README ====== This document describes a number of features, suggestions, and manual errata that could not be included in the Superplan User Guide. SUPERPLAN SUGGESTIONS --------------------- Although relatively easy to learn and use, Superplan should be classed as a "power" product in the ilk of Superbase Professional 3. Superplan includes many, many, features not found on any other product in existence for the Amiga computer. As with most things in life, a little study and perseverance will pay huge benefits to the user. Superplan is completely programmable. A complete turn key application can be implemented using your own custom menus, autos, macros, and ARexx modules as well as allowing total integration with other software products like SUPERBASE PROFFESSIONAL 3. We suggest you take a few minutes and browse appendix C (redefining the menus), pages 1-124, 1-125 (/Xecute/Learn), chapter 6 (programming) and page 1-57 (/auto) to familiarize yourself with these very powerful features. As an alternative to a full programming job you might want to take advantage of the custom menu feature to customize Superplan to suit your particular needs. (WARNING ALWAYS experiment with custom menus on a backup copy. If you make an error in your menus Superplan WILL NOT run.) AREXX SUPPORT ------------- ARexx is a macro language that allows commands and data to be passed between applications. Through ARexx, an ARexx program or another application that supports ARexx can tell Superplan to perform all its normal functions. Applications that work with ARexx must have ARexx "ports", which are named. The Superplan ARexx port is called SpRexx. The default ARexx port is REXX. Note that ARexx is case sensitive. Superplan supports the OPTIONS RESULTS syntax of ARexx. When this command is used in an ARexx program, it means that when ARexx sends a message to Superplan, it expects a result back. The message must therefore be a valid cell reference, such as "c23". When such a message is executed, Superplan returns the value of the specified cell to ARexx. Superplan supports ARexx's normal error handling. Five levels of error value may be returned: 0 No error. 5 Warning: an ARexx message had been received and was being processed when Superplan quit (normally the "/qy" message). 10 Superplan detected an error. 11 The ARexx message could not be executed. 20 An ARexx message that was waiting to be processed had not been processed when Superplan quit. The Superbase Professional relational database also supports ARexx. In fact, Superbase includes specific commands for manipulating Superplan, so that spreadsheet cell data may be read directly into Superbase variables. An example ARexx program called ARexx2spp.rexx is included on the Superplan Examples disk. NEW MACRO COMMANDS ------------------ There are four new macro commands for controlling the dimensions of the Superplan graphics window. These are: GPXnnn Sets the X (column) co-ordinate of the graphics window in pixels. GPYnnn Sets the Y (row) co-ordinate of the graphics window in pixels. GPWnnn Sets the depth of the graphics window in pixels. GPHnnn Sets the height of the graphics window in pixels. Ensure that these commands are executed in the natural order for drawing windows: GPX, GPY, GPW, GPH when enlarging the window; GPW, GPH, GPX, GPY when reducing its size. MEMORY REQUIREMENTS AND USAGE ----------------------------- Please note that to use Superplan you will need at least a megabyte of RAM. We suggest you save your work regularly so that you know your data is constantly secure. This is important if you intend using graphics, as some graphs can be very memory demanding. The left-hand indicator on the Status Line shows the amount of available free memory. To ensure data integrity, we strongly recommend that you save all work when you have only 25K memory remaining. Also, when drawing graphs, please note that if you drag and/or size the graph window, this will affect the amount of memory required. In particular if you size the window larger, you may find it will not accept your request, but instead will draw the graph using the same position and size. The reason is that there is not enough contiguous memory for the larger graphics screen, and so it draws it using the old window location, without issuing the INSUFFICIENT MEMORY message. PREFIX ------ When using a single drive AMIGA, we suggest you set the /Utilities Prefix (/UP) to df0:. This will allow you to swap disks and load example files from the Examples Disk. When you have finished loading data from your data disk it is a good idea to replace the Superplan Program disk, as this is needed for some operations, such as drawing graphs. On a multi-drive system, you can use /UP to change the current drive; i.e., to switch from df0: to df1: or RAM:. GRAPHICS PRINTING ----------------- For graphics printing, Superplan provides you with two types of printer driver. You may select either the Amiga Preferences driver (provided it has been previously configured for your printer) or one of the printer drivers that is supplied with the program. For most applications, you are recommended to use one of the Superplan drivers rather than the Preferences driver. The latter simply copies a graph to the printer at the same resolution as it has on screen. In other words, it provides a comparatively low resolution screendump facility. By contrast, the Superplan graphics printer drivers are capable of operating at the limits of the printer's resolution and therefore provide much higher quality output. Before printing a Superplan graph for the first time, you need to select the appropriate driver using the Output Configure or View Options commands. (If you have not specified a graphics printing driver, the message "No Printer Configured" will appear when you attempt a graphics print operation.) These commands present you with a list of drivers for a wide range of different printers; the list includes the Amiga Preferences driver under the name SCREENDUMP (PREFERENCES). Select the driver that corresponds to your printer and then save the selection for subsequent use. Note that the DEFAULT PRINTER option in the list of drivers is intended for text output only. WORKBENCH ICON -------------- When running superplan from the workbench it is possible to set the screen type required by adding a TOOL TYPE to the icon file. Highlight the sp icon, select Info from the Workbench menu, and click on the add button in the TOOL TYPE box. There are two possible tool types that can be used - SCREEN and PLANES. SCREEN can have three forms: SCREEN=WORKBENCH SCREEN=CUSTOM SCREEN=LACE For workbench, custom or interlaced screens respectively. PLANES can have four forms which only apply when screen is custom or lace: PLANES=1 PLANES=2 PLANES=3 PLANES=4 This defines the number of bit-planes used by the screen which determines the number of colors you will have available. ERRATA ------ Please note page 3-8 "The # is a wildcard character..." should read "The * is a wildcard character...".