Sorcerer Software Users Newsletter Issue 0207 Welcome to our monthly newsletter, covering the latest updates, tips, and user questions about our software programs. If you have an issue or question you would like to see addressed in a future newsletter, either by me or by your fellow users, please email me and I'll include it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- July 30, 2002 CONTENTS: 1. The Abacus 2. CD Stripper 3. Envelope Printer 4. An interesting web site... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Abacus http://www.TheAbacus.biz Bug alert! Well, maybe not a bug. Let's call it an oversight on our part. Alert Abacus user JE emailed me recently with the following problem: "When I prepare an invoice after opening the log file that I want to use, the wrong configuration is used to make the invoice. The invoice was created using the wrong cents per line and the statement prints out at the bottom of the invoice that it was so many cents per 65 character line, but this is not correct. No matter which user configuration I used, it always prints the charge that was in the default configuration. How can I fix this?" [A little background: Abacus lets you create different user configurations, for example a different one for each account. To create or open a new user, just click on "Current user" on the Abacus main screen. You can read more about this in the Abacus "Readme" file by clicking on the "Readme file" button on the Abacus main screen.] When you set up your user configuration options (like what counting method you're using, what to write in the log file, how many cents per line to charge, etc.), the Abacus writes this data to a user configuration file to save it. But then when you go to create an invoice, Abacus always uses the settings in the default configuration file (named "abacus.ini"), even if you wanted to use the settings in a different configuration file that you created. So we decided we had to fix this. And here's what we did: If you want to create an invoice using a user configuration that you created, just open first the log file from the Abacus main screen by clicking on "View log file". Abacus will open the log file and ask if you want to write your line count totals to the log file. Click on "Yes". It will then ask you if you want to create an invoice from the log file. If you click on "Yes" it will then create an invoice using the user configuration file that was active when you left Abacus (ie, when you clicked on the "View log file" button). Voila... problem solved. Confusing? It probably is if you don't use these features. In fact, if you don't create your own user configuration files, all of this is irrelevant. But if you do use different configurations and you're still confused, you might want to go back and reread this section. If you need help or more information about the Abacus, you can find it on our troubleshooting page at: http://www.theabacus.biz/trouble.htm The most recent build of the Abacus includes this new feature but no other changes. The current Abacus build is 020722. If you have an earlier build of version 3.0, you may want to download and upgrade to this build. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CD Stripper http://www.sorcerersoftware.com/cdstrip.htm I've been getting a lot of questions lately about the changes we put in version 4.0 of the CD Stripper when we rolled it out to replace the old version (3.1). Originally, the program included the capability of recording from any external source that uses the computer's sound card, like a microphone, cassette tape player, phonograph, etc. But the new version doesn't include this feature. So everyone is asking me, "What happened? Why can't I record from 'line in' anymore?". The answer is that we moved this feature out into its own program. This new program, which goes by the catchy and highly imaginative name of "Audio Recorder", is available for a free trial just like the CD Stripper. But if you are a registered user of the CD Stripper, we throw in the Audio Recorder free. Just download Audio Recorder from our web site at: http://www.sorcerersoftware.com/cdstrip.htm and use your CD Stripper (version 4.0) unlock code to convert it from the trial version to the full, registered version of the program. Why did we do this? We found that by separating the 2 programs we could cut down on bugs and incompatabilities, and increase program efficiency. So you still get the same product with the same feature set (and more!) at the same price. What a deal. The current CD Stripper build is 020102. If you have an earlier build of version 4.0, you may want to download and upgrade to this build. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Envelope Printer http://www.sorcerersoftware.com/envelope.htm I want to thank everyone for their feedback from last month's newsletter. (If you missed that one and wonder what I'm talking about, all of our newsletters are available online at: http://www.sorcerersoftware.com/archives.htm) The message I took away from the comments we received is that the program is fundamentally sound, our users like the way it works, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Message received and understood. The current Envelope Printer build is 020629 of version 6.1. If you have an earlier build or version 6.0, you may want to download and upgrade to this build and version. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An interesting web site... for those that like lists is: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=638&ncid=762&e=1&u=/nm/20020713/ en_nm/leisure_tv_worst_dc_2 I know... it's a long one. But if you use Outlook Express (or many other email clients that support links) just click on it. Otherwise you can always just copy and paste it into your web browser's address window. A word of explanation is in order here. Some lists I find entertaining. The AFI (American Film Institute) came out with their list of the 100 greatest movies of the last 100 years. Another list published about a year ago was a list of the 100 greatest songs of the 20th century. (Your name in next month's headlines if you email me the #1 selection of both of these lists!) But the above link is to a list of the 50 all time worst TV shows. The interesting thing to me was that I had never even heard of most of them. I was saddened to see that one of my favorites of my younger days, "Hogan's Heroes", was on the list. But what, you ask, was the worst of the 50? Click on the link to find out! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That's all, folks. Look for our next newsletter in about 4 weeks... -- Bill bill@sorcerersoftware.com Sorcerer Software http://www.sorcerersoftware.com To read all the old newsletters, go to: http://www.sorcerersoftware.com/archives.htm To be removed from our mailing list, send me an email with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line.