CodeList: ASCII File Printer for Windows

CodeList: ASCII File Printer for Windows 95

CodeList is a Windows application to print ASCII files under Windows.  It supports drag and drop operation, making it useful as an icon on the bottom of your screen, and is configurable for font, printer orientation, number of print columns, presence of line numbers, and other features.

CodeList is one of the Barry Press Utilities, and is Copyright © 1992-1995 by Barry Press.  Support for CodeList and other programs in the Barry Press Utilities is available from the author (CompuServe 72467,2353 or Internet 72467.2353@compuserve.com).

Information on installation and startup is contained in the following two topics:

Installing CodeList

Starting CodeList

Information on using CodeList is contained in the following topics:

Selecting Files

Drag and Drop

Printing Files

Setting CodeList Options

Selecting the Print Font

Setting Up the Printer

Finally, information on the Help menu in CodeList can be found in the following topics:

Getting Help on CodeList

About CodeList

Help on using Windows Help can be obtained by pressing the F1 key.


Installing CodeList

CodeList consists of two files, CDLIST32.EXE and CDLIST32.HLP.  As long as they are installed in the same directory, they can be placed anywhere in the file system of your computers.  I tend to keep Windows 95 and Windows NT application tools that are not part of Windows itself in a directory called \WIN32APP, but you can put CodeList anywhere you choose.  If the directory containing CodeList is on the path, you will be able to start CodeList simply by running CDLIST32.EXE.  Otherwise, you will have to supply the complete path to the program (e.g., C:\WIN32APP\CDLIST32.EXE).


Starting CodeList

As discussed in the topic Installing CodeList, you can start CodeList with a filename if CDLIST32.EXE is on your path, or with a full pathname otherwise.

CodeList allows you to specify files to be printed on the command line you use to start the program, and allows those file specifications to include standard DOS wildcard characters.  For example, suppose you want to list all the text (*.txt) in the c:\temp directory.  You could start CodeList and hand it all those files in one operation with the command line:

cdlist32.exe c:\temp\*.txt

(Of course, if you require a complete path to start CodeList, you would use it in the example above.)

The ability to specify files on the CodeList command line allows you to drag files within File Manager onto the line for the CDLIST32.EXE file.  This is distinct from the drag and drop feature, and probably you will find drag and drop more useful.

Files may also be selected in CodeList using drag and drop from the File Manager and using the File Select menu command.  For further information see the following topics:

Selecting Files

Drag and Drop

CodeList remembers its window size and position from one invocation to the next.  This means that you can open the CodeList window, set its size and position, then (if you like) close it back down to an icon.  The next time you start CodeList (say after restarting your computer), it will remember the size and position you set whenever you open the window.


Selecting Files

Printing with CodeList is driven by selection of the files to print.  The selected files are displayed in the CodeList window, which is itself a standard Windows list box.

Files are selected with the File Select command, which brings up a standard Windows file open dialog box.  The CodeList version of this dialog box differs slightly from many Windows programs, however, in that it allows you to select more than one file at a time using the control and shift keys along with the mouse in standard Windows multiple-selection fashion.  All files highlighted in the list box are selected for printing when you hit the OK button, and are subsequently shown in the list box.

Files may also be selected in CodeList from the command line used to start the program and using drag and drop from the File Manager.  For further information see the following topics:

Starting CodeList

Drag and Drop


Drag and Drop

You can select files for printing by CodeList using Drag and Drop from the Windows Explorer.  Simply select the files you want to print (using shift or control key modifiers with the mouse to select multiple files), then drag them with the left mouse button from the Explorer window to CodeList.  You can do this whether CodeList is open as a window or is an icon in the Windows 95 taskbar.  If you have turned on automatic print start printing will begin immediately.  Otherwise, CodeList will queue up the files and wait for you to command it to start printing.  For further information on automatic print and on starting print, see the following topics:

Setting CodeList Options

Printing Files

Files may also be selected in CodeList from the command line used to start the program and using the File Select menu command.  For further information see the following topics:

Starting CodeList

Selecting Files


Printing Files

The File Print menu command causes CodeList to print the selected files (the complete pathnames of which are displayed in the main window listbox).  This command is used when the AutoStart option is not used, and therefore files are queued waiting to print rather than immediately being sent to the printer.

See also:

Setting CodeList Options


Setting CodeList Options

CodeList allows you to set several options controlling its operation.  Fonts and the printer setup have their own menu commands; the rest of the CodeList options are set through the Setup Options dialog box..  The options setup through this dialog box are as follows:

Option	Function
Columns per Page	Specifies how many columns the page will be divided into when CodeList outputs lines.  Two columns, for example, works well with a 10 point font on a landscape page. If you specify too many columns, the print area for lines in each column will get narrower than the lines in your files.  In this event, CodeList truncates the lines.
Tab Stop Interval	Specifies how many character positions occur between tab stops. CodeList processes tabs assuming that you will use a fixed-pitch font (e.g., Courier New).  If you happen to choose a proportionally-spaced font (e.g., Arial), there will not be a constant number of characters per inch across the line, and the tab spacings will not line up.
Print Heading on Each Page	If this box is checked, CodeList will print a heading at the top of each page.  The file name will appear in the upper left corner, and the file date/time plus page number in the upper right. If you have the documentation for the Microsoft C Run-Time Library, you can use the codes for the strftime function to change the format of the date/time print.  In the file PRESS.INI, in the section CodeList, add a line:     TimeFormat=<format> By default, <format> is: %A %B %d, %Y %I:%M:%S %p %z
Print Line Numbers	CodeList will print a line number on each line of the file if this box is checked.  The first line is numbered one.
Start Printing Automatically	If this box is checked, CodeList will begin printing files as soon as they are selected, dropped, etc.  Otherwise, files are queued up, with printing not starting until the File Print command is used.
All of these settings are retained from one execution of CodeList to the next.


Selecting the Print Font

The Setup Font command displays a standard Windows font selection dialog box, with which you can select the font to be used for printing files.  Only fonts available on the currently-selected printer (possibly including True Type fonts) are shown in the dialog box.

If having columns and tab stops line up between lines is important, you should choose a fixed-pitch font such as Courier or Courier New.

You also should consider the performance of your printer when selecting the font.  On some printers, for example, certain fonts (such as those designated as "near letter quality") look better on paper, but take longer to print.  Probably you'll want to select a font that prints quickly but retains good readability.

The dialog box also lets you choose the font size (in points).  A smaller font allows CodeList to put more lines on each page, and more characters in each line, but may require you to squint if the print gets too small.  As a starting point for experimentation (on laser printers, at least), try the Courier New True Type font in Regular style at 8 points.


Setting Up the Printer

The Setup Printer command displays the standard printer setup dialog box, allowing you to choose the printer to use and to setup options for that printer.  You can choose portrait or landscape paper orientation with this dialog box.


Getting Help on CodeList

The Help menu item offers three choices, About CodeList and two help items.  The Help Index command brings up this help file; the Help on Help brings up help on using Windows help.  You can also get help on Windows help by pressing F1 in Help.


About CodeList

The CodeList About dialog box includes the version number and the date/time of the CDLIST32.EXE file.  Please include this information in any requests for support on CodeList.