Making your own album 03

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2.4     Program in a clear way

On the second row, of options, we see the ‘Editor Toolbar’, next to it we see an icon of a page.
By clicking here – or by opening AlbumEasy, we get a blank page for programming.

The second and third icond (saving and saving as) are not usable until we started programming something.

2.4.1     Colour codes for programming

Click the grey arrow, and open an available page:

example of a programming page

The empty field is now filled with programming code in different colo(u)rs.
I will use the British spelling 'colour' further on, as I have been doing in this blog since the beginning.

Left we see line numbers, in this order the code will be executed. In the first lines, we see something that looks like album settings, going down to page settings and finally the programming of the individual pages.

Some text is written in green, purple, black and blue. Luckily for us, we don’t have to insert colo(u)rs to the programming code ourselves. The program will do that for us, and it will also help us to see if we made errors along the way.

2.4.2     Green text

Starting a programming line with a # hashtag,we can type some information for ourselves. This will not appear on the result, and will help us to navigate to what we are programming.

Open a new page (page icon): type a first line, starting with a # (hashtag).
Type under it a second line, with dashes, but start also with a # 

example of a comment line in AlbumEasy 4.2.1

Automatically the tekst that follows a hastag, will be written in green.
Starting on a second line, will add a number to the line.
Neither the comment text, nor the line numbering will appear on the result. It is however helpful as support as we move on programming.

The program is written in English, and although you can work in any available language, programming code should always be in English! (Both British and American English are accepted).
Programming code is a number of fixed expressions and should be used exaclty as indicated.
Comment lines, can be in any language.

As soon as we start programming, the icon ‘Generate’ becomes available.

Since we haven’t really programmed anything yet, there is no use clicking it. Besides, what we have written is ‘comment text’, and that is not to be shown anyhow.

2.4.3     Purple text

Purple is used to indicate programming code. When the program recongizes a text as a ‘command’ the program will turn that command into a purple (bold) textline.

These commands, are fixed codes, what we will use, whenever we need them.
It can be useful to copy-paste them into a word processor (like Word) or similar in order to remember them, or to prevent erros.
AlbumEasy 4.2.1 accepts both British as American spelling for example the word ‘COLO(u)R’.
Along this course, I will introduce you most of the codes.

2.4.4  Black text

Black text will appear when we insert parameters, distances in milimeters.
Also for coordinates of margins, frame lines, even fonts and their sizes)

example of purple, black and green text in AlbumEasy 4.2.1

Take a look at the example above.
After the command : ALBUM_PAGE_SIZE, we see (215.9 and 279.4) this is the US Letter 8.5 x 11 inch – size, but in millimeter.
For the European standard A4 it should be (210 and 279.4). Both parameters are separated by a space, and a dot ‘.’ Is used, not a ‘komma’!.

The command “ALBUM_PAGES_MARGINS”  has 4 parameters : 4 times 15.0.
These refer to the visual (or availble) space on the outcome. (15 mm left or WEST, right or EAST, above or NORTH and below or SOUTH.  These margins can be altered according your taste and needs.

I will refer to E(ast), W(est), N(orth) and S(outh), when refering to margins, frames and boxes later on.

ALBUM_PAGES_BORDER, has also 4 parameters. We see (0.8 0.1 0.0 1.0) : the first 3 pm’s are for the tickness of the borderlines (in mm); one of 0.8 , one of 0.1 and one (invisible).

The 4th pm is for the distance between the lines. This is in mm.   

Other data in black will be discussed later on.

2.4.5     Blue text

Finally, we also see some blue tekst.
Mainly this will refer to tekst we actually want to see appear on our pages.

·        Titels on pages
Subtitels on pages
Text in, besides, above or underneath a box 
Numbers or text in or outside the boxes we will draw

      Whenever we want to use a non-standard lettertype, an image or picture from our computer, … we will have to refer to that specific file on our computer.

This file has a ‘name’ and in order to make things work properly, we will need to copy the exact name of the file (and the folder where it is located).
That is why it can be important to put all files, images, pictures, … belonging to the album we are creating, in the same folder as the saved programming code file.

example of some programming code

First ‘blue’ text, refers to a lettertype that is not standard for AlbumEasy 4.2.1
“Copperplate-Gothic’ is the exact name of that lettertype on the computer.
Second blue text, refers to an image of a flag, that was used. The name of the file, including the folder where it is located is “stamp_images/flag_canada.png”
3rd and 4th blue text, is something we want to see appear on our pages.
What you type is what you’ll get.

to be continued ...

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