1. First you need to decide where you store the graphic files. For this example, let us assume that you selected A:\ DATA\IPEX. (You can select any drive or directory for this purpose.)
2. Place the appropriate graphic files in this directory. For the AUTHORS.GDB Database we'll put AUTHORS.PCX = in the directory A:\DATA\IPEX.
3. Use Memo editor or other programs to edit the AUTOEXEC.BAT file on A: drive. (If you do not have one, copy it from C: or D:) The file contains (most probably as the last line) a line with 100' or 200' command. Insert the iPeX command before this line as follows: ipex -fa:\data\ipex
4. Close the AUTOEXEC.BAT file and press (CTRL)-(ALT)-(DEL) to restart the system.
Now iPeX will works for you. Open the AUTHORS.GDB file in the Database application to see how the database items with pictures look. (See screens on page 36.)
How to make a picture file
You should have some original graphic file, created by a scanner, a digital camera, a CAD software, Paint software or whatever. Change that graphic to monochrome PCX or ICN format, the maximum size is 1639 x 1199 pixels. If you use PCX format, you can reduce the time it takes iPeX to open the .PCX file by using the PCXEXT.COM program included in the iPeX package. After you have created the .PCX file, go to the DOS prompt and run:
Tips for entering the iPeX data
Graphic showing that iPeX "clips" a portion of an image file and "pastes" it into a specific location on the screen displaying a Database Item.>
Suppose that you are going to modify the data in the Database you are already using. In such case you may want to suppress the functioning of iPeX, which stubbornly wants to display the image whenever you open the Database item or modify the iPeX data string. A program called IPOFF .COM comes with iPeX and is used for this purpose. Run it once and it disables iPeX. Run it again and it reactivates iPeX. IPOFF.COM can be run from the DOS prompt you get with Ctrl+123 key.
It often happens during the layout of the database screen, that you want to display one and the same image at the same position on all the database items: a company logo, symbol marks, pointers to other images (arrows, bull's eye) etc. It is a part of the form, on which you enter the data.
In such case you can use Label field of the Database application. In Label field, unlike Text field, the text is fixed on all the database items. If you enter iPeX data string into Label field, you always have the same iPeX data string, so you always have the same image (logo, icon. mark, etc) at the same place.
In addition, you may want to use also the `hide the data string' switch (`%') in the iPeX data string. If you use this option, the data string is hidden and only the image (logo, icon, etc) appears on the screen. This will make a really smart screen layout.
Shareware/freeware mentioned in this article
IIPEX112.ZIP. Archive file containing IPEX.COM, PCXEXT.COM, IPOFF.COM iPeX Ver.1.12. A copyrighted freeware, created by Masaki Tsumori <JCG00070@ niftyserve.or.jp>. Archive name: Available on this issue of The HP Palmtop Paper ON DISK, at CompuServe, HPHAND, on http://www .palmtop.net/super.html and on http://www.thaddeus.com/
AUTHORS.ZIP Contains AUTHORS .GDB and AUTHORS.PCX. Compiled by Toshiki Sasabe. Available on this issue of The HP Palmtop Paper ON DISK and at: http://www.thaddeus.com/