Display article   Subject:  DeskMate's Special Features
   04/30/97   19:41:19


DESKMATE'S SPECIAL FEATURES

Most of us know how to use DeskMate's basic features, functions
and benefits:  the Desktop, Text, Address Book, Calendar,
PC-Link, etc.

Just below the surface of these applications lie extra-value
features you might not have learned to use.  This article
describes some of these `extra' features and explains how to use
them.


The Desktop:  Different Views

You usually view the Desktop as a group of application buttons
and list boxes on the screen from which you can select and
execute applications.

There are two other ways to view the Desktop.

The Tree View

The Tree View shows the structure of the directories on the
current drive.  On a floppy-based system, that will be drive A or
B.  On a hard drive system, it will usually be drive C or D.

To display the Tree View, follow these steps:

   Go to the Desktop.
   Select View <F5>, Tree.
   Press <ENTER>.


Benefit:  This view shows how your floppy disk or hard drive is
organized, helping you find directories quickly.

The Files View

The Files View shows you the structure of the directories on the
current drive, and it also shows you the files in the current
directory.  You can execute any of the .PDM, .EXE, .COM and .BAT
files in the directory by selecting the file and double clicking
the mouse (or pressing <ENTER>).  If you select a data file
associated with a DeskMate application, DeskMate will
automatically run the associated program and load the data file.

To display the Files View, follow these steps:

   Go to the Desktop.
   Select View <F5>, Files.
   Press <ENTER>.


Benefit:  This view helps you find files quickly and work with
them.  It also gives you a quick look at the files' dates and
sizes.

To return to the default Menu View:

   Go to the Desktop.
   Select View <F5>, Menu.
   Press <ENTER>.



The DeskMate Clipboard:  Copying and Pasting

DeskMate's Clipboard lets you move information from place to
place in an application, and it lets you move information from
one application to another.  The Clipboard can move text data,
graphic data, spreadsheet data, etc.

A good example of how to use the Clipboard is to copy a drawn
graphic from DeskMate's Draw program to the Text program.  Here
are the steps:

1. Run Draw and load a graphic onto the screen.

2. Choose Tools <F7>, Select.  If more than one graphic is
displayed, decide which one you will send to the document.

3. With the mouse, click-and-hold above the upper left corner of
the graphic, drag the mouse down below the lower right corner of
the graphic, then release the mouse.  This selects the graphic.

4. Select Edit <F3>, Copy to copy the graphic to the Clipboard.

5. Exit the Draw program and run the Text program.  Type in some
text.  At the point where you want to insert the graphic, insert
a blank line.

6. Select Edit <F3>, Paste.

Benefit:  You can add graphics to your documents.  The Clipboard
also lets you take text from one DeskMate program to another very
easily -- just copy and paste!


The Spell Checker:  Get It Right Before You Print

DeskMate Text includes a spelling checker with 90,000 words that
helps you make sure all the words in your letters and other
documents are spelled correctly.  Here's how to try it:

1. Go into the Text program.  Load in or type in a document.

2. Choose Edit <F3>, Proof.  Any unknown words show up in context
in the box.  Now you have five options:

-- Press <TAB> three times, then type a correction.

-- Use the <Down Arrow> key then <ENTER> to accept one of the
recommended spellings.

-- Select Options <F2>, Add, to add this word to the dictionary.

-- Press <ENTER> to accept the word as it is.

-- Press <ESC> to exit the spelling checker.

After you have performed one of these steps, the spelling checker
will check the rest of the document.

Benefit:  You can avoid spelling errors in printed documents.


Headers and Footers in Text

Business people often want their company name and address, page
numbers, the date, a title, etc. at the top or bottom of each
page of their documents.  `Headers' appear at the top of each
page while `footers' appear at the bottom of each page.  Here are
the steps for adding a header to each page of the document:

1. In Text, select Layout <F6>, Header.

2. Press the <Down arrow>, <SPACE>, <ENTER> to choose "Header on
All Pages."

3. Type in the text for the header.  You may include the page
number and date by choosing them from the Layout <F6> menu.

4. Type <CTRL><C> to center any information in the header.

5. Choose Layout <F6>, Return to Document.

To view your header on the screen, you must print the document to
the screen following these steps:

1. Choose File <F2>, Print.

2. Press <Up arrow>, <SPACE>, <ENTER> to choose Print to Screen.
The text appears with the header.

3. To return to the document, choose Options <F2>, Exit.

Benefit:  Headers/footers add information to each page of the
document, giving it a professional appearance.


Printing Labels from Address Book

Businesses large and small need to send product or service
information to their customers.  DeskMate's Address Book program
has label-printing capability built in.  Here's how to use it:

1. Run Address Book to be sure there are some names and
addresses in the file.

2. Choose File <F2>, Format labels.

3. Choose `Sort by Last Name' and select a size, then press
<ENTER>.

4. Choose File <F2>, Print labels.

5. Press <ENTER> to print the labels.

Since you cannot print the labels to the screen, you may either
print them to a printer or print them to a file and view the file
in Text.

Benefit:  This is an efficient way to address envelopes for a
mailing to your current mailing list.


Using the Phone List Accessory

We all make phone calls during the day, and the Phone List
accessory lets you find phone numbers without leaving the
DeskMate program you're running.  For example, you may be working
on a document in Text and need to ask an associate a question
before you can finish the document.  You can pull the Phone List
onto the screen OVER the Text word processing program, without
ever leaving Text.

Phone List displays the names that are in the Address Book, so
there must be names with phone numbers in the Address Book before
attempting to use the Phone List.  Here's how to do it:

1. Go into Text and load in any document.

2. Choose <F10>, Phone List.

3. Use the <Up arrow> and <Down arrow> to scroll through the
list.

Benefit:  The Phone List gives you quick access to phone numbers
without taking the extra time to leave your application and then
return to it.


Uploading and Downloading Files with Telecom

DeskMate Telecom lets your computer communicate with online
services and bulletin boards through a modem.  These services and
bulletin boards often contain program or data files which you can
download.  If these are text-only files, you can download them as
text files.  But if they contain non-text data (as program files
do), you must use a communications protocol.

Probably the most widely supported protocol is `Xmodem.'
DeskMate Telecom lets you download and upload files using this
Xmodem protocol.  Here's how to use it:

1. Run the Telecom program.

2. Select Options <F5>, Transfer file.

3. At this point you can select send or receive, ASCII or Xmodem,
and a filename.

Benefit:  Telecommunications users can upload and download both
ASCII text and binary (program and data) files.

In several areas, DeskMate's capabilities go beyond the basic
features you may have been using.
