Sorcerer Software Users Newsletter Issue 0303 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 31, 2003 CONTENTS: 1. The Abacus 2. Envelope Printer 3. CD Stripper 4. For the literary minded, new edition -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Abacus http://www.TheAbacus.biz In the last month we made three changes to Abacus. Although they may not apply to everyone, these changes may be of help to some users. The first of the changes is to the macro that adds up the total line count in the log file. For many users, this step is done just before making an invoice. Invoice creation is a simple thing to do with Abacus: Open the log file in Word (just like you would open any Word document), and run the Abacus "AbacusMakeInvoice" macro. This macro then reads the information from the log file and creates the invoice, which is a Word document that can be formatted, edited, saved, and printed. The problem arises when you add up your line counts in the log file and again in the invoice, and this problem only occurs if you count characters (as opposed to gross lines). Here's what happens. In the log file (using the "AbacusLogFile" macro), Abacus gives you a line count for each document, and then adds up all the line counts to get a grand total line count. The line count for each document is calculated by dividing the number of characters in the document by the number of characters per line you have decided upon. But in the invoice, Abacus adds up the character counts for all of the documents in the log file, and divides this number by your "Chars per line" value to get a grand total line count. These two grand totals (the grand total in the log file and the grand total in the invoice) will therefore often be different. They represent two different ways of arriving at a grand total. I'm not sure it's correct to say one is right and the other is wrong. However I do believe that the 2nd method, the one used in the invoice, is a more accurate reflection of what was actually transcribed and counted. Because of this, we changed the process in the log file (the "AbacusViewLog" macro which adds up the grand total line count) so that it matches the grand total in the invoice. On to the second change. At the request of a user, we added a feature to the "Count selected text" counting method. Currently this method returns the number of gross lines in a block of text that the user has selected (highlighted). Now you can also count lines as characters per line in the block of selected text. To do this, just click on the "Count selected text" while holding down the Ctrl key. When you do, both the "Count selected text" and "Count as chars per line" counting methods will be checked. The third new addition was our decision to make the Abacus, from this point on, digitally signed so that Word could load it (with your permission) while allowing you to keep your macro security setting at High or Medium. This will have no effect on Word 97 users. But in Word 2000 and even more so in Word 2002(XP), Microsoft is trying to protect you from viruses that can be introduced using Word macros or add-in files that were designed to harm your computer by infecting it. Abacus is an add-in file that contains several Word macros, so Word will assume it may be infected and try to protect your computer. [Needless to say, Abacus is NOT infected, and does NOT carry viruses or other agents that can infect or damage computers!] If you have your macro security setting currently on Medium or High, Word should be warning you each time you try to load a macro or a file that contains macros. If this happens with the future builds of Abacus, just let Word go ahead and enable the Abacus macros (you should only have to do this the first time you use the new Abacus) and keep your macro security setting on High or Medium. To read more about enabling Abacus in Word, see the Readme file that is installed with the newest build. The current version 3.0 Abacus build is 030310. If you have an earlier build of version 3.0, you may want to download and upgrade to this build. This is the Word "add-in" version. The current Abacus SE build is 030131. If you have an earlier build of Abacus SE/4.0, you may want to download and upgrade to this build. This is the freestanding version. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Envelope Printer http://www.sorcerersoftware.com/envelope.htm Just a few days ago we released version 7.0, a major new release of the Envelope Printer program. First, we included all the bug fixes (both of them :) ) that our users found over the last five years. We also included the improvements, revisions, and additions that were used to produce the new builds to versions 6.0 and 6.1 (collectively called 6.x). Next, we added our most requested new features: 1. You can specify a unique font for the return address, rather than being forced to use the same font as the address; 2. Addresses can hold up to 80 characters per line instead of the 40 in the previous versions; 3. Use up to five lines in the address, up from four in version 6.1 and before. 4. You can use Print Preview when you Roll Your Own address settings. And finally, we sent it off to our beta testers to bang on for a while and see if they could find anything wrong with it. No software is perfect, and Envelope Printer is no exception. But we have tried hard to get it to work right, and our testers gave us high marks. There is one other thing you need to know before upgrading. The new version of the program can't read address databases from earlier versions of the program. You will need to convert your databases to the new database format that version 7.0 can read and write to. The new database uses the .ep7 extension rather than the .env extension of version 6.x. To convert your databases, you just need to download from our web site the free "Convert" program. It's simple to use and takes only a few seconds. You can download the "Convert" program from our web site at: http://www.sorcerersoftware.com/convert.exe Should you upgrade? Yes, if you want or need the new features. But let's be realistic: if you have version 6.x and it does exactly what you need, why spend the money? I'll tell you why... I have a daughter going off to college next year, and another the year after! On the other hand, if you bought ANY version of the program before January 1, 2003, you can upgrade for only $10. To purchase your upgrade: 1. Send us a check or money order for $10; or 2. Log onto PayPal (www.paypal.com) and send $10 to bill@sorcerersoftware.com; You can read more about the upgrade process on our web site at: http://www.sorcerersoftware.com/envelope.htm And if you purchased the program AFTER January 1, 2003, you can upgrade free of charge. The current Envelope Printer build is 030311 of version 7.0. If you have an earlier build or version, you may want to download and upgrade to this build. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CD Stripper http://www.sorcerersoftware.com/cdstrip.htm Although we have no updates or revisions to the CD Stripper program, we have updated one of its ancillary programs, "Wav2MP3". This is the program that converts Windows .wav files to .mp3 files and vice versa. The changes were made due to problems displaying the program on certain screen settings, but the program's capabilities have not been changed. If you are having trouble displaying the program, you should download this updated version of the program. If it is working correctly for you, then there is no need to update. And if you are a registered CD Stripper user, you are invited to download this program and use your CD Stripper unlock code to convert the trial version into the full featured version of the program. The current Wav2MP3 build is 030322 of version 1.3. The current CD Stripper build is 020820 of version 4.0.1. If you have an earlier build or version, you may want to download and upgrade to this build. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For the literary minded... For the last few months we have been reviewing and discussing the Great Opening Lines (you know, like "What's your sign?"). Regular newsletter reader and reviewer JaneSK thought we should next take on Great Closing Lines. Although she didn't offer a sample (but I'll bet she will when she reads the newsletter), this is among my favorites: "It is a far, far better thing that I do than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known."* In fact, this line is so unique and poetic that it was once used in a Star Trek movie! Do you have a closing line that you think stands out, one that hasn't received the recognition it deserves, or just one that you like? If so, email it to me and let's put them all on display next month. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. *Charles Dickens, "A Tale of Two Cities"