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FAQ
FAQ


Non-Technical FAQ


Bullet What is the difference between Ted and View?
Bullet Can I use the same data and codebooks for both TPL Tables and TPL Report?
Bullet Can TPL jobs created on one platform be run on another?
Bullet What types of output can TPL software create?
Bullet Explanation of TPL-created PostScript output.
Bullet What is the difference between BLS TPL and TPL Tables?
Bullet What is Support & Upgrade Service (S&US)?
Bullet On which operating systems does the TPL software run?
Bullet Do you give technical support on old versions of TPL software?


What is the difference between Ted and View?

Ted is an integral part of the TPL Tables for Windows system. It is used to view and edit text files, character mode tables and reports, and Postscript tables. View is a "light" version of Ted. It can only be used to view TPL tables and reports. It has no editing capabilities. Ted can only be distributed to licensed users of TPL Tables and to those who have downloaded the demonstration version of TPL Tables. View may be freely distributed to anyone wishing to view tables or reports generated by TPL Tables or TPL Report. 

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Can I use the same data and codebooks for both TPL Tables and TPL Report?

Yes. 

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Can TPL jobs created on one platform be run on another?

Yes. Requests, format files and codebooks can be created on one platform and run on another. In rare cases, a large job that runs on a big machine may not run on a smaller machine or one with less memory. 

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What types of output can TPL software create?

TPL Tables and TPL Report can save their results in either ASCII or PostScript. ASCII output can be saved with or without labels, and can be used as input for other sofware such as spreadsheets, statistics, graphics or database systems. PostScript output can take two forms. See Explanation of TPL-created PostScript output for more information on PostScript files.  In addition, TPL Tables can export HTML output.

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Explanation of TPL-created PostScript output.

PostScript is a printer control language that tells a PostScript printer what to put on a page. We chose to use it in the TPL software for two reasons: 1) it is rich in formatting features and 2) it is a widely used standard that is available across platforms and operating systems. 

TPL software uses PostScript to create two different types of output: PostScript (.ps) and Encapsulated PostScript (.eps). 

TPL-created PostScript (.ps) files include, in a single file, all of the instructions necessary to produce one or more tables or reports. This type of output can be copied directly to a PostScript printer but cannot be embedded in other documents. 

TPL software can also create Encapsulated PostScript (.eps) files. These files include the instructions for a single page of a table or report. Encapsulated PostScript is a graphics format, much like TIFF or GIF, that can be imported into documents created with programs such as Word, WordPerfect, PageMaker or FrameMaker. In general, .eps files cannot be sent directly to a PostScript printer, though .eps files created with TPL software can be. 

On Windows systems, you can use Ted or View to display and print (on either PostScript or non-PostScript printers) either type of TPL-created PostScript files. Some non-Windows operating systems support Display PostScript, which allows "printing" of a PostScript file to the screen.

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What is the difference between BLS TPL and TPL Tables?

BLS TPL is the mainframe system that was developed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in the 1970's and 80's. BLS distributed it to companies and governments around the world. Development ceased in 1984. Two of the people who built BLS TPL founded QQQ Software with the goal of building the best tabulation software available. They used their experience to build a more powerful, more robust system called TPL Tables. TPL Tables is so similar to BLS TPL that it can run many BLS TPL jobs with little or no modification. Most TPL users have switched to TPL Tables for its ease of use and modern features. 

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What is Support & Upgrade Service (S&US)?

With each new TPL software license, we include one free year of S&US. S&US entitles you to free technical support via telephone, fax, mail and email, as well as free upgrades to the software that we release during the service period. After the first year, you can renew the S&US for a fee. Renewing your S&US each year is the best way to stay up-to-date, and the only way to get technical support. 

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On which operating systems does the TPL software run?

We support several operating systems. Click here for an up-to-date list of versions. We will always consider porting to a particular operating system for a fee. Please contact the sales department if you would like more information. 
 
 

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Do you give technical support on old versions of TPL software?

The answer is no, and here's why. By definition, if you are entitled to technical support then your S&US will be current and you will have the most current version of the software. One of the reasons we bundle support and upgrades together under S&US is so that when we give technical support we always know that we are dealing with the most current version of the software. 

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