Using the PROM File Formatter Interface

The PROM File Formatter consists of the elements described in the following section.

PROM File Formatter Window

The PROM File Formatter window, shown in the following figure, is displayed when you invoke the PROM File Formatter. By default, the window displays a PROM description area, a file selection area, a menu bar, a toolbar, and a status bar. You can hide the toolbar and the status bar by toggling the Toolbar or Status Bar entries from the View menu.

Figure 2.1 PROM File Formatter Window Areas

PROM Description Area

The PROM description area, shown in the preceding figure, is the area in which you assemble the data streams in the PROM file. In this area, you define one or more BIT files for a PROM file.

The PROM description area display is hierarchical. You can view the data streams alone or along with the BIT files they contain. A plus sign (+) before a data stream indicates that the BIT files in the data stream are not displayed. A minus sign (-) indicates that the BIT files are displayed. Select the plus sign or minus sign to toggle the display between the two states. You can also toggle states by double-clicking the data stream.

The contents of the PROM description area depend on how you start the PROM File Formatter. It may include an empty data stream, a data stream consisting of a single BIT file, or the data streams produced by a previous PROM File Formatter session. When you add files to the data stream, the order in which the files are displayed indicates how they will be loaded into the devices on the chain. The top BIT file is loaded into the first device, and the bottom BIT file is loaded into the last device.

File Selection Area

The file selection area is used to locate and select the BIT files that the PROM file will contain. It contains a hierarchical view of drives, directories, and BIT files. If your computer is networked, you can also view the BIT files in networked drives. After locating the BIT files for your PROM file, you move the names of these BIT files into the PROM description area.

A plus sign (+) before a directory name indicates that the hierarchy of that directory has not been expanded in the display. A minus sign (-) indicates that the directory's hierarchy has been expanded. Select the plus sign or minus sign to toggle the display between the two states. You can also toggle states by double-clicking the name of the directory.

Menu Bar

The menu bar is located at the top of the PROM File Formatter window. It includes the File, Edit, View, and Help menus. You can select menus and menu items with the mouse. You can also select menu commands by typing the letter underlined in the menu name while pressing the Alt key, then typing the letter underlined in the menu command. Refer to the “Menu Command Reference” chapter for information on the menu commands.

Toolbar

The toolbar is located at the top of the screen below the menu bar. It displays several buttons, which you can use to specify commands directly. The toolbar offers an alternative to the menu commands. The toolbar buttons are described in the following table.

Button	Name	Function
	New	Clears data from the PROM description area, allowing you to build a new PROM file.
	Open	Allows you to open an existing PDR file.
	Save	Allows you to save the current data.
	Split PROM	Displays the Split PROM Wizard, which targets a PROM file to multiple PROM devices.
	Properties	Allows you to set properties for the PROM file currently displayed in the PROM File Formatter window.
	Undo	Reverses the last action performed.
	Redo	Redoes the last action that was undone.
	Cut	Removes selected items from the PROM description area and temporarily stores them in the clipboard.
	Copy	Copies selected items from the PROM description area and temporarily stores them in the clipboard.
	Paste	Inserts the clipboard contents into the PROM description area.
	Move Up	Moves the item selected in the PROM description area closer to the start of the PROM.
	Move Down	Moves the item selected in the PROM description area closer to the end of the PROM.
	Add BIT File	Adds a selected BIT file to the data stream currently selected in the PROM description area.
	Add Data Stream	Adds a new data stream to the PROM description area.
	Open Design Directory	Returns the display in the file selection area to the display appearing when the PROM File Formatter was started or when you last opened a PDR file within the PROM File Formatter.
	About	Displays information about the version number of the PROM File Formatter.
	Help	Invokes context-sensitive help. When you click this button, the cursor changes into a large question mark with an arrow. You can then select an object, such as a menu command or a toolbar button, and receive help for that object.

To get a short description of a toolbar button, place the mouse pointer over the button. After about 2 seconds, a small pop-up text box appears giving more information about that button. This utility, called Tool Tips, displays the name of the button function, while the status bar also displays the information.

On a PC, the toolbar can be arranged in a variety of ways. The toolbar can either be docked (that is, attached to the PROM File Formatter window) or floating (that is, contained in its own window).

You can arrange the toolbar in these ways:

To move the toolbar, point to a spot between toolbar buttons (or to the title bar, if the toolbar is floating), then drag and drop the toolbar to the desired location. If you drop the toolbar near an edge of the PROM File Formatter window, it will be docked on that edge. If you drag the toolbar away from the window edge, it will float instead of being docked.
To toggle between a floating toolbar and a docked toolbar, double-click a spot between toolbar buttons (or on the title bar, if the toolbar is floating).
To prevent the toolbar from being docked, hold down the Ctrl key as you move the toolbar.

Status Bar

The status bar is located at the bottom of the PROM File Formatter window. The left side of the status bar provides command and processing information (for example, Ready or Saving PROM File...), as well as additional help information about the toolbar buttons. The right side of the status bar shows the PROM file format, the PROM type (serial or byte wide), the PROM device, and the percentage of the device that is being used.

Commands and Dialog Boxes

You control the PROM File Formatter by selecting commands from a menu or from the toolbar. Most commands display dialog boxes (for example, the PROM Properties dialog box or the Save As dialog box), through which you specify information and options.

All dialog boxes have an OK button and a Cancel button. Most dialog boxes also have a Help button.

Click the OK button to exit the dialog box and process the information defined on the dialog box.
Click the Cancel button to exit the dialog box without processing the information defined on the dialog box.
Click the Help button to get context-sensitive help for the current dialog box.

Selecting Commands and Dialog Box Options

To choose a menu item, a toolbar button, or a dialog box option, you can use the mouse or the keyboard.

Using the Mouse

The mouse performs the following operations:

You can select toolbar buttons, menus and menu items, entries in the PROM Description area or file selection area, and dialog box options using the left mouse button.
You can select multiple bit files or data streams in the PROM description area.
- To select two or more BIT files in a sequence, select the first file, then hold down the Shift key while you select the last file in the group.
- To select two or more BIT files out of sequence, hold down the Ctrl key while you select each file.
To execute a “drag and drop” operation, place the cursor on the object you wish to move, press and hold the left mouse button as you move the cursor to the location you wish to move the object, then release the mouse button.
To display a context-sensitive menu, move the mouse cursor over an entry in the PROM description area, an open area in the PROM description area, or an entry in the file selection area; then click the right mouse button. A menu will appear displaying possible operations you can perform. Click the right mouse button on the desired operation.
To cancel out of a dialog box without changing anything, click the Cancel button in the dialog box.
To get help, click the Help button in the PROM File Formatter window.

Using the Keyboard

You can use the keyboard to select objects on your screen, such as a dialog box button or a menu option.

To select a dialog box option, use the Tab key to position the cursor on that object and highlight it. Press the Enter key to process the selection.

To cancel out of a dialog box without changing anything, press the Escape key.
To choose a menu and display its options, press the Alt key and the appropriate underlined letter key corresponding to the menu you want. For example, press Alt F to select the File menu.
Use the arrow keys to scroll down the list of options in a menu or list box. Press Enter when the option you want to use is highlighted or, in the case of a menu item, press the underlined letter corresponding to the menu option you want. For example, press the N key to select the New command of the File menu.
To get help, press the F1 function key.