Documentation and Examples

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Ovation Pro Reference Manual

This is the main manual for Ovation Pro, consisting of 20 chapters and nearly 300 pages. Each chapter and Appendix is held in a separate Ovation Pro document. You can load these and print them out. The documents are set out on A4 size pages, it may be convenient to use the pamphlet or galley print formats to print them out. They can be found on the CD at:

Location DavidPilling\Documentation\Manual

The files are also available in PDF format at:

Location DavidPilling\Documentation\Pdf

The links below are to the sections in PDF and Ovation Pro document form (DPD). The PDF versions will probably appear in your web browser using the PDF plugin. The Ovation Pro documents have to be opened and Ovation Pro must be installed to view them. The Ovation Pro documents are a good example of how to use the program.

Contents DPD or PDF

1 Introduction DPD or PDF

2 Getting Started DPD or PDF

3 Working with Text DPD or PDF

4 Adding Style DPD or PDF

5 Formatting Text DPD or PDF

6 Defined Styles DPD or PDF

7 Document View DPD or PDF

8 Drawing and Editing Objects DPD or PDF

9 Working with Objects DPD or PDF

10 Working with Pictures DPD or PDF

11 Pages, Chapters and Master Pages DPD or PDF

12 Printing and Mail Merge DPD or PDF

13 Commercial Printing DPD or PDF

14 The Spelling Checker DPD or PDF

15 Customisation DPD or PDF

16 Defined Colours DPD or PDF

17 Macros DPD or PDF

18 Applets DPD or PDF

19 Script Language DPD or PDF

A Font Management DPD or PDF

B Character Sets and Escape Sequences DPD or PDF

C Key and Constant Macros DPD or PDF

D Date and Time Format DPD or PDF

E Keyboard and Mouse Short-cuts DPD or PDF

F Defining Borders DPD or PDF

G Defining Colour Charts DPD or PDF

H Glyph Names DPD or PDF

I Document Description Language DPD or PDF

J Expression Evaluation and Units DPD or PDF

Glossary DPD or PDF

Index DPD or PDF

Complete Manual as one big file PDF

Example files for Chapter 12:
Location DavidPilling\Documentation\Manual\12_Examples
All examples in a zip file

Tutorial

The Tutorial directory is located on the CD at:

Location DavidPilling\Documentation\Tutorial

It contains all the files used by the tutorial guide supplied with Ovation Pro. It also contains the Tutorial guide as an Ovation Pro document.

Tutorial Guide DPD or PDF

Tutorial in document form with examples, source material etc. in a Zip archive

Script Language Reference Guide

Location DavidPilling\Documentation\Script DPD or PDF

This manual contains information on the Ovation Pro script language and other programming details. It is suitable for competent programmers. Ordinary use of the program is possible without understanding this document.

Quick Reference Guide

Location DavidPilling\Documentation\RefCard.dpd DPD or PDF

The Quick Reference card supplied with Ovation Pro.

Example Documents

Location DavidPilling\Extras\Documents

The directory Documents contains a selection of Ovation Pro documents that demonstrate many of its facilities.
All example documents in a zip file

Location Others\Clegg\Examples\Ripples.dpd

Copy of a magazine produced using Ovation Pro.

Location Others\Hallas\Resources\Risc User

This directory contains a set of thirteen articles which appeared in RISC User magazine, volumes 11 and 12. The articles concern various aspects of desktop publishing using Ovation Pro, and were all written by Richard Hallas.
All documents in a zip file

A frequent requirement is for label templates there are a number on the CD, these are standard Avery labels, the width, height (in mm) and number of labels are given.

Location Others\Brown\Examples

L7651.dpd L 7651 38.1x21.2x65
L7651Link.dpd L 7651 38.1x21.2x65 with linked frames. Linked frames are useful for mail merging.

Location Others\Ellacot\Examples

L14.ddl Avery L14 Labels

Location Others\Johnson\Examples

L7160.dps L7160 63.5x38.1x21
L7160_L.dps L7160 63.5x38.1x21 linked

L7162.dps L7162 99.1x34x6
L7162_L.dps L7162 99.1x34x6 linked

L7664Write.dps L7664 Diskette 70x71.9x8

Location Others\Kirk\Examples

L7159.ddl L7159 64x34x24
L7159_L.ddl L7159 64x34x24 linked

L7161.ddl L7161 63.5x46.6x18
L7161_L.ddl L7161 63.5x46.6x18

L7164.ddl L7164 63.5x72x12
L7164_L.ddl L7164 63.5x72x12

Location Others\Symes\Examples

Contains a collection of useful templates and examples of how to achieve certain effects.
All documents in a zip file

Programming Tutorials

Location Others\Pettigrew\Resources\ScriptArticles\Part1.dpd
Location Others\Pettigrew\Resources\ScriptArticles\Part2.dpd

A series of two articles written by John Pettigrew on using the Ovation Pro script language published in the February and March 1999 editions of Acorn User.

Location Others\Pettigrew\Resources\AppletArticles\applets.zip

A series of three articles written by John Pettigrew on writing Ovation Pro applets published in Acorn User in 2000.

Location Others\Howatt\Resources\custom.zip

A series of three articles by Tony Howatt on writing Ovation Pro applets published in Risc User in 1998.

Location Others\Crawford\Resources\FRUScript.zip

A Foundation RISC User article on writing scripts and applets by Gavin Crawford.

Note that these articles are about the RISC OS version of Ovation Pro, most they say applies to the Windows version. However not all the example programs can immediately be run on Windows. For this reason they are supplied in RISC OS format zip files.

Acorn User articles appear by kind permission of John Cartmell editor of Qercus - editor@qercus.com www.qercus.com Qercus: a fusion of Acorn Publisher & Acorn User magazines. Thanks also to John Pettigrew and Steve Turnbull editor of Acorn User at the time.

Risc User articles appear by munificence of Sheridan Williams of Beebug, and I'd also like to thank the editor of Risc User at the time Richard Hallas and the author of the series Tony Howat.