************************************************************************ * QUALITAS PLUS HINTS AND TIPS * ************************************************************************ Topics covered: ERRATUM - USE OF QUAL64 AND QUAL128 WITH DISC PROTEXT USE OF QUALITAS WITH THE NEW 464 PLUS AND 6128 PLUS FAULTFINDING TRANSFER OF FONTS TO WORK DISC REDEFINING THE SWITCH-ON/OFF CODES TO BE LESS THAN 32 AUTOMATIC JUSTIFICATION CONTROL WITH TASWORD INTERRUPTING PRINTING USING THE ESC KEY USE WITH THE QUALITAS PLUS UTILITY PACK FOR CP/M PLUS USE WITH KDS RAMDOS AND ROMDOS DISC OPERATING SYSTEMS ======================================================================== ERRATUM - USE OF QUAL64 AND QUAL128 WITH DISC PROTEXT If you are using QUAL64, later versions of disc Protext (those with a file DISC2.BAS on the disc) should be loaded AFTER loading the 8-bit printer port software (if applicable) and Qualitas, and not before as described in the the Qualitas manual. In this case, there is no need to add a line 1000 to QUAL64. It will make a return to BASIC ready for the Protext disc to be inserted in the drive, and loaded as usual. If you are using QUAL128, ALL versions of disc Protext should be loaded AFTER loading the 8-bit printer port software (if applicable) and Qualitas, and not as described in the manual. ======================================================================== USE OF QUALITAS WITH THE NEW 464 PLUS AND THE 6128 PLUS Qualitas has not yet been tested on these new versions of the CPC but should work without any problems. In fact, operation ought to be easier as these computers have a proper 8-bit printer port (and software) built in. Therefore, you do not need an external 8-bit port and you do not need to run any software for one. When you run the Qualitas customizer program CUSTOM, choose the option that caters for an 8-bit port. Other references to 8-bit printer ports in the manual can then be disregarded. Please note that if you upgrade to a Plus model from a CPC, you should ensure that your work disc no longer runs any 8-bit printer port software. ====================================================================== FAULTFINDING Problem: When the Qualitas loader is run, an error message "QCODE not found" appears. Answer: The Qualitas code, filename QCODE, does not exist on your work disc. Run the Qualitas customizer program CUSTOM, and ensure it saves QCODE and the fonts to your work disc. For information, the files which should be present on your work disc after customization are: CLARION.BIN ELITE.BIN MERCURY.BIN PIAZZA.BIN PICA.BIN QCODE.BIN QUALITAS.BAS [or whatever you have called the loader] You may also, of course, have your word processor etc on the disc as well. ________________________________________________________________________ Problem: Qualitas seems to be customized correctly but it crashes in use or prints garbage. Answer: (1) If you are using an 8-bit printer port, check there is no error in its software by using it to print characters without Qualitas being loaded. (2) In the case of Tasword, check that the latter has not been modified to use the program PRINTEPS which is on the Tasword master disc. (3) If you are using a Star printer, you may have selected the wrong option in the printer menu of the customizer program. Recent Star printers are Epson-compatible. (4) If you are using disc Protext, you may be loading the files in the wrong order - see section later on. (5) Your printer may not be Epson-compatible. ________________________________________________________________________ Problem: Qualitas loads alright but cannot be switched on (or off). Answer: (1) Ensure the switch-on/off codes are at the beginning of a line, ie the first non-space characters. (2) Protext sends a "reset code" at the beginning of a document - if this occurs on the same line, or the line above, the Qualitas switch-on codes, it can interfere. The solution is to stop Protext sending these codes by removing the reset code definition (ie defining the printer control character à to send no codes - see Protext manual). (3) In the case of Protext, if you have set your printer to do auto-linefeeds on receipt of a carriage return, you will have set Protext to send 0 instead of 10 for the linefeed at the end of each line. This zero code will therefore precede the Qualitas code, preventing switch-on. Arrange for Protext to send 32 (space) instead of zero (this will increase your left margin spaces by one). ________________________________________________________________________ Problem: Qualitas worked satisfactorily until an 8-bit printer port was installed. Now it chops the tops off characters. Answer: (1) This is probably because you did not tell Qualitas you were using an 8-bit printer port, and it is therefore still in 7-bit mode. Run the BASIC program CUSTOM on the Qualitas master disc, and this time select the 8-bit option in the appropriate menu. Use the program to save the 8-bit Qualitas code and the 8-bit fonts to your work disc. (2) Less likely, your printer may have a switch for 7 and 8-bit operation. This should be set to 8-bit operation. ________________________________________________________________________ Problem: Qualitas generally prints correctly with an 8-bit printer port but some of the characters have spurious vertical lines. Answer: (1) If you have upgraded a CPC464 firmware chip to a CPC6128 chip, the statement CALL &BD58 must be added to the KDS printer port software, otherwise some codes over 127 will be translated by the firmware. (2) If your printer has a 7/8 bit data switch, ensure it is set to 8 bits. ________________________________________________________________________ Problem: Qualitas "echoes" character descenders at the top of characters. Answer: Technically, this is because codes which have the least significant bit set are having that bit copied to the most significant bit. It is almost certainly a hardware problem. Check that your 8-bit printer port is functioning correctly by printing text without using Qualitas. If some characters are printed in italic, the printer port may not be compatible with your system, and you should consult the manufacturer. ======================================================================== TRANSFER OF FONTS TO WORK DISC When additional fonts are purchased, they require to be transferred to the work disc. This can be done in two ways. The simplest way is to load the font editor using RUN "editor". This has options to load fonts and then save them, so you can load fonts from the font pack disc and then save them to the work disc. If you wish to transfer all the fonts to the work disc, you may find it faster to use the CP/M PIP utility. First ensure there is sufficient space on the work disc for all the additional fonts. Then load CP/M and run PIP (see Amstrad manual for details of PIP). The command b:=a:*.* will transfer all the fonts from the font pack disc in drive A to the work disc in drive B (if you only have one drive then put the work disc in the drive when CP/M prompts you for drive B). ======================================================================== REDEFINING THE SWITCH-ON/OFF CODES TO BE LESS THAN 32 If your documents are liable to have the same characters as Qualitas switch-on or switch-off codes at the beginning of a line then it will be necessary to move them or precede them with a harmless printer control character, eg "italic codes off". If this cannot be done, redefine the codes to others which can be guaranteed not to appear. This is done using the appropriate menu option in CUSTOM. However, in a few cases, eg when printing BASIC programs, ANY printable character might appear at the beginning of a line and it would therefore be best to redefine the switch-on/off codes to be non-printing codes below 32. We suggest the codes used in Qualitas Plus version 1 be used in these cases, ie Normal-height switch-on = code 25 Double-height switch-on = code 28 Switch-off = code 29 If you redefine the codes to these new values, which are similar to printer control codes, it makes Qualitas rather more difficult to use, as you cannot just type in, say, "éè" at the beginning of a line. In the case of a word processor, you need to define printer control characters to give these codes if there is no embedded command to output printer control codes. With programs which cannot output printer control codes at all you may need to switch Qualitas on before entering the program using, say PRINT #8,CHR$(25);CHR$(255) ======================================================================== AUTOMATIC JUSTIFICATION CONTROL WITH TASWORD If the justification control code is zero, this will cause Qualitas to read Tasword's current values for left margin on printing and right screen margin and sum them in order to establish the correct justification control setting automatically. Of course, since code zero cannot be entered as a text character, you will need to define printer control characters to use this feature. For example, the code for "é" is 123. Hence to switch on Qualitas in normal height you need to define a character to give 123 0. Go into option C (customize program) in the main Tasword menu and select the "define printer control chars" routine. Any letters can be used but we suggest you define: Q to give codes 123 0 (Qualitas normal-height on) R to give codes 94 0 (Qualitas double-height on) Return to the main menu and save Tasword to your work disc using option T (save Tasword). When loading a file from disc and printing it, remember that use of code zero for the justification control will cause Qualitas to read the CURRENT values of the variables, which are not necessarily the same as when the document was saved. ======================================================================== INTERRUPTING PRINTING USING THE ESC KEY Qualitas does not monitor the state of the ESC key - with some host programs it may need to be held down until control passes back to the host program at the end of a line. Some host programs, eg Tasword and the Mini-Office II word processor, always send a carriage return/line feed at some point after the ESC key has been pressed. This will cause no problems as the latter will clear the Qualitas buffer. However, other host programs, eg Protext, do not do this, and sometimes Qualitas is left with a half-full buffer of characters, which will be printed whatever is subsequently sent. In this case it is necessary to clear the Qualitas buffer by sending a carriage return/line feed before any subsequent printing is carried out. This can be done by returning to BASIC and issuing the command PRINT #8, and then returning to your program. In the case of Promerge Plus or the CP/M Plus versions of Protext, pressing ENTER while in typewriter mode is an alternative. ======================================================================== USE WITH THE QUALITAS PLUS UTILITY PACK FOR CP/M The optional Utility Pack was designed to allow Qualitas Plus version 1 to run under CP/M Plus, but is completely compatible with version 2. In fact, it is much easier to use with version 2 as the switch-on codes can be ordinary text characters. The implications of this are: 1. There is no longer any need to customize a word processor or use SETLST to send switch-on codes. 2. QTYPE sends the switch-on codes appropriate for version 1 when the Qualitas printing option is selected, and these will not work with version 2 (unless they are redefined to conform - see above). Simply select draft printing instead and ensure the switch-on codes are in the document. 3. As supplied, the CP/M Plus version of Protext has the "é", "^" and "è" characters redefined so that, when printed, they are prefixed by the codes 27 82 3. Use the "Set character translations" option in SETPRINT to restore these characters to send just 123, 94 and 125 respectively, or else it will be impossible to switch Qualitas on. ======================================================================== USE WITH KDS RAMDOS AND ROMDOS DISC OPERATING SYSTEMS Unless otherwise stated, the changes to the Qualitas loaders described in the RAMDOS operating manual apply to version 1 of Qualitas Plus. For version 2, change the statement n=48664 to n=48784 in line 280 of QUAL128 line 320 of QTW6128 line 380 of QPM128 In the case of QMO2, change n=48634 to n=48784 in line 280. Note: These changes should also be made when using ROMDOS. ========================================================================