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Custom Colors¿>Default Colors╠@Save Config╥BQuit∞CNot AlteredERequired ParamÜFIllegal FileüG	DEV NOTESñH	Exit HelpπIWelcome to BigSort;    Welcome to BigSort! Use BigSort to sort multiple  files;at  once of fixed length,  variable length,  delimited,  or;dbase  formats.  BigSort  supports  files  and  records  of6extremely large sizes and with complex key structures.;   To learn more about BigSort,  browse through  the  help,;read  the  on-line  documentation,   or  read  through  theTutorial section of the manual.2     For information on how to use help, press F1.
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Help on Help;To invoke the help system, press "F1" or both mouse buttons;    If you need more information or if the topic  shown  is;not  exactly  what  you  need,  you  can get information on;related topics listed at the bottom of the screen.  Use the;cursor  movement  keys  or  move the mouse to highlight the;desired topic and press ENTER or the left mouse  button  to
select it.;    Press Escape (the key labeled "ESC"),  press the  right;mouse button, or select "Exit Help" to exit the help systemand to return to the program.
Main Index3  Below are the major topics of the BigSort system:	
#(Author! Author!This program was written by:"               David Sheppard Poor               David D S Poor+               MeadowBrook Industries, Ltd.&                  1805 Underwood Blvd.$                    Delran, NJ 08076/Copyright (c) 1994 MeadowBrook Industries, Ltd.(Menu System;    The Menu System refers to the organization of what  can;be  done with this program.  One of these menu options will;be highlighted (shown in a bright or reversed  color.)  Use;the  arrow  keys  or the mouse to move the highlight bar to;the menu option you wish to select.  Press ENTER,  the left;mouse button, or the highlighted letter of a menu option to;select.  This will either display a subordinate  menu  with;other  menu options,  or will cause the computer to preform;the function denoted by the selected menu option.  Use  the;Escape  (ESC) key or right mouse button to back up one menulevel.(
Using the Mouse;    Unlike most other systems,  the  mouse  is  used  as  a7cursor movement device, as opposed to a pointer device.;    This means the four arrow keys, found on the cursor pad;or  numeric keypad,  are reproduced by moving the mouse up,;down left and right.  The Left button is the  same  as  the;ENTER  key,  the  Right  is the same as an Escape (ESC) and;both buttons together (or the center button) is the same aspressing F1 for help.;    With these seven functions,  the mouse can be used  for/almost everything needed except typing letters.(
Parameters5There are four parameters used by BigSort.  They are:7   Source File(s)    - Required - What file(s) to sort.:   Output File       - Required - Destination of the sort.;   File Format       - Optional - Layout of source file(s).6   Key Definition(s) - Optional - Defines how to sort.;These parameters may either be entered on the command line,;through an interactive session, or through a .BSS file. See8help on the each of the parameters for more information.	
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Loading a BigSort Settings File;Load a previously saved BigSort Settings file  (.BSS  file);my  moving  the  cursor  bar to the file you want and press;ENTER.  This sets the input files, output file, file format;and key definition. You can either go right to Execute Sort;or change any of  the  parameters  first.  To  save  a  new"settings file, use Store Settings.;See the manual for information on how to  use  the  BigSortSettings file as a batch file.	
(Specifying the Source File(s);Move the cursor bar to the file(s) you  wish  to  sort  and;either  press ENTER or the left mouse button.  If the files;you need are  in  another  directory,  select  a  directory;(marked  by  arrows  on  either side).  If the files are on;another disk drive, press F4 and select the new drive.  You;may  select up to eight files.  When you have all the files;you want, press Ctrl-ENTER to accept all the selections. If;you  wish  to  abort the selection,  press ESC or the right
mouse button.(Be sure each file is of the same Format!	
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Specifying the Output File;From within an interactive session,  select Output File and;enter  the  file name.  You may specify a drive and path inthe filename if you wish.;WARNING: DO NOT use the same name  for  one  of  the  input;files and the output file.  If you do,  you wll destroy the;input data! The command line  version  will  allow  you  to;overwrite  the  input  data,   but  this  practice  is  notrecommended.(Specifying the File Format:The File Format tells BigSort what to expect when it sorts1the source file(s). There are four basic formats:0   Fixed     - Each record is of the same length/   Variable  - Each record ends in the same way1   Delimited - Each record contains marked fields+   DBase     - Either DBase III or IV files;The default is variable length records  ending  in  CR  LF,;which  corresponds to standard text files.  Note that fixed5length records are much faster than any other format.	
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Fixed Length Records;Fixed length records have the same number of characters (or;bytes)  in each record.  This is the most efficient type of;record to sort; up  to  33%  faster  than  variable  length;records.  There  are  two ways of telling BigSort that your"files are of fixed length records:8 Standard - The records end in CR LF, and BigSort should/            figure out how long each record is.; Custom   - You must know exactly how long the records are.8            Type in the decimal number of characters (or9            bytes) in each record. Be sure the number you:            enter is correct, or the output will be wrong.
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Variable Length Records;Variable length records do not  have  the  same  number  of;bytes  in  each  record;  if  they do use the Fixed format.2There are three forms for variable length records:9  Standard  - The default is each record ending in CR LF.5  CR and LF - A combination of CR and LF, defines the8              characters marking the end of each record.:  Custom    - In HEX form, define the string of characters-              to mark the end of each record.
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Delimited Records;Delimited records consist of fields marked by a  delimiter,;such as a comma. Each field is either a numeric or a string;surrounded by a text marker,  such as a double  quote.  The;end  of  each  records  is  marked  by a specific string of0characters, such as CR LF.  There are two forms:;   Standard - The delimiter is a Comma,  the text marker is3              a double quote, records end in CR LF.;   Custom   - In HEX representation,  you must specify  the;              delimiter,  the  text marker,  and the end of;              record marker.  See the ASCII  table  in  the-              manual for HEX representations.
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dBASE Records;dBASE refers to any dBASE III or compatible  file.  BigSort;will  sort  the  data  within the dBASE file,  but will notalter any key files.;Note that the dBASE format uses the key locations as  field'numbers, and the key length is ignored.;NOTE: BigSort WILL NOT recalculate any  indices  associatedwith the dbase file.
(Defining the Sorting Key;When defining a key from an interactive  session,  a  ruler;and the first record from the first file will be presented.5This is to be used as a guide for the key definition.7The key may be segmented. Each segment has three parts:.   Location - Starting position in the record.:   Length   - Number characters to use in the key segment..   Switches - Defines how to sort the segment. The default key is: 1(100)/A/L/S(
&Understanding the "First Record" Guide;For the Fixed and Variable formats,  the ruler will  be  as;long  as  the  first  record  (up  to  250 characters) with-numbers to the left denoting record position.;For the Delimited and dBASE formats, the ruler is 50 bytes,;and  the  first  record is displayed with each field (up tonine fields) on separate lines.;Characters in reverse colors are either low or  high  order7bytes. Note: CR LF will appear as inverted "M" and "J".9Use the ruler and 1st record to help in defining the key.(Location for a Key Segment;The Location of the segment defines where to start the  key.segment.  There are two forms of the Location:;For both Fixed and Variable length records, the location is;an absolute number.  (e.g.  If the location is 20,  the key;segment will start with the 20th character in each record.);For Delimited records,  the location is the  field  number.;(e.g.  If the location is 5, the key segment will be within;the 5th delimited field,  starting at the beginning of  thefield.)
(Length of a Key Segment;The Length defines how many bytes are to be  used  for  the;key  segment.  The Length starts with the character denoted9by the "Loc", and uses the first "Len" bytes for the key.;For Delimited files where the field is a numeric,  use  "0";as  the  length.  This  tells  BigSort to pick up the whole"number, and treat it as a numeric.;For dBASE files, the length is ignored.  The length of each;field is determined by the type of field,  which is definedwithin the file itself.(	!The Ascending / Descending Switch;Ascending  - Sort from low to high. (e.g. A comes before Z,'             and 001 comes before 999).;Descending - Sort from high to low. (e.g. Z comes before A,'             and 999 comes before 001).;These switches are particularly useful when sorting numbers.and you want the highest number to come first.(
(The Left-to-Right / Right-To-Left Switch;Left-to-Right - Sort from the left most byte as defined  by;                the  location and the length,  to the right:                most byte.  (e.g. "AB" comes before "ZA").;Right-to-Left - Sort from the right most byte as defined by;                the location and the length,  to  the  left;                most byte.  (e.g.  "ZA" comes before "AB").;                Note  that the Location still specifies the/                left most character in the key.;These switches are particularly useful when sorting  binary;words  which  are stored in the Intel design,  where the Hiand Lo bytes are reversed.(
,The Case Sensitive / Case Insensitive Switch;Case Sensitive: Sort such that upper and lower case are not7                the same. (e.g. "AB" comes before "Aa");Ignore Case:    Sort such that upper and lower case letters<                are seen as the same; lower case letters are9                counted as their upper case counterparts.-                (e.g. "Aa" comes before "AB")4When sorting strings of text, /I may be appropriate./When sorting binary numbers, be sure to use /S./ NOTE: Use of /S can improve efficiency by 25%!(Using Key Segments;Keys are can be broken into segments. This is so keys which;match  exactly  can  have  a tie-breaking criteria,  and so:different parts of the key can contain different switches.;Start with the first key segment  and  work  down.  BigSort;will  use each key segment until it finds one with Location:set to 0. Note there must be at least one segment defined.;Use segments when you need to use different switches,  when;the  key  is  in  different locations in the record,  or if:there is blank space which does not need to be in the key.(Viewing the Selected Parameters;You should always use this option to inspect  your  choices;before  starting  the  sort.  It is the last best chance to;find errors in your parameter selections.  If  there  is  a;problem with one or more of the parameters,  go back to the;appropriate menu item and make the necessary alterations inthe parameter selections.		
(Sorting the Data;This will preform the sort.  A window will appear,  and the;pass number and status will be displayed. When successfully1finishing, "BigSort Complete." will be displayed.;If you wish to abort the sort, press ESC or the right mouse;button. It may take a few seconds to take effect, depending,on what part of the sort is being preformed.(	Sort BigSort Settings File;To save the currents settings of input file name(s), output;file  name,  format  and  key,  enter the file name for the;BigSort Settings file.  The extension will automatically be;set to .BSS.  This file can later be used to Load Settings,6or used as the input to BigSort from the command line.;For information on how to use a BigSort Settings file as  abatch file, see the manual.(Resetting the Parameters;Once you have completed sorting,  you may wish  to  preform;another  sort.  Reset  Parameters  will  set all parameters;(source,  output,  format and keys) back to their defaults.;This  is  a  good  idea  as it helps avoid sorting with the;wrong parameters.  If you  Reset  the  Parameters,  BigSort;assumes  you intend to preform another sort,  and moves the5highlight bar back to the "Source Files" menu option.;It is not necessary to Reset  the  Parameters  whether  you'intend to quit or preform another sort.		
(The Theory of BigSort;BigSort can handle up to 8 input files with  2GB  of  input*data, where each record can be up to 64KB.;On the first pass,  BigSort creates a key for each  record,;and  sorts  the  keys.  If there are more keys than can fit;into memory, a temporary key file is created. On the second;pass, BigSort merges any temporary key files into one.  For;each key,  BigSort reads the whole record from  the  source$file, and writes to the output file.;See "Efficiency" and "Technical" for further understanding.("Ideas on How to Improve Efficiency;Use Fixed length record format over any alternative.  It is5more than 25% faster than the variable record format.;Avoid the /I (Case Sensitive) key switch whenever possible.It can degrade sorting by 25%.;Keep your key as short as possible.  The default length (of;100 bytes) is often excessive. Avoid including white space.;Have as much real memory available when running BigSort  to,improve efficiency by reducing disk caching.
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Technical Notes: Page 1 of 2;A Delimited Numeric field  is  stored  internally  with  10;digit precision,  and a range of +/- 126 decimal places.  A:blank numeric field comes before all other numeric fields.;If a Ctrl-Z end of file marker is  present  for  the  first7source file, a Ctrl-Z will be added to the output file.;If the last record in a file  of  variable  length  records;does not end in an end of record marker, one will be added.;If the last fixed length record is incomplete,  it will  be completed with binary 0's (#00).(Technical Notes: Page 2 of 2;If two keys match perfectly,  the original  order  will  be;preserved.  Note  that if the two keys come from records in;different  source  files,  the  key  for  the  source  file specified first will sort first.;There can be up to 8 input files, including those specified;by  filespecs.  File  sizes  can  be up to 2GB,  where each;record can be up  to  64KB.  There  can  be  up  to  8  key;segments,  each  ranging  from 1 to 255 bytes,  for a total;length of no more than 1024 bytes.  There can be up to  255,delimited fields, each with up to 255 bytes.(Configuring BigSort;    The Configure option lets you customize the environment;to your particular taste. Configure lets you manipulate the;colors,  either to defaults or your own choices,  and  savethe configuration to disk. !"(
Custom Color Selections;    Custom Colors allows in the colors for  all  categories;of menus and screens, with all available colors as options.7For each category, there are seven parts to be defined:1   Normal Text         - Both background and text1   Highlighted Text    - Both background and text1   Data Entry Text     - Both background and text6   Window Border Color - Only the color for the lines.;    The keys to manipulate these colors will appear on  the;screen  whenever  one  of  the  categories of color sets isbeing altered.!"(Set Colors to Default Colors;    Use to set all colors of all windows and menus  to  the;original  factory set colors.  This will only change either;the color or monochrome colors,  depending on what type  ofmonitor you are using.;    If you are using a black and white LCD screen,  you may;have  difficulty  seeing  the screen.  If this is the case,+copy the file BigSort.LCD into BigSort.CFG.;NOTE:  The  default  colors  are  those  written  into  the5program, and may not reflect those saved on the disk. "(Save Current Configuration;    The Save Configuration function will save  the  current;state  of  the program's configuration so the next time the;program is run, the same configuration will be present. The;configuration  consists  of all the color settings for yourmonitor. !(Quitting BigSort;    The Quit option  will  terminate  BigSort,  and  return;control  back  to  DOS  (or  to  the menu system or program;manager which launched BigSort).  If you have  altered  the;configuration and wish to keep the changes, be sure to saveit before quitting.(No Parameters have been Altered;You have either just aborted (by pressing ESC or the  right;mouse  button)  or  left  a  critical  field  blank  in the;entering of a parameter.  There is no change as a result of;your  attempting  to alter the parameter.  If you really do;wish to change any parameters,  press ENTER  (or  the  left;mouse  button)  to  select,  and  then  enter all necessaryfields.($Source and Output Files are Required;You must specify at least one input file and an output file;in  order to execute a sort.  Without these two parameters,;BigSort does not know what to sort  or  where  to  put  theresults.	(	Illegal File(s)8- Any specified source file must be present on the disk.9- Any specified source file mask must denote at least one!  file, and no more than 8 files.7- Any specified destination file must have a legal file5  name which is NOT the same as any of the input file  names.	(9Notes for this help file - If you are reading this, stop..07/25/92  - Version 0.10:  Started w/ Edit.HLP08/19/92  - Some updates06/15-16/93  - Updating,06/22/93 - More updates; Set to version 1.01908/31/94 - Added SaveParams, updated address, etc. v 2.00:11/01/94 - Updated references, technical, spelling. v 2.01(