How to Avoid Surprises with AppleWorks 3.0
by William Marriott
Copyright (c) 1991 Apple Users' Group, Sydney
Republished from Applecations, a publication of the Apple Users' Group, Sydney, Australia.
Claris Technical Support
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Many users call Claris Technical support with questions about the new version of AppleWorks, the most significant upgrade to the program since its introduction seven years ago. This article answers some of the most common questions about AppleWorks 3.0.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Has the new version of AppleWorks caught you off-guard? Perhaps your printer no longer works like it used to, or a feature that you used often has changed. Read this article for solutions and explanations to some of the most commonly asked questions about AppleWorks 3.0:
Q. I use a mouse with my old copy of AppleWorks to choose commands from menus and navigate in the spreadsheet. Why did Claris remove this feature from AppleWorks 3.0?
A. AppleWorks has never supported a mouse. Many programs which customized AppleWorks features were available for earlier versions of the program. If a friend or your dealer configured AppleWorks for you, your copy may have been "enhanced" with extra features like time and date display, screen savers, customized error bells, cosmetic changes to the AppleWorks screen, and macros.
Since you could use a mouse with the older version of AppleWorks, you most likely had a "macro" enhancement installed. Your copy of AppleWorks has been modified if you have a file called "ULTRA.SYSTEM" or "SUPER.SYSTEM" on your disk. If you wish to use the mouse (or other enhancements) with AppleWorks 3.0, you will need to install new versions of the add-on software. UltraMacros 3.0 is compatible with the new AppleWorks, and adds mouse capability. A 50% discount coupon for UltraMacros is included with the 3.0 upgrade. The special offer for TimeOut UltraMacros expires at the end of the year.
Q. Is AppleWorks 3.0 compatible with my accelerator card? My cursor flashes much more slowly in AppleWorks 3.0 than it did in 2.1.
A. Your accelerator card is still functioning and speeding up AppleWorks operations. In older versions of AppleWorks, using an accelerator card (or using AppleWorks on an Apple IIgs) caused the cursor to blink very quickly. In fact, some of the newer chips made the cursor flash so fast it was hard to find on the screen. In AppleWorks 3.0, the cursor is programmed to flash at the same rate whether you have an accelerator card or not. Other parts of AppleWorks have also been changed to accommodate accelerator boards. For example, when AppleWorks performs a sort, it no longer lists the time it will take to complete the task. Instead, a "progress bar" shows you the rate at which the task is being completed.
Q. I have a No-Slot clock, which worked fine with version 2.1, but no longer seems to work with AppleWorks 3.0. Does version 3.0 support clocks?
A. AppleWorks supports ProDOS-compatible clocks. For example, if you use AppleWorks 3.0 with an Apple IIgs, you do not need to enter the date or time
when you start AppleWorks. Also, your files will be "stamped" with the time of their modification.
The No-Slot clock is not normally ProDOS compatible. You make it compatible by modifying ProDOS with a special "patch." The ProDOS shipped with AppleWorks 3.0 does not include this modification. If you have an older (patched) version of ProDOS, you can copy it from your AppleWorks 2.1 disk to the ProDOS disk supplied with AppleWorks 3.0. Your clock should then work properly.
Q. I have a large data base created in AppleWorks 2.1 on two 5.25-inch disks. When I try to open this file in AppleWorks 3.0, I get an error message and I can't open the file.
A. If you have extra memory in your computer, you can create files that are too large to fit on standard 5.25-inch disks. You need to save the file to a larger disk: either a 3.5-inch disk, which holds 800K; or a hard disk, which will hold at least 5 MB (about 5,120K), depending on the hard drive. For earlier versions of AppleWorks, memory board manufacturers offered a utility that allowed users to take advantage of all the memory in their computer, without purchasing additional disk drives. These utilities modified AppleWorks to "segment" files to two or more disks when saving large files. If you have segmented files that you wish to use with AppleWorks 3.0, you have the following options:
* Wait for the memory card manufacturer to release a compatible version of the utility. Applied Engineering and Checkmate have promised new versions of their utilities that will be compatible with AppleWorks 3.0.
* Purchase a 3.5-inch disk drive or hard disk. To open large files in AppleWorks 3.0, open the files from a disk copy using AppleWorks 2.1. Copy the files to a 3.5-inch disk drive or hard disk. You will then be able to open the files from the 3.5-inch disk drive or hard disk with AppleWorks 3.0.
* Segment the file into chunks that can fit on a single disk, then combine the files in memory. Use AppleWorks 2.1 to open the large file and then manually segment it across two or more disks. Open the file with AppleWorks 3.0 and then combine the files in memory.
A final note, because of its additional features, AppleWorks 3.0 uses 16K more memory than older versions. If you had files that were near the limit of the Desktop, you may not be able to open them in AppleWorks 3.0. If you have files you are unable to open, you will have to make the files smaller or purchase additional memory, if you want to take full advantage of the new version.
Q. I installed my Epson printer using the AppleWorks Printer Information setup menu. When I try to print, garbled text and extra characters appear on the printout. The AppleWorks codes are different than the codes in my printer manual, so I changed the codes to match the printer manual. The printer still doesn't work properly, even when I add it as a custom printer. What am I doing wrong?
A. You installed your printer correctly. Unfortunately, there is a problem associated with removing printers from the printer list that was discovered after Claris shipped AppleWorks 3.0. The problem is not limited to Epson or ImageWriter printers. For the most reliable printer setup, do not remove the ImageWriter from the printer list. Recopy the AppleWorks program disk and add the Epson printer to the printer list. Your printer should work properly.
Q. I added a header to an AppleWorks word processor document using different tab settings than those used in the body text. When I print out the document, the first page prints properly, but subsequent pages use the header tab settings for the body text. What's happening?
A. The header resets the current tab settings whenever it prints. For example, you might set up a header with only one tab stop, a center tab, for the page number. The body of your text might use a more complex tab settings for columns and indented paragraphs. The tab settings for the body text will be in effect until the header prints on the second page. When the header prints on the second page, the tab settings reset to the header tab settings. The header tab settings remain in effect for the rest of the printout. If you want to have two separate rulers for your body and header, insert the ruler for body text before the Page Header End command.
Q. I like the ability to have multiple-line headers and footers, so I added a 15-line footer to my document. When I print the document, it prints past the perforation on my paper! How can I correct this?
A. Printing can become erratic if there are more than nine lines in a header or a footer. Unfortunately, there is no solution to this problem other than using fewer lines in your headers and footers.
Q. I have a Brother printer that I use with AppleWorks 3.0. Although, I set the "Needs line feed after each return" option in the "Add a Printer" menu to "No," and the interface card setting is correct I still get double-spaced output. How can I correct this problem so it will print single-space output?
A. Some Brother printers interpret the return character at the end of the printer code as a printer command, others do not. If you get double- or triple-spacing from your printer, re-enter the code for 10 characters per inch without the return character. You should now be able to print single-space output. If that workaround fails, remove the codes for 10 characters per inch and 6 lines per inch altogether.
Q. My Panasonic printer puts a zero at the beginning of every line. How can I eliminate the zeros from my output?
A. The AppleWorks print driver uses codes for characters per inch that do not work well with some models of Panasonic printers. The solution is to use the following codes, taken from the "PRINTER CODES" database on the sample files disk:
10 cpi Escape P Control-A
12 cpi Escape P Control-@
Refer to pages A-9 through A-12 of the AppleWorks Reference manual for instructions on entering the codes.
Q. I defined a "Color IW" and used the new special codes area to set up commands for color output on my ImageWriter II. Then I added a "Foreign IW" which had special codes for foreign language output. When I went back to use the driver for color output, I discovered that my special codes for color had been replaced with special codes for those for foreign language. Am I limited to only one set of special codes?
A. In AppleWorks 3.0, you can define up to six special printer control codes per printer. You would expect that each of the three possible printers would have unique sets of special codes, and they can except that the labels for those codes remain the same for all printers. The codes themselves are unaffected. For example, special code #1 for the Color IW is different than Special Code #1 for the Foreign IW, even though both codes might be labeled "Print Spanish." This is an inherent limitation in the program.
Q. I used the 10 cpi code for my Star printer listed in the "PRINTER CODES" database supplied with AppleWorks 3.0. When I print, "ES" appears at the beginning of every line of my document. Are the codes listed in the database incorrect?
A. You're probably entering the code as it appears in the Multiple Record Layout. In that view, the columns are too narrow to display the entire code. If you entered part of the code, it probably won't work properly. To view the entire code, press Open Apple-Z for Single-Record Layout. You'll discover that the complete code for 10 cpi on a Star printer is as follows:
Escape B Control-A Escape W Control-@
You entered "Escape B Control-A ES," which would cause the "ES" to appear at the beginning of every line.
Q. I prepared a report in the Data Base module and specified that I needed three copies. The first copy printed out fine, but other two copies printed out with only the header and the first record of the report. How can I resolve this problem?
A. There are a couple of alternatives. You can print the report to the Clipboard and then move the file from the Clipboard into the Word Processor module. You can then print the report from the Word Processor.
You can also press Open Apple-C to copy the database records you want to print. Open a new spreadsheet document and press Apple-C again to copy the database records from the Clipboard to the Spreadsheet. The Word Processor and Spreadsheet modules will print multiple copies properly.
Q. I tried to use the FastCopy program included with AppleWorks 3.0 to copy AppleWorks. However, when I insert my original disk, the computer beeps and I get the message "This disk must be write-protected!" As far as I can tell, the disk is write-protected. What should I do now?
A. FastCopy requires you to write-protect your source disks (the disk you're copying information from.) If you have problems copying your disk, try the following techniques:
* Use nonreflective opaque tape to cover the notch. Some disk drives (including later model Apple drives) use optical sensors to see if a write-protect notch is covered or not, and it will not recognize disks with transparent or shiny tape as being write-protected.
* Use thicker, sturdier tape. Some drives use a mechanical button that is not fully activated when thin tape is used.
* Make sure the tape wraps around both sides of the disk. If you only lay the tape sideways, across the surface of the disk, the detector mechanism may not work properly.
* Try a different copy utility, such as Copy II+, or the programs included on the ProDOS Users Disk that came with your computer.
Q. I like to use the option "Omit line when all entries on line are blank" in the Data Base to make my mailing labels more attractive. But when I print three-across labels, sometimes AppleWorks omits the line, and sometimes it doesn't. It works fine with one-across labels. How do I correct this problem?
A. AppleWorks will only omit the line if all entries on the line are blank. If other labels in the same row have information on that line, the lines will not be omitted. To minimize the problem, sort your database by the categories which most often have blank entries. Those records will move to the top, and there will be a greater possibility of having a blank line in all three labels of a row. AppleWorks always omits empty lines when you print one-across labels.
Q. The manual says that I can now use parenthesis in calculated fields. However, when I try the example in the manual, all I get is a series of pound signs ("########") in my report. Is there something wrong with my disk?
A. Your disk is fine. The manual incorrectly states that AppleWorks 3.0 follows algebraic rules for evaluating calculated database fields, and allows parenthesis in those fields. Actually, calculated fields behave exactly as they did in AppleWorks 2.1. You should arrange the formula so that it does not use parenthesis.
Q. In my original copy of AppleWorks, Open Apple-Tab moved the cursor to the previous tab stop. Open Apple-Tab in AppleWorks 3.0 moves the cursor forward to the next tab stop. The quick reference card says Open Apple-Tab moves the cursor to the previous tab stop. Which is correct?
A. The quick-reference card is in error. In AppleWorks 3.0, when you press the Tab key (without holding down an Apple key), a formatting caret is inserted into your document, and the cursor as well as any text after the cursor moves to the next tab stop. Some users of earlier versions of AppleWorks may not want to use tabs this way, so Open Apple-Tab was changed to behave as regular Tab did in earlier versions of AppleWorks. Although you can no longer use Open Apple-Tab to move to the previous tab stop, Open Apple-Left Arrow provides a similar function: it moves the cursor to the previous word.
____________________________________________________________
CLARIS is a trademark of CLARIS Corporation. AppleWorks is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. licensed to CLARIS Corporation. ProDOS is a registered trademark of Apple Computer Inc.
Permission is granted to distribute this file freely, so long as it remains intact and unedited.
Copyright (c) 1989, CLARIS Corporation.

THIS CONTENT COPYRIGHT © 2007, APPLE MACINTOSH USERS' GROUP, SYDNEY
Permission has been obtained to make this material available on the Internet.

Permission is hereby granted for non-profit user groups to republish this content.
PLEASE CREDIT THE AUTHOR AND THE SOURCE: Applecations, publication of the Apple Users' Group, Sydney, Australia

THIS PAGE COPYRIGHT © 2007, ANDREW ROUGHAN