting the DOS environment variable EDGEHOME to the path of the directory (see Getting Started). 5 +----------------------+ | | | CHAPTER 2 - BASICS | | | +----------------------+ EDGE is essentially a specialized editor. Rather than manipulating text like ordinary editors, EDGE manipulates graphics and diagrams as well. EDGE is not simply a paint program or a draw program. It does not merely create graphics for presentation. It manipulates objects that have special relationships to one another. EDGE maintains these relationships as you modify your diagrams. For instance, suppose you connect two boxes with an arrow. EDGE keeps the two boxes connected by the arrow even if you move one or both of the boxes. EDGE even reformats the document to reflect the changes. If you edit the text within a figure, EDGE resizes the figure so that the new text still fits entirely within the figure. EDGE you can concentrate on the performs many other functions for you so flowchart itself rather than on the process of creating it. Getting Started --------------- Installing EDGE: The first thing you should do is install EDGE on your hard disk. You can install EDGE by running the install.exe program located on your program diskette. Read the read.me file first for complete and up-to-date instructions. Setting up the environment: Set up the DOS environment variable EDGEHOME to the directory in which the EDGE executables and set-up files are located. Add the following line to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file: set EDGEHOME=C:\EDGE If you choose to install EDGE in some directory other than C:\EDGE, use that directory name instead. For convenience you may also elect to add this directory to your DOS path so that you can run EDGE from other directories. To do this, add the following line to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file: path=c:\edge; (or modify your current path to include this directory) Remember that changes to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file are not in effect until you reboot your machine. 6 Starting edge: Start EDGE by typing "EDGE" at the DOS command line with the name of the target diagram as the parameter. For instance, to edit a diagram called "dflow" enter: c> edge dflow This command invokes EDGE to edit the diagram file DFLOW.EDG. If DFLOW.EDG does not exist, it is created. Notice that EDGE automatically adds the .EDG extension to the diagram name to arrive at the file name. You can let EDGE add the extension or you can do it yourself. c> edge dflow.edg (this is identical to the previous example) However, EDGE will not allow you to use a file name with an extension that is different from .EDG. c> edge dflow.tst (this is an error, not a .EDG file) If you do not provide a parameter, the default file EDGE.EDG is assumed. c> edge (and) c> edge edge (and) c> edge edge.edg (are all equivalent) Terminology ----------- This section introduces some of the basic terminology used in this manual. Figure A figure is a rectangular box, a circle, an ellipse, or any one of the other shapes contained in EDGE's figure library. A figure may have text within it and connectors connecting it to other figures. Connector A connector is a line that connects two figures. Either or both ends of a connector may have arrowheads. Connectors represent logical relationships between figures. Label A label is text that "labels" a connector. If a connector has a label, the label is always attached to the center of the connector even if the connector moves. The purpose of a label is to add meaning to a connector. For example, if your diagram is a flowchart, you might label the connectors coming out of a diamond-shaped (decision) figure "true" and "false". 7 Object The general term object describes both figures and connectors. All EDGE objects are either figures or connectors. Diagram A diagram is a set of objects and properties that is stored in a single file. We use the words diagram and flowchart interchangeably since a flowchart is just a specialized diagram. A diagram is not limited to the size of a piece of paper, you can think of a diagram as a VERY large chalkboard full of information - up to nearly 1000 times the size of the screen. Important Concepts ------------------ A connector ALWAYS connects two figures together. A connector can only exist between two figures, neither end of a connector can float freely. However, either or both of these figures can be small "invisible" figures that exist solely for the purpose of anchoring the connector. In effect, connectors can be placed anywhere and used for almost any purpose. A connector and the figures it connects ALWAYS stay together. If you move one of the figures that a connector connects, the connector adjusts itself to maintain the connection. Of course, if the connector shown above had a label, the label would move accordingly. Text can appear in a diagram ONLY as part of a figure. Like connectors, text cannot float freely, it must be part of a figure. Also like connectors, you can use "invisible" figures to contain text. Therefore, you can place any amount of text anywhere in a diagram while still having the ability to move it around, edit it, and delete it. The Diagram Plane You construct a diagram on a very large plane that you can think of as a hugh chalkboard or sketch pad - up to nearly 1000 times the size of the screen. The screen is a small window showing a portion of this plane. Select-Then-Operate Paradigm EDGE uses a "select-then-operate" paradigm (model) for manipulating objects in the chart. Whenever you wish to perform an operation, you select some object or objects and then choose the operation that you would like to perform on them. This process is context-sensitive which means that EDGE determines which operations can apply to the number and type of objects that you selected and only those operations appear as options in the feature menus. 8 The Cursor When you start EDGE, the first thing you will notice is a cursor in the shape of a small arrow following the movement of the mouse. The cursor helps you "focus" operations on diagram objects and select features from menus. Another important role of the cursor is to provide you with some indication about what EDGE is doing and what you should do next. The cursor changes shape under different circumstances to fulfill this role. Depending on the circumstances, the cursor can take any of the following forms. The Alignment Grid EDGE provides an alignment grid that makes aligning figures and connectors fast and easy. When you choose to have EDGE show the alignment grid, it is visible on the screen unless you are zoomed. You can use this grid to align figures and connectors manually. The visible grid by itself is only a visual aid. You can use additional options to force automatic alignment with the grid. There are several options that control how the alignment grid works. One option causes the centers of figures that you create to automatically "snap" to align with the closest point on the grid. Another option causes not only the centers of figures to snap to the grid, but the sides of figures as well. So the height and width of figures that you create or resize will fall on the nearest grid boundary. Finally, another option allows you to increase how "fine" the grid alignment is - how close together the grid points are located. Further descriptions of these options and instructions on how to change them appear elsewhere (see Preferences). 9 +-------------------------------+ | | | CHAPTER 3 - USING THE MOUSE | | | +-------------------------------+ Using EDGE requires a mouse. You'll use the mouse to create, move, select, size, and connect figures as well as to execute features. Mastering the mouse controls will take a little practice, you'll soon enjoy the convenience of having so much power at the click of a button. We assume that your mouse has three buttons which we'll call left, middle, and right, or two buttons which we'll call left and right. EDGE has three corresponding functions called DRAG, MENU, and SELECT which, by default, are assigned to the left, middle, and right mouse buttons respectively. If your mouse has two buttons, the MENU function (middle button) will not be available, but you can still access the main menu by clicking on the MAIN MENU menu button on the screen menu. EDGE allows you to assign any of these mouse functions to any buttons, and to adjust the sensitivity of the mouse to your personal preference (see Configuration Options). The MENU Function (MIDDLE BUTTON) --------------------------------- The MENU mouse button always invokes the main menu and is identical to clicking the MAIN MENU button of the screen menu. The function of the main menu is described elsewhere (see CHAPTER 4: Using Features and Menus). The SELECT Function (RIGHT BUTTON) ---------------------------------- The SELECT mouse button controls the selection and deselection of objects. An object, such as a figure or a connector, is either selected or not selected. You select objects to indicate that they will be the target of the next operation. Clicking (pressing and releasing) the SELECT mouse button while the tip of the cursor is positioned inside the select region of an object selects the object (see Selecting Figures and Selecting Connectors). Clicking the SELECT mouse button on an object that is already selected deselects that object. 10 The SELECT mouse button can also select/deselect figures in other ways: Lasso select: Press and hold the SELECT mouse button while the cursor is not in a selectable object's select region and drag a lasso over a region of the screen. The lasso appears on the screen as a dotted box. When you release the mouse button, all objects completely within this "lasso" become selected in addition to any objects that were previously selected. Deselect all: Clicking (pressing and immediately releasing) the SELECT mouse button while the cursor is not in a selectable object's select region deselects all selected figures. Occasionally, you would rather suppress the deselect-all function. For example, there are cases when you may try to select a small object but you may miss the select region of the object and inadvertently deselect all figures selected previously. To prevent this from happening, hold down the shift key while selecting objects with the SELECT mouse button. This disables the DESELECT ALL function and the SELECT mouse button will only select objects. Select all: A shortcut method of selecting all the figures in the current diagram is to hold down the control key while clicking the SELECT mouse button as described above. The DRAG Function (LEFT BUTTON) ------------------------------- You use the DRAG mouse button to "grab" and drag a figure (or all selected figures) around the diagram. Do this by moving the cursor into the select region of a figure, pressing and holding the DRAG mouse button, moving the mouse (dragging the figure) to the desired location, and releasing the mouse button. Figures are automatically selected while being dragged and deselected when released. If you select more than one figure, you may move them all by dragging any one of them. The DRAG mouse button also does the following: Creating a new figure: Pressing the DRAG mouse button while the cursor is not in the select region of a selectable object creates a new figure. Drag the mouse until the figure shown on the screen is the desired size. The type of new figure will be the current default figure type (see Choosing a Default Figure Type) and its properties will be the current default figure properties (see Figure Properties). There are also other ways to create a new figure (see Creating Figures). 11 Scrolling the screen: Moving the mouse to the extreme edges of the window and pressing the DRAG mouse button causes the screen window to scroll in the corresponding direction until you release the button. You can also scroll the screen in other ways (see CHAPTER 5: Moving Through a Diagram). Resizing a figure: Holding down the control key while pressing the DRAG mouse button when the cursor is within the select region of a figure resizes the figure interactively (see Changing Figure Sizes). Splitting a connector: Holding down the control key while pressing the DRAG mouse button when the cursor is within the select region of a connector splits the connector into two different connectors at the point of selection (see Splitting Connectors). Duplicating figures: Holding down the ALT key while pressing the DRAG mouse button when the cursor is within the select region of a selectable figure quickly duplicates the figure. You can then drag the copy of the figure to a new location before releasing the mouse button (see Duplicating Figures (Quick Copy)). 12 +----------------------------------------+ | | | CHAPTER 4 - USING FEATURES AND MENUS | | | +----------------------------------------+ Operations provided by EDGE are called features. Features have a unique identification number called a feature code. EDGE currently contains about a hundred features each with a different feature code. An appendix at the end of this manual contains a complete list of EDGE features and their feature codes (see Appendix A: Feature Codes). Most features are available in the three types of menus, the screen menu, feature menus, and dialog boxes. The Screen Menu --------------- The most prominent menu is the screen menu. When enabled, this menu is located at the right edge of the screen. The screen menu provides easy access to the most commonly used features. The individual fields of the screen menu are called menu buttons. The function of each menu button is described elsewhere. To invoke a feature from the screen menu: 1. Move the tip of the cursor over the corresponding menu button. 2. Click any mouse button. ! Since it is very important to view as much context of a diagram at once as possible, we made it possible to completely eliminate the screen menu as an option, thereby freeing the entire screen for your workspace. The trade- off is that menus, particularly the main menu, becomes larger and more complex. To enable or disable the screen menu, adjust the "MENU ON RIGHT OF SCREEN" option under preferences (see Preferences). Feature Menus ------------- The other type of menu is the feature menu. A feature menu presents you with a set of features from which to choose. When you disable the screen menu, you can access nearly every feature via feature menus. ! The set of features that appear in a particular feature menu is context- sensitive. For instance, when you select a single connector, the main menu will present only the features that are appropriate to apply to a single connector. When you select a single figure, a different set of features will be available. When you select multiple figures, still different features will be available. The available choices are based both on the current context and on the type and number of objects selected. 13 A feature menu appears as a box in the working space of the screen. Under the menu name are icons arranged in a grid-like pattern, each representing a different feature. When a feature menu is on the screen, it is the focus of input. Until you dismiss the menu, you cannot use the mouse for its usual operations such as selecting figures or scrolling. As you move the cursor over the menu, the icon below the cursor is highlighted to indicate which feature will be performed if you click or release the mouse button on that spot. To dismiss the current feature menu (without invoking any feature): 1. Click any mouse button when no feature icon is highlighted. 2. OR, click any mouse button when the mouse is outside the boundaries of the menu. 3. OR, press the ESC key. 4. OR, press any other key when no feature icon is highlighted. For convenience, there are several ways to invoke a feature from a feature menu. To invoke a feature from a feature menu (method one): 1. Click (press and release) the menu mouse button (center button by default) 2. Move the tip of the cursor over the icon of your selection so that it becomes highlighted. 3. Click again to invoke the feature. To invoke a feature from a feature menu (method two): 1. Press and hold the menu mouse button (center button by default). 2. Move the tip of the cursor over the icon of your selection so that it becomes highlighted. 3. Release the mouse button to invoke the feature. To invoke a feature from a feature menu (method three): 1. Click (press and release) the menu mouse button (center button by default). 2. Move the tip of the cursor over the icon of your selection so that it becomes highlighted. 3. Press any key on the keyboard (typically ENTER but not ESC) to invoke the feature. 14 Whichever method you choose, when you successfully invoke a feature from a feature menu, the menu will disappear and the feature will be performed. Some features invoke a second feature menu to appear. Icons for such features contain a small arrow following the text: Entries in feature menus ------------------------ Feature menus contain icons that represent features. Most icons are abbreviations of six or fewer letters that represent the feature. In general, these abbreviations are close to, or the same as, the name of the feature they represent. For example, COPY represents the copy feature, and DELETE represents the delete feature. Other icon abbreviations are more cryptic, such as UNDEL for undelete (see Appendix B: Menu Icons). Dialog Boxes ------------ Dialog boxes allow you to view information and execute features. There are four field types that may be included in a dialog box. 1. Toggle regions appear as small boxes with a text description immediately to the right, such as the ENABLE PAGE BOUNDARIES option above. When the small box is solid (or protruding in 3-D), the option is enabled. In this example, the empty box means that page boundaries are not enabled. To toggle the sense of the option, click any mouse button on the box. 2. Input regions appear as larger boxes with text inside, such as the margin boxes shown. To change these options, click any mouse button on the box. The text insertion cursor replaces the standard cursor. Enter text using keyboard keys, backspace, and delete, then either press return or move the cursor out of the box to indicate you are finished. 3. Action regions appear as large thickly-bordered boxes with an action description inside, such as the CANCEL and OK boxes shown. When the cursor moves into an action region, the entire box is inverted (or depressed in 3-D). To take the action described, simply click any mouse button while the action box is inverted. You can also take the action by pressing the first letter of the action region text on the keyboard. In the example shown, take the PRINT action by pressing the "P" key or clicking any mouse button on the PRINT box. 4. Scroll boxes appear as a box with a list of options. A scroll box allows you to choose from a large number of options by scrolling through a list of elements and picking the one you want. To choose from a scroll box, use the arrow buttons to the right of the scroll box to scroll forward and backward either one entry at a time (single arrow) or a screen at a time (double arrow). You can also use the up and down arrows and the PGUP and PGDN keys on the keyboard. When the entry you want is in the window, point at it with the cursor and click a mouse button to select it. 15 Other ways to execute features ------------------------------ Menus are the most common and convenient way to execute features, but there are times when other methods are either necessary or more convenient. Features can also be executed from the keyboard or executed directly by feature code. Choosing a feature from the keyboard: Many features are assigned to keys on the keyboard. A simple keystroke is often the fastest and most convenient way to access a common feature, especially for an experienced user. For example, pressing the INS key is a much easier way to add text to a figure than choosing the text feature from the menu. Many key sequences, like INS, are assigned features by default (see Appendix A: Feature Codes). If you prefer to use different key sequences to invoke certain features, you can assign any feature to any key (see Assigning a feature to a key). Choosing a feature by feature code: Another way to access a feature is to enter its feature code directly. To enter a feature code directly: 1. Choose CHOOSE from the MISC menu. Or, equivalently, press the "+" key on the keypad (not the shifted equals sign key). The following dialog box appears: 2. Use the arrow buttons on the right of the scroll box to scroll through the many codes. The double-arrow buttons move up or down a screen at a time. (The arrow keys on the keyboard and the PGUP and PGDN keys will work also.) 3. When you locate the code you want to execute, click the mouse on the code so that the code and description appear in the box above the scroll box. You can also type the number yourself by clicking in the CODE box. 4. When the feature code you have chosen is displayed in the CODE box, execute the feature by pressing the ENTER key, or by clicking on OK, or by clicking a second time on the code in the scroll box. 5. You can cancel at any time by pressing the ESC key or clicking on CANCEL. 16 Finding a feature code (feature code report mode) ------------------------------------------------- You can use the feature code report mode to show which features are being executed during normal use. When you enable the feature code report mode, every time you execute a feature, the name of the feature and its feature code will appear on the screen for two seconds. The feature code report display looks like this: To enable the feature code report mode: Press the Scroll Lock key on the keyboard enabling scroll lock. On most keyboards, an LED will light to verify that scroll lock is enabled. To terminate the feature code report mode: Press the Scroll Lock key again disabling scroll lock. ! There are several reasons why your particular machine might not recognize scroll lock. The most common reason is that a program you have installed has an alternate keyboard driver that inhibits detection of scroll lock or intercepts scroll lock for its own use. Unfortunately there are many such programs in widespread use on the PC. If this is the case, you will have to decide whether to remove the other program or simply not use this feature of EDGE. In general, you can easily do without this feature since you will rarely need to know a feature code. 17 +----------------------------------------+ | | | CHAPTER 5 - MOVING THROUGH A DIAGRAM | | | +----------------------------------------+ This chapter describes how to control the position of the window on the diagram and how to control the appearance of the diagram in the window. As described in chapter one, the diagram is drawn conceptually on a very large "diagram plane" many times larger than can be shown on a single screen. The screen shows a small portion or window of this plane. You can move the window through the diagram in many ways. You can scroll through the diagram (also known as "panning"). You can zoom in and out to view more or less detail. You can go directly to a certain view. You can also jump instantly to the center of your diagram. These features make navigating through your diagram quick and precise. Scrolling --------- Scrolling is the means by which the screen window moves incrementally to different positions in the diagram plane. To scroll the screen with auto-scroll disabled: 1. Press the DRAG mouse button when the cursor is near one of the borders of the screen. 2. The screen will continue to scroll until you release the button. This same feature is available using the arrow keys on the keyboard. ! Since the size of the diagram plane is limited, you can only scroll a finite distance in any one direction. When you reach the border of the diagram plane you will see a dashed-double-dotted line and you will not be able to scroll further in that direction. The border may not be visible on the right edge of the screen if it is obscured by the screen menu. Auto-scrolling -------------- With auto-scrolling enabled the screen automatically scrolls whenever the cursor approaches one of the four sides of the screen. You can enable or disable auto-scroll in the Preferences dialog box (see Preferences). When auto-scrolling, the screen scrolls in the direction of the cursor as long as the cursor keeps moving in that direction. As soon as the cursor stops moving, the scrolling stops. However, if you press the DRAG mouse button (the left button by default) while auto-scrolling, scrolling continues until you release the button. 18 Scroll options: When the screen is scrolling, all figures and connectors may optionally be replaced by outlines (see Preferences). This makes scrolling more efficient on slower machines. Whenever the screen scrolls by one of the methods described above, it scrolls by a certain number of screen pixels at a time. You may program the size of these steps to achieve whatever scrolling speed you choose. To change the horizontal and vertical scroll rates, modify the SCROLL_RATE_VERT and SCROLL_RATE_HORZ system parameters in your EDGE.CFG file (see Configuration Options). ! Naturally, there is a trade-off. If you choose to increase the scrolling speed by increasing the size of each step, the scrolling will not appear as smooth. On a machine where speed is the over-riding consideration, this trade-off is perfectly acceptable. Moving with Arrow Keys: The arrow keys control window navigation much like scrolling. Since they are quicker and more convenient, the arrow keys are the most useful way to move the screen window to a new location in the diagram plane. Each depression of an arrow key moves the screen in the indicated direction by some portion of a screen (a different distance than scrolling). You can change this distance by modifying the SCREENS_PER_ARW system parameter in your EDGE.CFG file (see Configuration Options). Using Zoom: You can use the zoom feature to adjust your view of the diagram to appear larger or smaller than it really is. This is especially useful for viewing page layout since the true screen size only allows you to view a small portion of a page at a time. The diagram is always either "zoomed in", "zoomed out", or not zoomed at all. To zoom in (making objects appear larger): 1. Press the PGUP key on the keyboard, or click on the IN menu button on the screen menu Zooming in by more than twice the original size is not permitted. When zooming in, text always appears the same size. To zoom out (making objects appear smaller): 1. Press the PGDN key on the keyboard, or click on the OUT menu button on the screen menu. 19 Zooming out further and further causes less and less detail to be visible; first the text becomes invisible, then the arrowheads, then you lose some detail on certain figures, and so on. It is also normal for straight lines to appear crooked (see More about zoom below). To return back to the true size (also called unzooming): 1. Press the END key on the keyboard, or click on the UNZOOM menu button on the screen menu. To toggle between unzoomed and the previous zoom: 1. Press the END key on the keyboard repeatedly, or click on the ZOOM/ UNZOOM menu button on the screen menu repeatedly. More about zoom Whenever you are zoomed, your view of the diagram will be distorted to some degree. When zoomed out, you will not see all the detail that you would expect at true size. In particular, you will see no text and you will lose some details on certain shapes. If you zoom out far enough, some things might disappear altogether. You may also notice that lines that appear perfectly straight when not zoomed, may appear slightly jagged while zoomed. This is normal. The true size view is always accurate. When you zoom in or zoom out, the cursor position determines exactly where the focus of the zoom will be. If you zoom in with the cursor positioned on a figure, the new view will show that figure in greater detail regardless of where on the screen the cursor is located. This is different from some programs that always use the center of the screen as the focus for the zoom thus requiring you to move the figure exactly to the center of the screen so that it is visible when you zoom in on it. In EDGE, the center of the screen becomes the zoom focus if the cursor is not located in the workspace when you perform a zoom - such as when you use one of the zoom buttons on the screen menu. Most operations will work as usual while zoomed, but it makes sense to perform most of them while unzoomed so that it is obvious what is happening. There are some operations that do not work at all while zoomed, one example is editing text. View ---- The best way to change the position of the window on a very large diagram is to use the view feature. Invoke this feature by choosing VIEW from the main menu. When you choose the view feature, the view of the screen is zoomed out so that objects appear about 1/6 their original size. The standard cursor is then replaced by a box that indicates where the new screen window view will be positioned in the diagram. The following diagram illustrates this. 20 When you click any mouse button, the portion of the diagram within the view cursor box will fill the screen and the screen will automatically unzoom to reveal this view of the diagram. You can press ESC to cancel at any time. If you are already zoomed-out when you invoke the view feature, that zoom level is used to scale the size of the view cursor box. In this way, EDGE does not limit you to choosing your new view from the fixed default zoom level. ! EDGE saves the zoom level and the view whenever you save the diagram. However, changing these things alone does not count as a modification to the diagram. This approach allows you to enter a file, move around, and zoom in and out, all without marking the file as modified. You can then exit without saving the file and without explicitly indicating that the file should not be saved. Using Page Boundaries --------------------- You can define a region of the diagram to correspond to a page. The boundaries of this region define the portion of the diagram that will be printed when you perform a print operation. The page boundaries are shown on the display as a box made up of a dash-dot-dash line pattern. Establishing Page Boundaries You can set the position of the page within the diagram by establishing new boundaries. To establish the page boundaries: 1. Choose REPAGE from the MISC menu or press the ADJUST PAGE button in the Print and Page Layout dialog box. The screen view will zoom out to reveal a large enough area of the diagram to allow you to select the position of the page. As with the view feature, if you are already zoomed out enough, no additional zoom will occur. Also like the view feature, the standard cursor will be replaced by a box that represents the new page. 2. Position the box over the portion of the diagram where you would like the new page boundaries. If you know that you are going to be resizing the page in step four below, position the upper left corner of the page where it should remain after resizing. 3. Press and hold any mouse button to establish the new page boundaries or press ESC to cancel. 4. If you have selected a printer that allows scaled output, you can drag the cursor to adjust the page size before releasing the mouse button. When you release the mouse button, the scale will automatically adjust to set the page size according to the box you've drawn. 21 Notes ----- The page boundaries that show on the display will always be accurate regardless of the print format, the paper size, the print scale, or the orientation of the page. You may only establish page boundaries for a single page in one diagram file. This may at first seem like a limitation. However, due to memory limitations and performance impact, there is a limit on the amount of context you can fit in a single file. It is much more advantageous to split an intricate design into logically organized diagram files. If you are working on a large design diagram that is self-contained in one diagram file, you may want to print only a portion of the design at a time as needed. To print a larger portion of the design, use the scaled printing option. Another alternative is to print out multiple pages by printing the same file over and over while adjusting the page boundaries (see move-page commands). You can then glue or tape the individual pages into a large poster. Home Position ------------- EDGE provides a way to instantly locate the center of the diagram file with a single keystroke. The center of the diagram file is the center of the smallest imaginary box that includes all figures in the diagram. This feature is especially useful for finding your way back to the diagram data after inadvertently losing your place. To move instantly to the center of the current diagram file: 1. Choose HOME from the MISC menu. 2. OR, press the HOME key on the keyboard. 22 +-----------------------+ | | | CHAPTER 6 - FIGURES | | | +-----------------------+ Figures are the fundamental building blocks for all EDGE diagrams. This chapter will describe EDGE figures, their uses, and the operations you can perform with them. Selecting Figures ----------------- Each different figure type has a rectangular select region. This region determines whether the cursor is positioned "on" the figure. If two or more figures overlap, it is possible for the cursor to be on more than one. In this case, one figure is chosen arbitrarily. A selected figure is displayed as a dashed rectangular box representing the select region of the figure. When you select a figure, all connectors that are connected to it automatically become selected to indicate that they will be affected by moving the figure. A figure may be "selection-locked" in which case you cannot select it in the ordinary way. The only way to select a selection-locked figure is to press the SHIFT key while selecting the figure (see Locks). Choosing a Default Figure Type ------------------------------ The default figure type determines the type of figure that will be created the next time you take any action that results in the creation of a new figure. The default figure type is highlighted in the screen menu. To change the default figure type: 1. If the figure type you want is visible in the screen menu, simply click any mouse button on its symbol. Otherwise, proceed to step 2. 2. Access the Figure Library menu by clicking any mouse button on the LIBRARY menu button of the screen menu, or by choosing LIB from the main menu. The latter is available only if the screen menu is disabled. 3. Move the tip of the cursor over the icon that represents the figure type you want. 4. Click any mouse button. When a figure that is not represented on the screen menu becomes the new default figure type, it moves from the figure library out to one of the ten spots in the screen menu, replacing the figure that has not been used in the longest time. Figures in the screen menu represent the most current working set of figures. 23 The rectangular box, the rounded-cornered rectangular box, the circle, and the invisible box will always remain in the working set and will never be displaced even if you do not use them. Creating Figures ---------------- There are many different ways to create figures. Whichever way you choose, the type of the new figure is determined by the default figure type. The properties of the new figure are determined by the default figure properties (see Figure Properties). The standard way to create a figure: 1. Choose a default figure type (see Choosing a Default Figure Type). 2. Move the tip of the cursor to the location where you want the figure. Be sure this location is not within the select region of a selectable figure. 3. Press and hold the DRAG mouse button (the left button by default) and drag the mouse until the figure has the size and shape you want. 4. Release the mouse button to complete, or press ESC to cancel. Other ways to create figures You can create figures by duplicating or copying existing figures or by undeleting deleted figures. Creating figures with text automatically You can create a figure automatically by invoking the insert text feature code (by pressing the INS key by default) without specifying a figure. If the cursor is not within the select region of a selectable figure, a new figure is created at the cursor position and text entry is initiated on the new figure (see CHAPTER 7: Entering and Editing Text). If you terminate text entry before adding any text to the figure, the figure will automatically be deleted. The new figure will start off very small and grow as you add text. If height and width are locked for new figures, the figure will start out the size of the last figure you created. If the cursor position is on a connector, the connector is split and the new figure is connected to both figures that the original connector connected. The following diagram shows the result. 24 Changing Figure Types --------------------- To change the type of a figure or a group of figures: 1. Select one or more figures that you wish to change to a new figure type. 2. Choose a new default figure type. Not only does the default figure type change, all selected figures change to the new type. To change the type of a figure for which you are entering text: 1. Press the TAB key repeatedly OR enter the feature code of the new figure type. The ONLY way to enter the code while entering text is to press a key assigned to the code. You will have to set up these key assignments beforehand. Changing Figure Sizes --------------------- To change the size of a single figure: 1. Position the tip of the cursor over the figure you want to resize. This can be a selected figure or an unselected figure. 2. Press and hold the control key on the keyboard and the DRAG mouse button (the left button by default). 3. Move the mouse to adjust the size of the figure. 4. Release the mouse button when complete, or press ESC to cancel. When the size of a figure changes, all connectors automatically adjust. To change the size of a group of figures to the size of another figure: 1. Select the group of figures. 2. Select the "model" figure LAST. 3. Choose SIZE from the main menu changing the size of all selected figures to the size of the last selected figure. When adding text to a figure, if the dimensions of the figure are exceeded by the size of the text, the figure is automatically enlarged as needed. EDGE will not allow figures to be smaller than is required to hold their text. Also, height and width locks may interfere with resizing (see Figure Properties). You may have to disable these locks in order to resize. 25 Fitting Figure Size to Text --------------------------- The fit feature conforms the size of a figure as closely as possible to the size of its text. If the figure has no text, the fit feature has no effect. If the figure has text, the height and width of the figure are shrunk to the smallest size that will accommodate the text. To fit a figure's or group of figures' size to their text: 1. Select the figure or figures. 2. Choose FIT from the MISC menu. ! Width or height locks may interfere with the fit operation. Deleting Figures ---------------- To delete figures: 1. Select the figure(s) to delete. 2. Choose DELETE from the main menu OR press the DEL key on the keyboard. When you delete a figure, all connectors that are connected to the figure are deleted as well. If a figure is deletion locked, it must first be unlocked before it can be deleted (see Figure Properties). If you delete a figure or group of figures accidentally, you may undelete them provided you do so before deleting any others. ! Executing the delete feature with no figures selected clears the delete buffer. The memory it occupied becomes available for other operations, but you can no longer use undelete to bring the deleted objects back. Since DELETE will not appear in the main menu unless objects are selected, the only way to make this happen is to press the DEL key when no objects are selected. Undeleting Figures ------------------ To undelete the last set of objects that you deleted in the single most recent delete operation, choose UNDEL from the main menu. If the UNDEL entry is not present, there is nothing to undelete. 26 Moving Figures -------------- Move figures by dragging the figure or figures to a new position in the diagram. To drag a figure: 1. Position the tip of the cursor in the figure's select region. 2. Press and hold the DRAG mouse button (the left button by default). 3. Move the mouse to the new position. The outline of the figure is "dragged" along. 4. Release the mouse button to complete, or press ESC to cancel. To drag multiple figures as a group: 1. Select each of the figures. 2. Position the tip of the cursor in one of the selected figures' select region. 3. Drag the group of figures just as you would a single figure. Figures may not be free to move vertically or horizontally or both if they are locked (see Figure Properties). While dragging figures, you may not use arrow keys to adjust the screen position. However, the screen will scroll when the cursor approaches any of the four edges of the screen. Aligning Figures ---------------- The Align Figures dialog box allows you to align figures with each other, with the page boundaries, and with the grid. Access the alignment dialog box by choosing ALIGN from the main menu when one or more figures are selected. To align figures: 1. Select the figure(s) to align. 2. Select a figure as the model for the alignment. For example, if you are aligning the tops of the figures you selected in step one, select a figure whose top is in a position where the others should be aligned. 3. Choose ALIGN from the main menu. 4. Select alignment options by clicking on the toggle regions. 5. Click on OK to align or cancel at any time by clicking on CANCEL. 27 You may choose any one or none of the vertical alignment options PLUS any one or none of the horizontal alignment options PLUS the grid alignment option. Each of the options is described in detail below. In the diagrams below, figure three is always the figure that was selected last and is consequently the "model" figure for the alignment. Top edges This feature aligns the top edges of all selected figures along a horizontal line passing through the top edge of the last selected figure. Top/bottom centers This feature aligns the centers of all selected figures along a horizontal line passing through the center of the last selected figure. Bottom edges This feature aligns the bottom edges of all selected figures along a horizontal line passing through the bottom edge of the last selected figure. Center of page (horizontally) This feature aligns the selected figures as a group with a horizontal line passing through the center of the current page boundary. Notice that the selected figures do not move relative to one another and individual figures do not align with the center of the page unless only one figure was selected. Left edges This feature aligns the left edges of all selected figures along a vertical line passing through the left edge of the last selected figure. Left/right centers This feature aligns the centers of all selected figures along a vertical line passing through the center of the last selected figure. Right edges This feature aligns the right edges of all selected figures along a vertical line passing through the right edge of the last selected figure. Center of page (vertically) This feature aligns the selected figures as a group with a vertical line passing through the center of the current page boundary. Notice that the selected figures do not move relative to one another and individual figures do not align with the center of the page unless only one figure was selected. 28 Snap figure centers to grid When you enable this alignment option, the selected figures are aligned to the grid in addition to the alignment options you've chosen. After standard alignments, each figure will be moved so that its center is located at the nearest intersection of two grid lines. The figures will NOT be resized to align to the grid regardless of the grid options enabled. Since the grid alignment occurs after other alignments, it is possible that the result may not be aligned as you wish. To prevent this from happening, perform grid alignment separately from other forms of alignment. Copying Figures --------------- To copy a figure or group of figures: 1. Select the figure(s) to copy. 2. Choose COPY from the main menu. 3. Move the cursor to the new location. 4. Choose PASTE from the main menu to complete the copy, or press ESC to cancel. To make more than one copy, hold the control key while PASTEing and repeat the sequence. ! Selected connectors that connect TWO selected figures are copied as well. You can also use this procedure to copy between files. You can COPY in one file, OPEN another file, and PASTE in the second file. Duplicating Figures (Quick Copy) -------------------------------- In addition to the copy procedure described above, you can copy figures conveniently within a single file by using the quick copy feature. To quick copy a single figure: 1. Position the cursor in the select region of the figure you want to copy. 2. Hold down the ALT key while dragging the figure with the DRAG mouse button. You will drag a duplicate of the figure away. 3. Release the mouse button when you have properly positioned the new figure. To make repeated duplications, hold down the control key as well as the ALT key when releasing the mouse button. As always, you can press ESC before releasing the mouse button to cancel. 29 To quick copy a group of objects: 1. Select any number of objects. 2. Perform the duplication procedure described above on any one of the selected objects to duplicate the entire group. Figure Properties ----------------- Each figure has a set of special properties that you can review and program using the figure properties dialog box. To display the figure properties dialog box: Invoke the figure properties dialog box by pressing the Properties menu button located under the working set of figures on the screen menu, or by choosing the FPROPS feature from the main menu. The figure properties dialog box looks like this: Text A figure's text may be right, left, or center justified. Choose one method for justifying text. The default is center justified. ! The text justification method also controls how the figure will grow as you add text that exceeds the dimensions of the figure. For example, if a figure with right justified text is enlarged to accommodate additional text, the right edge of the figure will remain in the same location. Note: if any connector connects to the top or bottom of such a figure, it will grow in both directions as if it were center justified. This exception prevents the distortion of your diagram that could result from repositioning the figure. Font A figure can use one of two fonts for its text. It may use either a small font labeled SMALL or a slightly larger font labeled LARGE. The actual size of these fonts will vary when printed based on the output scale you choose. You should favor the smaller font because it allows you to display more context on a single screen. Locks There are several types of figure locks. When you enable a figure lock, you cannot change the corresponding characteristic of the figure until you disable the lock. SELECTION LOCK When a figure is selection-locked, you cannot select it with the mouse. A selection-locked figure is useful for building a template in the background of a diagram that does not interfere with operations on foreground figures. You may select a selection-locked figure only by holding down the shift key while selecting the figure in the usual way. 30 DELETION LOCK You cannot delete a figure that is deletion-locked. HEIGHT LOCK You cannot change the height of a height-locked figure. Caution, this lock may interfere with automatic resizing of figures during text entry. WIDTH LOCK You cannot change the width of a width-locked figure. Caution, this lock may interfere with automatic resizing of figures during text entry. HORIZONTAL POSITION LOCK You cannot move a figure that is horizontal position-locked to the left or right. VERTICAL POSITION LOCK You cannot move a figure that is vertical position-locked up or down. TEXT MODIFICATION LOCK You cannot modify the text of a figure that is text modification locked. To examine a figure's properties: 1. Select a single figure. 2. Invoke the figure properties menu by pressing the Properties menu button located under the figure icons on the screen menu, or by choosing FPROPS from the main menu. 31 To change figure properties: 1. Select the figure or figures to change. Note, if several figures are selected, the properties of all the selected figures must be changed to the same values. 2. Invoke the figure properties dialog box as described above. 3. Use the mouse to change the properties by clicking in the toggle regions. 4. Choose which figures to apply the changes to. You may apply these properties to (1) all figures, (2) all selected figures, or (3) all new figures. If you apply the properties to all new figures you modify the default figure properties. 5. Click the mouse button on OK to apply the changes. ! Only the properties that you changed by clicking the mouse button will be applied to the figure(s). For instance, suppose you select many figures each with a different font and text justification. You then invoke the figure properties dialog box and click on SMALL font only and apply the changes to the selected figures. The font on all the selected figures will become small, but they will all maintain their original justification because you did not change justification in the dialog box. This often causes confusion when you try to disable a lock for many figures. In this case, the figure lock will always show off when you invoke the dialog box, but you have to click the property on and back off in order for a change to take affect when you press OK. Invisible (borderless) figures ------------------------------ Invisible figures occupy a rectangular area of the diagram and can have visible text but no visible borders. They are used for segmented connectors and free-form text. Although the borders of invisible figures are not normally visible, you can choose to have them shown on the diagram by enabling the "SHOW INVISIBLE BOXES" option. When displayed, invisible figures appear as shown in the above. Whether or not they are shown on the screen, borders of invisible figures will not print. Invisible figures have the special characteristic that if they have no text, connectors connect to them at the center as opposed to the centers of their top, bottom, left, and right sides. This allows you to use them as "elbows" for segmented connectors. ! You cannot resize an invisible figure unless it is selected or its borders are shown on the screen. Invisible boxes are also useful for manually labeling connectors between visible boxes. 32 +-----------------------------------------+ | | | CHAPTER 7 - ENTERING AND EDITING TEXT | | | +-----------------------------------------+ As you work with EDGE, you'll find that text plays a very important role in your flowcharts and diagrams. You can use text to add descriptions for figures, labels for connectors, titles, comments, annotations, directions, and so on. EDGE allows you to add text just about anywhere easily and quickly. This chapter covers the different ways to use text. Entering Text ------------- Adding text to an EDGE diagram is very easy. Point the cursor to where you want the text and begin typing. If the cursor points to an existing figure, the text you type will be inserted into the figure. If the cursor does not point to an existing figure, an invisible figure is created at the cursor location and the text you type is inserted. You can also begin editing text by pressing the INS (Insert) key when pointing at an existing figure. If you are not pointing at an existing figure, a figure of the default figure type (as highlighted in the screen menu) is created and the text you type is inserted. EDGE signals you that it is ready to receive and edit text by displaying a text insertion cursor. The text insertion cursor appears as a small triangle pointing upwards to the space between two characters of text. If you enter more text than can fit into the dimensions of the figure, the figure's boundaries expand to accommodate the text. If the figure's height or width is locked, this expansion may be inhibited. You can continue to enter text until you press INS again, press ESC, click a mouse button, move the mouse, or reach the limit of 1000 characters per figure. See the following section for complete instructions for entering text in figures. 33 Text in Figures --------------- ! Before initiating text entry for a figure, make sure that the figure does not have text-modification locked (see Figure Properties). To add or edit text for a figure: 1. Move the tip of the cursor into the select region of the figure, or select the figure. If the figure is a label, you must use the former method because you cannot select a label by itself. 2. Begin typing text. Alternately, you may begin by pressing the INS key on the keyboard or by choosing TEXT from the MISC menu. 3. The text insertion cursor replaces the standard cursor indicating text editing is in progress. You are now free to enter and edit text as you like (see Editing Text). ! Under most circumstances, text is appended to existing text. However, under some circumstances, the first character you type causes any existing text to be deleted. For example, whenever you create a label, it has the default text "LABEL". If you immediately start typing text, your text will replace the default text rather than adding to it. The same thing will occur when a prompt has a default reply. Its easy to tell when this will happen because the text insertion cursor appears at the front of the existing text rather than at the end. If the very first thing you type is a text editing control rather than a standard character, further characters are simply added as usual. Text within figures is always centered vertically. It may be centered horizontally or it may be right or left justified depending on the text properties of the figure. The text justification for new figures depends on the default figure properties (see Figure Properties). Figure text may use either the smaller or larger text font depending on the text properties of the figure. The text font for new figures depends on the default figure properties (see Figure Properties). 34 Editing Text ------------ You are editing text whenever the text insertion cursor is visible. While editing text, you can type any standard text characters and those characters will be added to the text at the location of the cursor. All standard characters are valid except "^", "|", "}", and "{". Control characters and non-printable characters are ignored. You can also enter a number of text editing controls that control movement within the text and editing of the text. Text editing controls BACKSPACE deletes the character to the left of the cursor. DEL deletes the character to the right of the cursor. SHIFT-DEL deletes all of the text. END moves the cursor to the end of the line. END END moves the cursor to the end of the text. ^END moves the cursor to the end of the text. ESC terminates text entry. ENTER adds a line feed to the text. HOME moves the cursor to the beginning of the line. HOME HOME moves the cursor to the beginning of the text. ^HOME moves the cursor to the beginning of the text. INS terminates text entry. Keypad PLUS deletes the word to the right of the cursor. Keypad MINUS deletes the word to the left of the cursor. MOUSE CLICK terminates text entry. MOUSE MOVE terminates text entry. RIGHT ARROW moves the cursor to the right one character. LEFT ARROW moves the cursor to the left one character. UP ARROW moves the cursor up one line. DOWN ARROW moves the cursor down one line. ^RIGHT ARROW moves the cursor to the right one word. ^LEFT ARROW moves the cursor to the left one word. ^Y deletes the line with the cursor. TAB changes the type of the figure without terminating text entry. Each time you press the tab key, the figure changes to the next figure from the working set. Text in Dialog Boxes -------------------- When you edit fields in dialog boxes such as the name of a file to open, most of the text editing controls described in the previous section operate as expected. Of course, those that wouldn't make sense, such as TAB, UP ARROW, and DOWN ARROW are ignored and ENTER serves as a terminator. 35 +--------------------------+ | | | CHAPTER 8 - CONNECTORS | | | +--------------------------+ Connectors serve a very important purpose in EDGE flowcharts and diagrams. A connector is a line that connects two figures.You can use connectors to show the flow of control in a flowchart or to show similar relationships between any two figures. About Connectors ---------------- All connectors have certain characteristics in common and a set of rules that govern their behavior. - Any two figures can be connected by a single connector. - A single figure may have any number of connectors to other figures. - Either or both ends of a connector may terminate in arrowheads pointing towards the center of one of the figures. - Arrowheads may point in any of the four compass directions. - Connectors always connect to the centers of the top, bottom, right, or left sides of a figure. A connector will always connect either the right side of one figure to the left side of another or the top side of one figure to the bottom side of another. - The connector is always straight, it may never curve. - A connector automatically connects the two nearest sides of the two figures, so as one figure moves relative to the other, the connector adjusts. Selecting Connectors -------------------- Every connector has a select region that extends a few pixels around the entire connector. To select a connector: 1. Click the SELECT mouse button within the connector's select region. 2. A selected connector appears as a dotted line. 36 To deselect connector: 1. Click the SELECT mouse button again within the connector's select region. There are other ways to select and deselect connectors such as using the lasso method described in an earlier chapter or by selecting and deselecting the figures it connects. Creating Connectors ------------------- You can create a connector between any two figures. To create a connector: 1. Choose the connector type by clicking on one of the connector icons in the screen menu. The normal cursor changes to the connect cursor. 2. Position the tip of the connect cursor in the select region of the figure to connect from. If the cursor is not in any figure's select region, an invisible figure will be created beneath the cursor. If the cursor is in the select region of a connector, the connector will be split (see Splitting Connectors) and the new connector will begin at the elbow created in the split operation. In effect, this allows you to run a connector from any point on an existing connector. 3. Press and hold the DRAG mouse button (left by default). 4. Position the tip of the connect cursor in the select region of the figure to connect to. You may also position the tip of the cursor in the select region of a connector in order to terminate the connector at any point on this second connector. If you decide not to create the connector, press the ESC key to cancel. 5. Release the mouse button to complete or press ESC to cancel. In step three above, you may click the mouse button rather than pressing and holding it, then click it again to perform step five. If auto-straighten is enabled (see Preferences), the second e will figurautomatically be aligned with the first. If auto-stiffen (auto-lock) is enabled (see Preferences), the connector will be assigned either a horizontal or vertical lock property if it is straight. If the cursor is not in the select region of a second figure when you click (or release) it, an intermediate invisible figure will be formed automatically (called an "elbow"). The connect process will continue this way until the click occurs on a figure or ESC is pressed, or connect mode is terminated by pressing the right mouse button. An elbow is simply a small invisible box with no text. Whenever connectors connect to an invisible box that has no text, all connectors meet in the center of the box to form an "elbow". 37 If "END CONNECT MODE AFTER EACH CONNECTOR" is enabled (see Preferences), the cursor will revert back to normal automatically after you create a single connector. Otherwise, it will remain in connect mode until you press some other mouse button or click the mouse in a menu. To remain in connect mode after making a single connection even when this option is in effect, press the shift key while making the connection. Connector Properties -------------------- Each connector has a set of special properties that you review and modify from within the connector properties dialog box. To display the connector properties dialog box: 1. Press the Properties menu button located under the connector icons on the screen menu, or choose CPROPS from the main menu. 2. The connector properties dialog box appears. To examine a connector's properties: 1. Select a single connector. 2. Invoke the connector properties dialog box by pressing the Properties menu button below the connector icons on the screen menu, or by choosing CPROPS from the main menu. To change connector properties: 1. Select the connector or connectors to change. 2. Invoke the connector properties dialog box as described above. 3. Use the mouse to change the properties by clicking in the toggle regions. 4. Click the mouse button on OK to apply the changes. You may apply these properties to (1) all connectors, (2) all selected connectors, or (3) all new connectors. If you apply the properties to all new connectors, you are changing the default connector properties. ! Only the properties that you changed by clicking the mouse button will be applied to the connector(s). This often causes confusion when you try to disable a lock for many connectors. In this case, the connector lock will always show "off" when you invoke the dialog box, but you have to click the property on and back off in order for a change to take affect when you press OK. 38 Style ----- You can choose one of several different linestyles for a connector. Choose either solid, dashed, or dotted as the examples indicate. The STYLE button on the screen menu is also useful for changing the style of the default connector properties. Locks ----- STIFF LOCK When this lock is enabled, the connector is "stiff". Whenever you move one of the figures that the connector connects, the other is moved exactly in line. Therefore, a stiff connector is always the same length and the same angle and keeps two figures positioned the same relative to one another. HORIZONTAL LOCK When a connector is horizontally locked it will drag any connected figure with it for any distance that it is moved vertically. The figures are free to move relative to one another horizontally. VERTICAL LOCK When a connector is vertically locked it will drag any connected figure with it for any distance that it is moved horizontally. The figures are free to move relative to one another vertically. Changing Connector Types ------------------------ To change connector types: 1. Select one or more existing connectors. 2. Choose the icon that corresponds to the new connector type. All selected connectors are changed to the chosen type. Copying Connectors ------------------ When copying a group of figures, the connectors (and their labels) will be copied as long as two provisions are met. First, connectors must be selected to be copied, and second, the connectors must connect two figures that will be copied. For instance, you cannot select a single connector and try to copy it. Rather, you must also select BOTH of the figures it connects and copy all three objects. Be sure to select any elbows as well or you could lose parts of the duplicate connector. 39 Deleting Connectors ------------------- To delete connectors: 1. Select one or more connectors to delete. Unlike copy, you need only select connectors if you like. You may of course select any combination of figures and connectors. 2. Choose DELETE from the main menu to delete all selected objects. UNDEL will undo this action. When you delete a connector, any connected figure that is invisible and has no text will also be deleted. This prevents accumulation of extraneous invisible boxes. Undeleting Connectors --------------------- To undelete the last set of objects deleted by the single most recent delete operation, choose UNDEL from the main menu. If UNDEL is not present in the main menu, there is nothing to undelete. Splitting Connectors -------------------- You can "split" a single connector into two smaller connectors connected by an "elbow". To do this, hold down the control key while dragging a point on the connector with the DRAG mouse button. Release the mouse button when you have properly positioned the new elbow or press ESC to cancel. Split connectors can later be re-joined. Joining Connectors ------------------ Any number of connectors that share a common figure with another connector can be joined together. To JOIN a number of connectors: 1. Select two or more connectors to join together. 2. Choose JOIN from the main menu. You can also use the join feature to join two connectors and eliminate a figure simultaneously. This process can be very convenient as the following diagram shows. 40 Straightening Connectors ------------------------ The straighten feature allows you to make a connector horizontal or vertical by automatically aligning the connected figures. If auto-lock is enabled, the straightened connectors will become locked horizontally or vertically. To straighten one or more connector(s): 1. Select one or more connectors to straighten. 2. Choose STRGHT from the main menu. This feature is most useful with auto-lock enabled. Otherwise, straightening one connector might un-straighten others and the result could be disappointing. ! Straightening cannot be undone and may not have the result you expect. Always save your diagram before attempting to straighten. More About Connectors --------------------- - You cannot drag connectors. You can move a connector only by moving one of the figures it connects. - When one connector with an arrow connects to a figure in the same place as another connector without an arrow, the result is confusing. You should avoid this situation when possible. It is usually better to use a segmented connector with an elbow for one of the connections. - You should avoid connecting overlapping figures. 41 +-----------------------+ | | | CHAPTER 9 - LABELS | | | +-----------------------+ Many times you will find that a connector alone does not fully convey the relationship between two figures. A label is a convenient way to add a text description to a connector to clarify its meaning. In a flowchart, for example, a label is an excellent way to indicate why a certain path in the diagram was taken. About Labels ------------ A label is a block of text attached to the center of a connector. Any connector can have a single label. The label is not shown when you select the connector. When you deselect the connector, the label reappears at the proper position within the connector, even if the connector has moved. Creating a Label ---------------- To create a label: 1. Select the connector to label. 2. Choose LABEL from the main menu. 3. A label is created with the default text "LABEL". You can now edit the label text. Since a label is just a special type of figure, editing text within a label is exactly like editing text in any other figure (see CHAPTER 7: Entering and Editing Text). Another way to create a label: 1. Move the cursor over the select region of a connector that does not have a label. 2. Press a key that is assigned the label feature code. 3. Set the label text as in step three above. Deleting a Label ---------------- To delete a label: 1. Select the connector to which the label belongs. 2. Choose DELLBL from the main menu. 42 Undelete cannot recover a label that is removed this way. Another way to delete a label is to empty it of text. If you edit a label and leave it without any text, the label will automatically be deleted. Of course, you can also delete a label by deleting its connector, in which case undelete will work. Editing a Label's Text ---------------------- The standard way to edit label text is to position the cursor over the label and either press the INS key or just begin typing text. Editing continues exactly as it would with any standard figure type. Simulating True Labels ---------------------- If the standard labels don't do exactly what you want, no problem. You can simulate a label by creating an invisible figure with text. For example, to create a label that does not connect to the exact center of a connector, simply create an invisible box with the label text and connect it to the two figures. Of course, this type of simulated label does not move automatically with the figures as a true label would. Miscellaneous ------------- - Label text is ALWAYS center justified. - You cannot select a label directly. However. A label is always selected when the associated connector is selected. When you want to select a label, select its connector instead. - Labels are not shown when their connectors are selected. - Labels are not shown when zoomed out. - When you create a label, it assumes the font size specified for new figures. Once you create a label, you cannot change its fonts size. - Labels never have any locks. 43 +--------------------------------+ | | | CHAPTER 10 - FILE OPERATIONS | | | +--------------------------------+ The FILE menu contains features that apply to the current diagram file. These features perform operations like opening, saving, and printing diagram files. To invoke the FILE menu 1. Press the FILE menu button or choose FILE from the main menu. 2. The FILE menu will appear as shown. ABOUT ----- The about feature displays miscellaneous information about the EDGE program and the current diagram. The following diagram shows the format of the about dialog box. ! The available memory field indicates approximately how much DOS memory is available to EDGE. In reality, this is the least amount of memory that is available and EDGE may be able to use other memory. When this number gets low, it is a good idea to first save and exit EDGE, then restart and see if memory is still low. If memory is still low, your diagram is too big and should be split up. You may also want to consult your DOS manual for tips on freeing up more conventional memory. CLEAR ----- Clear deletes ALL figures and connectors in the diagram. You can undo this operation by using UNDEL immediately after the clear. Even though this operation can be undone, a confirmation is required for added security. Choose either CONFRM or CANCEL when the following prompt appears. ! Clear will even delete figures that are deletion-locked. To clear all figures except those that are deletion locked, select them all and perform a standard delete operation. 44 DOS --- The DOS feature spawns a DOS command shell. EDGE will remain in memory while you are returned to the DOS command line. You can perform any DOS operations and then return to EDGE by entering the EXIT command at the DOS command line. You will arrive back in your diagram file exactly where you left off. ! Once you spawn out to DOS, EDGE loses control and cannot guarantee the safety of your data. We strongly advise that you save prior to spawning a DOS shell. If anything occurs in the DOS shell that prevents a normal return to EDGE (such as a system crash) you could lose any work that you did not save. EXIT ---- The exit feature exits EDGE and returns to the DOS command line. This is the same operation that is available from the screen menu button EXIT. If you have made changes that you have not yet saved, you will be asked whether to save the changes. HELP ---- The help feature invokes an editor session on the EDGE.HLP file. This file is a quick reference showing the most commonly needed information. When the editor exits, control is returned to the program at the point where it left off. The help feature will not work if the HELP system parameter (or EDITOR) has not been set up in the EDGE.CFG file (see Configuration Options). IMPORT ------ The import feature merges a target EDGE diagram file into the working file at the location of the cursor. Choose the file name from the import dialog box. For help on using the dialog box see OPEN. 45 OPEN ---- The open feature opens a different diagram file. This is how you move from one diagram to another without leaving EDGE. To open a new diagram file: 1. Choose OPEN from the FILE menu. The Open File dialog box appears as shown. 2. Change to the directory that contains the file you want to open. Use the arrow buttons to the right of the directory scroll box to scroll through the subdirectories of the current directory. The double-arrow buttons move up or down a screen at a time. Click on one of the subdirectories shown to move to that subdirectory. The [..] entry moves you to the parent of the current directory. You can change drives by clicking on the drive letter such as [-B-] for drive B. Each time you change directories, all of the EDGE files in that directory will be shown in the files scroll box. 3. Choose a file from the files scroll box in the same way that you chose the directory. Clicking on a file makes it appear in the FILE box above the scroll box. 4. Alternately, click in the FILE box and enter the file name yourself. You can change directories this way as well by entering a directory name ending in a '\' character. 5. Click on the same file again or click on OPEN to open the file. 6. You can cancel at any time by pressing the ESC key or clicking CANCEL. If you specify a file name that does not exist, EDGE will open that file as a new file. ! Once you move from one diagram to another using the open feature, the next time you access the open feature, the previously opened diagram file name will appear as the default. You can then simply press the enter key to easily open this previous diagram. This allows you to very easily switch back and forth between two diagrams. ! When you open another diagram file your paste buffer remains intact enabling you to paste objects into the file that you copied from the previous file (see Copying Figures). PRINT ----- (see CHAPTER 11: Printing) 46 PROPS ----- The file properties feature brings up the File Properties dialog box. This dialog box allows you to program certain properties of the current diagram file. To toggle the write protect status of this file: 1. Click any mouse button on the READ ONLY toggle region to toggle between read-only and read/write. When a file is read only, you cannot change it. 2. Click on OK to apply the change or CANCEL the menu without changing the file properties. ! When you mark a diagram file as read-only, the file is marked read-only to DOS as well as to EDGE. A read-only file cannot be written in any way from within EDGE. Read-only files are useful for storing frequently used patterns or parts of diagrams. If the file is marked read-only, you can cut out a portion of the file, open a new file and paste the cut portion into the new file and the template file will not be saved because it is read-only. REVERT ------ Revert re-loads the last-saved version of the working diagram file discarding any changes you made since the last time you saved. A confirmation is required since this operation destroys previous work and cannot be undone. Indicate whether you want to confirm (go ahead with) the revert, or cancel when the following prompt appears. SAVE ---- Save immediately saves the working diagram file. If you have modified the file since you last saved it, the icon for this feature will be shown in red (or with a box around it on a mono screen) to serve as a reminder that the file should be saved. SAVEAS ------ Saveas saves the working diagram file under a new name which becomes the working file. Use the saveas dialog box to choose the file name. For instructions on using this dialog box see OPEN. 47 WRITE ----- The write feature writes the working diagram file to a different file name. This does not change the name of the working file and does not save the working file. Use the write dialog box to choose the target file name. For instructions on using this dialog box see OPEN. 48 +-------------------------+ | | | CHAPTER 11 - PRINTING | | | +-------------------------+ EDGE supports hundreds of different printers from inexpensive dot matrix printers, to laser printers, to postscript printers, and even HP compatible plotters. Output quality and resolution varies by printer. The highest quality output is available with postscript laser printers and HP series III compatible laser printers. The print feature invokes the print and page layout dialog box. You can use this dialog box to set up the page and print the diagram. Selecting and Setting up Your Printer ------------------------------------- Before you print a flowchart for the first time, you must select the printer and the print options you want to use. To select and setup your printer: 1. Choose PRINT from the FILE menu or click on the print menu button on the screen menu to invoke the Print and Page Layout dialog box discussed in detail elsewhere (see Printing and Page Layout on page 75). 2. Click on Set-up to get to the print set-up dialog box. Selecting a Printer ------------------- EDGE supports most popular dot matrix and laser printers as well as HP compatible plotters. Additional printer support will be added based on your feedback and our research. Find the name of your printer in the scroll box and click on it so that it appears in the box above. If your printer is not listed, it may be compatible with one that is. Most printers can emulate one of the industry standard printers upon which EDGE is based. In order to do so, some require special switch settings while others automatically perform emulation. Refer to your printer documentation for specific emulation instructions. ! Since EDGE printer drivers are based on industry standard drivers such as postscript, Epson, and HP Laserjet, you may have to enable emulation on some printers even if they are listed explicitly. If your printer does not work properly, we suggest that you try each of the drivers from the scroll box that begin with the word "generic" prior to calling technical support. 49 Setting paper size ------------------ EDGE supports different paper sizes for some printers. Select either letter size (8 1/2 by 11 inch) or ledger size (11 by 17 inch) or one of the ANSI paper sizes. You can set a custom paper size if you use a size that is not listed. However, do not use custom paper size unless this is the actual size of the paper that your printer supports. If you want to print on only a portion of a page do so by adjusting margins, not by making a custom paper size. Selecting the print destination (port) -------------------------------------- You can choose to print to any of the standard parallel printer ports (LPT1, LPT2, or LPT3) or to a DOS file. If you print to a file, you can later print the file to the printer from DOS. This is useful when you do not have a printer attached to your machine. You can print to a file, move that file to another machine via floppy disk, and print the file from there. ! When you print a file to your printer from DOS, you can use the DOS print command if the output is an ASCII-based format (such as postscript or HPGL). C> print diagram.ps Otherwise use a copy command like the following: C> copy /b diagram.dm lpt1 Printing and Page Layout ------------------------ The Print and Page Layout dialog box allows you to set-up the location, scale, and dimensions of a page and then print the contents of that page to the printer you selected previously (see Selecting and Setting up Your Printer). To change page layout and/or print your diagram: 1. Choose PRINT from the FILE menu or click on the print menu button on the screen menu. 2. The Print and Page Layout dialog box will appear as shown. 50 Setting margins --------------- You can set the left, right, top, and bottom margins by simply clicking in the appropriate box and editing the value. EDGE will verify that the values you enter (in inches) are within a valid range. If they are not, you will hear a beep and the margin will automatically change to a valid number. Larger margins will decrease the size of the visible page boundaries. You can always draw figures right up to the edges of the visible page boundaries without worrying whether they will print. Enabling page boundaries ------------------------ This option controls whether or not you can see visible page boundaries. You should keep the page boundaries enabled unless you are producing a diagram that you do not intend to print. ! In order to print, you MUST have page boundaries enabled. Adjust page ----------- When you click in the adjust page action region, you invoke the re-page feature that assists you in adjusting the position and scale of the page boundaries (see Establishing page boundaries). Reduce/enlarge page ------------------- You can choose a page scaling factor by clicking the mouse in this region and editing the number shown. A value less than a hundred per cent decreases the size of the page, making the figures and text appear larger when you print. Increasing the value increases the page size making text and figures appear smaller when you print but allowing you to fit more on a page. Whether or not you can scale the page depends on the printer you have selected. In general, scaling is supported by postscript and HP Laserjet series III laser printers and HP compatible plotters. An easier way to adjust the page scaling is to use the Adjust Page option discussed above or the REPAGE feature (see Establishing page boundaries). Set-up ------ Clicking on SET-UP brings up the Print Set-up dialog box where you can set up your printer and standard printing options (see Selecting and Setting up Your Printer). 51 Orientation ----------- You can choose to print your diagram in landscape orientation (lengthwise) or in portrait orientation (standard letter form). Changing the page orientation automatically adjusts the page boundaries appropriately. ! Not all printers support landscape orientation. Print ----- When you click this button, EDGE prints your diagram to the printer destination. ! In order to print, you MUST have page boundaries enabled. Raster vs. Vector Printing -------------------------- Programs communicate with printers via protocols (languages) that can be different for each printer. Each of these protocols comes in one of two flavors either raster or vector. EDGE supports both raster and vector-based output formats. Most dot-matrix printers and HP Laserjet series II (and earlier) compatibles are raster devices. When printing to raster devices, an application like EDGE must tell the printer the state of every dot or "bit" that makes up the image. Consequently, raster output requires more computation and more data transmission, and therefore tends to be very slow. It is not uncommon for printing to a raster device to take several minutes per page. While raster printers are easier and less expensive to produce, they generally produce much lower quality (lower resolution) output. In addition, raster output more difficult to work with so EDGE must impose some restrictions of its own - namely, you can only print to raster printers in portrait orientation, with no scaling, and only to 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper. Vector-based output devices, on the other hand, are superior in many ways. Postscript printers, HP Laserjet series III and compatibles, and HP plotters use vector-based protocols. Applications communicate to vector-based devices with high-level commands such as "draw line". Since the device does most of the work, output speed is dramatically better (seconds rather than minutes in most cases) and output quality is the highest available. EDGE also supports landscape page orientation, full page scaling, and multiple paper sizes for many vector-based printers. 52 Exporting Graphics for Import by Other Programs ----------------------------------------------- You can use EDGE's printing mechanism to export graphic output suitable for import into another graphics program. There are a few different formats that might be suitable for import by other graphics programs. - Encapsulated postscript --A very popular graphics format. EDGE can produce standard EPSF files but not EPSI files which contain pre- rasterized images. - HPGL -- Another vector-based graphic format supported by many graphic programs. - PCL-4 -- Widely supported due to use by Hewlett-Packard - raster format. - PCL-5 -- High quality like EPSF. This vector format is a superset of HP-GL/2. To export graphics for import into another program: 1. Select one of the above formats as your printer. 2. Choose FILE as your print destination (port). 3. Specify the file name you want to print to. 4. Print in the usual way. Importing the resulting file into the other application may not always be straight-forward. Refer to the documentation for your application. In many cases, you will have to convert one of the EDGE output formats to a different format that your graphics application supports. There are several good graphics conversion programs available just for this purpose, such as Hijaak by Inset Systems. ! PACESTAR cannot guarantee that the final image will reflect the quality of your EDGE output. Much of the quality of the final image is controlled by the conversion and interpretation software that is beyond our control. Many applications are known to compromise the quality of high level page description languages such as encapsulated postscript and HPGL. You will have to try your application to see how it performs. 53 +---------------------------------+ | | | CHAPTER 12 - CUSTOMIZING EDGE | | | +---------------------------------+ This chapter describes several ways to customize EDGE to your personal preferences. Configuration Options --------------------- Every time you run EDGE, a set of system parameters are set up to control certain aspects of the program. You can customize these parameters by adding entries to a file called EDGE.CFG (located in the EDGEHOME directory) with any standard text editor. The system parameter values determine how several functions perform. When EDGE runs, it looks for an EDGE.CFG file in the EDGEHOME directory. If EDGE does not find this file, it uses default values for all system parameters. If EDGE does find the file, it examines each line in the file and uses any valid entries in place of the defaults. You will generally set your configuration options once and then rarely change them. Examples are mouse sensitivity and file backup strategy. Format of EDGE.CFG ------------------ The EDGE.CFG file consists of assignment statements that define values for system parameters. A line that begins with a semicolon in the first column is a comment. An assignment begins with a system parameter name followed by an equals sign followed by an argument. Any amount of white space may separate these fields. The argument may be an integer, a floating point number, or a string depending on the type of the parameter. For example, one system parameter is "EDITOR". It expects a string specifying the file name of the editor. Any of the following lines would be appropriate. EDITOR = c:\ed.exe EDITOR= c:\ed.exe EDITOR=c:\ed.exe EDITOR ="c:\ed.exe" 54 System parameters ----------------- BACKUP Argument: A flag, either 0 or 1 Example: BACKUP = 1 Default: 0 When this flag is set (non-zero), EDGE creates a backup file whenever you do a save. The backup file is named after the original diagram file with the .EDG extension replaced by a backup extension (See BACKUP_EXT). For example, if the file being edited is FILE.EDG, whenever EDGE saves the diagram file, it first copies FILE.EDG to FILE.BAK. BACKUP_EXT Argument: A string up to three characters that is a valid DOS file extension. Example: BACKUP_EXT = bak Default: bak This is the file extension for backup files. (See BACKUP) HELP Argument: A string that specifies a valid DOS file name (may include disk and path). (max. 32 characters) Example: HELP = edit Default: none This parameter is the name of the program that you choose to use to browse through the help file. It can be a standard text editor like MSDOS Edit, it can be a word processor, or it can be a program like "list" or "show" that is designed specifically for browsing through ASCII text files. The only requirement is that the program can take a file name as a command like argument. If EDITOR is set, it is used rather than HELP. LEFT_BUTTON Argument: A string specifying the operation to associate with this mouse button, either SELECT, DRAG, or MENU.. Example: LEFT_BUTTON = DRAG Default: DRAG This parameter defines which of the functions DRAG, SELECT, or MENU is issued when you press the left mouse button. If you redefine this parameter in your EDGE.CFG file, you should also redefine the parameters for the other mouse buttons. 55 MIDDLE_BUTTON Argument: A string specifying the operation to associate with this mouse button, either SELECT, DRAG, or MENU. Example: MIDDLE_BUTTON = MENU Default: MENU This parameter defines which of the functions DRAG, SELECT, or MENU is issued when you press the middle mouse button. If you redefine this parameter in your EDGE.CFG file, you should also redefine the parameters for the other mouse buttons. MOUSE_SENS_HORZ Argument: An integer in the range 1-5. Example: MOUSE_SENS_HORZ = 2 Default: 2 This parameter defines the sensitivity of the mouse when moved horizontally. Larger values make the mouse less sensitive. MOUSE_SENS_VERT Argument: An integer in the range 1-5. Example: MOUSE_SENS_VERT = 2 Default: 2 This parameter defines the sensitivity of the mouse when moved vertically. Larger values make the mouse less sensitive. PSFONT Argument: A string specifying thefont to use when outputting text to a postscript printer. Example: PSFONT = Helvetica Default: Courier This parameter defines the font that is used for postscript output. Not all postscript printers support the same fonts. Check your printer manual for a list of fonts that your printer supports. RIGHT_BUTTON Argument: A string specifying the operation to associate with this mouse button, either SELECT, DRAG, or MENU. Example: RIGHT_BUTTON = SELECT Default: SELECT This parameter defines which of the functions DRAG, SELECT, or MENU is issued when you press the right mouse button. If you redefine this parameter in your EDGE.CFG file, you should also redefine the parameters for the other mouse buttons. 56 SCREENS_PER_ARW Argument: A floating point number between 0.0 and 1.0. Example: SCREENS_PER_ARW = 0.33 Default: 0.33 This parameter defines the portion of a screen that is scrolled when you press an arrow key. For example, 0.5 means that the screen is scrolled by half a screen each time you press an arrow key. SCROLL_RATE_HORZ Argument: An integer (1-n) specifying the number of pixels to scroll the screen at a time when scrolling left or right. Example: SCROLL_RATE_HORZ = 40 Default: 40 This parameter defines the number of pixels that the screen will scroll in each horizontal step. For a slow machine, set this value to a larger number so that scrolling will be faster overall in exchange for being more "choppy". SCROLL_RATE_VERT Argument: An integer (1-n) specifying the number of pixels to scroll the screen at a time when scrolling up or down. Example: SCROLL_RATE_VERT = 20 Default: 20 This parameter defines the number of pixels that the screen will scroll in each vertical step. Custom Key Assignment --------------------- By default, many keys on the keyboard invoke often-used features. A complete list of features, feature codes, and their default key assignment is included in this manual (see Appendix A: Feature Codes). You may assign any feature that has a feature code to any ONE valid key sequence. A valid key sequence is any combination of a regular key, the control key, and the ALT key. The shift key is ignored. For example, you could assign the delete feature to one of the distinct key sequences "D" or "Control-D" or "Alt-D" or "Control-Alt-D". An uppercase or a lowercase "d" are equivalent in any of these sequences. 57 Assigning a feature to a key ---------------------------- To assign a feature to a key: 1. Press the set key feature key (ALT-K), choose SETKEY from the MISC menu, or enter the set key feature code. 2. In response to this prompt, enter the key sequence to which you want to assign a feature. This key sequence can be any combination of the ALT key, the control key, and any other key except the ESC key. Use the ESC key to cancel the set key feature. You can also cancel the operation by pressing any of the mouse buttons. 3. The following dialog box appears. If a feature was previously assigned to the key sequence, that feature will appear in the box marked CODE. 4. Use the arrow buttons on the right of the scroll box to scroll through the many codes. The double-arrow buttons move up or down a screen at a time. (The arrow keys on the keyboard and the PGUP and PGDN keys will work also.) 5. When you locate the code you want to assign to the key sequence, click the mouse on the code so that the code and description appear in the box above the scroll box. You can also click in the CODE box to enter the code yourself. 6. When the feature code you have chosen is displayed, complete the key assignment either by pressing the ENTER key, or by clicking on OK, or by clicking a second time on the code in the scroll box. 7. If, on the other hand, you decide not to assign the feature, press the ESC key or click on CANCEL. 8. You will now be able to access the feature using the new key sequence until you exit EDGE. 9. To save the newly programmed key and all others, invoke the preferences dialog box and choose SAVE. The new key definitions will be stored to disk in the file EDGE.KEY in the EDGEHOME directory. Each time you restart EDGE, your custom assigned keys will be set up for you. Restoring keys to defaults -------------------------- To restore all keys to their default feature assignments, simply delete the EDGE.KEY file in the EDGEHOME directory (from DOS). Or, if you have not saved the new key definitions to disk yet, choose the LAST SAVED option from the preferences dialog box to reload the previously defined key assignments. 58 Preferences ----------- The preferences dialog box allows you to custom program certain options that control how EDGE behaves. Unlike the options you set in EDGE,CFG, these options are conveniently programmable from within EDGE permitting you to change them as often as you like. To invoke the preferences dialog box: Either press the Preferences menu button on the screen menu (if the screen menu is enabled) or choose PREFS from the main menu. Use the mouse to toggle options. When the toggle region of an option is darkened (or protrudes in 3-D), that option is enabled, otherwise it is disabled. When you have set these options as you prefer, exit the menu by clicking on OK. If you'd like these options to be in effect the next time you run EDGE, click on SAVE. If you terminate the menu in any other way, your changes will be lost as soon as you exit EDGE. To go back to the most recently saved preferences, press the LAST SAVED menu button. AUTOMATICALLY ALIGN CONNECTED FIGURES When you enable this option, also called auto-align, EDGE will automatically align figures when you connect them. If you create a connector between a first figure and a second, the second is aligned either vertically or horizontally with the first figure depending on the relative locations of the two figures. This option is generally used in conjunction with auto-lock (see below). ! Alignment will not occur if the two figures are not relatively close to being aligned in the first place - within an angle of about 20 degrees of being aligned vertically or horizontally. EDGE assumes that figures at a smaller angle have been left unaligned intentionally. If the shortest distance between the two figures is vertical, the figures are automatically aligned vertically. If the shortest distance is horizontal, the figures are aligned horizontally. AUTOMATICALLY LOCK STRAIGHT CONNECTORS When you enable this option, also called auto-lock, EDGE will automatically lock connectors that are straight. Whenever a connector is deselected for any reason, the connector automatically receives either the vertical or horizontal lock property as appropriate so that the connector remains straight the next time you move either of the connected figures (see Connector Properties). This option is generally used in conjunction with auto-align. 59 AUTOMATIC DESELECT AFTER OPERATIONS When you enable this option, figures that are the target of an operation remain selected after you perform a feature. You then have to deselect manually. You can achieve the same result on a case-by-case basis by holding the shift key down at the moment that the figures would normally be deselected. CREATE FIGURES CENTERED AT INITIAL POINT When you create a figure with the DRAG mouse button, the figure is either created centered at the initial point, or with the figure's upper left hand corner at the initial point. When you enable this option, figures will be created centered at the initial point of creation. END CONNECTOR MODE AFTER EACH CONNECTOR When you enable this option, the connector cursor that indicates connection mode will disappear after making a single connection. Otherwise, the connection mode will remain in effect until you explicitly disable it. MENU ON RIGHT OF SCREEN This option controls the screen menu. When you enable this option, the menu is present, otherwise it is not. When the screen menu is not present, the operations normally found in the screen menu can be found as entries in the main menu. AUTOMATIC SCROLL WHEN NEAR EDGE OF SCREEN With this option enabled, the screen will scroll whenever the cursor gets close enough to any of the edges of the screen. With this option disabled, you must press the DRAG mouse button near the edge of the screen to scroll. SHOW ONLY OUTLINES WHILE SCROLLING This option controls whether a scrolling screen shows only the outlines of the true objects. You can accelerate scrolling on a slower machine by enabling this option. TERMINATE TEXT ENTRY WHEN MOUSE MOVES This option controls whether moving the mouse terminates text entry. When this option is enabled, any significant mouse movement causes text entry to be terminated. Many people find this a convenient option. Others feel its too easy to move the mouse by accident. Choose what you like best. 60 SHOW INVISIBLE BOXES When enabled, this option causes the borders of all invisible boxes to be drawn as cornered rectangles (see Invisible (borderless) figures). You can then move and edit them more easily. Even when visible on the screen, invisible boxes will never appear on a printout. SHOW GRID (WHEN NOT ZOOMED) When this option is enabled, the alignment grid is visible (unless zoom is active). This option controls ONLY the visibility of the grid. Use of the grid for alignment is independent and is controlled by the following options. SNAP CENTERS OF FIGURES TO GRID When this option is enabled, figures that are created or moved will automatically snap in place so that their centers are at the nearest grid point. This makes it very easy to align figures horizontally and vertically regardless of their size. SNAP CENTERS AND SIDES OF FIGURES TO GRID When this option is enabled, the dimensions (height and width) of figures that are created or resized are snapped to the nearest grid point as well as the centers of the figures. ! This option has no effect on circles and invisible boxes. FINER GRID ALIGNMENT When this option is enabled, the alignment grid becomes finer - grid points become closer together. This allows greater flexibility in figure size and location but makes it slightly harder to align by hand. ! The visible grid does not change to reflect this option. Changing Screen Colors ---------------------- You can program your own choice of screen colors on either a color or a monochrome screen. There are three colors you can change, the background color, the foreground color, and the menu color. On a monochrome monitor, there are obviously only two color choices, black and white. On a color monitor, you can choose from any of sixteen different colors. 61 Changing the background color ----------------------------- To change the color of the screen background, press Alt-B when no menus are active, or enter the background color feature code directly. The background color of the screen will change to the next available color. Cycle through all available colors until you find your favorite. Changing the foreground color ----------------------------- To change the color of the screen foreground, press Alt-F when no menus are active, or enter the foreground color feature code directly. The foreground color of the screen will change to the next available color. Cycle through all available colors until you find the one that you like best and that goes best with your choice of background color. Changing the menu color ----------------------- To change the color of the menus, press Alt-M when no menus are active, or enter the menu color feature code directly. The menu colors will change to the next available color. Saving changed colors --------------------- The color changes described above will only remain in effect until you exit EDGE unless you save them. Save the screen colors by choosing SAVE in the Preferences dialog box (see Preferences). 62 +-----------------------------+ | | | APPENDIX A: Feature Codes | | | +-----------------------------+ This section lists the EDGE feature codes, the corresponding features, and the default key assignment for each. The key assignments shown here are only valid until you change them (see Custom Key Assignment). Legend: ^C means press the control key (Ctrl) and the "C" key together. Alt-N means press the Alt key and the "N" key together. Key-* means press the "*" key on the keypad (not shift-8) Down means press the down arrow key on the keyboard (not numlocked) (shift status is always ignored, i.e., "^A" is the same as "^a") CODE KEY FEATURE DESCRIPTION ---- ------- ----------------- ------------------------------------------ None ^ESC QUICK EXIT Exit without saving - CAUTION! 1 Alt-' ' Main Menu Pull up main menu (as with mouse) 2 Down Scroll Down Scroll down 3 Up Scroll Up Scroll up 4 Left Scroll Left Scroll left 5 Right Scroll Right Scroll right 6 F2 Connect Change to connection mode 7 Alt-F Foreground Color Adjust foreground color 8 Alt-B Background Color Adjust background color 9 Alt-M Menu Color Adjust menu color 10 Alt-D DOS Shell Shell out to DOS leaving EDGE resident 11 PGUP Zoom In Zoom in (enlarge view) 12 PGDN Zoom Out Zoom out (shrink view) 13 END Zoom Unzoom/Zoom to last zoom level 14 DEL Delete Delete all selected objects 15 Type 0 Change type to INVISIBLE 16 Type 1 Change type to BOX 17 Type 2 Change type to SOLID BOX 18 Type 3 Change type to DOUBLE-LINED BOX 19 Type 4 Change type to SOLID DOUBLE-LINED BOX 20 Type 5 Change type to ELLIPSE (OVAL) 21 Type 6 Change type to DOCUMENT 22 Type 7 Change type to 3-D (SHADOWED) BOX 23 Type 8 Change type to DIAMOND (DECISION) 24 Type 9 Change type to ROUNDED-CORNERED BOX 25 Type 10 Change type to PARALLELOGRAM 26 Type 11 Change type to CIRCLE 27 Type 13 Change type to BOX - DOUBLE SIDES 28 Type 14 Change type to BARRED ROUNDED-BOX 29 Type 15 Change type to TWO HORIZONTAL LINES 30 Type 16 Change type to CARD 63 CODE KEY FEATURE DESCRIPTION ---- ------- ----------------- ------------------------------------------ 31 Type 17 Change type to HEXAGON 32 Type 18 Change type to QUADRILATERAL 33 Type 19 Change type to SLANT-TOPPED BOX 34 Type 20 Change type to HOME PLATE 35 Type 21 Change type to SDL0 36 Type 22 Change type to SDL1 37 Type 23 Change type to SDL2 38 Type 24 Change type to SDL3 39 Type 25 Change type to SDL4 40 Type 26 Change type to SDL5 41 Type 27 Change type to SDL6 42 Type 28 Change type to SDL7 43 Connector -- Create connector with no arrowheads 44 Connector -> Create connector with an arrow to 2nd figure 45 Connector <- Create connector with an arrow to 1st figure 46 Connector <> Create connector with two arrowheads 47 File Menu Invoke the FILE menu 48 Figure Library Invoke the figure library 49 Misc. Menu Invoke the miscellaneous features menu 50 Re-page Adjust the page boundaries 51 Reserved 52 Size Conform all figures to size of last selected 53 Fit Fit all selected figures around their text 54 Reserved 55 Reserved 56 Reserved 57 Reserved 58 Ins Insert Text Insert text into selected figure 59 Straighten Straighten selected connector(s) 60 Alt-U Undelete/Paste Undelete the last objects deleted, or paste 61 Alt-C Copy Copy selected objects 62 Alt-A Align Align selected figures 63 Alt-L Label Add a label to the selected connector 64 Delete Label Remove the label from the selected connector 65 Key-* View Change the window view interactively 66 F9 Figure Properties Invoke the figure properties dialog box 67 F10 Connector Props Invoke the connector properties dialog box 68 Alt-X Exit Exit EDGE, save any changes 69-78 Reserved 79 Alt-S Save Save the diagram 80 Save As Save the diagram under a name (change to) 81 Alt-W Write Write the diagram under a name (no change to) 82 Revert Menu Revert to last saved version (asks to confirm) 83 Revert Revert to last saved version (no confirmation) 84 NOP Do nothing 85 Clear Delete everything (can be undeleted) 86 Alt-O Open Open a different diagram 87 Import Import a diagram into the current diagram 88 Alt-P Print Invoke the print menu 89 Alt-I About Show various information about EDGE 90 F1 Help Show the help file 91 Save & Exit Force a save and exit 92 Discard Exit without save (requires confirmation) 93 F8 Page Down Move page boundaries down exactly one page 94 F7 Page Up Move page boundaries up exactly one page 64 CODE KEY FEATURE DESCRIPTION ---- ------- ----------------- ------------------------------------------ 95 F5 Page Left Move page boundaries left exactly one page 96 F6 Page Right Move page boundaries right exactly one page 97 Alt-R Right Menu Enable/disable screen menu (on right of screen) 98 Reserved 99 Reserved 100 Key-+ Choose Feature Execute a feature by code 101 Alt-K Set Key Assign a feature code to a key 102 HOME Home Locate the center of the current diagram 103 Key-- Preferences Invoke the preferences dialog box 104 File Properties Invoke the file properties dialog box. 105 Alt-J Join Join selected connectors into one 106 Reserved 65 +--------------------------+ | | | APPENDIX B: MENU ICONS | | | +--------------------------+ This section lists EDGE icons and their corresponding features. Some icons such as FILE, invoke a new menu. These icons are followed by an indented list of icons indicating the features available from the new menu. ICON FEATURE DESCRIPTION ------ --------------- ---------------------------------------- ALIGN Align Invoke the align dialog box COPY Copy Copy selected objects CPROPS Connector Props Bring up connector properties menu DELETE Cut Cut (delete) all selected objects DELLBL Delete Label Remove label from the selected connector FILE> File Menu Invoke the file menu ABOUT About Show various information about EDGE CLEAR Clear Delete everything (can be undeleted) EXIT Exit Exit EDGE, save any changes HELP Help Edit the help file IMPORT Import Import a diagram into the current diagram OPEN Open Open a different diagram PRINT Print Invoke the print menu PROPS File Properties Invoke the file properties dialog box. REVERT Revert Revert to last saved version of diagram SAVE Save Save the diagram SAVEAS Save As Save the file under a name (change to) WRITE Write Write the file under a name (no change to) FPROPS Figure Properties Invoke figure properties dialog box JOIN Join Connectors Join the selected connectors into one LABEL Label Add a label to the selected connector LIB Figure Library Invoke the figure library MISC> Misc Menu Invoke miscellaneous functions menu CHOOSE Choose a Feature Choose a feature by feature code FIT Fit Fit all selected figures to their text HOME Home Go to the center of the diagram REPAGE Re-Page Adjust the page boundaries SETKEY Set Key Assign a feature to a key SIZE Size Conform all figures to size of last STRGHT Straighten Straighten connector(s) TEXT Insert Text Insert text into selected figure PREFS Preferences Invoke the preferences dialog box UNDEL Undelete Undelete the last objects deleted VIEW View Change the window view interactively Miscellaneous icons: CANCEL Cancel the operation CONFRM Confirm that you really want to do the operation 66 +-------------------------------+ | | | APPENDIX C: ERROR MESSAGES | | | +-------------------------------+ Error messages occur when you attempt to perform some operation that is not valid or does not apply under the circumstances. When an error message occurs, you must acknowledge it before continuing. Do this by clicking any mouse button on the box marked OK, or simply press any key on the keyboard - the key will NOT execute a command, it will simply acknowledge the error. The possible error messages and probable causes and remedies are listed below. At least one figure should be selected The operation is valid only when applied to one or more figures. Select one or more figures and try again. At most one figure should be selected The operation is valid only when applied to one figure or fewer. Select one figure and try again. Can't find printers.lst file The file named "printers.lst" must be located in order to set-up your printer. You may get this message if you are executing EDGE from a directory other than the EDGEHOME directory and you have not set up the EDGEHOME environment variable (see Getting Started). Can't quick copy due to figure locks If a figure is position locked so that it cannot move in any direction, EDGE will not allow you to quick copy it. Try copying this figure with the copy/ paste commands. Check printer and try again You attempted to print to a parallel printer port but the printer was not ready. Make sure the printer is turned on, on-line, and is not out of paper. Could not open file EDGE could not open or create a file in the current directory. Could not open file for saving Make sure the disk is not full and that the directory that you are trying to write to can be written to. If you are attempting to overwrite a previous version, make sure the previous version is not write-protected. 67 Could not open file to import The file you specified for the import feature could not be opened. It may not exist or it may not be in the specified directory. Check the name you entered. Could not save key definitions to disk Make sure the disk is not full and that the EDGEHOME environment variable is set and the EDGEHOME directory can be written to. Also make sure the old EDGE.KEY file is not write-protected. Could not save preferences to disk Make sure the disk is not full and that the EDGEHOME environment variable is set and the EDGEHOME directory can be written to. Also make sure the old EDGE.PRF file is not write-protected. Could not save printer set-up to disk When you exit the printer set-up menu by choosing OK, EDGE attempts to save your set-up information to disk. Make sure files can be written to the EDGEHOME directory and any previous version of EDGE.PRT is not write-protected. Exactly one connector should be selected The operation you attempted is valid only when applied to exactly one connector. Select one connector and try again. Exactly one figure should be selected The operation you attempted is valid only when applied to exactly one figure. Select one figure and try again. Figures are already connected You attempted to connect two connected figures. Any two figures may only be connected by a single connector. File is improper format for load The file you attempted to load is not in the proper format. This probably indicates an error in the filename you entered. File must have .EDG extension When specifying a file name for saving a diagram file, the file must end in .EDG (upper or lower case). If you do not specify an extension, .EDG will be added automatically. However, if the file name you enter has some other extension, this error message results. Invalid feature code The feature code you entered did not correspond to a valid feature code. 68 Invalid file name EDGE prompted you for a file name and the name you gave was not valid. Make sure it does not contain any illegal characters and is the proper length. Refer to your DOS manual for the exact file naming syntax. Invalid parameter, extension must be .EDG You invoked EDGE on a file with an extension other than .EDG. Invalid parameter, not a valid filename You invoked EDGE on a file with an invalid filename. No connectors are selected The operation you selected requires one or more connectors to be selected. Select one or more connectors and try again. Not all selected connectors were joined You performed a join feature on a number of connectors but not all of the connectors could be joined into a single connector. Not enough memory to copy selected objects Memory is running low. You might be able to copy some portion of the objects that are selected. Select fewer objects and try again. Not enough memory to load file The file you attempted to load was too large to fit in memory. Not valid when figures are selected The operation you tried to perform can only be performed when no figures are selected. Deselect all figures and try again. Nothing to align You attempted to perform a figure alignment before selecting any figures. Select the figures you wish to align and try again. Nothing to DELETE, buffer cleared You selected the delete feature while nothing was selected to delete. This causes the delete buffer to be cleared, freeing up the memory. You can no longer use undelete to retrieve the last thing you deleted. Nothing to PASTE A copy must be performed prior to paste. Nothing to UNDELETE Either nothing has been deleted that can be undeleted or you cleared the delete buffer after the last DELETE (see Undeleting Figures). 69 One or more figures not moved due to locks This message usually results from an attempt to align figures. One or more of the figures was locked from being aligned properly with the others. You may want to unlock these figures and try again. Out of memory EDGE has run out of memory. This indicates that your diagram is too big. Split it into multiple files. Exit EDGE immediately or risk a crash. Page boundaries must be enabled to print The operation you attempted requires that a page boundary be defined. Enable page boundaries in the print menu and try again. Read-only file You attempted to write out a diagram file that is marked as read-only. If you are sure you want to modify the diagram, change its write-protect flag located in the PROPS dialog box. See file EDGE.HLP for help information You attempted to access the HELP feature but no HELP was defined. You can define the program to view the help file by setting the system parameter EDITOR. Help pulls the EDGE.HLP file into your editor. You can read this file outside of EDGE or you can print it to your printer. Selected connectors could not be joined You attempted to join two connectors that could not be joined into one. Join only connectors that are connected to each other by elbows (invisible figures). Some objects were not deleted due to locks You just deleted one or more objects. If any of those objects were protected from deletion by a lock, they will not be deleted and this message will result. If you really want to delete these objects, unlock them and try again. Text cannot be added while ZOOMed Unzoom and try again. Text is locked for new figures You attempted to create a figure with text (probably by pressing INS while the cursor was not over an existing figure) but the new figure properties are set to have locked text modification. Either create the figure without text or use the figure properties menu to disable text modification lock on new figures. 70 Text is locked for this figure You attempted to modify or create text for a figure that is locked for text modification. You can only add or change the text if you eliminate the text modification figure lock. That file already exists You tried to create a file that already exists. The selected connectors cannot not be joined You tried to join two connectors that did not have a figure in common Two or more connectors must be selected to join You attempted to perform a join operation without first having selected two or more connectors. Select two or more appropriate connectors and try again. Two or more figures should be selected The operation you attempted requires that at least two figures be selected. Select two or more figures and try again. Unable to access file This error is analogous to the "abort, retry, ignore?" message in DOS except that it always aborts. It indicates that DOS could not open a file as requested. The most common cause is a floppy drive door left open. Fix the problem and retry the operation. Unable to open print file - check printer or disk During a print operation, the output device (or file) could not be opened. If printing to a file, the disk may be full, the drive may not be ready (check the drive door for a floppy), or file protection may be interfering. If printing directly to a printer port (i.e., to lpt1 or lpt2 or lpt3), check that the printer is actually connected to the port and on-line with paper loaded. WARNING: memory is low This message indicates that very little memory is left for EDGE to operate. You should treat this as an out of memory indication to avoid any problems. Because EDGE uses dynamic memory allocation for many things, it may not always be able to recover once memory is completely exhausted. This message protects the user from approaching dangerous memory problems. Once the "out of memory" message is encountered, it is not always possible to guarantee a safe recovery.