‚         *******›  VTEX.COM - The Text Viewing Utility›       Version     1.1  3/10/92›       Program and Documentation by:›‚                   Larry Richardson›                    5521 Madrid Ave.›                    Orlando, Fl 32807›  ›     This program  is  distributed  as› SHAREWARE. I have spent a great  deal› of time designing, coding, debugging,› and modifying   this  program.    Any› donations  I  receive for my time and› effort will encourage me to  continue› supporting  this  program  as well as› writing new software for the Atari 8-› bit computer.  Thank you.› USE arrow key to scroll pages ›        FORWARD or BACK.››     I.  What does it do?›           VTEX  is  a  utility   that› allows  you  to  view any file on the› screen.  If you have used DOS to view› a  file  (copy  from the file to E:),› you already know  how  unfriendly  it› is.   VTEX  is an attempt to give the› Atari 8-bit users an easier and  more› powerful method to view a file.››     II   Features›           VTEX  can  page  through  a› file,  both forward and backward.  It› has the ability to skip to  the  last› page  and  back to the first page, or› to skip in increments of  ten  pages.› Since  VTEX doesn't go through CIO to› display   on   the   screen,  special› characters (such as the clear  screen› command)  will not interfere with the› display.  VTEX has a pseudo-word wrap› (I'll  explain later), and can delete› the  leading  spaces  from  the  left› margin (good for viewing  files  that› have  been  PRINTed  to  disk).  VTEX› also has string search  capabilities,› ASCII  CR/LF   handling,   adjustable› screen  colors,  a  directory lister,› and the ability to save  its  default› configuration.   It  has  been tested› under both Atari DO‚  2.5  (2.0)  and› SpartaDOS.››      III.  Running VTEX›           From  any  Atari  type DOS,› use the binary load command and  load› the VTEX executable file (VTEX.COM). › The   program   will   prompt  for  a› filename. Enter the filename to  view› and  press  RETURN.  After VTEX opens› the file, the VTEX view  screen  will› appear.   At the bottom of the screen› is the VTEX status line.  It displays› the  version  number  of the program,› the current page number of  the  file› being  viewed  and has an end-of-file› indicator.  It also indicates if  the› word-wrap,  delete leading spaces, or‚  ASCII/ATASCII option  are  active  or› not.›           From  SpartaDOS,  you   may› specify the filename to view on   the› command line.   Simply  type  -  VTEX› filename  <RETURN>.  Under SpartaDOS,› VTEX will look for  the  filename  on› the command line.  If it doesn't find› the filename there,  it  will  prompt› you  to  enter  the  filename  (as it› always does under  Atari  DOS).  With› either  DOS,  if  VTEX  encounters an› error while trying to open the  file,› it  will  re-prompt  you  for  a  new› filename.   If  you wish to exit VTEX› at   this  prompt,  press  ESC.   The› program will then exit to DOS.››‚     IV.  Commands›           Once VTEX is  running,  you› have  a  number of commands to choose› from.   The  commands  are  explained› below. ›      PAGE FORWARD›           Press the  down  arrow  key› (without  holding  down  the  CONTROL› key). VTEX will display the next page› in the file.  As VTEX  moves  forward› through a file, it notes the position› of the beginning of each page so that› it  can  move   backward   (or   jump› forward) directly to that page.›      PAGE BACKWARD›           Press  the  up  arrow   key› (without  holding  down  the  CONTROL› key).  VTEX will display the previous› page in the file.›      FORWARD 10 PAGES›           Press  <SHIFT>  down  arrow› (without the CONTROL key).  Note that› because of the way Atari 8-bit  DOS's› handle  random  access  files,   VTEX› cannot  just  jump  to a page that it› has not  yet  read  in  a  sequential› manner  (see  the explanation in PAGE› FORWARD).  It doesn't  know  at  what› point  in  the  file  the  10th  page› occurs,  for  example,  until  it has› read pages 1-10.  Therefore, when you› press  <SHIFT>  down arrow, VTEX will› either.›      1)  Move forward 10 pages (if it› has  already  read  that  far  in the› file)›          - or -›      2)  Move to the highest page  it› has  read (if less than 10 pages from› the current page)›      BACKWARD 10 PAGES›            Press   <SHIFT>  up  arrow› (without the CONTROL key).  VTEX will› either:›      1)   Move  backward 10 pages (if› the current page being  displayed  is› greater than 10)›          - or -›      2)   Go  to the beginning of the› file. ›      ›      GO TO THE BEGINNING OF THE FILE›           Press B to  return  to  the› first page of the file.›      GO TO THE END OF THE FILE›           Press E to ATTEMPT to go to› the end of the file.   VTEX  can only› go directly to the end of the file if› it has already read the  last  page. › If  the  last page has not been read,› pressing  E  will  take  you  to  the› highest  page  number  read  at  that› point.  Once the last page  has  been› read  (using  the  down arrow to page› forward), VTEX notes the position  if› this  page  so  it  can   access   it› directly.›      DISPLAY THE CURRENT FILENAME›           Press F to display the name› of the file that is  currently  being› viewed.   Press  F  again  to see the› normal VTEX status line.›      WORD WRAP THE DISPLAY›           Press  W  to  turn  on  the› pseudo-word  wrap.  A 'W' will appear› on the left side of the  status  line› to  let  you  know  that word wrap is› active. This is not a true word wrap,› so long words will hang over onto the› next page.  VTEX  will  simply  start› looking for a space after column 31. › If it finds a space,  it  will  break› the  line  here  and wrap the text at› this point.  Pressing  W  again  will› turn the word wrap off.›           Note that because selecting› word  wrap  (or  the  delete  leading› spaces option) will change  the  size› of  the  displayed pages, VTEX resets› the file to start back at page 1 when› either of these options are selected.› This allows the program  to  re-build› its  pointers to the beginning of the› pages   (which   will   now   be   in› different positions).›      DELETE LEADING LEFT SPACES›           Press  D  to  turn  on  the› delete leading left spaces option.  A› 'D' will appear on the left  side  of› the  status line to let you know that› this option is  active.   Any  spaces› that  would have appeared on the left› edge of the page are now gone.  Also,› the  current  page is reset to 1 (see› the note under the word  wrap  option› for an explanation).›      Press  D  again  to  turn   this› option off.›      SEARCH FOR A STRING›      Press  S  key  to  search  for a› string.  The program will prompt  you› to  enter  a string.  Type the string› you wish  to  search  for  and  press› RETURN.   The program will start from› the current page and look forward for› the  search  string.  The search will› stop when the program has found  your› string,  the and of the file has been› reached, or the ESC key is  pressed. › The  function  will not search if the› current  page is the and of the file.›       ASCII option›       VTEX   can  optionally  display› ASCII carriage return/line  feeds  or› carriage  returns  alone  as it would› ATASCII carriage  returns.   This  is› useful  for viewing text generated on› IBM PC's, such  as  many  text  files› that   are   on   bulletin   boards. › Pressing A will toggle this option on› or  off.   An  'A' will appear on the› left side of the status line  to  let› you  know  that  the  ASCII option is› active.  As with  the  word-wrap  and› delete  leading  spaces  option,  the› file  will  be reset to the beginning› when this option is selected.›      LOAD A NEW FILE›      Pressing L will make VTEX prompt› you  for  a  new filename to load and› view.  Enter the filename  and  press› RETURN.  If the program encounters an› error while trying to open the  file,› the  buzzer will sound and the prompt› will re-appear to allow  you  to  try› again.›      Pressing ESC at this prompt will› exit the option and let you  continue› to view the current file.  When a new› file is loaded, VTEX operates  as  if› it  has  just  been  loaded (i.e. you› begin at the first page in  the  file› and  all  pointer information must be› re-created).  If no  drive  specifier› is  given,  the D: prefix is appended› to the filename before attempting  to› load the file.›      EXIT THE PROGRAM›      To  exit VTEX and return to DOS,› press the ESC key.  Note that if  you› choose  the  search  option, pressing› ESC while the  program  is  prompting› for  the  search  string simply takes› you out of the search function.›      This is also the case  with  the› load a new file option.  Pressing ESC› while the program  is  prompting  you› for  a filename will simply abort the› command.›       NOTE:    The   following    are› functions that are new to VTEX (added› since version 1.0).  Following  these› will  be  a   list   of   the   other› enhancements  made  to  the   program› since the 1.0 version.›      DIRECTORY›      Press   R   to   view   a   disk› directory.   VTEX  will  prompt for a› path (the  initial  default  path  is› D:*.*).   This  path  is  the   drive› specifier,  subdirectories,  AND file› specifier.  For example, to view  the› directory  listing  all  of  the .BAS› files   on   drive  2  in  the  BASIC› subdirectory, the path would be:›      D2:>BASIC>*.BAS›      To view all of the files on  the› default    drive   in   the   current› subdirectory:›      D:*.*›      Pressing ESC at the path  prompt› will abort the directory listing.›      COLORS›      VTEX  now  allows  the  user  to› customize  the  screen color and text› intensity to his or her liking.   The› <  and  >  keys decrease and increase› the screen intensity.  The  9  and  0› keys  decrease  and increase the text› intensity.›      Finally, SHIFT  <  and  SHIFT  >› decrease  and  increase  the   screen› color,  independent  of the intensity› level.›      SAVE CURRENT CONFIGURATION›      Press  C  to  save  the  current› configuration.   This  command  saves› the  state  of  some  of   the   VTEX› features,  allowing  you to customize› your   copy   of  the  program.   The› following   are  all  saved  by  this› command:›      - Word Wrap On/Off›      - ASCII/ATASCII state›      - Delete Spaces On/Off›       -   Screen   color   and   Text› intensity›      Press C and VTEX will prompt for› a VTEXfile name.  This is the name of› the  VTEX  executable  that you run. › After  entering  the  filename,  VTEX› will   update   the  executable  file› itself with the  new  default  values› for  the above features.  So, to make› a bright red screen  and  black  text› your  default,  simply set the screen› colors and then press C.›      HELP SCREEN›      VTEX version 1.1 now has a  help› Screen  built  in.   Just press ? and› the help will pop up on the  screen. › All  of  the  key  commands listed in› this DOC file are on the help screen,› followed by a short explanation.  You› may execute any key command from help› by  just  pressing the key (you don't› have to exit help first).››      NOTE: To exit help without doing› a  command,  press  ?,  or  any other› unused key.›      Pressing ESC will not only  exit› the  help  screen,   but   take   you› completely out  VTEX and back to DOS.›      NOTES ON VERSION 1.1›      ›      After many suggestions, I had to› figure out what to add  and  what  to› throw  away.   I  wanted  to keep the› program still fairly small,  but  add› enough  of  the  good  suggestions to› make it more usable than before.››      The commands above were  new  to› 1.1  (Directory,  screen colors, save› configuration,   and  help  screen). › Also, a few  things  were  fixed  and› improved.›      ›      -  First, a bug  hat caused VTEX› to  sometimes  exit  to  DOS  before › running was squashed!›      ›      - Another 1.0 bug... go  to  the› End-of-file,  select  A, D, or ‚, and› the   program   would   not   advance› forward.  Squashed!›      ›      -  The BREAK key is now disabled› while  in the program.›      ›      - ESC will stop a string  search› before getting to the end of the file› (I   did  a  search  on  a  70+  page› document one evening... I put the ESC› feature in shortly after that!)     ›      -  When  loading  a file with L‚› the default drive is now  D:  instead› of  D1:.   Now  SpartaDos  users  can› specify  a  filename without a drive,› and the default SD drive will be used› instead of D1:›      ›      V.  SpartaDOS X Notes›           If  you are lucky enough to› own a  SpartaDOS  X  cartridge,  then› this  section  will  give  you  a few› common sense ideas on how to best use› VTEX.› ›           First,  it  is very easy to› make VTEX  behave  as  though  it  is› simply  another command by placing it› on  one  of  the  active  drives  and› setting the  PATH  to  look  on  that› drive.  I use a 256K 800XL, so I have› an AUTOEXEC.BAT file  that  does  the› following:›      ›      1)  Set up a ramdisk as D8:›      2)   Copy VTEX up to the ramdisk› and call it V.COM.›      3)  SET PATH=CAR:;D8:›      ›      With the path set up to look  on› the ramdisk for .COM files, I can now› execute VTEX from  the  command  line› without having to tell SpartaDOS what› drive it is on.  Since it is  on  the› ramdisk,    it   loads   and   begins› executing  in  a  second.   Also,  by› calling the program V.COM, all I have› to type to view a file is:    ›      V filename <RETURN>›      ›      Second  (and  last), SpartaDOS X› now handles the NONE and POINT›